[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 20, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D539-D542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
PLANT PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing on H.R. 3766, Plant 
Protection Act. Testimony was heard from Craig Reed, Acting 
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA; and 
public witnesses.
HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINT REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS 
IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing on the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical 
Control Point (HACCP) regulatory requirements. Testimony was heard from 
Thomas Billy, Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on Nobel Laureate. Testimony was 
heard from the following past recipients of the Nobel Prize: Stanley 
Prusiner; Peter Doherty; David Baltimore; Joshua Lederberg; Alfred 
Gilman; and Steven Chu.
BUDGET RESOLUTION
Committee on the Budget: Began markup of the Budget Resolution for 
Fiscal year 1999.

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BIOMETRICS AND THE FUTURE OF MONEY
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on Biometrics and the 
Future of Money. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ENERGY DEPARTMENT NUCLEAR FACILITIES--EXTERNAL REGULATION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on External Regulation of Department of Energy Nuclear Facilities. 
Testimony was heard from Elizabeth Moler, Deputy Secretary, Department 
of Energy; and the following officials of the NRC: Shirley Ann Jackson, 
Chairman; Greta Joy Dicus, Nils J. Diaz and Edward McGaffigan, Jr., all 
Commissioners.
AUTO CHOICE REFORM ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials 
held a hearing on H.R. 2021, Auto Choice Reform Act of 1997. Testimony 
was heard from Senator McConnell; Representatives Armey and Moran of 
Virginia; and public witnesses.
AMERICAN WORKER PROJECT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations continued hearings on American Worker Project: 
Innovative Workplaces for the Future. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
KYOTO PROTOCOL
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Economic Growth, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs continued 
hearings on ``The Kyoto Protocol: Is the Clinton-Gore Administration 
Selling Out Americans? Part III''. Testimony was heard from Cecil 
Underwood, Governor, State of West Virginia; Scott Orr, Representative, 
State of Montana; and Daniel Canan, Mayor, Muncie, State of Indiana.
SIX INFECTIOUS DISEASES--ERADICATION AND ELIMINATION
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Eradication and 
Elimination of Six Infectious Diseases. Testimony was heard from Ben 
Nelson, Director, International Relations and Trade, National Security 
and International Affairs Division, GAO; Claire Broome, M.D., Acting 
Director, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health and Human 
Services; Nils Daulaire, Senior Health Advisor, AID, U.S. International 
Development Cooperation Agency; David L. Heymann, Director, Division of 
Emerging and Other Communicable Diseases. Surveillance and Control, 
World Health Organization; and public witnesses.
AFRICA--ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa held a 
hearing on Anti-Corruption Efforts in Africa. Testimony was heard from 
Carol Peasley, Acting Administrator, Africa, AID, U.S. International 
Development Cooperation Agency; and public witnesses.
U.S-TAIWAN RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on U.S.-Taiwan Relations. Testimony was heard 
from Susan Shirk, Deputy Assistant Secretary, East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs, Department of State; Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of Defense; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
3736, amended, Workforce Improvement and Protection Act of 1998; and 
H.R. 3633, Controlled Substances Trafficking Prohibition Act.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; COMMITTEE REPORT--BLM MINING REGULATIONS
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1154, amended, Indian Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures Act 
of 1997; H.R. 1635, amended, National Underground Railroad Network to 
Freedom Act of 1997; H.R. 1865, Spanish Peaks Wilderness Act of 1997; 
H.R. 2411, amended, to provide for a land exchange involving the Cape 
Cod National Seashore and to extend the authority for the Cape Cod 
National Seashore Advisory Commission; H.R. 2538, amended, Guadalupe-
Hidalgo Treaty Land Claims Act of 1997; H.R. 2742, amended, California 
Indian Land Transfer Act; H.R. 2795, amended, Irrigation Project 
Contract Extension Act of 1997; H.R. 2812, Unrecognized Southeast 
Alaska Native Communities Recognition Act; H.R. 3267, amended, Sonny 
Bono Memorial Salton Sea Reclamation Act; H.R. 3520, to adjust the 
boundaries of the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and the adjacent 
Wenatchee National Forest in the State of Washington; H.R. 3796, to 
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the administrative 
site for the Rogue River National Forest and use the proceeds for the 
construction or improvement of offices and support buildings for the 
Rogue River National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management; and H.R. 
3797, Wyandotte Tribe Settlement Act of 1998.

