[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 45 (Tuesday, April 11, 2000)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D347-D349] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) NOMINATION Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded hearings on the nomination of [[Page D348]] Christopher A. McLean, of Nebraska, to be Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, Department of Agriculture, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Hagel and Kerrey, testified and answered questions in his own behalf. MTBE AND RENEWABLE FUELS Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded hearings to examine issues relating to alleged pollution of drinking water supplies by Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), the future of renewable fuels, and the Reformulated Gasoline Program, after receiving testimony from Keith Collins, Chief Economist, Department of Agriculture; Robert Perciasepe, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency; Mark J. Mazur, Director, Office of Policy, Department of Energy; R. James Woolsey, Shea and Gardner, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Advisory Committee of the Clean Fuels Foundation; Iowa Governor Thomas Vilsack, Des Moines, on behalf of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition; Trevor T. Guthmiller, American Coalition for Ethanol, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Nathan Kimpel, New Energy Corporation, South Bend, Indiana; Rus Miller, Arkenol, Inc., Mission Viejo, California; Jason S. Grumet, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, Boston, Massachusetts; and David Morris, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Minneapolis, Minnesota. APPROPRIATIONS--DOE Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development concluded hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2001 for the Department of Energy, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from Carolyn L. Huntoon, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, Dan W. Reicher, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, James Decker, Acting Director, Office of Science, William D. Magwood, IV, Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, and Ivan Itkin, Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, all of the Department of Energy. APPROPRIATIONS--FOREIGN HEALTH ASSISTANCE Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations concluded hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2001 for foreign health assistance, focusing on the President's Millennium Initiative to help combat infectious diseases, after receiving testimony from Lawrence H. Summers, Secretary of the Treasury; Adel Mahmoud, Merck and Co., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey; Gro Brundtland, General World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; William Foege, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; and Nils Daulaire, Global Health Council, Norwich, Vermont. APPROPRIATIONS--DOE Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior concluded hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2001 for the Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Bill Richardson, Secretary of Energy. NOMINATIONS Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of Bernard Daniel Rostker, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Gregory Robert Dahlberg, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of the Army, and Madelyn R. Creedon, of Indiana, to be Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. Mr. Dahlberg was introduced by Representative Murtha. WTO CHINA ACCESSION Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded hearings to examine China's accession into the World Trade Organization, focusing on granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations, after receiving testimony from William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce; Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, USAF (Ret.), Scowcroft Group, former National Security Advisor, H. Richard Kahler, Caterpillar China, Inc., on behalf of the Business Roundtable, Jack Valenti, Motion Picture Association of America, Lori Wallach, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, and Harry Wu, Laogai Research Foundation, all of Washington, D.C. ELECTRIC POWER Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held hearings on S. 2098, to facilitate the transition to more competitive and efficient electric power markets, and to ensure electric reliability, S. 2071, to benefit electricity consumers by promoting the reliability of the bulk- power system, S. 1369, to enhance the benefits of the national electric system by encouraging and supporting State programs for renewable energy sources, universal electric service, affordable electric service, and energy conservation and efficiency, S. 1284, to amend the Federal Power Act to ensure that no State may establish, maintain, or enforce on behalf of any electric utility an exclusive right to sell electric energy or otherwise unduly discriminate against any consumer who seeks to purchase electric energy in interstate commerce from [[Page D349]] any supplier, S. 1273, to amend the Federal Power Act, to facilitate the transition to more competitive and efficient electric power markets, S. 1047, to provide for a more competitive electric power industry, S. 516, to benefit consumers by promoting competition in the electric power industry, and S. 282, to provide that no electric utility shall be required to enter into a new contract or obligation to purchase or to sell electricity or capacity under section 210 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, receiving testimony from Bill Richardson, Secretary of Energy; Arthur W. Adelberg, Central Maine Power Group, Inc., on behalf of the Alliance for Competitive Electricity, and Stephen Ward, Maine Office of Public Advocate, on behalf of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, both of Augusta; Bob Rowe, Montana Public Service Commission, Helena, on behalf of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; David N. Cook, North American Electric Reliability Council, Princeton, New Jersey; and William Mayben, Nebraska Public Power District, Columbus, on behalf of the Large Public Power Council. Hearings continue on Thursday, April 13. NOMINATIONS Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of Carey Cavanaugh, of Florida, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Negotiator for Nagorno-Karabakh and New Independent States Regional Conflicts, Christopher Robert Hill, of Rhode Island, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, and Thomas G. Weston, of Michigan, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Coordinator for Cyprus, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. U.S. CHINA POLICY Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings on United States policy towards the People's Republic of China, focusing on granting Permanent Normal Trade Status and human rights conditions, receiving testimony from Wei Jingsheng, Columbia University Center for the Study of Human Rights, New York, New York, on behalf of the Wei Jingsheng Foundation, Inc.; and Arthur Waldron, American Enterprise Institute, Greg Mastel, New America Foundation, and Robert A. Kapp, U.S.-China Business Council, all of Washington, D.C. Hearings recessed subject to call. EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Children and Families concluded hearings to examine early childhood programs for low-income families, focusing on federal and state funding and collaborative efforts and the effectiveness of federal preschool and child care programs, after receiving testimony from Marnie S. Shaul, Associate Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, Health, Education, and Human Services Division, General Accounting Office; Elaine Zimmerman, Connecticut General Assembly Commission on Children, Hartford; and Douglas J. Besharov, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C. FUNERAL AND BURIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine issues facing consumers when preplanning, arranging and conducting funeral and burial activities, focusing on educating consumers about funeral-related industries, exposing bad practices, exploring the extent of consumer satisfaction, and law enforcement activities, after receiving testimony from Eileen Harrington, Associate Director for Marketing Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission; G. V. Ayers, California Department of Consumer Affairs Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, Sacramento; Jay U. Jacobson, Pella, Iowa, on behalf of the National Funeral Directors Association; and Paul M. Elvig, International Cemetery and Funeral Association, Reston, Virginia.