[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 36 (Thursday, March 26, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D314-D317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
USDA'S FEDERAL MILK MARKETING ORDER REFORM
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing to review the USDA's Federal Milk Marketing Order 
Reform. Testimony was heard from Enrique E. Figueroa, Administrator, 
Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA; Ben Brancel, Secretary of 
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, State of Wisconsin; and 
public witnesses.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and the Judiciary held a hearing on State and Local Law Enforcement. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Justice: Joe Brann, Director, Cops Program; Laurie Robinson, Assistant 
Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs; and Shay Bilchik, 
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on the Appalachian Regional Commission. 
Testimony was heard from Jesse L. White, Jr., Federal Co-Chair, 
Appalachian Regional Commission; and Cecil H. Underwood, Governor, 
State of West Virginia.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, the Committee on 
the Budget and the Committee on Resources held a joint oversight 
hearing on the Forest Service. Testimony was heard from Barry T. Hill, 
Associate Director, Energy, Resources and Science Issues, GAO; and the 
following officials of the USDA: Roger C. Viadero, Inspector General; 
and Michael Dombeck, Chief, Forest Service.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Interior held a 
hearing on Department of Energy Conservation. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Energy: Dan W. Reicher, 
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; and 
Patricia Fry Godley, Assistant Secretary, Fossil Energy.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on Elementary and Secondary 
Education; Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs, Howard 
University and on Special Institutions for the Disabled. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Education; 
Gerald N. Tirozzi, Assistant Secretary, Elementary and Secondary 
Education; Delia Pompa, Director, Office of Bilingual Education and 
Minority Languages Affairs; Judith E. Heumann, Assistant Secretary, 
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; and H. Patrick Swygert, 
President, Howard University.
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.
CREDIT UNION MEMBERSHIP ACCESS ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Ordered reported amended 
H.R. 1151, Credit Union Membership Access Act.

[[Page D315]]


SUPERFUND REFORM ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials 
held a hearing on H.R. 3000, the Superfund Reform Act. Testimony was 
heard from James E. Trobaugh, Mayor, Kokomo, State of Indiana; and 
public witnesses.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on New Developments in Medical Research: NIH and Patient 
Groups. Testimony was heard from Representatives Tauzin, Johnson of 
Connecticut, Fox, Meek of Florida, DeFazio, Porter and Walsh; Harold E. 
Varmus, M.D., Director, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services; 
former Representative Raymond J. McGrath of New York; Muhammad Ali, 
National Spokesman, National Parkinson Foundation; and public 
witnesses.
TEAMSTERS--FINANCIAL AFFAIRS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Financial Affairs of the International 
Brotherhood of Teamsters. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--2000 CENSUS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on the 
Census held a hearing on Oversight of the 2000 Census: Putting the 
Dress Rehearsals in Perspective. Testimony was heard from L. Nye 
Stevens, Director, Federal Management and Workforce Issues, GAO; and 
the following officials of the Bureau of the Census, Department of 
Commerce: James F. Holmes, Acting Director, John H. Thompson, Associate 
Director, Decennial Census; and Paula J. Schneider, Principal Associate 
Director, Programs.
LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE--EMPLOYEE BENEFIT
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service held a hearing on Long Term Care Insurance as an Employee 
Benefit. Testimony was heard from William Flynn, III, Associate 
Director, Retirement and Insurance Services, OPM; Bob Williams, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Long Term Care and Disability Policy, Department 
of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information, and Technology held a hearing on 
the following: the Statistical Consolidation Act of 1998; and S. 1404, 
Federal Statistical System Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from L. Nye 
Stevens, Director, Federal Management and Workforce Issues, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a oversight 
hearing on the 1998 National Drug Control Strategy. Testimony was heard 
from Barry R. McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control 
Policy.
COLOMBIA--ILLICIT DRUGS TRAFFICKING
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported H.Res. 398, 
urging the President to expeditiously procure and provide three UH-60L 
Blackhawk utility helicopters to the Colombian National Police solely 
for the purpose of assisting the Colonbian National Police to perform 
their responsibilities to reduce and eliminate the production of 
illicit drugs in Colombia and the trafficking of such illicit drugs, 
including the trafficking of drugs such as heroin and cocaine to the 
United States.
U.S. ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS--RUSSIA, UKRAINE AND NEW INDEPENDENT STATES
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing to review U.S. 
Assistance Programs to Russia, the Ukraine and the New Independent 
States. Testimony was heard from Ambassador Richard Morningstar, 
Special Advisor to the President and the Secretary of State on 
Assistance to the New Independent States and Coordinator of U.S. 
Assistance to the New Independent States, Department of State; and Don 
Pressley, Acting Assistant Administrator, Europe and the New 
Independent States, AID, U.S. International Development Cooperation 
Agency.
OVERSIGHT--RELIGIOUS FREEDOM--FEDERAL PROTECTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution concluded 
oversight hearings on the Need for Federal Protection of Religious 
Freedom after Boerne v. Flores, II. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS PRIVACY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property held an oversight hearing on privacy in electronic 
communications. Testimony was heard from Ambassador David Aaron, Under 
Secretary, International Trade, Department of Commerce; David Medine, 
Associate Director, Credit

