108th Congress (2003 - 2004)
January 7 - December 15, 2003
Senate Committee Meetings by Date
Compiled from the Congressional Record's Daily Digests via Thomas at
thomas.loc.gov
2003/01/07
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 7, 2003; pages D1 - D8
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/08
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 8, 2003; pages D9 - D12
Committee Meetings
See Daily Digest of Thursday, January 9, 2003.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/09
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 9, 2003; pages D13 - D18
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: On Wednesday, January 8,
committee concluded hearings to examine climate change and greenhouse gas
reductions and the trading systems, after receiving testimony from Senator
Lieberman; Representative Inslee; James R. Mahoney, Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Director, U.S. Climate Change Science
Program; Eileen Claussen, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Arlington,
Virginia; Jack Cogen, Natsource LLC, and Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense,
both of New York, New York; and Randy Overbey, ALCOA Power Generating, Inc.,
Knoxville, Tennessee.
AIRLINE INDUSTRY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held hearings on
the future of the airline industry, including the state of aviation security,
receiving testimony from Jeffrey N. Shane, Associate Deputy Secretary of
Transportation; Donald J. Carty, American Airlines, Dallas, Texas; Richard H.
Anderson, Northwest Airlines, Egan, Minnesota; Duane E. Woerth, Air Line
Pilots Association, International, Washington, D.C.; Kevin Mitchell, Business
Travel Coalition, Radnor, Pennsylvania; and Alfred Kahn, Cornell University,
Ithaca, New York.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
OIL TANKERS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the phase out of single hull oil tankers and the impact of
such action on commerce, including marine oil spill prevention, preparedness,
response and restoration, after receiving testimony from R. Adm. Paul J.
Pluta, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Environmental
Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation; Timothy R. E.
Keeney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere;
Elaine F. Davies, Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency and Remedial
Response, Environmental Protection Agency; Thomas A. Allegretti, American
Waterways Operators, and Dragos Rauta, International Association of
Independent Tanker Owners, both of Arlington, Virginia; Joseph J. Cox, Chamber
of Shipping of America, David Sandalow, World Wildlife Fund, and G. William
Frick, American Petroleum Institute, all of Washington, D.C.; Tom Godfrey,
Colonna's Shipyard, Norfolk, Virginia, on behalf of the Shipbuilders Council
of America; and Robert N. Cowen, Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc., New York,
New York.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/10
Daily Digest - Friday, January 10, 2003; pages D19 - D20
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/13
Daily Digest - Monday, January 13, 2003; pages D21 - D22
Committee Meetings
No Committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/14
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 14, 2003; pages D24 - D26
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
U.S. AIRWAYS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education concluded hearings to examine issues relative to the
restructuring of U.S. Airways' employee pension plans, including a related
proposal, S. 119, to provide special minimum funding requirements for certain
pension plans maintained pursuant to collective bargaining agreements, after
receiving testimony from Steven A. Kandarian, Executive Director, and James J.
Keightley, General Counsel, both of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation;
James C. Roddey, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; David N. Siegel, U.S.
Airways, Inc., Arlington, Virginia; Duane E. Woerth, Air Line Pilots
Association International, and Bill Pollock, U.S. Airways Master Executive
Council, on behalf of Air Line Pilots Association, both of Washington, D.C.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Communications held hearings on competition issues in the telecommunications
industry, including issues of digital migration, the role for regulators, and
the deployment of broadband and other advanced services, receiving testimony
from Michael K. Powell, Chairman, and Kathleen Q. Abernathy, Michael J. Copps,
Kevin J. Martin, Jonathan S. Adelstein, each a Commissioner, all of the
Federal Communications Commission.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/15
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 15, 2003; pages D28 - D30
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MILITARY OPERATIONS/IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine current
and potential military operations, after receiving testimony from Donald H.
Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense; and General Richard B. Myers, USAF, Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Also, Committee met in closed session to receive a briefing on the Iraq
weapons inspection process from representatives of the Central Intelligence
Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine Social
Security including an analysis of issues and selected reform proposals, after
receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United
States, General Accounting Office.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/16
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 16, 2003; pages D32 - D34
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/17
Daily Digest - Friday, January 17, 2003; pages D36 - D38
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Thomas J. Ridge, of Pennsylvania, to be Secretary of Homeland
Security. Prior to this action, committee concluded hearings on the
nomination of Mr. Ridge, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator
Specter, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/21
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 21, 2003; pages D40 - D42
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/22
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 22, 2003; pages D44 - D46
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the nomination of Asa Hutchinson, of Arkansas, to be Under
Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation, after the
nominee, who was introduced by Senator Lincoln, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/23
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 23, 2003; pages D47 - D54
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Asa Hutchinson, of Arkansas, to be Under
Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation, Department of
Homeland Security.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/24
Daily Digest - Friday, January 24, 2003; pages D55 - D56
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on the
nomination of Gordon England, of Texas, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland
Security, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Stevens, testified
and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee met and held over the following items:
S. 151, to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to the sexual
exploitation of children;
S. 153, to amend title 18, United States Code, to establish penalties for
aggravated identity theft, and
The nomination of Miguel A. Estrada, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/27
Daily Digest - Monday, January 27, 2003; pages D58 - D60
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/28
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 28, 2003; pages D61 - D66
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held hearings to
examine recent allegations of ethical violations at the United States Olympic
Committee, after receiving testimony from Kenneth M. Duberstein, and Thurgood
Marshall, Jr., both of the Ethics Oversight Committee, Washington, D.C.,
Rachel M. Godino, Athlete's Advisory Council, Needhan, Massachusetts, Patrick
J. Rodgers, Lloyd D. Ward, and Marty Mankamyer, all of Colorado Springs,
Colorado, all of the United States Olympic Committee.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine the nomination
of John W. Snow, of Virginia, to be Secretary of the Treasury, after the
nominee, who was introduced by Senators Warner and Allen, testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met and adopted its rules of
procedure for the 108th Congress and approved the subcommittees'
jurisdictional issues.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/29
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 29, 2003; pages D68 - D72
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SMALLPOX VACCINATION PLAN
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education concluded hearings to examine the federal role and its
implementation of a smallpox vaccination plan focusing on prevention
strategies and funding issues, receiving testimony from Julie L. Gerberding,
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Anthony S. Fauci,
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health, both of the Department of Health and Human Services;
Brian L. Strom, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Louis M.
Bell, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Patrick M. Libbey, National Association of County and City Health Officials,
Washington, D.C.; and Mary J. Jones, and Jane Colacecchi, both of the Iowa
Department of Public Health, Des Moines; and James August, American Federation
of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Washington, D.C.
STATE OF THE ECONOMY
Committee on the Budget: Committee held hearings to examine the state of the
United States economy, receiving testimony from Gene B. Sperling, Center on
Universal Education, Council on Foreign Relations, former National Economic
Advisor and Director, National Economic Council, and Michael E. Baroody,
National Association of Manufacturers, both of Washington, D.C.; and David R.
Malpass, Bear, Stearns, and Co., Inc., New York, New York.
Committee will meet again tomorrow.
HUMAN CLONING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held hearings on
the science and ethics of human cloning, after receiving testimony from
Senator Hatch; Representatives Toomey and Weldon; Leon R. Kass, Chairman,
President's Council on Bioethics; Kris E. Gulden, Coalition for the
Advancement of Medical Research, Washington, D.C.; and Anton-Lewis Usala,
Office of Regulatory Review of Clinical Trials, East Carolina University,
Greenville, North Carolina.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee met and announced the
following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Energy: Senators Alexander (Chairman), Nickles, Talent,
Bunning, Thomas, Murkowski, Craig, Burns, Graham (FL), Akaka, Johnson,
Landrieu, Bayh, Schumer, and Cantwell.
Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests: Senators Craig (Chairman), Burns,
Smith, Kyl, Campbell, Alexander, Murkowski, Talent, Wyden, Akaka, Dorgan,
Johnson, Landrieu, Bayh, and Feinstein.
Subcommittee on National Parks: Senators Thomas (Chairman), Nickles, Campbell,
Alexander, Burns, Smith, Kyl, Akaka, Dorgan, Graham (FL), Landrieu, Bayh, and
Schumer.
Subcommittee on Water and Power: Senators Murkowski (Chairman), Campbell,
Smith, Kyl, Craig, Talent, Bunning, Thomas, Dorgan, Graham (FL), Wyden,
Johnson, Feinstein, Schumer, and Cantwell.
Senators Domenici and Bingaman are Ex Officio Members of all the
Subcommittees.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee met and adopted its rules
of procedure for the 108th Congress and announced the following subcommittee
assignments:
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Senators Bond (Chairman),
Warner, Voinovich, Chafee, Cornyn, Murkowski, Reid, Baucus, Graham (FL),
Lieberman, and Boxer.
Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety: Senators
Voinovich (Chairman), Crapo, Bond, Cornyn, Thomas, Lieberman, Reid, Carper,
and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water: Senators Crapo (Chairman),
Warner, Murkowski, Thomas, Allard, Graham (FL), Baucus, Wyden, and Clinton.
[Page: D70]
Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management: Senators Chafee (Chairman),
Warner, Allard, Bond, Boxer, Wyden, and Carper.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
Deborah L. Cook, of Ohio, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth
Circuit, John G. Roberts, Jr., to be United States Circuit Judge for the
District of Columbia Circuit, Jeffrey S. Sutton, of Ohio, United States
Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, John R. Adams, to be United States
District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, Robert A. Junell, to be
United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, and S. James
Otero, to be United States District Judge for the Central District California.
Ms. Cook, Mr. Sutton, and Mr. Adams were introduced by Senators DeWine and
Voinovich, Mr. Roberts was introduced by Mr. Warner, Mr. Junell was introduced
by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and Mr. Otero was introduced by Senator
Feinstein.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee met and ordered favorably reported an
original resolution authorizing certain expenditures for the operation of the
Committee. Also, Committee elected Senator Campbell as the Chairman and
Senator Inouye as Vice Chairman, and adopted its rules of procedure for the
108th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met and ordered favorably reported
an original resolution (S. Res. 27) authorizing expenditures of the Select
Committee on Intelligence.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/01/30
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 30, 2003; pages D73 - D78
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education concluded hearings to examine Medicare reimbursement for
physicians and hospitals, after receiving testimony from Thomas A. Scully,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services; Loren H. Roth, University of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of Medical Services UPMC Health System; Jitendra M.
Desai and Denis Olmstead, both of the Pennsylvania Medical Society,
Harrisburg; Richard A. Anderson, St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network, Inc.,
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Eric W. Blomain, Northeastern Pennsylvania Plastic
Surgical Society, Dunmore; Richard E. D'Alberto, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital,
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; Jay Kleiman, Northwestern University Medical School,
Evanston, Illinois, on behalf of the American College of Cardiology and the
Alliance of Specialty Medicine; J. Kirk Norris, Iowa Hospital Association, Des
Moines; and Richard F. Pops, Alkermes, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, on
behalf of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations
of Paul McHale, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Homeland Security, and Christopher Ryan Henry, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Policy, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf. Mr. McHale was introduced by Senator Specter,
and Mr. Henry was introduced by Senator Reid.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee met and adopted
its rules of procedure for the 108th Congress, and ordered favorably reported
an original resolution (S. Res. 35) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings to examine the budget
and current economic outlook for fiscal years 2003 through 2013, after
receiving testimony from Barry B. Anderson, Acting Director, Congressional
Budget Office.
[Page: D75]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee met and ordered
favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 37) authorizing
expenditures by the Committee.
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held hearings to
examine media ownership, focusing on the current state of and consolidation in
the radio industry, after receiving testimony from Senator Feingold;
Representative Berman; L. Lowry Mays, Clear Channel Communications, Inc., San
Antonio, Texas; Edward O. Fritts, National Association of Broadcasters, and
Jenny Toomey, Future of Music Coalition, both of Washington, D.C.; Don Henley,
Santa Monica, California, on behalf of the Recording Artists' Coalition; and
Robert Short, Jr., Short Broadcasting Co., Inc., Jamesville, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 36) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
BORDER SECURITY
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the status of United
States border security focusing on weaknesses in screening entrants into the
country, and efforts to combat terrorism, receiving testimony from Robert J.
Cramer, Managing Director, Office of Special Investigations, General
Accounting Office; Johnny N. Williams, Executive Associate Commissioner for
Field Operations, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of
Justice; Robert W. Jacksta, Executive Director, Border Security and
Facilitation, Customs Service, Department of the Treasury; Earl E. Devaney,
Inspector General, and Donald W. Murphy, Deputy Director, National Park
Service, both of the Department of the Interior; and Daniel Wirth, Federal Law
Enforcement Officers Association, Tucson, Arizona.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of
John W. Snow, of Virginia, to be Secretary of the Treasury.
UNITED NATIONS INSPECTIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
January 27 United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission
(UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reports to the
United Nations Security Council on inspections in Iraq, after receiving
testimony Richard L. Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State; and John D.
Negroponte, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 39) authorizing
expenditures by the Committee.
SMALLPOX VACCINATION PLAN
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee held hearings
to examine the Federal role and its implementation of a national smallpox
vaccination program, focusing on prevention and preparedness strategies,
receiving testimony from Julie L. Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, both of the
Department of Health and Human Services; William J. Bicknell, Boston
University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; William Schuler,
Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on behalf of the
Federation of American Hospitals; Jon Abramson, Brenner Children's Hospital,
Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, North Carolina, on behalf of the
American Academy of Pediatrics; Martha Baker, Jackson Memorial Hospital,
Miami, Florida, on behalf of the Service Employees International Union,
AFL-CIO; and Kim C. Bush, Baxter BioScience Vaccines, Columbia, Maryland, on
behalf of the Baxter Healthcare Corporation.
Hearings were recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items: The nomination of Miguel A. Estrada, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit;
S. 151, to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to the sexual
exploitation of children, with amendments;
S. 153, to amend title 18, United States Code, to establish penalties for
aggravated identity theft; and
S. 205, to authorize the issuance of immigrant visas to, and the admission to
the United States for permanent residence of, certain scientists, engineers,
and technicians who have worked in Iraqi weapons of mass destruction programs.
BUSINESS MEETING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the
108th Congress, and ordered favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res.
38) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
[Page: D76]
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Administration's growth and job plans to boost the economy and business
investment, after receiving testimony from R. Glenn Hubbard, Chairman, Council
of Economic Advisers.
2003/01/31
Daily Digest - Friday, January 31, 2003; pages D80 - D82
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/03
Daily Digest - Monday, February 3, 2003; pages D84 - D86
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/04
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 4, 2003; pages D87 - D92
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: On Friday, January 31, 2003,
Committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Economic Policy: Senators Bunning (Chairman), Dole, Shelby,
Schumer, and Miller.
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions: Senators Bennett (Chairman), Dole,
Chafee, Allard, Santorum, Hagel, Bunning, Crapo, Johnson, Miller, Carper,
Dodd, Reed, Bayh, and Stabenow.
Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation: Senators Allard (Chairman),
Santorum, Bennett, Chafee, Enzi, Sununu, Shelby, Reed, Stabenow, Corzine,
Dodd, Carper, and Schumer.
Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance: Senators Hagel (Chairman),
Enzi, Crapo, Sununu, Dole, Chafee, Bayh, Miller, Johnson, Carper, and Corzine.
Subcommittee on Securities and Investment: Senators Enzi (Chairman), Crapo,
Sununu, Hagel, Bunning, Bennett, Allard, Santorum, Dodd, Johnson, Reed,
Schumer, Bayh, Stabenow, and Corzine.
Senators Shelby and Sarbanes are Ex Officio Members of all the Subcommittees.
PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee held hearings to examine the President's
fiscal year 2004 budget, receiving testimony from R. Glenn Hubbard, Chairman,
Council of Economic Advisers.
Hearings continue tomorrow.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine North
Korea's (Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK)) programs to develop
weapons of mass destruction and their impact on the international community,
regional security, United States' interests and forces, after receiving
testimony from Richard L. Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State; James A. Kelly,
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Ashton B.
Carter, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge,
Massachusetts, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International
Security Policy; Stephen W. Bosworth, Tufts University Fletcher School of Law
and Diplomacy, Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization, Medford,
Massachusetts, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea; and Donald P.
Gregg, The Korea Society, New York, New York, former U.S. Ambassador to the
Republic of Korea, former Security Advisor to the Vice President.
DOUBLE TAXATION
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine tax
fairness, focusing on double taxation's effect on the elderly, after receiving
testimony from R. Glenn Hubbard, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers;
Hilary J. Kramer, Montgomery Asset Management, New York, New York; Dan
Mitchell, Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C.; W. Mark Crain, George Mason
University Center for Study of Public Choice, Fairfax, Virginia; and Dick
Buxton, Boise, Idaho.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/05
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 5, 2003; pages D94 - D100
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee adopted its rules
of procedure for the 108th Congress, and ordered favorably reported an
original resolution (S. Res. 47) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
Also, Committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Production and Price Competitiveness: Senators Dole (Chair),
McConnell, Roberts, Chambliss, Coleman, Grassley, Conrad, Daschle, Miller,
Baucus, and Lincoln.
Subcommittee on Marketing, Inspection, and Product Promotion: Senators Talent
(Chair), Roberts, Fitzgerald, Chambliss, Grassley, Baucus, Nelson (NE),
Conrad, and Stabenow.
Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization: Senators
Crapo (Chair), Lugar, Coleman, Talent, McConnell, Roberts, Lincoln, Dayton,
Leahy, Daschle, and Nelson (NE).
Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition, and General Legislation: Senator
Fitzgerald (Chair), Lugar, McConnell, Crapo, Dole, Leahy, Stabenow, Miller,
and Dayton.
NOMINATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
on the nomination of William H. Donaldson, of New York, to be Member of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Schumer and Clinton, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's fiscal year 2004 budget, after receiving testimony from Mitchell
E. Daniels, Jr., Director, Office of Management and Budget.
PROFESSIONAL BOXING REFORM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to reform the professional boxing industry, after receiving testimony
from Patrick S. Pannella, Maryland State Athletic Commission, Baltimore; Ross
Greenberg, HBO Sports, and Thomas Hauser, both of New York, New York; Bernard
Hopkins, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Bert R. Sugar, Chappaqua, New York.
AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine aviation security and impacts associated with the
regulatory and statutory requirements of the Aviation and Transportation
Security Act, after receiving testimony from Admiral James M. Loy, Under
Secretary of Transportation for Security, Transportation Security
Administration; Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General Department of
Transportation; Edward M. Bolen, General Aviation Manufacturers Association,
and James C. May, Air Transport Association of America, Inc., both of
Washington, D.C.; and Charles Barclay, American Association of Airport
Executives, Alexandria, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 111, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource
study to determine the national significance of the Miami Circle site in the
State of Florida as well as the suitability and feasibility of its inclusion
in the National Park System as part of Biscayne National Park, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 117, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange certain
land in the State of Florida;
S. 144, to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program to
provide assistance through States to eligible weed management entities to
control or eradicate harmful, nonnative weeds on public and private land, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 210, to provide for the protection of archaeological sites in the Galisteo
Basin in New Mexico;
S. 214, to designate Fort Bayard Historic District in the State of New Mexico
as a National Historic Landmark, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 233, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of
Coltsville in the State of Connecticut for potential inclusion in the National
Park System; and
S. 254, to revise the boundary of the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical
Park in the State of Hawaii.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
measures:
An original bill entitled, "Armed Forces Tax Fairness Act of 2003";
and An
original bill entitled, "CARE Act of 2003".
[Page: D96]
BUDGET 2004: REVENUE PROPOSALS
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the President's
proposed budget estimates for fiscal years 2004, focusing on revenue
proposals, economic growth plan, and the United States economy, receiving
testimony from John W. Snow, Secretary of the Treasury.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably the following
business items:
An original resolution (S. Res. ***) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee;
The Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on
Strategic Offensive Reductions, Signed at Moscow on May 24, 2002 (Treaty Doc.
107-8), with 2 conditions and 6 declarations; and
Foreign Service Officer Promotion lists received by the Senate on January 15,
2003.
Also, Committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on African Affairs: Senators Alexander (Chair), Brownback,
Coleman, Sununu, Feingold, Dodd, and Nelson (FL).
Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs: Senators Brownback (Chair),
Alexander, Hagel, Allen, Voinovich, Kerry, Rockefeller, Feingold, and Corzine.
Subcommittee on European Affairs: Senators Allen (Chair), Voinovich, Hagel,
Sununu, Chafee, Biden, Sarbanes, Dodd, and Kerry.
Subcommittee on International Economic Policy, Export and Trade Promotion:
Senators Hagel (Chair), Chafee, Enzi, Alexander, Coleman, Sarbanes,
Rockefeller, Corzine, and Dodd.
Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism: Senators Sununu
(Chair), Enzi, Allen, Voinovich, Brownback, Nelson (FL), Biden, Feingold, and
Boxer.
Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs: Senators Chafee (Chair),
Hagel, Brownback, Voinovich, Coleman, Boxer, Corzine, Rockefeller, and
Sarbanes.
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs:
Senators Coleman (Chair), Chafee, Allen, Enzi, Sununu, Dodd, Boxer, Nelson
(FL), Biden, and Kerry.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee adopted its rules of procedure
for the 108th Congress, and announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Financial Management, the Budget, and International Security:
Senators Fitzgerald (Chairman), Stevens, Voinovich, Specter, Bennett, Sununu,
Shelby, Akaka, Levin, Carper, Dayton, Lautenberg, and Pryor.
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations: Senators Coleman (Chairman),
Stevens, Voinovich, Specter, Bennett, Fitzgerald, Sununu, Shelby, Levin,
Akaka, Durbin, Carper, Dayton, Lautenberg, and Pryor.
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and
the District of Columbia: Senators Voinovich (Chairman), Stevens, Coleman,
Bennett, Fitzgerald, Sununu, Durbin, Akaka, Carper, Lautenberg, and Pryor.
Senators Collins and Lieberman are Ex Officio Members of all the
Subcommittees.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
Jay S. Bybee, of Nevada, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth
Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Reid and Ensign; Ralph R. Erickson, to
be United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota, who was
introduced by Senator Dorgan and Representative Pomeroy; William D. Quarles,
Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland, who was
introduced by Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski; and Gregory L. Frost, to be
United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, who was
introduced by Senator DeWine, after each nominee testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH CARE
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded hearings
on possible solutions to the small business health care crisis, focusing on
dwindling choices in affordable health care for small business and double
digit premium increases passed on to employers now providing insurance, after
receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor; Hector V.
Barreto, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration; Kathie M. Leonard,
Auburn Manufacturing, Inc., Mechanic Falls, Maine; Anne Valentine,
SmartCatalog, Portland, Maine; Jack Faris, National Federation of Independent
Business, Harry Alford, National Black Chamber of Commerce, Judith L.
Lichtman, National Partnership for Women and Families, and Len Nichols, Center
for Studying Health System Change, all of Washington, D.C.; Terry Neese, Women
Impacting Public Policy, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Cliff Shannon, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of the National Small Business United and SMC Business
Councils; and Sandy Praeger, State of Kansas Commissioner of Insurance,
Topeka, on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
[Page: D97]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/06
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 6, 2003; pages D101 - D104
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUDGET 2004: DEPARTMENT OF STATE/AID
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department
of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and other foreign affairs
agencies, after receiving testimony from Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. Res. 49, designating February 11, 2003, as "National Inventors'
Day"; and
The nominations of John R. Adams, to be United States District Judge for the
Northern District of Ohio, Robert A. Junell, to be United States District
Judge for the Western District of Texas, and S. James Otero, to be United
States District Judge for the Central District of California.
[Page: D102]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/07
Daily Digest - Friday, February 7, 2003; pages D105 - D106
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
2003/02/10
Daily Digest - Monday, February 10, 2003; pages D108 - D110
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D109]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/11
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 11, 2003; pages D112 - D118
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the semi-annual Monetary Policy Report of the Federal Reserve and
the economic outlook, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman,
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
NOMINATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of William H. Donaldson, of New York, to be a Member
of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
2004 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's International Affairs Budget for Fiscal Year 2004, after receiving
testimony from Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State.
FAA AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Federal Aviation
Administration and the economic condition of the airline industry, after
receiving testimony from Marion C. Blakey, Administrator, Federal Aviation
Administration, and Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General, both of the Department
of Transportation.
2004 BUDGET: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from Gale A. Norton,
Secretary of the Interior.
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the nomination of Joseph Timothy Kelliher, of the District of
Columbia, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, after
the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine proposals for
economic growth and job creation, focusing on incentives for consumption and
investment, receiving testimony from Oklahoma State Senator Angela Monson,
Oklahoma City, on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures; and
Chris R. Edwards, Cato Institute, Stephen J. Entin, Institute for Research on
the Economics of Taxation, and Peter R. Orszag, Brookings Institution, all of
Washington, D.C. Hearings recessed subject to call.
FUTURE OF POSTCONFLICT IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
state of security in a post-conflict situation in Iraq, after receiving
testimony from Marc I. Grossman, Under Secretary for Political Affairs,
Department of State; Douglas J. Feith, Under Secretary for Policy, Department
of Defense; Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International
Studies, and Anthony Zinni, former Commander in Chief of United States Central
Command, both of Washington, D.C.; and Scott R. Feil, Arlington, Virginia.
[Page: D114]
PATIENT HEALTH CARE ACCESS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded joint
hearings with the Committee on the Judiciary to examine the status of patient
access to quality health care, focusing on the role of medical litigation and
malpractice reform, after receiving testimony from Jose Montemayor, Texas
Commissioner of Insurance, Austin; Shelby L. Wilbourn, Belfast, Maine, on
behalf of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Lawrence E.
Smarr, Physician Insurers Association of America, Rockville, Maryland; Jay
Angoff, Roger G. Brown and Associates, Jefferson City, Missouri; Laurie Peel,
Raleigh, North Carolina; Linda McDougal, Woodville, Wisconsin; and Leanne
Dyess, Vicksburg, Mississippi.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution (S. Res. 53) authorizing expenditures by the Committee,
and adopted its rules of procedure for the 108th Congress.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
current and projected national security threats to the United States, after
receiving testimony from George Tenet, Director of Central Intelligence,
Central Intelligence Agency; Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Department of Justice; Vice Adm. Lowell E. Jacoby, USN,
Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; and Carl Ford, Assistant Secretary of
State for Intelligence and Research.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
ELDERLY GUARDIANSHIP
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine certain
issues of guardianship over the elderly, focusing on alternative approaches,
motives of petitioners in contested proceedings, guardian accountability and
monitoring, after receiving testimony from Michael S. Kutzin, Goldfarb and
Abrandt, and Jane M. Pollack, both of New York, New York; Penelope A. Hommell,
Center for Social Gerontology, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Robin Warjone, Seattle,
Washington; Diane G. Armstrong, Santa Barbara, California; Robert L. Aldridge,
Boise, Idaho; and A. Frank Johns, Greensboro, North Carolina.
[Page: D115]
Joint Meetings
OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS
Conferees on Monday, February 10, met to resolve the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.J. Res. 2, making further continuing
appropriations for the fiscal year 2003, but did not complete action thereon,
and recessed subject to call.
2003/02/12
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 12, 2003; pages D120 - D126
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings in open and closed
session, to examine current and future worldwide threats to the national
security of the United States, after receiving testimony from George J. Tenet,
Director of Central Intelligence; and Vice Adm. Lowell E. Jacoby, USN,
Director, Defense Intelligence Agency.
COAST GUARD TRANSITION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, and Fisheries concluded hearings to examine the challenges and
role of the United States Coast Guard with respect to its transition to the
Department of Homeland Security and the Maritime Homeland Security Strategy,
after receiving testimony from Admiral Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, U.S.
Coast Guard, Department of Transportation; and JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director,
Physical Infrastructure, General Accounting Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee met, discussed certain
pending committee business, and recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
INVESTMENT INCENTIVES
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine proposals for
economic growth and job creation, focusing on incentives for investment, after
receiving testimony from former Senator Phil Gramm, UBS Warburg, New York, New
York; Leon E. Panetta, California State University, Seaside, D121former
Director, Office of Management and Budget; and Kevin A. Hassett, American
Enterprise Institute, and William G. Gale, Brookings Institution, both of
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D121]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
Joseph Robert Goeke, of Illinois, to be a Judge of the United States Tax
Court; Glen L. Bower, of Illinois, to be a Judge of the United States Tax
Court; Daniel Pearson, of Minnesota, to be a Member of the United States
International Trade Commission; Charlotte A. Lane, of West Virginia, to be a
Member of the United States International Trade Commission; and Raymond T.
Wagner, Jr., of Missouri, to be a Member of the Internal Revenue Service
Oversight Board, Department of the Treasury, after each nominee testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
RECONSTRUCTION OF AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings on the restoration and
rebuilding of Afghanistan, including the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act (P.L.
107-327), receiving testimony from David T. Johnson, Coordinator for
Afghanistan Assistance, Department of State; Peter W. Rodman, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; and Ishaq Shahryar,
Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 342, to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to make
improvements to and reauthorize programs under that Act;
S. 314, to make improvements in the Foundation for the National Institutes of
Health;
S. 239, to amend the Public Health Service Act to add requirements regarding
trauma care;
S. 286, to revise and extend the Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1998; and
S. 313, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a
program of fees relating to animal drugs, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
Also, Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 108th Congress, and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Aging: Senators Bond (Chairman), Alexander, DeWine, Roberts,
Ensign, Warner, Mikulski, Kennedy, Murray, Edwards, and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Children and Families: Senators Alexander (Chairman), Enzi,
Bond, DeWine, Roberts, Sessions, Ensign, Graham (S.C.), Warner, Dodd, Harkin,
Jeffords, Bingaman, Murray, Reed, Edwards, and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Employment, Safety and Training: Senators Enzi (Chairman),
Alexander, Bond, Roberts, Sessions, Murray, Dodd, Harkin, and Jeffords.
Subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services: Senators DeWine
(Chairman), Enzi, Sessions, Ensign, Kennedy, Bingaman, and Reed.
NOMINATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on the nomination of
Ross Owen Swimmer, of Oklahoma, to be Special Trustee, Office of Special
Trustee for American Indians, Department of the Interior, after the nominee,
who was introduced by Senator Nickles and Representative Carson, testified and
answered questions in his own behalf. Testimony was also received from Richard
Sangrey and Majel Russell, both of the Intertribal Monitoring Association on
Indian Trust Funds, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
Timothy M. Tymkovich, of Colorado, to be United States Circuit Judge for the
Tenth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Campbell and Allard; J. Daniel
Breen, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of
Tennessee, who was introduced by Senator Alexander; William H. Steele, to be
United States District Judge for the Southern District of Alabama, who was
introduced by Senators Shelby and Sessions; Thomas A. Varlan, to be United
States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, who was
introduced by Senator Alexander; Timothy C. Stanceu, of Virginia, to be a
Judge of the United States Court of International Trade, who was introduced by
Senator Allen; and Marian Blank Horn, of Maryland, to be a Judge of the United
States Court of Federal Claims, who was introduced by Representative Cannon;
after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D122]
Joint Meetings
SPACE SHUTTLE "COLUMBIA"
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and
House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held joint
hearings to examine the recent space shuttle Columbia accident, focusing on
the status of the investigation, and implications of the loss of Columbia on
the nation's space exploration efforts, receiving testimony from Sean O'Keefe,
Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
[Page: D125]
Hearing recessed subject to call.
2003/02/13
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 13, 2003; pages D128 - D134
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
2004 BUDGET: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on proposed
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from
Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense; and General Richard B. Myers, U.S.
Air Force, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
COMMITTEE FUNDING RESOLUTION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 57), authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS
Committee on the Budget: on Wednesday, February 12, Committee adopted its
rules of procedure for the 108th Congress, and ordered favorably reported an
original resolution (S. Res. 56) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
2004 BUDGET: TRANSPORTATION
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings on the President's
proposed budget for fiscal year 2004, focusing on the Department of
Transportation and safety issues, after receiving testimony from Michael P.
Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Transportation.
