[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 138 (Wednesday, October 13, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1129-D1130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE POLICY--ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on U.S. national missile 
defense policy and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Testimony was 
heard from Walter B. Slocombe, Under Secretary, Policy, Department of 
State; Lucas Fischer, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Strategic Affairs, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported the following measures: H.R. 
2580, amended, Land Recycling Act of 1999; H.R. 2634, amended, Drug 
Addiction Treatment Act of 1999; H. Res. 278, expressing the sense of 
the House of Representatives regarding the importance of education, 
early detection and treatment, and other efforts in the fight against 
breast cancer; H.R. 2418, amended, Organ Procurement and 
Transplantation Network Amendments of 1999; and H.R. 2260, amended, 
Pain Relief Promotion Act of 1999.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported, as amended, 
the following bills: H.R. 2, Students Results Act; and H.R. 2300, 
Academic Achievement for All Act (Straight A's Act).
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology held a hearing on a measure to amend the 
Presidential Transition Act of 1963. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--INTER-AMERICAN FOUNDATION
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Veterans' Affairs and International Relations held an oversight hearing 
of the Inter-American Foundation. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Inter-American Foundation: Maria Otero, 
Chair; George A. Evans, President; and Adolfo A. Franco, Senior Vice 
President and General Counsel; and a public witness.
U.S. POLICY TOWARD KOREA
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on U.S. Policy 
Toward North Korea I: Perry Review. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Knollenberg and Cox; and the following officials of the 
Department of State: William Perry, North Korea Policy Advisor; and 
Wendy R. Sherman, Counselor.
  Hearings continue October 15.
VIOLATIONS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Economic Policy and Trade held a hearing on Violations of Intellectual 
Property Rights: How Do We Protect American Ingenuity? Testimony was 
heard from Raymond Kelly, Commissioner, U.S. Customs Service, 
Department of the Treasury; Richard Fisher, Deputy U.S. Trade 
Representative; Q. Tod Dickinson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Acting 
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Department of Commerce; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1801, Antitrust Technical Corrections Act of 1999; H.R. 3028, amended, 
Trademark Cyberpiracy Prevention Act; H.R. 1714, amended, Electronic 
Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act; and H.R. 1887, amended, 
to amend title 18, United States Code, to punish the depiction of 
animal cruelty.
ALASKAN MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 
2804, Alaska Federal Lands Management Demonstration Project; and H.R. 
3013, to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to allow 
shareholder common stock to be transferred to adopted Alaska Native 
children and their descendants. Testimony was heard from Marilyn 
Heiman, Special Assistant to the Secretary for Alaska, Department of 
the Interior; and public witnesses.
MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule waiving all 
points of order against H.R. 2679, Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1999 and 
against its consideration. The rule provides one hour of general debate 
to be equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The rule 
provides

[[Page D1130]]

that the amendment printed in part A of the Rules Committee report 
shall be considered as adopted upon adoption of the rule, and that the 
bill, as amended, shall be open to amendment by title. The rule 
provides for the consideration, before any other amendment, of the 
manager's amendment printed in part B of the Rules Committee report, 
which shall be considered as read, may amend portions of the bill not 
yet read for amendment, and shall not be subject to a division of the 
question. The rule waives clause 7 of rule XVI (prohibiting non-germane 
amendments) against the amendment printed in part B of the report. The 
rule authorizes the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole 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.
CONFERENCE REPORT--VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
against the conference report on H.R. 2684, making appropriations for 
the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, 
and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, 
and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and against 
its consideration. The rule provides that the conference report shall 
be considered as read. The rule also provides that H. Res. 300 shall be 
laid on the table. Testimony was heard from Mr. Walsh.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule waiving all 
points of order against consideration of H.R. 3064, making 
appropriations for the government of the District of Columbia and other 
activities chargeable in whole or in part against revenues of said 
District for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000. The rule 
provides one hour of debate in the House equally divided and controlled 
by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit.
COMMERCIAL SPACEPLANES
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a 
hearing on Commercial Spaceplanes. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FATHERS COUNT ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources approved 
for full Committee action the Fathers Count Act of 1999.
BRIEFING--FBI'S REEXAMINATION OF PRC THEFT OF U.S. NUCLEAR SECRETS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a briefing on the FBI's Reexamination of Matters Pertaining to the 
Likely PRC Theft of U.S. Nuclear Secrets. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental officials.

Joint Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--INTERIOR
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of H.R. 2466, making appropriations for the Department 
of the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2000, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed 
subject to call.