[[Page D316]]

Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime approved for full 
Committee action the following: H.R. 2925, Deadbeat Parents Punishment 
Act of 1997; and the Care for Police Survivors Act of 1998.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the following Controlled 
Substances Trafficking Prohibition Act; and H.R. 2070, Correction 
Officers Health and Safety Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Chabot; Wesley S. Windle, Program Officer, Passenger 
Operations Division, U.S. Customs Service, Department of the Treasury; 
and public witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on National Security: Concluded hearings on the fiscal year 
1999 National Defense authorization request. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Robert M. Walker, 
Acting Secretary, Army; John H. Dalton, Secretary of the Navy; and F. 
Whitten Peters, Acting Secretary, Air Force.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
held a hearing on the following bills; H.R. 2538, to establish a 
Presidential commission to determine the validity of certain land 
claims arising out of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo of 1848 involving 
the descendants of persons who were Mexican citizens at the time of the 
Treaty; H.R. 2776, to amend the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for 
the establishment of the Morristown National Historical Park in the 
State of New Jersey, and for other purposes'' to authorize the 
acquisition of property known as the Warren property; and H.R. 3047, to 
authorize expansion of Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, 
Texas, by 16 acres. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Frelinghuysen, Bonilla and Redmond; Denis Galvin, Deputy Director, 
National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and public 
witnesses.
SONNY BONO MEMORIAL SALTON SEA RECLAMATION ACT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power approved for 
full Committee action amended H.R. 3267, Sonny Bono Memorial Salton Sea 
Reclamation Act.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology approved for full 
Committee action amended the following bills: H.R. 3007, Commission on 
the Advancement of Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology 
Development Act; and H.R. 2544, Technology Transfer Commercialization 
Act of 1997.
URBAN EDUCATION
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Empowerment held a hearing 
on urban education. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
RAIL SAFETY REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads held a hearing on Rail Safety Reauthorization: Federal 
Railroad Administration Resources Requirements. Testimony was heard 
from Jolene Molitoris, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, 
Department of Transportation.
NATIONAL DROUGHT POLICY ACT; DISASTER ASSISTANCE--FEDERAL COST
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment approved for full Committee action amended 
H.R. 3035, National Drought Policy Act of 1997.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Federal Cost of Disaster 
Assistance. Testimony was heard from James L. Witt, Director, FEMA; 
Judy A. England-Joseph, Director, Housing and Community Development 
Issues, GAO; Albert R. Capellini, Mayor, Deerfield Beach, State of 
Florida; Gavin J. Donohue, Senior Deputy Commissioner, Department of 
Environmental Conservation, State of New York; and public witnesses.
VA BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION--GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCES AND RESULTS ACT 
PRINCIPLES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Benefits held a hearing 
on Government Performances and Results Act (GPRA) principles at the 
Veterans Benefits Administration. Testimony was heard from Cynthia M. 
Fagnoni, Associate Director, Veterans Affairs and Military Health Care 
Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services Division, GAO; and Joseph 
Thompson, Under Secretary, Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
BUILDING EFFICIENT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION AND EQUITY ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported amended H.R. 2400, 
Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act of 1997.
ANALYSIS AND PRODUCTION ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Analysis and Production Issues. Testimony was heard 
from departmental witnesses.

[[Page D317]]



Joint Meetings
HEAD START
Joint Hearings: Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources' 
Subcommittee on Children and Families held joint hearings with the 
House Committee on Education and the Workforce's Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth and Families on proposed legislation authorizing funds 
through fiscal year 2002 for the Head Start program, focusing on Head 
Start's impact on children and their families, receiving testimony from 
Olivia Golden, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for 
Children and Families; Carlotta C. Joyner, Director, Education and 
Employment Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services Division, 
General Accounting Office; Robert G. St. Pierre, Abt Associates, Inc., 
Cambridge, Massachusetts; Sarah M. Greene, National Head Start 
Association, and Stanley I. Greenspan, George Washington University 
Medical School, both of Washington, D.C.; E.D. Hirsch, Jr., University 
of Virginia, Charlottesville; Elizabeth Kares, School District of Lee 
County, Ft. Meyers, Florida; and Jean Malachi, Stamford, Connecticut.
  Hearings will continue on Thursday, April 23.