[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 22, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D706-D708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET PROCESS REFORM ACT
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported H.R. 853, Comprehensive 
Budget Process Reform Act of 1999.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia 
held a hearing on DC Public Schools. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Schools of the District of Columbia:

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Mike Peabody, Chair, Public Charter School Coalition; Jack McCarthy, 
Managing Director, Apple Tree Institute; Josephine Baker, Chair, Public 
Charter School Board; Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent of Public 
Schools; Maudine R. Cooper, Emergency Board of Trustees; and Wilma R. 
Harvey, President, Board of Education; Constance Newman, Vice Chair, 
D.C. Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority; and 
public witnesses.
IMF LENDING POLICIES--GAO REPORT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic 
and International Monetary Policy held a hearing on GAO Report on IMF 
Lending Policies. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the GAO: Susan Westin, Associate Director, Financial Institutions and 
Market Issues; and Jim Johnson, Associate Director, International 
Relations and Trade Issues.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE
Committee on the Budget: Social Security Task Force held a hearing on 
Social Security Disability Insurance. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the SSA: Jane Ross, Deputy Commissioner, Policy; 
and Mark Nadel, Associate Commissioner, Disability and Income 
Assistance; and a public witness.
RUDMAN REPORT
Committee on Commerce: Held a hearing on the Rudman Report: Science at 
its Best, Security at its Worst. Testimony was heard from Bill 
Richardson, Secretary of Energy and Warren B. Rudman, Chairman, 
President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
OVERSIGHT--OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Review and Oversight of the Department 
of Education's Office of Civil Rights. Testimony was heard from Norma 
Cantu, Assistant Secretary, Office of Civil Rights, Department of 
Education; and a public witness.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Administration: Considered and approved pending 
Committee business.
QUALITY HEALTH--CARE COALITION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary Held a hearing on H.R. 1304, Quality Health-
Care Coalition Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Campbell and Cooksey; Robert Pitofsky, Chairman, FTC; Joel Klein, 
Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, Department of Justice; 
and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 456, 
amended, for the relief of the survivors of the 14 members of the Armed 
Forces and the one United States civilian Federal employee who were 
killed on April 14, 1994, when United States fighter aircraft 
mistakenly shot down 2 United States helicopters over Iraq; and H.R. 
1788, Nazi Benefits Termination Act of 1999.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 1444, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to develop and 
implement projects for fish screens, fish passage devices, and other 
similar measures to mitigate adverse impacts associated with irrigation 
system water diversions by local governmental entities in the States of 
Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho; H.R. 1934, amended, Marine 
Mammal Rescue Assistance Act of 1999; and H.R. 2181, Fisheries Survey 
Vessel Authorization Act of 1999.
CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE REFORM ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified open rule 
providing one hour of debate on H.R. 1658, Civil Asset Forfeiture 
Reform Act.
  The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the 
bill. The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute modified by the amendment recommended by the Committee on 
the Judiciary now printed in the bill be considered as the original 
bill for the purpose of amendment.
  The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
shall be open for amendment by section. The rule provides that prior to 
the consideration of any other amendment it shall be in order to 
consider the amendment printed in the Rules Committee report, which may 
be offered by Representative Hyde or his designee, may amend portions 
of the bill not yet read for amendment, and shall be considered as 
read.
  The rule provides for the consideration of only those amendments pre-
printed in the Congressional Record, which may be offered only by the 
Member who caused it to be printed or his designee.
  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 Chairman Hyde.

[[Page D708]]


CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROHIBITING PHYSICAL DESECRATION OF THE FLAG
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
two hours of debate in on H.J. Res. 33, proposing an amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit 
the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.
  The rule makes in order an amendment in the nature of a substitute to 
be offered by Representative Conyers or his designee, debatable for one 
hour equally divided between the proponent and an opponent. Finally, 
the rule provides for one motion to recommit, with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Canady of 
Florida and Watt of North Carolina.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing one 
hour of general debate on H.R. 2084, making appropriations for the 
Department of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2000 to be equally divided between the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The 
rule waives clause 4(c) of rule XIII (requiring the three-day 
availability of printed hearings on a general appropriations bill) and 
section 401(a) of the Congressional Budget Act (prohibiting 
consideration of legislation containing new contract authority not 
subject to appropriations) against consideration of the bill. The rule 
waives clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized or legislative 
provisions in an appropriations bill) against provisions in the bill, 
except as otherwise specified in the rule. The rule waives clause 2 of 
rule XXI against the amendment printed in the report accompanying this 
resolution, which may be offered only by the Member designated in the 
report and at the appropriate point in the reading of the bill, shall 
be considered as read, and shall not be subject to amendment. 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 votes 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.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Basic Research held a hearing on 
Nanotechnology: The State of Nano-Science and Its Prospects for the 
Next Decade. Testimony was heard from Eugene Wong, Assistant Director, 
Engineering Directorate, NSF; Paul McWhorter, Deputy Director, 
Microsystems Science, Technology and Components Center, Sandia National 
Laboratories, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
CLEAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND WET WEATHER FLOWS LEGISLATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on Clean Water Infrastructure 
and Wet Weather Flows legislation. Testimony was heard from J. Charles 
Fox, Assistant Administrator, Water, EPA; the following Mayors from the 
State of Massachusetts: Edward M. Lambert, Jr., Fall River; and 
Frederick Kalisz, Jr., New Bedford; David Pollison, Head, Planning 
Branch, Delaware River Basin Commission, West Trenton, New Jersey; 
Michael J. Hornbrook, Director, Sewer Facilities Development, Water 
Resources Authority, State of Massachusetts; and public witnesses.
U.S. INTERNATIONAL TAX REGIME--COMPLEXITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the complexity of the Current U.S. International Tax Regime. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.