[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 136 (Friday, October 2, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1089-D1091]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
ENERGY SECURITY
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on Energy Security: What Will The New Millennium Bring? Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Energy: Robert 
Gee, Assistant Secretary, Political International Affairs; Jay Hakes, 
Administrator, Energy Information Administration; and Cecile Warner, 
National Renewable Energy Laboratory; and public witnesses.
MEDICARE CHOICE PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on The Medicare Choice Program After One Year. Testimony was 
heard from Mike Hash, Deputy Administrator, Health Care Financing 
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; and public 
witnesses.
IMPORTED DRUGS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on Imported Drugs: U.S.--EU (European Union) Mutual 
Recognition Agreement on Drug Inspections. Testimony was heard from 
Ralph Ives, Deputy Assistant Trade Representative, Europe and the 
Mediterranean; Charles Ludolph, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Europe, 
Department of Commerce; and Sharon Smith Holston, Deputy Commissioner, 
External Affairs, FDA, Department of Health and Human Services.
DC's YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on the 
District of Columbia, the Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology and the Subcommittee on Technology of the 
Committee on Science held a joint hearing on the District of Columbia's 
Year 2000 Compliance Challenges. Testimony was heard from Jack Brock, 
Director, Information Management

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Issues, Accounting and Information Management Division, GAO; Constance 
Newman, Vice-Chairman, District of Columbia Financial Responsibility 
and Management Assistance Authority; and the following officials of the 
District of Columbia: Camille Barnett, Chief Management Officer; and 
Suzanne Peck, Chief Technology Officer.
COMBATING TERRORISM
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice held a hearing on 
Combating Terrorism: The Status of the Defense Department Domestic 
Preparedness Program. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the National Security and International Affairs Division, GAO: 
Richard Davis, Director, National Security Analysis; and Davi 
D'Agostino, Assistant Director, National Security Analysis; the 
following officials of the Department of Justice: Robert M. Blitzer, 
Section Chief, Domestic Terrorism/Counterterrorism Planning Section, 
National Security Division, FBI; and Michael J. Dalich, Chief of Staff, 
Office of Justice Programs; the following officials of the Department 
of Defense: Charles L. Cragin, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Reserve Affairs; and James Q. Roberts, Principal Director, Policy and 
Missions, Office of the Assistant Secretary, Special Operations and 
Low-Intensity Conflict; and Robert Knouss, Director, Office of 
Emergency Preparedness, Department of Health and Human Services.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Oversight: Met and approved pending Committee 
business.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered and adopted 
a motion urging the Chairman to request that the following measures be 
considered on the Suspension Calendar: H.R. 4660, amended, to amend the 
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide rewards for 
information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual for 
the commission of an act, or conspiracy to act, of international 
terrorism, narcotics related offenses, or for serious violations of 
international humanitarian law relating to the Former Yugoslavia; H.R. 
4655, amended, Iraq Liberation Act of 1998; H.R. 4506, amended, 
International Child Labor Relief Act of 1998; H. Res. 523, amended, 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
terrorist bombing of the United States Embassies in East Africa; H. 
Con. Res. 295, expressing the sense of Congress that the 65th 
anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 should serve as a 
reminder of the brutality of the government of the former Soviet 
Union's repressive policies toward the Ukrainian people; H. Con. Res. 
309, amended, condemning the forced abduction of Ugandan children and 
their use as soldiers; H. Con. Res. 320, amended, supporting the Baltic 
people of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and condemning the Nazi-
Soviet Pact of Non-Aggression of August 23, 1939; H. Con. Res. 331, 
expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the inadequacy of 
sewage infrastructure facilities in Tijuana, Mexico; H. Res. 518, 
amended, calling for free and transparent elections in Gabon; H. Res. 
533, amended, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
regarding the culpability of Hun Sen for war crimes, crimes against 
humanity, and genocide in Cambodia (the former Kampuchea, and the State 
of Cambodia); H. Res. 562, concerning properties wrongfully 
expropriated by formerly totalitarian governments; and H. Res. 557, 
expressing support for U.S.efforts to identify Holocaust-era assets, 
urging the restitution of individual and communal property.
POW/MIA OVERSIGHT
Committee on National Security: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held 
a hearing on POW/MIA oversight. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Walter B. Slocombe, Under 
Secretary, Policy; Robert L. Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary, POW/MIA 
Affairs; and Lt. Col. John Kelly, USA, former Commander, Detachment 2, 
Joint Task Force-Full Accounting; and public witnesses.
CONFERENCE REPORT--AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED 
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 4101, making 
appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1998, and against its consideration. The rule provides 
that the conference report shall be considered as read. The rule also 
provides that H. Res. 551 is laid on the table. Testimony was heard 
from Representatives Skeen, Smith of Oregon and Kaptur.
OVERSIGHT--LA NINA WINTER WEATHER
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held an 
oversight hearing on Here Comes La Nina: What to Expect from the 
Weather in the Winter of 1998-99. Testimony was heard from D. James 
Baker, Under Secretary, Oceans and

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Atmosphere, and Administrator, NOAA, Department of Commerce; I. Miley 
Gonzalez, Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics, USDA; 
and a public witness.
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES RELATED TO Y2K PROBLEM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing to 
review transportation and infrastructure issues related to the Year 
2000 Computer Problem Y2K: Will We Get There on Time? Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Transportation: 
Donald Itzkoff, Department Administrator, Federal Railroad 
Administration; Lee Gardner, Director, Office of Economics, Surface 
Transportation Board and Nuria Fernandez, Deputy Administrator, Federal 
Transit Administration; Robert Rose, Chief Information Officer, 
Railroad Retirement Board; Peter Benjamin, Assistant General Manager, 
Finance and Program Development, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
Authority; and Robert Hayward, Director, Management and Information 
Systems, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Harris County, Texas.
  Hearings continue October 6th.
FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE REFORM ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Public 
Buildings and Economic Development held a hearing on H.R. 4034, Federal 
Protective Service Reform Act of 1998. Testimony was heard from Robert 
Peck, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, GSA; and public 
witnesses.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS TO CHINA
Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial 
Concerns with the People's Republic of China: Met in executive session 
to continue to receive briefings.

Joint Meetings
EMPLOYMENT-UNEMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee: Committee held hearings to examine the 
employment-unemployment situation for September, receiving testimony 
from Katharine G. Abraham, Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
Department of Labor.
  Committee recessed subject to call.
APPROPRIATIONS--TRANSPORTATION
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate- and House-
passed versions of H.R. 4328, making appropriations for the Department 
of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1999, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed 
subject to call.
APPROPRIATIONS--TREASURY/POSTAL SERVICE
Conferees on Thursday, October 1, agreed to file a conference report on 
the differences between the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 
4104, making appropriations for the Treasury Department, the United 
States Postal Service, the Executive Office of the President, and 
certain Independent Agencies, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
1999.
APPROPRIATIONS--AGRICULTURE
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate- and House-passed versions of H.R. 4101, making 
appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 1999.