U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE REFORM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held hearings to
examine the current organizational structure and culture of the United States
Olympic Committee, including possible reforms for increased effectiveness and
efficiency, receiving testimony from Fred F. Fielding, Wiley, Rein, and
Fielding, Washington, D.C.; Donald M. Fehr, Major League Baseball Players
Association, and Harvey W. Schiller, Assante U.S., both of New York, New York;
Anita L. DeFrantz, Amateur Athletic Foundation, Los Angeles, California, and
Donna de Varona, Greenwich, Connecticut, both of the United States Olympic
Committee; David F. D'Alessandro, John Hancock Financial Services, Boston,
Massachusetts. Hearing recessed subject to call.
MINORITY INSTITUTION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
[Page: D130]
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine S. 196, to establish a digital and wireless network
technology program for minority serving institutions, after receiving
testimony from William B. DeLauder, Delaware State University, Dover; Ricardo
Fernandez, City University of New York, West Bronx, on behalf of the Hispanic
Association of College and Universities and Hispanic-serving Institutions;
Floyd H. Flake, Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio; Marie V. McDemmond,
Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia; and Gerald Monette, Turtle
Mountain Community College, Belcourt, North Dakota, on behalf of the American
Indian Higher Education Consortium.
2004 BUDGET: FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the
Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, including the Healthy Forests
Initiative, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary for
Natural Resources and the Environment, and Dale N. Bosworth, Chief, Forest
Service, both of the Department of Agriculture.
OIL SUPPLY AND PRICES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the current U.S. energy situation, focusing on oil, natural gas, and
hydrogen supplies, energy conservation, and the outlook for global oil supply
and prices, after receiving testimony from Robert E. Ebel, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Red Cavaney, American Petroleum
Institute, James C. May, Air Transport Association of America, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Matthew R. Simmons, Simmons and Company International,
Houston, Texas.
NRC OVERSIGHT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety, concluded oversight hearings to examine the
licensing and regulatory responsibilities of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, after receiving from Richard A. Meserve, Chairman, and Greta Joy
Dicus, Nils J. Diaz, Edward McGaffigan, Jr., and Jeffrey S. Merrifield, each a
Commissioner, and Hubert T. Bell, Inspector General, all of the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
ENRON
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the activities and
transactions related to Enron's tax returns, focusing on the Joint Committee
on Taxation's investigative report, receiving testimony from Lindy L. Paull,
Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; Jim A. Seida, University of Notre
Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana; George A. Plesko, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge; Edmund Outslay, Michigan State University, East
Lansing; and Kathryn J. Kennedy, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Jeffrey S. Sutton, of Ohio, to be United States Circuit Judge
for the Sixth Circuit.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee adopted its rules of
procedure for the 108th Congress.
COMMITTEE FUNDING RESOLUTION
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded hearings on
proposed legislation authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Foreign
Relations, after receiving testimony from Senators Lugar and Biden.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/14
Daily Digest - Friday, February 14, 2003; pages D136 - D138
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TERRORIST THREAT INTEGRATION CENTER
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's proposal to create a Terrorist Threat Integration Center, to
consolidate terrorist-related intelligence, after receiving testimony from
former Senator Warren Rudman, on behalf of the United States Commission on
National Security/21st Century; Jeffrey H. Smith, former General Counsel,
Central Intelligence Agency; former Virginia Governor James S. Gilmore III,
Arlington, on behalf of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response
Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction; and James B.
Steinberg, Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D137]
2003/02/24
Daily Digest - Monday, February 24, 2003; pages D139 - D144
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee; and
S. 195, to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to bring underground storage
tanks into compliance with subtitle I of that Act, to promote cleanup of
leaking underground storage tanks, to provide sufficient resources for such
compliance and cleanup; with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
Committee on Finance: on Friday, February 14, Committee adopted its rules of
procedure for the 108th Congress, and ordered favorably reported an original
D140resolution (S. Res. 61) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
[Page: D140]
Also, Committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Health Care: Senators Kyl (Chairman), Snowe, Frist, Bunning,
Nickles, Thomas, Santorum, Smith, Hatch, Lott, Rockefeller, Daschle, Graham
(FL), Jeffords, Bingaman, Kerry, Lincoln, Breaux, and Baucus.
Subcommittee on International Trade: Senators Thomas (Chairman), Hatch,
Grassley, Smith, Snowe, Frist, Lott, Bunning, Baucus, Rockefeller, Conrad,
Graham (FL), Jeffords, Daschle, and Kerry.
Subcommittee on Long-Term Growth and Debt Reduction: Senators Smith
(Chairman), Lott, Kyl, Graham (FL), and Conrad.
Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy: Senators Santorum
(Chairman), Grassley, Kyl, Bunning, Nickles, Snowe, Frist, Breaux, Daschle,
Kerry, Rockefeller, Bingaman, and Lincoln.
Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight: Senators Nickles (Chairman),
Hatch, Lott, Snowe, Thomas, Santorum, Smith, Conrad, Bingaman, Lincoln,
Breaux, Baucus, and Jeffords.
Also, Committee approved the following Senate Membership to the Joint
Committee on Taxation:
Senators Grassley (Vice Chairman), Hatch, Nickles, Baucus, and Rockefeller.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/02/25
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 25, 2003; pages D146 - D152
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
2004 BUDGET: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee resumed open and closed hearings to
examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Department of Defense
and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony General Eric
K. Shinseki, USA, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; Admiral Vernon E. Clark, USN,
Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy; General Michael W. Hagee, USMC,
Commandant of the Marine Corps; and General John P. Jumper, USAF, Chief of
Staff, U.S. Air Force.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Committee on Armed Services: On Wednesday, February 5, Committee announced the
following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Airland: Senators Sessions (Chairman), McCain, Inhofe,
Roberts, Talent, Chambliss, Dole, Lieberman, Akaka, Dayton, Bayh, Clinton, and
Pryor.
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities: Senators Roberts
(Chairman), Allard, Collins, Ensign, Talent, Chambliss, Graham (SC), Dole,
Cornyn, Reed, Kennedy, Byrd, Lieberman, Akaka, Nelson (FL), Bayh, and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Personnel: Senators Chambliss (Chairman), Collins, Dole,
Cornyn, Nelson (NE), Kennedy, and Pryor.
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support: Senators Ensign (Chairman),
McCain, Inhofe, Roberts, Allard, Sessions, Talent, Chambliss, Cornyn, Akaka,
Byrd, Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Dayton, Bayh, Clinton, and Pryor.
Subcommittee on Seapower: Senators Talent (Chairman), McCain, Collins, Graham
(SC), Kennedy, Lieberman, and Reed.
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces: Senators Allard (Chairman), Inhofe,
Sessions, Ensign, Graham (SC), Cornyn, Nelson (FL), Byrd, Reed, Nelson (NE),
and Dayton.
AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
held hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for the
Federal Aviation Administration, focusing on the financing of airport
improvement and expansion, including the Airport Improvement Program, as well
as passenger facilities charges (PFCs) and airport bonds, receiving testimony
from Gerald L. Dillingham, Director, Civil Aviation Issues, General Accounting
Office; Woodie Woodward, Associate Administrator for Airports, Federal
Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation; and David Z. Plavin,
Washington, D.C., on behalf of Airports Council International--North America,
and the American Association of Airport Executives.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
2004 BUDGET: ENERGY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Spencer Abraham,
Secretary of Energy.
ENERGY SUPPLY AND PRICES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the outlook for natural gas supply and prices in the United States,
focusing on conservation and consumption, after receiving testimony from Guy
F. Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of
Energy; Robert W. Best, Atmos Energy, Dallas, Texas, on behalf of the American
Gas Association; Keith O. Rattie, Questar Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah;
and David H. Welch, British Petroleum's Alaska-Canada Pipelines, Calgary,
Alberta, Canada.
WORLD HUNGER REPORT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee on concluded hearings to examine the
state of the World Report on Hunger from Africa to North Korea focusing on the
status of worldwide food security, the role of U.S. food aid programs, global
hunger, and humanitarian assistance, after receiving testimony from Andrew S.
Natsios, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; Ken
Hackett, Catholic Relief Services, Baltimore, Maryland; Ellen S. Levinson,
Cadwalader, Wickersham, and Taft, and Joachim Von Braun, International Food
Policy Research Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; and James T. Morris,
United Nations World Food Program, Rome, Italy.
[Page: D148]
NATIVE HAWAIIAN FEDERAL RECOGNITION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held hearings on S. 344, expressing the
policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with
Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the recognition by the United
States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity, receiving testimony from
Representative Case; American Samoa Delegate Eni Faleomavaega, Vailoatai; and
Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, Micah A. Kane, Department of Hawaiian Home
Lands, and Haunani Apoliona, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, all of Honolulu.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee will meet again on Thursday, February 27.
Joint Meetings
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine certain legislative
recommendations and concerns of wartime service-connected disabled veterans,
after receiving testimony from Edward R. Heath, Sr., Disabled American
Veterans, Cold Spring, Kentucky.
2003/02/26
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 26, 2003; pages D153 - D160
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
POST-CONFLICT IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to discuss the planning for post-conflict Iraq and potential U.S.
military operations in the Philippines from Douglas J. Feith, Under Secretary
of Defense for Policy; and Ryan Crocker, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
for Near Eastern Affairs.
[Page: D154]
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE REFORM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine reform proposals for the Federal Deposit Insurance System, focusing
on benefits and costs of deposit insurance, impact of mergers and
consolidations between banks and thrifts, fund management, and premium pricing
issues, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Board
of Governors, Federal Reserve System; Donald E. Powell, Chairman of the Board
of Directors, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; and Peter R. Fisher,
Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, John D. Hawke, Jr., Comptroller of the
Currency, and James E. Gilleran, Director, Office of Thrift Supervision, all
of the Department of the Treasury.
2004 BUDGET: MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's Fiscal Year 2004 Budget proposal for Medicare and Medicaid,
enhancing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Foster Care, and
strengthening the Child Support Enforcement Program, after receiving testimony
from Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services.
SUV SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine issues involving Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) safety,
including data relating to vehicle rollovers, crash compatibility, and
seatbelt use, receiving testimony from Jeffrey W. Runge, Administrator,
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation;
Joan B. Claybrook, Public Citizen, former Administrator, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, and Christopher
Tinto, Toyota Motor North America, both of Washington, D.C.; R. David Pittle,
Consumers Union, Yonkers, New York; Brian O'Neill, Insurance Institute For
Highway Safety, Arlington, Virginia; Robert C. Lange, General Motors
Corporation, Warren, Michigan; and Susan Cischke, Ford Motor Company,
Dearborn, Michigan.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 273, to provide for the expeditious completion of the acquisition of land
owned by the State of Wyoming within the boundaries of Grand Teton National
Park;
S. 302, to revise the boundaries of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
in the State of California, to restore and extend the term of the advisory
commission for the recreation area; and
S. 426, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain parcels of
land acquired for the Blunt Reservoir and Pierre Canal features of the initial
stage of the Oahe Unit, James Division, South Dakota, to the Commission of
Schools and Public Lands and the Department of Game, Fish, and Parks of the
State of South Dakota for the purpose of mitigating lost wildlife habitat, on
the condition that the current preferential leaseholders shall have an option
to purchase the parcels from the Commission.
Also, Committee approved the views and estimates of the Committee with respect
to those portions of the budget for fiscal year 2004 within their
jurisdiction.
2004 BUDGET: EPA
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the
Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from Christine Todd
Whitman, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee began markup of an original bill entitled
"Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2003," but did
not take
final action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
TERRORIST THREAT INTEGRATION CENTER
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's proposal to create a Terrorist Threat Integration Center, to
consolidate terrorist-related intelligence, after receiving testimony from
Gordon England, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Pasquale J. D'Amuro,
Executive Assistant Director for Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, and Winston P. Wiley,
Associate Director, Central Intelligence for Homeland Security, Central
Intelligence Agency, all on behalf of the Senior Steering Group.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 162, to provide for the use of distribution of certain funds awarded to the
Gila River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community; and
S. 222, to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Zuni
Indian Tribe in Apache County, Arizona.
[Page: D155]
2004 BUDGET: INDIAN AFFAIRS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Presidents proposed budget request for Fiscal Year 2004 for Indian Programs,
after receiving testimony from Tex Hall, National Congress of American
Indians, Russell Sossamon, National American Indian Housing Council, and Gary
Edwards, National Native American Law Enforcement Association, all of
Washington, D.C.; Julia Davis-Wheeler, National Indian Health Board, and Kay
Culbertson, Indian Health and Family Services, on behalf of the National
Council of Urban Indian Health, both of Denver, Colorado; John Cheek, National
Indian Education Association, Alexandria, Virginia; and Ron McNeil, Sitting
Bull College, Fort Yates, North Dakota, on behalf of the American Indian
Higher Education Consortium.
2004 BUDGET: VETERANS' PROGRAMS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's proposed budget request for Fiscal Year 2004 for the Department of
Veterans Affairs, focusing on health care system priorities, after receiving
testimony from Anthony J. Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Philip
Wilkerson, American Legion, Dennis Cullinan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States, Carl Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of America, all of Washington,
D.C.; Rick Surratt, Disabled American Veterans, Cold Spring, Kentucky; and
Richard Jones, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland.
Joint Meetings
GROWTH AND JOBS PLAN
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the Economic
Report of the President, and the economic outlook for the United States and
the Administration's policy agenda, after receiving testimony from R. Glenn
Hubbard, Chairman, and Randall S. Kroszner, Member, both of the Council of
Economic Advisers; and Henry J. Aaron, Brookings Institution, Eric M. Engen,
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, and Daniel J.
Mitchell, Heritage Foundation, all of Washington, D.C.
2003/02/27
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 27, 2003; pages D161 - D170
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations
of Linton F. Brooks, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear
Security, John Paul Woodley, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of
the Army, and Stephen A. Cambone, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of
Defense for Intelligence, who was introduced by Senator Allen, after each
nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings on the nominations of Ellen G. Engleman, of Indiana, Mark V.
Rosenker, of Maryland, and Richard F. Healing, of Virginia, who was introduced
by Representative Weldon, each to be a Member of the National Transportation
Safety Board, Department of Transportation, after each nominee testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
AEROSPACE RESEARCH
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine U.S. involvement in aerospace research and technology,
including recommendations of the "Final Report of the Commission on the
Future
of the United States Aerospace Industry", after receiving testimony from
Senator Dodd; Jeremiah F. Creedon, Associate Administrator for Aerospace
Technology, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Robert S. Walker,
Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry, and Edward
M. Bolen, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, former Member of the
Federal Aviation Management Advisory Council, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Dennis Dietz, Boeing Company, and John Tomblin, Wichita State University
National Institute for Aviation Research, both of Wichita, Kansas.
ENERGY PRODUCTION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine energy production on Federal lands, focusing on the oil, gas,
geothermal and coal industries, and the environmental community, after
receiving testimony from J. Steven Griles, Deputy Secretary of the Interior;
Robert L. Bayless, Jr., on behalf of the Independent Petroleum Association of
Mountain States and Independent Petroleum Association of America, Denver,
Colorado; Steven F. Leer, Arch Coal, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, on behalf of
the National Mining Association; and David Alberswerth, Wilderness Society,
Washington, D.C.
PUBLIC LANDS AND FORESTS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded hearings to examine S. 32, to establish Institutes to
conduct research on the prevention of, and restoration from, wildfires in
forest and woodland ecosystems of the interior West; S. 203, to open certain
withdrawn land in Big Horn County, Wyoming, to locatable mineral development
for bentonite mining; S. 246, to provide that certain Bureau of Land
Management land shall be held in trust for the Pueblo of Santa Clara and the
Pueblo of San Ildefonso in the State of New Mexico; and S. 278, to make
certain adjustments to the boundaries of the Mount Naomi Wilderness Area,
after receiving Jim Hughes, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management,
Department of the Interior; Jim Reaves, Director, Vegetation Management and
Protection Research, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; John Gonzales,
D163San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico; Denny Gutierrez, Santa Clara Indian
Pueblo, Espanola, New Mexico; and W. Wallace Covington, Northern Arizona
University Ecological Restoration Institute, Flagstaff.
[Page: D163]
2004 BUDGET: FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Transportation and
Infrastructure concluded hearings to examine the President's proposed budget
request for fiscal year 2004 for the Federal Highway Administration, after
receiving testimony from Mary E. Peters, Administrator, Federal Highway
Administration, Department of Transportation.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
entitled "Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of
2003".
2004 BUDGET: MEDICARE AND MEDICAID REFORM
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Health and
Human Services, focusing on Medicare and Medicaid reform, receiving testimony
from Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
AMERICA AND THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine
American public diplomacy with respect to Islam, focusing on the perception of
the United States in the Islamic world, and American efforts to improve its
image, after receiving testimony from Charlotte L. Beers, Under Secretary of
State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Chairman,
Broadcasting Board of Governors; and Andrew Kohut, The Pew Research Center,
Kenton W. Keith, Meridian International Center, and R.S. Zaharna, American
University School of Communication, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on the
nominations of Clark Kent Ervin, of Texas, to be Inspector General, Department
of Homeland Security, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn,
Janet Hale, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Homeland Security for
Management, who was introduced by Senator Dole, and Linda M. Springer, of
Pennsylvania, to be Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office
of Management and Budget.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
The nominations of Deborah L. Cook, of Ohio, to be United States Circuit Judge
for the Sixth Circuit, John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, Jay S. Bybee, of Nevada,
to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, Ralph R. Erickson, to
be United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota, William D.
Quarles, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland,
Gregory L. Frost, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Southern
District of Ohio, Jeremy H. G. Ibrahim, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States, Edward F. Reilly,
of Kansas, Cranston J. Mitchell, of Missouri, each to be a Commissioner of the
United States Parole Commission, Department of Justice, Marian Blank Horn, of
Maryland, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims, Timothy
C. Stanceu, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of
International Trade, and Peter Joseph Elliott, of Ohio, to be United States
Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee will meet again on Tuesday, March 4.
GLOBAL AGING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine issues
related to global aging and its implications for the U.S. economy, after
receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System; Sylvester J. Schieber, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, and
Paul S. Hewitt, Center for Strategic and International Studies, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Gary L. Geipel, Hudson Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana.
[Page: D164]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/03
Daily Digest - Monday, March 3, 2003; pages D172 - D176
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/04
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 4, 2003; pages D178 - D184
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee resumed hearings
to examine the federal government's initiatives regarding the school breakfast
and lunch programs, and child nutrition and health, after receiving testimony
from Gaye Lynn MacDonald, Bellingham Public Schools, Bellingham, Washington,
on behalf of the American School Food Service Association; Robert J. Kemmery,
Jr., Baltimore County Public Schools, TowsonMaryland; Dennis J. Heiman,
Muscatine Community School District, Muscatine, Iowa; Melanie Payne, Opelika
City Schools, Opelika, Alabama; Robert Greenstein, Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities, and Susan T. Borra, on behalf of the American Dietetic
Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and Jerry Kozak, Arlington, Virginia,
on behalf of the National Milk Producers Federation and the International
Dairy Foods Association.
2004 BUDGET: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for
military construction, after receiving testimony from Mario P. Fiori,
Assistant Secretary of the Army, Installations and Environment, H. T. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Installations and Environment, Nelson F.
Gibbs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Installations, Environment and
Logistics, Dov S. Zakheim, Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller, and Ray
DuBois, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Installations and Environment, all
of the Department of Defense.
MILITARY OPERATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on current military operations from Lieutenant General Norton A.
Schwartz, USAF, Director for Operations, J-3, and Major General Glen D.
Shafer, USAF, Director for Intelligence, J-2, both of The Joint Staff; and
William Luti, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Special Plans.
2004 BUDGET: HUD
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for
the Department of Housing and Urban Development, after receiving testimony
from Mel Martinez, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the nominations of Charles E. McQueary, of North Carolina,
to be Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, who was
introduced by Senator Dole, and Jeffrey Shane, of the District of Columbia, to
be Under Secretary for Policy, Emil H. Frankel, of Connecticut, to be
Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, and Robert A. Sturgell, of
Maryland, to be Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration,
all of the Department of Transportation, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
ELECTRICITY MARKETS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the financial condition of the electricity markets, and the current
status of the energy industry, after receiving testimony from David A. Svanda,
Michigan Public Service Commission, Lansing, on behalf of the National
Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; Evan J. Silverstein, SILCAP
Hedge Fund, and Suzanne G. Smith, Standard and Poor's, both of New York, New
D180York; Frank Cassidy, Newark, New Jersey, on behalf of PSEG Power LLC and
the Electric Power Supply Association; and David L. Sokol, MidAmerican Energy
Holdings Company, Des Moines, Iowa.
[Page: D180]
NATIONAL PARKS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded hearings to examine S. 164, to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites associated with the life
of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement, S. 328, to designate
Catoctin Mountain Park in the State of Maryland as the "Catoctin Mountain
National Recreation Area", S. 347, to direct the Secretary of the
Interior and
the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a joint special resources study to
evaluate the suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the Valley
Corridor as a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, S.
425, to revise the boundary of the Wind Cage National Park in the State of
South Dakota, after receiving testimony from Senators McCain and Sarbanes;
Representatives Schiff and Solis; de Teel Patterson Tiller, Acting Associate
Director for Cultural Resources, National Park Service, Department of the
Interior; and Joseph T. Edmiston, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Malibu,
California.
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
establishment of the Millennium Challenge Account, focusing on foreign
development assistance and productivity growth, after receiving testimony from
Alan Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agriculture
Affairs; John B. Taylor, Under Secretary of the Treasury for International
Affairs, Andrew Natsios, Administrator, United States Agency for International
Development; Steven Radelet, Center for Global Development, and Mary E.
McClymont, InterAction, both of Washington, D.C.; and Susan V. Berresford,
Ford Foundation, New York, New York.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine issues
relating to the war against terrorism, focusing on Federal efforts to protect
America from terrorist attacks, after receiving testimony from Thomas J.
Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security; and John D. Ashcroft, Attorney General
of the United States, and Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, both of the Department of Justice.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Bruce E. Kasold, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United
States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, who was introduced by Senator
Warner, and John W. Nicholson, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Veterans
Affairs for Memorial Affairs, who was introduced by Senator Allen, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/05
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 5, 2003; pages D185 - D194
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: ARMY CIVIL WORKS PROGRAM/BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded hearings to examine the proposed budget estimates for fiscal year
2004 for the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation energy and
water development programs, after receiving testimony from Les Brownlee, Under
Secretary of the Army and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil
Works; Lieutenant General Robert B. Flowers, Chief of Engineers, and Major
General Robert H. Griffin, Director of Civil Works, both of the United States
Army Corps of Engineers; and Bennett W. Raley, Assistant Secretary for Water
and Science, and John W. Keys, III, Commissioner, United States Bureau of
Reclamation, both of the Department of the Interior.
SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Committee on Appropriations: On Tuesday, March 4, Committee announced the
following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies: Senators
Bennett (Chairman), Cochran, Specter, Bond, McConnell, Burns, Craig,
Brownback, Kohl, Harkin, Dorgan, Feinstein, Durbin, Johnson, and Landrieu.
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary: Senators Gregg
(Chairman), Stevens, Domenici, McConnell, Hutchison, Campbell, Brownback,
Hollings, Inouye, Mikulski, Leahy, Kohl, and Murray.
Subcommittee on Defense: Senators Stevens (Chairman), Cochran, Specter,
Domenici, Bond, McConnell, Shelby, Gregg, Hutchison, Burns, Inouye, Hollings,
Byrd, Leahy, Harkin, Dorgan, Durbin, Reid, and Feinstein.
Subcommittee on District of Columbia: Senators DeWine (Chairman), Hutchison,
Brownback, Landrieu, and Durbin.
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development: Senators Domenici (Chairman),
Cochran, McConnell, Bennett, Burns, Craig, Bond, Reid, Byrd, Hollings, Murray,
Dorgan, and Feinstein.
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations: McConnell (Chairman), Specter, Gregg,
Shelby, Bennett, Campbell, Bond, DeWine, Leahy, Inouye, Harkin, Mikulski,
Durbin, Johnson, and Landrieu.
[Page: D187]
Subcommittee on Homeland Security: Senators Cochran (Chairman), Stevens,
Specter, Domenici, McConnell, Shelby, Gregg, Campbell, Craig, Byrd, Inouye,
Hollings, Leahy, Harkin, Mikulski, Kohl, and Murray.
Subcommittee on Interior: Senators Burns (Chairman), Stevens, Cochran,
Domenici, Bennett, Gregg, Campbell, Brownback, Dorgan, Byrd, Leahy, Hollings,
Reid, Feinstein, and Mikulski.
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: Senators
Specter (Chairman) Cochran, Gregg, Hutchison, Craig, Stevens, DeWine, Shelby,
Harkin, Hollings, Inouye, Reid, Kohl, Murray, and Landrieu.
Subcommittee on Legislative Branch: Senators Campbell (Chairman), Bennett,
Stevens, Durbin, and Johnson.
Subcommittee on Military Construction: Senators Hutchison (Chairman), Burns,
Craig, DeWine, Brownback, Feinstein, Inouye, Johnson, and Landrieu.
Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and General Government: Senators
Shelby (Chairman), Specter, Bond, Bennett, Campbell, Hutchison, DeWine,
Brownback, Murray, Byrd, Mikulski, Reid, Kohl, Durbin, and Dorgan.
Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies: Senators Bond (Chairman), Burns,
Shelby, Craig, Domenici, DeWine, Hutchison, Mikulski, Leahy, Harkin, Byrd,
Johnson, and Reid.
Senators Stevens and Byrd are Ex Officio Members of all the Subcommittees.
E-911 IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Communications concluded hearings to examine the implementation of enhanced
911 (E-911) services for wireless telephones and technology, public safety
communications, after receiving testimony from Senator Clinton;
Representatives Shimkus and Eshoo; Kathleen Q. Abernathy, and Jonathan S.
Adelstein, each a Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; New York
State Assemblyman David Koon, Albany; Jenny Hansen, State of Montana Public
Safety Services Office, Helena; John Melcher, Greater Harris County 911
Emergency Network, Houston, Texas, on behalf of the National Emergency Number
Association; Thera Bradshaw, City of Los Angeles Information Technology
Agency, California, on behalf of the Association of Public-Safety
Communications Officials International; Michael Amarosa, TruePosition, Inc.,
New York, New York; S. Mark Tuller, Verizon Wireless, Bedminster, New Jersey.
TRADE AGENDA
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the Administration's
Trade Agenda, focusing on a strategy to promote global economic growth through
an open and free world trading system, including issues relating to Trade
Promotion Authority (TPA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and free trade
agreements, receiving testimony from Robert B. Zoellick, United States Trade
Representative.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of
Daniel Pearson, of Minnesota, and Charlotte A. Lane, of West Virginia, both to
be Members of the United States International Trade Commission.
TURKISH AID
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on Turkish aid negotiations and developments in northern Iraq from
Beth Jones, Assistant Secretary for European Affairs, Earl Anthony Wayne,
Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs, and Ryan C. Crocker,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, all of the Department of
State.
Committee recessed subject to call.
TREATIES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Convention Between the Government of the United States Of America and the
Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the
Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect
to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains (Treaty Doc. 107-19), the Protocol
Amending the Convention Between the Government of the United States Of America
and the Government of Australia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (Treaty Doc.
107-20), and the Second Additional Protocol that Modifies the Convention
Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of
the United Mexican States for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (Treaty Doc.
108-3), after receiving testimony from David Noren, Legislation Counsel, Joint
Committee on Taxation; Barbara M. Angus, International Tax Counsel, Department
of D188the Treasury; and William A. Reinsch, National Foreign Trade Council,
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D188]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 380, to amend chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, to reform the
funding of benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System for employees of
the United States Postal Service, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute; and
The nominations of Janet Hale, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Homeland
Security for Management, and Linda M. Springer, of Pennsylvania, to be
Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and
Budget.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Ross Owen Swimmer, of Oklahoma, to be Special Trustee, Office of
Special Trustee for American Indians, Department of the Interior.
2004 BUDGET: INDIAN PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for Indian programs,
after receiving testimony from Charles Louis Kincannon, Director, U.S. Bureau
of the Census, Department of Commerce; Aurene Martin, Acting Assistant
Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs; William Russell, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public and Indian
Housing; Victoria Vasques, Director of the Office of Indian Education,
Department of Education; and Charles W. Grim, Interim Director, Indian Health
Service, Department of Health and Human Services.
ASBESTOS LITIGATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
asbestos litigation crisis, and its economic issues including the costs of
settlements and judgments, possible reforms, and the need to compensate
victims of asbestos-related disease, after receiving testimony from Senators
Baucus and Voinovich; David Austern, Manville Personal Injury Settlement
Trust, Fairfax, Virginia, Dennis Archer, American Bar Association, and
Jonathan Hiatt, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial
Organizations (AFL-CIO), both of Washington, D.C.; Steven Kazan, Kazan,
McClain, Edises, Abrams, Fernandez, Lyons, and Farrise, Oakland, California;
Melvin McCandless, Williamston, North Carolina; and Brian Harvey, Vashon,
Washington.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/06
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 6, 2003; pages D195 - D202
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: OPERATIONS INTELLIGENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded closed hearings
to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for operations
intelligence, after receiving testimony from General Richard B. Myers, USAF,
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
APPROPRIATIONS: HUD
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA-HUD and Independent Agencies
concluded hearings to examine the proposed budget estimates for fiscal year
2004 for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, after receiving
testimony from Mel Martinez, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and State, the
Judiciary, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine the proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of State, after
receiving testimony from Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on proposed
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Defense, and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from
Thomas E. White, Secretary of the Army, Hansford T. Johnson, Acting Secretary
of the Navy, and James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force, all of the
Department of Defense.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year
2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing on military construction and
environmental programs, after receiving testimony from Hansford T. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environemnt, Raymond F.
DuBois, Jr., Deputy Under Secretary for Installations and Environment, Mario
P. Fiori, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment,
and Nelson D197F. Gibbs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for
Installations, Environment, and Logistics, all of the Department of Defense.
[Page: D197]
SPECTRUM POLICY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the future of spectrum policy, focusing on recommendations
of the Federal Communications Commission's Spectrum Policy Task Force
including, the establishment of a spectrum relocation trust fund, ways in
which to evolve the current "command and control" approach to
spectrum policy
into a more integrated, market-oriented approach that provides greater
regulatory certainty, while minimizing regulatory intervention, and the
implementation of interference protection, spectral efficiency, effective
public safety communications, and international spectrum policy, after
receiving testimony from Steven K. Berry, Cellular Telecommunications and
Internet Association, and Michael Calabrese, New America Foundation, on behalf
of the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, and the National
Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, both of Washington, D.C.; Gregory L.
Rosston, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford,
California; Kevin Kahn, Intel Corporation, Hillsboro, Oregon; and Paul J.
Kolodzy, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey.
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY USE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine energy use in the transportation sector, focusing on oil dependency,
technology challenges, vehicle safety issues, the Corporate Average Fuel
Economy (CAFE) program, and alternative fuels, after receiving testimony from
David K. Garman, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy; Emil H. Frankel, Assistant Secretary of Transportation for
Transportation Policy; Gregory Dana, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers,
Washington, D.C.; Richard Cromwell III, SunLine Transit Agency, Thousand
Palms, California; and David Friedman, Union of Concerned Scientists, San
Francisco, California.
HIGH PLAINS AQUIFER/ILLINOIS HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded hearings to examine S. 212, to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to cooperate with the High Plains States in conducting a
hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, modeling and monitoring program for
the High Plains Aquifer, and S. 220 and H.R. 397, bills to reinstate and
extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric
project in the State of Illinois, after receiving testimony from Senator
Brownback; and William M. Alley, Chief, Office of Ground Water, U.S.
Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine an
agreed framework for dialogue with North Korea, focusing on negotiations
regarding their nuclear weapons program, and South Korea, after receiving
testimony from Ashton B. Carter, Harvard University Preventive Defense
Project, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Arnold Kanter, Scowcroft Group, and
Robert J. Einhorn, Center for Strategic and International Studies
International Security Program, former Assistant Secretary of State for
Non-proliferation, both of Washington, D.C.
