[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 28, 2001)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D280-D282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Oversight Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing on National Fire Plan 
Implementation. Testimony was heard from Lyle Laverty, National Fire 
Plan Coordinator, Forest Service, USDA; Tim Hartzell, Director, Office 
of Wildland and Fire Coordination, Bureau of Land Management, 
Department of the Interior; James W. Garner, State Forester, Department 
of Forestry, State of Virginia; and public witnesses.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense continued 
appropriation hearings. Testimony was heard from Members of Congress 
and public witnesses.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs held continued appropriation hearings. 
Testimony was heard from Members of Congress and public witnesses.
LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services and Education held a hearing on NIH Theme. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of NIH, Department of Health and Human 
Services: Claude Lenfant, M.D., Director, National Heart, Lung and 
Blood Institute; Allen Spiegel, M.D., Director, National Institute of 
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Lawrence Tabak, M.D., 
Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; 
Stephen Katz, M.D., Director, National Institute of Arthritis and 
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Jack A. McLaughlin, M.D., Acting 
Director, National Eye Institute; and Stephen Straus, M.D., Director, 
National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction held 
a hearing on Pacific Military Construction. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Adm. Dennis 
Blair, USN, Commander in Chief, Pacific Command; and Gen. Thomas A. 
Schwartz, USA, Commander, U.S. Forces, Korea.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation held a 
hearing on FAA. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
FAA, Department of Transportation: Jane F. Garvey, Administrator; Keith 
D. DeBerry, and Robert Kerner, Aviation Safety Inspectors, Professional 
Airways Systems Specialists; Carol J. Carmody, Acting Chairperson, 
National Transportation Safety Board; and public witnesses.
VA-HUD-INDEPENDENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, House 
and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies continued appropriation 
hearings. Testimony was heard from Members of Congress.
MILITARY FORCES POSTURE
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the posture of U.S. 
military forces. Testimony was heard from Gen. Tommy R. Franks, USA, 
Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, Department of Defense.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
MILITARY TRANSFORMATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Procurement held 
a hearing on military transformation and its impact on the equipment 
modernization programs of the military services. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Defense: George R. 
Schneiter, Director, Strategic and Tactical Systems, Office of the 
Secretary; Maj. Gen. William L. Bond, USA, Assistant Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Programs for Force Development; Rear Adm. Joseph A. Sestak, USN, 
Director, Navy Quadrennial Defense Review Division; Brig. Gen. David A. 
Deptula, USAF, Director, Air Force Quadrennial Review Division; and 
Maj. Gen. Robert Magnus, USMC, Assistant Deputy Commandant, Plans, 
Policies, and Operations.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing on No Child 
Left Behind. Testimony was heard from the following Members of 
Congress: Langevin,

[[Page D281]]

Latham, Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Clement, Pence, Cummings, 
Underwood, Kingston, Strickland, Fattah, Larson of Connecticut, 
Northup, Honda, DeLauro, Baldacci, Price of North Carolina, Akin, 
Hooley of Oregon, Schiff, Thune, Matheson and Larsen of Washington.
UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL ELECTRONIC MAIL ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported amended H.R. 718, 
Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail Act of 2001.
DRINKING WATER NEEDS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials held a hearing on Drinking Water Needs and 
Infrastructure. Testimony was heard from Christine Todd Whitman, 
Administrator, EPA; Perry Beider, Principal Analyst, CBO; Barker 
Hamill, Chief, Bureau for Safe Drinking Water, Department of 
Environmental Protection, State of New Jersey; and public witnesses.
HUMAN CLONING RESEARCH--ISSUES RAISED
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Issues Raised by Human Cloning 
Research. Testimony was heard from Kathryn C. Zoon, Director, Center 
for Biologies Evaluation and Research, FDA, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS INTEREST CHECKING ACT; INVESTOR AND CAPITAL MARKETS FEE 
RELIEF
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 974, amended, Small Business Interest Checking 
Act of 2001; and H.R. 1088, Investor and Capital Markets Fee Relief 
Act.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported amended H. Con. 
Res. 73, expressing the sense of Congress that the 2008 Olympic Games 
should not be held in Beijing unless the Government of the People's 
Republic of China releases all political prisoners, ratifies the 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and observes 
internationally recognized human rights.
  The Committee also favorably considered the following resolutions and 
adopted a motion urging the Chairman to request that they be considered 
on the Suspension Calendar: H. Res. 91, expressing the sense of the 
House of Representatives regarding the human rights situation in Cuba; 
H.R. 428, concerning the participation of Taiwan in the World Health 
Organization; and H. Res. 56, urging the appropriate representative of 
the United States to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to 
introduce at the annual meeting of the Commission a resolution calling 
upon the People's Republic of China to end its human rights violations 
in China and Tibet.
AMERICA'S SUDAN POLICY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa and the 
Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights held a joint 
hearing on America's Sudan Policy: A New Direction? Testimony was heard 
from Michael K. Young, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
768, Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2001; H.R. 503, Unborn Victims 
of Violence Act of 2001; H.R. 863, amended, Consequences for Juvenile 
Offenders Act of 2001.
  The Committee approved a private relief bill.
  The Committee also approved Subcommittee Rules of Procedure for 
private immigration bills and private claims bills.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 146, 
Great Falls Historic District Study Act of 2001; H.R. 182, amended, 
Eight Mile River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2001; H.R. 309, 
Guam Foreign Investment Equity Act; H.R. 581, to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to use funds 
appropriated for wildland fire management in the Department of Interior 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2001, to reimburse the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Services and the National Marine 
Fisheries Services to facilitate the interagency cooperation required 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in connection with wildland 
fire management; H.R. 601, amended, to ensure the continued access of 
hunters to those Federal lands included within the boundaries of the 
Craters of the Moon National Monument in the State of Idaho pursuant to 
Presidential Proclamation 7373 of November 9, 2000, and to continue the 
applicability of the Taylor Grazing Act to the disposition of grazing 
fees arising from the use of such lands; and H.R. 642, amended, to 
reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration.

[[Page D282]]


MARRIAGE PENALTY AND FAMILY TAX RELIEF ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted by voice vote, a modified closed rule 
providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 6, Marriage Penalty and Family Tax 
Relief Act of 2001. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendment 
recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means now printed in the bill 
shall be considered as adopted. The rule provides for consideration of 
the amendment in the nature of a substitute 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 the amendment in the nature of a substitute. Finally, 
the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
COMPREHENSIVE RETIREMENT SECURITY AND PENSION REFORM ACT
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on H.R. 10, Comprehensive 
Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act, focusing on small business 
implications. Testimony was heard from Representatives Cardin; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management 
approved for full Committee action the following measures: H.R. 495, to 
designate the Federal building in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, United 
States Virgin Islands as the ``Ron de Lugo Federal Building;'' H.R. 
819, to designate the Federal building located at 143 West Liberty 
Street, Medina, Ohio, as the ``Donald J. Pease Federal Building;'' H. 
Con. Res. 74, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 20th 
Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service; H. Con. Res. 76, 
authorizing the use of the East Front of the Capitol Grounds for 
performances sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing 
Arts; H. Con. Res. 79, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for 
the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby; and H. Con. Res. 87, authorizing 
the 2001 District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch 
Run to be run through the Capitol Grounds.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on Water Infrastructure Needs. 
Testimony was heard from Perry Beider, Principal Analyst, CBO; and 
public witnesses.
GLOBAL TRENDS BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on 
International Policy and National Security met in executive session to 
receiving a briefing on Global Trends: 2015. The Subcommittee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.