[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 84 (Tuesday, June 15, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D665-D667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DEBT RELIEF
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on Debt Relief. 
Testimony was heard from Tim Geithner, Under Secretary, International 
Affairs, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
PERSONAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS AND ANNUITIES--SECURE INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Committee on the Budget: Social Security Task Force held a hearing on Secure 
Investment Strategies for Personal Retirement Accounts and Annuities. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CONSUMER AND INVESTOR ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on H.R. 1858, Consumer and Investor 
Access to Information Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from Andrew J. 
Pincus, General Counsel, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
DELINQUENT DEBTS--FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COLLECTION
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology held a hearing on ``What is the Federal 
Government Doing to Collect the Billions of Dollars in Delinquent Debts it 
is Owed?'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Treasury: Donald Hammond, Fiscal Assistant Secretary; and 
Richard Gregg, Commissioner, Financial Management Services; Thomas J. 
Pestka, Director, Debt Collection Services; Sally Thompson, Chief Financial 
Officer, USDA; and Saul Ramirez, Deputy Secretary, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development.
FUTURE--ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH EUROPE
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the Future of Our 
Economic Partnership with Europe. Testimony was heard from Stuart Eizenstat, 
Under Secretary, Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, Department of 
State; David Aaron, Under Secretary International Trade, Department of 
Commerce; and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported H.R. 1658, Civil Asset 
Forfeiture Reform Act.
  The Committee began markup of H.R. 1691, Religious Liberty Protection Act 
of 1999.
  Will continue June 23.
CONSEQUENCES FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS ACT; MANDATORY GUN SHOW BACKGROUND CHECK 
ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing one 
hour of general debate confined to the bill and the amendments made in order 
to H.R. 1501, Consequences for Juvenile Offenders Act of 1999, divided 
equally between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
the Judiciary. The rule provides for consideration of only the amendments 
printed in part A of this report accompanying the resolution. The rule 
further provides that, except as specified in the resolution, amendments 
will be considered only in the order specified in part A of this report, may 
be offered only by a Member designated in this report, shall be considered 
as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in this report equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be 
subject to a demand for division of the question. The amendments printed in 
part A of this report shall not be subject to amendment, except as specified 
in part A of this report. The rule also waives all points of order against 
the amendments printed in part A of this report. The rule permits the 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to recognize for consideration of any 
amendment printed in part A of this report out of the order in which 
printed, but not sooner than one hour after the chairman of the Judiciary 
Committee or a designee announces from the floor a request to that effect. 
The rule also allows 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. 
The rule provides one motion to recommit H.R. 1501, with or without 
instructions. Additionally, the rule provides one hour of general debate 
confined to the bill and the amendments made in order to H.R. 2122, 
Mandatory Gun Show Background Check Act of 1999, equally divided and 
controlled by the chairman and ranking minority

[[Page D666]]

