[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 100 (Thursday, July 23, 1998)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D828-D831] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings AMERICAN HOMEOWNERSHIP ACT Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity held a hearing on H.R. 3899, American Homeownership Act of 1998. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. FEDERAL WORKPLACE DRUG-TESTING PROGRAMS Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services' Policy for Federal Workplace Drug-Testing Programs. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: Joseph Autry, M.D., Director, Division of Workplace Programs, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Edward J. Cone, M.D., Acting Chief, Clinical Pharmacology Branch, Intramural Research Programs, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH; and Donald Bruce Burlington, M.D., Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA; and public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 4237, amended, to amend the District of Columbia Convention Center and Sports Arena Authorization Act of 1995 to revise the revenues and activities covered under such Act; H.R. 2508, amended, to provide for the conveyance of Federal land in San Joaquin County, CA, [[Page D829]] to the city of Tracy, CA; H.R. 4243, amended, to reduce waste, fraud, and error in Government programs by making improvements with respect to Federal management and debt collection practices, Federal payment systems, and Federal benefit programs; H.R. 4244, amended, Federal Procurement System Performance Measurement and Acquisition Workforce Training Act of 1998; H.R. 3725, amended, Postal Service Health and Safety Promotion Act; H.R. 2526, to amend title 5, United States Code, to make the percentage limitations on individual contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan more consistent with the dollar amount limitation on elective deferrals; H.R. 2566, amended, Civil Service Retirement System Actuarial Redeposit Act of 1997; H.R. 2943, to amend title 5, United States Code, to increase the amount of leave time available to a Federal employee in any year in connection with serving as an organ donor; H.R. 4259, Haskell Indians Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Administrative Systems Act of 1998; H.R. 4280, amended, to provide for greater access to child care services for Federal employees; H.R. 2623, to designate the United States Post Office located at 16250 Highway 603 in Kiln, Mississippi, as the ``Ray J. Favre Post Office Building''; H.R. 3167, to designate the United States Post Office located at 297 Larkfield Road in East Northport, New York, as the ``Jerome Anthony Ambro, Jr. Post Office Building''; H.R. 4052, to establish designations for United States Postal Service buildings located in Coconut Grove, Opa Locka, Carol City, and Miami, Florida; H.R. 3810, to designate the United States Post Office located at 202 Center Street in Garwood, New Jersey, as the ``James T. Leonard, Sr. Post Office''; H.R. 3939, to designate the United States Postal Service building located at 658 63rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the ``Edgar C. Campbell, Sr., Post Office Building''; H.R. 3999, to designate the United States Postal Service building located at 5209 Greene Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the ``David P. Richardson, Jr., Post Office Building''; H.R. 4000, amended, to designate the United States Postal Service building located at 400 Edgmont Avenue, Chester, Pennsylvania, as the ``Thomas P. Foglietta Post Office Building''; H.R. 4001, to designate the United States Postal Service building located at 2601 North 16th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the ``Roxanne H. Jones Post Office Building''; H.R. 4002, to designate the United States Postal Service building located at 5300 West Jefferson Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the ``Freeman Hankins Post Office Building''; and H.R. 4003, to designate the United States Postal Service building located at 2037 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the ``Max Weiner Post Office Building''. The Committee also approved the following draft report entitled: ``Making the Federal Government Accountable: Enforcing the Mandate for Effective Financial Management''. EXPECTANT MOTHERS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a hearing on Expectant Mothers and Substance Abuse: Intervention and Treatment Challenges for State Governments. Testimony was heard from Representative Latham; the following officials of the State of South Carolina: Charles Condon, Attorney General; and Catherine Christophillis, Director, Drug Prosecution; Joanne Huelsman, Senator, State of Wisconsin; and public witnesses. KOSOVO--CURRENT SITUATION AND FUTURE OPTIONS Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Kosovo--Current Situation and Future Options. Testimony was heard from Ambassador Robert Gelbard, Special Representative of the President and the Secretary of State for Implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords, Department of State; and Walter Slocombe, Under Secretary, Policy, Department of Defense. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 4049, Regulatory Fair Warning Act of 1998; and H.R. 4096, Taxpayer's Defense Act. Testimony was heard from Joseph N. Onek, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice; Christopher McLean, Deputy Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA; and public witnesses. OVERSIGHT--U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property held an oversight hearing on the United States Copyright Office. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Copyright Office of the United States, Library of Congress: Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights; and Shira Perlmutter, Associate Register, Policy and International Affairs. [[Page D830]] MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE; PRIVATE IMMIGRATION BILLS; OVERSIGHT Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims approved for full Committee action amended H.R. 3843, to grant a Federal charter to the American GI Forum of the United States. The Subcommittee approved private immigration bills. The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing on Alternative Technologies for Implementation of Section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1997 at Land Borders. Testimony was heard from Michael J. Hrinyak, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Inspections, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice; Joseph O'Gorman, National Team Leader, Land Border Passenger Processing, U.S. Customs Service, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses. PATIENT PROTECTION ACT Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule on H.R. 4250, Patient Protection Act of 1998, providing for one hour of debate, equally divided between Representative Hastert and an opponent. The rule provides that the amendments printed in the Rules committee report shall be considered as adopted. The rule provides for the consideration of an amendment printed in the Congressional Record and numbered 2. The amendment shall be considered as read, and shall be debatable for one hour equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. All points of order against the amendment are waived. Finally, the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Bliley, Stearns, Bilbray, Ganske, Coburn, Lazio, Goodling, Graham, Paul, Ramstad, Johnson of Connecticut, Scarborough, Shadegg, Hastert, Brady of Texas, Thomas, Dingell, Pallone, Eshoo, Strickland, Clay, McDermott, Kleczka, Evans, and Berry. NSF'S SYSTEMIC INITIATIVES Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Basic Research held an oversight hearing on the National Science Foundation's Systemic Initiatives: Are SSIs The Best Way to Improve K-12 Math and Science Education? Testimony was heard from Daryl E. Chubin, Director, Division of Research, Evaluation, and Communications, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, NSF; Thomas Baird, Area Cities for Educational Enhancement, Department of Education, State of Florida; and public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; RESOLUTIONS Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 3482, to designate the Federal building located at 11000 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the ``Abraham Lincoln Federal Building; H.R. 3598, to designate the Federal building located at 700 East San Antonio Street in El Paso, Texas, as the ``Richard C. White Federal Building''; S. 2032, amended, to designate the Federal building in Juneau, Alaska, as the ``Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building''; H.R. 4275, amended, Economic Development Partnership Act of 1998; and H.R. 4268, amended, National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 1998. The Committee also approved the following resolutions: 12 Corps of Engineers Survey; and 14 Public Buildings. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS; PROVISION OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing to review the implementation of section 1706 of title 38, United States Code, which provides for the specialized treatment and rehabilitative needs of disabled veterans. Testimony was heard from Stephen P. Backhus, Director, Veterans' Affairs and Military Health Care Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services Division, GAO; the following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Thomas H. Miller, Chairman, Advisory Committee on Prosthetics and Special Disabilities Programs; Thomas L. Garthwaite, M.D., Deputy Under Secretary, Health; Denis J. Fitzgerald, M.D., Director, VISN 1 and Leroy P. Gross, M.D., Director, VISN 6, both with the Veterans Integrated Services Network; representatives of veterans organizations; and a public witness. SSA--LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security continued hearings to examine labor-management relations at the SSA. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the SSA: John Reusing, Claims Authorizer, Division of International Operations; Jim Beckstrom, Computer Specialist, Office of Systems; Jim Schampers, District Manager, Waco, Texas; and Edwin M. Hardesty, District Manager, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hearings continue tomorrow. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session and ordered reported amended H.R. 3829, Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act of 1998. [[Page D831]] CIA--WHISTLEBLOWER REGULATION Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to receive a briefing on CIA's new Whistleblower Regulation. The Committee was briefed by departmental witnesses. DENIAL AND DECEPTION Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold a hearing on Denial and Deception. Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses. Joint Meetings IMF STRUCTURE Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the financial condition of the International Monetary Fund, after receiving testimony from Harold J. Johnson, Jr., Associate Director of International Relations and Trade Issues, General Accounting Office. APPROPRIATIONS--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 4059, making appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999.