[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 17, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D251-D253]
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 Natural Resources and Environment. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the USDA: James R. Lyons, Under Secretary, 
Natural Resources and Environment; Pearlie S. Reed, Chief, Lawrence E. 
Clark, Deputy Chief, Programs, and Fee Busby, Deputy Chief, Science and 
Technology, all with the Natural Resources Conservation Service; and 
Stephen B. Dewhurst, Budget Officer.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development met in executive session to hold a hearing on Atomic Energy 
Defense Activities. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Energy: Victor H. Reis, Assistant Secretary, Defense 
Programs; and Rose E. Gottemoeller, Director, Office of 
Nonproliferation and National Security.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
the Smithsonian and on the Bureau of Land Management. Testimony was 
heard from I. Michael Hayman, Chairman, Smithsonian Institution; and 
Patrick Shea, Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the 
Interior.

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LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the National Institute of 
Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Dental 
Research, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and 
Skin Diseases and the National Center for Research Resources. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Health and 
Human Services: Duane Alexander, M.D., Director, National Institute of 
Child Health and Human Development; Harold Slavkin, M.D., Director, 
National Institute of Dental Research; Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Director, 
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 
and Judith L. Vaitukaitis, M.D., Director, National Center for Research 
Resources.
NATIONAL SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Natural Security met in 
executive session to hold a hearing on U.S. Central Command/U.S. 
European Command. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Defense: Gen. Wesley K. Clark, USA, Commander in 
Chief, U.S. European Command; and Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, USMC, 
Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Testimony was heard from Togo D. West, Acting Secretary, Department of 
Veterans Affairs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SELF AUDITS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on the Federal-State Relationship: Environmental Self 
Audits. Testimony was heard from Senator Allard; Steven A. Herman, 
Associate Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance 
Assurance, EPA; Gale A. Norton, Attorney General, State of Colorado; 
David Ronald, Assistant Attorney General, State of Arizona; and public 
witnesses.
WIC PROGRAM
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth, and Families held a hearing on Special Supplemental 
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Testimony was 
heard from Robert Robinson, Director, Issues Area, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service held a hearing on Federal Employee Health Benefits: OPM Program 
Guidance for 1999. Testimony was heard from William E. Flynn, III, 
Associate Director, Retirement and Insurance Services, OPM; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Economic Growth, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs, approved 
for full Committee action, amended, the following bills: H.R. 3310, 
Small Business Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1998; and H.R. 
1704, Congressional Office of Regulatory Analysis Creation Act.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 3310. 
Testimony was heard from Emily Sheketoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Labor; 
Joseph Onek, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, Department of 
Justice; Brian J. Lane, Director, Division of Corporate Finance, SEC; 
and Neil Eisner, Assistant General Counsel, Regulation and Enforcement, 
Department of Transportation.
AFRICA--PRESIDENT'S HISTORIC VISIT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa held a 
hearing to preview the President's Historic Visit to Africa. Testimony 
was heard from Susan E. Rice, Assistant Secretary, Africa, Department 
of State.
IRAN MISSILE PROTECTION ACT
Committee on National Security: Ordered reported amended H.R. 2786, 
Iran Missile Protection Act of 1997.
GENDER-INTEGRATED TRAINING--FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FINDINGS
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held 
a hearing on the findings of the Federal Advisory Committee on Gender-
Integrated Training and Related Issues and Department of Defense 
response. Testimony was heard from Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Chairman, 
Federal Advisory Committee on Gender-Integrated Training and Related 
Issues; the following officials of the Department of Defense: Rudy de 
Leon, Under Secretary (Personnel and Readiness); Gen. William W. Couch, 
USA, Vice Chief of Staff, Department of the Army; Gen. Donald L. 
Pilling, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Department of the Navy; 
Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, USAF, Vice Chief of Staff, Department of the 
Air Force; and Gen. Richard I. Neal, USMC, Assistant

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Commandant, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 
1833, Tribal Self-Governance Amendments of 1997; and H.R. 2742, 
California Indian Land Transfer Act. Testimony was heard from Michael 
J. Anderson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, Department of 
the Interior; Michael E. Lincoln, Deputy Director, Indian Health 
Service, Department of Health and Human Services; Stephen V. 
Quesenberry, Director, Litigation, Indian Legal Services, State of 
California; and public witnesses.
FOREST SERVICE'S ROADLESS AREA POLICY
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on H.R. 3297, to suspend the continued development of a 
roadless area policy on public domain units and other units of the 
National Forest System pending adequate public participation and 
determination that a roadless area policy will not adversely affect 
forest health and an oversight hearing on follow up on the 
Administration's Forest Service Roadless Area Moratorium. Testimony was 
heard from Michael Dombeck, Chief, Forest Service, USDA; and public 
witnesses.
TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 2870, Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998. 
The rule makes in order as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute now 
printed in the bill, which shall be considered as read. The rule allows 
the chairman of the Committee of the Whole to accord priority in 
recognition to those members who have pre-printed their amendments in 
the Congressional Record. The rule further permits the Chairman of the 
Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the 
bill, and to reduce the 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 Bereuter.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER COMMERCIALIZATION ACT
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing on H.R. 
2544, Technology Transfer Commercialization Act of 1997. Testimony was 
heard from Ray Kammer, Director, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Act of 1998. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Ramstad; Susan Daniels, 
Associate Commissioner of Disability, SSA; and public witnesses.
CIA OVERVIEW
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on CIA Overview. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.