NASA
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia concluded
hearings to examine the status of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration's workforce and consider proposed personnel flexibilities to
assist the agency in achieving its mission, especially managing Human Capital
effectively and efficiently, after receiving testimony from Representative
Sherwood L. Boehlert; and Sean O'Keefe, Administrator, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment, Safety and Training concluded hearings to examine the
Administration's approach to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA),
focusing on strengthening the delivery of employment and training services
nationwide, after receiving testimony D. Cameron Findlay, Deputy Secretary of
Labor.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 253, to amend title 18, United States Code, to exempt qualified current and
former law enforcement officers from State laws prohibiting the carrying of
concealed handguns;
S. 113, to exclude United States persons from the definition of "foreign
power" under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 relating
to
international terrorism, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Timothy M. Tymkovich, of Colorado, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the D198Tenth Circuit, J. Daniel Breen, to be United States
District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee, Thomas A. Varlan, to be
United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, William H.
Steele, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Alabama, and Humberto S. Garcia, to be United States Attorney for the District
of Puerto Rico, and Eugene James Corcoran, to be United States Marshal for the
Eastern District of New York, both of the Department of Justice.
[Page: D198]
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
Joint Meetings
LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATIONS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine legislative
presentations of certain veterans organizations, after receiving testimony
from William A. Wroolie, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Springfield,
Virginia; Joseph L. Fox, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America, Daniel Weiss,
Jewish War Veterans, and Joe Burns, Blinded Veterans Association, all of
Washington, D.C.; and David W. Sommers, Non Commissioned Officers Association,
San Antonio, Texas.
2003/03/07
Daily Digest - Friday, March 7, 2003; pages D203 - D208
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
Joint Meetings
EMPLOYMENT SITUATION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
employment situation, focusing on U.S. labor markets, unemployment benefits,
and the President's proposal for re-employment accounts, after receiving
testimony from Kathleen P. Utgoff, Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
and Mason Bishop, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment D204and Training,
both of the Department of Labor; and Donald O. Parsons, George Washington
University, and Harry J. Holzer, Georgetown University, both of Washington,
D.C.
2003/03/10
Daily Digest - Monday, March 10, 2003; pages D209 - D212
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet )
HEALTH CARE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine challenges
facing America's health care system, focusing on health care costs, proposals
for universal coverage, Medicare and Medicaid, access to care, and health
insurance, after receiving testimony from Dan L. Crippen, former Director,
Congressional Budget Office; Len M. Nichols, Center for Studying Health System
Change, and Stuart Butler, Heritage Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Karen Davis, Commonwealth Fund, New York, New York.
[Page: D210]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/11
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 11, 2003; pages D213 - D220
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MEDICARE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education concluded hearings to examine Medicare outlier payments to
hospitals, focusing on the successful implementation of a new outlier policy
that contains an adequate transition period, and a proposed rule issued by the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service that would prevent further gaming of
the Medicare system by a few hospitals that obtain the majority of these
outlier payments, after receiving testimony from Thomas A. Scully,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services; and Joseph W. Marshall, Temple University Health
Care System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2004 BUDGET: PERSONNEL PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded hearings to
examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of Defense, focusing on active and reserve military and civilian
personnel programs, after receiving testimony from David S.C. Chu, Under
Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, William Winkenwerder, Jr., Assistant
Secretary for Health Affairs, and Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary for
Reserve Affairs, all of the Department of Defense; Lieutenant General John M.
LeMoyne, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, United States Army; Vice
Admiral Gerald L. Hoewing, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel, United States Navy;
Lieutenant General Garry L. Parks, USMC, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower
and Reserve Affairs, United States Marine Corps; Lieutenant General Richard E.
Brown, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, United States Air Force;
James E. Lokovic, Air Force Sergeants Association, Temple Hills, Maryland;
Steven Anderson, Reserve Officers Association, Washington, D.C.; and Joseph L.
Barnes, Fleet Reserve Association, Joyce W. Raezer, National Military Family
Association, Inc., and Susan Schwartz, Military Officers Association of
America, all of Alexandria, Virginia.
SMALL AND RURAL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded hearings to examine the existing federal programs and new proposals
to promote air service to small and rural communities, focusing on the
Essential Air Service program D215and the Small Community Air Service
Development Pilot Program, after receiving testimony from Read Van de Water,
Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and International Affairs;
JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, General
Accounting Office; and Bryan O. Elliott, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport
Authority, Charlottesville, Virginia.
[Page: D215]
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held hearings to examine
federal programs for energy efficiency and conservation, focusing on the
Federal Energy Management Program, the appliance efficiency standards programs
under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, and the Energy Policy of
Act of 1992, receiving testimony from David K. Garman, Assistant Secretary of
Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Paul Lynch, Assistant
Commissioner of Business Operations, Public Buildings Service, General
Services Administration; Erbin Keith, Sempra Energy Solutions, San Diego,
California, on behalf of the Federal Performance Contracting Coalition; and
Joseph M. McGuire, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, and David M.
Nemtzow, Alliance to Save Energy, both of Washington, D.C.
PENSION PLANS
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine defined benefit
pension plans, focusing on possible reforms for funding, receiving testimony
from Steven A. Kandarian, Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation; Christopher W. O'Flinn, AT&T Corporation, Bedminster, New
Jersey,
on behalf of the ERISA Industry Committee; Mark Schuler, U.S. Airways, Inc.,
Barrington, New Hampshire; Henry Eickelberg, General Dynamics Corporation,
Falls Church, Virginia, on behalf of the American Benefits Council; and Ron
Gebhardtsbauer, American Academy of Actuaries, Washington, D.C.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
IRAQ: RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
commitment of U.S. financial and personnel resources to post-conflict
transitional assistance and reconstruction in Iraq, focusing on the cost of
maintaining a military presence in the region, the restoration of governance
and any steps toward democracy, securing the elimination of Iraqi weapons of
mass destruction, ending Iraqi contacts with international terrorist
organizations, ensuring that a post-transition Iraqi government can maintain
the country's territorial integrity and economic independence while
contributing to regional stability, and the costs of not going to war with
Iraq, which include the costs of maintaining a military presence in the
region, the continuation of inspections of weapons of mass destruction,
accelerated funding to combat terrorism abroad, and maintaining a high level
of homeland security, after receiving testimony from Eric P. Schwartz, Council
on Foreign Relations, Gordon Adams, George Washington University, Sandra
Mitchell, International Rescue Committee, and Phebe Marr, all of Washington,
DC.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee met and approved the committees views
and estimates with respect to the President's proposed budget request for
fiscal year 2004 for Indian programs.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee will meet again on Thursday, March 13.
HEALTHY AGING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
prescription for healthy aging, focusing on the benefits of fitness and
nutrition care, and exercise, after receiving testimony from Judith A.
Salerno, Deputy Director, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of
Health, and Lynn C. Swann, Chairman, President's Council on Physical Fitness
and Sports, Office of Public Health and Science, both of the Department of
Health and Human Services; Linda Netterville, on behalf of Meals On Wheels
Association of America, Alexandria, Virginia; Jane V. White, University of
Tennessee at Knoxville Graduate School of Medicine, on behalf of Nutrition
Screening Initiative; Alfred Maguire, Twin Falls, Idaho; and Sam Ulano, New
York, New York.
[Page: D216]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/12
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 12, 2003; pages D221 - D230
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: INTELLIGENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded closed hearings
to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for intelligence
programs, and to discuss worldwide threats, after receiving testimony from
George Tenet, Director of Central Intelligence.
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
District of Columbia Courts, Court Services, and Offender Supervision Agency
focusing on fair, swift, and accessible justice, enhancing public safety, and
the justice system, after receiving testimony from Annice M. Wagner, Chief
Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals, on behalf of the District of
Columbia Joint Committee on Judicial Administration; Rufus G. King III, Chief
Judge, and Lee Satterfield, Presiding Judge, Family Court, both of the
Superior Court of the District of Columbia; Paul A. Quander, Jr., Director,
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia;
and Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr., Director, Public Defender Service for the
District of Columbia.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004
for the Department of Energy Office of Energy and Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, Office of Science, and the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and
Technology, after receiving testimony from David K. Garman, Assistant
Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Raymond L. Orbach,
Director of the Office of Science, and William D. Magwood, IV, Director of the
Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, all of the Department of
Energy.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded
hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Department of
Defense for fiscal year 2004, focusing on national security space programs and
management, warfighting, national intelligence and defense priorities
including strategic forces, after receiving testimony from Peter B. Teets,
Under Secretary of the Air Force, and Director, National Reconnaissance
Office; Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr., USN, Commander, United States Strategic
Command; General Lance W. Lord, USAF, Commander, Air Force Space Command;
Lieutenant General Joseph M. Cosumano, Jr., USA, Commanding General, U.S. Army
Space and Missile Defense Command and U.S. Army Space Command; and Vice
Admiral Richard W. Mayo, USN, Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded hearings on
proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Department of Defense for
fiscal year 2004 and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing on Army
transformation, after receiving testimony from Les Brownlee, Under Secretary
of the Army; and General John M. Keane, USA, Vice Chief of Staff, United
States Army.
[Page: D223]
2004: BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee met to mark up a proposed concurrent
resolution setting forth the fiscal year 2004 budget for the Federal
Government, but did not complete consideration thereon, and will meet again
tomorrow.
BUDGET: COAST GUARD AND NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, and Fisheries concluded hearings to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the Coast Guard and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, after receiving testimony
from Adm. Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, United States Coast Guard; Vice Adm.
Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.), Under Secretary of Commerce for
Oceans and Atmosphere; and JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director, Physical
Infrastructure, General Accounting Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 164, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and
the farm labor movement, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 212, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the High
Plains States in conducting a hydrogeologic characterization, mapping,
modeling and monitoring program for the High Plains Aquifer, with an amendment
in the nature of substitute;
S. 278, to make certain adjustments to the boundaries of the Mount Naomi
Wilderness Area;
S. 347, to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to conduct a joint special resources study to evaluate the
suitability and feasibility of establishing the Rim of the Valley Corridor as
a unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 425, to revise the boundary of the Wind Cave National Park in the State of
South Dakota;
H.R. 397, to reinstate the license and extend the deadline for commencement of
construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Illinois;
S. 328, to designate Catoctin Mountain Park in the State of Maryland as the
"Catoctin Mountain National Recreation Area", with an amendment in
the nature
of a substitute; and
The nomination of Joseph Timothy Kelliher, of the District of Columbia, to be
a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy.
WELFARE REFORM
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine welfare reform,
focusing on administrating issues such as supporting families with accessing
cash assistance, employment skill development, employment barrier removal by
accessing substance abuse services and quality childcare, and enforcing
non-custodial parent financial responsibility through child support, receiving
testimony from Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services; Howard
H. Hendrick, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Oklahoma City; Marilyn Ray
Smith, Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Boston; Larry Temple, Texas
Workforce Commission, Austin; and Margy Waller, Brookings Institution,
Washington, D.C.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the
Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the
Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect
to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains (Treaty Doc. 107-19);
Protocol Amending the Convention Between the Government of the United States
of America and the Government of Australia for the Avoidance of Double
Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income
(Treaty Doc. 107-20);
Second Additional Protocol that Modifies the Convention Between the Government
of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican
States for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal
Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income (Treaty Doc. 108-3); and
A Foreign Service Officer Promotion list received in the Senate on January 28,
2003.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine
regional implications of the changing nuclear equation on the Korean
Peninsula, focusing on diplomatic solutions, the United States-South Korea
alliance, and Chinese interests, after receiving testimony from James A.
Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; James
R. Lilley, American Enterprise Institute, Victor D. Cha, Georgetown University
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and Bates Gill, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, all of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D224]
HOMELAND SECURITY: BORDER TECHNOLOGY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Border Security, Immigration and
Citizenship and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland
Security concluded joint hearings to examine the role of border technology in
advancing Homeland Security, focusing on the Entry-Exit System, the National
Security Entry Exit Registration System, and Biometric Verification Systems,
including implementation of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform
Act (Public Law 107-173), and related provisions of S. 539, to authorize
appropriations for border and transportation security personnel and
technology, after receiving testimony from Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary of
Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security; Nancy Kingsbury,
Managing Director of Applied Research and Methods, General Accounting Office;
and Stephen E. Flynn, Independent Task Force on Homeland Security Imperatives,
Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of James V. Selna and Cormac J. Carney, both to be a United States
District Judge for the Central District of California, who were introduced by
Senator Feinstein, Philip P. Simon and Theresa Lazar Springmann, both to a
United States District Judge for the Northern District of Indiana, who were
introduced by Senators Lugar and Bayh, Mary Ellen Coster Williams, of
Maryland, and Victor J. Wolski, of Virginia, who was introduced by Senators
Warner and Allen, both to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal
Claims, and Ricardo H. Hinojosa, of Texas, who was introduced by Senators
Hutchison and Cornyn, and Representative Hinojosa, and Michael E. Horowitz, of
Maryland, both to be a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
Joint Meetings
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative
recommendations of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after receiving testimony
Raymond C. Sisk, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington,
D.C.
2003/03/13
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 13, 2003 ; pages D232 - D244
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MEDICAL LIABILITY CRISIS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies hearings to examine causes of the medical
liability insurance crisis, focusing on proposals to reform the medical
litigation system, after receiving testimony from Claude A. Allen, Deputy
Secretary of Health and Human Services; Peter R. McCombs, Pennsylvania
Hospital, Philadelphia; Donald M. Berwick, Institute for Healthcare
Improvement, Boston, Massachusetts; Jay Angoff, Rogert C. Brown and
Associates, Jefferson City, Missouri; James D. Hurley, Atlanta, Georgia, on
behalf of the American Academy of Actuaries; Brian Holmes, Hagerstown,
Maryland; Linda McDougal, Woodville, Wisconsin; and Leanne Dyess, Vicksburg,
Mississippi.
APPROPRIATIONS: VA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, Housing and
Urban Development, and Independent Agencies concluded hearings to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Veterans
Affairs, after receiving testimony from Anthony J. Principi, Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: UNIFIED COMMANDS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings in open and closed
session to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004
for the Department of Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing
on military strategy and operational requirements in of the unified and
regional commands, after receiving testimony from Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, USN,
Commander, United States Pacific Command; Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, USA,
Commander, United Nations Command, United Nations Command, Republic of
Korea-United States Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces in
Korea; and Gen. James T. Hill, USA, Commander, United States Southern Command.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for the
Department of Defense for fiscal year 2004, focusing on the impacts of
environmental laws on readiness and the related Administration legislative
proposal, after receiving testimony from General John M. Keane, USA, Vice
Chief of the Army; Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, Vice Chief of Naval
Operations; General William L. Nyland, USMC, Assistant Commandant of the
Marine Corps; General Robert H. Foglesong, USAF, Vice Chief of the Air Force;
and Benedict S. Cohen, Deputy General Counsel for Installation and
Environment, Department of Defense.
2004 BUDGET: FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for
the Federal Transit Administration, after receiving testimony from Jennifer L.
Dorn, Administrator Federal Transit Administration, Department of
Transportation.
2004 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United
States Government for fiscal year 2004 and including the appropriate budgetary
levels for fiscal year 2003 and for fiscal years 2005 through 2013.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 579, to reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board;
S. 275, to amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996, and to establish
the United States Boxing Administration, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 196, to establish a digital and wireless network technology program, with
amendments;
S. 165, to improve air cargo security, with amendments; and
[Page: D235]
The nominations of Ellen G. Engleman, of Indiana, to be a Member and Chairman,
and Richard F. Healing, of Virginia, and Mark V. Rosenker, of Maryland, both
to be Members, all of the National Transportation Safety Board, Charles E.
McQueary, of North Carolina, to be Under Secretary of Homeland Security for
Science and Technology, and Jeffrey Shane, of the District of Columbia, to be
Under Secretary for Policy, Robert A. Sturgell, of Maryland, to be Deputy
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and Emil H. Frankel, of
Connecticut, to be an Assistant Secretary, all of the Department of
Transportation; and United States Coast Guard promotion lists received by the
Senate on January 28, February 6, February 25, and March 11, 2003.
Also, Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 108th Congress, and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Aviation: Senators Lott (Chairman), Stevens, Burns, Hutchison,
Snowe, Brownback, Smith, Fitzgerald, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, Rockefeller,
Hollings, Inouye, Breaux, Dorgan, Wyden, Nelson (FL), Boxer, Cantwell, and
Lautenberg.
Subcommittee on Communications: Senators Burns (Chairman), Stevens, Lott,
Hutchison, Snowe, Brownback, Smith, Fitzgerald, Ensign, Allen, Sununu,
Hollings, Inouye, Rockefeller, Kerry, Breaux, Dorgan, Wyden, Boxer, Nelson
(FL), and Cantwell.
Subcommittee on Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure: Senators
Smith (Chairman), Burns, Brownback, Fitzgerald, Ensign, Sununu, Dorgan, Boxer,
Nelson (FL), Cantwell, and Lautenberg.
Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Product Safety: Senators Fitzgerald
(Chairman), Burns, Smith, Wyden, and Dorgan.
Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, and Coast Guard: Senators Snowe
(Chairwoman), Stevens, Lott, Hutchison, Smith, Sununu, Kerry, Hollings,
Inouye, Breaux, and Cantwell.
Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space: Senators Brownback (Chairman),
Stevens, Burns, Lott, Hutchison, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, Breaux, Rockefeller,
Kerry, Dorgan, Wyden, Nelson (FL), and Lautenberg.
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine: Senators Hutchison
(Chairwoman), Stevens, Burns, Lott, Snowe, Brownback, Smith, Allen, Inouye,
Rockefeller, Kerry, Breaux, Wyden, Boxer, and Lautenberg. Senators McCain and
Hollings are Ex-Officio Members of all the Subcommittees.
WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the impact of fires on America in 2002 and the potential 2003 fire
season, focusing on the management and implementation of the National Fire
Plan, the effects on tourism, and the President's Healthy Forest Initiative,
after receiving testimony from David Tenny, Deputy Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment; Lynn Scarlett,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management, and Budget; and
Linda M. Conlin, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
NATIONAL HERITAGE AREAS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded oversight
hearings to examine the designation and management of National Heritage Areas,
including criteria and procedures for designating heritage areas, the
potential impact of heritage areas on private lands and communities, federal
and non-federal costs of managing heritage areas, and methods of monitoring
and measuring the success of heritage areas, after receiving testimony from
Paul Hoffman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife
and Parks; Kathryn Higgins, National Trust for Historic Preservation,
Washington, DC; C. Allen Sachse, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage
Corridor Commission, Easton, Pennsylvania; and Peyton Knight, American Policy
Center, Warrenton, Virginia.
CONGESTION MITIGATION AND AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded oversight hearings to examine the
implementation of the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Program, and transportation conformity, focusing on the collaboration of
transportation and air quality planners, direct public and private investment
projects, systems and technologies that will reduce air pollution coming from
the mobile source sector, after receiving testimony from Emil H. Frankel,
Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Transportation Policy; Jeffrey R.
Homstead, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Environmental
Protection Agency; Howard R. Maier, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating
Agency, Cleveland, Ohio; W. Gerald Teague, Emory University School of
Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; D236Jerry Lasker, Indian Nations Council of
Governments, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Annette Liebe, Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality, Portland, on behalf of the State and Territorial Air
Pollution Program Administrators, and the Association of Local Air Pollution
Control Officials; Diane Steed, American Highway Users Alliance, Washington,
D.C.; Marsha Kaiser, Maryland Department of Transportation, Annapolis, on
behalf of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials; and Michael Replogle, Environmental Defense, New York, New York.
[Page: D236]
MILITARY OPERATIONS/IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine Iraq's political future from William Burns, Assistant
Secretary of State for Middle East.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held hearings to examine the nomination
of Priscilla Richman Owen, of Texas, to be United States Circuit Judge for the
Fifth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, where the
nominee testified and answered questions in her own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee will meet again on Tuesday, March 18.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/17
Daily Digest - Monday, March 17, 2003; pages D246 - D248
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: U.S. JOINT FORCES COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: on Friday, March 14, Subcommittee on Emerging
Threats and Capabilities concluded hearings to examine proposed legislation
authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing
on the posture of U.S. Joint Forces Command and the role of joint
experimentation in force transformation, after receiving testimony from
Admiral Edward P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN, Commander, United States Joint
Forces Command; and Vice Admiral Arthur K. Cebrowski, USN (Ret.), Director,
Office of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense.
[Page: D247]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/18
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 18, 2003; pages D250 - D256
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction concluded
hearings to examine the base realignment and closure process and the critical
importance of the rationalization of military infrastructure to the Department
of Defense, focusing on base reuse and community profile, environmental
cleanup and property disposal, after receiving testimony from Raymond F.
Dubois, Deputy Under Secretary for Installations and Environment, Mario Fiori,
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment, Nelson
Gibbs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment,
and Logistics, and Wayne Arny, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Installations and Facilities, all of the Department of Defense; Robert B.
Leonard, Sacramento County Airport System, Sacramento, California; James C.
Bryan, Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority, Charleston, South
Carolina; and Brigadier General Paul Roberson, USAF (Ret.), San Antonio,
Texas.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine proposed
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal years 2004 for the Department of
Defense, focusing on ballistic missile defense, after receiving testimony from
Edward C. Aldridge, Jr., Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology, and
Logistics, Thomas P. Christie, Director of Operational Test and Evaluation,
J.D. Crouch II, Assistant Secretary for International Security Policy, and
Lieutenant General Ronald T. Kadish, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency,
all of the Department of Defense.
INTERNET GAMBLING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine proposals to regulate illegal Internet gambling, including S. 627,
to prevent the use of certain payments instruments, credit cards, and fund
transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, after receiving testimony from
Senator Kyl; John G. Malcolm, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal
Division, Department of Justice; Connecticut Attorney General Richard
Blumenthal, Hartford; William S. Saum, National Collegiate Athletic
Association, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., American
Gaming Association, Stewart A. Baker, U.S. Internet Service Provider
Association, and L. Richard Fischer, Morrison and Foerster, all of Washington,
D.C.; and Frank Catania, Catania Consulting, North Haledon, New Jersey, on
behalf of the Interactive Gaming Council.
[Page: D252]
2004 BUDGET: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water concluded hearings to examine the President's proposed
budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
after receiving testimony from Steven A. Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings on the nomination of Mark
W. Everson, of Texas, to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Department of
the Treasury, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
WAR ON TERRORISM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
war on terrorism, focusing on diplomacy issues, the President's proposed
budget request for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of State, and the
Millennium Challenge Account which are funds initiatives to improve the
economies and standards of living in qualified developing countries, after
receiving testimony from Marc Grossman, Under Secretary for Political Affairs,
Grant S. Green, Jr., Under Secretary for Management, J. Cofer Black,
Coordinator for Counterterrorism, all of the Department of State; John S.
Pistole, Deputy Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Department of Justice; and Juan C. Zarate, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury, Executive Office for Terrorist Financing and
Financial Crimes.
COLOMBIAN HOSTAGES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on the current hostage situation in Colombia from Marc Grossman,
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
CONTRACT BUNDLING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the practice of contract bundling in federal agency procurement,
focusing on the loss of federal jobs in small business, after receiving
testimony from Hector V. Barreto, Administrator, U.S. Small Business
Administration; Angela B. Styles, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement
Policy, Office of Management and Budget; Deidre Lee, Director, Defense
Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics; David E. Cooper, Director,
Acquisition and Sourcing Management, General Accounting Office; Carol Kuc,
Complete Conference Coordinators, Inc., Naperville, Illinois, on behalf of
Women Impacting Public Policy; Eric A. Adolphe, OPTIMUS Corporation, Silver
Spring, Maryland; Paul Murphy, Eagle Eye Publishers, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia;
and Michael E. Robinson, Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership,
Worcester.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/19
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 19, 2003; pages D258 - D268
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HHS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Health and Human
Services, after receiving testimony from Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of
Health and Human Services.
ARMY POSTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine the Posture of the United States Army, focusing on the power of new
technologies, different organizations, and revitalized leader development
initiatives, after receiving testimony from Thomas E. White, Secretary of the
Army, and Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, Chief of Staff of the Army, both of the
Department of Defense.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for
fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing on acquisition policy
and outsourcing issues, after receiving testimony from Edward C. Aldridge,
Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics;
David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, General Accounting
Office; Angela B. Styles, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy,
Office of Management and Budget; Stan Z. Soloway, Professional Services
Council, Arlington, VA; and Bobby L. Harnage, Sr., American Federation of
Government Employees (AFL-CIO), Washington, D.C.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded hearings to
examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of Defense, focusing on the National Guard and Reserve military and
civilian personnel programs, after receiving testimony from Thomas F. Hall,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Bob Hollingsworth,
Executive Director, National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and
Reserve, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs;
Major General Raymond F. Rees, ARNG, Acting Chief, National Guard Bureau;
Lieutenant General Roger C. Schultz, ARNG, Director, Army National Guard;
Lieutenant General Daniel James III, ANG, Director, Air National Guard;
Lieutenant General James R. Helmly, USAR, Chief, Army Reserve; Vice Admiral
John B. Totushek, USNR, Chief, Naval Reserve; Lieutenant General Dennis M.
McCarthy, USMCR, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Major General John J.
Batbie, Jr., USAFR, Vice Chief of Air Force Reserve.
NONPROLIFERATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine
nonproliferation policies and programs of the Department of State, focusing on
curbing the supply of material, equipment, and technology for weapons of mass
destruction and missiles to proliferators or terrorists, persuading states
seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction and missiles to cease those
efforts, maintaining and strengthening the international system of
nonproliferation treaties and regimes, promoting international nuclear
cooperation under the highest nonproliferation and D261safety standards, and
containing the transfer of advanced conventional arms to states of concern,
and terrorists, after receiving testimony from John S. Wolf, Assistant
Secretary of Nonproliferation, and Richard J.K. Stratford, Director, Office of
Nuclear Energy Affairs, Bureau of Nonproliferation, both of the Department of
State; and Rose E. Gottemoeller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
Charles B. Curtis, Nuclear Threat Initiative, and Amy E. Smithson, Henry L.
Stimson Center, all of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D261]
CHINA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded hearings to examine the effects and consequences of the economic
emergence of China and presence in U.S. capital markets, focusing on its role
as a strategic power in East Asia, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the
Korean peninsula, free trade and national security, after receiving testimony
from Randall G. Schriver, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian
and Pacific Affairs; Charles Freeman, Deputy Assistant, U.S. Trade
Representative; Robert A. Kapp, United States-China Business Council, Hilary
Rosen, Recording Industry Association of America, Larry M. Wortzel, Heritage
Foundation, and David M. Lampton, Nixon Center, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
An original bill, to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a
program to assist family caregivers in accessing affordable and high-quality
respite care;
An original bill, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to
authorize the Food and Drug Administration to require certain research into
drugs used in pediatric patients;
S. 15, to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the payment of
compensation for certain individuals with injuries resulting from the
administration of smallpox countermeasures, to provide protections and
countermeasures against chemical, radiological, or nuclear agents that may be
used in a terrorist attack against the United States, and to improve
immunization rates by increasing the distribution of vaccines and improving
and clarifying the vaccine injury compensation program, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Karen Lias Wolff, of Michigan, Mary Costa, of Tennessee,
and Jerry Pinkney and Makoto Fujimura, both of New York, each to be a Member
of the National Council on the Arts.
ENERGY RESOURCES ON INDIAN LANDS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine S. 424,
to establish, reauthorize, and improve energy programs relating to Indian
tribes, and S. 522, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to assist Indian
tribes in developing energy resources, after receiving testimony from Theresa
Rosier, Counselor to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian
Affairs; Vicky Bailey, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and
International Affairs; Arvin Trujillo, Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona;
Vernon Hill, Eastern Shoshone Business Council, Fort Washakie, Wyoming; Sam
Maynes, Southern Ute Tribal Council, Ignacio, Colorado; A. David Lester and
Victor Roubidoux, both of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, Denver,
Colorado; and Robert P. Gough, Intertribal Council on Utility Policy, Rosebud,
South Dakota.
REPRODUCTIVE CLONING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
ethical issues of human cloning, focusing on both reproductive cloning and the
use of nuclear transplantation in research with human stem cells, after
receiving testimony from Senator Brownback; Representative Langevin; Leon
Kass, American Enterprise Institute, Chicago, Illinois; Thomas H. Murray, The
Hastings Center, Garrison, New York; Harold Varmus, Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, New York, New York; Anton-Lewis Usala, East Carolina
University, Greenville, North Carolina; Micheline M. Mathews-Roth, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Paul Berg, Stanford University, Palo
Alto, California; Greg Wasson, Cotati, California, on behalf of the Coalition
for the Advancement of Medical Research; and James Kelly, Granbury, Texas.
SECRETARY OF THE SENATE/ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded oversight hearings
to examine the operations of the offices of the Secretary of the Senate and
the Architect of the Capitol, after receiving testimony from Emily J.
Reynolds, Secretary of the Senate; and Alan M. Hantman, Architect of the
Capitol, who were both accompanied by several of their associates.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/20
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 20, 2003; pages D270 - D278
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the nomination of Vernon Bernard Parker, of Arizona, to be
an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights, after the nominee, who
was introduced by Senators McCain and Kyl, testified and answered questions in
his own behalf.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the
Judiciary concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2004 for the Department of Commerce, after receiving testimony from
Donald L. Evans, Secretary of Commerce.
APPROPRIATIONS: FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Agriculture Forest Service, after receiving testimony from Dale N. Bosworth,
Chief, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS: EPA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies
concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004
for the Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from
Christine Todd Whitman, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: ENERGY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine proposed
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Defense, focusing on atomic energy defense activities of the Department of
Energy, after receiving testimony from Spencer Abraham, Secretary of Energy.
[Page: D272]
REAL ESTATE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine issues relating to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development's proposed rule on the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act,
focusing on the effort to better protect consumers and increase homeownership
by making the home financing process more transparent, simpler, and less
costly, after receiving testimony from Mel Martinez, Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development.
CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded hearings to examine S. 385, to amend the
Clean Air Act to eliminate methyl tertiary butyl ether from the United States
fuel supply, to increase production and use of renewable fuel, and to increase
the Nation's energy independence, and other proposed legislation amending the
Clean Air Act regarding fuel additives and renewable fuels, gasoline, water
contamination, and the oil and natural gas industry, after receiving testimony
from Jeffrey R. Holmstead, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation,
Environmental Protection Agency; David K. Garman, Assistant Secretary for
Renewable Energy, and Mary Hutzler, Director, Office of Integrated Analysis
and Forecasting, Energy Information Administration, both of the Department of
Energy; Paul J. Granger, Plainview Water District, Plainview, New York; Craig
Perkins, Environmental and Public Works Management, Santa Monica, California;
Fred Yoder, Plain City, Ohio, on behalf of the National Corn Growers
Association; Edward Murphy, American Petroleum Institute, Bob Slaughter,
National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, Scott H. Segal, Bracewell and
Patterson, on behalf of the Oxygenated Fuels Association, all of Washington,
D.C.; Richard Wagman, G.A. & F.C. Wagman, York, Pennsylvania, on behalf of
the
American Road and Transportation Builders Association; and A. Blakeman Early,
Washington, D.C., on behalf of the American Lung Association.
EMBASSY SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine how to
make embassies safer in areas of conflict, focusing on federal efforts to
provide secure diplomatic and consular facilities for U.S. Government
personnel overseas, the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program, and related
provisions of the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for
the Department of State, after receiving testimony from Charles E. Williams,
Director and Chief Operating Officer, Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau,
and Francis X. Taylor, Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security and the
Office of Foreign Missions, both of the Department of State; and Jess T. Ford,
Director, International Affairs and Trade, General Accounting Office.
