[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 45 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D388-D389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services held a hearing on SSA and on Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting and National Education Goals Panel. Testimony was heard 
from Kenneth S. Apfel, Commissioner, SSA; Robert Coonrod, President and 
CEO, Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and Ken Nelson, Executive 
Director, National Education Goals Panel.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power approved for 
full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 3532, Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999; H.R. 
2217, to extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act applicable to 
the construction of FERC Project No. 9248 in the State of Colorado; and 
H.R. 2841, to extend the time required for the construction of a 
hydroelectric project.
REFORMULATED GASOLINE PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on the implementation of the Reformulated Gasoline Program in 
California, focusing on H.R. 630, to amend the Clean Air Act to permit 
the exclusive application of California State regulations regarding 
reformulated gas in certain areas within the State. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Tauscher; Richard Wilson, Acting Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, EPA; Robert Gee, Assistant 
Secretary, Office of Policy and International Affairs, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.
CLINICAL TRIAL SUBJECTS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Held a hearing on 
Clinical Trial Subjects: Adequate FDA Protections? Testimony was heard 
from Michael A. Friedman, Deputy Lead Commissioner, FDA, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on the Government 
Performance and Results Act. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the GAO: Barry T. Hill, Associate Director, Energy, 
Resources, and Science Issues, Resources, Community and Economic 
Development Division; and Joel Willemssen, Director, Civil Agencies' 
Information Systems, Accounting and Information Management Division; 
and the following officials of the Department of the Interior: Robert 
J. Williams, Acting Inspector General; and John Berry, Assistant 
Secretary, Policy, Management and Budget.
JUDICIAL REFORM ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 1252, Judicial Reform Act of 1998. The rule 
waives points of order against consideration of the bill for failure to 
comply with section 303(a) of the Congressional Budget Act (prohibiting 
consideration of legislation, as reported, providing new budget 
authority, changes in revenues, or changes in the public debt

[[Page D389]]

for a fiscal year until the budget resolution for the year has been 
agreed to).
  The rule makes in order the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, 
modified by striking section 9 (and redesignating succeeding sections 
accordingly). The rule provides that each section of that amendment in 
the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. The rule waives 
points of order against that amendment in the nature of a substitute 
for failure to comply with clause 7 of rule XVI (prohibiting nongermane 
amendments) or section 303(a) of the Congressional Budget Act.
  The rule further 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 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 Hyde and Representatives Coble, Chabot, Frank 
of Massachusetts, Nadler, Jackson Lee and Delahunt.
BASIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH--FEDERAL FUNDING
Committee on Science: Held an oversight hearing on the Irreplaceable 
Federal Role in Funding Basic Scientific Research. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
NSF BUDGET AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Basic Research held an oversight 
hearing on the National Science Foundation Fiscal Year Budget 
Authorization. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
NSF: Neal F. Lane, Director, NSF; and John E. Hopcroft, Member, 
National Science Board.
SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PROGRAM
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Government Programs and 
Oversight held a hearing regarding the Small Business Innovation 
Research Program. Testimony was heard from Susan E. Haley, Deputy 
Director, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of 
Defense; Susan D. Kladiva, Acting Associate Director, Resources and 
Science Issues, GAO; Kesh Narayanan, Director, Industrial Innovation 
Group, NSF; Wendy Baldwin, M.D., Deputy Director, Extramural Research, 
NIH, Department of Health and Human Services; Daniel O. Hill, Assistant 
Administrator, Technology, SBA; Charles F. Cleland, Director, Small 
Business Innovation Research Program, USDA; and public witnesses.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads held a hearing on Surface Transportation Board 
Reauthorization: State of the Railroad Industry. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT--PROPOSALS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on proposals for a Water 
Resources Development Act of 1998. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Matsui, Doolittle, Visclosky, Pomeroy, Shaw, Fowler, 
Herger, Weldon of Florida, Frost, Kind, DeLauro, Dooley, Weller, 
Pallone, Calvert, Salmon and Lee.
  Hearings continue April 28.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported amended the following 
bills: H.R. 1023, Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1997; and 
H.R. 3546, National Dialogue on Social Security Act of 1998.

Joint Meetings
IDEA REGULATIONS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources concluded 
joint hearings with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce 
to examine the Department of Education's development of the regulations 
necessary to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
Amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105-17), after receiving testimony from Judith 
E. Heumann, Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services; Martha Feland, Cabot School Board, Cabot, 
Arkansas; Frank P. Clark, James, Smith, Durkin & Connelly, Hershey, 
Pennsylvania; Brian A. McNulty, Colorado Department of Education, 
Denver; and Patricia McGill Smith, National Parent Network on 
Disabilities, Washington, D.C.