[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D90-D92]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee resumed hearings on proposed 
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 1999 for the Department 
of Defense and the future years defense program, focusing on Air Force 
programs, receiving testimony from F. Whitten Peters, Acting Secretary 
of the Air Force; and Gen. Michael E. Ryan, USAF, Chief of Staff of the 
Air Force.
  Committee recessed subject to call.
UNFUNDED MANDATES
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings on the 
implementation of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (P.L. 104-4), and on 
S. 389 and provisions of H.R. 1010, measures to establish a point of 
order against congressional consideration of bills that contain 
private-sector mandates with costs over the $100 million threshold, 
regardless of whether federal funding is provided, and to direct the 
Congressional Budget Office to provide expanded cost information for 
private-sector mandates above the threshold, after receiving testimony 
from Representatives Condit and Portman; James L. Blum, Deputy 
Director, Congressional Budget Office; R. Bruce Josten, U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce, and Sharon Buccino, Natural Resources Defense Council, both 
of Washington, D.C.; and John Nicholson, Company Flowers, Arlington, 
Virginia.
NOMINATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
hearings on the nomination of Winter D. Horton Jr., of Utah, to be a 
Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Bennett, 
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
SATELLITE CARRIER FEES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
hearings on S. 1422, to provide for a one-year delay in an increase in 
the copyright fees satellite carriers pay for superstation and network 
affiliate signals delivered to satellite TV households, after receiving 
testimony from Fritz Attaway, Motion Picture Association of America, 
and Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, both of Washington, D.C.; Eddy W. 
Hartenstein, DirecTV, Inc., El Segundo, California; and Larry Wetsit, 
Nemont Telephone Cooperative, Inc./Nemont Communications, Inc., Scobey, 
Montana.
AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Aviation concluded hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds 
for the Airport Improvement Program, after receiving testimony from 
Todd Hauptli, American Association of Airport Executives, Alexandria, 
Virginia; David Plavin, Airports Council International-North America, 
and Edward A. Merlis, Air Transport Association of America, both of 
Washington, D.C.; Robert Kunkel, National Association of State Aviation 
Officials, Silver Spring, Maryland; and David Roberts, BAA 
Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana.
PUBLIC LANDS/NATIONAL MONUMENTS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National 
Parks, Historic Preservation, and Recreation concluded hearings on S. 
62, to prohibit further extension or establishment of any national 
monument in Idaho without full public participation and an express Act 
of Congress, S. 477, to require an Act of Congress and the consultation 
with the Governor and State legislature prior to the establishment by 
the President of national monuments in excess of 5,000 acres, S. 691, 
to ensure that the public and the Congress have the right and 
opportunity to participate in decisions that affect the use and 
management of all public lands, H.R. 901, to preserve the sovereignty 
of the U.S. over public lands

[[Page D91]]

and acquired lands owned by the United States, and to preserve State 
sovereignty and private property rights in non-Federal lands 
surrounding those public lands and acquired lands, and H.R. 1127, to 
provide for congressional review of national monument status and 
consultation, after receiving testimony from John D. Leshy, Solicitor, 
Department of the Interior; Rafe Pomerance, Deputy Assistant Secretary 
of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific 
Affairs; William Perry Pendley, Mountain States Legal Foundation, and 
John F. Shepherd, Holland and Hart, both of Denver, Colorado; and 
Edward M. Norton, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and 
Theodore Roosevelt, IV, Lehman Brothers, on behalf of the National 
Parks and Conservation Association, both of Washington, D.C.
ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine the 
International Monetary Fund's role in the Asia financial crisis, 
receiving testimony from Robert E. Rubin, Secretary, and Lawrence H. 
Summers, Deputy Secretary, both of the Department of the Treasury; and 
Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ADOPTION REFORM
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of 
Government Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia 
concluded hearings to examine certain recommendations to reform the 
adoption and foster care system in the District of Columbia, after 
receiving testimony from Representative Camp; Rochelle Chronister, 
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Topeka; and 
Ernestine F. Jones, District of Columbia Child and Family Services, 
Judith Meltzer, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Thomas Wells, 
Consortium for Child Welfare, Debora D. Caruth, and Gordon Henry 
Gosselink, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  The nominations of Jeremy D. Fogel, to be United States District 
Judge for the Northern District of California, Edward F. Shea, to be 
United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington, 
Richard L. Young, to be United States District Judge for the Southern 
District of Indiana, Beverly Baldwin Martin, to be United States 
Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, and Hiram Arthur 
Contreras, to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of 
Texas; and
  S. Res. 148, designating 1998 as the ``Onate Cuartocentenario'', the 
400th anniversary commemoration of the first permanent Spanish 
settlement in New Mexico, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
AUTHORIZATION--EDUCATION OF THE DEAF ACT
Committee on Labor and Human Resources: Committee concluded hearings on 
proposed legislation authorizing funds for Gallaudet University and the 
National Technical Institute for the Deaf as contained in the Education 
of the Deaf Act, after receiving testimony from Judith E. Heumann, 
Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services; I. King Jordan, Gallaudet University, Robert 
R. Da Vila, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Sarah E. Snyder, 
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, and Nancy J. Bloch, 
National Association of the Deaf, all of Washington, D.C.; Megan 
Clancy, Boston, Massachusetts; Mollie Easter, Algona, Iowa; Rebecca 
Ellis, Putney, Vermont, Meghan Rainone, Marlton, New Jersey; Matthew 
Hamill, Loveland, Ohio; and Kathryn Hoheusle, Bethel, New York.
IRS REFORM: TAXPAYER RIGHTS
Committee on Small Business: Committee held hearings on proposals to 
restructure and reform the Internal Revenue Service and improve 
taxpayer rights, including the proposed Putting the Taxpayer First Act 
of 1998, receiving testimony from C. Virginia Kirkpatrick, CVK 
Personnel Management and Training Specialists, and Edith B. Quick, 
Quick Tax and Accounting Service, both of St. Louis, Missouri; Ron 
Morgan, Husch and Eppenberger, Kansas City, Missouri; Roger N. Harris, 
Padgett Business Services, Athens, Georgia; Jack Doll, Marjon, Inc., 
Frederick, Maryland, on behalf of the National Federation of 
Independent Business; and Nancy Workman, Workman Construction Company, 
and Elizabeth A. Nielson, Nielson & Associates, both of Salt Lake City, 
Utah.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
TOBACCO SETTLEMENT: NATIVE AMERICAN PROVISIONS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on proposed 
tobacco settlement provisions with regard to tobacco-related activities 
on Indian lands as contained in S. 1414 and S. 1530 (both pending on 
Senate calendar), and S. 1415, bills to reform and restructure the 
process by which tobacco products are manufactured, marketed, and 
distributed, to prevent the use of tobacco products by minors, and to 
redress the adverse health effects of tobacco use, after receiving 
testimony from W. Craig

[[Page D92]]

Vanderwagen, Director, Clinical and Preventive Services, Office of 
Public Health, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human 
Services; Thomas LeClaire, Director, Office of Tribal Justice, 
Department of Justice; Washington State Attorney General Christine 
Gregoire, Olympia; Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton, Denver; Gary 
Lasley, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, Macy; Mark Hutton, Hutton & Hutton, 
Wichita, Kansas, on behalf of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe; Alex 
Tallchief Skibine, University of Utah College of Law, Salt Lake City; 
and Franklin Ducheneaux, Ducheneaux, Taylor & Associates, Washington, 
D.C.