[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. [[Page D757]] 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.