[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D92-D95]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on the Secretary of Agriculture. Testimony was heard from Dan 
Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture.

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LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the Secretary of Labor. 
Testimony was heard from Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor.
LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative held a hearing 
on the Joint Committee on Printing. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Ney.
  The Subcommittee also continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from Members of Congress and public witnesses.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction held 
an Overview hearing. Testimony was heard from William J. Lynn, III, 
Under Secretary (Comptroller), Department of Defense.
NATIONAL SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on National Security held a 
hearing on Medical Programs. Testimony was heard from Edward D. Martin, 
M.D., Acting Secretary, Health Affairs, Department of Defense.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation held a 
hearing on the Office of Inspector General. Testimony was heard from 
Kenneth Meade, Inspector General, Department of Transportation; and 
John Anderson, Director, Transportation Issues, Resources, Community 
and Economic Development Division, GAO.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the following: Chemical Safety and Hazard 
Investigation Board; DOD-Civil, Cemeterial Expenses, Army and on the 
Council on Environmental Quality. Testimony was heard from Paul Hill, 
Jr., Chair and CEO, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; the 
following officials of Arlington National Cemetery: John Metzler, 
Superintendent; Rory Smith, Budget Office; Claudia Tornblom, Acting 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Management and Budget; John Zirschky, 
Acting Assistant Secretary, Civil Works, Department of the Army; and 
Kathleen McGinty, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality.
NAZI GOLD; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on the 
restitution of art objects seized by the Nazi from Holocaust victims 
and on insurance claims of certain Holocaust victims and their heirs. 
Testimony was heard from Senators D'Amato, Specter and Torricelli; 
Representatives Foley and Engel; Stephen E. Weil, Emeritus Senior 
Scholar, Smithsonian Institution; and public witnesses.
  The Committee also considered pending Committee business.
CLONING--LEGAL, MEDICAL, ETHICAL, AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on Cloning: Legal, Medical, Ethical, and Social Issues. 
Testimony was heard from Senator Frist; Representative Ehlers; and 
public witnesses.
MOLTEN METAL TECHNOLOGY FUNDING
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on the Department of Energy's Funding of Molten Metal 
Technology. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CONTRACT AGREEMENTS--OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATION--TEAMSTERS ELECTION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Approved Contract Agreements 
with those providing services to the Committee in relation to the 
oversight investigation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 
election.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; PATIENT ACCESS ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS; 
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Ordered reported the 
following measures:
  H.R. 3120, amended, to designate the United States Post Office 
located at 95 West 100 South Street in Provo, Utah, as the ``Howard C. 
Nielson Post Office Building''; H.R. 2766, to designate the United 
States Post Office located at 215 East Jackson Street in Painsville, 
Ohio, as the ``Karl Bernal Post Office Building''; H.R. 2773, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
3750 North Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``Daniel J. 
Doffyn Post Office Building''; H.R. 2836, to designate the building of 
the United States Postal Service located at 180 East Kellogg Boulevard 
in Saint Paul, Minnesota, as the ``Eugene J. McCarthy Post Office 
Building''; S. 916, to designate the United States Post Office building 
located at 750 Highway 28 East in Taylorsville, Mississippi, as the 
``Blaine H. Easton Post Office Building''; and S. 985, to designate the 
post office located at 194

