[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1208-D1210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings

BANKING AND THE YEAR 2000 COMPUTER PROBLEM
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on the 
Millennium Bug: Banking and the Year 2000 computer problem. Testimony 
was heard from Edward W. Kelley, Jr., member, Board of Governors, 
Federal Reserve System; Eugene A. Ludwig, Comptroller of the Currency, 
Department of the Treasury and Chairman, Federal Financial Institutions 
Examination Council; and public witnesses.
EPA REGULATORY REINVENTION EFFORTS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on the Federal-State Relationship: A Look into EPA 
Regulatory Reinvention Efforts. Testimony was heard from Peter F. 
Guerrero, Director, Environmental Protection Issues,

[[Page D1209]]

GAO; J. Charles Fox, Associate Administrator, Office of Reinvention, 
EPA; and public witnesses.
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT SERVICES PRIVATIZATION
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources held an oversight hearing on Privatization of Child Support 
Enforcement Services. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Bilirakis; Mark V. Nadel, Associate Director and David P. Bixler, 
Assistant Director, GAO; and public witnesses.
POSTAL SERVICE--IMPROVING LABOR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on the 
Postal Service held a hearing on Improving Labor Management Relations 
in the Postal Service. Testimony was heard from Bernard L. Unger, 
Director, Government Business Operations Issues, GAO; John Calhoun 
Wells, Director, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; Marvin T. 
Runyon, Postmaster General and CEO, U.S. Postal Service; and public 
witnesses.
DOD SUPPORT PROGRAM
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Research and 
Development held a hearing on Federal response to domestic terrorism 
involving weapons of mass destruction--status of Department of Defense 
support program. Testimony was heard from Representative Skelton; 
Robert M. Blitzer, Section Chief, Domestic Terrorism Planning Section, 
FBI, Department of Justice; Catherine H. Light, Director, Terrorism 
Coordination Unit, FEMA; Lisa E. Gordon-Haggerty, Director, Office of 
Emergency Response, Department of Energy; and the following officials 
of the Department of Defense: James Q. Roberts, Principal Director, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary ( Policy and Missions), Office of the 
Assistant Secretary ( Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict); 
Raymond Dominquez, Deputy Assistant Secretary, (Forces and Resources) 
Office of the Assistant Secretary( Special Operations/ Low Intensity 
Conflict); Maj. Gen. Edward Soriano, USA, Director of Military 
Assistance, Headquarters; Maj. Gen. George E. Friel, USA, Commander, 
Chemical-Biological Defense Command; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 1659, 
amended, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Completion Act; 
H.R. 2416, provide for the transfer of certain rights and property to 
the United States Forest Service in exchange for a payment to the 
occupant of such property; and H.R. 2574, to consolidate certain 
mineral interest in the National grasslands in Billings County, ND, 
through the exchange of Federal and private mineral interest to enhance 
land management capabilities and environmental and wildlife protection.
IRS RESTRUCTURING AND REFORM ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule providing 2 
hours of debate on H.R. 2676, Internal Revenue Service Restructuring 
and Reform Act of 1997. The rule provides that the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means, 
as modified by the amendments printed in the report of the Committee on 
Rules be considered as adopted. The rule waives all points of order 
against the bill, as amended. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit, with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Archer and Representatives Portman, Gekas, Stupak, Farr and 
Kucinich.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule providing for the 
consideration of bills in the following manner: First, H.R. 2358, THE 
POLITICAL FREEDOM IN CHINA ACT, a modified closed amendment process, 
providing one hour of general debate equally divided between the 
Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on International 
Relations, providing that the committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on International Relations, as 
modified by the amendments printed in the report of the Committee on 
Rules be considered as adopted, and also making in order the Gilman/
Markey amendment to be debatable for 30 minutes and finally, providing 
one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Second, H.R. 
2195, TIGHTENING PROHIBITIONS ON SLAVE LABOR IMPORTS, a closed 
amendment process, providing one hour of general debate equally divided 
between the Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and 
Means, providing that the committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means be considered 
as adopted and providing one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Third, H. Res. 188, ON MISSILE PROLIFERATION, a modified 
closed amendment process providing one hour of general debate equally 
divided between the Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on 
International Relations, providing that the amendments printed in the 
report of the Committee on Rules be considered as adopted and providing 
one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Fourth, H.R. 967, 
FREE THE CLERGY ACT, a

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modified closed amendment process, providing one hour of general debate 
equally divided between the Chairman and ranking member of the 
Committee on International Relations, providing that the committee 
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
International Relations, as modified by the amendment printed in the 
report of the Committee on Rules be considered as adopted and providing 
one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Fifth, H.R. 2570, 
THE FORCED ABORTION CONDEMNATION ACT, a modified closed amendment 
process, providing one hour of general debate equally divided between 
the Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Judiciary, 
providing that the amendment printed in the report of the Committee on 
Rules be considered as adopted and providing one motion to recommit, 
with or without instructions. Sixth, H.R. 2386, THE TAIWAN MISSILE 
DEFENSE ACT, a modified closed amendment process, providing one hour of 
general debate equally divided between the Chairman and ranking member 
of the Committee on International Relations, providing that the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committee on International Relations, as modified by the amendments 
printed in the report of the Committee on Rules be considered as 
adopted, and providing one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Seventh, THE COMMUNIST CHINA DE-SUBSIDIZATION ACT, a 
modified closed amendment process, providing one hour of general debate 
equally divided between the Chairman and ranking member of the 
Committee on Banking and Financial Services, and providing that the 
amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules be considered 
as adopted and providing one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Eighth, H.R. 2647, DENIAL OF NORMAL COMMERCIAL STATUS TO 
THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY, a modified closed amendment 
process, providing one hour of general debate equally divided between 
the Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on International 
Relations, providing that the committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on International Relations be 
considered as adopted, and providing one motion to recommit, with or 
without instructions. Ninth, H.R. 2232, CONCERNING RADIO FREE ASIA, a 
closed amendment process, providing one hour of general debate equally 
divided between the Chairman and ranking member of the Committee on 
International Relations, providing that the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on International 
Relations be considered as adopted, and providing one motion to 
recommit, with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Gilman, McCollum, Mrs. Smith of Washington, Royce, 
Hamilton, Pelosi, Abercrombie, Harman, and Deutsch.
REPEAL RULE ALLOWING SUBPOENAED WITNESSES TO CHOOSE NOT TO BE 
PHOTOGRAPHED
Committee on Rules: Held a hearing on H. Res. 298, amending the Rules 
of the House of Representatives to repeal the rule allowing subpoenaed 
witnesses to choose not to be photographed at committee hearings. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Barr of Georgia, Dingell, 
Waxman and Frank of Massachusetts.
GLOBAL DIMENSIONS THE MILLENNIUM BUG
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held hearing on The 
Global Dimensions of the Millennium Bug. Testimony was heard from Ahmad 
Kamal, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the 
United Nations and Chairman, United Nations Working Group on 
Informatics; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--U.S. CHINA TRADE RELATIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held an oversight 
hearing on the Future of United States-China Trade Relations and the 
possible Accession of China to the World Trade Organization. Testimony 
was heard from the following Senators Liberman and Levin; 
Representatives Bereuter, Cox of California, and Ewing; Susan G. 
Esserman, General Counsel, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; 
Howard Lang, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, East Asia and Pacific 
Affairs, Department of State; and public witnesses.