member of the Committee on the Judiciary. The rule provides for 
consideration of only the amendments printed in part B of this report 
accompanying the resolution. The rule further provides that amendments will 
be considered only in the order specified in part B of this report, may be 
offered only by a Member designated in this report, shall be considered as 
read, shall be debatable for the time specified in this report equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be 
subject to a demand for division of the question. The amendments printed in 
part B of this report shall not be subject to amendment. The rule also 
waives all points of order against the amendments printed in part B of this 
report. The rule also allows 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. The rule provides one motion to recommit H.R. 2122, with or without 
instructions. Finally the rule provides that in the engrossment of H.R. 1501 
the clerk shall add the text of H.R. 2122, as passed by the House as a new 
matter at the end of H.R. 1501, and then lay H.R. 2122 on the table. On June 
14, the Committee heard testimony on this legislation from Chairman Hyde and 
Representatives McCollum, Barr of Georgia, Hutchinson, Scarborough, 
Goodling, Roukema, Franks of New Jersey, Kelly, Radanovich, Salmon, Wamp, 
Schaffer, DeMint, Fletcher, Green of Wisconsin, Hayes, Sweeney, Wilson, 
Conyers, Frank of Massachusetts, Nadler, Scott, Lofgren, Jackson-Lee, 
Waters, Delahunt, Wexler, Rothman, Baldwin, Obey, Markey, Dingell, Mink of 
Hawaii, Frost, Gejdenson, Slaughter, DeLauro, Stupak, Kennedy of Rhode 
Island, Millender-McDonald, Kucinich, Pascrell, Maloney of Connecticut, 
Goode, McCarthy of New York, Berkley, Udall of New Mexico, and Udall of 
Colorado.
PATRIOT ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule on H.R. 659, 
Protect America's Treasures of the Revolution for Independence for Our 
Tomorrow Act, providing one hour of general debate divided equally between 
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources. The 
rule makes in order as an original bill for the purpose of amendment the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
Resources now printed in the bill. The rule provides that the amendment in 
the nature of a substitute be considered for amendment by title. 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 
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.
UNINSURED AMERICANS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Uninsured Americans. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ENCRYPTION LEGISLATION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold 
a hearing on Encryption legislation. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.
LAUNCH FAILURES AND LAUNCH ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Technical and 
Tactical Intelligence held a hearing on Launch Failures and Launch Issues. 
Testimony was heard from Keith R. Hall, Director, National Reconnaissance 
Office, CIA; the following officials of the Department of the Air Force, 
Department of Defense: Darleen A. Druyan, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Acquisition and Management; and Brig. Gen. William R. Looney, 
USAF, Director, Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command; and a 
public witness.
Joint Meetings
HIGH-TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL SUMMIT
  Joint Economic Committee: Committee held hearings to explore issues 
relating to the High-Technology National Summit, focusing on the impact of 
recent breakthroughs in computers, software and information networks on the 
U.S. economy and society, receiving testimony from Richard P. Riley, 
Secretary of Education; William H. Gates, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, 
Washington; Robert Holleyman, Business Software Alliance, Washington, D.C.; 
William Larson, Network Associates, Santa Clara, California; Eric Schmidt, 
Novell, Inc., San Jose, California; Jeff Papows, Lotus Development 
Corporations, and Charles Vest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both 
of Cambridge; Jeremy Jaech, Visio Corporation, Seattle, Washington; Ariel 
Kleckner, RedGorilla.com, San Francisco, California; John F. Keane, Keane, 
Inc., Boston, Massachusetts; Michael J. Durham, SABRE Group, Inc., Fort 
Worth, Texas; and Gene Hoffman, EMusic.com, Redwood City, California.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
F


                         COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR

                        WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1999

          (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)


                                 Senate

  Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education, to hold hearings on issues relating to prostate 
cancer, 9:30 a.m., SD-192.

[[Page D667]]


  Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: business meeting to consider 
pending calendar business, 9:30 a.m., SD-366.
  Committee on Finance: business meeting to mark up H.R. 1833, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 for the United 
States Customs Service for drug interdiction and other operations, for 
the Office of the United States Trade Representative, for the United 
States International Trade Commission, and the proposed Steel Trade 
Enforcement Act, 9:30 a.m., SD-215.
  Committee on Foreign Relations: to hold hearings on the nomination of 
Mark Wylea Erwin, of North Carolina, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Mauritius, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation 
as Ambassador to the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros and as 
Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles; the nomination of David B. 
Dunn, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia; the 
nomination of Christopher E. Goldthwait, of Florida, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Chad; the nomination of Joyce E. Leader, of the District 
of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea; the nomination 
of Johnnie Carson, of Illinois, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Kenya; the nomination of Michael D. Metelits, of California, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Cape Verde; and the nomination of Bismarck 
Myrick, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, 2:30 
p.m., SD-562.
  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: business meeting 
to consider pending calendar business, 10 a.m., SD-628.
  Committee on Indian Affairs: business meeting to mark up S. 28, to 
authorize an interpretive center and related visitor facilities within 
the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park; S. 400, to provide technical 
corrections to the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-
Determination Act of 1996, to improve the delivery of housing assistance 
to Indian tribes in a manner that recognizes the right of tribal self-
governance; S. 401, to provide for business development and trade 
promotion for native Americans, and for other purposes; S. 613, to 
encourage Indian economic development, to provide for the disclosure of 
Indian tribal sovereign immunity in contracts involving Indian tribes, 
and for other purposes; S. 614, to provide for regulatory reform in order 
to encourage investment, business, and economic development with respect 
to activities conducted on Indian lands; and S. 944, to amend Public Law 
105-188 to provide for the mineral leasing of certain Indian lands in 
Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m., SR-485.
  Committee on the Judiciary: to hold hearings on pending nominations, 3 
p.m., SD-226.


