[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D903-D904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOOD STAMP VERIFICATION ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing on H.R. 4366, Food 
Stamp Verification Act of 1998. Testimony was heard from Robert E. 
Robertson, Associate Director, Food and Agriculture Issues, Resources, 
Community and Economic Development Division, GAO; and Shirley Watkins, 
Under Secretary, Food and Nutrition Services, USDA.
FINANCIAL CONTRACT NETTING IMPROVEMENT ACT; FINANCIAL INFORMATION 
PRIVACY ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Ordered reported the 
following bills; H.R. 4393, Financial Contract Netting Improvement Act 
of 1998; and H.R. 4321, amended, Financial Information Privacy Act of 
1998.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported amended the following bills: 
H.R. 3844, Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998; H.R. 
4017, Energy Conservation Reauthorization Act of 1998; and H.R. 4382, 
Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act of 1998.
  The Committee also approved pending Committee business.
PRISON INDUSTRY
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Prison Industry: Effects on Inmates, 
Law-Abiding Workers, and Business. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Collins, Kennedy of Rhode Island, and Frank of 
Massachusetts; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Met and approved pending Committee 
business.
HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights continued meetings on Human Rights in 
China--Day 2.
REGIONAL CONFLICT: COLOMBIA'S INSURGENCY AND PROSPECT FOR PEACEFUL 
RESOLUTION
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on Regional Conflict: Colombia's Insurgency 
and Prospects for a Peaceful Resolution. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported amended the following 
bills: H.R. 3789, Class Action Jurisdiction Act of 1998; H.R. 218, 
Community Protection Act of 1997; and H.R. 3607, National Youth Crime 
Prevention Demonstration Act.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1467, amended, to provide for the continuance of oil and gas operations 
pursuant to certain existing leases in the Wayne National Forest; H.R. 
1481, amended, Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1997; 
S. 1693, amended, Vision 2020 National Parks Restoration Act; S. 1695, 
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Preservation Act of 1998; 
H.R. 2108, amended, Dutch John Federal Property Disposition and 
Assistance Act of 1997; H.R. 2756, amended, Kake Tribal Corporation 
Land Exchange Act; H.R. 3056, amended, to provide for the preservation 
and sustainability of the family farm through the transfer of 
responsibility for operation and maintenance of the Flathead Indian 
Irrigation project; H.R. 3381, amended, Gallatin Land Consolidation Act 
of 1998; H.R. 3687, amended, to authorize prepayment of amounts due 
under a water reclamation project contract for the Canadian River 
Project, Texas; H.R. 3878, to subject certain reserved mineral 
interests of the operation of the Mineral Leasing Act; H.R. 3972, to 
amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit the Secretary 
of the Interior from charging State and local government agencies for 
certain uses of the sand, gravel, and shell resources of the outer 
Continental Shelf; H.R. 4023, amended, to provide for the conveyance of 
the Forest Service property in Kern County, California, in exchange for 
county lands suitable for inclusion in Sequoia National Forest; H.R. 
4166, to amend the Idaho Admission Act regarding the sale or lease of 
school land; H.R. 4313, to amend the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin 
Islands to provide that the number of members on the legislature of the 
Virgin Islands and the number of such members

[[Page D904]]

constituting a quorum shall be determined by the laws of the Virgin 
Islands; and H.R. 4389, amended, to provide for the conveyance of 
various reclamation project facilities to local water authorities.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: The Committee granted, by voice vote, an open rule 
on H.R. 4380, making appropriations for the government of the District 
of Columbia and other activities chargeable in whole or in part against 
revenues of said District 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 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), section 
306 (prohibiting consideration of legislation within the Budget 
Committee's jurisdiction, unless reported by the Budget Committee) and 
section 401(a) (prohibiting consideration of legislation, as reported, 
providing new contract, borrowing or credit authority that is not 
limited to the amounts provided in appropriation acts) of the 
Congressional Budget Act. The rule waives points of order against 
provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI 
(prohibiting unauthorized or legislative provisions in a general 
appropriations bill) and clause 6 of rule XXI (prohibiting 
reappropriations in a general appropriations bill) except as specified 
by the rule. The rule provides that amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report may be offered only a Member designated in the report, 
may be offered only at the appropriate point in the reading of the 
bill, 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 waives all points of order against 
the amendments printed in the Rules Committee report. The rule accords 
priority in recognition to those amendments that are pre-printed in the 
Congressional Record. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of 
the Whole 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 Taylor of North 
Carolina, Davis of Virginia, Tiahrt, Bilbray, Moran of Virginia and 
Norton.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION'S PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
Committee on Science: Held an oversight hearing on the White House 
Perspective on the International Space Station's Problems and 
Solutions. Testimony was heard from Jacob Lew, Acting Director, OMB; 
Duncan Moore, Associate Director, Technology, Office of Science and 
Technology Policy; and Daniel S. Goldin, Administrator, NASA.
MOTOR CARRIER ECONOMIC REGULATORY ISSUES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Surface 
Transportation held a hearing on Motor Carrier Economic Regulatory 
Issues. Testimony was heard from Representatives Boehlert and Goss; 
Kenneth R. Wykle, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, 
Department of Transportation; Shirley F. Sarna, Assistant Attorney 
General in Charge, Consumer Frauds and Protections Bureau, Office of 
the Attorney General, State of New York; and public witnesses.
GARNISHMENT OF BENEFITS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on the garnishment of 
benefits paid to veterans for child support and other court-ordered 
family obligations. Testimony was heard from John H. Thompson, Acting 
General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs; Lt. Gen. Normand G. 
Lezy, USAF, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Military Personnel Policy, 
Department of Defense; representatives of veterans associations and 
organizations; and public witnesses.
IRAQ
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Iraq. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.