[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1083-D1085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FOOD SAFETY
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
hearings on proposals to provide for improved public health and food 
safety through enhanced enforcement by requiring processors and 
handlers to notify the Department of Agriculture of the existence of 
contaminated meat and poultry products, to provide the Department the 
authority to require a mandatory recall of these products and to levy 
civil penalties for violations of meat and poultry safety rules, 
including a related measure S. 1264, after receiving testimony from 
Daniel R. Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture; Carol Tucker Foreman, 
Foreman Heidepriem & Mager, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Safe 
Food Coalition, former Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Food and 
Consumer Services; Michael T. Osterholm, Minnesota Department of 
Health, Minneapolis; Nancy Donley, Safe Tables Our Priority, Brooklyn, 
New York; Alan Janzen, Circle Five Feed Yard, Henderson, Nebraska, on 
behalf of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association; and Gary Jay 
Kushner, Hogan & Hartson, Washington, D.C., Greg Page, Cargill 
Incorporated, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Mike Doyle, University of 
Georgia, Athens, all on behalf of the American Meat Institute, Grocery 
Manufacturers of America, Inc., National Broiler Council, National Food 
Processors Association, and the National Turkey Federation.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the nominations of Laura S. Unger, of New York, and 
Paul R. Carey, of New York, each to be a Member of the Securities and 
Exchange Commission, Dennis Dollar, of Mississippi, to be a Member of 
the National Credit Union Administration Board, Edward M. Gramlich, of 
Virginia, and Roger Walton Ferguson, of Massachusetts, each to be a 
Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and 
Ellen Seidman, of the District of Columbia, to be Director of the 
Office of Thrift Supervision, Department of the Treasury.

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BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
  The nominations of Harold W. Furchtgott-Roth, of the District of 
Columbia, William E. Kennard, of California, Michael K. Powell, of 
Virginia, and Gloria Tristani, of New Mexico, each to be a Member of 
the Federal Communications Commission, and George W. Black Jr., of 
Georgia, John Arthur Hammerschmidt, of Arkansas, and James E. Hall, of 
Tennessee, each to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety 
Board;
  S. 1235, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to issue a 
certificate of documentation with appropriate endorsement for 
employment in the coastwise trade for the vessel registered as State of 
Oregon official number OR 766 YE;
  H.R. 1658, to authorize funds for and amend programs of the Atlantic 
Striped Bass Conservation Act and related laws, with amendments;
  S. 1231, to authorize funds for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 for the 
United States Fire Administration; and
  S. 1259, to authorize funds for the United States Coast Guard, with 
amendments. (As approved by the Committee, the bill authorizes 
$3,830,696,000 for fiscal year 1998 and $3,860,568,000 for fiscal year 
1999.)
  Prior to this action, committee concluded hearings on the nominations 
of James E. Hall, George W. Black, Jr., and John A. Hammerschmidt (all 
listed above), after the nominees testified and answered questions in 
their own behalf. Mr. Hammerschmidt was introduced by Senator 
Hutchinson, and Mr. Hall was introduced by Representative Wamp.
PASS ACT
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings on S. 1195, to promote 
the adoption, safety, and support of abused and neglected children, 
receiving testimony from Senators Craig, DeWine, Landrieu, and Levin; 
Representatives Camp and Kennelly; Judge David E. Grossman, Hamilton 
County Juvenile Court, Cincinnati, Ohio, on behalf of the National 
Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; Joe Leean, Wisconsin 
Department of Health and Family Services, Madison; Valora Washington, 
Families for Kids Initiative/W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, 
Michigan; Robert M. Guttman, Washington, D.C.; and Faith S. Loney, 
Southfield, Michigan.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  International Telecommunication Union Constitution and Convention 
(Treaty Doc. 104-34), with 2 understandings, 2 declarations, and 1 
proviso;
  Protocol Amending the 1916 Convention with Canada for the Protection 
of Migratory Birds (Treaty Doc. 104-28), with 1 understanding, 1 
declaration, and 1 proviso;
  Protocol Amending the Convention with Mexico for the Protection of 
Migratory Birds and Game Mammals (Treaty Doc. 105-26), with 1 
understanding, 1 declaration, and 1 proviso;
  Maritime Boundaries Treaty with Mexico (Ex. F, 96th Cong., 1st 
Sess.), with 1 declaration and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Treaty with Austria (Treaty Doc. 104-31), with 1 
understanding, 2 declarations, and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Treaty with Ireland (Treaty Doc. 105-31), with 1 
understanding, 2 declarations, and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Treaty with Luxembourg (Treaty Doc. 104-33), with 1 
reservation, 2 declarations, and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Treaty with South Africa (Treaty Doc. 105-9), with 1 
declaration and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Treaty with Switzerland (Treaty Doc 105-8), with 2 
declarations and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Treaty with Thailand (Treaty Doc. 105-2), with 1 
declaration and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Treaty with Turkey (Treaty Doc. 104-30), with 1 
declaration and 1 proviso;
  Bilateral Tax Protocol with Canada (Treaty Doc. 105-29), with 1 
declaration and 1 proviso;
  The nominations of Thomas S. Foley, of Washington, to be Ambassador 
to Japan, Alphonse F. La Porta, of New York, to be Ambassador to 
Mongolia, Stephen W. Bosworth, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Korea, Wyche Fowler Jr., of Georgia, to be Ambassador to 
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Martin S. Indyk, of the District of 
Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs;
  S. Res. 112, condemning the most recent outbreak of violence in the 
Republic of Congo and recognizing the threat such violence poses to the 
prospects for a stable democratic form of government in that country; 
and
  S. Con. Res. 37, expressing the sense of the Congress that Little 
League Baseball Incorporated was established to support and develop 
Little League baseball worldwide and should be entitled to all of the 
benefits and privileges available to nongovernmental international 
organizations, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  Also, committee began consideration of S.Con.Res. 48, expressing the 
sense of the Congress regarding

