[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D357-D359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and 
the Judiciary held a hearing on SBA and on Drug Enforcement Programs. 
Testimony was heard from Aida Alvarez, Administrator, SBA; and the following 
officials of the Department of Justice: Thomas Constantine, Administrator, 
DEA; James Robinson, Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division; and 
Donna Bucella, Director, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense continued appropriation 
hearings. Testimony was heard from Members of Congress and public witnesses.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development 
held a hearing on the Bureau of Reclamation. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of the Interior: Bruce Babbitt, 
Secretary; Patricia Beneke, Assistant Secretary, Water and Science; and 
Eluid Martinez, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations held a 
hearing on AID Administrator. Testimony was heard from Brian Atwood, 
Administrator, AID, U.S. International Development Cooperation Agency.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
Department of Energy: Conservation. Testimony was heard from Dan Reicher, 
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the National Council on 
Disability; the National Commission on Libraries; the Armed Forces 
Retirement Home, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the NLRB. 
Testimony was heard from Audrey McCrimon, Chairperson, Committee on Finance, 
National Council on Disability; Jeanne Hurley Simon, Chairperson, National 
Commission on Libraries; David F. Lacy, Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of 
the Board, Armed Forces Retirement Home; Gail Wilensky, Chairperson, 
Medicare Payments Advisory Commission; and John C. Truesdale, Chairman, 
NLRB.
TREASURY-POSTAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service, and 
General Government, on Office of National Drug Control Policy. Testimony was 
heard from Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control 
Policy; Alan I. Leshner, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and public witness.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on Corporation for National and Community Service. 
Testimony was heard from Harris Wofford, CEO, Corporation for National and 
Community Service.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Continued hearings on the fiscal year 2000 
National Defense authorization budget request. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Louis Caldera, Secretary 
of the Army; Richard Danzig, Secretary of the Navy; and F. Whitten Peters, 
Acting Secretary of the Air Force.
TECHNOLOGY AND BANKING
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital 
Markets, Securities, and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing on 
Technology and Banking. Testimony was heard from Brooksley Born, Chair, 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Laura Unger, Commissioner, SEC; James 
Kamihachi, Senior Deputy Comptroller, Economic and Policy Analysis, 
Department of the Treasury; Arthur Murton, Director, Division of Insurance, 
FDIC; and public witnesses.
ROSA PARKS GOLD MEDAL AWARD
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic and 
International Monetary Policy approved for full Committee action H.R. 573, 
to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress 
to Rosa Parks in recognition of her contributions to the Nation.
SATELLITE COMPETITION AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported amended H.R. 851, Satellite 
Competition and Consumer Protection Act.

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JUVENILE CRIME CONTROL AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, 
Youth, and Families held a hearing on H.R. 1150, Juvenile Crime Control and 
Delinquency Prevention Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from Patricia 
Mantoya, Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and Shay Bilchik, Administrator, 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Judicial 
Programs, Department of Justice.
EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Employer-Employee 
Relations held a hearing on Expanding Affordable Health Care Coverage: 
Benefits and Consequences of Association Health Plans. Testimony was heard 
from Steven B. Larsen, Commissioner of Insurance, State of Maryland; and 
public witnesses.
LATEX ALLERGIES AND THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Latex Allergies and the Healthcare 
Industry: Do OSHA's Actions Confuse or Clarify? Testimony was heard from 
Angela Presson, M.D., Medical Officer, Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration, Department of Labor; Elizabeth D. Jacobson, M.D., Acting 
Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
DIETARY SUPPLEMENT HEALTH AND EDUCATION ACT
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on ``Dietary Supplement 
Health and Education Act: Is the FDA Trying to Change the Intent of 
Congress?'' Testimony was heard from Jane E. Henney, Commissioner, FDA, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
TRADE DEFICIT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy, and Human Resources held a hearing on ``A Record Trade Deficit: How 
Can the U.S. Government Prevent a Looming Trade Crisis?'' Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Commerce: Michael J. 
Copps, Assistant Secretary, Trade Development; and Johnnie E. Frazier, 
Acting Inspector General; and public witnesses.
U.S. CAPITOL POLICE MANAGEMENT
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on United States Capitol 
Police Management. Testimony was heard from Robert W. Gramling, Director, 
Corporate Audits and Standards, Accounting and Information Management 
Division, GAO; James W. Zigler, Chairman, U.S. Capitol Police; Alan M. 
Hantman, Architect of the Capitol; Wilson Livingood, Sergeant at Arms, House 
of Representatives; Gary L. Albrecht, Chief of Police; and a public witness.
RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Russian Foreign 
Policy: Proliferation to Rogue Regimes. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
RESOLUTION CONDEMNING MURDER OF A HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights approved for full Committee action H. Res. 128, 
condemning the murder of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson and calling for 
the protection of defense attorneys in Northern Ireland.
BANKRUPTCY REFORM ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative 
Law approved for full Committee action amended H.R. 833, Bankruptcy Reform 
Act of 1999.
OVERSIGHT--PATENT REFORM; PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property 
held an oversight hearing on Patent Reform and a hearing on the Patent and 
Trademark Office Reauthorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Rohrabacher and Campbell; Todd Dickinson, Acting 
Assistant Secretary and Acting Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, U.S. 
Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--BENEFITS OF A MORE EDUCATED WORKFORCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims held an 
oversight hearing on the benefits to the American Economy of a more educated 
workforce. Testimony was heard from the following Senior Legal Specialists, 
Directorate of Legal Research, Western Law Division, Library of Congress: 
Kersi Shroff and Stephen Clarke; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science: Ordered reported amended the following bills: H.R. 
209, Technology Transfer Commercialization Act of 1999; H.R. 1184, 
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Authorization Act of 1999; and H.R. 1183, 
Fastener Quality Act Amendments of 1999.
  The Committee also approved its Oversight Agenda for the 106th Congress.
WOMEN'S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Government Programs and 
Oversight held a hearing on

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women's business enterprises. Testimony was heard from Representatives Kelly 
and Dunn; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--OFFICE OF MOTOR CARRIERS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Ground 
Transportation held an oversight hearing on the Office of Motor Carriers. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Benefits held an oversight 
hearing on the Veterans Benefits Administration. Testimony was heard from 
Joseph Thompson, Under Secretary, Benefits, Veterans Benefits 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Cynthia A. Bascetta, 
Associate Director, VA and Military Health Care, GAO; and representatives of 
veterans organizations.
DVA'S MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ACT PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs management of 
the Federal Employees' Compensation Act program. Testimony was heard from 
Shelby Hallmark, Deputy Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, 
Department of Labor; and the following officials of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs: Richard J. Griffin, Inspector General; Ronald E. Cowles, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Human Resources Management; John Hancock, 
Director, Occupational Health and Safety Staff, Office of Administration; 
Fred Malphus, Director, Veterans Integrated Service Network 2; and Smith 
Jenkins, Jr., Director, Veterans Integrated Service Network 22.
SOCIAL SECURITY'S GOALS AND CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING REFORM
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a hearing 
on Social Security's Goals and Criteria for Assessing Reforms. Testimony was 
heard from David M. Walker, Comptroller General, GAO; Stephen C. Goss, 
Deputy Chief Actuary for Long-Range Actuarial Estimates, SSA; and public 
witnesses.
BUDGET: ALL-SOURCE ANALYSIS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold 
a hearing on Fiscal Year 2000 Budget: All-Source Analysis. Testimony was 
heard from departmental witnesses.
F