[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 113 (Thursday, September 21, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D951-D953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DOD--CHEMICAL AGENTS AND MUNITIONS DESTRUCTION PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Procurement held 
a hearing on the Department of Defense chemical agents and munitions 
destruction program. Testimony was heard from Senator Sessions; the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Anna Johnson-Winegar, 
Deputy Assistant to the Secretary (Chemical and Biological Affairs); 
Gloria Patton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Army (Chemical 
Demilitarization); Denzel Fisher, Special Assistant to the Deputy 
Secretary (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health, Jim Bacon, 
Program for Chemical Demilitarization, John Ferriter, Director, 
Operations, Remediation and Restoration, U.S. Army Soldier, Biological 
and Chemical Command, Cheryl Maggio, Tooele Chemical Demilitarization 
Facility, Site Support Team Leader, U.S. Army Program Manager for 
Chemical Demilitarization, and, Col. Kevin Connors, USA, Deputy 
Director, Army Safety, all with the Department of the Army; Russ 
Salter, Director, Chemical and Radiological Preparedness, FEMA; Kevin 
Yeskey, National Center for Environmental Health, Center for Disease 
Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; David 
Kooson, Committee on Review and Evaluation of Army Chemical Stockpile 
Disposal Program, National Academy of Sciences; and public witnesses.
MILITARY PROCUREMENT STATUS
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the status of military 
procurement. Testimony was heard from Christopher Jehn, Assistant 
Director, (National Security Division), CBO; and the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: William J. Lynn, Comptroller/
Chief Financial Officer; Lt. Gen. Larry R. Ellis, USA, Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Operations and Plans; Vice. Adm. Emund P. Giambastiani, USN, 
Deputy Chief, Naval Operations (Resources, Warfare Requirements, and 
Assessments); Lt. Gen. Robert H. Fogelsong, USAF, Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Air and Space Operations; and Lt. Gen. William L. Nyland, USMC, 
Deputy Chief of Staff, Programs and Resources.
CREDIT SCORE DISCLOSURE
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial 
Institutions and Consumer Credit held a hearing on Credit Score 
Disclosure, focusing on H.R. 2856, Fair Credit Full Disclosure Act. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FIRESTONE TIRE RECALL
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection and the Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations continued joint hearings on the recent Firestone tire 
recall action, focusing on the action as it pertains to relevant Ford 
vehicles. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Transportation: Rodney E. Slater, Secretary; and Sue 
Bailey, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 
and representatives of Ford Motor Company and Bridgestone/Firestone, 
Inc.
TRANSPORTATION RECALL ENHANCEMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND DOCUMENTATION 
ACT
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection began mark up H.R. 5164, Transportation Recall 
Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation Act.
IMPROVED MATH-SCIENCE EDUCATION IMPORTANCE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing on the 
National and Economic Importance of Improved Math-Science Education and 
H.R. 4272, National Science Education Enhancement Act. Testimony was 
heard from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Federal Reserve System; and public 
witnesses.
POTENTIAL ENERGY CRISIS
Committee on Government Reform: Concluded hearings on Potential Energy 
Crisis in the Winter of 2000. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Energy: Bill Richardson, Secretary; and 
James J. Hoecker, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and 
Carol Browner, Administrator, EPA.
OVERSIGHT--FEDERAL WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAM
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Information, and Technology held an oversight hearing on ``The Federal

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Workers' Compensation Program: Are Injured Federal Workers Being 
Treated Fairly?'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Labor: Michael Walsh, Chairman, Employee Compensation 
Appeals Board; Shelby Hallmark, Acting Director, Office of Worker's 
Compensation Programs; and Patricia Dalton, Acting Inspector General.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on House Administration: Met to consider pending Committee 
business.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered the 
following measures and adopted a motion urging the Chairman to request 
that they be considered on the Suspension Calendar: H.R. 4899, amended, 
the Asian Pacific Charter Commission Act of 2000; H.R. 5224, amended, 
International Food Relief Partnership Act; H.R. 5239, Export 
Administration Modification and Clarification Act of 2000; H.R. 2166, 
Bear Protection Act of 1999; and 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.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Human Rights approved for full Committee action the 
