[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 23, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D688-D690]
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, and Education approved for full Committee action the Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations for Fiscal Year 
1999.
INTERNATIONAL BANKING AND FINANCE--YEAR 2000 CHALLENGE
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on the Year 
2000 Challenge to International Banking and Finance. Testimony was 
heard from Ernest T. Patrikis, First Vice President, Federal Reserve 
Bank of New York; and public witnesses.
EMERGENCIES--BUDGETARY TREATMENT
Committee on the Budget: Task Force on Budget Process, hearing on 
Budgetary Treatment of Emergencies. Testimony was heard from James Lee 
Witt, Director, FEMA; from the following officials of the CBO: James 
Blum, Deputy Director; and Theresa Gullo, Chief, State and Local 
Government Cost Estimates; and Keith Bea, Specialist, American National 
Government, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
STATES' ALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE STRATEGIES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, 
held a hearing on States' Alternative Environmental Compliance 
Strategies. Testimony was heard from Michael Gryszkowiec, Director, 
Planning and Reporting, GAO; the following officials of the EPA: Nikki 
L. Tinsley, Acting Inspector General; and Eric Schaeffer, Director, 
Office of Regulatory Enforcement; David B. Struhs, Commissioner, 
Department of Environmental Quality, State of Massachusetts; and Mike 
Phillips, Director, Strategic Projects and Planning, Department of 
Environmental Protection, State of Florida.
ANTI-SLAMMING MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on Protecting Consumers Against 
Slamming, focusing on the following bills: H.R. 3888, Anti-slamming 
Amendments Act; and H.R. 3050, Slamming Prevention and Consumer 
Protection Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Goodlatte; Smith of New Jersey and Bass; Lawrence E. Strickling, Deputy 
Bureau Chief, Common Carrier Bureau, FCC; and public witnesses.
COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL REFORM PROGRAM
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth, and Families held a hearing on Comprehensive School 
Reform Program. Testimony was heard from Gerald Tirozzi, Assistant 
Secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Education; 
and public witnesses.
CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Adopted a resolution 
granting Congressional immunity to Irene Wu, Nancy Lee, Larry Wong, and 
Kent La regarding the Committee's campaign fundraising investigation.
CHILD CUSTODY PROTECTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported amended H.R. 3682, Child 
Custody Protection Act.
  Committee recessed subject to call.
EXPORTS OF SATELLITES TO CHINA--U.S. POLICY
Committee on National Security: and the Committee on International 
Relations concluded joint hearings on U.S. policy regarding the export 
of satellites to China. Testimony was heard from Walter B. Slocombe, 
Under Secretary, Policy, Department of Defense; John Holum, Acting 
Under Secretary, Political Affairs, Department of State; and William 
Reinsch, Under Secretary, Export Administration, Department of 
Commerce.
OVERSIGHT--FOREST SERVICE LAW ENFORCEMENT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on Forest Service Law Enforcement. Testimony was 
heard from Barry T. Hill, Associate Director, Energy, Resources, and 
Science Issues, GAO; Robert Joslin, Deputy Chief, Forest Service, USDA; 
and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: S. 1693, Vision 
2020 National Parks System Restoration Act; and H.R. 4004, to authorize 
the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance to the Casa Malpais 
National Historic Landmark in Springerville, Arizona, and to establish 
the Lower East Side Tenement National Historic Site.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 3705, Ivanpah Valley 
Airport Public Lands Transfer

[[Page D689]]

Act. Testimony was heard from Pete Culp, Assistant Director, Minerals, 
Realty and Resource Protection, Bureau of Land Management, Department 
of the Interior; and a public witness.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified open rule 
providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 4103, making appropriations for the 
Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999. 
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), clause 7 of rule XXI (requiring 
printed hearings and reports to be available for three days prior to 
consideration of general appropriations bills), or section 306 of the 
Budget Act of 1974 (prohibiting consideration of legislation within the 
jurisdiction of the Budget Committee unless reported by that 
committee). The rule provides that the amendments printed in the report 
of the Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution shall be 
considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole.
  The rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill which 
do not comply with clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized or 
legislative provisions in an appropriations bill) and clause 6 of rule 
XXI (prohibiting reappropriations in a general appropriations bill). 
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 that consideration of section 
8106 for amendment under the five minute rule shall not exceed one 
hour. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instruction. Testimony was heard from Representatives Young of Florida, 
Gilman, Sessions, Murtha, Skaggs and Maloney of New York.
TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule on H.R. 4104, 
making appropriations for the Treasury Department, the United States 
Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, and certain 
independent agencies, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, 
providing one hour of general debate equally divided between the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. 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 3-day layover of the committee report), or clause 7 of 
rule XXI (requiring printed hearings and reports to be available for 3 
days prior to consideration of general appropriations bills). The rule 
provides that the amendments printed in part 1 of the report of the 
Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution shall be considered as 
adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The rule waives 
points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, which do 
not comply with clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized or 
legislative appropriations in a general appropriations bill) and clause 
6 of rule XXI (prohibiting reappropriations in a general appropriations 
bill), except as specified in the rule. The rule waives all points of 
order against the amendments printed in part 2 of the Rules Committee 
report and provides that such amendments may be offered only by a 
Member designated in the report, 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 
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. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Kolbe, Morella, 
Hoyer, Obey, Lowey, DeLauro and Maloney of New York.
EMPLOYMENT SECURITY FINANCING ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a 
hearing on H.R. 3684, Employment Security Financing Act of 1998. 
Testimony was heard from Grace Kilbane, Director, Unemployment 
Insurance Service, Department of Labor; Robert R. Cupp, Senator, 
President Pro Tempore, and Co-Chairman, Finance Committee, Senate, 
State of Ohio; Joseph Weisenburger, Deputy Commissioner, Department of 
Employment Security, State of New Hampshire; Douglas Jamerson, 
Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment Security, State of 
Florida; and public witnesses.
INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES--TAX CODE COMPLEXITY IMPACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the impact of complexity in the tax code for individual taxpayers 
and small

[[Page D690]]

businesses. Testimony was heard from Carl Olandt, Unemployment 
Compensation Director of Accounts, Labor Department, State of 
Connecticut; and public witnesses.
TRADE MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade approved for full 
Committee action the following measures: H.R. 2316, to amend trade laws 
and related provisions to clarify the designation of normal trade 
relations; and H.J. Res. 120, disapproving the extension of the waiver 
authority contained in section 402(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 with 
respect to Vietnam.
DOD COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Human 
Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on DOD Counterintelligence. Testimony was 
heard from departmental witnesses.