[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D418-D420]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on the Kosovo Supplemental. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Williams S. Cohen, Secretary; and Gen. Henry H. Shelton, USA, Chairman, 
Joints Chiefs of Staff.
LABOR, HHS, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies continued hearings on the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Testimony was heard from Togo D. West, Jr., Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs.
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AUTHORIZATIONS
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on the 
Administration's Fiscal Year 2000 authorizations for the international 
financial institutions and related programs. Testimony was heard from 
Lawrence Summers, Deputy Secretary, Department of the Treasury; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 1400, 
Bond Price Competition Improvement Act of 1999; H.R. 459, to extend the 
deadline under the Federal Power Act for FERC Project No. 9401, the Mt. 
Hope Waterpower Project; amended, H.R. 1378, to authorize 
appropriations for carrying out pipeline safety activities under 
chapter 601 of title 49, United States Code; and H.R. 45, amended, 
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1999.
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Federal Prison Industries. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
WORKPLACE LEGISLATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing on the following measures: H.R. 987, 
Workplace Preservation Act; the Safety and Health Audit Promotion Act; 
the Safety and Health Audit Promotion and Whistleblower Improvement 
Act; and the Models of Safety and Health Excellence Act. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Petri, Andrews, Blunt and Pelosi; and public 
witnesses.
RESOLUTION--REMOVE U.S. ARMED FORCES FROM PRESENT OPERATIONS AGAINST 
YUGOSLAVIA
Committee on International Relations: Began markup of H. Con. Res. 82, 
directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers 
Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from their positions 
in connection with the present operations against the Federal Republic 
of Yugoslavia.
  Will continue tomorrow.
KOSOVO SITUATION
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the Situation 
in Kosovo. Testimony was heard from Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary of 
State.
EMBATTLED STATE OF U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific and the Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade 
held a joint hearing on the Embattled State of U.S.-China Relations: 
Assessing the Zhu Rongji Visit. Testimony was heard from Stanley Roth, 
Assistant Secretary, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of 
State; and public witnesses.
BANKRUPTCY REFORM ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Continued markup of H.R. 833, Bankruptcy 
Reform Act of 1999.
  Will continue tomorrow.
BEACHES, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, CLEANUP, AND HEALTH ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 11 to 0, an open rule 
providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 999, Beaches, Environmental 
Assessment, Cleanup,

[[Page D419]]

and Health Act of 1999. The rule makes in order the Committee on 
Transportaton and Infrastructure amendment in the nature of a 
substitute as an original bill for the purpose of amendment, which 
shall be open for amendment by section.
  The rule provides for the consideration of the (manager's) amendment 
printed in the Rules Committee report, if offered by Representative 
Shuster or his designee. The rule provides that the manager's amendment 
shall be considered as read, may amend portions of the bill not yet 
read for amendment, shall not be subject to amendment or to a division 
of the question, and is debatable for 10 minutes equally divided 
between the proponent and an opponent. If adopted, the amendment is 
considered as part of the base text for further amendment purposes.
  The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to 
Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. The rule allows for 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 one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Boehlert and Bilbray.
SPACE LAUNCH INDEMNIFICATION EXTENSION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a 
hearing on Extension of Space Launch Indemnification. Testimony was 
heard from Esta Rosenberg, Attorney Advisor, Office of the Chief 
Counsel, FAA, Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
GENETICS TESTING
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Technology held a hearing on 
Genetics Testing in the New Millennium: Advances, Standards and 
Implications. Testimony was heard from Raymond Kammer, Director, 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce; 
the following officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: 
Francis S. Collins, M.D., Director, National Human Genome Research 
Institute, NIH; and William F. Raub, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Science Policy, Office of the Secretary; and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, Hazardous Materials and 
Pipeline Transportation approved for full Committee action the 
following bills: H.R. 118, to designate the Federal building at 300 
East 8th Street in Austin, Texas, as the ``J.J. `Jake' Pickle Federal 
Building''; H.R. 560, amended, to designate the Federal building 
located at 300 Recinto Sur Street in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the 
``Jose V. Toledo United States Post Office and Courthouse''; H.R. 686, 
to designate a United States courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, as the 
``Garza-Vela United States Courthouse''; H.R. 1121, to designate the 
Federal building and United States courthouse located at 18 Greenville 
Street in Newnan, Georgia, as the ``Lewis R. Morgan Federal Building 
and United States Courthouse''; S. 453, to designate the Federal 
building located at 709 West 9th Street in Juneau, Alaska, as the 
``Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building''; and S. 460, to designate the 
United States courthouse located at 401 South Michigan Street in South 
Bend, Indiana, as the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh United States Bankruptcy 
Courthouse''.
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment approved for full Committee action amended 
H.R. 1480, Water Resources Development Act of 1999.
VETERAN'S LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Benefits held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 1071, Montgomery GI Bill Improvements Act 
of 1999; and H.R. 1182, Servicemembers Educational Opportunity Act of 
1999. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Vice Adm. Patricia A. Tracey, USN, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Military Personnel Policy; Maj. Gen. Evan Gaddis, 
USA, Commanding General, U.S. Army Recruiting Command; Rear Adm. 
Barbara E. McGann, USN, Commander, U.S. Navy Recruiting Command; Brig. 
Gen. Peter U. Sutton, USAF, Commander, U.S. Air Force Recruiting 
Service; Maj. Gen. Gary L. Parks, USMC, Commanding General, U.S. Marine 
Corps Recruiting; Sergeant First Class Thomas R. Krech, Recruiter, U.S. 
Army; Petty Officer Laura D. Johnson, Recruiter, U.S. Navy; Staff 
Sergeant Robert A. Austin, Field Recruiter, U.S. Air Force; and Gunnery 
Sergeant Paul Jornet, Recruiter, U.S. Marine Corps; the following 
officials of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation: Rear 
Adm. Thomas J. Barrett, USCG, Director, Reserve and Training; and 
Electricians Mate Second Class Keisha R. Gill, USCG, Recruiter, U.S. 
Coast Guard; former Representative G.V. Montgomery of Mississippi; and 
a public witness.

[[Page D420]]


VA MEDICAL FACILITIES--SUSPENSION OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations and the Subcommittee on Health held a joint hearing on 
the suspension of medical research at Department of Veterans Affairs 
medical facilities in West Los Angeles and Sepulveda, California. 
Testimony was heard from J. Thomas Puglisi, Director, Division of Human 
Subject Protections, Office for Protection from Research Risks, NIH, 
Department of Health and Human Services; from the following officials 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Dean C. Norman, M.D., Acting 
Chief of Staff, West Los Angeles Medical Center; Kenneth Clark, Chief, 
Network Officer; Ronald Norby, Clinical Manager and Deputy Network 
Director, Veterans Integrated Service Network 22; and Kenneth W. Kizer, 
M.D., Under Secretary, Health; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--CHINA DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on China Damage Assessment. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental officials.