[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 112 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D918-D920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURAL RISK PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Ordered reported, amended, H.R. 2559, Agricultural 
Risk Protection Act of 1999.
PUBLIC HEALTH FOOD QUALITY PROTECTION ACT--IMPLEMENTATION EFFECTS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, 
Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing to review the effects of the 
implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act on public health. 
Testimony was heard from Representative

[[Page D919]]

Towns; Richard Rominger, Deputy Secretary, USDA; Peter Robertson, Acting 
Deputy Administrator, EPA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--INTERNET BANKING
Committee on Banking and Financial Services, Subcommittee on Domestic and 
International Monetary Policy held as hearing on Federal Oversight of 
Internet Banking. Testimony was heard from Richard J. Hillman, Associate 
Director, Financial Institutions and Markets Issues, General Government 
Division, GAO; and public witnesses.
DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, 
Youth, and Families held a hearing on Drug Abuse Prevention: Protecting Our 
Students. Testimony was heard from Barry McCaffrey, Director, Office of 
National Drug Control Policy; William Modzeleski, Director, Safe and Drug-
Free Schools Program, Department of Education; and public witnesses.
VACCINES
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on Vaccines: Finding the 
Balance Between Public Safety and Personal Choice. Testimony was heard from 
David Satcher, M.D., Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
U.S. TRADE WITH ASIA
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on U.S. Trade with 
Asia: Preparations for the APEC Summit. Testimony was heard from Ambassador 
Richard Boucher, Coordinator, APEC, Department of State; Ambassador Richard 
W. Fisher. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; and public witnesses.
NIGERIA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing 
on Nigeria: On the Democratic Path? Testimony was heard from Howard Jerter, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State; 
and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following measures: H.R. 
1875, amended, Interstate Class Action Jurisdiction Act of 1990; H.J. Res. 
54, granting the consent of Congress to the Missouri-Nebraska Boundary 
Compact; and H.J. Res 62, to grant the consent of Congress to the boundary 
change between Georgia and South Carolina.
CONTRACT SUPPORT COSTS
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on Contract Support Costs 
within the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Part II). 
Testimony was heard from Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, 
Department of the Interior; the following officials of the Department of 
Health and Human Services: Richard G. Sullivan, Senior Negotiator, Division 
of Cost Allocation; and Michael H. Trujillo, Director, Indian Health 
Service; and Jim Wells, Director, Energy, Resources, and Science Issues, 
Community and Economic Development Division, GAO; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--MINING
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mining Resources held an 
oversight hearing on Mining Regulatory Issues and Improving the General 
Mining Laws. Testimony was heard from John D. Leshy, Solicitor, Department 
of the Interior; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held a 
hearing on the following: S. 416, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to 
convey to the city of Sisters, Oregon, a certain parcel of land for use in 
connection with a sewage treatment facility; H.R. 1749, to designate Wilson 
Creek in Avery and Caldwell Counties, North Carolina, as a component of the 
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and H.R. 2632, Dugger Mountain 
Wilderness Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from Representatives Walden of 
Oregon; Ballenger and Riley; Jack Craven, Director of Lands, Forest Service, 
USDA; and Steven Wilson, Mayor, Sisters, Oregon.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE AND THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 hour of 
debate on H.R. 2670, making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, 
Justice, State and the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal year 
ending September 2000. The rule waives clause 4 of rule XIII (requiring a 3 
day layover of the committee report and the three-day availability of 
printed hearings on a general appropriations bill) and section 306 
(prohibiting consideration of legislation within the Budget Committee's 
jurisdiction, unless reported by the Budget Committee) of the Congressional 
Budget Act against consideration of the bill. The rule waives clause 2 of 
rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized or legislative provisions of transfers of 
funds in an appropriations bill) against provisions in the bill.
  The rule makes in order the amendments printed in the Rules Committee 
report which may be offered only by a Member designated in the report and 
only at the appropriate point in the reading of the bill, shall be debatable 
for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled between 
the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to amendment. The 
rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report.
  The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to Members 
who have pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional Record. The rule 
permits the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during 
consideration of the

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bill, and to reduce voting time to five minutes on a postponed question if 
the vote follows a fifteen minute vote. The rule waives all points of order 
against all amendments to the bill for failure to comply with clause 2(e) of 
rule XXI (prohibiting non-emergency designated amendments to be offered to 
an appropriations bill containing an emergency designation). Finally, the 
rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Rogers, Tiahrt, Deal of Georgia, 
Quinn, Bass, Serrano, Pallone, Lewis of Georgia, Roemer and Kucinich.
PLANT GENOME SCIENCE
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Basic Research held a hearing on Plant 
Genome Science: From the Lab to the Field to the Market. Testimony was heard 
from Mary E. Clutter, Assistant Director, Biological Sciences, NSF: Eileen 
Kennedy, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics, 
USDA; and public witnesses.
PILOT FATIGUE
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Aviation 
held a hearing on Pilot Fatigue. Testimony was heard from Margaret Gilligan, 
Deputy Associate Administrator, Regulation and Certification, FAA, 
Department of Transportation; Vernon S. Ellingstad, Director, Office of 
Research and Engineering, National Transportation Safety Board; Michael B. 
Mann, Deputy Associate Administrator, Aero-Space Technology, NASA; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Economic 
Development, Public Buildings, Hazardous Materials and Pipeline 
Transportation approved for full Committee action the following: 1 lease 
resolution; 1 repair and alteration resolution; and H. Con. Res. 167, 
authorizing the Architect of the Capitol to permit temporary construction 
and other work on the Capitol Grounds that may be necessary for construction 
of a building on Constitution Avenue Northwest, between 2nd Street Northwest 
and Louisiana Avenue Northwest.
Joint Meetings
BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT
Conferees on Monday, August 2, met to resolve the differences between the 
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 2488, to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to reduce individual income tax rates, to provide marriage 
penalty relief, to reduce taxes on savings and investments, to provide 
estate and gift tax relief, to provide incentives for education savings and 
health care, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to 
call.
F


                            NEW PRIVATE LAWS

  S. 361, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to John R. and 
Margaret J. Lowe of Big Horn County, Wyoming, certain land so as to correct 
an error in the patent issued to their predecessors in interest. Signed 
August 2, 1999. (P.L. 106-1)
  S. 449, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer to the 
personal representative of the estate of Fred Steffens of Big Horn County, 
Wyoming, certain land comprising the Steffens family property. Signed August 
2, 1999. (P.L. 106-2)
F