[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 18, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D770-D772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported a measure (H.R. 4871) making 
appropriations for the Treasury Department, the United States Postal 
Service, the Executive Office of the President, and certain Independent 
Agencies, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001.
MEDICAID PROVIDER ENROLLMENT: ASSESSING STATE EFFORTS TO PREVENT FRAUD
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a 
hearing on ``Medicaid Provider Enrollment: Assessing State Efforts to 
Prevent Fraud.'' Testimony was heard from Thomas T. Kubic, Deputy Assistant 
Director, Criminal Investigations Division, FBI, Department of Justice; 
William J. Scanlon, Director, Health Financing and Public Health, GAO; the 
following officials of the State of California: Kathleen Connell, 
Controller; and Alan Cates, Chief, Medicaid Fraud Bureau; Ruben King-Shaw, 
Executive Director, Agency for Health Care Administration, State of Florida; 
and public witnesses.
MERCURY IN MEDICINE--ARE WE TAKING UNNECESSARY RISKS?
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on ``Mercury in Medicine--Are 
We Taking Unnecessary Risks?'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the EPA: Ramona Provato, Director, and Michael Firestone, 
Science Director, both with the Office of Children's Health Protection; and 
William Egan, Acting Office Director, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, 
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: Roger H.

[[Page D771]]

Bernier, M.D., Associate Director, Science at the National Immunization 
Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Marie Bristol-
Power, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--GAO
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information and Technology held an oversight hearing on ``The U.S. General 
Accounting Office.'' Testimony was heard from David Walker, Comptroller 
General, GAO; the following former Comptroller Generals: Elmer Staats and 
Charles Bowsher; and a public witness.
INTERNET LEGISLATION
  Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 
1686, Internet Freedom Act; and H.R. 1685, Internet Growth and 
Development Act of 1999, Part 2. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Tauzin and Eshoo; William Kennard, Chairman, FCC; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative 
Law approved for full Committee action H.R. 4700, to grant the consent of 
the Congress to the Kansas and Missouri Metropolitan Culture District 
Compact.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 4700 and 
H.R. 1293, Transportation Employee Fair Taxation Act of 1999. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Baird and McCarthy of Missouri; Audrey 
Langworthy, member Senate, State of Kansas; and public witnesses.
LOWER DELAWARE WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS ACT; STEENS MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS ACT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2317, Lower Delaware Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act; and H.R. 4828, Steens Mountain Wilderness Act of 2000. Testimony 
was heard from Senators Smith of Oregon and Wyden; Representatives Walden of 
Oregon, Blumenauer and Greenwood; from the following officials of the 
Department of the Interior: Molly McUsic, Counselor to the Secretary; and 
Katherine H. Stevenson, Associate Director, Cultural Resource Stewardship 
and Partnerships, National Park Service; Ronald M. Sworen, Mayor, Frenchtown 
Borough, New Jersey; and public witnesses.
RUSSIAN-AMERICAN TRUST AND COOPERATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule, 
providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 4118, Russian-American Trust and 
Cooperation Act of 2000. The rule provides that the amendment recommended by 
the Committee on International Relations now printed in the bill shall be 
considered as adopted. The rule makes in order an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute printed in the Congressional Record, if offered by 
Representative Gejdenson or his designee, which shall be considered as read 
and shall be separately debatable for one hour equally divided and 
controlled by the proponent and an opponent. Finally, the rule provides one 
motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Gilman.
COMPREHENSIVE RETIREMENT SECURITY AND PENSION REFORM ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified closed rule providing 
one hour of debate on H.R. 1102, to provide for pension reform, equally 
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Ways and Means. The rule provides that, in lieu of the 
amendment recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce now 
printed in the bill, the text of H.R. 4843 as reported by the Committee on 
Ways and Means shall be considered as adopted. The rule waives all points of 
order against consideration of the bill. The rule provides for consideration 
of the amendment printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the 
resolution, if offered by Representative Rangel or his designee, which shall 
be considered as read, and shall be separately debatable for one hour 
equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the amendment printed in 
the report. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or 
without instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Archer and 
Representatives Gutknecht, Rangel and Sanders.
CONFERENCE REPORT--DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points of 
order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 4576, making 
appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2001, and against its consideration. The rule provides that 
the conference report shall be considered as read. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Lewis of California and Murtha.
SAME DAY CONSIDERATION OF 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 the legislative day of July 19, 2000, providing for 
consideration or disposition of a conference report to accompany H.R. 4810, 
the Marriage Tax Penalty Elimination Reconciliation Act of 2000.

[[Page D772]]


LINEAR NO-THRESHOLD MODEL OF LOW-DOSE RADIATION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing 
on Reexamining the Scientific Basis for the Linear No-Threshold Model of 
Low-Dose Radiation. Testimony was heard from Gary L. Jones, Associate 
Director, Energy, Resources and Science Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
FINANCING COMMERCIAL SPACE VENTURES
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a hearing 
on Financing Commercial Space Ventures. Testimony was heard from Marcia S. 
Smith, Specialist in Aerospace and Telecom Policy, Congressional Research 
Service, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
GRADE-CROSSING WHISTLE BAN LAW IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Ground 
Transportation held a hearing on the Implementation of the Federal Railroad 
Administration Grade-Crossing Whistle Ban Law. Testimony was heard from 
Speaker Hastert; Representatives Hyde, Biggert, Kucinich, Crane, Rush, and 
Gutknecht; Jack Wells, Deputy Administrator, Federal Railroad 
Administration, Department of Transportation; Thomas J. Coyne, Mayor, Brook 
Park, Ohio; Robert Blomquist, Mayor, Olmstead Falls, Ohio; Rita Mullins, 
Mayor, Palatine, Illinois; Judith Rice, Commissioner, Department of 
Transportation, Chicago, Illinois; Richard Mathias, Chairman, Commerce 
Commission, Illinois; and public witnesses.
VETERANS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Benefits approved for full 
Committee action the following bills: H.R. 4850, Veterans Benefits Act of 
2000; and H.R. 4864, Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.
F