[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 30, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D756-D759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
GAMBLING ADDICTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education concluded hearings on gambling addiction 
issues, focusing on the health research recommendations of the National 
Gambling Impact Study Commission, after receiving testimony from 
Representative Wolf; Steven E. Hyman, Director, National Institute of 
Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and Leo T. McCarthy, Commissioner, and Timothy A. 
Kelly, Executive Director, both of the National Gambling Impact Study 
Commission; Ken Winters, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; and Leo 
Tose, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ACT/CORAL REEF CONSERVATION ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for programs of the 
National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and S. 725, to preserve and protect 
coral reefs, after receiving testimony from Sally Yozell, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, Michael Crosby, 
Executive Director, Science Advisory Board, and Ed Lindloff, Acting 
Manager, Stellwagen Bank, National Marine Sanctuary, all of National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; C. 
Renee Cooper, Caribbean Marine Research Center, West Palm Beach, 
Florida, on behalf of the Perry Institute of Marine Science; Cynthia 
Hunter, Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu, Hawaii; Phillip Dustan, Cousteau 
Society, Alexandria, Virginia; Michael Connor, New England Aquarium, 
Boston, Massachusetts; and Michael Collins, Islamorada, Florida.

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BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  S. 501, to address resource management issues in Glacier Bay National 
Park, Alaska, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 581, to protect the Paoli and Brandywine Battlefields in 
Pennsylvania, to authorize a Valley Forge Museum of the American 
Revolution at Valley Forge National Historical Park, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute;
  H.R.149, to make technical corrections to the Omnibus Parks and 
Public Lands Management Act of 1996, with amendments;
  S. 711, to allow for the investment of joint Federal and State funds 
from the civil settlement of damages from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 348, to authorize and facilitate a program to enhance training, 
research and development, energy conservation and efficiency, and 
consumer education in the oilheat industry for the benefit of oilheat 
consumers and the public, with an amendment;
  S. 953, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land 
in the State of South Dakota to the Terry Peak Ski Area, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1088, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain 
administrative sites in national forests in the State of Arizona, to 
convey certain land to the City of Sedona, Arizona for a wastewater 
treatment facility;
  H.R. 15, to designate a portion of the Otay Mountain region of 
California as wilderness; and
  An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE ECONOMIC ACTION PROGRAMS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and 
Public Land Management concluded oversight hearings on the United 
States Forest Service Economic Action programs, focusing on community 
based approaches to natural resource management, after receiving 
testimony from Michael T. Rains, Director, Northeastern Area for State 
and Private Forestry, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; 
Michael Preston, Montezuma County Federal Lands Program, Cortez, 
Colorado; Bob Moore, Catron County Citizens Group, Glenwood, New 
Mexico; James Enote, Pueblo of Zuni Department of Natural and Cultural 
Resources, Zuni, New Mexico; Carl L. Myers, Wood Center, Medford, 
Oregon; Eric S. Howard, Maine Wood Products Association, South 
Portland; Betty Riley, Sierra Economic Development District, Auburn, 
California; Tom Brumm, Oregon Economic Development Department, Salem; 
Stephen S. Madrone, Redwood Community Action Agency, Eureka, 
California; and Toby Martinez, New Mexico Forestry and Resources 
Conservation Division, Santa Fe, on behalf of the National Association 
of State Foresters.
PENSION REFORM
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings on S. 646, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide increased retirement savings 
opportunities, S. 741, to provide for pension reform, S. 659, to amend 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require pension plans to provide 
adequate notice to individuals whose future benefit accruals are being 
significantly reduced, and S. 60, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to provide equitable treatment for contributions by employees to 
pension plans, receiving testimony from Senator Harkin; Patrick J. 
Purcell, Specialist in Social Legislation, Domestic Social Policy 
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Rita D. 
Metras, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York, on behalf of the 
Association of Private Pension and Welfare Plans; Scott J. Macey, AT&T/
ASA, Inc., Somerset, New Jersey, on behalf of the ERISA Industry 
Committee; Richard D. Pearce, Alliance Benefit Group of Delaware, Inc., 
Wilmington, on behalf of the American Society of Pension Actuaries; Ann 
Combs, American Council of Life Insurance, Washington, D.C.; Lou 
Valentino, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, New York, New York, on behalf of the 
National Defined Contribution Council; and Robert F. Hill, Denver, 
Colorado.
  Hearings recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee on 
Foreign Relations;
  S. Res. 109, relating to the activities of the National Islamic Front 
government in Sudan, with amendments;
  S. Res. 119, expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to 
United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/6;
  S. Con. Res. 36, condemning Palestinian efforts to revive the 
original Palestine partition plan of November 29, 1947, and condemning 
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights for its April 27, 1999, 
resolution endorsing Palestinian self-determination on the basis of the 
original Palestine partition plan;
  H. R. 1175, to locate and secure the return of Zachary Baumel, an 
American citizen, and other