following measures: H. Con. Res. 395, expressing the sense of the 
Congress condemning the September 6, 2000, militia attack on United 
Nations refugee workers in West Timor and calling for an end to militia 
violence in East and West Timor; H. Res. 577, amended, to honor the 
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for its role as a 
protector of the world's refugees, to celebrate UNHCR's 50th 
anniversary, and to praise the High Commissioner Sadako Ogata for her 
work with UNHCR for the past ten years; and H. Res. 398, United States 
Training on and Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution; and 
S. 1453, amended, Sudan Peace Act.
IMPLEMENTING PLAN COLUMBIA: U.S. ROLE
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on Implementing Plan Colombia: The U.S. Role. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
State: R. Rand Beers, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International 
Narcotics and Law Enforcement; and Carl Leonard, Assistant 
Administrator, Latin America, AID; Brian Sheridan, Assistant Secretary, 
Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, Department of Defense; 
and public witnesses.
INSPECTOR GENERAL'S 2000 REPORT
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing on the Department 
of Justice Office of Inspector General's September 2000 Report titled: 
``An Investigation of Misconduct and Mismanagement at ICITAP, OPDAT, 
and the Criminal Division's Office of Administration.'' Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Justice: Eric 
Holder, Deputy Attorney General; James K. Robinson, Assistant Attorney 
General and John C. Keeney, Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney 
General, both with the Criminal Division; Glenn Fine, Acting Inspector 
General; and Stephen Colgate, Assistant Attorney General, 
Administration, Justice Management Division.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held an oversight 
hearing on the Impact of the Mentally Ill on the Criminal Justice 
System. Testimony was heard from Senator DeWine; Representative 
Strickland; Bernard S. Arons, M.D., Director, Center for Mental Health 
Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Michael F. Hogan, 
Director, Department of Mental Health, State of Ohio; and public 
witnesses.
BERYLLIUM-RELATED ILLNESSES COMPENSATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 675, Beryllium Exposure 
Compensation Act; H.R. 3418, Energy Employees' Beryllium Compensation 
Act; H.R. 3478, Federal Beryllium Compensation Act; H.R. 3495, 
Department of Energy Nuclear Employees Exposure Compensation Act; H.R. 
4263, Atomic Workers' Compensation Act; and H.R. 4398, Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness and Compensation Act of 2000. Testimony was heard 
from Senator Voinovich; Representatives Kanjorski, Kaptur, Strickland, 
Whitfield, Udall of Colorado, Wamp, Udall of New Mexico, Berkley and 
Lampson; the following officials of the Department of Energy: Bill 
Richardson, Secretary; and David Michaels, Assistant Secretary, Office 
of Environment Safety and Health; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources, Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 4789, 
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office Reauthorization Act of 2000; H.R. 5086, to 
amend the National Marine Sanctuaries Act to

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honor Dr. Nancy Foster; and H.R. 5133, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Improvement 
Act. Testimony was heard from Representative Cardin; Scott Gudes, 
Deputy Under Secretary, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--FOREST SERVICE FUTURE
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on the Future of the Forest Service. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Sanford; Randall Phillips, Deputy Chief of 
Programs and Legislation, Forest Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
SAME DAY CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON RULES
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 September 
25, 2000, providing for consideration or disposition of a conference 
report to accompany the bill (H.R. 4578) making appropriations for the 
Department of the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2001, or any amendment reported in disagreement 
from a conference thereon.
COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Government and Industry Plans with respect 
to Stage 4 Commercial Aircraft. Testimony was heard from Edward W. 
Stimpson, U.S. Ambassador, representative to the International Civil 
Aviation Organization; Louise Maillett, Deputy Assistant Administrator, 
Policy, FAA, Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
VETERANS AFFAIRS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations concluded hearings on information technology program. 
Testimony was heard from Joel C. Willemssen, Director, Civil Agencies 
Information Systems, Accounting and Information Management Division, 
GAO; the following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: 
Michael Slachta, Jr., Assistant Inspector General, Auditing; and Robert 
P. Bubniak, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Information 
Technology; and a public witness.
GLOBAL AGING CRISIS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on the Global Aging Crisis. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
BRIEFING--INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Intelligence Authorization Legislative Issues. 
The Committee was briefed by departmental witnesses.