[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 144 (Thursday, October 23, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1135-D1137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW--USDA ACCOUNTABILITY AND EQUITY ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review H.R. 2185, USDA 
Accountability and Equity Act of 1997, and other civil rights measures. 
Testimony was heard from Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture; and 
public witnesses.
SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Securing America's Future: 
Preparing the Nation for the 21st Century. Testimony was heard from 
Speaker Gingrich and Representatives Shuster, Boehner, Archer, Stark, 
Neumann, Kolbe, Sabo, Brown of California, and Minge; and public 
witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTRACT REFORM
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on the Department of Energy's Implementation of Contract 
Reform: Mismanagement of Performance-Based Contracting. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Energy: John C. 
Layton, Inspector General; and Elizabeth Anne Moler, Deputy Secretary; 
and public witnesses.
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on Reauthorization of the Consumer 
Product Safety Commission and GAO report CPSC: Better Data Needed to 
Help Identify and Analyze Potential Hazards. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the GAO: Carlotta Joyner, Director, 
Education and Employment Issues; and Sarah Glavine, Senior Economist; 
and the following officials of the Consumer Product Safety Commission: 
Ann Brown, Chairman; Mary Sheila Gall and Thomas Hill Moore, both 
Commissioners.
PATIENT ACCESS TO RESPONSIBLE CARE ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Employer-
Employee Relations held a hearing on H.R. 1415, Patient Access to 
Responsible Care Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Norwood and Miller of California; and public witnesses.
JOB CORPS OVERSIGHT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources held a hearing on ``Job Corps Oversight: Recruitment and 
Placement Standards''. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of Labor: Patricia A. Dalton, Deputy Inspector 
General; and Mary H. Silva, National Director, Job Corps; Cornelia 
Blanchette, Associate Director, Education and Employment Issues, GAO; 
and public witnesses.
CONDEMNING INTERVENTION BY ANGOLA INTO CONGO
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa approved 
for full Committee action H. Res. 273, condemning the military 
intervention by the Government of the Republic of Angola into the 
Republic of the Congo.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law approved for full Committee action the following 
measures: H.J. Res. 91, amended, granting the consent of Congress to 
the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin Compact; H.J. Res. 92, 
amended, granting the consent of Congress tot he Alabama-Coosa-
Tallapoosa River Basin Compact; H.J. Res. 95, granting the

[[Page D1136]]

consent of Congress to the Chickasaw Trail Economic Development 
Compact; and H.J. Res. 96, granting the consent and approval of 
Congress for the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and 
the District of Columbia to amend the Washington Metropolitan Area 
Transit Regulation Compact.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on these 
measures. Testimony was heard from Representatives Barr of Georgia, 
Boyd, Bryant, Wicker, and Davis of Virginia; Peter D. Coppelman, Deputy 
Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division, 
Department of Justice; Jack Evans, Chairman, Board of Directors, 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; G. Robert Kerr, 
Director, Pollution Prevention Assistance Division, Department of 
Natural Resources, State of Georgia; Walter B. Stevenson, Director, 
Office of Water Resources, State of Alabama; Douglas E. Barr, Executive 
Director, Northwest Florida Water Management District, State of 
Florida; and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2652, Collections 
of Information Protection Act; and H.R. 2696, Vessel Hull Design 
Protection Act. Testimony was heard from Marybeth Peters, Register, 
U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held a hearing on the 
implementation of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act 
of 1994. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the FBI, 
Department of Justice: Edward L. Allen, Chief, Electronic Surveillance 
Technology Section and H. Michael Warren, Chief, CALEA Implementation 
Section, both with the Information Resources Division; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans approved for full Committee action amended H.R. 
2376, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act 
Amendments of 1997.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 
2401, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make technical 
corrections to a map relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System; 
and H.R. 2556, Wetlands and Wildlife Enhancement Act of 1997. Testimony 
was heard from Representative Tanner; Don Barry, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS--RECREATIONAL RESIDENCE USE FEES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on the Recreational Residence Use Fees on National 
Forest System Lands. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Nethercutt; Janice McDougle, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 
Systems, Forest Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
CONFERENCE REPORT--INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 2107, making 
appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998 and against its 
consideration. The rule provides that the conference report shall be 
considered as read. Testimony was heard from Representatives Regula and 
Sam Johnson of Texas.
CONFERENCE REPORT--NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote a rule waiving all points of 
order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 1119, National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998, and against its 
consideration. The rule provides that the conference report shall be 
considered as read. Testimony was heard from Chairman Spence and 
Representative Dellums.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation approved for full 
Committee action amended the following bills: H.R. 2626, to make 
clarifications to the Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996; and H.R. 
2476, to amend title 49, United States Code, to require the National 
Transportation Safety Board and individual foreign air carriers to 
address the needs of families of passengers involved in aircraft 
accidents involving foreign air carriers.
FAA--ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Allegations of Sexual Harassment at the FAA. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the FAA, Department 
of Transportation: Jane F. Garvey, Administrator; Joan M. Henson, Air 
Traffic Control Specialist, Atlanta; Carl W. Reed, Operational 
Supervisor, Houston Air Route Traffic Control Center,

[[Page D1137]]

Houston, TX; Julia Avery, Air Traffic Control Specialist, Houston Air 
Route Traffic Center; and Jan Vera Gonzales, Class Agent, John Wayne 
Tower; and public witnesses.
BAN ON SMOKING IN FEDERAL BUILDING ACT
Committee on Transportation: Subcommittee on Public Buildings and 
Economic Development held a hearing on H.R. 2118, Ban on Smoking in 
Federal Buildings Act. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Blumenauer; David Bibb, Deputy Associate Administrator, GSA; Alan M. 
Hantman, Architect of the Capitol; and a public witness.
VA INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORTS--ALLEGED MISMANAGEMENT AT CERTAIN MEDICAL 
CENTERS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on VA Inspector General Reports on 
Alleged Mismanagement at the Charleston, South Carolina and Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania VA Medical Centers, and on related matters. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Sanford; the following officials of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs: William T. Merriman, Deputy Inspector 
General; Kenneth Clark, Chief Network Officer, Dean S. Billik, 
Director, Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System, Veterans Integrated 
Services Network 17, Thomas A. Cappello, Director, Pittsburgh VA 
Healthcare System, Veterans Integrated Services Network 4, all with the 
Veterans Health Administration; Fletcher P. Truesdell, Employee, 
Charleston VA Medical Center; and Kate Irene Smith, Employee, 
Charleston VA Medical Center.
FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security continued 
hearings on the Future of Social Security for this Generation and the 
Next, with emphasis on the Current State of Public Opinion on Social 
Security Reform. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT; UNILATERAL TRADE SANCTIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade approved for full 
committee action amended H.R. 1432, African Growth and Opportunity Act.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the use and effect of 
unilateral trade sanctions. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Hamilton, Kolbe and Ros-Lehtinen; Stuart E. Eizenstat, Under Secretary, 
Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, Department of State; and 
public witnesses.