[[Page D758]]

Israeli soldiers missing in action, with an amendment;
  H. Con. Res. 35, congratulating the State of Qatar and its citizens 
for their commitment to democratic ideals and women's suffrage on the 
occasion of Qatar's historic elections of a central municipal council 
on March 8, 1999; and
  The nominations of Frank Almaguer, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Honduras, Donald Keith Bandler, of Pennsylvania, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus, Prudence Bushnell, of Virginia, 
to be Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala, Johnnie Carson, of 
Illinois, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya, Gwen C. Clare, of 
South Carolina, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador, Melvin E. 
Clark, Jr., of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, David B. 
Dunn, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia, M. 
Michael Einik, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to The Former Yugoslav 
Republic of Macedonia, 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 Comoros and as Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles, 
Oliver P. Garza, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Nicaragua, Christopher E. Goldthwait, of Florida, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Chad, John R. Hamilton, of Virginia, to be Ambassador 
to the Republic of Peru, Lawrence Harrington, of Tennessee, to be 
United States Executive Director of the Inter-American Development 
Bank, Richard Holbrooke, of New York, to be the Representative of the 
United States of America to the United Nations with the rank and status 
of Ambassador, and the Representative of the United States of America 
in the Security Council of the United Nations, as well as to be a 
Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the 
General Assembly of the United Nations, John David Holum, of Maryland, 
to the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International 
Security, Donald W. Keyser, of Virginia, for rank of Ambassador during 
tenure of service as Special Representative of the Secretary of State 
for Nagorno-Karabakh and New Independent States Regional Conflicts, 
Joyce E. Leader, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Guinea, Joseph Limprecht, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Albania, Michael D. Metelits, of California, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Cape Verde, Thomas J. Miller, of 
Virginia, to be Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bismarck Myrick, 
of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, Larry C. 
Napper, of Texas, for rank of Ambassador during tenure of service as 
Coordinator of the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Program, 
Donald Lee Pressley, of Virginia, to be Assistant Administrator for 
Europe and the New Independent States of the Agency for International 
Development, David B. Sandalow, of the District of Columbia, to be 
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental 
and Scientific Affairs, Peter S. Wood, of California, for promotion to 
the Class of Counselor, Senior Foreign Service, and Stephen A. Dodson, 
of Texas, for appointment as a Foreign Service Officer of Class Four, 
Consular Officer and Secretary in the Diplomatic Service, both of the 
Department of State, and certain Foreign Service Officer Promotions 
lists.
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: Committee continued 
hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for programs of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, focusing on school facilities, 
receiving testimony from Dennis Zimmerman, Specialist in Public 
Finance, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Starla 
Jewell-Kelly, National Community Education Association, Fairfax, 
Virginia; Sarah Sinnott, Visiting Nurse Association, H.O. Wheeler 
Community School, Burlington, Vermont; Ede Valiquette, University of 
Connecticut Cooperative Extension System, Danbury; and Idella Harter, 
Maine Education Association, Augusta, on behalf of the National 
Education Association.
  Hearings recessed subject to call.
INDIAN RESERVED WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on S. 438, to 
provide for the settlement of the water rights claims of the Chippewa 
Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, after receiving testimony 
from David J. Hayes, Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior; Jim 
Morsette, Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation, Box 
Elder, Montana; and Chris D. Tweeten, Montana Reserved Water Rights 
Compact Commission, Helena.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following bills:
  S. 438, to provide for the settlement of the water rights claims of 
the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation; and
  S. 225, to provide Federal housing assistance to Native Hawaiians.

[[Page D759]]


NURSING HOME CARE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine the 
Health Care Financing Administration's implementation of their nursing 
home improvement initiative, after receiving testimony from Rachel 
Block, Deputy Director, Center for Medicaid and State Operations, 
Health Care Financing Administration, Department of Health and Human 
Services; William J. Scanlon, Director, Health Financing and Public 
Health Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services Division, General 
Accounting Office; Catherine G. Morris, New Jersey Department of 
Health, Trenton, on behalf of the Association of Health Facility Survey 
Agencies; David R. Zimmerman, University of Wisconsin Center for Health 
Systems Research, Madison; Andrew Kramer, University of Colorado Health 
Sciences Center, Denver; and Charlene Harrington, University of 
California School of Nursing, San Francisco.