[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 2, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D197-D200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Research, Education, and Economics. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of USDA: I. Miley Gonzalez, Under Secretary; 
and Eileen Kennedy,

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Deputy Assistant Secretary, both with Research, Education, and 
Economics.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education, held a hearing on the National Institute on 
Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the 
National Institute of Nursing Research, and on National Heart, Lung, 
and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the NIH, 
Department of Health and Human Services: Alan I. Leshner, M.D., 
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Enoch Gordis, M.D., 
Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Patricia 
A. Grady, M.D., Director, National Institute of Nursing Research; 
Claude Lenfant, M.D., Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood 
Institute; and Kenneth Olden, M.D., Director, National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences.
TREASURY-POSTAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service, 
and General Government held a hearing on the Executive Office of the 
President. Testimony was heard from Mark Lindsay, Director, Office of 
Administration, Executive Office of the President; and Jacob Lew, 
Director, OMB.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on FEMA. Testimony was heard from James Lee 
Witt, Director, FEMA.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND MILITARY FAMILY HOUSING FISCAL YEAR 2000 
BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Installations and 
Facilities held a hearing on fiscal year 2000 budget request for 
military construction and military family housing of the Department of 
Defense. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Robert Pirie, Jr., Assistant Secretary 
(Installations and Facilities); Rear Adm. Louis M. Smith, USN, 
Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command; Rear Adm. (Select) 
John P. McLaughlin, USN, Deputy Director, Naval Reserve, and Maj. Gen. 
Geoffrey B. Higginbotham, USMC, Deputy Chief of Staff, Installations 
and Logistics (Facilities), Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, all with 
the Department of the Navy; Ruby B. DeMesme, Assistant Secretary 
(Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations and Environment), Maj. Gen. 
Eugene A. Lupia, USAF, The Civil Engineer, Brig. Gen. Craig R. 
McKinley, USAF, Deputy Director, Air National Guard and Brig. Gen. 
Ralph S. Clemm, USAF, Deputy to the Chief, Office of the Air Force 
Reserve, all with the Department of the Air Force.
DEFENSE REFORM INITIATIVES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Readiness held a 
hearing on Defense reform initiatives, contracting out, and 
outsourcing. Testimony was heard from Barry Holman, Assistant Director, 
National Security and International Affairs Division, Defense 
Management, GAO; and the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Stan Z. Soloway, Deputy Under Secretary (Acquisition Reform); 
Randall A. Yim, Deputy Under Secretary (Installations); Maj. Gen. 
Robert L. Van Antwerp, Jr., USA, Assistant Chief of Staff, 
Installations Management, Department of the Army; Vice Adm. James 
Amerault, USA, Assistant Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics), 
Department of the Navy; Brig. Gen. Richard B. Bundy, USAF, Director, 
Manpower, Organization and Quality, Department of the Air Force; and 
Robert E. Hammond, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Installations and 
Logistics, U.S. Marine Corps.
EFT-99 IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on General 
Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to review implementation of 
EFT-99, the federal program designed to facilitate the payment of 
government benefits by electronic rather than paper check. Testimony 
was heard from John Dyer, Principal Deputy Commissioner, SSA; Donald V. 
Hammond, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, Department of the Treasury; 
Gregory Bitz, Director of Finance, Finance and Accounting Services 
Headquarters, Department of Defense; and a public witness.
NURSING HOME RESIDENTS
PROTECTION AMENDMENTS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment approved 
for full Committee action H.R. 540, Nursing Home Residents Protection 
Amendments of 1999.
OLDER AMERICANS ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Postsecondary 
Education, Training, and Life-Long Learning held a hearing on The Older 
Americans Act: Meeting the Needs of Our Nation's Seniors. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives DeFazio and Kolbe; and public witnesses.

