[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 62 (Thursday, May 18, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D495-D497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
``MEDICARE'S REGULATORY BURDEN ON PROVIDERS''
Committee on the Budget: Health Task Force held a hearing on 
``Medicare's Regulatory Burden on Providers''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH: PROTECTING SURPLUS CHIMPANZEES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a 
hearing on Biomedical Research: Protecting Surplus Chimpanzees. 
Testimony was heard from John Strandberg, M.D., Director, Comparative 
Medicine, National Center for Research Resources, NIH, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
FREEDOM AND PRIVACY RESTORATION ACT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology held a hearing on H.R. 220, Freedom and 
Privacy Restoration Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Paul; Barbara Bobvjerg, Associate Director, Education, 
Workforce and Income Security Issues, Health, Education, and Human 
Services Division, GAO; Fritz Streckewald, Associate Commissioner, 
Program Benefits, SSA; and public witnesses.
LOOMING FAMINE IN ETHIOPIA
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Looming Famine 
in Ethiopia. Testimony was heard from Hugh Q. Parmer, Assistant 
Administrator, Bureau for Humanitarian Response, AID, Department of 
State; Catherine Bertini, (via video-conference), Executive Director, 
World Food Programme, Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary 
General to the Horn of Africa; and public witnesses.

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COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICANS FOR DISABILITIES ACT--ADA NOTIFICATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing in H.R. 3590, ADA Notification Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Foley and Shaw; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--PRIVACY AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual 
Property held an oversight hearing on Privacy and Electronic 
Communications. Testimony was heard from Andy Pincus, General Counsel, 
Department of Commerce; Jodie Bernstein, Director, Bureau of Consumer 
Protection, FTC; and public witnesses.
VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION SAFETY ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held a hearing on 
H.R. 3410, Volunteer Organization Safety Act of 1999. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Sessions and Granger; David R. Loesch, 
Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, 
FBI, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--MINERAL RIGHTS AND FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PAYMENTS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
continued oversight hearings to examine the laws, policies, practices, 
and operations of the Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, 
and other agencies pertaining to payments to their employees, including 
payments relative to mineral royalty programs and policies from public 
lands and Indian lands. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Justice: Stuart Schiffer, Deputy 
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division; and O. Kenneth Dodd, 
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Texas; Robert A. Berman, 
Economist, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife, and Oceans approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 3535, amended, Shark Finning Prohibition Act; H.R. 4408, to 
reauthorize the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act; and H.R. 4435, 
to clarify certain boundaries on the map relating to Unit NCO of the 
Coastal Barrier Resources System.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 2798, Pacific Salmon 
Recovery Act of 1999. Testimony was heard from Representative Thompson 
of California; Dave Benton, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Fish and 
Game, State of Alaska; Jeff Koenings, Director, Department of Fish and 
Wildlife, State of Washington; David Bunn, Deputy Director, Department 
of Fish and Game, State of California; Geoff Huntington, Executive 
Director, Watershed Enhancement Board, State of Oregon; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 2267, 
amended, Willing Seller Amendments of 1999 to the National Trails 
System Act; H.R. 2409, El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic 
Trail Act of 1999; H.R. 2833, amended, Yuma Crossing National Heritage 
Area Act of 1999; H.R. 2919, National Underground Railroad Freedom 
Center Act; H.R. 3661, amended, General Aviation Access Act; and H.R. 
4115, amended, to authorize appropriations for the United States 
Holocaust Memorial Museum.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 4275, Colorado Canyons 
National Conservation Area and the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Act 
of 2000. Testimony was heard from Representative McInnis; Molly McUsic, 
Counselor to the Secretary, Department of the Interior; Tim Pollard, 
Assistant Director, Department of Natural Resources, State of Colorado; 
and public witnesses.
INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified open rule on 
H.R. 4392, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, 
providing one hour of general debate to be equally divided and 
controlled between the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The rule waives points of 
order against consideration of the bill for failure to comply with 
clause 4(a) of Rule XIII (requiring a three-day availability of the 
report). The rule provides that it shall be in order to consider as an 
original bill for the purpose of amendment the amendment in the nature 
of a substitute recommended by the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence now printed in the bill. The rule provides that the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be open for amendment by 
title. The rule waives points of order against the committee amendment 
in the nature of a substitute for failure to comply with clause 7 of 
rule XVI (prohibiting nongermane amendments). The rule provides for the 
consideration of only pro forma amendments for the purpose of debate 
and those amendments preprinted in the Congressional Record prior to 
their consideration, which may be offered only by

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the Member who caused it to be printed or his designee, and shall be 
considered as read. 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 Goss and Representative Dixon.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule on H.R. 4475, 
making appropriations for the Department of Transportation and related 
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, providing one 
hour of general debate equally divided and controlled between the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendments 
printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution shall 
be considered as adopted. The rule waives clause 2 of rule XXI 
(prohibiting unauthorized or legislative provisions in an 
appropriations bill) against provisions in the bill, as amended, except 
as otherwise specified in the rule. 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. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Wolf and Sabo.
VA DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESSING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on VA disability claims processing. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs: Michael Slachta, Jr., Assistant Inspector General, 
Auditing; and Joseph Thompson, Under Secretary, Benefits; Cynthia 
Bascetta, Associate Director, Health, Education, and Human Services 
Division, GAO; representatives of veterans organizations; and public 
witnesses.
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a 
hearing on Child Support Enforcement. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Cox and Castle; Olivia A. Golden, Assistant Secretary, 
Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services; Marilyn 
Ray Smith, Associate Deputy Commissioner and Chief Legal Counsel, Child 
Support Enforcement Division, Department of Revenue, State of 
Massachusetts; Howard Baldwin, Deputy Attorney General, Office of Child 
Support, State of Texas; Laura Kadwell, Director, Office of Child 
Support Enforcement, State of Minnesota; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
MILLENNIUM DIGITAL COMMERCE ACT
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 call.