                                  House

  Committee on Agriculture, hearing to review the structure and policies 
of the Loan Deficiency Payment Program, 1:30 p.m., 1300 Longworth.
  Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, 
on DC Health Initiatives, 10 a.m., H-144 Capitol.
  Committee on Banking and Financial Services, Subcommittee on Financial 
Institutions and Consumer Credit, hearing on loan loss reserves, 10 a.m., 
2128 Rayburn.
  Committee on Commerce, Subcommittee on Health and Environment, to 
continue hearings on America's Health, 10 a.m., 2322 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection, to 
mark up H.R. 850, Security and Freedom Through Encryption, 10 a.m., 2123 
Rayburn.
  Committee on Education and the Workforce, Subcommittee on Employer-
Employee Relations, to mark up the following bills: H.R. 2041, Patient 
Right to Obstetric and Gynecological Care Act of 1999; H.R. 2042, Health 
Care Access, Affordability, and Quality Advisory Commission Act of 1999; 
H.R. 2043, Patient Right to Unrestricted Medical Advice Act of 1999; H.R. 
2044, Patient Right to Pediatric Care Act of 1999; H.R. 2045, Patient 
Right to Emergency Medical Care Act of 1999; H.R. 2046, Patient Access to 
Information Act of 1999; H.R. 2047, Small Business Access and Choice for 
Entrepreneurs Act of 1999; and H.R. 2089, Group Health Plan Review 
Standards Act of 1999, 10:30 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.
  Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy, and Human Resources, hearing on the Pros and Cons of Drug 
Legalization, Decriminalization and Harm Reduction, 10 a.m., 2154 
Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans' Affairs, and International 
Relations, hearing on the Department of Defense's Financial Management: 
Time to Reform the Prompt Payment Act? 10 a.m., 2147 Rayburn.
  Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific, hearing on Malaysia: Assessing the Mahathir Agenda, 2:30 p.m., 
2200 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, hearing on Democracy in the Western 
Hemisphere: Achievements and Challenges, 1:30 p.m., 2172 Rayburn.
  Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property, hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1752, Federal Courts 
Improvement Act of 1999; and H.R. 2112, Multidistrict, Multiparty, 
Multiforum Jurisdiction Act of 1999, 2 p.m., 2226 Rayburn.
  Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment and the 
Subcommittee on Basic Research, joint hearing on Tornadoes: 
Understanding, Modeling and Forecasting Supercell Storms, 3 p.m., 2318 
Rayburn.
  Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Benefits, hearing on 
the following bills: H.R. 1247, World War II Memorial Completion Act; 
H.R. 1476, National Cemetery Act of 1999; H.R. 1484, to authorize 
appropriations for homeless veterans reintegration projects under the 
Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act; H.R. 1603, Selected Reserve 
Housing Loan Fairness Act of 1999; H.R. 1663, National Medal of Honor 
Memorial Act; and H.R. 2040, Veterans' Cemeteries Assessment Act of 1999, 
10:30 a.m., 334 Cannon.
  Committee on Ways and Means, hearing on Reducing the Tax Burden: I. 
Enhancing Retirement and Health, 10 a.m., 1100 Longworth.
  Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, executive, briefing on 
Encryption, 3:30 p.m., H-405 Capitol.


                             Joint Meetings

  Joint Economic Committee: to continue hearings on issues relating to 
the High-Technology National Summit, 10 a.m., SH-216.