[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 22, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D815-D817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURAL TRADE--WESTERN HEMISPHERE MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the 1999 
Multilateral Negotiations on Agricultural Trade--Western Hemisphere. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the Transportation 
appropriations for fiscal year 1999.
CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on the Conduct of 
Monetary Policy. Testimony was heard from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, 
Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
MORTGAGE LENDING DISCLOSURES REQUIREMENTS REFORMS
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial 
Institutions and Consumer Credit and the Subcommittee on Housing and 
Community Opportunity held a joint hearing on the Real Estate 
Settlement Procedures Act, the Truth in Lending Act, and reforms to 
mortgage lending disclosure requirements. Testimony was heard from 
Edward M. Gramlich, member, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; 
and Gail W. Laster, General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development.
WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC SAFETY ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection approved for full Committee action amended H.R. 
3844, Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998.
FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AMENDMENTS; DEPOSITION AUTHORITY
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported amended H.R. 
4257, to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to permit certain 
youth to perform certain work with wood products.
  The Committee also adopted a motion to adopt rules regarding 
deposition authority.
MEDICARE HOME HEALTH AGENCIES
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Human 
Resources held a hearing on Medicare Home Health Agencies: Still No 
Surety Against Fraud and Abuse. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: Penny 
Thompson, Director, Program Integrity, Health Care Financing 
Administration; and George W. Grob, Deputy Inspector General; and 
public witnesses.
DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a hearing on 
Drug Treatment Programs: Making Treatment Work. Testimony was heard 
from Marsha Blanton, M.D., Associate Director, GAO; Donald Vereen, 
M.D., Deputy Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered the 
following measures and adopted a motion urging the Chairman to request 
that they be considered on the Suspension Calendar: H. Con. Res. 292, 
amended, calling for an end to the recent conflict between Eritrea and 
Ethiopia; H.R. 4283, Africa Seeds of Hope Act of 1998; H. Res. 415, to 
promote independent radio broadcasting in Africa; H.R. 3743, amended, 
Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998; H. Res. 362, 
amended, commending the visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to 
Cuba; and H. Res. 475, recognizing the importance of achieving the goal 
of the 1997 Microcredit Summit to provide access to microcredit to 
100,000 of the world's poorest families.

[[Page D816]]


U.S. TRADE DEFICIT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade held a hearing on The U.S. and its Trade 
Deficit: Restoring the Balance. Testimony was heard from David Aaron, 
Under Secretary, International Trade Administration, Department of 
Commerce; and public witnesses.
HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on H.R. 3081, Hate Crimes 
Prevention Act of 1997. Testimony was heard from Bill Lann Lee, Acting 
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of 
Justice; and public witnesses.
LETHAL DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution approved 
for full Committee action amended H.R. 4006, Lethal Drug Abuse 
Prevention Act of 1998.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1042, amended, to amend the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage 
Corridor Act of 1984 to extend the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage 
Corridor Commission; H.R. 2223, amended, Education Land Grant Act; H.R. 
3047, to authorize expansion of Fort Davis National Historic Site in 
Fort Davis, Texas; H.R. 3055, amended, to deem the activities of the 
Miccosukee Tribe on the Tamiami Indian Reservation to be consistent 
with the purposes of the Everglades National Park; H.R. 3109, amended, 
Thomas Cole National Historic Site Act; H.R. 3498, amended, Dungeness 
Crab Conservation and Management Act; H.R. 3625, amended, San Rafael 
Swell National Heritage and Conservation Act; H.R. 3903, amended, 
Glacier Bay National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 1998; and H.R. 
4284, to authorize the Government of India to establish a memorial to 
honor Mahatma Gandhi in the District of Columbia.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, THE JUDICIARY AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing for 
1 hour of debate on H.R. 4276, making appropriations for the Department 
of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and related agencies 
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(I)(6) of rule XI (requiring a three-day layover of the 
committee report), clause 7 of rule XXI (requiring relevant printed 
hearings and reports to be available for three-days prior to the 
consideration of a general appropriations bill) and section 401(a) of 
the Budget Act (prohibiting consideration of legislation, as reported, 
providing new contract, borrowing or credit authority that is not 
limited to amounts provided in appropriation acts).
  The rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill for 
failure to comply with clause 2 (prohibiting unauthorized 
appropriations and legislative provisions in an appropriations bill) 
and clause 6 (prohibiting reappropriations in a general appropriations 
bill) of rule XXI.
  The rule provides for consideration of the amendments printed in the 
Rules Committee report, which may only be offered by a Member 
designated in the report and only at the appropriate point in the 
reading in the bill, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable 
for the time specified and shall not be subject to further amendment or 
to a demand for a division of the question. The rule waives all points 
of order against the amendments printed in the Rules Committee report.
  The rule permits the Chairman of the Whole to accord priority in 
recognition to those Members who have pre-printed their amendments in 
the Congressional Record prior to their consideration. The rule allows 
the Chairman to postpone recorded votes and to reduce to five minutes 
the voting time on any postponed question provided that the voting time 
on the first in any series of questions is not less than 15 minutes. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Rogers, 
Callahan, Miller of Florida, Saxton, Hutchinson, Mollohan and Meek of 
Florida.
MANDATORY DRUG TESTING--MEMBERS, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE HOUSE
Committee on Rules: Held a hearing on H. Res. 503, amending the Rules 
of the House of Representatives to provide for mandatory drug testing 
of Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Barton of Texas, Paul, Coburn, 
Weldon of Florida, and Sessions.
ELECTRIC UTILITY INDUSTRY RESTRUCTURING--SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY 
IMPACT
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Paperwork held a hearing on the potential impacts on the small business 
community of restructuring the electric utility industry. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D817]]


FILIPINO VETERANS BENEFITS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on benefits for Filipino 
veterans. Testimony was heard from Representatives Gilman, Cunningham, 
Abercrombie, Mink, Pelosi, Campbell and Millender-McDonald; Joseph 
Thompson, Under Secretary, Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs; 
Dennis Snook, Specialist on Social Legislation, Education and Public 
Welfare Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; 
David Pendleton, member, House of Representatives, State of Hawaii; 
representatives of veterans organizations; and public witnesses.
SSA--LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing to examine labor-management relations at the SSA. Testimony was 
heard from James G. Hughes, Jr., Acting Inspector General, SSA.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
consider pending Committee business.
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Human 
Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on Counterintelligence. Testimony was heard 
from departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE/TRIBAL TRUST FUND SETTLEMENT
Joint Hearing:
  Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the House Committee on 
Resources concluded joint hearings on the following bills:
  S. 1770, to elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health 
Service to Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, and to 
provide for the organizational independence of the Indian Health 
Service within the Department of Health and Human Services, after 
receiving testimony from Kevin L. Thurm, Deputy Secretary of Health and 
Human Services; Julia A. Davis, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health 
Board, Portland, Oregon; and Buford L. Rolin, National Indian Health 
Board, Denver, Colorado; and
  H.R. 3782, to compensate certain Indian tribes for known errors in 
their tribal trust fund accounts, and to establish a process for 
settling other disputes regarding tribal trust fund accounts, after 
receiving testimony from Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary of the 
Interior for Indian Affairs; Roland Johnson, Pueblo of Laguna, Laguna, 
New Mexico; Mark N. Fox, Intertribal Monitoring Association on Indian 
Trust Funds, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Robert M. Peregoy, Native 
American Rights Fund, Boulder, Colorado.