[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 25, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D820-D822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
U.S. GRAIN STANDARDS REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Resource 
Conservation, and Credit approved for full Committee action, as amended, 
H.R. 4788, United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2000.
CONDUCT OF MONETARY POLICY
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on Conduct of 
Monetary Policy. Testimony was heard from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of 
Governors, Federal Reserve System.
GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTERPRISES; IMPLICATION OF DEBT HELD
Committee on the Budget: Task Force on Housing and Infrastructure held a 
hearing on ``Economic Implications of Debt Held By Government Sponsored 
Enterprises.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development: Armando Falcon, Director, 
Office of Federal Housing and Enterprise Oversight; and William C. Apgar, 
Assistant Secretary, Housing, Federal Highway Commissioner and Designee to 
the Federal Housing Finance Board; Thomas J. McCool, Director, Financial 
Institutions and Markets Issues, GAO; Barbara Miles, Specialist in Financial 
Institutions, Domestic Social Policy Division, Congressional Research 
Service, Library of Congress; and a public witness.
OVERSIGHT--HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held an oversight hearing on High Definition Television 
(HDTV) and related matters. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEFRAUDING MEDICARE
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information and Technology held a hearing on ``Defrauding Medicare: How easy 
is it and what can we do to stop it?'' Testimony was heard from Senator 
Collins; Robert H. Hast, Assistant Comptroller General, Special 
Investigations, GAO; the following officials of the Department of Health and 
Human Services: John E. Hartwig, Deputy Inspector General, Investigations; 
and Penny Thompson, Director, Program Integrity, Health Care Financing 
Administration; John Krayniak, Deputy Attorney General, Director, Medicaid 
Fraud Control Unit, State of New Jersey; and public witnesses.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Postal Service held a 
hearing on ``The U.S. Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service: 
Market Competition and Law Enforcement in Conflict?'' Testimony was heard 
from John Nolan, Deputy Postmaster General, U.S. Postal Service; and public 
witnesses.
CONGRATULATING PEOPLE OF MEXICO; INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered the following 
resolution and adopted a motion urging the Chairman to request that it be 
considered on the Suspension Calendar: H. Res. 544, congratulating the 
people of the United Mexican States on the success of their democratic 
elections held on July 2, 2000.
  The Committee also held a hearing on the International Criminal Court: A 
Threat to American Military Personnel?-Part 1. Testimony was heard from 
Lawrence S. Eagleburger, former Secretary of State; and a public witness.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
RESOLUTION--SOUTH KOREA AND NORTH KOREA RECENT SUMMIT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific 
approved for full Committee action, as amended, H. Res. 543, expressing the 
sense of the House of Representatives regarding the recent

[[Page D821]]

