[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 121 (Tuesday, October 3, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1025-D1027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
IRS--ELECTRONIC TAX ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service 
and General Government held a hearing on IRS-Electronic Tax 
Administration. Testimony was heard from Charles Rossotti, Director, 
IRS, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION'S NATIONAL CHARTER INITIATIVE
Committee on Banking and Financial Services: Held a hearing on the Farm 
Credit Administration's National Charter Initiative. Testimony was 
heard from Michael M. Reyna, Chairman and CEO, Farm Credit 
Administration; and public witnesses.
EPA--ROLE OF OMBUDSMAN ADDRESSING CONCERNS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Finance and Hazardous Materials 
and the Subcommittee on Health and Environment held a joint hearing on 
the Role of the EPA Ombudsman in Addressing Concerns of Local 
Communities. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
EPA: Robert Martin, Ombudsman; Tim Fields, Assistant Administrator, 
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response; and public witnesses.
COUNTERFEIT BULK DRUGS
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on counterfeit bulk drugs and related concerns.. 
Testimony was heard from Jane E. Henney, M.D., Commissioner, FDA, 
Department of Health and Human Services; Raymond Kelly, Commissioner, 
U.S. Customs Service, Department of the Treasury; Patricia L. Maher, 
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, Department of 
Justice; and a public witness.
INJURED FEDERAL WORKERS
Committee on Education and the Workforce, Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing on Injured Federal Workers on Hold: Customer 
Communications at DOL's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Labor: Shelby Hallmark, Acting Director, Office of Workers' 
Compensation Programs, Employment Standards Administration; and 
Patricia A. Dalton, Acting Inspector General; Michael Brostek, 
Director, Tax Administration and Justice, GAO.
ANTHRAX VACCINE IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on the Anthrax Vaccine 
Immunization Program--What Have We Learned? Testimony was heard from 
Representative Metcalf; Mark Elengold, Deputy Director, Operations, 
FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Department of 
Health and Human Services; the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Charles Cragin, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Reserve 
Affairs; Col. Arthur Friedlander, USA, Senior Military Scientist, 
Medical Branch, Institute of Infectious Diseases; Jarrett Clinton, 
Acting Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; Anna Johnson-Winegar, 
Deputy Assistant to the Secretary (Chemical-Biological Defense); and 
Senior Airman Thomas J. Collosimo, USAF; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported, as amended, H. 
Res. 596, calling upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy 
of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity 
concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and 
genocide documented in the United States record relating to the 
Armenian Genocide.
  The Committee also favorably considered the following measures and 
adopted a motion urging the Chairman to request that they be considered 
on the Suspension Calendar; H. Res. 577, amended, to honor the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for its role as a 
protector of the

[[Page D1026]]

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; H. Con. Res. 397, amended, voicing concern about serious 
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the most states 
of Central Asia, including substantial noncompliance with their 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commitments 
on democratization and the holding of free and fair elections; S. 2682, 
to authorize the Broadcasting Board of Governors to make available to 
the Institute for Media Development certain materials of the Voice of 
America; H. Con. Res. 404, calling for the immediate release of Mr. 
Edmond Pope from prison in the Russian Federation of Humanitarian 
reasons; S. 1453, amended, Sudan Peace Act; H. Res. 588, amended, 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
violations in Western Europe of provisions of the Helsinki Final Act 
and other international agreements relating to the freedom of 
individuals to profess and practice religion or belief; H. Con. Res. 
414, amended, relating to the reestablishment of representative 
government in Afghanistan; H. Con. Res. 410, condemning the 
assassination of Father John Kaiser and others who worked to promote 
human rights and justice in the Republic of Kenya; H. Con. Res. 361, 
amended, commending the Republic of Benin; and H.Con.Res. 382, amended, 
calling on the government of Azerbaijan to hold free and fair 
parliamentary elections in November, 2000.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims 
approved for full Committee action the following: H.R. 5285; amended, 
Serious Human Rights Abusers Accountability Act of 2000; three original 
measures amending the Immigration and Nationality Act; and requests for 
INS reports for private relief bills.
STEENS MOUNTAIN OREGON WILDERNESS ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote an open rule providing one 
hour of general debate on H.R. 4828, to designate wilderness areas and 
a cooperative management and protection area in the vicinity of Steens 
Mountain in Harney County, Oregon, equally divided between the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule 
makes in order as an original bill for the purpose of amendment the 
Walden amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the 
Congressional Record and numbered 1, which shall be open for amendment 
at any point. 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 
Representative Walden of Oregon.
VA--CHIROPRACTIC SERVICES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on Chiropractic Services in the VA. Testimony was heard from Frances M. 
Murphy, M.D., Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Health, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Rear Adm. Michael L. 
Cowan, U.S.N., Deputy Executive Director and CEO, TRICARE Management 
Activity, Office of the Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs, Department 
of Defense; and public witnesses.
MEDICARE REFINEMENT AND BENEFIT IMPROVEMENT ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health approved for full 
Committee action, as amended, the Medicare Refinement and Benefit 
Improvement Act of 2000.
FLEXIBLE FUNDING FOR CHILD PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a 
hearing on H.R. 5292, Flexible Funding for Child Protection Act of 
2000. Testimony was heard from Kathleen A. Kearney, Secretary, 
Department of Children and Families, State of Florida; 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 witnesses.

Joint Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--AGRICULTURE
  Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of H.R. 4461, making appropriations for Agriculture, 
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies 
programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, but did not 
complete action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
APPROPRIATIONS--TRANSPORTATION
  Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences 
between the Senate and House passed

[[Page D1027]]

versions of H.R. 4475, making appropriations for the Department of 
Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2001.