[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D200-D202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
hearings to examine the current Federal crop insurance program and 
proposals to improve the system, after receiving testimony from 
Representatives Pomeroy and Collin Peterson; Dallas R. Smith, Deputy 
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural 
Services, on behalf of the Risk Management Agency; Ernest L. Ross, 
American Association of Crop Insurers, Washington, D.C.; Robert E. 
Fulwider, West Liberty, Iowa, on behalf of the Independent Insurance 
Agents of America and the National Association of Crop Insurance 
Agents; Dee Vaughan, Lone Star Corn Growers Association, Dumas, Texas, 
on behalf of the National Corn Growers Association and the American 
Farm Bureau Federation; and Phil Cyre, South Dakota Farmers Union, 
Hazel, South Dakota, on behalf of the National Farmers Union.
APPROPRIATIONS--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction 
concluded hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 1999 
for military construction programs, focusing on Air Force and Navy 
projects, after receiving testimony from Robert B. Pirie, Jr., 
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment); Rear 
Adm. David Nash, Chief, Naval Facilities Engineering Command; Brig. 
Gen. James M. Hayes, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations 
and Logistics (Facilities), United States Marine Corps; Rear Adm. John 
B. Totushek, Deputy Director of Naval Reserve; Rodney A. Coleman, 
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, 
Installations, and Environment); Maj. Gen. Eugene A. Lupia, Civil 
Engineer, Deputy Chief of Air Force Staff, Installations and Logistics; 
Maj. Gen. Paul A. Weaver, Director, Air National Guard; and Brig. Gen. 
Ralph S. Clem, Deputy to the Chief of Air Force Reserve.
APPROPRIATIONS--AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, and Related Agencies held hearings on proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 1999 for the Food and Nutrition Service, 
Department of Agriculture, receiving testimony from Shirley R. Watkins, 
Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Yvette 
Jackson, Administrator, and Ronald J. Vogel, Associate Deputy 
Administrator, Special Nutrition Programs, both of the Food and 
Nutrition Service, and Dennis Kaplan, Deputy Director, Budget, 
Legislation, and Regulatory Systems, all of the Department of 
Agriculture.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Tuesday, March 17.
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON THE INTERNET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and the Judiciary and Related Agencies concluded hearings to review the 
progress of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on-line investigation 
into the scope of child pornography and sexual exploitation of children 
on the Internet and to examine whether additional funding is necessary 
to continue the project, after receiving testimony from Louis J. Freeh, 
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; and 
Ernest E. Allen, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 
Arlington, Virginia.
APPROPRIATIONS--DOE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 
1999 for the Department of Energy, receiving testimony in behalf of 
funds for their respective activities from Dan W. Reicher, Assistant 
Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Martha A. 
Krebs, Director, Office of Energy Research, both of the Department of 
Energy.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Thursday, March 26.
APPROPRIATIONS--HHS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held hearings on proposed budget estimates for 
fiscal year 1999 for the Department of Health and Human Services, 
receiving testimony from Donna E. Shalala, Secretary of Health and 
Human Services.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Wednesday, March 18.

[[Page D201]]


MEDICARE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held hearings to examine the status of the 
Health Care Financing Administration's efforts to establish resource-
based practice expenses under the Medicare physician fee schedule as 
directed by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, receiving testimony from 
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle, Administrator, Health Care Financing 
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Neil H. 
Brooks, Rockville, Connecticut, on behalf of the American Academy of 
Family Physicians; Arthur L. Day, University of Florida, Gainesville, 
on behalf of the Practice Expense Coalition; Timothy J. Gardner, 
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, on behalf of the Society of 
Thoracic Surgeons and the American Association for Thoracic Surgery; 
and Alan R. Nelson, American Society of Internal Medicine, Washington, 
D.C.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower held hearings on 
proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 1999 for the 
Department of Defense and the future years defense program, focusing on 
littoral warfare missions in the 21st century, receiving testimony from 
Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval 
Operations for Resources; Major Gen. Edward Hanlon, Jr., USMC, Director 
Expeditionary Warfare; Rear Adm. Daniel J. Murphy, Jr., USN, Director, 
Surface Warfare; Rear Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN, Director, 
Submarine Warfare; and Rear Adm. Dennis V. McGinn, USN, Director, Air 
Warfare.
  Subcommittee will meet again on Tuesday, March 17.
FINANCIAL REGULATORY RELIEF
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded 
hearings on S. 1405, to provide for improved monetary policy and 
regulatory reform in financial institution management and activities, 
to streamline financial regulatory agency actions, and to provide for 
improved consumer credit disclosure, after receiving testimony from 
Laurence H. Meyer, Member, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System; John D. Hawke, Jr., Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, and 
Ellen Seidman, Director, Office of Thrift Supervision, both of the 
Department of the Treasury; Andrew C. Hove, Jr., Acting Chairman, 
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Utah Commissioner of Financial 
Institutions G. Edward Leary, Salt Lake City, on behalf of the 
Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Stephen A. Yoder, AmSouth Bank, 
Birmingham, Alabama, on behalf of the American Bankers Association; E. 
Lee Beard, First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Hazleton, 
Hazleton, Pennsylvania; and Joseph S. Bracewell, Century National Bank, 
on behalf of the Independent Bankers Association of America, Margot 
Saunders, National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of the Consumer 
Federation of America and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and 
Frank C. Torres, III, Consumers Union, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
hearings on the nominations of Orson Swindle, of Hawaii, and Mozelle 
Willmont Thompson, of New York, each to be a Federal Trade 
Commissioner; Robert J. Shapiro, of the District of Columbia, to be 
Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, John Charles Horsley, 
of Washington, to be Associate Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and 
Christy Carpenter, of California, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, after the 
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. Mr. 
Swindle was introduced by Senators Inouye and Akaka, Mr. Thompson was 
introduced by Representative Nadler, Ms. Carpenter was introduced by 
Senators Hutchison and Boxer, Mr. Horsley was introduced by Senators 
Gorton and Murray and Representative Dicks, and Mr. Shapiro was 
introduced by Senators Lieberman and Moynihan.
MONTAGNARD PEOPLE IN VIETNAM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine 
the current situation confronting the Montagnard people in Vietnam, 
including their limited access to medical care and education, focusing 
on the United States historical relationship with the Montagnards, and 
immigration difficulties experienced by the Montagnards and other 
Vietnamese refugees, after receiving testimony from Stanley O. Roth, 
Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Julia Taft, 
Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration, both of 
the Department of State; John F. Sommer, Jr., American Legion, 
Washington, D.C.; Nguyen Dinh Thang, Boat People S.O.S., Fairfax, 
Virginia; Rong Nay, Montagnard Foundation, Inc., Cary, North Carolina; 
and Y Hin Nie, Montagnard Dega Association, Inc., Greensboro, North 
Carolina.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following bills:

[[Page D202]]


  S. 981, to provide for the analysis of regulatory rules by Federal 
agencies, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  S. 1364, to eliminate unnecessary and wasteful Federal reports, with 
an amendment.
U.S. MARSHALS SELECTION PROCESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the 
need to develop a competitive selection process for the United States 
Marshals Service, and a related measure H.R. 927, to provide for 
appointment of United States Marshals by the U.S. Attorney General, 
after receiving testimony from Eduardo Gonzalez, Director, Henry E. 
Hudson, former Director, and Nancy J. McGillivray-Shaffer, United 
States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts, Boston, all of the 
United States Marshals Service, Department of Justice; Victor Oboyski, 
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, East Northport, New York; 
and Steve Young, Fraternal Order of Police, Washington, D.C.