CARGO CONTAINERS SECURITY
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine
securing seaport cargo containers from terrorist attack by implementing and
using the Container Security Initiative, Operations Safe Commerce, and the
Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, focusing on the coordination
between agencies regulating seaport commerce, the standardization of
procedures between and within agencies, intelligence information available to
port managers, departmental funding, and providing qualified and well trained
personnel for port security programs, after receiving testimony from Asa
Hutchinson, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation
Security; Peter W. Hall, United States Attorney for the District of Vermont,
Department of Justice; Stephen E. Flynn, Independent Task Force on Homeland
Security Imperatives, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York;
Jeffrey W. Monroe, Department of Ports and Transportation, Portland, Maine;
and Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 330, to further the protection and recognition of veterans' memorials;
S. Res. 48, designating April 2003 as "Financial Literacy for Youth
Month";
S. Res. 52, recognizing the social problem of child abuse and neglect, and
supporting efforts to enhance public awareness of the problem, with an
amendment;
S. Res. 58, expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should
designate the week beginning June 1, 2003, as "National Citizen Soldier
Week";
and
The nominations of Cormac J. Carney and James V. Selna, each to be a United
States District Judge for the Central District of California, Philip P. Simon
and Theresa Lazar Springmann, each to be a United States District Judge for
the Northern District of Indiana, and Gregory A. White, to be United States
Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Thomas Dyson Hurlburt, Jr., to be
United States Marshal for the Middle District of Florida, Christina Pharo, to
be United States Marshal for the Southern District of Florida, Dennis Arthur
Williamson, to be United States Marshal for the Northern District of Florida,
and Richard Zenos Winget, to be United States Marshal for the District of
Nevada, all of the Department of Justice.
[Page: D273]
Also, Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 108th Congress and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts: Senators Sessions
(Chairman), Grassley, Specter, Craig, Cornyn, Schumer, Leahy, Feingold, and
Durbin.
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security: Senators Kyl
(Chairman), Hatch, Specter, DeWine, Sessions, Chambliss, Feinstein, Kennedy,
Biden, Kohl, and Edwards.
Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights: Senators
DeWine (Chairman), Hatch, Specter, Graham (SC), Chambliss, Kohl, Leahy,
Feingold, and Edwards.
Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights: Senators
Cornyn (Chairman), Kyl, Graham (SC), Craig, Chambliss, Feingold, Kennedy,
Schumer, and Durbin.
Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship: Senators
Chambliss (Chairman), Grassley, Kyl, DeWine, Sessions, Craig, Cornyn, Kennedy,
Leahy, Feinstein, Schumer, Durbin, and Edwards.
Subcommittee on Crime, Corrections and Victims' Rights: Senators Graham (SC)
(Chairman), Hatch, Grassley, Sessions, Craig, Cornyn, Biden, Kohl, Feinstein,
Durbin, and Edwards.
MEDICARE REFORM: PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine proposals
to improve and modernize the current Medicare system, focusing on prescription
drugs benefits, regulatory and contractor reforms, and demographic and health
care trends, after receiving testimony from Thomas A. Scully, Administrator,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human
Services; and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office.
Joint Meetings
VETERANS' LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATIONS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine legislative
presentations of certain veterans' organizations, after receiving testimony
from W.G. Kilgore, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland; Maurice S. Sharp, American
Ex-Prisoners of War, Arlington, Texas; Thomas H. Corey, Vietnam Veterans of
America, Silver Spring, Maryland; Colonel Robert F. Norton, USA (Ret.),
Military Officers Association of America, Alexandria, Virginia; and Raymond G.
Boland, National Association of State Directors of Veterans' Affairs.
2003/03/21
Daily Digest - Friday, March 21, 2003; pages D280 - D286
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/24
Daily Digest - Monday, March 24, 2003; pages D288 - D290
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/25
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 25, 2003; pages D291 - D298
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AIR FORCE ACADEMY ALLEGATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine allegations of sexual assault at the United States Air
Force Academy from James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force; and General
John P. Jumper, Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
[Page: D294]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
on the nominations of Alfred Plamann, of California, to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank, and Thomas
Waters Grant, of New York, Noe Hinojosa, Jr., of Texas, and William Robert
Timken, Jr., of Ohio, each to be a Director of the Securities Investor
Protection Corporation, after each nominee testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/26
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 26, 2003; pages D299 - D306
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of Vernon Bernard Parker, of Arizona, to be an
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights.
APPROPRIATIONS: AIR FORCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Air Force,
after receiving testimony from James G. Roche, Secretary of the Air Force; and
General John P. Jumper, Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
AERIAL FIRE FIGHTING SAFETY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests held oversight hearings to examine issues uncovered as a result of the
Blue Ribbon Panel's report of findings on Aerial Fire Fighting Safety and
responses to the report, after receiving testimony from Tony Kern, Assistant
Director of Aviation, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; Larry
Hamilton, National Director, Office of Fire and Aviation, Bureau of Land
Management, National Interagency Fire Center, Department of the Interior;
James Hall, Hall and Associates, Washington, D.C., former Chairman, National
Transportation Safety Board, and James B. Hull, Texas Forest Service, College
Station, both on behalf of the Blue Ribbon Fact Finding Panel on Aviation;
William R. Broadwell, Aerial Firefighting Industry Association, Springfield,
Virginia; and Duane A. Powers, Hawkins and Powers Aviation, Inc., Greybull,
Wyoming.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for United States
foreign assistance concerning security and economic assistance programs to the
Near East, East Asia and the Pacific, and South Asia, focusing on the
development of child survival programs, Economic Support Fund, Freedom Support
Act, International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement Program,
Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining, and Related Programs, Peace Corps,
Refugees, Foreign Military Financing, International Military Education and
Training Program, voluntary peacekeeping activities, and Title II food
assistance grants, receiving testimony from William J. Burns, Assistant
Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, Christina B. Rocca, Assistant Secretary
for South Asian Affairs, and James A. Kelly, Assistant Secretary for East
Asian and Pacific Affairs, all of the Department of State; and Wendy
Chamberlin, Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near East, United States
Agency for International Development.
Hearings will continue on Wednesday, April 2.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/27
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 27, 2003; pages D308 - D318
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Education, after
receiving testimony from Roderick Paige, Secretary of Education.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded hearings to examine proposed
legislation making wartime supplemental appropriations, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2003, after receiving testimony from Tom Ridge, Secretary
of Homeland Security; and Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense.
APPROPRIATIONS: GAO/GPO/CBO
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
General Accounting Office, Government Printing Office, and Congressional
Budget Office, after receiving testimony from David Walker, Comptroller,
General Accounting Office; Bruce James, Public Printer, Government Printing
Office; and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office.
NATO
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), after receiving
testimony from Marc I. Grossman, Under Secretary of State for Political
Affairs; and Douglas J. Feith, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
DISABLED MILITARY RETIREES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded hearings to
examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of Defense, focusing on compensation for disabled military
retirees, after receiving testimony from Senator Reid; Charles S. Abell,
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness;
Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits; Sarah T.
Jennings, Principal Analyst, Defense Cost Estimate Unit, Congressional Budget
Office; Carolyn L. Merck, former Specialist in Social Legislation,
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Cynthia A. Bascetta,
Director, Education, Work, and Income Security Issues, General Accounting
Office; Colonel Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret.), Military Officers Association
of America, Alexandria, Virginia; Master Gunnery Sergeant Benjamin H. Butler,
USMC (Ret.), National Association for the Uniformed Services, Springfield,
Virginia; and G. Michael Schlee, American Legion National Headquarters,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: WARFIGHTERS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded closed
hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year
2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing on intelligence support to
warfighters, after receiving testimony from Stephen A. Cambone, Under
Secretary 10of Defense for Intelligence; Joan A. Dempsey, Deputy Director of
Central Intelligence for Community Management; Lieutenant General Robert W.
Noonan, Jr., USA, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the
Army; Rear Admiral Richard B. Porterfield, USN, Director of Naval
Intelligence, Department of the Navy; Major General Ronald F. Sams, USAF,
Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Department of the
Air Force; and Brigadier General Michael E. Ennis, USMC, Director of
Intelligence, Headquarters, Marine Corps.
[Page: D310]
HUMAN CLONING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Space concluded hearings to examine implications of cloning on
women's health, focusing on reproductive technology, experimentation, and egg
donations, after receiving testimony from Senator Landrieu; R. Alta Charo,
University of Wisconsin Law and Medical Schools, Madison; Andrew Kimbrell,
International Center for Technology Assessment, and Richard Doerflinger,
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, both of Washington, D.C.; Maria
del Carmen Bustillo, South Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Miami;
Lynne Millican, Boston, Massachusetts; and John T. Bruchalski, Fairfax,
Virginia.
ELECTRIC INDUSTRY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine various electricity proposals including S.475, to reform the nation's
outdated laws relating to the electric industry, improve the operation of our
transmission system, enhance reliability of our electric grid, increase
consumer benefits from whole electric competition, and restore investor
confidence in the electric industry, after receiving testimony Pat Wood III,
Chairman, Nora Mead Brownell, Commissioner, William Massey, Commissioner, all
of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; P.G. Para, Jacksonville Electric
Authority, Jacksonville, Florida; Ray Gifford, Progress and Freedom
Foundation, David S. Svanda, National Association of Regulatory and Utility
Commissioners, John Anderson, Electricity Consumers Resource Council, H. Allen
Franklin, Southern Company, Alan H. Richardson, American Public Power
Association, all of Washington, D.C.; Gerald Norlander, National Association
of State Utility Consumer Advocates, Silver Spring, Maryland; Phillip G.
Harris, PJM Interconnection, LLC, Norristown, Pennsylvania; James P.
Torgerson, Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.,
Indianapolis, Indiana; Glenn English, National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association, Arlington, Virginia; Elizabeth A. Moler, Exelon Corporation,
Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of the Electric Power Supply Association; and
Phil Tollefson, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
NATO ENLARGEMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement, focusing on qualifications
and contributions, accession protocols, and the NATO Response Force, receiving
testimony from Ian Brzezinski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
European and NATO Affairs; Heather A. Conley, Janet L. Bogue, and Robert A.
Bradtke, each a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs.
Hearings continue on Tuesday, April 1.
HIV/AIDS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the Federal role in combating the global transmission of
AIDS in Africa, focusing on issues relating to research, prevention, care and
treatment, HIV transmission through unsafe medical practices, and global
control of tuberculosis and malaria, after receiving testimony from Claude A.
Allen, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services; Maria J. Wawer, Columbia
University Mailman School of Public Health, Rakai District, Uganda; and David
Gisselquist, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Priscilla Richman Owen, of Texas, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Fifth Circuit, Mary Ellen Coster Williams, of Maryland, and
Victor J. Wolski, of Virginia, each to be a Judge of the United States Court
of Federal Claims, Ricardo H. Hinojosa, of Texas, and Michael E. Horowitz, of
Maryland, each to be a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission, and
McGregor William Scott, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District
of California, Department of Justice.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
Edward C. Prado, of Texas, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth
Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Cornyn, Richard D. Bennett, to be
United States District Judge for the District of Maryland, who was introduced
by Senators Sarbanes and Mikulski, Dee D. Drell, to be United States District
Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, who was introduced by Senator
Landrieu and Representative Tauzin, J. Leon Holmes, to be United States
District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas, who was introduced by
Senators Lincoln and Pryor, and Susan G. Braden, of the District of Columbia,
and Charles F. Lettow, of Virginia, each to be a Judge of the United States
Court of Federal Claims, who were both introduced by Senator Bingaman.
[Page: D311]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/03/31
Daily Digest - Monday, March 31, 2003; D320 - D324
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: DOD LABORATORIES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
to hold hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for the
Department of Defense for fiscal year 2004, focusing on the science and
technology program and the role of the Department of Defense laboratories,
after receiving testimony from Michael W. Wynne, Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Technology; General Paul J. Kern, USA, Commanding
General, U.S. Army Materiel Command; General Lester L. Lyles, USAF, Commander,
Air Force Materiel Command; and Vice Admiral Joseph W. Dyer, USN, Commander,
Naval Air Systems Command.
[Page: D321]
AIR FORCE ACADEMY ALLEGATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine
allegations of sexual assault at the United States Air Force Academy and
related recommendations, after receiving testimony from James G. Roche,
Secretary of the Air Force; and General John P. Jumper, USAF, Chief of Staff
of the Air Force.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/01
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 1, 2003; pages D325 - D334
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine Alzheimer's
disease, focusing on increasing funding for Alzheimer's research, including
ways to maintain the pipeline of basic scientific discovery to develop
potential targets for treatment and prevention, develop better animal models
of Alzheimer's that will more closely parallel humans, test the most promising
potential targets for prevention in large-scale clinical trials, search for
biomarkers that show evidence of disease and monitor its progress without
having to wait for evidence from cognitive testing, and identify additional
risk factors for Alzheimer's through genetics, after receiving testimony from
Richard J. Hodes, Director, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Sheldon Goldberg, Alzheimer's
Association, Washington, D.C.; Marilyn A. Albert, Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, on behalf of the Alzheimer's
Association; Mary Jean Uptegraph, Dubuque, Iowa; Donald Kurtz, Blue Bell,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley Chapter of
the Alzheimer's Association; Mike Martz, St. Louis, Missouri; and Terrell
Owens, Fremont, California.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the
Judiciary concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2004 for the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from John
Ashcroft, Attorney General, Department of Justice.
WARTIME SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
bill (S. 762) making supplemental appropriations to support Department of
Defense operations in Iraq, Department of Homeland Security, and Related
Efforts for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management support
concluded hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for
fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing on impacts of
environmental laws on readiness and the related Administration Legislative
Proposal, after receiving testimony from John P. Suarez, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Environmental
Protection Agency; H. Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for
Fish, Wildlife and Parks; William T. Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for
National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration; Benedict S. Cohen, Deputy General Counsel, Environment and
Installations, Department of Defense; Douglas H. Benevento, Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver; David Mears, Washington
State Office of the Attorney General, Olympia; Robert B. Pirie, Jr., Center
for Naval Analysis, Alexandria, Virginia; Darlene R. Ketten, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts; Nina M. Young, The Ocean
Conservancy, and Lenny Siegel, Center for Public Environmental Oversight, both
of Washington, D.C.; Jamie R. Clarke, National Wildlife Federation, Reston,
Virginia.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: NAVY/MARINE CORPS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower concluded hearings to
examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing on Navy
and Marine Corps development, procurement priorities and Navy shipbuilding
programs, after receiving testimony from Admiral Vernon E. Clark, USN, Chief
of Naval Operations; General Michael W. Hagee, USMC, Commandant of the Marine
Corps; John J. Young, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research,
Development, and Acquisition; and Vice Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Deputy
Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements, and Assessments.
[Page: D327]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the nominations of Ricky Dale James, of Missouri, to be a Member of
the Mississippi River Commission, Richard W. Moore, of Alabama, to be
Inspector General, Tennessee Valley Authority, who was introduced by Senator
Sessions, and John Paul Woodley, Jr., to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army
for Civil Works, after each nominee testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
TAXPAYER ISSUES
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine tax payer issues,
focusing on the quality of service provided by paid preparers' and the
importance of their role in the tax system, and charitable car donations,
including how vehicle donations programs operate, the role of fundraisers and
charities in the vehicle donations process, and IRS rules and regulations
regarding allowable tax deductions, receiving testimony from James R. White,
Director of Tax Issues, and Cathleen A. Berrick, Acting Director of Homeland
Security and Justice, both of the General Accounting Office; Pamela J.
Gardiner, Acting Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Dale F. Hart,
Deputy Commissioner for Small Business/Self Employed Operating Division, and
Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, both of the Internal Revenue
Service, all of the Department of Treasury; and Jeffrey W. Yabuki, H&R
Block,
Kansas City, Missouri.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine the nominations
of Mark Van Dyke Holmes, of New York, Diane L. Kroupa, of Minnesota, who was
introduced by Senators Coleman and Dayton, Robert Allen Wherry, Jr., of
Colorado, and Harry A. Haines, of Montana, who was introduced by Senator
Baucus, each to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court, after each nominee
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NATO
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement strategy, focusing on
the role of NATO in the war on terror and in the future of Iraq, after
receiving testimony R. Nicholas Burns, United States Permanent Representative
to NATO; and Ronald D. Asmus, German Marshall Fund, and Bruce P. Jackson,
Project on Transitional Democracies, both of Washington, DC.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the Joint
Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of
Radioactive Waste Management, (Treaty Doc. 106-48).
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Carolyn B. Kuhl, of California, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Ninth Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Frist, Cecilia M.
Altonaga, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Florida, who was introduced by Senator Graham (FL), and Patricia Head Minaldi,
to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana,
after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
[Page: D328]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/02
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 2, 2003; pages D336 - D344
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NAVY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Navy, after
receiving testimony from Hansford T. Johnson, Acting Secretary of the Navy;
Admiral Vernon E. Clark, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Operations; and General
Michael W. Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps.
D.C. FOSTER CARE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded
hearings to examine the status of foster care in the District of Columbia,
focusing on child welfare reform, and issues associated with the Child and
Family Services Agency's performance and policies, after receiving testimony
from Representative Tom Davis; Cornelia M. Ashby, Director, Education,
Workforce, and Income Security Issues, General Accounting Office; Olivia A.
Golden, Director, District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency;
Judith W. Meltzer, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Washington, D.C.;
and Ann E. Schneiders, National Association of Counsel for Children, Denver,
Colorado.
APPROPRIATIONS: FAA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and
General Government to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004
for the Federal Aviation Administration, focusing on aviation safety and
security issues, and financial challenges facing the aviation industry, after
receiving testimony from Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General, Marion C. Blakey,
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Jeffrey N. Shane, Under
Secretary for Policy, all of the Department of Transportation.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: DOE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded
hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year
2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing on the Department of Energy
Office of Environmental Management and Office of Legacy Management, after
receiving testimony from Jessie Hill Roberson, Assistant Secretary of
Environmental Management, and Michael W. Owen, Director, Office of Worker and
Community Transition, both of the Department of Energy.
UNIVERSAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Communications concluded hearings on the future of Universal Service, focusing
on preserving and advancing high quality, reliable and affordable
telecommunications services to the greatest extent throughout America, after
receiving testimony from Kathleen Q. Abernathy, Commissioner, Federal
Communications Commission; Carson Hughes, Telepax, Inc./Cellular South
Licenses, Inc., Jackson, Mississippi, on behalf of the Wireless Independent
Group; Joel E. Lubin, AT&T Corporation, Washington, D.C.; Matthew Dosch,
Comporium Group, Rock Hill, South Carolina, on behalf of the United States
Telecom Association; Robert W. Orent, Hiawatha Communications, Inc., Munising,
Michigan, on behalf of the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications
Alliance; William R. Gillis, Washington State University, Pullman; and Thomas
R. Meade, Alaska Communications Systems, Jack H. Rhyner, TelAlaska, Inc., and
Dana L. Tindall, General Communication, Inc., all of Anchorage, Alaska.
NASA
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Space concluded hearings to examine certain issues with
respect to the NASA human space flight program, and the Space Shuttle Columbia
accident, after receiving testimony from Marcia S. Smith, Specialist in
Aerospace and Telecommunication Policy, Resources, Science and Industry
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Brian E. Chase,
National Space Society, Washington, D.C.; and Alex Roland, Duke University
Department of History, Durham, North Carolina.
MILITARY ENCROACHMENT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded oversight
hearings to examine certain provisions of the President's proposed budget
request for the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004
relating to encroachment of environmental laws on military bases and training
operations, after receiving testimony from Benedict S. Cohen, Deputy General
Counsel for Environment and Installations, Department of Defense; John Peter
Suarez, Assistant Administrator for Enforcement, and Compliance Assurance,
Environmental Protection Agency; H. Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks; Barry W. Holman, Director of Defense
Infrastructure Issues, General Accounting Office; Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.,
Center for Security Policy, and Jamie Rappaport Clark, National Wildlife
Federation, both of Washington, D.C.; Daniel S. Miller, Colorado Department of
Law, and Douglas Benevento, Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment, both of Denver; Ingrid Lindemann, Aurora Colorado, on behalf of
the National League of Cities; Bonner Cohen, Lexington Institute, Arlington,
Virginia.
[Page: D339]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
An original bill, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide energy
tax incentives;
S. 760, to implement effective measures to stop trade in conflict diamonds,
with an amendment;
S. 753, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the
modernization of the United States Tax Court; and
The nominations of Mark W. Everson, of Texas, to be Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, and Raymond T. Wagner, Jr., of Missouri, to be a Member of the
Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board, both of the Department of Treasury,
and Diane L. Kroupa, of Minnesota, Mark Van Dyke Holmes, of New York, Harry A.
Haines, of Montana, Robert Allen Wherry, Jr., of Colorado, and Joseph Robert
Goeke, of Illinois, each to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2004 for United States
foreign assistance, focusing on security and economic assistance programs,
Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere, and
development and expanding economies, after receiving testimony from William M.
Bellamy, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs,
Charles P. Ries, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and
Eurasian Affairs, and J. Curtis Struble, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of
the Western Hemisphere Affairs, all of the Department of State; and Constance
Berry Newman, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa, Kent R. Hill,
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, Adolfo A. Franco,
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, and E.
Anne Peterson, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, all of the
United States Agency for International Development.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on the
nominations of Clay Johnson III, of Texas, to be Deputy Director for
Management, Office of Management and Budget, who was introduced by Senators
Hutchison and Cornyn, Albert Casey, of Texas, and James C. Miller III, of
Virginia, each to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service, who were
both introduced by Senator Hutchison, after each nominee testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 719, to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the payment of
compensation for certain individuals with injuries resulting from the
administration of smallpox countermeasures, with an amendment;
S. 389, to increase the supply of quality child care, with amendments;
S. 231, to authorize the use of certain grant funds to establish an
information clearinghouse that provides information to increase public access
to defibrillation in schools.
INDIAN HEALTH CARE
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearing to examine S. 556, to
amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and extend that Act,
after receiving testimony from Charles W. Grim, Interim Director, Indian
Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services; Julia Davis-Wheeler,
Denver, Colorado, on behalf of the National Indian Health Board; and Don
Kashevaroff, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, Alaska.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/03
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 3, 2003; pages D345 - D356
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet )
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded
hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for child nutrition
programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC), focusing on ensuring program access, fighting
hunger and obesity, after receiving testimony from Eric M. Bost, Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services; James D.
Weill, Food Research and Action Center; Douglas J. Besharov, American
Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, and Anne Curry, Food
Marketing Institute, all of Washington, D.C.; Jill Leppert, North Dakota State
WIC Program, Bismarck, on behalf of the National WIC Association; Karen
Caplan, Frieda's Inc., Los Alamitos, California, on behalf of United Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable Association; Rod Hofstedt, Adult and Children's Alliance,
St. Paul, Minnesota, on behalf of National Child and Adult Care Food Program
Forum; and Don Wambles, Alabama State Farmers Marketing Authority Montgomery,
on behalf of the National Association of Farmers' Market Nutrition Programs.
APPROPRIATIONS: SCIENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, Housing and
Urban Development, and Independent Agencies concluded hearings to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the National Science
Foundation and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, after receiving
testimony from John H. Marburger III, Director, Office of Science and
Technology Policy; Rita R. Colwell, Director, and Christine Boesz, Inspector
General, both of the National Science Foundation; and Warren M. Washington,
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, on behalf of the
National Science Board.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: AIR-LAUNCHED WEAPONS PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded hearings on
proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for Department of
Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing on Navy, Marine Corps,
and Air Force aviation and air-launched weapons programs, after receiving
testimony from John J. Young, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Research, Development, and Acquisition; Marvin R. Sambur, Assistant Secretary
of the Air Force for Acquisition; Vice Admiral John B. Nathman, USN, Deputy
Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs; Lieutenant
General Michael A. Hough, USMC, Deputy Commandant for Aviation; and Lieutenant
General Ronald E. Keys, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space
Operations.
[Page: D348]
CHECK TRUNCATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded
oversight hearings to examine the Federal Reserve Board proposal to facilitate
check truncation by creating a new negotiable instrument called a
"substitute
check," which would permit banks to truncate the original checks, to
process
the check information electronically, and to print and deliver substitute
checks to banks and bank customers that want to continue receiving paper
checks, after receiving testimony from Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., Vice Chairman,
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Lindsay A. Alexander,
National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union, Washington, D.C., on
behalf of Credit Union National Association, Inc.; Janell Mayo Duncan,
Consumers Union, Washington, D.C.; and Danne Buchanan, Zions Bancorporation,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Thomas Waters Grant, of New York, Noe Hinojosa,
Jr., of Texas, and William Robert Timken, Jr., of Ohio, each to be a Director
of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, and Alfred Plamann, of
California, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Consumer
Cooperative Bank.
HEALTH CARE
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the issue of
purchasing health care services in a competitive environment, focusing on the
impact on administrative costs, profits, risk load, remote area providers, and
senior citizens, receiving testimony from Abby L. Block, Senior Advisor for
Employee and Family Policy, Office of Personnel Management; Tom Carrato,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Plan Administration; Bruce E.
Bradley, General Motors, Washington, D.C.; and Lois E. Quam, UnitedHealth
Group Company, Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee resumed hearings to examine the
nominations of Lino Gutierrez, of Florida, to be Ambassador to Argentina,
James B. Foley, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti, and
Roland W. Bullen, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Co-operative Republic
of Guyana, after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
NATO ENLARGEMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement, focusing on qualifications
and contributions, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia,
and Slovenia and NATO membership, receiving testimony from F. Stephen
Larrabee, RAND, Arlington, Virginia; and Janusz Bugajski, Center for Strategic
and International Studies, and Jeffrey Simon, National Defense University,
both of Washington, D.C.
Hearings will continue on Tuesday, April 8.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Edward C. Prado, of Texas, to be United States Circuit Judge
for the Fifth Circuit, Richard D. Bennett, to be United States District Judge
for the District of Maryland, Dee D. Drell, to be United States District Judge
for the Western District of Louisiana, and Allen Garber, to be United States
Marshal for the District of Minnesota, and Raul David Bejarano, to be United
States Marshal for the Southern District of California, both of the Department
of Justice.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/07
Daily Digest - Monday, April 7, 2003; pages D357 - D362
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004
for the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management and Office
of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, after receiving testimony from
Jessie H. Roberson, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, and
Margaret S. Y. Chu, Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management,
both of the Department of Energy.
[Page: D359]
SARS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome threat, focusing on
the issues of vaccine development, drug screening, and clinical research,
after receiving testimony from Julie L. Gerberding, Director, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health,
both of the Department of Health and Human Services; and David L. Heymann,
World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/08
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 8, 2003; pages D363 - D372
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HIV/AIDS/SARS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine the global
AIDS crisis and the recent emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome,
after receiving testimony from Julie Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Elias Zerhouni, Director, National Institutes of
Health, and Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, all of the Department of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: NIH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the National Institutes of Health,
after receiving testimony from Elias Zerhouni, Director, National Institutes
of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: SEC
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the
Judiciary, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, after receiving testimony from William H. Donaldson, Chairman,
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
BUDGET: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded
hearings to examine the proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for
Emergency Preparedness and Response, focusing on America's disaster response
capabilities, pharmaceutical and vaccine stockpiles, assisting all levels of
government, first responses, volunteer groups, and the public in meeting
emergency challenges, and maintaining public information programs, after
receiving testimony from Michael Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security
for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: HOMELAND DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine proposed
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing on homeland defense,
after receiving testimony from Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Homeland Defense; General Ralph E. Eberhart, USAF, Commander, North American
Aerospace Defense Command, and United States Northern Command; and Admiral
James O. Ellis, USN, Commander, United States Strategic Command.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: STRATEGIC FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded open
and closed hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for
fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing on strategic forces
and policy, after receiving testimony from Linton F. Brooks, Acting
Administrator, and Everet H. Beckner, Deputy Administrator, Defense Programs,
both of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy;
Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr., USN, Commander, United States Strategic Command;
Rear Admiral Charles B. Young, USN, Director, Strategic Systems Programs,
Department of the Navy; and Brigadier General Robert L. Smolen, USAF,
Director, Nuclear and Counterproliferation, Office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Air and Space Operations.
REAL ESTATE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the impact of the proposed Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
Rule on small business and consumers to simplify and improve the process of
obtaining home mortgages, and to reduce settlement costs for consumers,
focusing on clarifying difficult rules and regulations that pose unnecessary
legal risks and serve to trump operational efficiencies that could streamline
the mortgage process, after receiving testimony from Representative Manzullo;
Charles J. Kovaleski, American Land Title Association, Margot Saunders,
National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of the Consumer Federation of America,
Consumers Union, and U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and Ira Rheingold,
National Association of Consumer Advocates, all of Washington, D.C.; Gary E.
Acosta, SDF Realty, San Diego, California, on behalf of the National
Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals; Catherine Whatley, National
Association of Realtors, Chicago, Illinois; John Courson, Central Pacific
Mortgage Company, Folsom, California, on behalf of the Mortgage Bankers
Association of America; Neill Fendly, National Association of Mortgage
Brokers, McLean, Virginia.
[Page: D365]
TAXATION OF DIVIDENDS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs and Product Safety concluded hearings to examine the President's
proposal to eliminate the double taxation of dividends, focusing on its impact
on corporate governance, investment efficiency, productivity, job creation,
and economic growth, after receiving testimony from Peter R. Fisher, Under
Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance; Charles Elson, University of
Delaware, Newark; Elizabeth W. Bull, Texas Instruments Inc., Dallas; John W.
Rowe, Exelon Corporation, Chicago, Illinois; and Jeremy Siegel, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
BUSINESS MEETING: COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee met to consider
comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating to hydrogen,
personnel and training, State energy programs, energy efficiency, and
renewable energy, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on
Wednesday, April 9.
CLEAR SKIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded hearings to examine S. 485, to amend the
Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution through expansion of cap and trade
programs, to provide an alternative regulatory classification for units
subject to the cap and trade program, after receiving testimony from Christine
Todd Whitman, Administrator, and Jeffrey Holmstead, Assistant Administrator,
Office of Air and Radiation, both of the Environmental Protection Agency;
Glenn L. McCullough, Jr., Tennessee Valley Authority; James E. Rogers, Cinergy
Corp, Cincinnati, Ohio, on behalf of the Edison Electric Institute; David G.
Hawkins, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.; Eugene Trisko,
United Mine Workers of America, Fairfax, Virginia; Bernard Melewski, The
Adirondack Council, Elizabethtown, New York; and Bob Colburn, Northeast States
for Coordinated Air Use Management, Boston, Massachusetts.
ENRON
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine the Joint
Committee on Taxation Investigative Report on executive compensation and
company-owned life insurance arrangements of Enron Corporation and related
entities, after receiving testimony from Mary M. Schmitt, Acting Chief of
Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; Pamela F. Olson, Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury for Tax Policy; Charles E. Essick, Towers Perrin, Houston, Texas;
Kathryn J. Kennedy, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois; and Bruce J.
McNeil, Dorsey and Whitney LLP, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
NATO ENLARGEMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement, after receiving testimony
from Marc I. Grossman, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; General
Wesley K. Clark, USA (Ret.), Wesley Clark and Associates, Little Rock,
Arkansas; and William Kristol, The Weekly Standard, Washington, D.C.
GLOBAL ENERGY SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Economic Policy,
Export and Trade Promotion concluded hearings to examine global energy
security issues, focusing on petroleum trends, the Western Hemisphere, Russia,
the Caspian region, Africa, domestic energy supplies, and oil market dynamics,
after receiving testimony from Kyle E. McSlarrow, Deputy Secretary of Energy;
Alan P. Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and
Agricultural Affairs; Daniel Yergin, Cambridge Energy Research Associates,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Vahan Zanoyan, PFC Energy, and Martha Brill
Olcott, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, both of Washington, D.C.
HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia concluded
joint hearings with the House Committee on Government Reform's Subcommittee on
Civil Service and Agency Organization to examine the federal government's
strategic human capital management and related proposals to facilitate the
General Accounting Office's efforts to recruit and retain top talent, develop
a more performance-based compensation system, help realign the federal
workforce, and facilitate succession planning and knowledge transfer efforts,
after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the
United States, General Accounting Office; Dan G. Blair, Deputy Director,
Office of Personnel Management; Bobby L. Harnage, Sr., American Federation of
Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Colleen M. Kelley, National Treasury Employees
Union, Carol A. Bonosaro, Senior Executives Association, Hannah S. Sistare,
National Commission on the Public Service, Max Stier, Partnership for Public
Service, and Major General Robert A. McIntosh, USAF (Ret.), Reserve Officers
Association of the United States, all of Washington, D.C.; Karen Heiser,
Federal Managers Association, Alexandria, Virginia; Steven J. Kelman, Harvard
University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and
Jeff Taylor, Monster, Maynard, Massachusetts.
