[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 28, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D684-D686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WATER POLLUTION PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT ACT; EPA'S PROCESSED TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY 
LOAN RULES
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing on the following: H.R. 4502 Water 
Pollution Program Improvement Act of 2000; and EPA's proposed Total Maximum 
Daily Load rules on agriculture and silviculture. Testimony was heard from 
James R. Lyons, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, USDA; J. 
Charles Fox, Assistant Administrator, Water, EPA; Peter F. Guerrero, 
Director, Environmental Protection Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL SECURITY LABORATORIES MEASURES
Committee on Armed Services: Ordered reported the following measures: H. 
Res. 534, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
recent nuclear weapons security failures at Los Alamos National Laboratory 
demonstrate that security policy and security procedures within the National 
Nuclear Security Administration remain inadequate, that the individuals 
responsible for such policy and procedures must be held accountable for 
their performance, and that immediate action must be taken to correct 
security deficiencies; 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, amended, 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. 3383, to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to remove separate 
treatment or exemption for nuclear safety violations by nonprofit 
institutions; and H.R. 4737, amended, Nuclear Secrets Safety Act.
NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the National Missile Defense 
Program. Testimony was heard from Jacques S. Gansler, Under Secretary 
(Acquisition and Technology), Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
INTERNET GAMBLING FUNDING PROHIBITION ACT
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Ordered reported, as amended, 
H.R. 4419, Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act.
AMERICAN CONSUMER--SUMMER ENERGY CONCERNS
Committee on Commerce: Held a hearing on Summer Energy Concerns for the 
American Consumer. Testimony was heard from Bill Richardson, Secretary of 
Energy; Rodney E. Slater, Secretary of Transportation; Carol M. Browner, 
Administrator, EPA; Robert Pitofsky, Chairman, FTC; and public witnesses.
RISING FUEL PRICES--APPROPRIATE FEDERAL RESPONSE
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on Rising Fuel Prices and the 
Appropriate Federal Response. Testimony was heard from Bill Richardson, 
Secretary of Energy; Carol M. Browner, Administrator, EPA; Robert Pitofsky. 
Chairman, FTC; and public witnesses.
SEMIPOSTAL AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on the Postal Service approved 
for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 4437, Semipostal Authorization 
Act.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Administration: Met to consider pending business.
U.S. ASSISTANCE TO MICRONESIA AND THE MARSHALL ISLANDS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific 
held a hearing on U.S. Assistance to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands: A 
Question of Accountability. Testimony was heard from Susan S, Westin, 
Associate Director, International Relations and Trade Division, GAO; 
Ferdinand Aranza, Director, Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the 
Interior; Allen Stayman, Special Negotiator, Compact of Free Association, 
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State; and Fred 
Smith, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary, Asia-Pacific Affairs, 
Department of Defense.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights approved for full Committee action the following 
measures: H.R. 4528, amended, International Academic Opportunity Act of 
2000, H. Con. Res. 328, amended, expressing the sense of the Congress in 
recognition of the 10th anniversary of the free and fair elections in Burma 
and the urgent need to improve the democratic and human rights of the people 
of Burma; H. Con, Res. 257, amended, Concerning the emancipation of the 
Iranian Baha'i community; S. Con. Res. 81, expressing the sense of the 
Congress that the Government of the People's Republic of China should 
immediately release Rabiya Kadeer, her secretary, and her son, and permit 
them to move to the United States if they so desire; and H.Con. Res. 348, 
amended, expressing condemnation of the use of children as soldiers and 
expressing the belief that the United States should support and, where 
possible, lead efforts to end this abuse of human rights.

[[Page D685]]


LATIN AMERICA--DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH AND POVERTY REDUCTION
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere 
held a hearing on Development, Growth and Poverty Reduction in Latin 
America: Assessing the Effectiveness of Assistance. Testimony was heard from 
William E. Schuerch, Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Development, 
Debt and Environmental Policy, Department of the Treasury; Carl Leonard, 
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, AID, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.
OIL INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS TO COMPETITIVE PROBLEMS
Committee on the Judiciary: Continued oversight hearings on Solutions to 
Competitive Problems in the Oil Industry: Part 3. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Collins, Stabenow, Hall of Ohio, Hoekstra and Barrett of 
Wisconsin; Rich Parker, Director, Bureau of Competition, FTC; Bob 
Perciasepe, Assistant Administrator, Air and Pollution, EPA; Melanie 
Kenderdine, Acting Director, Office of Policy, Department of Energy; Tommy 
Thompson, Governor, State of Wisconsin; George Ryan, Governor, State of 
Illinois; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following measures: H.R. 755, 
amended, Guam War Restitution Act; S. 1030, to provide that the conveyance 
by the Bureau of Land Management of the surface estate to certain land in 
the State of Wyoming in exchange for certain private land will not result in 
the removal of the land from operation of the mining laws; S. 1508, Indian 
Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 1999; S. 1705, Castle 
Rock Ranch Acquisition Act of 2000; H.R. 2296, to amend the Revised Organic 
Act of the Virgin Islands to provide that the number of members on the 
legislature of the Virgin Islands and the number of such members 
constituting a quorum shall be determined by the laws of the Virgin Islands; 
H.R. 2462, amended, Guam Omnibus Opportunities Act; H.R. 2671, Yankton Sioux 
Tribe and Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska Development Trust Fund Act; H.R. 
4148, amended, Tribal Contract Support Cost Technical Amendments of 2000; 
H.R. 4286, amended, to provide for the establishment of the Cahaba River 
National Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County, Alabama; H.R. 4404, amended, to 
permit the payment of medical expenses incurred by the United States Park 
Police in the performance of duty to be made directly by the National Park 
Service, to allow for waiver and indemnification in mutual law enforcement 
agreements between the National Park Service and a State or political 
subdivision when required by State law; and H.R. 4442, National Wildlife 
Refuge System Centennial Act.
QUALITY HEALTH-CARE COALITION ACT OF 2000
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing one 
hour of general debate on H.R. 1304, Quality Health-Care Coalition Act of 
2000, equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of 
the Committee on the Judiciary. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule makes in order the Committee on the 
Judiciary amendment in the nature of a substitute now printed in the bill as 
an original bill for the purpose of amendment, which shall be considered as 
read. The rule waives all points of order against the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute. The rule makes in order only those amendments 
printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution. The rule 
provides that the amendments made in order 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 one motion to recommit with 
or without instructions.
INDEPENDENCE DAY DISTRICT WORK PERIOD ADJOURNMENT RESOLUTION
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule providing for the 
consideration of a concurrent resolution providing for the adjournment of 
the House and Senate for the Independence Day district work period. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the resolution. The rule 
lays House Resolution 469 and 482 on the table.
SAME DAY CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED BY THE RULES 
COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving clause 6(a) of 
rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it 
is reported from the Rules Committee) against certain resolutions reported 
from the Rules Committee. The rule applies the waiver to a special rule 
reported on or before the legislative day of Friday, June 30, 2000, 
providing for the consideration or disposition of a conference report to 
accompany the bill (H.R. 4425) making appropriations for military 
construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the 
Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for 
other purposes,

[[Page D686]]

or any amendment reported in disagreement from a conference thereon.
VIETNAM--DISAPPROVING EXTENSION OF WAIVER AUTHORITY CONTAINED IN TRADE ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Adversely reported H.J. Res. 99, disapproving 
the extension of the waiver authority contained in section 402(c) of the 
Trade Act of 1974 with respect to Vietnam.
F