summit held by the Presidents of South Korea and North Korea.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 238, 
amended, to amend section 274 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to 
impose mandatory minimum sentences, and increase certain sentences, for 
bringing in and harboring certain aliens and to amend title 18, United 
States Code, to provide enhanced penalties for persons committing such 
offenses while armed; H.R. 2987, amended, Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation 
Act of 1999; H.R. 3235, amended, the National Police Athletic League Youth 
Enrichment Act of 1999; and H.R. 4870, Patent Technical Corrections Act of 
2000.
MINERAL RIGHTS, AND FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PAYMENTS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a 
hearing to examine laws, policies, practices, and operations of the 
Department of the Interior and Department of Energy related to payments to 
their employees (including federal public land oil royalty and valuation 
policy advisors) from outside sources, (including the Project on Government 
Oversight); and to examine (a) the source of funds for such payments, (b) 
the relationship between those managing and overseeing the organization that 
made the payments and the individuals who received the payments, (c) the 
effect of the payments on programs, policies, and positions of such 
departments. Testimony was heard from Mari R. Barr, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Human Resources, Department of the Interior; Eric J. Fygi, 
General Counsel, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE; OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL FOREST TIMBER SALE PROGRAM
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held a 
hearing on H.R. 4656, to authorize the Forest Service to convey certain 
lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin to the Washoe County School District for use 
as an elementary school site. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Gibbons; and Jack Craven, Director, Lands, Forest Service, USDA.
  The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing on the Once and Future 
National Forest Timber Sale Program. Testimony was heard from Ann M. 
Bartuska, Director, Forest Management, Forest Service, USDA; and public 
witnesses.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a modified open rule providing 
one hour of general debate on H.R. 4942, making appropriations for the 
government of the District of Columbia and other activities chargeable in 
whole or in part against revenues of said District for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2001, to be equally divided 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 waives 
clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized appropriations, legislative 
provisions or re-appropriations in a general appropriations bill) against 
provisions in the bill, except as specified by the rule. The rule makes in 
order only those amendments that have been pre-printed in the Congressional 
Record and amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules 
accompanying the resolution. The rule waives all points of order against the 
amendments printed in the Rules Committee report, which shall be offered 
only by a Member designated in the report and only at the appropriate point 
in the reading of the bill, 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 division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. 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. Testimony was heard from Representatives Istook, 
Tiahrt, Davis of Virginia, Bilbray, Moran of Virginia, and Norton.
NUCLEAR ENERGY'S ROLE: IMPROVING U.S. ENERGY SECURITY AND REDUCING EMISSIONS
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing 
on Nuclear's Energy Role: Improving U.S. Energy Security and Reducing 
Emissions. Testimony was heard from Representative Knollenberg; James J. 
Duderstadt, Chair, Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Committee to the 
Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Economic 
Development, Public Buildings, Hazardous Materials and Pipeline 
Transportation approved for full Committee action the following: GSA's 
Fiscal Year 2001 Courthouse Construction Program; Out of Cycle Lease-San 
Francisco/Oakland, California (IRS); S. 1794, to designate the Federal 
courthouse at 145 East Simpson Avenue in Jackson, Wyoming, as the ``Clifford 
P. Hansen Federal Courthouse''; and H.R. 4806, to designate the Federal 
building located at 1710 Alabama Avenue in Jasper, Alabama, as the ``Carl 
Elliott Federal Building''.

[[Page D822]]


SHORT LINE RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS
Committee on Transportation: Subcommittee on Ground Transportation held a 
hearing on Short Line Rail Infrastructure Needs. Testimony was heard from 
Jolene Molitoris, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Department 
of Transportation; and public witnesses.
VA PHARMACEUTICAL PROCURE POLICY
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on VA 
pharmaceutical procurement policy. Testimony was heard from William Flynn, 
Director, Retirement and Insurance Programs, OPM; Edward A. Powell, 
Assistant Secretary, Management, Department of Veterans Affairs; a 
representative of a veterans organization; and a public witness.
RAILROAD RETIREMENT AND SURVIVORS' IMPROVEMENT ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 4844, 
Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2000.
BALANCED BUDGET ACT--ADDITIONAL MEDICARE REFINEMENTS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Additional Medicare Refinements to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. 
Testimony was heard from Robert A. Berenson, M.D., Director, Center for 
Health Plans and Providers, Health Care Financing Administration, Department 
of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE--TAX TREATMENT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing on Tax 
Treatment of Transportation Infrastructure. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Oberstar; Tommy G. Thompson, Governor, State of Wisconsin and 
Chairman, Amtrak Reform Board, National Railroad Passenger Corporation 
(AMTRAK); Catherine L. Ross, Executive Director, Regional Transportation 
Authority, State of Georgia; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--GLOBAL HOT SPOTS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Global Hot Spots. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental officials.
Joint Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--LABOR, HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed 
versions of H.R. 4577, making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, but did not complete action thereon, 
and recessed subject to call.
APPROPRIATIONS--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the 
Senate and House passed versions of H.R.  4516, making appropriations for 
the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001.
F