[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D178-D182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW--FOREST SERVICE BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing to review the U.S. 
Forest Service budget request for Fiscal Year 2001. Testimony was heard 
from Mike Dombeck, Chief, Forest Service, USDA.
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 Research, Education and Extension. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the USDA: I. Miley Gonzalez, Under 
Secretary, Research, Education and Economics; and Stephen B. Dewhurst, 
Director, Office of Budget and Program Analysis.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE, AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and Judiciary held a hearing on the Attorney General. Testimony was 
heard from Janet Reno, Attorney General, Department of Justice.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Fiscal Year 2001 Air Force Budget Overview. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of the Air Force, Department 
of Defense: F. Whitten Peters, Secretary; and Gen. Michael E. Ryan, 
USAF, Chief of Staff.

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  The Subcommittee also met in executive session to hold a hearing on 
Fiscal Year 2001 Air Force Acquisition Program. Testimony was heard 
from Lawrence Delaney, Assistant Secretary, the Air Force, Acquisition, 
Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on the Secretary of Energy. Testimony was 
heard from Bill Richardson, Secretary of Energy.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held an oversight 
hearing on Bureau of Indian Affairs Reorganization/National Academy of 
Public Administration Report, and a hearing on the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and the Smithsonian. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Interior: Kevin Gover, Assistant 
Secretary, Indian Affairs; and Thomas M. Thompson, Principal Deputy 
Special Trustee for American Indians, Office of the Special Trustee; 
Larry Small, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution; and public witnesses.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on National Institute of 
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Director, the NIH and 
the Office of Director Panel. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the NIH, Department of Health and Human Services: Ruth 
Kirschstein, M.D., Acting Director; and Stephen I. Katz, M.D., 
Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin 
Diseases.
  The Subcommittee also continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation held a 
hearing on Federal Transit Capital Project. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Transportation: Raymond 
DeCarli, Deputy Inspector General; and Nuria Fernandez, Acting 
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration; Phyllis F. Scheinberg, 
Associate Director, Transportation Issues, Resources, Community and 
Economic Development Division, GAO; Sergio Gonzalez, Secretary of 
Transportation, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and public witnesses.
VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development. Testimony was heard from Andrew Cuomo, Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development.
ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE AND RESERVE COMPONENT ISSUES
Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on Sustaining the All Volunteer Force and Reserve Component 
Issues. Testimony was heard from Norman J. Rabkin, Director, National 
Security Preparedness Issues, GAO; the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Rudy de Leon, Under Secretary, Personnel and 
Readiness; Charles L. Cragin, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Reserve Affairs; Lt. Gen. David H. Ohle, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, 
Personnel, U.S. Army; Vice Adm. Norbert Ryan, USN, Chief, Naval 
Personnel, U.S. Navy; Lt. Gen. Donald L. Peterson, USAF, Deputy Chief 
of Staff, U.S. Air Force; Lt. Gen. Jack W. Klimp, USMC, Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Marine Corps; Lt. Gen. 
Russell C. Davis, USAF, Chief, National Guard Bureau; Maj. Gen. Roger 
C. Schultz, USA, Director, Army National Guard; Maj. Gen. Thomas J. 
Plewes, USA, Chief, U.S. Army Reserve; Rear Adm. John B. Totusek, USN, 
Director, U.S. Naval Reserve; Maj. Gen. Paul A. Weaver, USAF, Director, 
Air National Guard; Maj. Gen. James F. Sherrard III, USAF, Chief, Air 
Force Reserve and Commander, Air Force Reserve Command; and Maj. Gen. 
David M. Mize, USMC, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Rear Adm. D. 
Dennis Sirois, USCG, Director, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, Department of 
Transportation.
INFORMATION SUPERIORITY AND INFORMATION ASSURANCE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Readiness and the 
Subcommittee on Research and Development held a joint hearing on 
information superiority and information assurance. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Art Money, 
Assistant Secretary (Command, Control, Communications and 
Intelligence); Lt. Gen. John L. Woodward, Jr., USA, Director, Command, 
Control, Communications and Computers Systems, The Joint Staff; Lt. 
Gen. William H. Campbell, USA, Director, Information Systems, Command, 
Control, and Computers, Department of the Army; Rear Adm. Richard W. 
Mayo, USN, Director, Space, Information, Warfare, Command and Control, 
Department of the Navy; Lt.

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Gen. William J. Donahue, USAF, Director, Headquarters Communications 
and Information, Department of the Air Force; and Brig. Gen. Robert 
Shea, USMC, Assistant Deputy Commandant, Command, Control, 
Communications, and Intelligence, U.S. Marine Corps; Neal Lane, 
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Office of 
Science and Technology Policy; and John S. Tritak, Director, Critical 
Infrastructure Assurance Office.
GLOBAL AIDS CRISIS
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on the 
Global AIDS crisis and pandemic in Africa, including H.R. 3519, World 
Bank AIDS Prevention Trust Fund Act. Testimony was heard from Senator 
Kerry; Representative Houghton; Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, to the 
United Nations, Department of State; Sandra L. Thurman, Director, White 
House Office of National AIDS Policy; Timothy F. Geithner, Under 
Secretary (International Affairs), Department of the Treasury; and 
public witnesses.
TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Youth, and Families held a hearing on Technology in 
Education. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--2000 CENSUS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on the Census held an 
oversight hearing of the 2000 Census: Status of Bureau Census 
Operations and Activities. Testimony was heard from Kenneth Prewitt, 
Director, Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.
COMBATING TERRORISM
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Veterans' Affairs and International Relations held a hearing on 
Combating Terrorism: Management of Medical Stockpiles. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the GAO: Cynthia Bascetta, 
Associate Director, Veterans Affairs and Military Health Issues; and 
Martin J. Eble, Senior Evaluator, Accounting and Information Management 
Division; Frances Murphy, M.D., Acting Under Secretary, Policy and 
Management, Department of Veterans Affairs; the following officials of 
the Department of Health and Human Services: Robert F. Knouss, M.D., 
Office of Emergency Preparedness, Public Health Service; and Stephen M. 
Ostroff, Associate Director, Epidemiologic Science, National Center for 
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and 
Col. Carlos Hollifield, USMC, Commander, Chemical Biological Incident 
Response Force, U.S. Marine Corps, Department of Defense.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Administration: Met to consider pending business.
ASIA-U.S. SECURITY CONCERNS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on U.S. Security Concerns in Asia. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Adm. 
Dennis Blair, USN, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command; and 
Franklin D. Kramer, Assistant Secretary, International Security 
Affairs; and Rust Deming, Acting Assistant Secretary, East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, Department of State.
HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES--COUNTRY REPORT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights held a hearing on Country Report on Human 
Rights Practices for 1999. Testimony was heard from Harold Hongju Koh, 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.
PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Continued markup of H.R. 2372, Private 
Property Rights Implementation Act of 1999.
  Will continue tomorrow.
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims 
approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 3244, Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 1999.
WAGE AND EMPLOYMENT GROWTH ACT OF 1999; MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE
Committee on Rules: Granted by a vote of 7 to 3, a closed rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 3081, Wage and Employment Growth 
Act of 1999, in the House without intervention of any point of order. 
The rule provides that the bill be considered as read and that, in lieu 
of the amendment recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means now 
printed in the bill, the text of H.R. 3832, Small Business Tax Fairness 
Act of 2000, shall be considered as adopted. The rule provides two 
hours of debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit H.R. 3081 with or without instructions. 
Testimony

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was heard from Chairman Archer and Representatives Gutknecht, Rangel, 
Bonior, Phelps, and Sandlin.
  The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 3846, A Bill to 
Increase the Minimum Wage, in the House under a modified closed rule. 
The rule provides that the bill be considered as read and shall be 
debatable for one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce. The rule provides for consideration of the amendments 
printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution, 
which shall be in order without intervention of any point of order, 
except those arising under section 425 of the Congressional Budget Act 
(prohibiting consideration of legislation containing certain unfunded 
mandates). The rule provides that the amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the resolution may only be offered by the 
Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, and shall 
be separately debatable for the time specified in the report equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit H.R. 3846 with or without instructions. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Goodling and Representatives Shimkus, 
Clay, and Kleczka
  Finally, the rule provides that in the engrossment of H.R. 3081, the 
clerk shall add the text of H.R. 3846, as passed by the House, as a new 
matter at the end of H.R. 3081, after which H.R. 3846 shall be laid on 
the table.
IVANPAH VALLEY AIRPORT PUBLIC LANDS TRANSFER ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote an open rule on H.R. 1695, 
Ivanpah Valley Airport Public Lands Transfer, providing one hour of 
general debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Resources. The rule waives all 
points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule makes in 
order the Committee on Resources amendment in the nature of a 
substitute now printed in the bill as an original bill for the purpose 
of amendment, which shall be open for amendment at any point. The rule 
waives all points of order against the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute. The rule provides that the amendment printed in 
the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution shall 
be considered as read and shall not be subject to a demand for a 
division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. 
The rule authorizes the Chair 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. Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Hansen and Gibbons.
CONFERENCE REPORT--COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE COMPETITION AND 
PRIVATIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote a rule waiving all points of 
order against the conference report to accompany S. 376, Communications 
Satellite Competition and Privatization Act, and against its 
consideration. Testimony was heard from Chairman Bliley.
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Ground 
Transportation held a hearing on Implementation of the Transportation 
Equity Act for the 21st Century by the Department of Transportation. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Transportation: Kenneth R. Wykle, Administrator; and Julie A. Cirillo, 
Acting Deputy Administrator and Acting Chief Safety Officer, Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, both with the Federal Highway 
Administration, Joline M. Molitoris, Administrator, Federal Railroad 
Administration; Kelley S. Coyner, Administrator, Research and Special 
Programs Administration; Nuria Fernandez, Acting Administrator, Federal 
Transit Administration; Nuria Fernandez, Acting Administrator, Federal 
Transit Administration; and Rosalyn G. Millman, Acting Administrator, 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT PROPOSALS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment approved for full Committee action, as 
amended, the following bills: H.R. 910, San Gabriel Basis Water Quality 
Initiative; and H.R. 2328, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act to reauthorize the Clean Lakes Program.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on proposals for a Water 
Resources Development Act of 2000. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Pomeroy, LaHood, McGovern and Bereuter.

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KOSOVO
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Kosovo. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.