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Ward Street in Paterson, New Jersey, as the Larry Coby Post Office''.
  The Committee concluded hearings on Patient Access to Alternative 
Treatments: Beyond the FDA. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
DeFazio and Moran of Virginia; Ed Gochenour, Senator, State of Georgia; 
and public witnesses.
  The Committee also considered pending committee business.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information, and Technology approved for full 
Committee action amended H.R. 2982, Quality Child Care for Federal 
Employees.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee concluded hearings on this 
legislation. Testimony was heard from Representative Gilman.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 2883, Government 
Performance and Results Act Technical Amendments of 1997. Testimony was 
heard from J. Christopher Mihm, Assistant Director, Federal Management 
and Workforce Issues, General Government Division, GAO; G. Edward 
DeSeve, Acting Deputy Director, OMB; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--PENSION SECURITY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Resources held an 
oversight hearing on Pension Security: DOL Erisa Enforcement and the 
Limited Scope Audit Exemption. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Labor: Olena Berg, Assistant Secretary, 
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration; and Patricia Dalton, 
Deputy Inspector General; David L. Clark, Director, Audit Oversight and 
Liaison, GAO; and public witnesses.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the 
Administration's Fiscal Year 1999 International Affairs Budget request. 
Testimony was heard from Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary of State.
SRI LANKA ANNIVERSARY; CENTRAL ASIAN REPUBLICS--U.S. INTERESTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific approved for full Committee action H. Res. 350, congratulating 
the people of Sri Lanka on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of 
their nation's independence.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on U.S. Interests in the Central 
Asian Republics. Testimony was heard from Robert W. Gee, Assistant 
Secretary, Policy, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights approved for full Committee action the 
following measures: H.R. 2678, amended, International Child Labor 
Elimination Act of 1997; and S. Con. Res. 37, expressing the sense of 
Congress that Little League Baseball Inc. 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.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2604, 
Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation Protection Act of 1997; and 
H.R. 2611, Religious Fairness in Bankruptcy Act of 1997. Testimony was 
heard from Senator Grassley; Representatives Chenoweth and Packard; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; OVERSIGHT--INTERNET DOMAIN
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2652, Collections 
of Information Antipiracy Act; and H.R. 3163, Trade Dress Protection 
Act; and an oversight hearing on Internet Domain Name Trademark 
Protection. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS
Committee on National Security: Held a hearing on Threats to United 
States National Security. Testimony was heard from the following former 
Directors of the CIA: James Woolsey; and John Deutch.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 2807, amended, Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act; H.R. 
3113, Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Reauthorization Act of 1998; 
and H.R. 3164, amended, Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998.
OVERSIGHT--TUCSON ROD AND GUN CLUB
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on Tucson Rod and Gun Club, Arizona. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Forest Service, USDA: Michael 
Dombeck, Chief, and Robert Joslin, Chief, National Forest Systems; and 
public witnesses.

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ROAD FROM KYOTO
Committee on Science: Continued hearings on the Road from Kyoto Part 2: 
Kyoto and the Administration's Fiscal Year 1999 Budget request. 
Testimony was heard from John H. Gibbons, Assistant to the President 
for Science and Technology and Director, Office of Science and 
Technology Policy; Ernest J. Moniz, Under Secretary, Department of 
Energy; David M. Gardiner, Assistant Administrator, Policy, Planning 
and Evaluation, EPA; and Gary R. Bachula, Acting Under Secretary, 
Technology, Department of Commerce.
SPACE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a 
hearing on Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of NASA: Richard S. 
Christiansen, Acting Associate Administrator, Aeronautics and Advanced 
Space Transportation Technology; and Gary E. Payton, Deputy Associate 
Administrator (Space Transportation Technology); and a public witness.
REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ACT COMPLIANCE
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing to examine Federal Agency 
compliance with section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. 
Testimony was heard from L. Nye Stevens, Director, Federal Management 
and Workforce Issues, GAO; Enrique Figueroa, Administrator, 
Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA; Nancy E. McFadden, General 
Counsel, Department of Transportation; Debra A. Valentine, General 
Counsel, FTC; and a public witness.
VA BUDGET
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on the Department of 
Veterans Affairs budget request for FY 1999. Testimony was heard from 
Frank Q. Nebeker, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals; 
Espiridion Borrego, Assistant Secretary, Veterans' Employment and 
Training Service, Department of Labor; representatives of veterans 
organizations; and a public witness.
REDUCE FEDERAL TAX BURDEN
Committee on Ways and Means: Concluded hearings on ways to reduce the 
Federal tax burden on the American public. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Hulshof and Kucinich; and public witnesses.
AGRICULTURE TRADE BARRIERS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held hearing on U.S. 
efforts to reduce barriers to trade in agriculture. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Thurman; Gus Schumacher, Under Secretary, Farm and 
Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA; Peter L. Scher, Special Trade 
Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; and public 
witnesses.