[[Page D1085]]

proliferation of missile technology from Russia to Iran, but did not 
complete action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine the 
current and future threat of nuclear proliferation posed by China and 
Russian missile proliferation, receiving testimony from Paul Wolfowitz, 
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies/Johns Hopkins 
University, James R. Lilley, American Enterprise Institute, both of 
Washington, D.C.; Bates Gill, Monterey Institute of International 
Studies, Monterey, California; and Gary Milhollin, University of 
Wisconsin Law School, Madison, on behalf of the Wisconsin Project on 
Nuclear Arms Control.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
CAMPAIGN FINANCING INVESTIGATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee continued hearings to 
examine certain matters with regard to the committee's special 
investigation on campaign financing, receiving further testimony from 
Harold M. Ickes, former Deputy Chief of Staff to the President.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
CABLE TELEVISION AND VIDEO INDUSTRY REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Business Rights, 
and Competition held oversight hearings on the implementation of the 
Telecommunications Competition and Deregulation Act (P.L. 104-104), 
focusing on antitrust and competition issues raised by the deregulation 
of the cable and video marketplace, receiving testimony from Deborah L. 
Lenart, Ameritech New Media, Inc., Chicago, Illinois; Leo J. Hindery, 
Jr., Tele-Communications, Inc., Decker Anstrom, National Cable 
Television Association, and Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, all of 
Washington, D.C.; and Eddy Hartenstein, DIRECTV, Inc., El Segundo, 
California.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Labor and Human Resources: Committee concluded hearings on 
the nomination of David Satcher, of Tennessee, to be Assistant 
Secretary of Health and Human Services for Health and to be Medical 
Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, subject to 
qualifications therefor as provided by law and regulations, and to be 
Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, after the nominee, who 
was introduced by Senators Frist, Shelby, and Sessions, and 
Representative Clement.
GLOBAL TOBACCO SETTLEMENT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held hearings to examine the 
scope and depth of the proposed settlement between State Attorneys 
General and tobacco companies to mandate a total reformation and 
restructuring of how tobacco products are manufactured, marketed, and 
distributed in America, focusing on those provisions affecting Indian 
tribes, receiving testimony from Colorado State Attorney General Gale 
A. Norton, Denver; Washington State Attorney General Christine 
Gregoire, Olympia; W. Craig Vanderwagen, Director, Division of Clinical 
and Preventive Health, Office of Public Health, Indian Health Service, 
Department of Health and Human Services; Jack Chambers, Jr., Grand 
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Suttons Bay, Michigan; 
Doran Morris, Omaha Tribal Council, Macy, Nebraska; Alexander Tallchief 
Skibine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City; and Franklin Ducheneaux, 
Ducheneaux, Taylor & Associates, and Mary J. Pavel, Sonosky, Chambers, 
Sachse & Endreson, both of Washington, D.C.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nomination of Lt. Gen. John A. Gordon, USAF, to be Deputy Director 
of Central Intelligence.