[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D203-D205]
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 Food Safety and Inspection Service. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the USDA: Catherine Woteki, Under Secretary, 
Caren A. Wilcox, Deputy Under Secretary, Thomas J. Billy, Administrator 
and William West, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Management, all with 
the Food Safety and Inspection Service; and Stephen B. Durhurst, Budget 
Officer.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on the Department of Energy. Testimony was 
heard from Federico Pena, Secretary of Energy.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
the Secretary of the Interior. Testimony was heard from Bruce Babbitt, 
Secretary of the Interior.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the Director, National 
Institutes of Health. Testimony was heard from Harold E. Varmus, M.D., 
Director, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation held a 
hearing on the FAA. Testimony was heard from Jane F. Garvey, 
Administrator, FAA, Department of Transportation.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on EPA. Testimony was heard from Carol M. 
Browner, Administrator, EPA.
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth, and Families held a hearing on Child Nutrition 
Programs. Testimony was heard from Ed Cooney, Deputy Administrator, 
Special Nutrition Programs, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, 
USDA; Bob Robinson, Director, Issue Area, GAO; Joyce Holmes Benjamin, 
Associate Superintendent, Department of Education, State of Oregon; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATION--TEAMSTERS ELECTION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations began consideration of the issuance of subpoena duces 
tecum in the oversight investigation of the International Brotherhood 
of Teamsters election.
CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Economic Growth, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs held a 
hearing on the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs 
implementation of the Congressional Review Act. Testimony was heard 
from Robert Murphy, General Counsel, GAO; and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE; MIDDLE EAST--DEVELOPMENTS
Committee on International Relations: Began markup of H. Con. Res. 277, 
directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers 
Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from the Republic of 
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  Will continue tomorrow.
  The Committee also held a hearing on developments in the Middle East. 
Testimony was heard from Martin Indyk, Assistant Secretary, Near 
Eastern Affairs, Department of State.
JUDICIAL REFORM ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Began markup of H.R. 1252, Judicial Reform 
Act of 1997.
  Will continue March 24.

[[Page D204]]


CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY ISSUES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on the consumer bankruptcy issues in 
H.R. 3150, Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1998; H.R. 2500, Responsible 
Borrower Protection Bankruptcy Act; and H.R. 3146, Consumer Lenders and 
Borrowers Bankruptcy Accountability Act of 1998. Testimony was heard 
from Representatives McCollum, Boucher and Moran of Virginia; Edith 
Holan Jones, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; Randall J. 
Newsome, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of California; and 
public witnesses.
MARITIME ADMINISTRATION AND PANAMA CANAL COMMISSION AUTHORIZATIONS
Committee on National Security: Special Oversight Panel on the Merchant 
Marine held a hearing on the fiscal year 1999 Maritime Administration 
authorization request and related matters, and the fiscal year 1999 
Panama Canal Commission authorization request and related matters. 
Testimony was heard from John F. Graykowski, Acting Maritime 
Administrator, Department of Transportation; Togo D. West, Jr., 
Chairman, Board, Panama Canal Commission and Secretary of the Army; and 
Alberto Aleman, Administrator, Panama Canal Commission.
MILITARY HOUSING PRIVATIZATION INITIATIVE
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Installations 
and Facilities held a hearing on the implementation of the military 
housing privatization initiative. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: John B. Goodman, 
Deputy Under Secretary (Industrial Affairs and Installations); Paul W. 
Jonson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Army (Installations and 
Facilities); Duncan Holaday, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Navy 
(Installations and Facilities); and Jimmy Dishner, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Air Force (Installations).
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Procurement 
and the Subcommittee on Military Research and Development continued 
joint hearings on the fiscal year 1999 National Defense authorization 
request, with emphasis on Air Force Modernization. Testimony was heard 
from Lt. Gen. George K. Muellner, USAF, Principal Deputy, Acquisition, 
Department of the Air Force.
OVERSIGHT--INTERIOR COLUMBIA BASIN ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROJECT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management 
Project. Testimony was heard from Michael Dombeck, Chief, Forest 
Service, USDA; Martha Hahn, Idaho State Director, Bureau of Land 
Management, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
AFRICA GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
2 hours of debate on H.R. 1432, Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The 
rule provides for consideration of the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute now printed in the bill, as modified by the 
amendments printed in part 1 of the report of the Committee on Rules, 
as an original bill for the purpose of amendment which shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives points of order against the 
committee amendment for failure to comply with clause 7 of Rule XVI 
(prohibiting nongermane amendments). The rule makes in order only those 
amendments printed in part 2 of the report of the Committee on Rules. 
The rule provides that the amendments will be considered only in the 
order specified in the report, may be offered only by the Member 
designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be 
debatable for the time specified in the report, equally divided between 
a proponent and an opponent and are not subject to amendment. 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 Chairman Gilman, Representatives 
Crane, Collins, Miller of Florida, Menendez, Brown of Ohio, Rangel, 
Spratt, Waters, Bishop and Davis of Illinois.
TUCKER ACT SHUFFLE RELIEF ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 992, Tucker Act Shuffle Relief Act of 1997. The 
rule makes in order as an original bill for the purpose of amendment 
the Judiciary Committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, which 
shall be considered as read. The rule provides that Members who have 
pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional Record prior to their 
consideration will be given priority in recognition to offer their 
amendments if otherwise consistent with House rules. The rule allows 
the chairman of the Committee of the Whole

[[Page D205]]

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 Smith of Texas and Watt of North Carolina.
ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY 
DEVELOPMENT ACT
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology and the Subcommittee 
on Basic Research Subcommittee on Technology held a joint hearing on 
H.R. 3007, Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology 
Development Act. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SUPERFUND ACCELERATION, FAIRNESS, AND EFFICIENCY ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment continued markup of H.R. 2727, Superfund 
Acceleration, Fairness, and Efficiency Act.
  Will continue tomorrow.
OVERSIGHT--PENSION ISSUES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held an 
oversight hearing of pension issues. Testimony was heard from David 
Strauss, Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; 
William J. Scanlon, Director, Health Financing and Systems Issues, GAO; 
and public witnesses.