[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D135-D138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on the FDA. Testimony was heard from Jane E. Henney, M.D., 
Commissioner, FDA, Department of Health and Human Services.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2000 
Emergency Supplemental Request for Assistance to Plan Colombia and 
Related Counter-Narcotics Program. Testimony was heard from Barry 
McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; and Randy 
Beers, Assistant Secretary, International Narcotics Control, Department 
of State.

[[Page D136]]


INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
the Secretary of the Interior. Testimony was heard from Bruce Babbitt, 
Secretary of the Interior.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the National Institute of 
General Medical Sciences the National Institute of Neurological 
Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and 
Kidney Diseases, and the National Library of Medicine. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the NIH, Department of Health and 
Human Services: Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D., Director, National Institute 
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Marvin Cassman, M.D., Director, 
National Institute of General Medical Sciences; Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., 
Director, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney 
Diseases; and Donald A.B. Linberg, M.D., Director, National Library of 
Medicine.
VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the Corporation for National and Community 
Service. Testimony was heard from Harris Wofford, CEO, Corporation for 
National and Community Service.
MARITIME ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Special Oversight Panel on the Merchant 
Marine held a hearing on the Fiscal year 2001 Maritime Administration 
authorization request and related matters. Testimony was heard from 
John E. Graykowski, Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, 
Department of Transportation.
NAVY SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Procurement held 
a hearing on Navy shipbuilding programs. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of the Navy: Vice Adm. Conrad C. 
Lautenbacher, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Resources, Warfare 
Requirement and Assessments); Vice Adm. Charles W. Moore, USN, 
Commander, Third Fleet; and Vice Adm. Dennis W. McGinn, USN, Commander, 
Third Fleet; and public witnesses.
READINESS NEEDS--BUDGET REQUEST ADEQUACY
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Readiness held a 
hearing on the adequacy of the Fiscal Year 2001 budget request to meet 
readiness needs. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Defense: Gen. John M. Keane, USA, Vice Chief of 
Staff, Department of the Army; Adm. Donald L. Pilling, USN, Vice Chief 
of Naval Operations, Department of the Navy; Gen. Lester L. Lyles, 
USAF, Vice Chief of Staff, Department of the Air Force; and Gen. 
Terrence Dake, USMC, Assistant Commandant, Headquarters, U.S. Marine 
Corps.
U.S./MEXICO COUNTER-NARCOTICS EFFORTS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources held a hearing on U.S./Mexico Counter-
narcotics Efforts. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Justice: William Ledwith, Director, International 
Operations, DEA; Mary Lee Warren, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, 
Criminal Division; and John Montoya, U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief, 
Loredo; and a public witness.
IRS'S FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT RESULTS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology held a hearing on the Results of the 
Internal Revenue Service's Fiscal Year 1999 Financial Statement Audit. 
Testimony was heard from Gregory D. Kutz, Associate Director, 
Governmentwide Accounting and Financial Management, Accounting and 
Information Management Division, GAO; and the following officials of 
the Department of the Treasury: Lawrence W. Rogers, Acting Chief 
Financial Officer, IRS; and Steven O. App, Deputy Chief Financial 
Officer.
MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 3312, Merit Systems 
Protection Board Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1999. 
Testimony was heard from Ben L. Erdreich, Chairman, Merit Systems 
Protection Board; Jeffrey Senger, Deputy Senior Counsel, Office of 
Dispute Resolution, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
GOVERNMENT WASTE CORRECTIONS ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote an open rule providing one 
hour of general debate on H.R.

