[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1114-D1116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DOLLAR COIN ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on H.R. 2637, United 
States $1 Coin Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Davis of Virginia and Kolbe; the following officials of the Department 
of the Treasury: Phillip Diehl, Director, U.S. Mint; and Nancy 
Killefer, Assistant Secretary, Management/Chief Financial Officer; 
Theodore Allison, Assistant, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve 
System; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on H.R. 655, Electric Consumers' Power to Choose Act of 1997, and also 
the following bills: H.R. 338, Ratepayer Protection Act; H.R. 1230, 
Consumers Electric Power Act of 1997; H.R. 1359, to amend the Public 
Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a means to support 
programs for electric energy conservation and energy efficiency, 
renewable energy, and universal and affordable service for electric 
consumers; and H.R. 1960, Electric Power Competition and Consumer 
Choice Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Energy: Elizabeth Anne Moler, Deputy Secretary; and 
James J. Hoecker, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and a 
public witness.
  Hearing continue tomorrow.
OVERSIGHT--PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials 
held an oversight hearing on Implementation of the Private Securities 
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PL-104-67). Testimony was heard from 
Arthur Levitt, Jr., Chairman, SEC; and public witnesses.
EEOC REVIEW
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing to review the 
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.

[[Page D1115]]


NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held a hearing on H.R. 1522, to extend the authorization for the 
National Historic Preservation Fund. Testimony was heard from Bob 
Stanton, Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; 
Robert A. Peck, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, GSA; John M. 
Fowler, Executive Director, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; 
H. Alexander Wise, Jr., Historic Preservation Officer and Director, 
Department of Historical Resources, State of Virginia; John Keck, 
Preservation Officer, State Historic Preservation Office, State of 
Washington; Brenda Barrett, Director, Bureau of Historic Preservation, 
State of Pennsylvania; Edward M. Norton, Vice President, Law and Public 
Policy, National Trust for Historic Preservation; and public witnesses.
AMTRAK REFORM AND PRIVATIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule on 
H.R. 2247, Amtrak Reform and Privatization Act of 1997, providing one 
hour of general debate to be equally divided between the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure. The rule makes in order the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure amendment in the nature of a substitute now printed 
in the bill, which shall be considered as read. The rule provides for 
the consideration of the amendments printed in the report of the 
Committee on Rules and an amendment to be offered by Representative 
Oberstar. The rule provides that the amendments printed in the report 
of the Committee on Rules may be offered only in the order printed in 
the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, 
shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified 
in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent, shall not be subject to amendment except as specified in the 
report, and shall not be subject to a demand for a division of the 
question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. The rule 
provides that the amendment to be offered by Representative Oberstar 
may be offered only after the disposition of the amendments printed in 
the report of the Committee on Rules, shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for 30 minutes equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and opponent, and shall not be subject to amendment. The rule 
allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes 
during consideration of the bill, and to reduce a vote to five minutes 
on a postponed question if the vote follows a fifteen minute vote. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Shuster, 
Representatives Quinn, LaTourette, Thune, Oberstar, Wise, Menendez, and 
Moran of Virginia.
PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule on 
H.R. 1534, Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 1997, 
providing one hour of general debate equally divided between the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the committee on the Judiciary. 
The rule waives clause 2(1)(6) of rule XI (3 day availability of 
committee report) against consideration of the bill. The rule makes in 
order the Judiciary Committee amendment in the nature of a substitute 
now printed in the bill as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment, modified by the amendments printed in part 1 of the Rules 
Committee report. The rule provides that the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute be considered as read. The rule makes in order a 
further amendment in the nature of a substitute if offered by 
Representative Conyers or his designee. The rule provides that the 
further amendment shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 
thirty minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent, and shall not be subject to amendment. The rule provides that 
if the further amendment is rejected or not offered, then no other 
amendment shall be in order except the amendment printed in part 2 of 
the Rules Committee report. The rule provides that the amendment 
printed in part 2 of the Rules Committee report may only be offered by 
the Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall 
be debatable for thirty minutes equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to amendment. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Coble, Gallegly, 
Campbell, Scott, and Vento.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS EXTENSION
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule on H.J. Res. 
97, Continuing Appropriations Extension for fiscal year 1998, providing 
one hour of debate in the House equally divided and controlled by the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule provides that the joint resolution shall be 
considered as read. The rule provides one motion to recommit. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Rohrabacher, Deal of Georgia, and 
Bilbray.

[[Page D1116]]


TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE AIRCRAFT NOISE
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing on 
Technology to Reduce Aircraft Noise. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the FAA, Department of Transportation: James 
Erickson, Director, Office of Environment and Energy; and Wesley L. 
Harris, Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee; 
Robert E. Whitehead, Associate Administrator, Aeronautics and Space 
Transportation Technology, NASA; and public witnesses.
CHINESE NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Chinese Nuclear Proliferation. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
ISRAEL'S ECONOMIC FUTURE
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine 
Israel's economic future and its impact on United States relations, 
focusing on economic and defense trends in the Middle East, including 
the ramifications of the peace process, after receiving testimony from 
Martin Sherman, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Eliyahu 
Kanovsky, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Col. Yoash Tsiddon-
Chatto, Petah Tikvah, Israel; Talia Einhorn, Israeli Center for 
Academic Studies, Ramat Aviv, Israel; and Robert Z. Lawrence, Institute 
for Social and Economic Policy in the Middle East/Harvard University, 
Cambridge, Massachusetts.