[Page: D366]
MAMMOGRAPHY QUALITY STANDARDS ACT AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the Mammography Standards Act of 1992, to amend the Public
Health Service Act to establish the authority for the regulation of
mammography services and radiological equipment, after receiving testimony
from D. David Dershaw, Cornell University Medical College, Ithaca, New York,
on behalf of the Society for Breast Imaging; Diana Rowden, Dallas, Texas, on
behalf of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; and Leonard Berlin,
Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois.
CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine S.J. Res.
1, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to protect
the rights of crime victims, after receiving testimony from Representative
Royce; Viet D. Dinh, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy,
Department of Justice; Collene Thompson Campbell, California Commission on
Peace Officer Standards and Training, San Juan Capistrano; Steven J. Twist,
National Victims Constitutional Amendment Project, Phoenix, Arizona; James
Orenstein, Fordham University and New York University, New York; Earlene
Eason, Gary, Indiana; Duane Lynn, Peoria, Arizona; and Patricia Perry,
Seaford, New York.
SERGEANT AT ARMS/LOC/CRS
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded oversight hearings
to examine the operations of the offices of the Sergeant at Arms, Library of
Congress, and Congressional Research Service, after receiving testimony from
William Pickle, Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, and Alfonso E. Lenhardt,
former Sergeant at Arms of the Senate; James H. Billington, Librarian of
Congress; and Daniel P. Mulholland, Director, Congressional Research Service,
Library of Congress, each were accompanied by several of their associates.
Joint Meetings
HUMAN CAPITAL
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia concluded
joint hearings with the House Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency
Organization to examine the federal government's strategic human capital
management and consider pending legislation on the federal workforce, and
building on the current momentum to address high-risk issues, after receiving
testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States; Dan
G. Blair, Deputy Director, Office of Personnel Management; Bobby L. Harnage,
Sr., American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Colleen M. Kelley,
National Treasury Employees Union, Carol A. Bonosaro, Senior Executives
Association, Hannah S. Sistare, National Commission on the Public Service, Max
Stier, Partnership for Public Services, and Major General Robert A. McIntosh,
USAF (Ret.), Reserve Officers Association of the United States, all of
Washington, D.C.; Karen Heiser, Federal Managers Association, Alexandria,
Virginia; Steven J. Kelman, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of
Government, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Jeff Taylor, Monster, Maynard,
Massachusetts.
2003/04/09
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 9, 2003; pages D374 - D384
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Labor, after
receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor.
APPROPRIATIONS: MISSILE DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Defense missile defense program, focusing on missile defense technology,
research, development, and operational test activities of the Ballistic
Missile Defense System, after receiving testimony from Lt. Gen. Ronald T.
Kadish, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency, and Thomas P. Christie,
Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, both of the Department of Defense.
APPROPRIATIONS: IRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and
General Government concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2004 for the Internal Revenue Service, after receiving testimony
from Robert E. Wenzel, Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Department of
the Treasury.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for
fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Defense and the Future Years Defense
Program, focusing on U.S. Special Operations Command, after receiving
testimony from Lieutenant General Byron D. Brown, USA, Deputy Commander, Harry
Schultz, Senior Procurement and Acquisition Executive, and Richard Rogers,
Command Master Chief, all of the U.S. Special Operations Command.
[Page: D376]
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: CONTINGENCY PLANS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for
fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Defense, focusing on the readiness of
the military services to conduct current operations and execute contingency
plans, after receiving testimony from Paul W. Mayberry, Deputy Under Secretary
of Defense for Readiness; Lieutenant General Norton A. Schwartz, USAF,
Director for Operations, The Joint Staff; Lieutenant General Richard Cody,
USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3, Department of the Army; Vice Admiral Kevin P.
Green, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy, and
Operations; Lieutenant General Emil R. Bedard, USMC, Deputy Commandant for
Plans, Policies, and Operations; and Major General Randall M. Schmidt, USAF,
Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air
and Space Operations.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine homeland security issues, focusing on securing the
nation's transportation systems, borders, and ports of entry, after receiving
testimony from Tom Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security.
BUSINESS MEETING: COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee met to consider
comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating to oil and
gas, and coal, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on
Thursday, April 10.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items: H.R. 145, to designate the Federal
building located at 290 Broadway in New York, New York, as the "Ted Weiss
Federal Building";
S. 703, to designate the regional headquarters building for the National Park
Service under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, as the "Carl T. Curtis
National
Park Service Midwest Regional Headquarters Building";
S. 763, to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located
at 46 East Ohio Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, as the "Birch Bayh
Federal
Building and United States Courthouse";
S. 616, to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to reduce the quantity of
mercury in the environment by limiting the use of mercury fever thermometers
and improving the collection and proper management of mercury;
S. 515, to provide additional authority to the Office of Ombudsman of the
Environmental Protection Agency;
H.R. 289, to expand the boundaries of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Complex and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge;
S. 163, to reauthorize the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict
Resolution;
S. 791, to amend the Clean Air Act to eliminate methyl tertiary butyl ether
from the United States fuel supply, to increase production and use of
renewable fuel, and to increase the Nation's energy independence, with
amendments;
S. 156, to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to reauthorize the
Price-Anderson provisions, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute
amendment; and
The nominations of Richard W. Moore, of Alabama, to be Inspector General,
Tennessee Valley Authority, Ricky Dale James, of Missouri, and Rear Adm.
Nicholas Augustus Prahl, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, both
to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission, Robert Boldrey, of
Michigan, Richard Narcia and Herbert Guenther, both of Arizona, Bradley Udall,
of Colorado, and Malcolm B. Bowekaty, of New Mexico, each to be a Member of
the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in
National Environmental Policy Foundation, and John Paul Woodley, Jr., of
Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
SOCIAL SECURITY TRUSTEES' REPORT
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the 2003 Annual
Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old Age and Survivors Insurance
and Disability Insurance Trust Funds, focusing on the current financial status
of the Social Security program, new measures in the report, sustainable
solvency, stochastic projections and uncertainty, and the effects of deferring
reform, receiving testimony from Stephen C. Goss, Chief Actuary, Social
Security Administration.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
An original bill to authorize appropriations for the Department of State, and
United States international broadcasting activities;
S.J. Res. 3, expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to human rights
in Central Asia;
S. 243, concerning participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization;
and
[Page: D377]
The nominations of Lino Gutierrez, of Florida, to be Ambassador to Argentina,
Roland W. Bullen, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Co-operative Republic
of Guyana, Eric M. Javits, of New York, for the rank of Ambassador during his
tenure of service as United States Representative to the Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and John W. Snow, of Virginia, to be United
States Governor of the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the
African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development
Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and a Foreign
Service Officer appointment/promotion list received in the Senate on February
25, 2003.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded hearings to examine United States policy toward the trafficking of
women and children in East Asia, focusing on prevention, protection and
support for victims, and prosecution of traffickers, after receiving testimony
from John R. Miller, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in
Persons, Department of State; Donna M. Hughes, University of Rhode Island,
Kingston; and Gary A. Haugen, International Justice Mission, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Pamela J.H. Slutz, of Texas, to be Ambassador to Mongolia, after
the nominee testified and answered questions in her own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Joseph LeBaron, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to the Islamic
Republic of Mauritania, Gregory W. Engle, of Colorado, to be Ambassador to the
Togolese Republic, Wayne E. Neill, of Nevada, to be Ambassador to the Republic
of Benin, Helen R. Meagher La Lime, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Mozambique, and William M. Bellamy, of California, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya, after each nominee testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Heather M. Hodges, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Moldova, Eric S. Edelman, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Turkey, who was introduced by Mr. Warner, Ralph Frank, of Washington, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, Reno L. Harnish, of California, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Stephen D. Mull, of Virginia, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, who was introduced by Mr. Warner, and
Stephen M. Young, of New Hampshire, to be Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic,
after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee held hearings to examine homeland
security issues, focusing on the Department of Homeland Defense's
responsibilities in assisting states, local governments, and first responders,
receiving testimony from Chauncey Bowers, Prince George's County Fire
Department, Maryland, on behalf of the International Association of Fire
Fighters; Michael J. Chitwood, Portland Police Department, Maine; Jeffrey
Horvath, Dover Police Department, Delaware; and Edward P. Plaugher, Arlington
County Fire Department, Virginia.
Hearings recessed until Wednesday, May 14.
INDIAN HEALTH SERVICES
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine S. 285,
to authorize the integration and consolidation of alcohol and substance abuse
programs and services provided by Indian tribal governments, S. 558, to
elevate the position Director of the Indian Health Service within the
Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for Indian
Health, and S. 555, to establish the Native American Health and Wellness
Foundation, after receiving testimony from William Raub, Acting Assistant
Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation; Julia
Davis-Wheeler, Denver, Colorado, on behalf of the National Indian Health
Board; and Hoskie Benally, Jr., Our Youth, Our Future, Inc., Farmington, New
Mexico.
[Page: D378}
Joint Meetings
PROTECT ACT
Conferees on Tuesday, April 8, agreed to file a conference report on the
differences between the Senate and the House passed versions of S. 151, to
prevent child abduction and the sexual exploitation of children.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET RESOLUTION
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and the House passed versions H. Con. Res. 95, establishing the
congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2004 and
setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2003 and 2005
through 2013.
2003/04/10
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 10, 2003; pages D386 - D396
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FBI
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the
Judiciary concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2004 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after receiving testimony
from Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Department of Justice.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
the Interior, after receiving testimony from Gale A. Norton, Secretary, Lynn
Scarlett, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget, and John
Trezise, Director, Office of the Budget, all of the Department of the
Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies
concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004
for the Corporation for National and Community Service and Community
Development Financial Institutions Fund, after receiving testimony from Leslie
Lenkowsky, Chief Executive Officer, and Michelle Guillermin, Chief Financial
Officer, both of the Corporation for National and Community Service; and Tony
T. Brown, Director, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund,
Department of the Treasury.
APPROPRIATIONS: LOC
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
Library of Congress and the Open World Russian Leadership Program, after
receiving testimony from James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, and
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Center for Russian Leadership Development;
Donald L. Scott, Deputy Librarian of Congress; and Kenneth E. Lopez, Director
of Security, Library of Congress.
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, after
receiving testimony from Charles E. McQueary, Under Secretary of Homeland
Security for Science and Technology.
[Page: D389]
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004
for the National Nuclear Security Administration, after receiving testimony
from Linton F. Brooks, Acting Administrator, Kenneth E. Baker, Deputy
Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Everet H. Beckner, Deputy
Administrator for Defense Programs, and Admiral Frank L. Bowman, USN, Deputy
Administrator for Naval Reactors, all of the National Nuclear Security
Administration, Department of Energy.
NATO ENLARGEMENT
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
military implications of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
enlargement, focusing on new members of NATO and its new capabilities,
post-conflict Iraq, including the Iraqi economy and system of governance,
after receiving testimony from Paul D. Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense;
General Peter Pace, USMC, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and General
James L. Jones, USMC, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.
HEDGE FUNDS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine recent developments in Hedge Funds (an investment company that uses
high-risk techniques, such as borrowing money and selling short, in an effort
to make extraordinary capital gains), focusing on investor protection
implications, the differences between hedge funds and investment companies,
regulation under the federal securities laws, and conflicts of interest, after
receiving testimony from William H. Donaldson, Chairman, U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission.
FAA AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Federal
Aviation Administration, after receiving testimony from Marion C. Blakey,
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, and Read C. Van De Water,
Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, both of the
Department of Transportation; and Gerald L. Dillingham, Director of Civil
Aviation Issues, General Accounting Office.
MEDIA VIOLENCE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Space concluded hearings to examine neurobiological research
and the impact of media violence on child health, after receiving testimony
from Joanne Cantor, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Dale Kunkel, University
of California Washington Center, Washington, D.C.; Michael Rich, Harvard
University, Boston, Massachusetts; Daniel R. Anderson, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst; and John P. Murray, Kansas State University,
Manhattan.
BUSINESS MEETING: COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee met to consider
comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating nuclear
matters, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on Tuesday,
April 29.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water held oversight hearings to examine the designation of
critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act, focusing on conservation
benefits, legal implications, and economic impacts, receiving testimony from
Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and
Parks; Jeffrey Kightlinger, Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California, Los Angeles, on behalf of the Western Urban Water Coalition; John
F. Kostyack, National Wildlife Federation, Reston, Virginia; David L. Sunding,
University of California, Berkeley; Craig Douglas, Smith, Robertson, Elliott,
and Glenn, Austin, Texas; and William J. Snape III, Defenders of Wildlife,
Washington, D.C.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING: NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Marie Sophia Aguirre, of the District of Columbia, Elizabeth F.
Bagley, of the District of Columbia, Barbara McConnell Barrett, of Arizona,
Charles William Evers III, of Florida, Harold C. Pachios, of Maine, and Jay T.
Snyder, of New York, each to be a Member of the United States Advisory
Commission on Public Diplomacy; William M. Bellamy, of California, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya; Eric S. Edelman, of Virginia, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey; Gregory W. Engle, of Colorado, to be
Ambassador to the Togolese Republic; Ralph Frank, of Washington, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia; Reno L. Harnish, of California, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan; Heather M. Hodges, of Ohio, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova; Helen R. Meagher La Lime, of Florida,
to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique; Joseph LeBaron, of Oregon, to
be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania; Stephen D. Mull, of
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania; Wayne E. Neill, of
Nevada, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Benin; Pamela J. H. Slutz, of
Texas, to be Ambassador to Mongolia; Stephen M. Young, of New Hampshire, to be
Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic; and Dennis L. Schornack, of Michigan, to be
Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint
Commission, United States and Canada.
[Page: D390]
NOMINATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Peter Eide, of Maryland, to be General Counsel of the Federal
Labor Relations Authority, after the nominee testified and answered questions
in his own behalf.
IRAQI WAR CRIMES
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Prisoners of War,
focusing on Department of Defense policies with respect to the current
conflict with Iraq, and Iraqi violations of the Convention, after receiving
testimony from Pierre-Richard Prosper, Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes
Issues, Department of State; W. Hays Parks, Special Assistant, Office of the
Judge Advocate General of the Army, Department of Defense; David J. Scheffer,
United Nations Association of the United States of America, New York, New
York; Tom Malinowski, Human Rights Watch, Washington, D.C.; Ruth Wedgwood,
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
AMERICAN HISTORY AND CIVICS EDUCATION ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine S. 504, to establish academics for teachers and students
of American history and civics and a national alliance of teachers of American
history and civics, after receiving testimony from Senator Byrd; Bruce Cole,
Chairman, National Endowment of the Humanities; Eugene W. Hickok, Under
Secretary of Education; James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress; Diane
Ravitch, New York University, New York; Blanche Deaderick, University of
Memphis, Tennessee; David McCullough, West Tisbury, Massachusetts; and Russell
Berg, Trumbull, Connecticut.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
An original resolution (S. Res. 117) recognizing the 100th anniversary of the
founding of the Laborers' International Union of North America, and
congratulating members and officers of the Laborers' International Union of
North America for the union's many achievements; and
The nominations of Susan G. Braden, of the District of Columbia, and Charles
F. Lettow, of Virginia, both to be a Judge of the United States Court of
Federal Claims, and Cecilia M. Altonaga, to be United States District Judge
for the Southern District of Florida.
Also, Committee began consideration of S. 274, to amend the procedures that
apply to consideration of interstate class actions to assure fairer outcomes
for class members and defendants, but did not complete action thereon, and
recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Bruce E. Kasold, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United
States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and John W. Nicholson, of
Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs.
Joint Meetings
MEDICARE
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded joint hearings to examine
Medicare, focusing on the 2003 Medicare Trustees Report, the long-term
financial viability of the program, proposals to add a prescription drug
benefit, and other related reforms, after receiving testimony from Douglas
Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office; David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States, General Accounting Office; Gail R.
Wilensky, Project HOPE, Millwood, Virginia; and John P. Martin, Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Marilyn Moon, Urban Institute,
both of Washington, D.C.
2003/04/11
Daily Digest - Friday, April 11, 2003; pages D398 - D404
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: On Thursday, April 10, Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 521, to amend the Act of August 9, 1955, to extend the terms of leases of
certain restricted Indian land, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 522, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to assist Indian tribes in
developing energy resources, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
and
S. 523, to make technical corrections to law relating to Native Americans,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 274, to amend the procedures that apply to consideration of interstate
class actions to assure fairer outcomes for class members and defendants, with
amendments;
S. Res. 108, designating the week of April 21 through April 27, 2003, as
"National Cowboy Poetry Week";
S. Res. 111, designating April 30, 2003, as "Dia de los NinAE6os:
Celebrating
Young Americans"; and
S.J. Res. 8, expressing the sense of Congress with respect to raising
awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the United States
and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and
Prevention Month.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/12
Daily Digest - Saturday, April 12, 2003; pages D406- D408
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/28
Daily Digest - Monday, April 28, 2003; pages D409 - D414
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/29
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 29, 2003; pages D416 - D422
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
OVERSEAS BASING REQUIREMENTS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction concluded
hearings to examine overseas basing requirements, after receiving testimony
from Gen. James L. Jones, Commander, United States European Command; and Gen.
Leon J. LaPorte, Commander, United Nations Command, Republic of Korea-United
States Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea.
AMTRAK
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the future of intercity passenger rail service and Amtrak,
focusing on the company's fiscal year 2004 budget request, a rail system based
on restructured federal/state/private roles and corridor services,
partnerships among states and the federal government, securing federal funding
sources, redesigning long-distance trains to complement corridor services and
minimize operating losses, long term debt, and operating and capital needs,
after receiving testimony from Michael P. Jackson, Deputy Secretary, and
Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General, both of the Department of Transportation;
David L. Gunn, President and Chief Executive Officer, Amtrak; David D. King,
North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh, on behalf of States for
Passenger Rail Coalition; John H. Winner, Harral, Winner, Thompson, Sharp,
Lawrence, Inc., Potomac, Maryland; Hank Dittmar, Great American Station
Foundation, Las Vegas, New Mexico, on behalf of Reconnecting America; Alan
Landes, Herzog Transit Services, St. Joseph, Missouri; and Michael P. Pracht,
Railway Supply Institute, Alexandria, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING: COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee met to consider
comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating to Indian
energy policy and programs, research and development, and transportation
fuels, including alternative fuel programs, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again on Wednesday, April 30.
NATO ENLARGEMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
developing situations in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula, and a
resolution of ratification to the Accession Protocols that will expand the
NATO Alliance to include Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania,
Slovakia, and Slovenia, after receiving testimony from Colin L. Powell,
Secretary of State.
SARS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the status of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
threat, after receiving testimony from Julie L. Gerberding, Director, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services;
and James G. Young, Ontario Ministry of Public Safety and Security, Canada.
ASSISTED LIVING REPORT
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Assisted Living Workgroup's report entitled "Assuring Quality in Assisted
Living: Guidelines for Federal and State Policy, State Regulation, and
Operations," after receiving testimony from Stephen McConnell,
Alzheimer's
Association, Washington, D.C.; Dan B. Madsen, Leisure Care, Inc., Bellevue,
Washington, on behalf of the American Seniors Housing Association; and Robert
L. Mollica, National Academy for State Health Policy, Portland, Maine.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/04/30
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 30, 2003; pages D424 - D432
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HEALTH CARE ACCESS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education concluded hearings to examine health care access and
affordability, focusing on the effects of uninsurance on individuals,
families, and communities, after receiving testimony from Risa Lavizzo-Mourey,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey; Arthur L. Kellermann,
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Carolyn F. Scanlan, Hospital and
Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg; Lanette Kane, People's
Clinic, Cedar Falls, Iowa; and Chris Peterson, Clear Lake, Iowa.
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from Tom Ridge,
Secretary of Homeland Security.
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
District of Columbia Courts, after receiving testimony from Annice M. Wagner,
Chair, Joint Committee on Judicial Administration, Washington, D.C.; and Doug
Nelson, Director, National Capitol Region Property Development Division,
Public Buildings Service, General Services Administration.
[Page: D426]
APPROPRIATIONS: DOD MEDICAL PROGRAMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the medical
programs of the Department of Defense, after receiving testimony from
Lieutenant General James B. Peake, Surgeon General, U.S. Army; Vice Admiral
Michael L. Cowan, Surgeon General, and Rear Admiral Kathleen L. Martin, Deputy
Surgeon General, both of the U.S. Navy; Lieutenant General George Peach
Taylor, Jr., Surgeon General, and Brigadier General Barbara Brannon, Assistant
Surgeon General, both of the U.S. Air Force; and Brigadier General William T.
Bester, Chief, Army Nurse Corps.
APPROPRIATIONS: FOREIGN OPERATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for foreign
assistance programs, after receiving testimony from Colin L. Powell, Secretary
of State.
FIRE SERVICE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine S. 321, the Firefighting Research and Coordination Act,
focusing on the programs and services of the U.S. Fire Administration of the
Department of Homeland Security, including the Firefighters Grant Program,
Fire Service Training, public education and awareness, data collection,
research and technology, and challenges, after receiving testimony from
Representatives Camp and Weldon; Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce; R. David
Paulison, Director, Preparedness Division, Emergency Preparedness and Response
Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; Randy R. Bruegman, Clackamas
County Fire District, Portland, Oregon, on behalf of the International
Association of Fire Chiefs; James M. Shannon, National Fire Protection
Association, Quincy, Massachusetts; and Kevin O'Connor, International
Association of Fire Fighters, and Philip C. Stittleburg, National Volunteer
Fire Council, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING: COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill entitled "Energy Policy Act of 2003".
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items: Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on
the Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and
Slovenia. These protocols were opened for signature at Brussels on March 26,
2003, and signed that day on behalf of the United States and the other parties
to the North Atlantic Treaty (Treaty Doc. 108-4), with 9 declarations and 3
conditions; and
S. Con. Res. 26, condemning the punishment of execution by stoning as a gross
violation of human rights.
ENERGY SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Economic Policy,
Export and Trade Promotion concluded hearings to examine U.S. energy security
issues, focusing on the importance of Russia and the Caspian to global energy
production, after receiving testimony from Anna Borg, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Energy, Sanctions, and Commodities, Bureau of Economic
and Business Affairs; Leonard L. Coburn, Director, Russian and Eurasian
Affairs, Office of Policy and International Affairs, Department of Energy;
Julia Nanay, PFC Energy, and Edward C. Chow, Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, both of Washington, D.C.; and Andrew B. Somers,
Commercial Energy Dialogue With Russia, Moscow, on behalf of the American
Chamber of Commerce in Russia.
INDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine S. 519,
to establish a Native American-owned financial entity to provide financial
services to Indian tribes, Native American organizations, and Native Americans
after receiving testimony from William O. Russell, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development for Public and Indian Housing; Tex G. Hall,
National Congress of American Indians, and Chris Paisano, Navajo Nation, both
of Washington, D.C.; Derrick Watchman, Native American Bancorporation, Denver,
Colorado; Cris E. Stainbrook, Indian Land Tenure Foundation, Little Canada,
Minnesota; Eric Conrad Henson, Lexecon, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, on
behalf of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development; and
Mike Irwin, Alaska Federation of Natives, Anchorage.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, and William Emil Moschella, of
Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, who were
both introduced by Senator Warner, David G. Campbell, to be United States
District Judge for the District of Arizona, S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., to be
United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, who was
introduced by Senator Breaux and Representative McCrery, after each nominee
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D427]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/01
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 1, 2003; pages D433- D444
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: SAA/CAPITOL POLICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
U.S. Capitol Police and the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, after receiving testimony
from Terrance W. Gainer, Chief, United States Capitol Police; and William H.
Pickle, Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, and Chairman, United States
Capitol Board.
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
Secret Service and Coast Guard, after receiving testimony from W. Ralph
Basham, Director, U.S. Secret Service, and Admiral Thomas H. Collins,
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, both of the Department of Homeland Security.
APPROPRIATIONS: NASA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and
Urban Development, and Independent Agencies concluded hearings to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, after receiving testimony from Sean O'Keefe,
Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 824, to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute;
S. 886, to ratify otherwise legal appointments and promotions in the
commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that
failed to be submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent as required by
law;
S. 929, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for security
improvements to over-the-road bus operations, with an amendment; and Certain
nomination lists for promotion in the United States Coast Guard.
NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine S. 189, to authorize appropriations for nanoscience,
nanoengineering, and nanotechnology research, after receiving testimony from
James Murday, Acting Chief Scientist, Office of Naval Research, Department of
Defense; James B. Roberto, Associate Laboratory Director for Physical
Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Department of Energy; E. Clayton
Teague, Director, National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, on behalf of
the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the
National Science and Technology Council; Davis Baird, University of South
Carolina, Columbia; Jun Jiao, Portland State University, Oregon; Kent A.
Murphy, Luna Innovations, Blacksburg, Virginia; and James R. Von Ehr II, Zyvex
Corporation, Richardson, Texas.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Roger Francisco Noriega, of Kansas, to be an Assistant Secretary
of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs), after the nominee, who was introduced
by Senator Brownback, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAMS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Department of Homeland Security, focusing on streamlining and enhancing
homeland security grant programs, after receiving testimony from Tom Ridge,
Secretary of Homeland Security.
Hearings recessed until Thursday, May 15.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. Res. 75, commemorating and acknowledging the dedication and sacrifice made
by the men and women who have lost their lives while serving as law
enforcement officers;
S. Con. Res. 15, commemorating the 140th anniversary of the issuance of the
Emancipation Proclamation; and The nominations of Patricia Head Minaldi, to
be United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, and
Adam Noel Torres, to be United States Marshal for the Central District of
California, Department of Justice.
Also, Committee ordered reported, without recommendation, the nomination of J.
Leon Holmes, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of
Arkansas.
AUTHORIZATION--INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original bill authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for intelligence and
intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community
Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and
Disability System.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/05
Daily Digest - Monday, May 5, 2003; pages D445 - D448
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/06
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 6, 2003; pages D449 - D482
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for border
and transportation security, after receiving testimony from Asa Hutchinson,
Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
met in closed session and approved for full committee consideration, those
provisions which fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed
legislation authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military
activities of the Department of Defense.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower met in closed session
and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which fall
within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed legislation
authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the
Department of Defense.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel met in closed session
and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which fall
within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed legislation
authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the
Department of Defense.
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine cable television rates, focusing on rising programming
costs and consumer benefits of tiering expensive channels, Retransmission
Consent rules, and vertical integration, coupled with horizontal media
consolidation, after receiving testimony from William B. Shear, Acting
Director, Physical Infrastructure, and Amy Abramowitz, Assistant Director,
both of the General Accounting Office; James O. Robbins, Cox Communications,
and Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, both of Washington, D.C.; Charles F.
Dolan, Cablevision Systems Corporation, Bethpage, New York; James M. Gleason,
Cabledirect, Sikeston, Missouri, on behalf of the American Cable Association;
and Leo Hindery Jr., YES Network, New York, New York.
NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded hearings to examine S. 324, to amend the National Trails System Act
to clarify Federal authority relating to land acquisition from willing sellers
for certain trails in the National Trails System, S. 634, to amend the
National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry
out a study on the feasibility of designating the Trail of the Ancients as a
national historic trail, S. 635, to amend the National Trails System Act to
require the Secretary of the Interior to update the feasibility and
suitability studies of four national historic trails, and S. 651, to amend the
National Trails System Act to clarify Federal authority relating to land
acquisition from willing sellers for the majority of the trails in the System,
after receiving testimony from Senators Hatch, Levin, and Allard; D. Thomas
Ross, Assistant Director, Recreation and Conservation, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior; Gary Werner, Partnership for the National Trails
System, Madison, Wisconsin; Dru Bower, Petroleum Association of Wyoming,
Casper; and Dave Cioffi, Etna, New Hampshire.
FILIBUSTERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and
Property Rights concluded hearings to examine the constitutional right of a
Senate majority to confirm judicial nominees of the President irrespective of
a filibuster or cloture rule, after receiving testimony from Senators Specter
and Schumer; Steven G. Calabresi, Northwestern University Law School, Chicago,
Illinois; John C. Eastman, Chapman University School of Law, Orange
California; Marcia D. Greenberger and Judith Appelbaum, both of the National
Women's Law Center, Bruce Fein, Fein and Fein, and Douglas W. Kmiec, Catholic
University of America Law School, all of Washington, D.C.; and Michael J.
Gerhardt, William and Mary Law School, Williamsburg, Virginia.
[Page: D451]
MEDICARE REFORM
Special Committee on Aging : Committee concluded hearings to examine Medicare
reform and competition, focusing on the Federal Employees Health Benefits
(FEHB) program, benefit and rate negotiations, contract administration and
financial oversight, policy design, universality and redistribution, and the
private sector, after receiving testimony from Abby L. Block, Senior Advisor
for Employee and Family Support Policy, Office of Personnel Management; Robert
E. Moffit, Heritage Foundation, Marilyn Moon, Urban Institute, Joseph R.
Antos, American Enterprise Institute, and Jeff Lemieux, Progressive Policy
Institute, all of Washington, D.C.; and Walton Francis, Fairfax, Virginia.
Joint Meetings
TRANSPORTATION FINANCING
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine financing
the nations roads, focusing on renewal of the Transportation Equity Act for
the 21st Century (TEA-21), reducing traffic congestion, transportation
infrastructure, and fostering efficient transportation and financing with new
pricing strategies, after receiving testimony from Representatives Mark
Kennedy and Musgrave; Robert W. Poole, Jr., Reason Foundation, Los Angeles,
California; and Michael A. Replogle, Environmental Defense, Robert Atkinson,
Progressive Policy Institute, and William Buechner, American Road and
Transportation Builders Association, all of Washington, D.C.
2003/05/07
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 7, 2003; pages D484 - D492
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for National Guard and
Reserve programs, after receiving testimony from Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum,
ARNG, Chief, National Guard Bureau; Lt. Gen. Roger C. Schultz, ARNG, Director,
Army National Guard; Lt. Gen. Daniel James III, ANG, Director, Air National
Guard; Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, USAR, Chief of Army Reserve; VADM John B.
Totushek, USNR, Chief of Naval Reserve; Lt. Gen. Dennis M. McCarthy, USMCR,
Commander of Marine Forces Reserve; Lt. Gen. James E. Sherrard III,
USAFR, Chief of Air Force Reserve.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland met in closed session and
approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which fall within
the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed legislation authorizing
appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the Department
of Defense.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
met in closed session and approved for full committee consideration, those
provisions which fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed
legislation authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military
activities of the Department of Defense.
[Page: D486]
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces met in closed
session and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which
fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed legislation
authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the
Department of Defense.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to mark up
proposed legislation authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for
military activities of the Department of Defense, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again on tomorrow.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 709, to award a congressional gold medal to Prime Minister Tony
Blair.
GLOBAL SETTLEMENT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the effects of, and compliance with, the terms of the global
research analyst settlement among the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,
the New York Stock Exchange, National Association of Securities Dealers(NASD),
the New York Attorney General, other state regulators and ten Wall Street
firms, after receiving testimony from William H. Donaldson, Chairman, U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission; New York State Attorney General Eliot
Spitzer, Richard A. Grasso, New York Stock Exchange, Inc., and Robert Glauber,
National Association of Securities Dealers, all of New York, New York; and
Christine A. Bruenn, Augusta, Maine, on behalf of the North American
Securities Administrators Association, Inc.
INDIAN LANDS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine S. 550,
to amend the Indian Land Consolidation Act to improve provisions relating to
probate of trust and restricted land, after receiving testimony from Wayne
Nordwall, Director, Western Region, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of
the Interior; John Berrey, Quapaw Tribal Business Committee, Quapaw, Oklahoma;
Ben O'Neal, Eastern Shoshone Tribe Business Council, Fort Washakie, Wyoming;
Sally Willit, New Orleans, Louisiana, on behalf of the Indian Land Working
Group; and Cris E. Stainbrook, Indian Land Tenure Foundation, Little Canada,
Minnesota.
