[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 22, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D810-D812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
YEAR 2000 AGRICULTURE COMPLIANCE
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
hearings to examine the Year 2000 information technology dilemma as it 
relates to agricultural business and other economic matters, after 
receiving testimony from Edward Yardeni, Deutsche Bank Securities, New 
York, New York; Donald D. Serpico, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, 
Chicago, Illinois; and Jerold L. Harris and David D. Janish, both of 
the Farm Credit Bank of Wichita, Kansas.

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NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee failed to approve for reporting, 
without recommendation, the nomination of Daryl L. Jones, of Florida, 
to be Secretary of the Air Force.
HOLOCAUST ASSETS RESTITUTION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded 
hearings to examine current developments with regard to the 1946 Swiss 
Holocaust Assets Agreement, focusing on the role of Swiss banks and 
their historic and current treatment of assets of holocaust victims, 
after receiving testimony from Stuart Eizenstat, Under Secretary of 
State for Economic Affairs; Jean Ziegler, University of Geneva, 
Switzerland, and Member, Swiss Federal Parliament; New York State 
Comptroller H. Carl McCall, Albany; New York City First Deputy 
Comptroller Steven Newman, Israel Singer, World Jewish Congress, and 
Mel Urbach, World Council of Orthodox Jewish Communities, all of New 
York, New York; Rabbi Marvin Hier, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los 
Angeles, California; Fredy Rom, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Zurich, 
Switzerland; and Michael D. Hausfeld, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings 
on the nomination of Bill Richardson, of New Mexico, to be Secretary of 
Energy, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Helms, 
Domenici, and Bingaman, testified and answered questions in his own 
behalf.
LAND EXCHANGE AND BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and 
Public Land Management concluded hearings on the following bills:
  S. 2136, to provide for the exchange of certain land in the State of 
Washington, after receiving testimony from Senator Murray; and William 
R. Brown, Plum Creek Timber Company, Rick McGuire, Alpine Lakes 
Protection Society, Norm Winn, Mountaineers, Charles Raines, Sierra 
Club, and Janine Blaeloch, Western Land Exchange Project, all of 
Seattle, Washington;
  S. 2226, to amend the Idaho Admission Act regarding the sale or lease 
of school land, after receiving testimony from Senator Kempthorne; 
Douglas Dorn, on behalf of the Idaho Governor's Committee on Endowment 
Fund Investment Reform, and Anne C. Fox, Idaho State Department of 
Education, both of Boise; and Craig Gehrke, Wilderness Society, 
Washington, D.C.; and
  H.R. 2886, to provide for a demonstration project in the Stanislaus 
National Forest, California, under which a private contractor will 
perform multiple resource management activities for that unit of the 
National Forest System, after receiving testimony from Representative 
Doolittle.
  Testimony was also received on S. 2136, S. 2226, H.R. 2886 (all 
listed above), and H.R. 3796, 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 from Gloria Manning, 
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest Systems, Forest Service, 
Department of Agriculture.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  S. 263, to prohibit the import, export, sale, purchase, possession, 
transportation, acquisition, and receipt of bear viscera or products 
that contain or claim to contain bear viscera, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 361, to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit the 
sale, import, and export of products labeled as containing endangered 
species, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 659, to amend the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 
1990 to provide for implementation of recommendations of the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service contained in the Great Lakes Fishery 
Restoration Study Report, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 1883, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Marion 
National Fish Hatchery and the Claude Harris National Aquacultural 
Research Center to the State of Alabama, with an amendment;
  S. 1970, to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a 
program to provide assistance in the conservation of neotropical 
migratory birds, with an amendment;
  S. 2094, to amend the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 to 
enable the Secretary of the Interior to more effectively use the 
proceeds of sales of certain items, with an amendment;
  S. 2319, to authorize the use of receipts from the sale of migratory 
bird hunting and conservation stamps to promote additional stamp 
purchases;
  S. 2244, to amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to promote 
volunteer programs and community partnerships for the benefit of 
national wildlife refugees;
  H.R. 1856, to amend the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a volunteer pilot project at one 
national

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wildlife refuge in each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1700, to designate the headquarters building of the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development in Washington, District of Columbia, as 
the ``Robert C. Weaver Federal Building'';
  H.R. 643, to designate the United States courthouse to be constructed 
at the corner of Superior and Huron Roads, in Cleveland, Ohio, as the 
``Carl B. Stokes United States Courthouse'';
  H.R. 3504, to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize 
appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 
and to further define the criteria for capital repair and operation and 
maintenance;
  S. 1222, to catalyze restoration of estuary habitat through more 
efficient financing of projects and enhanced coordination of Federal 
and non-Federal restoration programs, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute; and
  The nomination of Nikki Rush Tinsley, of Maryland, to be Inspector 
General, Environmental Protection Agency.
  Also, committee began markup of S. 2131, to provide for the 
conservation and development of water and related resources, and to 
authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various projects for 
improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States, but did not 
complete action thereon, and will meet again tomorrow.
RETIREMENT SECURITY POLICY
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine new directions 
in retirement security policy, focusing on the Administration's plans 
for Social Security reform, how well Americans are planning for 
retirement, proposals to encourage employer-based pension plans and 
personal savings, the impact of the aging of America on economic 
growth, and the impact of Social Security reform on employer-sponsored 
retirement plans, personal savings, and earnings, receiving testimony 
from Robert E. Rubin, Secretary, and Lawrence Summers, Deputy 
Secretary, both of the Department of the Treasury; Kenneth S. Apfel, 
Commissioner, Social Security Administration; Rudolph G. Penner, Urban 
Institute, Kenneth W. Porter, ERISA Industry Committee, and Paul 
Yakoboski, Employee Benefit Research Institute, all of Washington, 
D.C.; and Sylvester J. Schieber, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Bethesda, 
Maryland.
  Hearings were recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings on the 
nominations of David G. Carpenter, of Virginia, to be Assistant 
Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security, and to be Director of the 
Office of Foreign Missions, and to have the rank of Ambassador during 
his tenure of service, Bert T. Edwards, of Maryland, to be Chief 
Financial Officer, Department of State, and Jonathan H. Spalter, of the 
District of Columbia, to be an Associate Director (Bureau of 
Information) of the United States Information Agency, after the 
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Labor and Human Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported S. 2112, to make the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 
1970 applicable to the United States Postal Service in the same manner 
as any other employer.
  Also, committee began markup of S. 2213, to allow all States to 
participate in activities under the Education Flexibility Partnership 
Demonstration Act, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet 
again on Wednesday, July 29.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the nominations of Scott E. Thomas, of the District of 
Columbia, David M. Mason, of Virginia, Darryl R. Wold, of California, 
and Karl J. Sandstrom, of Washington, each to be a Member of the 
Federal Election Commission.