[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D112-D114]
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 Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services. Testimony was heard 
from August Schumacher, Jr., Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign 
Agricultural Services, USDA; and Len Rogers, Acting Assistant 
Administrator, Humanitarian Response, AID, U.S. International 
Development Cooperation Agency.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Service, and Education held a hearing on Employment and Training 
Administration/Veterans Employment. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Labor: Raymond J. Uhalde, 
Acting Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training; and Espiridion 
Borrego, Assistant Secretary, Veterans' Employment and Training 
Services.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA-HUD and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation and on 
the National Credit Union Administration. Testimony was heard from 
George Knight, Executive Director, Neighborhood Reinvestment 
Corporation; and Norman E. D'Amours, Chairman, National Credit Union 
Administration.
CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing to review the Federal 
Reserve's conduct of monetary policy (Humphrey-Hawkins). Testimony was 
heard from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal 
Reserve System.
TEACHER TRAINING
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth and Families held a hearing on Teacher Training. 
Testimony was heard from Eugene Hickok, Secretary of Education, State 
of Pennsylvania; and public witnesses.

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FEDERAL RETIREMENT COVERAGE CORRECTIONS ACT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service approved for full Committee action amended the Federal 
Retirement Coverage Corrections Act.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on this 
measure. Testimony was heard from William E. Flynn, Associate Director, 
Retirement and Information Service, OPM; Roger W. Mehle, Executive 
Director, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--GULF WAR VETERANS HEALTH CONCERNS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources held a oversight hearing on ways to improve the federal 
government's approach to research into the health concerns of Gulf War 
veterans. Testimony was heard from John Feussner, M.D., Chief Research 
and Development Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs; Anna Johnson-
Winegar, Director, Environmental and Life Sciences, Department of 
Defense; the following officials of the Department of Health and Human 
Services: Drue Barrett, Environmental Hazards and Health Effects 
Division and William Reeves, M.D., Branch Chief, Viral Exanthems, both 
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Sheila Newton, 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Donna Heivilin, 
Director, Planning and Reporting, GAO; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--REFUGEE PROGRAMS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights held a hearing on Annual Oversight of 
Refugee Programs, Policies, and Budget. Testimony was heard from Julia 
Taft, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and 
Migration, Department of State; and public witnesses.
DEPOT ISSUES
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Readiness held 
a hearing on depot issues. Testimony was heard from Henry L. Hinton, 
Jr., Assistant Comptroller, GAO.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2223, Education Land Grant 
Act; H.R. 1728, National Park Service Administrative Amendment of 1997; 
and H.R. 2993, to provide for the collection of fees for the making of 
motion pictures, television productions, and sound tracks in National 
Park System and National Wildlife Refuge System units. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Hayworth; Sandra Key, Associate Deputy Chief, 
Forest Service, USDA; the following officials of the Department of the 
Interior: John M. Berry, Assistant Secretary, Policy Management and 
Budget; and Maureen Finnerty, Associate Director, Park Operations and 
Education, National Park Service; and public witnesses.
WITNESS PROTECTION AND INTERSTATE RELOCATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 2181, Witness Protection and Interstate 
Relocation Act of 1997. The rule provides that the bill will be 
considered by title, and each title will be considered as read. The 
rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to Members 
who have pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional Record. The 
rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone 
votes during consideration of the bill, and to reduce voting time 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 Representative McCollum.
FEDERAL AGENCY COMPLIANCE ACT
Committee on Rules: The Committee granted, by voice vote, an open rule 
providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 1544, Federal Agency Compliance Act. 
The rule makes in order the Committee on the Judiciary amendment in the 
nature of a substitute as an original bill for amendment purposes which 
shall be considered as read. The rule authorizes the Chair to accord 
priority in recognition to Members who have pre-printed their amendment 
in the Congressional Record. The rule allows for the Chairman of the 
Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the 
bill, and to reduce voting time to five minutes on a postponed question 
if the vote follows a fifteen minute vote. Finally, the rule provides 
for one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Gekas.
VETERAN'S LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Benefits held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 3039, Veterans' Transitional Housing 
Opportunities Act of 1997; and H.R. 3211, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to enact into law eligibility requirements for burial at 
Arlington National Cemetery. Testimony was heard from John McLaurin,

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Deputy Assistant Secretary (Military Personnel Management and Equal 
Opportunity Policy), Department of the Army; Keith Pedigo, Director, 
Loan Guaranty Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Raymond Boland, Department of Veterans Affairs, State 
of Wisconsin; representatives of veterans organizations; and a public 
witness.
TREASURY REPORT--INNOCENT SPOUSE RELIEF
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the Treasury Department Report on Innocent Spouse Relief. Testimony 
was heard from Donald C. Lubick, Assistant Secretary, Tax Policy, 
Department of the Treasury; and Lynda D. Willis, Director, Tax Policy 
and Administration Issues, GAO.
ASIA TRADE ISSUES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
Asia Trade Issues. Testimony was heard from Charlene Barshefsky, U.S. 
Trade Representative; Stuart E. Eizenstat, Under Secretary, Economic, 
Business and Agricultural Affairs, Department of State; David A. 
Lipton, Under Secretary, International Affairs, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
IMF AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the 
financing, procedures, administration, and economic impact of the 
International Monetary Fund, after receiving testimony from Timothy 
Geithner, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International 
Affairs; Charles Calomiris, Columbia University, New York, New York; 
Allan Meltzer, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 
and Larry Lindsey, American Enterprise Institute, and C. Fred Bergsten, 
Institute for International Economics, both of Washington, D.C.