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OVERSIGHT--2000 CENSUS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on the Census held a 
hearing on Oversight of the 2000 Census: Examining the America Counts 
Today (ACT) Initiatives to Enhance Traditional Enumeration Methods. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Myrick and Meek of Florida; 
and Kenneth J. Prewitt, Director, Bureau of the Census, Department of 
Commerce.
OVERSIGHT--YEAR 2000 PROBLEM
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology, and Subcommittee on Technology of the 
Committee on Science held a joint hearing on Oversight of the Year 2000 
Problem at the Department of Defense: How Prepared is Our Nation's 
Defense? Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Robert J. Lieberman, Assistant Inspector 
General, Auditing; and John J. Hamre, Deputy Secretary; and Jack L. 
Brock, Director, Governmentwide and Defense Information Systems, GAO.
OVERSIGHT--EFFORTS TO REDUCE WASTE, FRAUD AND MANAGEMENT WEAKNESSES BY 
CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Veterans Affairs, and International Relations held an oversight hearing 
on efforts to address waste, fraud and management weaknesses by the 
Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and State. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Nelson 
Toye, Deputy Chief Financial Officer; and Standley Z. Soloway, Deputy 
Under Secretary, Acquisition Reform; Edward A. Powell, Jr., Assistant 
Secretary, Financial Management, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
Bert T. Edwards, Chief Financial Officer, Department of State.
U.S. SHOULD INTRODUCE RESOLUTION CRITICIZING CHINA FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
ABUSES; FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights approved for full Committee action amended 
H.Con.Res. 28, expressing the sense of Congress that the United States 
should introduce and make all efforts necessary to pass a resolution 
criticizing the People's Republic of China for its human rights abuses 
in China and Tibet at the annual meeting of the United Nations 
Commission on Human Rights.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Foreign Relations 
Authorization for Fiscal Years 2000-2001: Department of State 
Management Initiatives. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of State: Bonnie Cohen, Under Secretary, 
Management; and Patrick Kennedy, Assistant Secretary, Administration.
BANKRUPTCY LEGISLATION; BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported amended H.R. 808, to 
extend for 3 additional months the period for which chapter 12 of title 
11 of the United States Code is reenacted.
  The Committee also approved the Committee's Budget Views and 
Estimates for fiscal year 2000 for submission to the Committee on the 
Budget.
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on the reauthorization of the 
Independent Counsel Act. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Dickey, Hastings of Florida and Thompson of Mississippi; and Eric H. 
Holder, Jr., Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice.
PROHIBITION--COMMERCIAL OPERATION OF SUPERSONIC TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 661, to direct the Secretary of Transportation 
to prohibit the commercial operation of supersonic transport category 
aircraft that do not comply with state 3 noise levels if the European 
Union adopts certain aircraft noise regulations. The rule waives clause 
4(a) of Rule XIII (requiring a three-day layover of the committee 
report) against consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the 
bill shall be open for amendment at any point. The rule authorizes the 
chair to accord priority in recognition to Members who have pre-printed 
their amendments in the Congressional Record. The rule permits the 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during 
consideration of the bill, and to reduce voting time to five minutes on 
a postponed question if the vote follows a fifteen minute vote. 
Finally, the rule provides for one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Duncan and 
Sherwood.
``DEATH ON THE HIGH SEAS ACT''--CLARIFY APPLICATION
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of debate on H.R. 603, to amend title 49, United States Code, to 
clarify the application of the Act popularly known as the ``Death on 
the High Seas Act''. The rule provides that each section of the bill 
shall be considered as

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read. The rule authorizes the chair to accord priority in recognition 
to Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. The rule permits the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to 
postpone votes during consideration of the bill, and to reduce voting 
time to five minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 
fifteen minute vote. Finally, the rule provides for one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Duncan and Sherwood.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following bills: H.R. 819, Federal Maritime Commission Authorization 
Act of 1999; and H.R. 707, amended, Disaster Mitigation and Cost 
Reduction Act of 1999.
  The Committee also approved the Committee's Budget Views and 
Estimates for fiscal year 2000 for submission to the Committee on the 
Budget.
REPORT ON MEDICARE PAYMENT POLICIES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
the Report on Medicare Payment Policies. Testimony was heard from Gail 
R. Wilensky, Chair, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

Joint Meetings
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the House 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings to review the 
legislative recommendations of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after 
receiving testimony from Thomas A. Pouliot, Commander in Chief, 
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.