[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D303-D306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
RURAL AREAS--EFFECTS OF ELECTRIC DEREGULATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Forestry, Resource 
Conservation, and Research held a hearing on the effect of electric 
deregulation on rural areas. Testimony was heard from Wally B. Beyer, 
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA; and a public witness.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and Judiciary held a hearing on the FCC and the Bureau of the Census. 
Testimony was heard from William E. Kennard, Chairman, FCC; and the 
following officials of the Department of Commerce: Lee Price, Under 
Secretary, Economic Affairs; and James Holmes, Acting Director, Bureau 
of the Census.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on the Bureau of Reclamation. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of the Interior: 
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary; Patricia J. Beneke, Assistant Secretary, 
Water and Science; and Eluid L. Martinez, Commissioner, Bureau of 
Reclamation.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service. Testimony 
was heard from Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs; and 
Paul Homan, Special Trustee for American Indians, both with the Bureau 
of Indian Affairs; and Michael H. Trujillo, Director, Indian Health 
Service, Department of Health and Human Services.

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LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the National Cancer Institute 
and the Secretary of Education. Testimony was heard from Richard D. 
Klausner, M.D., Director, National Cancer Institute, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and Richard W. Riley, Secretary of 
Education.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development. Testimony was heard from Andrew M. Cuomo, Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported amended the following bills: 
H.R. 1872, Communications Satellite Competition and Privatization Act 
of 1998; and H.R. 2691, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
Reauthorization Act of 1997.
NRC REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on reauthorization of the NRC. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the NRC: Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman; Nils J. Diaz, 
Greta Joy Dicus, and Edward McGaffigan, Jr., all Commissioners.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S DENIAL OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICE FUNDS TO STATES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on the Department of Labor's Denial of 
Employment Service Funds to the States. Testimony was heard from Ray 
Uhalde, Acting Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training, Department 
of Labor; John Freeman, Representative, State of Michigan; Doug 
Rothwell, CEO and Department Director, Jobs Commission, State of 
Michigan; Jonathan Raymond, Deputy Director, Workforce Development, 
State of Massachusetts; Diane Rath, Commissioner, Workforce Commission, 
State of Texas; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Met and approved pending Committee 
business.
FREEDOM FROM RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION ACT
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported amended H.R. 
2431, Freedom From Religious Persecution Act of 1997.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROCEDURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing on H.J. Res. 84, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of 
the United States to provide a procedure by which the States may 
propose constitutional amendments. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Bliley; George Allen, former Governor, State of 
Virginia; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS AMENDMENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime continued hearings on 
H.R. 1524, Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1997 and held a 
hearing on H.R. 2829, Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1997. 
Testimony was heard from Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General, 
Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1522, amended, to extend the authorization for the National Historic 
Preservation; H.R. 1833, amended, Tribal Self-Governance Amendments of 
1997; S. 231, National Cave and Karst Research Institute Act; H.R. 
3069, Advisory Council on California Indian Policy Act of 1997; and 
H.R. 3297, amended, 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 determinations 
that a roadless area policy will not adversely affect forest health.
FOREST RECOVERY AND PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 2515, Forest Recovery and Protection Act of 
1997. The rule provides that in lieu of the Agriculture Committee's 
amendment, that an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting 
of the text of H.R. 3530 shall be considered as an original bill for 
the purpose of amendment, and provides that the amendment shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives clause 7 of Rule XVI (prohibiting 
non-germane provisions) or clause 5(a) of Rule XXI (prohibiting 
appropriations in a legislative bill) against the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 3530. The rule 
permits the Chair to accord priority

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in recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the 
Congressional Record. The rule permits 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 Smith and Representatives Furse and Brown of California.
FAIRNESS FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND EMPLOYEES ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
1 hour of debate on H.R. 3246, Fairness for Small Business and 
Employees Act of 1998. The rule make in order only those amendments 
printed in the report of the Committee on Rules. The rule provides that 
the amendments make in order shall be considered only in the order 
specified, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time 
specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent 
and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be 
subject to a demand for a division of the question in the House or in 
the Committee of the Whole. The rule permits 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 Goodling and Representatives Fawell and Clay.
SMALL BUSINESS PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of general debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight on 
H.R. 3310, Small Business Paperwork Reduction Act Amendments of 1998. 
The rule makes in order the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight as an 
original bill for the purpose of amendment and provides that it will be 
considered as read. The rule waives points of order against 
consideration of the bill for failure to comply with clause 2(l)(6) of 
rule XI (requiring a three-day layover of the committee report) or 
section 303 of the Congressional Budget Act (prohibiting consideration 
of legislation, as reported, providing new budget authority, changes in 
revenues, or changes in the public debt for a fiscal year until the 
budget resolution for that year has been agreed to) or section 311 of 
the Congressional Budget Act (prohibiting consideration of legislation 
or an amendment that would cause the total level of new budget 
authority or outlays in the most recent budget resolution to be 
exceeded or would cause revenues to be less). The rule also waives 
points of order against the committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute for failure to comply with section 303 or section 311 of the 
Congressional Budget Act. 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 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 Representatives McIntosh, 
Kucinich, and Tierney.
CAMPAIGN REFORM AND ELECTION INTEGRITY ACT
Committee on Rules: Held a hearing on H.R. 3485, Campaign Reform and 
Election Integrity Act of 1998. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Thomas, Representatives Gekas, Shays, Stearns, Franks of New Jersey, 
White, Gejdenson, Kilpatrick, Dingell, Fazio of California, Price of 
North Carolina, Barrett of Wisconsin, Maloney of New York, Farr of 
California, and Allen.
OVERSIGHT--INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE
Committee on Science: Held an oversight hearing on International 
Science. Testimony was heard from Bruce Alberts, President, National 
Academy of Sciences; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--BUDGET AUTHORIZATION REQUESTS
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held an 
oversight hearing on the Fiscal Year 1999 Budget Authorization 
Requests: Department of Energy, EPA Research and Development, and NOAA. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEATH TAX REFORM
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports 
held a hearing on The First Step: Death Tax Reform. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
FAA AND AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation concluded hearings on the

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Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and Airport 
Improvement Program in Light of the Recommendations of the National 
Civil Aviation Review Commission. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
JFK CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Public 
Buildings and Economic Development held a hearing on H.R. 3504, John F. 
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Authorization Act. Testimony was 
heard from Lawrence J. Wilker, President, John F. Kennedy Center for 
the Performing Arts and Bernard L. Ungar, Director, Government Business 
Operations Issues, GAO.
TICKET TO WORK AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security approved 
for full Committee action H.R. 3433, Ticket to Work and Self-
Sufficiency Act of 1998.
INFORMATION ASSURANCE BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a briefing on Information Assurance. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
VETERANS' PROGRAMS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint 
hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the 
legislative recommendations of certain veterans' organizations, after 
receiving testimony from Col. Robert F. Norton, USA (Ret.), Retired 
Officers Association, George Duggins, Vietnam Veterans of America, and 
Wayne Hitchcock, American Ex-Prisoners of War, all of Washington, D.C.; 
and Josephus C. Vandengoorbergh, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland.