[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 5, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D318-D320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
and Judiciary held a hearing on U.S. Trade Representative. Testimony 
was heard from Charlene Barshefsky, U.S. Trade Representative.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held an oversight 
hearing on the Everglades. Testimony was heard from Jim Wells, 
Director, Energy and Natural Resources Division, GAO; and Mary Doyle, 
Chairperson, South Florida Task Force, and Counselor to the Secretary, 
Department of the Interior.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs: Thomas Garthwaite, M.D., Acting Under Secretary, 
Health; John Feussner, M.D., Chief Research and Development Officer; 
Kenneth Clark, Chief Network Officer; Joseph Thompson, Under Secretary, 
Benefits; Michael Walker, Acting Under Secretary, Memorial Affairs; 
Richard Griffin, Inspector General; Edward Powell, Assistant Secretary, 
Financial Management; Mark Catlett, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Budget; 
Leigh Bradley, General Counsel; E.D. Clark, Chairman, Board of Veterans 
Appeals; Harold Gracey, Jr., Acting Assistant Secretary, Information 
and Technology; Eugene Brickhouse, Assistant Secretary, Human Resources 
and Administration; and Dennis Duffy, Assistant Secretary, Planning and 
Analysis, and Acting Secretary, Congressional Affairs.
ENERGY POLICY ACT TECHNICS; NATIONAL OILHEAT RESEARCH
Committee on Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a hearing 
on H.R. 2641, to make technical corrections to title X of the Energy 
Policy Act of 1992. Testimony was heard from James J. Fiori, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Environmental Management for Site Closure, 
Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 380, National Oilheat 
Research Alliance Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
EDUCATION OPTIONS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Began markup of H.R. 4141, 
Education Opportunities To Protect and Invest In Our Nation's Students 
(Education OPTIONS) Act.

[[Page D319]]


  Will continue tomorrow.
OSHA'S EMPLOYEE WORK AT HOME POLICY
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Rulemaking at the U.S. Department of 
Labor: OSHA's Employee Work at Home Policy. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Labor: Edward Montgomery, 
Deputy Secretary; and Sally Patricia Paxton, Deputy Solicitor; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--2000 CENSUS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on the Census held an 
oversight hearing of the 2000 Census: Mail-back Response Rates and 
Status of Key Operations. Testimony was heard from J. Christopher Mihm, 
Associate Director, Federal Management and Workforce Issues, GAO; and 
Kenneth Prewitt, Director, Bureau of the Census, Department of 
Commerce.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology approved for full Committee action the 
following measures: H.R. 1625, Human Rights Information Act; H.R. 4110, 
to amend title 44, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for 
the National Historical Publications and Records Commission for fiscal 
years 2002 through 2005; H. Res, 15, expressing the sense of the House 
of Representatives regarding Government procurement access for women-
owned businesses; H.R. 3582, Federal Contractor Flexibility Act; and a 
concurrent resolution on the year 2000 computer problem.
HAITI: PROSPECTS FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Haiti: 
Prospects for Free and Fair Elections. Testimony was heard from Peter 
F. Romero, Acting Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere Affairs, 
Department of State.
INTERNET GAMBLING PROHIBITION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Began markup of H.R. 3125, Internet 
Gambling Prohibition Act of 1999.
  Will continue tomorrow.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following measures: S. 
406, Alaska Native and American Indian Direct Reimbursement Act; H. 
Res. 443, amended, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
with regard to the centennial of the raising of the United States flag 
in American Samoa; H.R. 1509, to authorize the Disabled Veterans' LIFE 
Memorial Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia 
or its environs to honor veterans who became disabled while serving in 
the Armed Forces of the United States; H.R. 2647, to amend the Act 
entitled ``An Act relating to the water rights of the Ak-Chin Indian 
Community'' to clarify certain provisions concerning the leasing of 
such water rights; H.R. 2932, amended, Golden Spike/Crossroads of the 
West National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 2958, to provide for the 
continuation of higher education through the conveyance of certain 
public lands in the State of Alaska to the University of Alaska; H.R. 
3182, Craig Municipal Equity Act; H.R. 3577, to increase the amount 
authorized to be appropriated for the north side pumping division of 
the Minidoka reclamation project, Idaho; H.R. 3293, amended, to amend 
the law that authorized the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to authorize the 
placement within the site of the memorial of a plaque to honor those 
Vietnam veterans who died after their service in the Vietnam war, but 
as a direct result of that service; and H.R. 4021, Giant Sequoia Groves 
Protection and Management Act of 2000.
AMERICAN HOMEOWNERSHIP AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT
Committee on Rules: The Committee granted, by voice vote, a structured 
rule, providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 1776, American Homeownership 
and Economic Opportunity Act. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. The rule makes in order the 
Committee on Banking and Financial Services amendment in the nature of 
a substitute now printed in the bill as an original bill for the 
purpose of amendment. The rule waives all points of order against the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule makes in 
order only those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report which 
may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered 
only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided 
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject 
to amendment, 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 
waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the 
report. The rule permits 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

[[Page D320]]

for one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was 
heard from Chairman Leach and Representatives Lazio, LaFalce, Frank of 
Massachusetts, Waters Weygand, Inslee, Rush and Sanchez.
CASH VERSUS ACCRUAL
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on Cash versus Accrual: The 
Policy Implications of the Growing Inability of Small Businesses to Use 
Simple Tax Accounting. Testimony was heard from Joseph M. Mikrut, Tax 
Legislative Counsel, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment approved for full Committee action, as 
amended, the following bills: H.R. 673, Florida Keys Water Quality 
Improvements Act of 1999; H.R. 855, Long Island Sound Preservation and 
Protection Act; H.R. 1106, Alternative Water Sources Act of 1999; H.R. 
1237, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to permit grants 
for the national estuary program to be used for the development and 
implementation of a comprehensive conservation and management plan, to 
reauthorize appropriations to carry out the program; H.R. 2957, Lake 
Pontchartrain Basin Protection Act of 1999 and H.R. 3313, Long Island 
Sound Restoration Act.
VA CAPITAL ASSET PLANNING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on VA Capital Asset Planning. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Weldon of Florida; Stephan P. Backhus, Director, Veterans' Affairs and 
Military Health Care Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services 
Division, GAO; the following officials of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs: Frances M. Murphy, M.D., Acting Under Secretary, Policy and 
Management; Terrence S. Batliner, DDS, Director, VISN 19; and Dennis 
Smith, Director, VA Maryland Health Care System; and representatives of 
veterans organizations.
TAXPAYER BILL OF RIGHTS 2000
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 4163, 
Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2000.