[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 18, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D260-D263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURAL TRADE-EUROPE--MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the 1999 
Multilateral Negotiations on Agricultural Trade-Europe. Testimony was 
heard from Dan Glickman, Secretary of Agriculture; Peter Scher, 
Ambassador, Special Trade Negotiator for Agriculture, Office of the 
U.S. Trade Representative; and public witnesses.

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COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and Judiciary held a hearing on the SEC, and on Department of State 
Administration of Foreign Affairs. Testimony was heard from Arthur 
Levitt, Jr., Chairman, SEC; and Bonnie Cohen, Under Secretary, 
Management, Department of State.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development met in executive session to continue hearings on Atomic 
Energy Defense Activities. Testimony was heard from Adm. Frank Lee 
Bowman, USN, Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, Department of the 
Navy.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs held a hearing on the AID Administrator. 
Testimony was heard from J. Brian Atwood, Administrator, AID, United 
States International Development Cooperation Agency.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
the U.S. Geological Survey. Testimony was heard from Thomas J. 
Casadevall, Acting Director, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the 
Interior.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the National Library of 
Medicine, the National Institute of Nursing Research: Fogarty 
International Center, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases, and the National Eye Institute. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: 
Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., Director, National Library of Medicine; 
Patricia A. Grady, M.D., Director, National Institute of Nursing 
Research; Philip E. Schambra, M.D., Director, Fogarty International 
Center; Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy 
and Infectious Diseases; and Carl Kupfer, M.D., Director, National Eye 
Institute.
NATIONAL SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on National Security held a 
hearing on the Quality of Life. Testimony was heard from Sergeant Major 
Robert E. Hall, USA; Electronic Technical Master Chief Petty Officer, 
John Hagan, USN; Sergeant Major Lewis G. Lee, USMC; and Chief Master 
Sergeant of the Air Force Eric W. Benken, USAF.
  The Subcommittee also met in executive session to hold a hearing on 
Readiness. Testimony was heard from Gen. William W. Crouch, USA. Vice 
Chief of Staff of the Army; Adm. Donald L. Pilling, USN, Vice Chief of 
Naval Operations; Gen. Richard I. Neal, USMC, Assistant Commandant of 
the Marine Corps; and Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, USAF, Vice Chief of Staff 
of the Air Force.
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.
COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE COMPETITION AND PRIVATIZATION ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection approved for full Committee action, amended, H.R. 
1872, Communications Satellite Competition and Privatization Act.
HIGHER EDUCATION AMENDMENTS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Began markup of H.R. 6, 
Higher Education Amendments of 1998.
  Will continue tomorrow.
OVERSIGHT--YEAR 2000 EFFORTS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information, and Technology, and the 
Subcommittee on Technology of the Committee on Science held a joint 
hearing on the Oversight of the Federal Government's Year 2000 Efforts. 
Testimony was heard from John Koskinen, Chair, President's Council on 
Year 2000 Conversion, OMB; Gene Dodaro, Assistant Comptroller General, 
GAO; the following officials of the Department of the Treasury: 
Constance E. Craig, Assistant Commissioner, Information Resources, 
Financial Management Services; James J. Flyzik, Acting Chief 
Information Officer; Arthur A. Gross, Associate Commissioner, 
Modernization and Chief Information Officer, IRS; and Dennis Schendel, 
Deputy Assistant Inspector General, Audit; and a public witness.

