[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 119 (Thursday, September 10, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D957-D959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the Foreign Operations, 
Export Financing and Related Programs appropriations for fiscal year 
1999.

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RUSSIAN ECONOMIC CRISIS--IMF AID PACKAGE
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on General 
Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to examine the Russian 
Economic Crisis and the IMF Aid Package. Testimony was heard from David 
A. Lipton, Under Secretary, International Affairs, Department of the 
Treasury; Thomas J. Kneir, Deputy Assistant Director, Organized Crime/
Drug Branch, Criminal Investigative Division, FBI, Department of 
Justice; and public witnesses.
INTERNATIONAL ANTI-BRIBERY AND FAIR COMPETITION ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials 
held a hearing on H.R. 4353, International Anti-Bribery and Fair 
Competition Act of 1998. Testimony was heard from Andrew Pincus, 
General Counsel, Department of Commerce; and Paul V. Gerlach, Associate 
Director, Division of Enforcement, SEC.
PORTALS INVESTIGATION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
continued hearings 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 payments of fees to those 
representatives. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  Hearings continue September 15.
AMERICAN WORKER PROJECT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on American Worker Project: Regulatory 
Affairs at the Department of Labor--Garment Industry Trendsetters. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Labor: Suzanne B. Seiden, Acting Deputy Administrator, Wage and Hour 
Division; and Andrew J. Samet, Acting Deputy Under Secretary, 
International Labor Affairs Bureau.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered the 
following resolutions and adopted a motion urging the Chairman to 
request that they be considered on the Suspension Calendar: H. Con. 
Res. 304, expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the 
culpability of Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes, crimes against 
humanity, and genocide in the former Yugoslavia; H. Con. Res. 315, 
amended, expressing the sense of the Congress condemning the atrocities 
by Serbian police and military forces against Albanians in Kosovo and 
urging that blocked assets of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 
(Serbia and Montenegro) under control of the United States and other 
governments be used to compensate the Albanians in Kosovo for losses 
suffered through Serbian police and military action; H. Res. 381, 
expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should 
renegotiate the extradition treaty with Mexico so that the possibility 
of capital punishment will not interfere with the timely extradition of 
criminal suspects from Mexico to the United States; and H. Res. 505, 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
the importance of diplomatic relations with the Pacific Island nations.
SANCTIONS REVISITED
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade held a hearing on Sanctions Revisited. 
Testimony was heard from Elliott Abrams, former Assistant Secretary, 
Inter-American Affairs; Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs; and for 
International Organization Affairs, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL COMMUNICATION--REVIEW BY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: Ordered reported by a non-record vote, H. Res. 525, 
a resolution providing for review by the Committee on the Judiciary of 
a Communication from an Independent Counsel. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Hyde, Conyers, Jackson-Lee, Waters, Lofgren, and 
Deutsch.
OVERSIGHT--DELAYS IN NASA's EARTH SCIENCE ENTERPRISE
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held an 
oversight hearing on Delays in NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. 
Testimony was heard from Ghassem Asrar, Associate Administrator, Earth 
Science, NASA; Robert S. Winokur, Assistant Administrator, Satellite 
and Information Services, NOAA, Department of Commerce; and public 
witnesses.
TRAVEL AGENT COMMUNITY--ISSUES OF CONCERN
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on issues of concern to the Travel Agent 
Community, focusing on the following: H.R. 3704, Consumer Access to 
Travel Information Act of 1998; changes to the preemption provision in 
Section 10 of H.R. 3160, Airline Competition and Lower Fares Act; the 
contention that airlines have engaged in an unfair competitive practice 
by lowering their standard commission rates for all travel agents 
except for the Scheduled

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Airline Traffic Office (SATO); and Commission overrides. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Forbes; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN AFRICA
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Embassy Bombings in Africa. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.