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  The Committee also approved a Committee Report on Mining Regulations 
promulgated by the Bureau of Land Management.
BIPARTISAN CAMPAIGN INTEGRITY ACT CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LIMIT 
CAMPAIGN SPENDING
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing for 
consideration of H.J. Res. 119, Constitutional Amendment to Limit 
Campaign Spending, with one hour of general debate equally divided 
between Representative DeLay and a Member in favor of the joint 
resolution. The rule provides that the joint resolution shall be 
considered as read. The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in 
recognition to Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the 
Congressional Record. The rule allows for 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. The rule provides one motion to recommit 
with or without instructions. The rule also provides for consideration 
of H.R. 2183, Bipartisan Campaign Integrity Act of 1997, under a 
modified open amending process any time after adoption of the rule. The 
rule provides two hours of general debate, equally divided between the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on House 
Oversight. The rule provides for consideration of the amendments in the 
nature of a substitute specified in the Rules Committee report 
accompanying this resolution. The rule provides that each amendment in 
the nature of a substitute may be offered only in the order specified, 
may be offered only by the Member who caused it to be printed in the 
Congressional Record or his designee, shall be considered as read, and 
shall not be subject to a substitute amendment or to a perfecting 
amendment carrying a tax or tariff measure. The rule waives all points 
of order against the amendments in the nature of a substitute. The rule 
provides one hour of general debate at the beginning of consideration 
of each of the amendments in the nature of a substitute, which shall be 
equally divided and controlled by the Member who caused it to be 
printed in the Congressional Record or his designee and an opponent. 
The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to 
Members who have pre-printed their amendments to the amendments in the 
nature of a substitute in the Congressional Record. The rule provides 
that if more than one amendment in the nature of a substitute is 
adopted, then only the one receiving the greater number of affirmative 
votes shall be considered as finally adopted and reported to the House. 
The rule allows for 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 for one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Thomas and Representatives DeLay, Shays, Fawell, Goodlatte, 
Horn, Smith of Michigan, Bass, Campbell, Fossella, Hutchinson, 
Snowbarger, Gejdenson, Obey, Stenholm, Kaptur, Traficant, Slaughter, 
Maloney of New York, Meehan, Farr, Allen and Capps.
OVERSIGHT--EPA'S RULE ON PAINTS AND COATINGS
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held an 
oversight hearing on EPA's Rule on Paints and Coatings: Has EPA met the 
Research Requirements of the Clean Air Act? Testimony was heard from 
Robert Brenner, Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air 
and Radiation, EPA; and public witnesses.
SBA'S PROGRAMS TO ASSIST VETERANS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Government Programs and 
Oversight and the Subcommittee on Benefits of the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs held a joint hearing on the SBA's Programs to Assist 
Veterans. Testimony was heard from Clifton Toulson, Jr., Assistant 
Administrator, Veterans Affairs, SBA; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads held a hearing on Federal Railroad Administration 
Reauthorization: Regulatory Process. Testimony was heard from Donald M. 
Itzkoff, Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, 
Department of Transportation; Phyllis F. Scheinberg, Associate 
Director, Transportation Issues, Resources, Community, and Economic 
Development Division, GAO; and public witnesses.
DISASTER MITIGATION ACT; SMALL WATERSHED PROJECTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment approved for full Committee action amended 
H.R. 3869, Disaster Mitigation Act of 1998.
  The Subcommittee also approved for full Committee action 2 Natural 
Resources Conservation Service Small Watershed Projects.

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WHISTLEBLOWER
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Whistleblower. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
U.S. INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the 
current state of intelligence operations in the United States, focusing 
on Russian radio frequency technology, Russia's offensive biological 
weapons program, and Chinese intelligence operations, after receiving 
testimony from Victor I. Sheymov, ComShield Corporation, Washington, 
D.C., former KGB Eighth Chief Directorate; Kenneth Alibek, Arlington, 
Virginia, former First Deputy of the Soviet Union's Offensive 
Biological Warfare Program; Nicholas Eftimiades, Chinese Intelligence 
Operations, Silver Spring, Maryland; and Brian Fairchild, Brian P. 
Fairchild and Associates, Seattle, Washington, former Staff Operations 
Officer, Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations.