[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 108 (Tuesday, August 4, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D897-D898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial 
Institutions and Consumer Credit approved for full Committee action 
amended the following bills: H.R. 3617, Community Development Financial 
Institutions Fund Amendments Act of 1998; H.R. 4364, Depository 
Institution Regulatory Streamlining Act of 1998.
PORTALS INVESTIGATION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on the circumstances surrounding the FCC's planned 
relocation to the Portals, including the efforts of Franklin L. Haney 
and his representatives with respect to this matter and the 
circumstances surrounding the payment of fees to those representatives. 
Testimony was heard from Franklin L. Haney, Franklin L. Haney Company.
  Hearings continue August 7.
IMPEDIMENTS TO UNION DEMOCRACY
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Employer-
Employee Relations continued hearings on Impediments to Union 
Democracy, Part III: Rank and File Rights at the American Radio 
Association. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CAMPAIGN FINANCING INVESTIGATION--NEED FOR INDEPENDENT COUNSEL
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Held a hearing on ``The 
Need for an Independent Counsel in the Campaign Finance 
Investigation''. Testimony was heard from following officials of the 
FBI, Department of Justice: Louis J. Freeh, Director; and James V. 
Desarno, Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Information Services 
Division, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Campaign 
Finance Task Force; and Charles G. LaBella, former Chief, Department of 
Justice Campaign Finance Task Force.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; PRIVATE IMMIGRATION BILLS
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported amended the following 
bills: H.R. 4006, Lethal Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 1998; and H.R. 
2921, Multichannel Video Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 
1997.
  The Committee also approved private immigration bills.

[[Page D898]]


U.S./RUSSIAN NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Research and 
Development held a hearing on U.S./Russian national security issues. 
Testimony was heard from Stanislav Lunev, former Colonel, Russian 
Military Intelligence (GRU).
OVERSIGHT--FIRE SUPPRESSION
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on Fire Suppression. Testimony was heard from 
Barry Hill, Associate Director, Energy, Resources and Science Issues, 
GAO; Wally Josephson, Wildland Fire Specialist, Office of Managing Risk 
and Public Safety, Department of the Interior; Janice McDougal, 
Associate Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, Forest Service, 
USDA; and James W. Garner, State Forester, Department of Forestry, 
State of Virginia.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE FLUENCY ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified open rule 
providing one hour of general debate on H.R. 3892, English Language 
Fluency Act. The rule provides for a 3 hour time limit on the amendment 
process, after which no further amendment shall be in order except 
those printed in the Congressional Record, with each further amendment 
and all amendments thereto to be debatable for 10 minutes equally 
divided and controlled by a proponent and an opponent.
  The rule makes in order the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
amendment in the nature of a substitute now printed in the bill as an 
original bill for amendment purposes, which shall be considered as 
read. The rule provides for the consideration of the manager's 
amendment numbered 1 printed in the Congressional Record if offered by 
Representative Riggs or his designee, which shall be considered as 
read, shall not be subject to amendment or to a division of the 
question, and shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided between 
the proponent and an opponent. If adopted, the amendment is considered 
as part of the base text for further amendment purposes. The rule 
provides that after the disposition of the amendment numbered 1, it 
shall be in order to consider the amendment numbered 2 printed in the 
Congressional Record if offered by Representative Riggs or his 
designee, which shall be considered as read, and including all 
amendments thereto, shall be debatable for 30 minutes equally divided 
between the proponent and an opponent.
  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 votes 
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 Chairman Goodling and 
Representatives Riggs and Martinez.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Heard testimony from Representatives Porter, 
Tiahrt, Istook, Shaw, Smith of New Jersey, Castle, Greenwood, Riggs, 
Manzullo, LoBiondo, Brady of Texas, English of Pennsylvania, Obey, 
Lowey, and Nadler, but action was deferred on H.R. 4274, making 
appropriations for the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, 
and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1999.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held an oversight 
hearing on Developing Partnerships for Assistive and Universally 
Designed Technologies for Persons with Disabilities. Testimony was 
heard from John Lancaster, Executive Director, President's Committee on 
Employment of People with Disabilities; and public witnesses.
``E-RATE'' PROGRAM--FUNDING MECHANISMS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the Funding Mechanisms of the ``E-Rate'' Program. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Weller, Tauzin and Blumenauer; and the 
following officials of the FCC: Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Commissioner; 
and Christopher J. Wright, General Counsel.