NOMINATIONS:
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Consuelo Maria Callahan, of California, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Feinstein
and Boxer, Michael Chertoff, of New Jersey, to be United States Circuit Judge
for the Third Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Corzine and Lautenberg,
and L. Scott Coogler, to be United States District Judge for the Northern
District of Alabama, who was introduced by Senators Shelby and Sessions, after
each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/08
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 8, 2003; pages D494 - D502
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates
for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Agriculture, after receiving
testimony from Ann M. Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and
General Government concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Transportation, after receiving
testimony from Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Transportation.
APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
Offices of the Secretary of the Senate and the Architect of the Capitol, after
receiving testimony from Emily Reynolds, Secretary of the Senate; and Alan
Hantman, Architect of the Capitol.
AUTHORIZATION--NATIONAL DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills: An original bill entitled "National Defense
Authorization Act
for FiscalYear 2004"; An original bill entitled "Department of
Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004"; An original bill entitled
"Military
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004"; and An original
bill
entitled "Department of Energy National Security Act for Fiscal Year
2004".
Also, committee received a report from the Select Committee on Intelligence on
the proposed Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: on May 7, 2003, Committee
concluded hearings to examine the National Academy of Science's review of the
U.S. Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan, after receiving testimony
from Richard Alley, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, on behalf
of the Committee on Abrupt Climate Change, The National Academies; Thomas E.
Graedel, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Anthony C. Janetos, H. John
Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, Washington,
D.C.; Diana M. Liverman, University of Arizona, Tucson; and Andrew Solow,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Robert D. McCallum, Jr., of Georgia, to be Associate Attorney
General, who was introduced by Senator Chambliss, and Peter D. Keisler, of
Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General, both of the Department of
Justice, after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
HYDROGEN FUEL CELL
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: on May 7, 2003,
Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space concluded hearings to examine
the future of the hydrogen fuel cell, focusing on the President's National
Energy Policy Plan, entitled "Reliable, Affordable and Environmentally
Sound
Energy forAmerica's Future", and certain related initiatives including
the
Freedom CAR partnership, the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, and the
"FutureGen" zero-emission coal-fired electricity and hydrogen power
plant
initiative, after receiving testimony from John H. Marburger III, Director,
Office of Science and Technology Policy; David K. Garman, Assistant Secretary
of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; David J. Friedman,
Cambridge, Massachusetts,on behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientists; J.
Byron McCormick, General Motors Corporation, Warren, Michigan; and Francis R.
Preli, Jr., United Technologies Corporation Fuel Cells, South Windsor,
Connecticut.
NOMINATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the nomination of Annette Sandberg, of Washington, to be
Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department
of Transportation, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Murray
and Cantwell, testified and answered questions in her own behalf.
[Page: D497]
CLEAR SKIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded hearings to examine S. 485, to amend the
Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution through expansion of cap and trade
programs, to provide an alternative regulatory classification for units
subject to the cap and trade program, after receiving testimony from Kyle E.
McSlarrow, Deputy Secretary of Energy; James Krimmel, Zaclon Incorporated,
Cleveland, Ohio,on behalf of the Ohio Manufacturers' Association; Richared A.
Metz, UNIMARK L.L.C., Edmond, Oklahoma; Steve Thumb, Energy Ventures
Incorporated, and Joel Bluestein, Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc.,
both of Arlington, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 2, to amend the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide additional tax incentives to
encourage economic growth, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., to be
United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, Carolyn B.
Kuhl and Consuelo Maria Callahan, both of California, both to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, and William Emil Moschella, of Virginia,
to be an Assistant Attorney General, and Leonardo M. Rapadas, of Guam, to be
United States Attorney for the District of Guam and concurrently United States
Attorney for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/09
Daily Digest - Friday, May 9, 2003; pages D503 - D503 - D508
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/12
Daily Digest - Monday, May 12, 2003; pages D510 - D512
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/13
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 13, 2003; pages D514 - D520
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security
Administration, and Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, after receiving
testimony from Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border
Protection, Admiral James M. Loy, Administrator, Transportation Security
Administration, and Connie L. Patrick, Director, Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center, all of the Department of Homeland Security.
APPROPRIATIONS: AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers
after-school program of the Department of Education, focusing on the benefits
to students in providing effective academic and recreational opportunities and
safe havens for youth, after receiving testimony from William D. Hansen,
Deputy Secretary of Education; Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., New Haven,
Connecticut; Harvey Sprafka, Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville, Iowa, on
behalf of Fight Crime: Invest In Kids; Arnold Schwarzenegger, National
Inner-City Games Foundation, Santa Monica, California; Steven Kinlock,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Madison White, Massillon, Ohio.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the nominations of Steven B. Nesmith, of Pennsylvania, to be an
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who was introduced by
Senators Specter and Santorum, Jose Teran, of Florida, James Broaddus, of
Texas, Lane Carson, of Louisiana, Morgan Edwards, of North Carolina, and Paul
Pate, of Iowa, each to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the National
Institute of Building Sciences, Nicholas Gregory Mankiw, of Massachusetts, to
be a Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, after each nominee testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held hearings to
examine media ownership, focusing on localism, diversity, and competition in
broadcast television, and the Federal Communication Commission's ban on
newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership, receiving testimony from Mel Karmazin,
Viacom Incorporated, New York, New York; James F. Goodmon, Capitol
Broadcasting Company, Incorporated, Raleigh, North Carolina; Frank A. Blethen,
Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington; and William Dean Singleton, MediaNews
Group, Denver, Colorado.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
HISTORIC SITES/NATIONAL PARKS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded hearings to examine S. 500, to direct the Secretary of the Interior
to study certain sites in the historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina,
relating to the Reconstruction Era, S. 601, and H.R. 733 to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to acquire the McLoughlin House National Historic
Site in Oregon City, Oregon, for inclusion in the Fort Vancouver National
Historic Site, S. 612 and H.R. 788, to revise the boundary of the Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area in the States of Utah and Arizona, S. 452, to require
that the Secretary of the Interior conduct a study to identify sites and
resources, to recommend alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the
Cold War, and S. 630 and H.R. 519, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct a study of the San Gabriel River Watershed, after receiving
testimony from Senators Boxer and Bennett; Representative Solis; and Sue
Masica, Associate Director for Park Planning, Facilities and Lands, National
Park Service, Department of the Interior.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
(S. 1054) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201 of the
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2004.
FREE TRADE OF THE AMERICAS
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on International Trade concluded hearings
to examine the status of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (a proposal to
improve the quality of life for the residents of participating nations),
focusing on negotiations and preparations for the Miami Ministerial, after
receiving testimony from Peter F. Allgeier, Deputy United States Trade
Representative; Loren Yager, Director, International Affairs and Trade,
General Accounting Office; James Fendell, Aerocasillas--Aeropost, Miami,
Florida, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America,
and the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America; Craig
Hill, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, West Des Moines; and John Audley, Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, and Thea M. Lee, American Federation of
Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), both of Washington,
D.C.
[Page: D516]
Hearing recessed subject to call.
PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine Project
Safe Neighborhoods, focusing on America's network against gun violence, after
receiving testimony from Paul M. Warner, United States Attorney for the
District of Utah, Salt Lake City, Paul J. McNulty, United States Attorney for
the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria, Todd P. Graves, United States
Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Kansas City, and Patrick L.
Meehan, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, all of the Department of Justice; Donald R. Totaro, Lancaster
County District Attorney, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Russell Edward Spann, West
Valley City Police, Utah; Dennis A. Mook, Newport News Police Department,
Virginia; Charles L. Curtis, Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission,
Missouri; Alfred Blumstein, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; and Jens Ludwig, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/14
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 14, 2003; pages D522 - D530
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FARM BILL
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded
oversight hearings to examine the implementation of the Farm Securities and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-171), including the status of
implementation of the Agricultural Assistance Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-7), after
receiving testimony from Anne M. Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture, who was
accompanied by several of her associates.
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOSTER CARE SYSTEM
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia
concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004
for the government of the District of Columbia, focusing on the foster care
system, after receiving testimony from Judith Sandalow, Children's Law Center,
Marilyn R. Egerton, Foster and Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center, Sr. Ann
Patrick Conrad, Catholic University of America National Catholic School of
Social Service, and Jacqueline Bowen and Joseph Wright, both of Children's
National Medical Center, and Damian Miller, all of Washington, D.C.
HEALTH CARE ACCESS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine health care
access and affordability and its impact on the economy, focusing on the costs
of medical benefits and the implications for business, and the economic
consequences of being uninsured, after receiving testimony from John F.
Diedrich, Exelon Corporation, Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of the National
Coalition on Health Care; Leo W. Gerard, United Steelworkers of America,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Jack Hadley, Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.; Paul
Burrow, Oskaloosa, Iowa; and Ken Weinstein, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
[Page: D525]
APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of
Defense.
SPACE SHUTTLE "COLUMBIA" INVESTIGATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the status of the Space Shuttle Columbia investigation,
after receiving testimony from Sean O'Keefe, Administrator, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration; and Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr., USN
(Ret.), Chairman, Columbia Accident Investigation Board.
RECLAMATION PROJECTS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: On Tuesday, May 13, 2003,
Subcommittee on Water and Power concluded hearings to examine S. 520, to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain facilities to the
Fremont-Madison Irrigation District in the State of Idaho, S. 625, to
authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct certain feasibility studies in
the Tualatin River Basin in Oregon, S. 649, to amend the Reclamation
Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary
of the Interior to participate in projects within the San Diego Creek
Watershed, California, S. 960, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize certain projects in the
State of Hawaii and to amend the Hawaii Water Resources Act of 2000 to modify
the water resources study, and S. 993, to amend the Small Reclamation Projects
Act of 1956, after receiving testimony from Senator Crapo, John W. Keys III,
Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Joe Findaro,
Fremont-Madison Irrigation District, Idaho; Brian Brady, Irvine Ranch Water
District, Irvine, California; Chauncey Ching, University of Hawaii, Manoa; and
Peter Carlson, Will and Carlson, Inc., Washington, D.C., on behalf of the
Small Reclamation Program Act Coalition.
TISSUE BANK REGULATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
dangers of tainted human tissue and the need for federal regulation of the
tissue bank industry, focusing on registering all tissue establishments with
the FDA, screening of potential donors for viruses, and establishing rules for
the methods and controls used during the processing of human tissue, after
receiving testimony from Steven L. Solomon, Acting Director, Division of
Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, and Jesse L. Goodman, Director, Center for
Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, both to the
Department of Health and Human Services; Jeanne V. Linden, Wadsworth Center,
New York State Department of Health, Albany; and Steve and Leslie Lykins,
Willmar, Minnesota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 504, to establish academies for teachers and students of American history
and civics and a national alliance of teachers of American history and civics;
S. 686, to provide assistance for poison prevention and to stabilize the
funding of regional poison control centers;
S. 888, to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act;
S. 1015, to authorize grants through the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention for mosquito control programs to prevent mosquito-borne disease;
and
The nominations of John E. Buchanan, Jr., of Oregon, to be a Member of the
National Museum Services Board, Michael Schwartz, of Illinois, to be a Member
of the Railroad Retirement Board, and Mary Lucille Jordan, of Maryland, and
Stanley C. Suboleski, of Virginia, both to be Members of the Federal Mine
Safety and Health Review Commission.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 285, to authorize the integration and consolidation of alcohol and
substance abuse programs and services provided by Indian tribal governments,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 344, expressing the policy of the United States regarding the United
States' relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the
recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 555, to establish the Native American Health and Wellness Foundation, with
an amendment;
S. 558, to elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service
within the Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for
Indian Health; and
S. 702, to amend the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and
extend that Act.
[Page: D526]
INDIAN GAMING REGULATORY ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded oversight hearings to examine
the implementation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, focusing on the
funding and regulatory activities of the National Indian Gaming Commission,
after receiving testimony from Philip N. Hogen, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine
Ridge, South Dakota, on behalf of the National Indian Gaming Commission, who
was accompanied by several of his associates; and Ernest L. Stevens, Jr.,
Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, Appleton, on behalf of the National Indian Gaming
Association.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/15
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 15, 2003; pages D532 - D544
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from numerous public witnesses.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 1039, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to enhance the
security of wastewater treatment works, with an amendment; and
S. 1043, to provide for the security of commercial nuclear power plants and
facilities designated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine
homeland security issues facing state and local governments, focusing on the
role and direction of U.S. homeland security efforts, including preparedness
planning, investing resources based on comprehensive and integrated statewide
plans, maximizing the investment in intelligence gathering and analysis, and
providing a multi-year framework for homeland security planning, after
receiving testimony from Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Boston, on behalf
of the National Governors' Association; Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, Detroit,
Michigan, on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; Art Cleaves, Maine
Emergency Management Agency, Augusta; and Mark Stenglein, Hennepin County
Board of Commissioners, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Terrence A. Duffy, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Federal
Retirement Thrift Investment Board, who was introduced by Senator Durbin and
Allen, and Susanne T. Marshall, of Virginia, to be Chairman of the Merit
Systems Protection Board, and Neil McPhie, of Virginia, to be a Member of the
Merit Systems Protection Board, both of whom were introduced by Senator Allen,
after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine S. 575,
to amend the Native American Languages Act to provide for the support of
Native American language survival schools, after receiving testimony from
Leanne Hinton, University of California at Berkeley; Christine P. Sims, Pueblo
of Acoma, New Mexico, on behalf of the Linguistic Institute for Native
Americans; Mary Eunice Romero, University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of the
Cochiti Pueblo of New Mexico; Rosalyn R. LaPier and Joycelyn DesRosier, both
of the Piegan Institute Nizipuhwahsin School, Browning, Montana; Geneva
Woomavoyah Navarro and Rita Coosewon, both of the Comanche Nation College,
Lawton, Oklahoma; Lawrence D. Kaplan, University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Rosita
Worl, University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, on behalf of the Sealaska
Heritage Institute; Kalena Silva, Keiki Kawaiaea, William H. Wilson, and Holo
Hoopai, all of the Ka Haka `Ula O Ke`elikolani College, University of Hawaii
at Hilo; Namaka Rawlins, Aha Punana Leo, Inc., Hilo, Hawaii; Mary Hermes,
University of Minnesota, Duluth, on behalf of the Waadookodaading Ojibwe
Language Immersion School, and Lisa LaRonge, Ojibwe Language Immersion School,
Hayward, Wisconsin; William Y. Brown and Jennifer Chock, both of the Bishop
Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii; David Dinwoodie, University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque; and John W. Cheek, National Indian Education Association,
Alexandria, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 878, to authorize an additional permanent judgeship in the District of
Idaho, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of L. Scott Coogler, to be United States District Judge for
the Northern District of Alabama, and Mark Moki Hanohano, to be United States
Marshal for the District of Hawaii.
[Page: D539]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/19
Daily Digest - Monday, May 19, 2003; pages D545 - D550
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: on Friday, May 16, 2003, Subcommittee on
Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for programs of the
Department of Agriculture, after receiving testimony from J.B. Penn, Under
Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services, Mark E. Rey, Under
Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Joseph Jen, Under Secretary
for Research, Education, and Economics, Thomas C. Dorr, Under Secretary for
Rural Development, and Keith Collins, Chief Economist, all of the Department
of Agriculture.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian
Affairs concluded hearings to examine the nominations of Harry K. Thomas, Jr.,
of New York, to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Jeffrey
Lunstead, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and to serve concurrently and without
additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Maldives, and Richard
W. Erdman, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic
of Algeria, after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
UGANDA AIDS PREVENTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded
hearings to examine U.S. policy in combating AIDS in Uganda, focusing on
political commitment, role of faith-based organizations, communication,
fighting stigma, policy and law changes, and confidential voluntary counseling
and testing, after receiving testimony from Anne Peterson, Assistant
Administrator for Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development;
Edward C. Green, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Sophia Mukasa Monico, Global Heath Council,
Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded
hearings to examine the nomination of Steven A. Browning, of Texas, to be
Ambassador to Malawi after the nominee testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
HEALTH CARE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine prevention
measures to reduce unnecessary illness, disability, and premature death among
older Americans, focusing on Medicare-covered preventive services, and local
model programs, after receiving testimony from James S. Marks, Director,
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services;
Daniel Perry, Alliance for Aging Research, Washington, D.C.; Robert N. Butler,
International Longevity Center--USA, New York, New York; Joel E. Streim,
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, Bethesda, Maryland; William
Faxon Payne, Nashville, Tennessee; and Zalman Gerber, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/20
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 20, 2003; pages D551 - D559
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and
General Government concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2004 for the Department of the Treasury, after receiving testimony
from John Snow, Secretary of the Treasury.
CREDIT REPORTING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded
oversight hearings to examine the implementation and role of the Fair Credit
Reporting Act and issues presented by the Re-authorization of the Expiring
Preemption Provisions, including the consumer right to opt out of
prescreening, reporting accuracy, consumer right to know, consumer dispute
rights, and Federal Trade Commission interpretive guidance and enforcement,
after receiving testimony from Howard Beales, Director, Bureau of Consumer
Protection, Federal Trade Commission.
[Page: D553]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Nicholas Gregory Mankiw, of Massachusetts, to be a
Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, Steven B. Nesmith, of
Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,
and Jose Teran, of Florida, James Broaddus, of Texas, Lane Carson, of
Louisiana, and Morgan Edwards, of North Carolina, each to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine CEO compensation in the post-Enron Era, focusing on top
priorities for executive compensation reform, the free market and the market
value of CEO's, after receiving testimony from Peter C. Clapman, Teachers
Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund
(TIAA-CREF), and Joseph E. Bachelder, The Bachelder Firm, both of New York,
New York; Damon A. Silvers, American Federation of Labor and Congress of
Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Washington, D.C.; Sean Harrigan,
California Public Employees' Retirement System, Sacramento; and Brian J. Hall,
Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts.
CRAB RATIONALIZATION PLAN
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine issues relating to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island Crab
Rationalization Plan, focusing on processor quotas, after receiving testimony
from Senator Murray; Kevin Duffy, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau;
David Fraser, CRAB Rationalization and Buyback Group, Sitka, Alaska; Arni
Thomson, Alaska Crab Coalition, Seattle, Washington; and Linda Freed, Kodiak,
and Frank Kelty, Unalaska, both of Alaska.
SAFETEA
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Transportation and
Infrastructure held hearings to examine S. 1072, to authorize funds for
Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, (also
known as SAFETEA (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation
Equity Act of 2003)), receiving testimony from Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of
Transportation.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
NORTH KOREAN NARCOTICS THREAT
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Financial Management, the
Budget, and International Security concluded hearings to examine drugs,
counterfeiting, and weapons proliferation, focusing on North Korea and
methamphetamine trafficking to Japan and heroin trafficking to Taiwan,
smuggling and trade in counterfeit goods and endangered species, and organized
crime, after receiving testimony from Andre D. Hollis, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics; William Bach, Director, Office of
African, Asian and European Affairs, Bureau for International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of State; Nicholas Eberstadt, American
Enterprise Institute, Robert L. Gallucci, Georgetown University Walsh School
of Foreign Service, and Larry M. Wortzel, Heritage Foundation, all of
Washington, D.C.; and certain protected witnesses.
NARCO-TERRORISM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the scope
and impact of international drug trafficking and its relationship to
terrorism, after receiving testimony from Steven W. Casteel, Assistant
Administrator for Intelligence, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Steven C.
McCraw, Assistant Director, Office of Intelligence, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, both of the Department of Justice; Deborah A. McCarthy, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
Affairs; John P. Clark, Interim Director, Office of Investigations, Bureau of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; Raphael
Perl, Specialist in International Affairs, Congressional Research Service,
Library of Congress; Rensselaer W. Lee III, Global Advisory Services, McLean,
Virginia; and Larry C. Johnson, Berg Associates, LLC, Washington, D.C.
KENNEDY CENTER/SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded oversight hearings
to examine operations of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
and the Smithsonian Institution, after receiving testimony from Michael M.
Kaiser, President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and
Lawrence M. Small, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, both of Washington,
D.C.
[Page: D554]
AGING BABY BOOM GENERATION
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine certain
innovative services and technologies to promote healthy and independent aging,
focusing on opportunities for scientific, engineering, government and
commercial organizations to collaborate on large-scale efforts that meet the
needs of individuals, families, caregivers, and social and medical
institutions that provide services to older adults, after receiving testimony
from Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services
for Aging; Maria Greene, Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of
Aging Services, and Gregory D. Abowd, Georgia Institute of Technology College
of Computing, both of Atlanta; Kevin J. Mahoney, Boston College Graduate
School of Work, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, on behalf of Cash and Counseling
Demonstration and Evaluation; and Ronald H. Aday, Middle Tennessee State
University, Murfreesboro.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/05/21
Daily Digest - [Wednesday], May 21, 2003; pages D562 - D572
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Glen Klippenstein, of Missouri, Julia Bartling, of
South Dakota, and Lowell Junkins, of Iowa, each to be a Member of the Board of
Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation, Farm Credit
Administration.
NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded
oversight hearings to examine the national export strategy, focusing on the
Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), activity in post-crisis regions
including the Afghanistan Reconstruction and frontline States in Central Asia,
and transportation security and safety initiatives, after receiving testimony
from Donald L. Evans, Secretary of Commerce; Grant D. Aldonas, Under Secretary
of Commerce for International Trade; Philip Merrill, President and Chairman,
Export-Import Bank of the United States; Peter S. Watson, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Overseas Private Investment Corporation; Hector V. Barreto,
Jr., Administrator, Small Business Administration; and Barbara R. Bradford,
Deputy Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
COMPUTER SPAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine issues concerning the extent and effects of receiving
unsolicited commercial e-mail (computer spam), focusing on Federal efforts to
combat its growing threat to web-based services, after receiving testimony
from Senators Schumer and Dayton; Orson Swindle and Mozelle W. Thompson, both
Commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission; Ted Leonsis, America Online
Incorporated, Dulles, Virginia; Enrique Salem, Brightmail, Incorporated, San
Francisco, California; J. Trevor Hughes, Network Advertising Initiative, York,
Maine; Marc Rotenberg, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC),
Washington, D.C.; and Ronald Scelson, Scelson Online Marketing, Slidell,
Louisiana.
SAFETEA
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine S. 1072, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways,
highway safety programs, and transit programs, (also known as SAFETEA (Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003)),
receiving testimony from Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Transportation,
Jeffery Runge, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
and Annette M. Sandberg, Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier
Administration, all of the Department of Transportation.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 246, to provide that certain Bureau of Land Management land shall be held
in trust for the Pueblo of Santa Clara and the Pueblo of San Ildefonso in the
State of New Mexico, with amendments;
S. 500, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the
historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction
Era, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
[Page: D565]
S. 520, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain
facilities to the Fremont-Madison Irrigation District in the State of Idaho;
S. 625, to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct certain feasibility
studies in the Tualatin River Basin in Oregon, with an amendment;
S. 635, to amend the National Trails System Act to require the Secretary of
the Interior to update the feasibility and suitability studies of four
national historic trails, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 519, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of the
San Gabriel River Watershed;
H.R. 733, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the McLoughlin
House National Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon, and to administer the
site as a unit of the National Park System, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute and an amendment to the title; and
H.R. 788, to revise the boundary of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
in the States of Utah and Arizona.
ASIA
Committee on Foreign Relations: on Tuesday, May 20, 2003, Committee met in
closed session to receive a briefing on North Korea and Indonesia from James
A. Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
TRADE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Committee on Foreign Relations: on Tuesday, May 20, 2003, Subcommittee on
Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs concluded hearings to
examine the future of U.S. economic relations in the Western Hemisphere, the
success of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the U.S. trade
agenda, the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement, agriculture in the World Trade
Organization (WTO), and additional actions on intellectual property, trade,
and soybean rust, after receiving testimony from J.B. Penn, Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services; Allen F. Johnson,
Chief Agriculture Negotiator, Office of U.S. Trade Representative; Bart Ruth,
Rising City, Nebraska, on behalf of the American Soybean Association; Carl
Casale, Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Missouri; Robert W. Greene, Courtland,
Alabama, on behalf of the National Cotton Council of America; Doug Boisen,
National Corn Growers Association, Minden, Nebraska; Jim McDonald,
Grangeville, Idaho, on behalf of U.S. Wheat Associates and National
Association of Wheat Growers; Jim Quackenbush, Chokio, Minnesota, on behalf of
the National Pork Producers Council; Andrew W. LaVigne, Florida Citrus Mutual,
Lakeland, Florida; Jack Roney, American Sugar Alliance, and Thomas M. Suber,
U.S. Dairy Export Council, both of Arlington, Virginia; and Gregg Doud,
National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and David J. Frederickson, National
Farmers Union, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
An original bill to authorize foreign assistance for fiscal year 2004, to make
technical and administrative changes to the Foreign Assistance and Arms Export
Control Acts;
An original bill to establish a Millennium Challenge Corporation; S. Con.
Res. 7, expressing the sense of Congress that the sharp escalation of
anti-Semitic violence within many participating States of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is of profound concern and efforts
should be undertaken to prevent future occurrences;
H.R. 192, to amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people
in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs under those
Acts; and
The nominations of Ephraim Batambuze, of Illinois, and John W. Leslie, Jr., of
Connecticut, both to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African
Development Foundation, Cynthia Costa, of South Carolina, and Ralph Martinez,
of Florida, both to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of
America to the Fifty-seventh Session of the General Assembly of the United
Nations, Michael B. Enzi, of Wyoming, Paul Sarbanes, of Maryland, and James
Shinn, of New Jersey, each to be a Representative of the United States of
America to the Fifty-seventh Session of the General Assembly of the United
Nations, James B. Foley, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Haiti, Richard W. Erdman, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the People's
Democratic Republic of Algeria, Jeffrey Lunstead, of the District of Columbia,
to be Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and to
serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the
Republic of Maldives, Harry K. Thomas, Jr., of New York, to be Ambassador to
the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Steven A. Browning, of Texas, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi, and two Foreign Service Officer
promotion lists.
SARS: STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSE
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
concluded hearings to examine the scope of the SARS outbreak, focusing D566on
the coordination of response to individual outbreaks among local, state, and
Federal officials, as well as between government officials and the private
sector, and what state and local officials are doing to anticipate and respond
to the disease, after receiving testimony from Julie L. Gerberding, Director,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Anthony S. Fauci, Director,
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of
Health, both of the Department of Health and Hums Services; Michael T.
Osterholm, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Rodney N. Huebbers, Loudoun
Healthcare, Incorporated, Leesburg, Virginia; Thomas R. Frieden, New York City
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York; Mary C. Selecky, Washington
State Department of Health, Olympia, on behalf of the Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials; Lawrence O. Gostin, Georgetown University Law
Center, Washington, D.C.; Bruce R. Cords, Ecolab Incorporated, St. Paul,
Minnesota; and Vicki Grunseth, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
[Page: D566]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported S. 1053, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic
information with respect to health insurance and employment, with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute.
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded oversight hearings to examine
the proposed reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Office of
Special Trustee, focusing on tribal economic development, self-determination
and self governance policies and projects, accountability by the addition of
Regional Trust Administrators and Trust Officers to serve as an additional
resource for fiduciary trust transactions, and consolidated beneficiary
services, after receiving testimony from Ross O. Swimmer, Special Trustee for
American Indians, and Aurene M. Martin, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, both of the Department of the Interior; Tex G. Hall, National
Congress of American Indians, Washington, D.C.; John Berry, Quapaw Tribe of
Oklahoma, Quapaw, and Richard Sangrey, Albuquerque, New Mexico, both on behalf
of the Inter-Tribal Monitoring Service; Clifford Marshall, Hoopa Valley Tribe,
California, on behalf of the Tribal Trust Reform Consortium; and Keller
George, Oneida Indian Nation, Nashville, Tennessee, on behalf of the United
South and Eastern Tribes (USET).
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nomination of
R. Hewitt Pate, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Department
of Justice, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Allen, testified
and answered questions in his own behalf.
Joint Meetings
U.S. ECONOMY
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the state of
the U.S. economy and future economic policy, focusing on dividend tax relief
and capped exclusions, deflation, and small business tax rates, after
receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
2003/05/22
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 22, 2003; pages D574 - D586
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet )
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine federal
funding for human embryonic stem cell research, focusing on increasing the
availability of stem cell lines for federal research, training scientists for
technically-challenging cells, and basic pre-clinical research relative to the
treatment of injuries and diseases, after receiving testimony from Elias
Zerhouni, Director, and James Battey, Director, National Institute on Deafness
and Other Communication Disorders, and Ronald McKay, Senior Investigator,
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, both of the National
Institutes of Health, all of the Department of Health and Human Services; John
A. Kessler, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, Evanston,
Illinois; James Cordy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Coalition
for the Advancement of Medical Research; and Roy Ogle, University of Virginia
Medical School, Charlottesville.
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE/FDA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates
for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, after receiving
testimony from Eric M. Bost, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services, Elsa A. Murano, Under Secretary for Food Safety, and William T.
Hawks, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, all of the
Department of Agriculture; and Mark B. McClellan, Commissioner of Food and
Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: DOE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior concluded hearings to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the Department of
Energy, after receiving testimony from Spencer Abraham, Secretary of Energy.
APPROPRIATIONS: HIGHWAY SAFETY INITIATIVES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and
General Government concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2004 for highway safety initiatives, focusing on developing a plan
to research and enact effective data-driven programs to reduce the number of
highway fatalities, after receiving testimony from Jeffrey Runge,
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Annette M.
Sandberg, Acting Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,
both of the Department of Transportation; Wendy Hamilton, Mothers Against
Drunk Driving, Irving, Texas; and Chuck Hurley, National Safety Council,
Itasca, Illinois.
U.S. ECONOMY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded
oversight hearings to examine issues relating to the U.S. economy, focusing on
increasing investments in the equity markets, after receiving testimony from
Peter R. Fisher, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance; Wayne
D. Angell, Angell Economics, Arlington, Virginia; James W. Stuckert, J.J.B.
Hilliard and W.L. Lyons Incorporated, Louisville, Kentucky; and Mark Zandi,
Economy.com, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
[Page: D579]
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine media ownership, focusing on localism, diversity, and
competition in broadcast television, and the Federal Communication
Commission's ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership, after receiving
testimony from Senator Allard; Rupert Murdoch, News Corporation, Gene
Kimmelman, Consumers Union, on behalf of Consumers Union and the Consumer
Federation of America, and Kent W. Mikkelsen, Economists Incorporated, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Thomas Fontana, Fontana-Levinson Company, New York, New
York, on behalf of the Writers Guild of America, East and the Caucus for
Television Producers, Writers and Directors, and the American Federation of
Television and Radio Artists.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS AND COMPETITION ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Communications concluded hearings to examine S. 564, to facilitate the
deployment of wireless telecommunications networks in order to further the
availability of the Emergency Alert System, and issues relating to providing
wireless broadband in rural areas, after receiving testimony from Antoinette
Cook Bush, Northpoint Technology, Ltd., and Thomas W. Hazlett, Manhattan
Institute for Policy Research, both of Washington, D.C.; Andrew S. Wright,
Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, Alexandria, Virginia;
Harold Kirkpatrick, MDS America, Stuart, Florida; and Larry Roadman,
Margaretville Telephone Company Incorporated, New York.
SAFETEA
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Competition, Foreign Commerce and Infrastructure concluded hearings to examine
S. 1072, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs,
and transit programs, (also known as SAFETEA (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and
Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003)), after receiving testimony from
Jeffrey W. Runge, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, Department of Transportation; Peter Guerrero, Physical
Infrastructure Team, General Accounting Office; Jacqueline S. Gillan,
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Robert Strassberger, Alliance of
Automobile Manufacturers, and Richard Berman, American Beverage
Licensees/American Beverage Institute, all of Washington, D.C.; Wendy J.
Hamilton, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Irving, Texas; and Kathryn Swanson,
Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, St. Paul, on behalf of the Governors
Highway Safety Association.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine Iraq
stabilization and reconstruction, focusing on U.S. policy and plans, security,
the political situation, the international community, the Coalition and the
United Nations, military organization, troop strength, and rules of
engagement, receiving testimony from Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of
Defense; and General Peter Pace, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Hearings continue on Wednesday, June 4, 2003.
INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
status of telecommunications in Indian Country, focusing on establishing
telecommunication infrastructures in tribal communities, after receiving
testimony from K. Dane Snowden, Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs
Bureau, Federal Communications Commission; Hilda Gay Legg, Administrator,
Rural Utilities Service, Rural Development, Department of Agriculture; Kelly
Klegar Levy, Associate Administrator, Office of Policy Analysis and
Development, National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
Department of Commerce; Kade L. Twist, Kade L. Twist Consulting, Tempe,
Arizona; Roanne Robinson Shaddox, Privacy Council, Incorporated, Washington,
D.C., and Marcia Warren Edelman, Reston, Virginia, both of the Native
Networking Policy Center; Richard P. Narcia, Gila River Indian Community,
Sacaton, Arizona; Nora McDowell, Fort Mojave Tribe, Needles, California;
Madonna Peltier Yawaki, Turtle Island Communications, Fort Yates, North
Dakota; Gerald Monette, Turtle Mountain Community College, Belcourt, North
Dakota, on behalf of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium; Valerie
Fast-Horse, Couer d'Alene Tribe of Idaho, Plummer, on behalf of the Affiliated
Tribes of Northwest Indians; Denis Turner, Southern California Tribal
Chairmen's Association, Valley Center, California; Cora Whiting-Hildebrand,
Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, South Dakota; Gene Dejordy, Western
Wireless Corporation, Bellevue, Washington; Mike Strand, Montana Independent
Telecommunications Systems, Helena; and Ben H. Standifer, Jr., Tohono O'odham
Nation, Sells, Arizona.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
[Page: D580]
S. 554, to allow media coverage of court proceedings;
S. 1023, to increase the annual salaries of justices and judges of the United
States, with amendments;
S. 858, to extend the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission;
S. Res. 136, recognizing the 140th anniversary of the founding of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and congratulating members and officers
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers for the union's many achievements;
S. Res. 92, designating September 17, 2003 as "Constitution Day";
S. Res. 145, designating June 2003, as "National Safety Month"; and
The nominations of Michael Chertoff, of New Jersey, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, and Robert D. McCallum, Jr., of Georgia,
to be Associate Attorney General, and Peter D. Keisler, of Maryland, to be an
Assistant Attorney General, both of the Department of Justice.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Richard C. Wesley, of New York, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Second Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Schumer and
Clinton, and Representative Reynolds; J. Ronnie Greer, to be United States
District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, who was introduced by
Senators Frist and Alexander, Thomas M. Hardiman, to be United States District
Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, who was introduced by Senators
Specter and Santorum, Mark R. Kravitz, to be United States District Judge for
the District of Connecticut, who was introduced by Senator Dodd, and John A.
Woodcock, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of Maine,
who was introduced by Senators Snowe and Collins, after each nominee testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
Joint Meetings
KEEPING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SAFE ACT
Conferees: agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of S. 342, to amend the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act to make improvements to and reauthorize programs
under that Act.
JOBS AND GROWTH RECONCILIATION TAX ACT
Conferees: agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 2, to provide for reconciliation
pursuant to section 201 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal
year 2004.
2003/05/23
Daily Digest - Friday, May 23, 2003; pages D587 - D590
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
U.S. POLICY: AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine current
United States policy and military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, after
receiving testimony from Paul D. Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense; Gen.
Peter Pace, USMC, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and William
Joseph Burns, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/02
Daily Digest - Monday, June 2, 2003; pages D591 - D598
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/03
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 3, 2003; pages D599 - D606
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SPACE PROPULSION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Space concluded hearings to examine research being done by
NASA and the private sector to develop new in-space propulsion technologies,
after receiving testimony from Edward J. Weiler, Associate Administrator,
Office of Space Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; James
H. Crocker, Lockheed Martin Space and Strategic Missiles, Denver, Colorado;
Larry Knauer, Pratt and Whitney/United Technologies Corporation, West Palm
Beach, Florida; Frank Sietzen, Jr., Space Transportation Association,
Arlington, Virginia; and Byron K. Wood, Boeing Company, Canoga Park,
California.
MEMORIALS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded hearings to examine S. 268, to authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation to establish a memorial in the District of Columbia and its
environs to honor members of the Armed Forces of the United States who have
lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts,
training, terrorist attacks, or covert operations, S. 296, to require the
Secretary of Defense to report to Congress regarding the requirements
applicable to the inscription of veterans' names on the memorial wall of the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, S. 470, to extend the authority for the
construction of a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., and S. 1076, to
authorize construction of an education center at or near the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial, after receiving testimony from Senators Sarbanes and Warner; P.
Daniel Smith, Special Assistant to the Director, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior; Raymond F. DuBois, Director, Administration and
Management, Department of Defense; David J. Enzerra, Pyramid of Remembrance
Foundation, Painsville, Ohio; Harry E. Johnson, Sr., Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., and William P. Lecky, Ai
Architects, and George Oberlander, George H.F. Oberlander, National Coalition
to Save Our Mall, all of Washington, D.C.; and Lt. Col. James G. Zumwalt, USMC
(Ret.), Reston, Virginia, on behalf of the USS Frank E. Evans Association,
Inc.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace
Corps and Narcotics Affairs concluded hearings to examine the nominations of
Marsha E. Barnes, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname,
John F. Maisto, of Pennsylvania, to be Permanent Representative of the United
States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of
Ambassador, and William B. Wood, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic
of Colombia, who was introduced by Senator Lugar, after each nominee testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D601]
TRIBAL FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded oversight hearings to examine
the status of tribal fish and wildlife management programs across Indian
country, focusing on natural research management and new technological
advances that enhance the protection of fish, wildlife, and plant resources,
after receiving testimony from Bill Frank, Jr., Northwest Indian Fisheries
Commission, Olympia, Washington; Olney Patt, Jr., Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission, Portland, Oregon; Warren Seyler, Upper Columbia United
Tribes, Spokane, Washington; D. Fred Matt, Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes of the Flathead Nation, Pablo, Montana; Ira New Breast, Native American
Fish and Wildlife Society, Broomfield, Colorado; James E. Zorn, Great Lakes
Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Odanah, Wisconsin; Millard J. Myers, 1854
Authority, Duluth, Minnesota; Jon C. Cooley, Southwest Tribal Fisheries
Commission, Lakeside, Arizona; Gordon Jackson, Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes
of Alaska, Juneau, on behalf of the Southeast Alaska Inter-Tribal Fish and
Wildlife Commission; and Patty Brown-Schwalenberg, Chugach Regional Resources
Commission, and Tom Harris, Alaska Village Initiatives, Inc., both of
Anchorage, Alaska.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded closed hearings on
intelligence matters, after receiving testimony from officials of the
intelligence community.
HUMAN LONGEVITY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine the future
of human longevity, focusing on the importance of markets and innovations in
the field of aging research, including links between prosperity, health, and
life expectancy, improvements in mortality, after receiving testimony from
former Representative Newt Gingrich; Richard J. Hodes, Director, National
Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and
Human Services; Stephen C. Goss, Chief Actuary, Social Security
Administration; Peter J. Boettke, George Mason University Mercatus Center,
Arlington, Virginia; and James W. Vaupel, Max Planck Institute for Demographic
Research, Rostock, Germany.
U.S. DRUG POLICY
United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control: Caucus
concluded hearings to examine U.S. policy regarding narcotics in Colombia,
focusing on returns on investment, challenges to the policy, building
international and regional support, and financial and management challenges
that continue to complicate efforts to reduce illicit drug activities, after
receiving testimony from Paul E. Simons, Acting Assistant Secretary for
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and J. Curtis Struble,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, both of the
Department of State; Jess T. Ford, Director, International Affairs and Trade,
General Accounting Office; Marshall Billingslea, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense; General James T. Hill, United States Army, Commander, United States
Southern Command; Francisco Santos-Calderon, Vice President of the Republic of
Colombia, Bogota; and Phillip McLean, Center for Strategic and International
Studies, Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/04
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 4, 2003; pages D607 - D614
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
oversight hearings to examine activities of the Federal Communications
Commission, focusing on their recent decision to adopt new broadcast ownership
limits, after receiving testimony from Michael K. Powell, Chairman, and
Kathleen Q. Abernathy, Michael J. Copps, Kevin J. Martin, Jonathan S.
Adelstein, each a Commissioner, all of the Federal Communications Commission.
PUBLIC LANDS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded hearings to examine S. 714, to provide for the conveyance of
a small parcel of Bureau of Land Management land in Douglas County, Oregon, to
the county to improve management of and recreational access to the Oregon
Dunes National Recreation Area, S. 391, to enhance ecosystem protection and
the range of outdoor opportunities protected by statute in the Skykomish River
valley of the State of Washington by designating certain lower-elevation
Federal lands as wilderness, S. 1003, to clarify the intent of Congress with
respect to the continued use of established commercial outfitter hunting camps
on the Salmon River, H.R. 417, to revoke a Public Land Order with respect to
certain lands erroneously included in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge,
California, and S. 924, to authorize the exchange of lands between D609an
Alaska Native Village Corporation and the Department of the Interior, after
receiving testimony from Senator Murray; Mark Rey, Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment; Jim Hughes, Deputy
Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; Mike Town,
Friends of the Wild Sky, Skykomish, Washington; Mark Heckert, Washington
Wildlife Federation, Olympia; Ed Husmann, Sultan, Washington, on behalf of the
Snohomish County Farm Bureau; and John Postema, Snohomish, Washington.
[Page: D609]
IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine Iraq
stabilization and reconstruction, focusing on international contributions and
resources, receiving testimony from Alan P. Larson, Under Secretary of State
for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs; Dov S. Zakheim, Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller); John B. Taylor, Under Secretary of the
Treasury for International Affairs; and Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator, U.S.
Agency for International Development.
Hearing continue on Thursday, June 12.
NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine
proposed legislation to create a National Security Personnel System, focusing
on transforming the way the Department of Defense recruits, retains and
manages its civilian workforce, after receiving testimony from Donald H.
Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense; David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the
United States, General Accounting Office; Bobby L. Harnage, Sr., American
Federation of Government Employees (AFL-CIO), Washington, D.C.; Paul C. Light,
New York University Wagner School of Public Service, New York, on behalf of
the Center for Public Service and the Brookings Institution.
INDIAN RESERVATION ROADS PROGRAM
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on S. 725, to amend
the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to provide from the Highway
Trust Fund additional funding for Indian reservation roads, S. 281, to amend
the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to make certain amendments
with respect to Indian tribes, to provide for training and technical
assistance to Native Americans who are interested in commercial vehicle
driving careers, and S. 1165, to amend the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century to provide from the Highway Trust Fund additional funding for
Indian reservation roads, after receiving testimony from Senator Bingaman;
Arthur E. Hamilton, Associate Administrator for Federal Lands Highways,
Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation; Terry Virden,
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Joe Shirley,
Jr., Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona; Chadwick Smith, Cherokee Nation,
Tahlequah, Oklahoma; Richard Milonovich, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla, Palm
Springs, California; James Garrigan, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians of
Minnesota, Red Lake; and Loretta Bullard, Kawerak, Inc., Nome, Alaska.
AUTHORIZATION--SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the President's proposed budget request and proposed legislation
authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for the Small Business Administration,
after receiving testimony from Hector V. Barreto, Administrator, Small
Business Administration.
Joint Meetings
SERBIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded hearings to examine democracy, human rights, and justice
in Serbia today, after receiving testimony from Ivan Vujacic, Ambassador of
Serbia and Montenegro to the United States, Nina Bang-Jensen, Coalition for
International Justice, and Elizabeth Anderson, Human Rights Watch, all of
Washington, D.C.D613
2003/06/05
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 5, 2003; pages D615 - D624
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FOREIGN OPERATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for foreign
operations, after receiving testimony from Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator,
United States Agency for International Development.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Defense Production
Act, focusing on its role in helping to obtain the goods and services needed
to promote the national defense, after receiving testimony from Ronald M.
Sega, Director, Defense Research and Engineering, and Suzanne D. Patrick,
Deputy Under Secretary for Industrial Policy, both of the Department of
Defense; Karan K. Bhatia, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and
Security; R. David Paulison, Director, Preparedness Division, Emergency
Preparedness and Response Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; and
Denise Swink, Acting Director, Office of Energy Assurance, Department of
Energy.
INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL FINANCE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine concluded hearings to examine intercity
passenger rail finance, focusing on existing and future Amtrak services,
government and freight railroad subsidization, and a separate and sealed
future high-speed passenger rail corridor, after receiving testimony from
Allan Rutter, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Department of
Transportation; Jeff Morales, California Department of Transportation,
Sacramento; Robert Serlin, Rail Infrastructure Management, Phoenixville,
Pennsylvania; Sonny Hall, Transportation Trades Department, (AFL-CIO), on
behalf of the Transport Workers Union of America, and Edward R. Hamberger,
Association of American Railroads, both of Washington, D.C.; and James Query,
Lehman Brothers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
[Page: D617]
TITLE XI MARITIME LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings on reform of the Title XI Maritime Loan Guarantee Program, which
authorizes the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to assist private companies in
obtaining financing for the U.S. construction of vessels or the modernization
of U.S. shipyards, after receiving testimony from William G. Schubert,
Administrator, Maritime Administration, and Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector
General, both of the Department of Transportation; and Thomas J. McCool,
Managing Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, General
Accounting Office.
CLEAR SKIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded hearings to examine S. 485, to amend the
Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution through expansion of cap and trade
programs, to provide an alternative regulatory classification for units
subject to the cap and trade program, focusing on emissions-control
technologies and utility-sector investment issues, after receiving testimony
from Randall S. Kroszner, Member Council of Economic Advisers; Larry S.
Monroe, Southern Company, on behalf of Edison Electric Institute, and Margo
Thorning, American Council for Capital Formation, both of Washington, D.C.;
Steve Benson, University of North Dakota Energy and Environment Center, Grand
Forks; Richard Bucher, W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc., Newark, Delaware;
Denise L. Nappier, Connecticut State Treasurer, Hartford; Wes Taylor, TXU
Energy North America, Dallas, Texas; Jim McGinnis, Morgan Stanley, New York,
New York; Douglas G. Cogan, Investor Responsibility Research Center,
Washington, D.C.; and Mark S. Brownstein, Enterprise Strategy, Newark, New
Jersey, on behalf of the Public Service Enterprise Group and Clean Energy
Group.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee met and approved a proposal to extend
expenditure authority for the aviation trust fund through September 30, 2006,
and conform the expenditure purposes to include those obligations of the
United States authorized by S. 824, Aviation Investment and Revitalization
Vision Act (pending on Senate calendar).
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded hearings to examine the human rights situation in North Korea,
focusing on social and religious control, access to food and health care,
political prisoners, prison, and labor camps, after receiving testimony from
Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development;
Debra Liang-Fenton, U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, and Marcus
Noland, Institute for International Economics, both of Washington, D.C.;
Kongdon Oh Hassig, Institute for Defense Analysis, Alexandria, Virginia;
Stephen W. Linton, Eugene Bell Foundation, Clarksville, Maryland; and Hae Nam
Ji, North Korea.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations: of C. Stewart Verdery, Jr., of Virginia, to be Assistant
Secretary for Policy and Planning, Border and Transportation Security
Directorate, and Michael J. Garcia, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary for
the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, both of the Department of
Homeland Security, after each nominee testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
TRIBAL FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: On June 4, 2003, Committee concluded oversight
hearings to examine the status of tribal fish and wildlife management programs
across Indian country, focusing on efforts of tribal governments to preserve
and protect fish and wildlife resources, after receiving testimony from D.
Robert Lohn, Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, National Marine
Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department
of Commerce; Hannibal Bolton, Chief, Division of Fish and Wildlife Management
and Habitat Restoration, Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; J. Mark Robinson, Director,
Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Steven
Wright, Administrator, Bonneville Power Administration, both of the Department
of Energy; Jim Wells, Director, Natural Resources and Environment Team,
General Accounting Office; Olney Patt, Jr., Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish,
Portland, Oregon; Charles Wilkinson, University of Colorado School of Law,
Boulder; Bill Frank, Jr., Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and Jim
Anderson, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, both of Olympia, Washington;
Dave Hererra, Skokomish Tribe, Shelton, Washington; Mel Moon, Quileute Tribe,
Forks, Washington; Gary Aitken, Sr., Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Spokane,
Washington; and Terry Gibson, Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley
Reservation, Owyhee, Nevada.
[Page: D618]
ASBESTOS LITIGATION
Committee on the Judiciary: On June 4, 2003, Committee concluded hearings to
examine S. 1125, to create a fair and efficient system to resolve claims of
victims for bodily injury caused by asbestos exposure, after receiving
testimony from Senators Hagel and Murray; Laurence H. Tribe, Harvard
University Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; James D. Crapo, National
Jewish Medical Research Center, Denver, Colorado; Laura Stewart Welch, Center
to Protect Workers Rights, Silver Spring, Maryland; John E. Parker, University
of West Virginia Department of Medicine, Morgantown, West Virginia; Mark A.
Peterson, Legal Analysis Systems, Thousand Oaks, California; Fred Dunbar,
National Economic Research Associates, and Robert Hartwig, Insurance
Information Institute, both of New York, New York; Eric D. Green, Boston
University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts; and Jennifer L. Biggs,
Tillinghast-Towers Perrin, St. Louis, Missouri.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. Res. 116, commemorating the life, achievements, and contributions of Al
Lerner; and
The nominations of Richard C. Wesley, of New York, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Second Circuit, J. Ronnie Greer, to be United States District
Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Mark R. Kravitz, to be United
States District Judge for the District of Connecticut, and John A. Woodcock,
Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of Maine, and R.
Hewitt Pate, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, David B.
Rivkin, Jr., of Virginia, to be a Member of the Foreign Claims Settlement
Commission of the United States, and Harlon Eugene Costner, to be United
States Marshal for the Middle District of North Carolina, all of the
Department of Justice.
Joint Meetings
ARMING ROGUE REGIMES
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded hearings to examine arming rogue regimes, focusing on the
role of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Participating States, after receiving testimony from John Robert Bolton, Under
Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; Roman
Kupchinsky, Crime and Corruption Watch and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,
Prague, Czech Republic; and Terence Taylor, International Institute for
Strategic Studies--US, Washington, D.C.
2003/06/09
Daily Digest - Monday, June 9, 2003; pages D626 - D630
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQ SURVEY GROUP
Committee on Armed Services: on Friday, June 6, 2003, Committee concluded
closed hearings to examine the mission of the 75th Exploitation Task Force and
the mission performed by the Iraq survey group related to Iraqi weapons of
mass destruction, after receiving testimony from Stephen A. Cambone, Under
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby, USN,
Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; and Robert Grenier and Ben Bonk, both
of the Central Intelligence Agency.
MEDICARE IMPROVEMENTS
Committee on Finance: on Friday, June 6, 2003, Committee concluded hearings to
examine issues related to strengthening and improving Medicare, after
receiving testimony from Thomas Scully, Administrator, Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Walt Francis,
Marilyn Moon, Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Walt Francis, Fairfax,
Virginia.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: on Friday, June 6, 2003, Committee concluded
hearings to examine the nomination of Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., of Texas, to be
Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Cornyn and
Representative Jackson-Lee, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
SENATE RULE XXII
Committee on Rules and Administration: on Thursday, June 5, 2003, Committee
concluded hearings to examine Senate Rule XXII, relating to the consideration
of nominations requiring the advice and consent of the Senate, and proposals
to amend the Rule, including S. Res. 138, after receiving testimony from
Senators Frist, Kennedy, Miller, and Cornyn; John C. Eastman, Chapman
University School of Law, Orange, California, on behalf of Claremont Institute
Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence; Michael J. Gerhardt, William and Mary
School of Law, Williamsburg, Virginia; and Douglas W. Kmiec, Catholic
University of America School of Law, Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/10
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 10, 2003; pages D632 - D640
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
INTELLIGENCE MATTERS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded closed hearings to examine
certain intelligence programs, after receiving testimony from Peter B. Teets,
Under Secretary of the Air Force and Director, National Reconnaissance Office;
Stephen A. Cambone, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence; and Charles
E. Allen, Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Collection.
SAFETEA
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the Administration's proposal authorizing funds for the Federal
Public Transportation Assistance Programs--the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA), focusing on a
framework to address transportation problems of national significance, while
giving state and local transportation decisionmakers flexibility to solve
problems in their communities, after receiving testimony from Norman Y.
Mineta, Secretary of Transportation; Jim Seal, consultant, Federal Transit
Administration, Department of Transportation; William Millar, American Public
Transportation Association, and Robert Molofsky, Amalgamated Transit Union,
both of Washington, D.C.; Jeff Morales, California Department of
Transportation, Sacramento, on behalf of the American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials; and Harry W. Blunt, Jr., Concord Coach
Lines, Concord, New Hampshire, on behalf of the American Bus Association.
AUTHORIZATION--FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Program, focusing on the Transportation Efficiency Act for the
21st Century (TEA-21), and the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999,
after receiving testimony from Annette Sandberg, Acting Administrator, Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; Douglas G.
Duncan, FedEx Freight, Memphis, Tennessee, on behalf of the American Trucking
Associations; LaMont Byrd, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (AFL-CIO),
and Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen, on behalf of Citizens for Reliable and
Safe Highways, both of Washington, D.C.; Peter Hurst, Ontario Ministry of
Transportation, Ontario, Canada, and Paul Sullivan, Massachusetts State
Police, Framingham, both on behalf of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance;
and Joseph M. Harrison, American Moving and Storage Association, Alexandria,
Virginia.
NATIONAL PARKS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded hearings to examine S. 499, to authorize the American Battle
Monuments Commission to establish in the State of Louisiana a memorial to
honor the Buffalo Soldiers, S. 546, to provide for the protection of
paleontological resources on Federal lands, S. 643, to authorize the Secretary
of the Interior, in cooperation with the University of New Mexico, to
construct and occupy a portion of the Hibben Center for Archaeological
Research at the University of New Mexico, S. 677, to revise the boundary of
the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Gunnison Gorge National
Conservation Area in the State of Colorado, 1060 and H.R. 1577, bills to
designate the visitor center in Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona as the
"Kris Eggle Visitor Center", H.R. 255, to authorize the Secretary of
the
Interior to grant an easement to facilitate access to the Lewis and Clark
Interpretative Center in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and H.R. 1012, to establish
the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in the District of Columbia,
after receiving testimony from District of Columbia Delegate Norton; D. Thomas
Ross, Assistant Director, Recreation and Conservation, National Park Service,
and Christopher Kearney, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and
Budget, both of the Department of the Interior; and Elizabeth Estill, Deputy
Chief, Programs, Legislation and Communications, Forest Service, Department of
Agriculture.
[Page: D634]
SUPREME COURT CASE: CLEAN WATER ACT JURISDICTION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water concluded hearings to examine the current regulatory and
legal status of federal jurisdiction of navigable waters under the Clean Water
Act, focusing on issues raised by the Supreme Court in Solid Waste Agency of
Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers No. 99-1178 , and a
related measure, S. 473, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to
clarify the jurisdiction of the United States over waters of the United
States, after receiving testimony from Senator Feingold; G. Tracy Mehan,
Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency; George S.
Dunlop, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Policy and Legislation;
Thomas L. Sansonetti, Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural
Resources Division, Department of Justice; L. Michael Bogert, Counsel to
Governor of Idaho, Boise; Richard Hamann, University of Florida Levin College
of Law, Gainesville; Robert J. Pierce, Wetland Training Institute, Inc.,
Glenwood, New Mexico; and Scott Yaich, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Memphis,
Tennessee.
[Page: D635]
Joint Meetings
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded hearings to examine internally displaced persons in the
Caucasus Region and Southeastern Anatolia, after receiving testimony from
Francis M. Deng, United Nations, and Nicolas Dee Torrente, Doctors Without
Borders, both of New York, New York; Roberta Cohen, Brookings Institution, and
Maureen Lynch, Refugees International, both of Washington, D.C.; and Jonathan
Sugden, Human Rights Watch, London, England.
2003/06/11
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 11, 2003; pages D642 - D650
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HEALTH CARE ACCESS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, concluded hearings to examine health care access and
affordability, focusing on cost containment strategies, including attention to
reducing errors, eliminating waste and duplication in clinical care,
modernizing and streamlining administration, promoting transparency and
accountability for performance, and aligning financial incentives for
physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers to reward high-quality
and efficient care, after receiving testimony from Karen Davis, The
Commonwealth Fund, New York, New York; Dave Hickman, Mercy Health Network, Des
Moines, Iowa; John Mentel, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida; James F. Fries,
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Donald R.
Hoover, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey; and David Bernd, Sentara
Healthcare, Norfolk, Virginia, on behalf of the American Hospital Association.
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded
hearings to examine the District of Columbia's local budget request, after
receiving testimony from Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Linda W. Cropp, Chairman,
Council of the District of Columbia, and Natwar Gandhi, Chief Financial
Officer for the District of Columbia, all of Washington, D.C.
AUTHORIZATION--FTC
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure concluded hearings to
examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for the Federal Trade
Commission, after receiving testimony from Timothy Muris, Chairman, Mozelle W.
Thompson, Orson Swindle, and Thomas B. Leary, each a Commissioner, all of the
Federal Trade Commission; Marc Rotenberg, Electronic Privacy Information
Center, Susan Grant, National Consumers League, Larry Sarjeant, U.S. Telecom
Association, and Ari Schwartz, Center for Democracy and Technology, all of
Washington, D.C.; Sarah Deutsch, Verizon Communications, Silver Spring,
Maryland; and Scott Cooper, Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, California.
[Page: D644]
PATIENT SAFETY
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
concluded hearings to examine patient safety issues, focusing on hospitals and
other health care organizations' efforts to build and sustain a culture of
continuous quality and patient safety improvement, after receiving testimony
from James P. Bagian, Director, National Center for Patient Safety, Veterans
Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and
Human Services; Dianne Mandernach, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul;
David R. Page, Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dennis S.
O'Leary, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations,
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois; Robert E. Krawisz, National Patient Safety
Foundation, Chicago, Illinois; Suzanne Delbanco, Leapfrog Group, Washington,
D.C.; and Roxanne J. Goeltz, Burnsville, Minnesota, on behalf of the National
Patient Safety Foundation, Partnership for Patient Safety, and Consumers
Advancing Patient Safety.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 648, to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to health
professions programs regarding the practice of pharmacy, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute;
S. 1225, entitled the "Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals
Act";
and The nomination of Anne Rader, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National
Council on Disability.
NOMINATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Charles W. Grim, of Oklahoma, to be Director of the Indian
Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, after the nominee,
who was introduced by Senators Nickles and Inhofe, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
FORT BERTHOLD INDIAN RESERVATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on S. 1146, to
implement the recommendations of the Garrison Unit Tribal Advisory Committee
by providing authorization for the construction of a rural health care
facility on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, North Dakota, after
receiving testimony from Tex G. Hall, Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, and
Frederick Baker, Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara Elders Organization, both of New
Town, North Dakota.
NOMINATIONS:
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of William H. Pryor, Jr., of Alabama, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Eleventh Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Shelby and
Sessions and Representative Bonner, and Diane M. Stuart, of Utah, to be
Director of the Violence Against Women Office, Department of Justice, who was
introduced by Senator Hatch, after each nominee testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
Joint Meetings
IRAQ ECONOMY
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the policies
and procedures to encourage long-term economic growth and prosperity in
reforming Iraq's economy, focusing on establishing a stable financial system
that consists of new leadership, better security, free trade, regional
banking, establishing new currency, and property rights, after receiving
testimony from Hernando de Soto, Institute for Liberty and Democracy, Lima,
Peru; Basil al-Rahim, MerchantBridge, London, England, on behalf of the Iraq
Foundation; Rachel Bronson, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York;
and David Ellerman, Washington, D.C.
2002/06/12
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 12, 2003; pages D651 - D660
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AGRICULTURAL CROP INSURANCE
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded
oversight hearings to examine the Department of Agriculture's implementation
of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 and related crop insurance
issues, after receiving testimony from J.B. Penn, Under Secretary for Farm and
Foreign Agricultural Services, Keith Collins, Chief Economist, and Ross J.
Davidson, Jr., Administrator, Risk Management Agency, all of the Department of
Agriculture.
HOMEOWNERSHIP
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine issues relating to expanding homeownership opportunities, focusing
on the American Dream Downpayment Initiative, HOME Investment Partnerships
Program, Community Development Block Grant programs, Federal Housing
Administration mortgage insurance product, Single-Family Affordable Housing
Tax Credit, and HUD's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, after
receiving testimony from Representative Harris; Mel Martinez, Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development; Terri Y. Montague, Enterprise Foundation,
Columbia, Maryland; Cathy Whatley, National Association of Realtors,
Jacksonville, Florida; Thomas L. Jones, Habitat for Humanity International,
Washington, D.C.; James R. Rayburn, Rayburn Associates, Jackson, Mississippi,
on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders.
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine global overfishing and international fishery conservation
and management, including the role of the United States, the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and the Convention of the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, after receiving testimony
from Admiral Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of
Homeland Security; Rebecca Lent, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory
Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce; John F. Turner, Assistant Secretary of
State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs;
Ransom A. Myers, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Halifax, Canada; Richard P.
Ruais, East Coast Tuna Association, Salem, New Hampshire; Lisa Speer, Natural
Resources Defense Council, New York, New York; and Patrick J. Sullivan,
Cornell University Department of Natural Resources, Ithaca, New York.
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Space concluded hearings to examine advances in adult and
non-embryonic stem cell research, focusing on the use of bone marrow and cord
blood stem cells, after receiving testimony from David C. Hess, Medical
College of Georgia, Augusta; Joanne Kurtzberg, Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, North Carolina; John W. McDonald, Washington University School of
Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, on behalf of the Coalition for the Advancement
of Medical Research; Jean D. Peduzzi-Nelson, University of Alabama at
Birmingham; Pablo Rubinstein, New York Blood Center, New York, New York;
Steven L. Barsh, Merion Station, Pennsylvania; Keone Penn, Snellville,
Georgia; and Stephen R. Sprague, Staten Island, New York.
PUBLIC LANDS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded hearings to examine S. 434, to authorize the Secretary of
Agriculture to sell or exchange all or part of certain parcels of National
Forest System land in the State of Idaho and use the proceeds derived from the
sale or exchange for National Forest System purposes, S. 435, to provide for
the conveyance by the Secretary of Agriculture of the Sandpoint Federal
Building and adjacent land in Sandpoint, Idaho, S. 490, to direct the
Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land in the Lake Tahoe Basin
Management Unit, Nevada, to the Secretary of the Interior, in trust for the
Washoe Indian Tribe of Nevada and California, H.R. 762, to amend the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Mineral Leasing Act to clarify
the method by which the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture determine the fair market value of certain rights-of-way granted,
issued, or renewed under these Acts, and H.R. 622, to provide for the exchange
of certain lands in the Coconino and Tonto National Forests in Arizona, after
receiving testimony Tom Thompson, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest
Service, Department of Agriculture.
[Page: D655]
IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine
repercussions of Iraq stabilization and reconstruction policies, focusing on
the consequences of looting, political confusion, regional consequences, and
Europe and the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), after receiving
testimony from Peter W. Galbraith, National Defense University, and Geoffrey
Kemp, Nixon Center, both of Washington, D.C.; Frank G. Wisner, American
International Group, New York, New York.
TWA/AMERICAN INTEGRATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine certain issues relative to TWA/American Airline workforce
integration, after receiving testimony Jeff Brundage, American Airlines, and
Captain Edwin C. White, Jr., Allied Pilots Association, both of Fort Worth,
Texas; Karen Schooling, American Airlines, Independence, Missouri; Theodore A.