[[Page D137]]

1827, Government Waste Corrections Act of 1999, equally divided and 
controlled by the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on 
Government Reform. The rule provides that, in lieu of the amendment 
recommended by the Committee on Government Reform and printed in the 
bill, the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the report 
of the Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution be considered as 
original text for the purpose of amendment. The rule waives clause 4 of 
rule XXI (prohibiting appropriations in a legislative bill) against 
provisions included in the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The 
rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be 
open for amendment at any point. The rule allows 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. Testimony was heard from Chairman Burton.
CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote a rule providing for 
consideration of motions to suspend the rules at any time on the 
legislative day of Wednesday, March 8, 2000. The rule provides that the 
Speaker or his designee will consult with the Minority Leader or his 
designee on any suspension considered under the resolution.
NSF BUDGET AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Basic Research continued hearings 
on the National Science Foundation Fiscal Year 2001 Budget 
Authorization request, Part II: Education and Human Resources. 
Testimony was heard from Judith S. Sunley, Acting Assistant Director, 
Directorate for Education and Human Resources, NSF; and public 
witnesses.
SBA'S PROPOSED NEW AUTOMATED LOAN MONITORING PROGRAM
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Government Programs and 
Oversight held a hearing on the SBA's Proposed New Automated Loan 
Monitoring Program. Testimony was heard from Fred Hochberg, Deputy 
Administrator, SBA; Joel C. Willemssen, Director, Civil Agencies 
Information Systems, Accounting and Information Management Division, 
GAO; and a public witness.
FAA'S BUDGET REQUEST AND FUNDING NEEDS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on the FAA's Budget request and funding needs. 
Testimony was heard from Edward T. Schafer, Governor, North Dakota; 
Paul E. Patton, Governor, Kentucky; Bill Campbell, Mayor, Atlanta, 
Georgia; the following officials of the State of Oklahoma: Susan 
Savage, Mayor, Tulsa; Mitch Surrett, Special Counsel, Secretary of 
Transportation; and Tom O'Neill, Aerospace Industry Deputy, Department 
of Commerce; and a public witness.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
COAST GUARD AND FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION BUDGET REQUESTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on the Coast Guard and 
Federal Maritime Commission Fiscal Year 2001 budget requests. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the U.S. Coast Guard, 
Department of Transportation: Adm. James M. Loy, USCG, Commandant; and 
Master Chief Petty Officer Vincent Patton, III, USCG; and Harold J. 
Creel, Jr., Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 
3313, Long Island South Restoration Act; and H.R. 2957, Lake 
Pontchartrain Basis Restoration Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Johnson of Connecticut, Ackerman, Shays, Jefferson, 
Lazio and Vitter; George E. Pataki, Governor, New York; John C. 
Rowland, Governor, Connecticut; and public witnesses.
SENIOR CITIZENS' FREEDOM TO WORK ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 5, 
Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act of 2000.
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION REFORM
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a 
hearing on unemployment compensation reform. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives English and Levin; Jane Dee Hull, Governor, Arizona; 
Raymond J. Uhalde, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment Training 
Administration, Department of Labor; Garey Forster, Secretary, 
Department of Labor, Louisiana; and public witnesses.

[[Page D138]]


ACCRUAL BASIS TAXPAYERS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
to review last year's repeal of the installment method of accounting 
for accrual basis taxpayers. Testimony was heard from Joseph M. Mikrut, 
Tax Legislative Counsel, Department of the Treasury; and public 
witnesses.
NSA
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on the NSA. Testimony was heard from departmental 
officials.

Joint Meetings
INTERNET DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACKS
  Joint Hearing: Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Criminal 
Justice Oversight concluded joint hearings with the House Committee on 
the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime to examine recent Internet denial 
of service attacks and the federal response, focusing on the challenges 
facing the Department of Justice in its fight against cybercrime, after 
receiving testimony from Eric Holder, Deputy Attorney General, Michael 
Vatis, Director, National Infrastructure Protection Center, Federal 
Bureau of Investigation, both of the Department of Justice; Howard 
Schmidt, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington; Charles Giancarlo, 
Cisco Systems Incorporated, San Jose, California; Paul Misener, 
Amazon.com, Seattle, Washington; Dan Rosensweig, ZDNet.com, New York, 
New York; Katherine T. Fithen, Software Engineering Institute CERT 
Coordination Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; James X. Dempsey, Center 
for Democracy and Technology, Washington, D.C.; Samuel A. Guiberson, 
Houston, Texas; and ``Mudge'', @stake, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts.
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
  Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of S. 761, to regulate interstate commerce by 
electronic means by permitting and encouraging the continued expansion 
of electronic commerce through the operation of free market forces, but 
did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the call.