[Daily Digest]
[Pages D611-D612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
BUDGET RECONCILIATION--FOOD STAMP AND COMMODITY DISTRIBUTION REFORM
Committee on Agriculture: Approved Food Stamp and Commodity 
Distribution Reform reconciliation recommendations to be transmitted to 
the Committee on the Budget for inclusion in the Omnibus Budget 
Reconciliation Act for fiscal year 1997.
VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS; REVISED BUDGET 
ALLOCATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the Veterans Affairs, 
Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies appropriations 
for fiscal year 1997.
  The Committee also approved revised Budget allocations for fiscal 
year 1997.
BUDGET RECONCILIATION; MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Commerce: Ordered transmitted to the Committee on the 
Budget for inclusion in the Budget Reconciliation Act the following 
reconciliation recommendations: Title II, Subtitle A--Medicaid 
Restructuring Act of 1996; and Title II, Subtitle B--Other Provisions.
  The Committee also ordered reported amended H.R. 248, to amend the 
Public Health Service Act to provide for the conduct of expanded 
studies and the establishment of innovative programs with respect to 
traumatic brain injury.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: TRAVEL EXPENDITURES AND RELATED ISSUES
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
continued hearings on the Department of Energy: Travel Expenditures and 
Related Issues. Testimony was heard for the following officials of the 
Department of Energy: Hazel R. O'Leary, Secretary; Donald Pearman, 
Acting Chief Financial Officer; and Eric Fygi, Deputy General Counsel.
VETERANS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 1996
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on Civil 
Service approved for full Committee action H.R. 3586, Veterans 
Employment Opportunities Act of 1996.
FEDERAL INFORMATION POLICY
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Information and Technology held on oversight 
hearing on

[[Page D612]]

Federal Information Policy. Testimony was heard from Senator Leahy; the 
following officials of the Department of Justice: Roslyn A. Mazer, 
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Policy Development; and 
Kevin O'Brien, Section Chief, Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts 
Section, FBI; Anthony H. Passarella, Director, Directorate for Freedom 
of Information and Security Review, office of the Assistant Secretary 
(Public Affairs), Department of Defense; the following officials of the 
GSA: G. Martin Wagner, Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, 
Planning and Evaluation; and James L. Dean, Director, Committee 
Management Secretariat Staff; and public witnesses.
WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight: Subcommittee on National 
Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice continued 
hearings on White House Communications Agency, Part II. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Emmett 
Paige, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Command, Control, Communications and 
Intelligence; and Col. J. Simmons, IV, USA, Commander, White House 
Communications Agency.
U.S. ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN RUSSIA, UKRAINE, ARMENIA AND OTHER NEW 
INDEPENDENT STATES
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the 
effectiveness of U.S. assistance programs in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, 
and the other New Independent States. Testimony was heard from 
Ambassador Richard Morningstar, Special Advisor to the President and 
the Secretary of State on Assistance to the Newly Independent States 
and Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to the Newly Independent States, 
Department of State; Thomas Dine, Assistant Administrator for Europe 
and the Newly Independent States, AID, U.S. International Development 
Cooperation Agency; John Ruberto, Deputy Assistant to the Secretary for 
Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs for Defense 
Conversion, Department of Defense, Joan Rohlfing, Director, Office of 
Non-Proliferation and National Security, Department of Energy; and Anne 
Sigmund, Director, Office of East European and Newly Independent States 
Affairs, USIA.
CHALLENGES BY RUSSIA TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS
Committee on National Security: Held a hearing on challenges posed by 
Russia to U.S. national security interests. Testimony was heard from R. 
James Woolsey, former Director, CIA; Richard Pipes, former National 
Security Advisor; and Clifford G. Gaddy, The Brookings Institution.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans 
held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 3287, Crawford National 
Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act; H.R. 3546, Walhalla National Fish 
Hatchery Act; and H.R. 3557, Marion National Fish Hatchery Conveyance 
Act; to be followed by an oversight hearing on Mitchell Act Hatcheries, 
Management of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Barrett of Nebraska; Graham and Hilliard; William 
Knapp, Chief, Division of Fish Hatcheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Department of the Interior; Rolland Schmitten, Assistant 
Administrator, Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 
Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and 
Lands approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 
2292, amended, Hanford Reach Preservation Act; H.R. 3534, Mineral King 
Act of 1996; H.R. 3006, to provide for disposal of public lands in 
support of the Manzanar Historic Site in the State of California; H.R. 
2636, to transfer jurisdiction over certain parcels of Federal real 
property located in the District of Columbia; and H.R. 3127, amended, 
Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1996.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
3107, amended, Iran Oil Sanctions Act of 1996; and H.R. 3161, to 
authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (most-favored-
nation treatment) to the products of Romania.