[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 17, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D484-D486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
TRADE RELATIONS WITH CHINA
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the Administration's 
proposal for permanent normal trade relations with China. Testimony was 
heard from William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce; Dan Glickman, 
Secretary of Agriculture; Charlene Barshefsky, U.S. Trade 
Representative; and public witnesses.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior approved for full 
Committee action the Interior appropriations for fiscal year 2001.
BANK MODERNIZATION ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Ordered reported, as 
amended, H.R. 4209, Bank Reserves Modernization Act of 2000.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Commerce: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 3383, 
to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to remove separate treatment or 
exemption for nuclear safety violations by nonprofit institutions; H.R. 
3906, amended, to ensure that the Department of Energy has appropriate 
mechanisms to independently assess the effectiveness of its policy and 
site performance in the areas of safeguards and security and cyber 
security; H.R. 4446, to ensure that the Secretary of Energy may 
continue to exercise certain authorities under the Price-Anderson Act 
through the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety, and 
Health; H.R. 3852, to extend the deadline for commencement of 
construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Alabama; S. 
1236, to extend the deadline under the Federal Power Act for 
commencement of the construction of the Arrowrock Dam Hydroelectric 
Project in the State of Idaho; H.R. 4201, amended, Noncommercial 
Broadcasting Freedom of Expression Act of 2000; H.R. 3489, Wireless 
Telecommunications Sourcing and Privacy Act; and H.R. 2498, amended, 
Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 1999.
EMBASSY SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS STATUS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the Status of 
Embassy Security Enhancements. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of State: Patrick F. Kennedy, Assistant

[[Page D485]]

Secretary, Bureau of Administration; David Carpenter, Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; and Jacquelyn L. Williams-
Bridgers, Inspector General.
NEW MILLENNIUM--U.S. AND THE CARIBBEAN
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on the U.S. and the Caribbean in the New 
Millennium: What is the Agenda? Testimony was heard from Ambassador 
H.E. Richard Leighton Bernal, Embassy of Jamaica; and public witnesses.
TECHNOLOGY WORKER TEMPORARY RELIEF ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 4227, 
Technology Worker Temporary Relief Act.
INTERNET TAX REFORM AND REDUCTION ACT; INTERNET TAX SIMPLIFICATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 4267, 
Internet Tax Reform and Reduction Act; and H.R. 4460, Internet Tax 
Simplification Act of 2000. Testimony was heard from Ron Kirk, Mayor, 
Dallas, Texas; Paul Harris, Sr., member, House of Delegates, State of 
Virginia; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 297, Lewis 
and Clark Rural Water System Act of 1999.
  The Committee also held a hearing on H.R. 3999, Virgin Islands and 
Guam Constitutional Self-Government Act of 2000. Testimony was heard 
from John Berry, Assistant Secretary, Policy, Management and Budget, 
Department of the Interior; the following officials of Guam: Carl T.C. 
Gutierrez, Governor; Antonio R. Unpingco, Speaker, Legislature; and 
Chief Justice Benjamin J.F. Cruz, Supreme Court; the following 
officials of the U.S. Virgin Islands: Charles W. Turnbull, Governor; 
and Vargrave Richards, President Legislature; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION FUND NEEDS AND USES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held an oversight hearing on Assessing future needs and uses of the 
Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund established under Title IV of the 
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Testimony was heard 
from Kathrine Henry, Acting Director, Office of Surface Mining, 
Department of the Interior; Max Maxfield, Auditor, State of Wyoming; 
and public witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by voice vote, a rule providing 
for the further consideration of H.R. 4205, National Defense 
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2001. The rule provides that no 
further amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute shall be in order except those printed in the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the resolution and pro forma amendments 
offered by the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Armed Services for the purpose of debate. The rule provides that, 
except as specified in section 4 of the resolution, each amendment 
printed in the report shall be considered only in the order printed in 
the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, 
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 provides that, each amendment printed in the report shall be 
debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and 
controlled by the proponent and an opponent and shall not be subject to 
amendment (except as specified in the report and except that the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services 
may each offer one pro forma amendment for the purpose of debate on any 
pending amendment). The rule waives all points of order against the 
amendments printed in the report. The rule allows the Chairman of the 
Committee of the Whole to postpone until a time during further 
consideration of the bill a request for a recorded vote on any 
amendment and to reduce voting time to five minutes on a postponed 
question if the vote follows a fifteen minute vote. The rule allows the 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to recognize for the 
consideration of any amendment printed in the report out of the order 
printed, but not sooner than one hour after the chairman of the 
Committee on Armed Services or a designee announces from the floor a 
request to that effect. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit, with or without instructions.
NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION ACT
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on a Plan to Renew Science, Math, 
Engineering and Technology Education in Kindergarten through 12th 
Grade: H.R. 4271, National Science Education Act. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.

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VA/DOD HEALTH CARE SHARING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on VA/DoD health care sharing. Testimony was heard from Stephen P. 
Backhus, Director, Veterans' Affairs and Military Health Care Issues, 
Health, Education, and Human Services Division, GAO; Thomas L. 
Garthwaite, M.D., Deputy Under Secretary, Health, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Gwendolyn A. Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Health Budgets and 
Financial Policy; and Lt. Gen. Paul K. Carlton, Jr., USAF, Surgeon 
General, U.S. Air Force; and a public witness.
CHINA--NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TREATMENT; REPEAL EXCISE TAX--TELEPHONE 
AND OTHER COMMUNICATION SERVICES
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 4444, to authorize extension of nondiscriminatory 
treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the People's Republic 
of China; and H.R. 3916, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
repeal the excise tax on telephone and other communication services.