[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1011-D1013]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FEDERAL AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT AND REFORM ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Forestry, Resource 
Conservation, and Research approved for full Committee action amended 
H.R. 2534, Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 
Reauthorization Act of 1997.
ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER--FEDERAL AGENCY PAYMENTS
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on the 
Department of the Treasury's proposed rules regarding the management of 
federal agency payments through the use of Electronic Funds Transfer. 
Testimony was heard from John D. Hawke, Jr., Under Secretary, Domestic 
Finance, Department of the Treasury; John Dyer, Acting Principal Deputy 
Commissioner, SSA; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported amended the following bills: 
H.R. 1411, amended, Prescription Drug User Fee Reauthorization and Drug 
Regulatory Modernization Act of 1997; and H.R. 2469, amended, Food and 
Nutrition Information Reform Act of 1997.
FEDERAL WORKPLACE--EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service concluded hearings on Employment Discrimination in the Federal 
Workplace, Part II. Testimony was heard from Representatives Canady and 
Herger; Ronald Stewart, Deputy Chief, Programs and Legislation, Forest 
Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
PFIESTERIA AND FOOD SAFETY
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources held a hearing on Pfiesteria and Food Safety: The Federal and 
State Response. Testimony was heard from Terry Garcia, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Oceans and Atmosphere, Department of Commerce; the following 
officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: Kenneth 
Olden, M.D., Director, National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences, NIH; Fred Shank, Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied 
Nutrition, FDA; and Richard J. Jackson, M.D., Director, National Center 
for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 
Robert H. Wayland, III, Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and 
Watersheds, EPA; Parris N. Glendening, Governor, State of Maryland; 
David Bruton, M.D., Secretary, Health and Human Services, State of 
North Carolina; Randolph Gordon, M.D., Commissioner, Department of 
Health, State of Virginia; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights approved for full Committee action the 
following bills: H.R. 2232, amended, Radio Free Asia Act of 1997; and 
H.R. 2358, Political Freedom in China Act of 1997.
OVERSIGHT--ADMINISTRATIVE RULEMAKING--MONITORING ROLE OF CONGRESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held an oversight hearing on the Role of Congress in 
Monitoring Administrative Rulemaking. Testimony was heard from Senator 
Brownback; Representatives Hayworth and Kelly; and public witnesses.

[[Page D1012]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1063, to amend the 
Webb-Kenyon Act to allow any State, territory, or possession of the 
United States to bring an action in Federal court to enjoin violations 
of that Act or to enforce the laws of such State, territory, or 
possession with respect to such violations; and H.R. 1534, Private 
Property Rights Implementation Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Riggs and Ehrlich; John Dwyer, Acting Associate 
Attorney General, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans held a hearing on H.R. 2376, National Fish and 
Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act Amendments of 1997. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Chenoweth; Jamie Rappaport Clark, Director, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Sally 
Yozell, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA, 
Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
LAND CONVEYANCE
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on H.R. 434, to provide for the conveyance of small parcels 
of land in the Carson National Forest and the Santa Fe National Forest, 
NM, to the village of El Rito and the town of Jemez Springs, NM. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Redmond; Janice McDougle, 
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest Systems, Forest Service, USDA; 
and David Sanchez, Mayor, Jemez Springs, New Mexico.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held an oversight hearing on Everglades National Park and the 
Miccosukee Tribe of Indians in Florida. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Diaz-Balart; Edward B. Cohen, Deputy Solicitor, 
Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Basic Research held a hearing on 
Domain Name System, Part I. Testimony was heard from Joseph Bordogna, 
Acting Deputy Director, NSF; Larry Irving, Assistant Secretary, 
Communication and Information, Department of Commerce; and public 
witnesses.
  Hearings continue September 30.
PROMOTING TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing on 
Promoting Technology Transfer by Facilitating Licenses to Federally-
Owned Inventions. Testimony was heard from John G. Mannix, Associate 
General Counsel (Intellectual Property), NASA; and public witnesses.
YEAR 2000 COMPUTER COMPLIANCE ISSUES-IMPACT ON VA
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer 
compliance issues and their impact on the Department of Veterans 
Affairs. Testimony was heard from Joel C. Willemssen, Director, 
Information Resources Management, Accounting and Information Management 
Division, GAO; D. Mark Catlett, Acting Assistant Secretary, Management, 
Acting Chief Information Officer, Acting Chief Financial Officer, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; and Tom Shope, Acting Director, 
Division of Electronics and Computer Science, Office of Science 
Technology, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA, Department 
of Health and Human Services.
HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability 
Act of 1996. Testimony was heard from Judy D. Moore, Deputy Director, 
Center for Medicaid and State Operations, Health Care Financing 
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Meredith 
Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy, Pension and Welfare 
Benefits Administration, Department of Labor; J. Mark Iwry, Chief 
Benefits Tax Counsel, Department of the Treasury; Jay Angoff, Director, 
Department of Insurance, State of Missouri; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--SSA'S DISABILITY REVIEWS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held an 
oversight hearing on the SSA's progress in conducting continuing 
disability reviews. Testimony was heard from Susan Daniels, Associate 
Commissioner, Office of Disability, SSA; and Jane L. Ross, Director, 
Income Security Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services Division, 
GAO.

[[Page D1013]]



Joint Meetings

APPROPRIATIONS--ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Conferees on Wednesday, September 24, agreed to file a conference 
report on the differences between the Senate- and House- passed 
versions of H.R. 2203, making appropriations for energy and water 
development for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998.