[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 30, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1037-D1038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
OPM's REPORT ON IMPROPER HIRING PRACTICES AT NCUA
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on General 
Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to review OPM's Report on 
Improper Hiring Practices at the National Credit Union Administration. 
Testimony was heard from Janice Lachance, Acting Director, OPM; and the 
following officials of the National Credit Union Administration: Norman 
D'Amours, Chairman; Shirlee Bowne, Vice-Chairman; and Yolanda Wheat, 
Board Member.
OVERVIEW--NIH PROGRAMS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on an Overview of National Institutes of Health Programs. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the NIH, Department 
of Health and Human Services: Harold E. Varmus, M.D., Director; Francis 
Collins, M.D., Director, National Human Genome Research Institute; 
Donald Lindberg, M.D., Director, National Library of Medicine; David 
Lipman, M.D., National Library of Medicine; Richard Hodes, M.D., 
Director, National Institutes of Aging; Zach Hall, M.D., Director, 
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; and Anthony S. 
Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases.
COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE COMPETITION AND PRIVATIZATION ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on H.R. 1872, Communications 
Satellite Competition and Privatization Act of 1997. Testimony was 
heard from Regina M. Keeney, International Bureau Chief, FCC; Jack A. 
Gleason, Associate Administrator, International Affairs, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department of 
Commerce; and public witnesses.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL CHOICE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth and Families held a hearing on Public and Private 
School Choice. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
REVIEW--FEDERAL EMPLOYEES COMPENSATION ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing to Review the Federal Employees Compensation 
Act (FECA). Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Labor: Shelby Hallmark, Acting Assistant Secretary, 
Office of Worker's Compensation Programs; and Charles Masten, Inspector 
General; and Mike Brostek, Associate Director, Federal Management and 
Workforce Issues, GAO.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Ordered reported amended 
the following bills: H.R. 404, to amend the Federal Property and 
Administrative Services Act of 1949 to authorize the transfer to State 
and local governments of certain surplus property for use for law 
enforcement or public safety purposes; and H.R. 1962, Presidential and 
Executive Office Financial Accountability Act of 1997.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported amended H.R. 
2386, United States-Taiwan Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense Cooperation 
Act.
  The Committee also reconsidered its earlier action and ordered 
reported amended H.R. 967, to prohibit the use of United States funds 
to provide for the participation of certain Chinese officials in 
international conferences, programs, and activities and to provide that 
certain Chinese officials shall be ineligible to receive visas and be 
excluded from admission to the United States
ADMINISTRATION'S POLICY TOWARD ASIA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on the Administration's Policy Toward Asia. 
Testimony was heard from Stanley Roth, Assistant Secretary, East Asian 
and Pacific Affairs, Department of State.
OVERSIGHT--SEEKING RESULTS FROM JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing on Seeking 
Results from the Department of Justice. Testimony was heard from Norman 
J. Rabkin, Director, Administration of Justice Issues, General 
Government Division, GAO; and Stephen R. Colgate, Assistant Attorney 
General, Administration, Justice Management Division, Department of 
Justice.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property approved for full Committee action the following: H.R. 1534, 
amended, Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 1997; H.R. 1967, 
to amend title 17, United States Code, to provide that the distribution 
before January 1, 1978, of a phonorecord shall not for any purpose

[[Page D1038]]

constitute a publication of the musical work embodied therein; H.R. 
2265, amended, No Electronic Theft (NET) Act; and the Copyright Term 
Extension Act.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on issues surrounding 
use of fire as a management tool and its risks and benefits as they 
relate to the health of the National Forests and the EPA's National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards. Testimony was heard from Bruce Babbitt, 
Secretary of the Interior; Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture; 
Carol M. Browner, Administrator, EPA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--BLM'S GRAZING REDUCTIONS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held an oversight hearing on Grazing Reductions and other issues on BLM 
lands. Testimony was heard from Maitland Sharpe, Assistant Director, 
Renewable Resources and Planning, Department of the Interior; and 
public witnesses.
DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Basic Research continued hearings 
on Domain Name System (Part 2). Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FAA'S EFFORTS TO CLOSE FLIGHT SERVICE STATIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on FAA's efforts to close and consolidate 
flight service stations and to consider H.R. 1454, to prohibit the 
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration from closing 
certain flight service stations. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Riggs; Ronald E. Morgan, Director, Air Traffic, FAA, 
Department of Transportation; Nancy Flemming, Mayor, Eureka, 
California; and public witnesses.
VETERANS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 1703, amended, Department of Veterans Affairs Employment 
Discrimination Prevention Act; and H.R. 2571, to authorize major 
medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 1998.
  FAST TRACK TRADE AUTHORITY
  Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing 
on the implementation of Fast Track Trade Authority. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Gephardt, Kolbe, Visclosky, Blumenauer, 
Dooley of California and Moran of Virginia; Charlene Barshefsky, 
U.S. Trade Representative; and public witnesses.
  GULFLINK BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Meet in executive session 
to hold a briefing on Gulflink. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--TREASURY/POSTAL SERVICE
Conferees on Monday, September 29, agreed to file a conference report 
on the differences between the Senate- and House-passed versions of 
H.R. 2378, making appropriations for the Treasury Department, the 
United States Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, 
and certain independent agencies for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 1998.
APPROPRIATIONS--INTERIOR
Conferees continued in evening session to resolve the differences 
between the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 2107, making 
appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998.
APPROPRIATIONS--VA/HUD
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 2158, making 
appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and 
Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, commissions, 
corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
1998.
AUTHORIZATION--FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
Conferees continued to resolve the differences between the Senate- and 
House-passed versions of H.R. 1757, to consolidate international 
affairs agencies, and to authorize funds for the Department of State 
and related agencies for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, but did not 
complete action thereon, and recessed subject to call.