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CAMPAIGN REFORM AND ELECTION INTEGRITY ACT
Committee on House Oversight: Ordered reported amended H.R. 3485, 
Campaign Reform and Election Integrity Act of 1998.
PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the Peace 
Corps: 10,000 Volunteers by the Year 2000. Testimony was heard from 
Senators Coverdell and Dodd; Representatives Farr, Hall of Ohio, Petri, 
Shays and Walsh; Donna E. Shalala, Secretary, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and the following officials of the Peace Corps, Mark 
Gearan, Director; James Carden, Volunteer.
CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY ISSUES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Laws continued hearings 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 Judith R. Starr, Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel, 
Enforcement Division, SEC; Bernice Donald, Judge, U.S. District Court, 
Western District of Tennessee; Michael J. Kane, Deputy Secretary, 
Enforcement, Department of Revenue, State of Pennsylvania; and public 
witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property approved for full Committee action the following: Alternative 
Dispute Resolution; H.R. 3210, amended, Copyright Compulsory License 
Improvement Act; and H.R. 2652, amended, Collections of Information 
Antipiracy Act.
U.S. POLICY ON BOSNIA
Committee on National Security: Held a hearing on U.S. Policy on 
Bosnia. Testimony was heard from William S. Cohen, Secretary of 
Defense; and Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary of State.
DEFENSE REFORM INITIATIVE
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Installations 
and Facilities held a hearing on infrastructure implications of the 
Defense Reform Initiative. Testimony was heard from John B. Goodman, 
Deputy Under Secretary, Industrial Affairs and Installations, 
Department of Defense; and the following officials of GAO: Barry W. 
Holman, Associate Director, Defense Management Issues; Carol R. 
Schuster, Associate Director, Military Operations and Capabilities 
Issues; and William M. Solis, Assistant Director, Military Operations 
and Capabilities Issues.
QUARTERLY READINESS REPORTS
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Readiness held a 
hearing on Quarterly Readiness Reports. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Louis Finch, Deputy 
Under Secretary, Readiness; Maj. Gen. John J. Maher, USA, Vice 
Director, Operations, Joint Staff; Lt. Gen. Thomas N. Burnette, Jr., 
USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Plans and Army Operations, 
Department of Army; Vice Adm. James O. Ellis, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of 
Naval Operations, Plans, Policy and Operations, Department of Navy; Lt. 
Gen. Patrick K. Gamble, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air and Space 
Operations, Department of the Air Force; Lt. Gen. Martin R. Steele, 
USMC, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans, Policies and Operations, 
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on Problems and 
Issues with the National Environmental Policy Act. Testimony was heard 
from Kathleen McGinty, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality; Gale 
Norton, Attorney General, State of Colorado; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE BUDGET REQUEST AND OTHER 
NOAA PROGRAMS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans held an oversight hearing on National Marine 
Fisheries Service FY '99 Budget request and other National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration programs. Testimony was heard from Robert L. 
Mallett, Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce.
OVERSIGHT--DIESEL TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held an 
oversight hearing on Diesel Technology for the 21st Century. Testimony 
was heard from Dan Reicher, Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY BURDEN
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Government Programs and 
Oversight and the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and Paperwork 
Reduction held a joint hearing on unequal regulatory burden borne by 
small businesses. Testimony

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was heard from L. Nye Stevens, Director, Management Workforce Issues, 
General Government Division, GAO; Jere W. Glover, Chief Council for 
Advocacy, SBA; Thomas E. Kelly, Director, Office of Regulatory 
Management and Information, EPA; Greg Watchman, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of 
Labor; and public witnesses.
FAA AND AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation continued hearings on reauthorization of the Federal Aviation 
Administration and Airport Improvement Program. Testimony was heard 
from Jane F. Garvey, Administrator, FAA, Department of Transportation; 
Norman Y. Mineta, Chair, National Civil Aviation Review Commission; and 
public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
SHIP SCRAPPING ACTIVITIES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Ship Scrapping 
Activities of the United States Government. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Miller of California; David Heeter, Assistant Attorney 
General, Department of Justice, State of North Carolina; Patrica A. 
Rivers, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary, Cleanup, Office of the Deputy 
Under Secretary, Environmental Security, Department of Defense; and 
public witnesses.
BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Approved Fiscal Year 1999 Budget views 
and estimates for submission to the Committee on the Budget.
VA PARTICIPATION IN ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Department of Veterans Affairs 
participation in the Energy Management Program. Testimony was heard 
from John Archibald, Director, Federal Energy Management Program, 
Department of Energy; Maj. Gen. Milton Hunter, USA, Director, Military 
Programs, Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Army; and the 
following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Kenneth 
Clark, Chief Network Officer, Veterans Health Administration; and 
Robert A. Palazzi, Chief Design Development, West Haven VA Medical 
Center; and a public witness.
COMMERCIAL MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a briefing on Commercial Mapping Technologies. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.