Case, Snellville, Georgia; Sherry Cooper, Jupiter, Florida.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
H.R. 1954, to revise the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act
relating to naturalization through service in the Armed Forces, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 141, recognizing "Inventing Flight: The Centennial
Celebration", a
celebration in Dayton, Ohio of the centennial of Wilbur and Orville Wright's
first flight;
S. Res. 163, commending the Francis Marion University Patriots men's golf team
for winning the 2003 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II
Men's Golf Championship; and
The nominations of David G. Campbell, to be United States District Judge for
the District of Arizona, Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., of Texas, to be Director of the
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland
Security, and Richard James O'Connell, of Arkansas, to be United States
Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, Department of Justice.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution approved for full
committee consideration, S.J. Res. 1, proposing an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States to protect the rights of crime victims.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/13
Daily Digest - Friday, June 13, 2003; pages D661 - D666
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: On Thursday, June 12, Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 1, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to make
improvements in the medicare program, to provide prescription drug coverage
under the medicare program, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
COMMITTEE MEETING
Committee on Finance: On Thursday, June 12, Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 312, to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to extend the
availability of allotments for fiscal years 1998 through 2001 under the State
Children's Health Insurance Program, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/16
Daily Digest - Monday, June 16, 2003; pages D668 - D672
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/17
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 17, 2003; pages D673 - D682
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CPSC AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs and Product Safety concluded hearings on proposed legislation
authorizing funds for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, after receiving
testimony from Hal Stratton, Chairman, and Mary Sheila Gall and Thomas Moore,
both a Commissioner, and William Duross, General Counsel, all of the Consumer
Product Safety Commission; R. David Pittle, Consumers Union, Yonkers, New
York; Rachel Weintraub, Consumer Federation of America, Alan Korn, National
Safe Kids Compaign, Stephen Gold, National Association of Manufacturers, Gary
S. Klein, on behalf of the Toy Industry Association, and Robert Polk, on
behalf of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, all of Washington,
D.C.
[Page: D674]
NATIONAL AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water concluded hearings on S. 525, to amend the Nonindigenous
Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to reauthorize and improve
that Act, after receiving testimony from Senator Levin; Barry T. Hill,
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, General Accounting Office; Joseph
J. Angelo, Director of Standards, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland
Security; Matthew Hogan, Assistant Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Lori Williams, Executive Director, National Invasive Species Council, both of
the Department of the Interior; Timothy R.E. Keeney, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere/National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration; G. Tracy Mehan III, Assistant Administrator for
Water, Environmental Protection Agency; Michael W. Hauser, Vermont Department
of Environmental Conservation, Waterbury; James M. Beers, Centreville,
Virginia, on behalf of the American Land Rights Association; Sebastian
Hargrove, Nature Conservancy of Idaho, Hailey; and James H.I. Weakley, Lake
Carriers' Association, Cleveland, Ohio.
BILATERAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the implementation of
the U.S. Bilateral Free Trade Agreements with Singapore and Chile, focusing on
efforts to expand trade worldwide, market access for services, trade in goods
and agriculture, electronic commerce, protections for U.S. investors,
intellectual property rights, receiving testimony from Senator Bond; Peter F.
Allgeier, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; Jeffrey R. Shafter, Citigroup
Global Markets, on behalf of the U.S. Singapore Free Trade Agreement Business
Coalition, Sandra Polaski, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and
Paul L. Joffee, National Wildlife Federation, all of Washington, D.C.; Norman
Sorensen, Principal International, Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, on behalf of the
Coalition of Service Industries; Jim Jarrett, Intel Corporation, Santa Clara,
California, on behalf of the Business Software Alliance and High-Tech Trade
Coalition; Larry Liebenow, Quaker Fabric Corporation, Fall River,
Massachusetts, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Jon Caspers,
National Pork Producers Council, Swaledale, Iowa; Keith Schott, Montana Grain
Growers Association, Broadview, on behalf of the Montana Stockgrowers
Association; and David Johnson, Warner Music Group, New York, New York,
Entertainment Industry Coalition for Free Trade.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
AVIATION AND ENVIRONMENT TREATIES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by
Air, done at Montreal May 28, 1999 (Treaty Doc. 106-45), Protocol to Amend the
Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International
Carriage by Air Signed at Warsaw on October 12, 1929, done at The Hague
September 28, 1955 (The Hague Protocol) (Treaty Doc. 107-14), Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, with Annexes, done at Stockholm,
May 22-23, 2001 (Treaty Doc. 107-5), Rotterdam Convention on the Prior
Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in
International Trade, with Annexes, done at Rotterdam, September 10, 1998
(Treaty Doc. 106-21), Agreement Between the Government of the United States of
America and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Conservation and
Management of the Alaska-Chukotka Polar Bear Population done at Washington on
October 16, 2001 (Treaty Doc. 107-10), Agreement Amending the Treaty Between
the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada on
Pacific Coast Albacore Tuna Vessels and Port Privileges done at Washington May
26, 1981 (the "Treaty"), effected by an exchange of diplomatic notes
at
Washington on July 17, 2002, and August 13, 2002 (the "Agreement");
enclosed
is the report of the Secretary of State on the Agreement and a related
agreement, effected by an exchange of notes at Washington on August 21, 2002,
and September 10, 2002, amending the Annexes to the Treaty (Treaty Doc.
108-1), and Amendments to the 1987 Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments
of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of
America, with Annexes and agreed statements, done at Port Moresby, April 2,
1987, done at Koror, Palau, March 30, 1999, and at Kiritimati, Kiribati, March
24, 2002. Also transmitted, related Amendments to the Treaty Annexes, and the
Memorandum of Understanding (Treaty Doc. 108-2), after receiving testimony
from Jeffrey N. Shane, Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy; and John
R. Byerly, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs, and John F.
Turner, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and
Scientific Affairs, both of the Department of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 481, to amend chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that
certain Federal annuity computations are adjusted by 1 percentage point
relating to periods of receiving disability payments;
[Page: D675]
S. 589, to strengthen and improve the management of national security,
encourage Government service in areas of critical national security, and to
assist government agencies in addressing deficiencies in personnel possessing
specialized skills important to national security and incorporating the goals
and strategies for recruitment and retention for such skilled personnel into
the strategic and performance management systems of Federal agencies;
S. 610, to amend the provisions of title 5, United States Code, to provide for
workforce flexibilities and certain Federal personnel provisions relating to
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 678, to amend chapter 10 of title 39, United States Code, to include
postmasters and postmasters organizations in the process for the development
and planning of certain policies, schedules, and programs, with an amendment;
S. 908, to establish the United States Consensus Council to provide for a
consensus building process in addressing national public policy issues, with
an amendment;
S. 910, to ensure the continuation of non-homeland security functions of
Federal agencies transferred to the Department of Homeland Security, with an
amendment;
S. 926, to amend section 5379 of title 5, United States Code, to increase the
annual and aggregate limits on student loan repayments by Federal agencies;
S. 1166, to establish a Department of Defense national security personnel
system, with amendments;
S. 1245, to provide for homeland security grant coordination and
simplification, with amendments;
S. 508, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 1830 South Lake Drive in Lexington, South Carolina, as the "Floyd
Spence
Post Office Building";
S. 708, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 7401 West 100th Place in Bridgeview, Illinois, as the "Michael
J.
Healy Post Office Building";
S. 867, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 710 Wick Lane in Billings, Montana, as the "Ronald Reagan Post Office
Building";
S. 1145, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 120 Baldwin Avenue in Paia, Maui, Hawaii, as the "Patsy Takemoto Mink
Post
Office Building";
S. 1207, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 120 East Ritchie Avenue in Marceline, Missouri, as the "Walt
Disney
Post Office Building";
H.R. 825, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 7401 West 100th Place in Bridgeview, Illinois, as the "Michael
J.
Healy Post Office Building";
H.R. 917, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1830 South Lake Drive in Lexington, South Carolina, as the
"Floyd
Spence Post Office Building";
H.R. 925, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1859 South Ashland Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the "Cesar
Chavez Post Office";
H.R. 981, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 141 Erie Street in Linesville, Pennsylvania, as the "James R.
Merry
Post Office";
H.R. 985, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 111 West Washington Street in Bowling Green, Ohio, as the
"Delbert
L. Latta Post Office Building";
H.R. 1055, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1901 West Evans Street in Florence, South Carolina, as the
"Dr.
Roswell N. Beck Post Office Building";
H.R. 1368, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 7554 Pacific Avenue in Stockton, California, as the "Norman D.
Shumway Post Office Building";
H.R. 1465, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 4832 East Highway 27 in Iron Station, North Carolina, as the
"General Charles Gabriel Post Office";
H.R. 1596, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 2318 Woodson Road in St. Louis, Missouri, as the "Timothy
Michael
Gaffney Post Office Building";
H.R. 1609, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 201 West Boston Street in Brookfield, Missouri, as the
"Admiral
Donald Davis Post Office Building";
H.R. 1740, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1502 East Kiest Boulevard in Dallas, Texas, as the "Dr. Caesar
A.W.
Clark, Sr. Post Office Building";
H.R. 2030, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 120 Baldwin Avenue in Paia, Maui, Hawaii, as the "Patsy
Takemoto
Mink Post Office Building"; and
The nominations of Michael J. Garcia, of New York, to be an Assistant
Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, C.
Stewart Verdery, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland
Security, Susanne T. Marshall, of Virginia, to be Chairman, and Neil McPhie,
of Virginia, to be a Member, both of the Merit Systems Protection Board,
Terrence A. Duffy, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Federal Retirement
Thrift Investment Board, Albert Casey, of Texas, to be a Governor of the
United States Postal Service, and James C. Miller III, of Virginia, to be a
Governor of the United States Postal Service.
[Page: D676]
PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETPLACE BARRIERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
legislative and regulatory responses to the Federal Trade Commission Study on
barriers to entry in the pharmaceutical marketplace, after receiving testimony
from former Senator Howard Metzenbaum; Timothy J. Muris, Chairman, Federal
Trade Commission; Dan Troy, Chief Counsel for Food and Drugs, Food and Drug
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Sheldon T. Bradshaw,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of
Justice; and Kathleen Jaeger, Generic Pharmaceutical Association, and Bruce
Kuhlik, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, both of
Washington, D.C.
PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine whether
personal and national security risks compromise the potential of Peer-to-Peer
File-Sharing programs, which are Internet applications that allow users to
download and share electronic files from other users on the same network,
after receiving testimony from Senator Feinstein; Representatives Tom Davis
and Waxman; Randy Saaf, MediaDefender, Inc., Los Angeles, California; Alan
Morris, Sharman Networks Limited, Sydney, Australia; Chris Murray, Consumers
Union, Washington, D.C.; Nathaniel Good, University of California, Berkeley;
and Aaron Krekelberg, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
SECRET HOLDS
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded hearings to examine
Senate Resolution 151, requiring public disclosure of notices of objections
(holds) to proceedings to motions or measures in the Senate, focusing on
reforms, unanimous consent, bargaining tactics, leaders, and alternative
approaches, after receiving testimony from Senators Grassley and Wyden; Walter
J. Stewart, Secretary of the United States Emeritus, and Sarah A. Binder,
Brookings Institution, both of Washington, D.C.; Joseph Cooper, Johns Hopkins
University Department of Political Science, Baltimore, Maryland; C. Lawrence
Evans, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia; and Steven S.
Smith, Washington University Murray Weidenbaum Center on the Economy,
Government, and Public Policy; St. Louis, Missiouri.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Alan G. Lance, Sr., of Idaho, who was introduced by Senators
Craig and Crapo, and Lawrence B. Hagel, of Virginia, both to be a Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Frank Libutti, of New York, to be Under Secretary for
Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland
Security, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
SENIOR HOUSING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded oversight hearings to examine
the Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 202 Supportive Housing
Services program which targets the housing needs of low- to very low-income
elderly, focusing on Federal efforts to provide affordable housing for
low-income seniors, after receiving testimony from John Weicher, Assistant
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Housing Administration
Commissioner; David G. Wood, Director of Financial Markets and Community
Investment, General Accounting Office; Cynthia Robin Keller, Volunteers of
America, Alexandria, Virginia; Tom Herlihy, National Church Residences,
Columbus, Ohio; and Lee Ann Hubanks, Plano Community Homes, Inc., Plano,
Texas, on behalf of the American Association of Homes and Services for the
Aging.
[Page: D677]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/18
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 18, 2003; pages D684 - D692
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Thomas C. Dorr, of Iowa, to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation, and to be Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN, to be Admiral, and
Lieutenant General William S. Wallace, USA, to be Lieutenant General.
BASEL CAPITAL ACCORD
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the New Basel Capital Accord, a proposal issued by the Basel
Committee on Banking Supervision to make final modifications for a new capital
adequacy framework, focusing on proposed changes to the current capital regime
and possible effects on the amount of risk-based capital banks are required to
hold, on the risk management techniques they employ, and on the domestic and
international competitive landscapes, after receiving testimony from Roger W.
Ferguson, Jr., Vice Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System; James E. Gilleran, Director, Office of Thrift Supervision, and John D.
Hawke, Jr., Comptroller of the Currency, Administrator of National Banks, both
of the Department of the Treasury; Donald E. Powell, Chairman, Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation; Edward I. Altman, New York University Leonard N. Stern
School of Business, and D. Wilson Ervin, Credit Suisse First Boston, on behalf
of the Financial Services Roundtable, both of New York, New York; Micah S.
Green, Bond Market Association, and Karen Shaw Petrou, Federal Financial
Analytics, Inc., both of Washington, D.C.; Maurice H. Hartigan II, Risk
Management Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Kevin M. Blakely,
Keycorp, Sydney, Australia.
BUSINESS MEETINGS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 498, to authorize the President to posthumously award a gold medal on
behalf of Congress to Joseph A. De Laine in recognition of his contributions
to the Nation; and
An original bill to facilitate check truncation by authorizing substitute
checks, to foster innovation in the check collection system without mandating
receipt of checks in electronic form, and to improve the overall efficiency of
the Nation's payments system.
BURMA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded hearings to examine the development of democracy in Burma, focusing
on the political situation, independent news and information,
institution-building programs, and the protection of Burmese Refugees in
Thailand, and S. 1182, to sanction the ruling Burmese military junta, to
strengthen Burma's democratic forces and support and recognize the National
League of Democracy as the legitimate representative of the Burmese people,
after receiving testimony from Senator McConnell; Lorne W. Craner, Assistant
Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Kenneth Rogers,
Indiana University, Bloomington; U. Aung Din, Free Burma Coalition, Brian
Joseph, National Endowment for Democracy, and Veronika A. Martin, Refugees
International, all of Washington, D.C.; and Kevin M. Burke, American Apparel
and Footwear Association, Arlington, Virginia.
[Page: D686]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Robert W. Fitts, of New Hampshire, to be Ambassador to Papua
New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, and Greta N. Morris, of California,
to be Ambassador to the Marshall Islands, after each nominee testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of John E. Herbst, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Ukraine,
Tracey Ann Jacobson, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to
Turkmenistan, and George A. Krol, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to Belarus,
after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on the
nominations of Fern Flanagan Saddler, Judith Nan Macaluso, Joseph Michael
Francis Ryan III, and Jerry Stewart Byrd, each to be an Associate Judge of the
Superior Court of the District of Columbia, after the nominees, who were
introduced by District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, testified
and answered questions on their own behalf.
AUTHORIZATION--WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment, Safety and Training concluded hearings on proposed legislation
authorizing funds for programs of the Workforce Investment Act, after
receiving testimony from Sigurd R. Nilsen, Director, Education, Workforce, and
Income Security Issues, General Accounting Office; James N. Ellenberger,
Virginia Employment Commission, Richmond; Charles Ware, Wyoming Workforce
Development Council, Cheyenne; Curtis C. Austin, Workforce Florida, Inc.,
Tallahassee; Michael H. Kennedy, Pacific Mountain Workforce Development
Council, Lacey, Washington; and Michael E. Smeltzer, Manufacturers'
Association of South Central Pennsylvania, York.
NATIVE AMERICAN SACRED PLACES
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine federal
efforts to ensure access to and protection of Native American sacred sites,
including the establishment of a sacred sites protection policy, after
receiving testimony from William D. Bettenberg, Director, Office of Policy
Analysis, Department of the Interior; Suzan Shown Harjo, Morning Star
Institute, Washington, D.C.; Charmaine White Face, Defenders of the Black
Hills, Rapid City, South Dakota; Joyce Bear, Muscogee (Creek) Nation,
Okmulgee, Oklahoma; Gene Preston, Pit River Tribal Council, Burney,
California; Steve Brady, Sr., Northern Cheyenne Crazy Dogs Society, Lame Deer,
Montana, on behalf of the Medicine Wheel Coalition for Sacred Sites of North
America.
NEWS CORPORATION/DIRECTV DEAL
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and
Consumer Rights concluded hearings to examine the NewsCorp/DirecTV deal,
focusing on global distribution, and possible effects on prices paid by
consumers for pay television and choice and variety of programming, after
receiving testimony from K. Rupert Murdoch, News Corporation, and Scott
Cleland, Precursor Group, both of New York, New York; Eddy W. Hartenstein,
DIRECTV, Inc., Los Angeles, California; Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union,
Washington, D.C.; and Robert Miron, Advance/Newhouse Communications, Syracuse,
New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Frank Libutti, of New York, to be Under Secretary for
Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland
Security.
[Page: D687]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/19
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 19, 2003; pages D693 - D700
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
302(b) ALLOCATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Committee completed its review of 302(b)
subcommittee allocations of budget outlays and new budget authority allocated
to the committee in H. Con. Res. 95, establishing the congressional budget for
the United States Government for fiscal year 2004 and setting forth
appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2003 and 2005 through 2013.
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the problem of identity theft in relation to the Fair Credit
Reporting Act, focusing on the impact of identity theft on consumers and the
importance of information security in preventing identity theft, after
receiving testimony from Howard Beales II, Director, Bureau of Consumer
Protection, Federal Trade Commission; Timothy Caddigan, Special Agent In
Charge, Criminal Investigative Division, United States Secret Service,
Department of Homeland Security; Michael D. Cunningham, JP Morgan Chase
Cardmember Services, Tempe, Arizona; Linda Foley, Identity Theft Resource
Center, San Diego, California; William Hough, Neiman Marcus Group, Dallas,
Texas, on behalf of the National Retail Federation; Stuart K. Pratt, Consumer
Data Industry Association, and Michael W. Naylor, AARP, both of Washington,
D.C.; and John M. Harrison, Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
[Page: D695]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1234, to reauthorize the Federal Trade Commission, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 1261, to reauthorize the Consumer Product Safety Commission, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1244, to authorize appropriations for the Federal Maritime Commission for
fiscal years 2004 and 2005, with an amendment;
S. 247, to reauthorize the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and
Control Act of 1998, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 861, to authorize the acquisition of interests in undeveloped coastal areas
in order to better ensure their protection from development, with an
amendment;
S. 1152, to reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1260, to promote the development of the commercial space transportation
industry, to authorize appropriations for the Office of the Associate
Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation;
S. 189, to authorize appropriations for nanoscience, nanoengineering, and
nanotechnology research, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 877, to regulate interstate commerce by imposing limitations and penalties
on the transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic mail via the
Internet, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1046, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve localism, to
foster and promote the diversity of television programming, to foster and
promote competition, and to prevent excessive concentration of ownership of
the nation's television broadcast stations, with amendments; and
The nominations of Annette Sandberg, of Washington, to be Administrator of the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and sundry promotion lists in the
Coast Guard.
ULLICO
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Union Labor Life Insurance Company (ULLICO) policy on investment decisions and
stock value, focusing on allegations of self-dealing and breaches of fiduciary
duty involving certain board members profiting from sales of company stock and
charges concerning potential conflicts of interest, after receiving testimony
from James R. Thompson, Winston and Strawn, Chicago, Illinois; and Terence
O'Sullivan, ULLICO Inc., Washington, D.C.
TEACHER UNION SCANDALS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine teacher union scandals, focusing on closing the gaps in
union member protections, the Department of Labor's administration and
enforcement of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
(Landrum-Griffin Act), and certain investigative matters involving the
Washington Teachers Union and the United Teachers of Dade, after receiving
testimony from Lary F. Yud, Deputy Director, Office of Labor-Management
Standards, Employment Standards Administration, Department of Labor; Damaris
Daugherty, Teacher Rights Advocacy Coalition, Miami, Florida; and Sandra
Feldman, American Federation of Teachers, and Tom Donahue, Work in America
Institute, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 724, to amend title 18, United States Code, to exempt certain rocket
propellants from prohibitions under that title on explosive materials, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
S. 1233, to authorize assistance for the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
and Justice Learning Center; Also, Committee began markup of S. 1125, to
create a fair and efficient system to resolve claims of victims for bodily
injury caused by asbestos exposure, but did not complete action thereon, and
will meet again on Tuesday, June 24.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee will meet again on Thursday, June, 26.
[Page: D696]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/20
Daily Digest - Friday, June 20, 2003; pages D701 - D708
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine Iraqi reconstruction and humanitarian assistance
activities from Lieutenant General Jay Garner, USA (Ret.).
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/23
Daily Digest - Monday, June 23, 2003; pages D710 - D716
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/24
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 24, 2003; pages D718 - D728
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SUPPORTING OUR MILITARY FAMILIES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Children
and Families concluded joint hearings with the Committee on Armed Services'
Subcommittee on Personnel to examine challenges facing military families,
focusing on the Reserve component family readiness and support programs,
employer support, and reunion and readjustment policies, after receiving
testimony from John M. Molino, Deputy Under Secretary for Military Community
and Family Policy, Joseph D. Tafoya, Director, Education Activity, Colonel
James L. Scott II, Director, Individual and Family Support Policy, Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs (Manpower and Personnel), and M.A.
Lucas, Director, Army Child and Youth Services, all of the Department of
Defense; Michael J. Petrilli, Associate Deputy Under Secretary of Education
for Innovation and Improvement; Shelley M. MacDermid, Purdue University
Military Family Research Institute, West Lafayette, Indiana; and Joyce Wessel
Raezer, National Military Family Association, Alexandria, Virginia.
RAPID TRANSIT: BUS SERVICE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine bus rapid transit and other bus service innovations, focusing on
funding sources, flexible mass transit options, capital and operating costs,
after receiving testimony from Jennifer L. Dorn, Administrator, Federal
Transit Administration, Department of Transportation; JayEtta Hecker,
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, General Accounting Office; Kenneth
P. Hamm, Lane Transit District, Eugene, Oregon; Gary L. Brosch, University of
South Florida National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, Tampa; Oscar Edmundo Diaz,
New York University Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, New York;
and Anne Canby, Surface Transportation Policy Project, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D721]
UNITED STATES OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings on reform of the United States Olympic Committee, after receiving
testimony from Donald Fehr, Major League Baseball Players Association, Dick
Ebersol, NBC Sports and Olympics, Harvey W. Schiller, Assante U.S., all of New
York, New York, Roberta Cooper Ramo, Modrall Sperling, Albuquerque, New
Mexico, and Donna de Varona, Greenwich, Connecticut, all on behalf of the U.S.
Olympic Committee Independent Commission; Robert Balk, Long Beach, California,
and Rachel Mayer Godino, Needham, Massachusetts, both on behalf of the USOC
Athletes' Advisory Council; Robert Marbut, USOC National Governing Bodies'
Council, San Antonio, Texas; Jim Scherr, United States Olympic Committee,
Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Bill Stapleton, Capital Sports and
Entertainment, Austin, Texas.
LABORATORY MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee began hearings on
improved understanding of the governance of the Department of Energy
laboratories and approaches to optimize the capability of those laboratories
to respond to national needs, receiving testimony from John Peoples, Jr.,
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois; Siegfried S. Hecker,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico; Martha Krebs, Science
Strategies, Los Angeles, California; and Herman Postma, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN POWER SYSTEM
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded hearings to
examine implementation of the National Marine Fisheries Service's 2000
Biological Opinion for listed anadromous fish regarding operation of the
Federal Columbia River Basin Power System, after receiving testimony from D.
Robert Lohn, Regional Administrator, Northwest Region, National Marine
Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department
of Commerce; Stephen J. Wright, Administrator, Bonneville Power
Administration, Department of Energy; J. William McDonald, Regional Director,
Pacific Northwest Region, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior;
Colonel Dale Knieriemen, Deputy Commander, Northwestern Division, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers; Michael L. Bogert, Counsel to Governor of Idaho, Boise;
Judi Danielson, Northwest Power Planning Council, and Steven Huffaker,
Columbia River Fish and Wildlife Authority, both of Portland, Oregon; Anthony
D. Johnson, Nez Perce Tribe, Lapwai, Idaho; and Nancy Murillo,
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Fort Hall, Idaho.
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES WITH EUROPE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on European Affairs concluded
hearings to examine U.S. relations with respect to a changing Europe, focusing
on differing views on technology issues, the highly-integrated United
States-European Union marketplace, and U.S./EU regulatory coordination, after
receiving testimony from Gary Litman, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Fred Yoder,
National Corn Growers Association, Karen Myers, United States Council on
International Business, and Jean Halloran, Consumers Union, all of Washington,
D.C.; and Harris N. Miller, Information Technology Association of America,
Arlington, Virginia.
JUVENILE DIABETES
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine
issues relative to controlling juvenile diabetes, focusing on the personal
toll on families, financial costs to the Federal Health Care System, and
research progress toward a cure, and related provisions of S. 518, to increase
the supply of pancreatic islet cells for research, to provide better
coordination of Federal efforts and information on islet cell transplantation,
and to collect the data necessary to move islet cell transplantation from an
experimental procedure to a standard therapy, after receiving testimony from
Allen M. Spiegel, Director, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services; Bernhard J. Hering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Mary Tyler
Moore, New York, New York, on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation International; Colleen Rea, Stamford, Connecticut; Sophia
Cygnarowicz, Columbia, Illinois; Katie Halasz, Wells, Maine; Eric Bonness and
Alex Bonness, both of Omaha, Nebraska; LaNiece Evans-Scott, Backlick, Ohio;
and Anne Seidel, Dallas, Texas.
[Page: D722]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee resumed markup of S. 1125, to create a
fair and efficient system to resolve claims of victims for bodily injury
caused by asbestos exposure, but did not complete action thereon, and will
meet again on Thursday, June 26.
[BUSINESS MEETING]
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported
the following business items:
S. 148, to provide for the Secretary of Homeland Security to be included in
the line of Presidential succession;
S. Res. 178, to prohibit Members of the Senate and other persons from removing
art and historic objects from the Senate wing of the Capitol and Senate office
buildings for personal use; and
S. Res. 138, to amend rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate relating
to the consideration of nominations requiring the advice and consent of the
Senate.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/25
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 25, 2003; pages D730 - D742
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS LABOR--HHS/EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education approved for full Committee consideration an original bill
making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2004.
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Lieutenant General John P. Abizaid, USA, for appointment to the
grade of general and to be Commander, United States Central Command, after the
nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
RURAL ECONOMY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic
Policy concluded oversight hearings to examine the problems and challenges
facing rural America, focusing on certain job and economic development
measurers, including the Land Grant mission, after receiving testimony from
Hilda Gay Legg, Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, Rural Development
Mission Area, Department of Agriculture; M. Scott Smith, University of
Kentucky College of Agriculture, Lexington; and Mark Haney, Kentucky Farm
Bureau Federation, Nancy.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 470, to extend the authority for the construction of a memorial to Martin
Luther King, Jr., with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 490, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land in the
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Nevada, to the Secretary of the Interior, in
trust for the Washoe Indian Tribe of Nevada and California, with an amendment;
S. 499, to authorize the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish in
the State of Louisiana a memorial to honor the Buffalo Soldiers, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 546, to provide for the protection of paleontological resources on Federal
lands, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 643, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the
University of New Mexico, to construct and occupy a portion of the Hibben
Center for Archaeological Research at the University of New Mexico, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
[Page: D735]
S. 651, to amend the National Trails System Act to clarify Federal authority
relating to land acquisition from willing sellers for the majority of the
trails in the System, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 677, to revise the boundary of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National
Park and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area in the State of Colorado,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 924, to authorize the exchange of lands between an Alaska Native Village
Corporation and the Department of the Interior, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 1076, to authorize construction of an education center at or near the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 255, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to grant an easement to
facilitate access to the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center in Nebraska
City, Nebraska; and
H.R. 1577, to designate the visitor center in Organ Pipe National Monument in
Arizona as the "Kris Eggle Visitor Center".
GRAZING MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded oversight hearings to examine grazing programs of the Bureau
of Land Management and the Forest Service, focusing on grazing permit renewal,
BLM's potential changes to grazing regulations, range monitoring, drought, and
other grazing issues, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary
of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment; and Rebecca Watson,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water concluded hearings to examine the consulting process
required by section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, including improvement
efforts in the Pacific Northwest, after receiving testimony from Senator
Domenici; Barry T. Hill, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, General
Accounting Office; Alan Glen, Smith, Robertson, Elliott, and Glen, Austin,
Texas; John F. Kostyack, National Wildlife Federation, Reston, Virginia;
Patricia D. Horn, Enogex Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Jim Chilton, Arivaca,
Arizona, on behalf of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Public
Lands Council; and William J. Snape III, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington,
D.C.
AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (P.L. 106-200),
focusing on short-term and long-term measures to integrate Africa into the
global community, and issues relative to the free market and fair trade,
African civil society, and debt relief, after receiving testimony from
Florizelle B. Liser, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Africa;
Walter H. Kansteiner III, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs;
Stephen Hayes, Corporate Council on Africa, and Leon P. Spencer, Washington
Office on Africa, both of Washington, D.C.; and James A. Harmon, Commission on
Capital Flows to Africa, New York, New York.
YUGOSLAVIA SUCCESSOR STATES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on European Affairs concluded
hearings to examine the progress and challenges relative to the
transformations taking place in the successor states to the former Yugoslavia,
including Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, after receiving testimony from Paul W. Jones, Acting Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia; Mira Ricardel, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense; Daniel Serwer, Director, U.S. Institute of
Peace; and James O'Brien, Albright Group, and Major General William L. Nash
USA, (Ret.), Council on Foreign Relations, both of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Joshua B. Bolten, of the District of Columbia, to be Director of
the Office of Management and Budget, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senator Corzine, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1248, to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of David Hall, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board
of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation, Lillian R. BeVier, of
Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services
Corporation, and certain nominations in the Public Health Service Corps.
[Page: D736]
9/11 DETAINEES REPORT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
treatment of aliens held on immigration charges in connection with the
investigation of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as outlined in the
Department of Justice Office of Inspector General's report, after receiving
testimony from Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General, Harley G. Lappin, Director,
Federal Bureau of Prisons, Michael E. Rolince, Acting Assistant Director in
Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, and David
Nahmias, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, all of
the Department of Justice.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
Louise W. Flanagan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of North Carolina, and Allyson K. Duncan, of North Carolina, to be
United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, who were both introduced
by Senators Dole and Edwards; Samuel Der-Yeghiayan, to be United States
District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, who was introduced by
Senators Fitzgerald and Durbin; Lonny R. Suko, to be United States District
Judge for the Eastern District of Washington, who was introduced by Senator
Murray, and Representatives Hastings and Nethercutt; Earl Leroy Yeakel III, to
be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, who was
introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn; Karen P. Tandy, of Virginia, to
be Administrator of Drug Enforcement, who was introduced by Senator Hutchison,
and Christopher A. Wray, of Georgia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, who
was introduced by Senators Chambliss and Miller, both of the Department of
Justice; and Robert C. Brack, to be United States District Judge for the
District of New Mexico, who was introduced by Senators Domenici and Bingaman.
IRAQ
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution concluded joint
hearings with the Committee on Foreign Relations' Subcommittee on Near Eastern
and South Asian Affairs to examine constitutionalism, human rights, and the
Rule of Law in Iraq, focusing on the monopoly of power and influence, public
participation and ownership, democratic representation, ratification, and the
role of the international community, after receiving testimony from Neil J.
Kritz, Director, Rule of Law Program, U.S. Institute of Peace; Sermid
Al-Sarraf, Iraqi Jurists Association, and Khaled Abou El Fadl, University of
California at Los Angeles School of Law, both of Los Angeles, California;
Bernard Haykel, New York University, New York, New York; Donald P. Kommers,
University of Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana; Kenneth M. Pollack,
Brookings Institution, Zainab Salbi, Women for Women International, and
Naoyuki Agawa, Embassy of Japan, all of Washington, D.C. and John Yoo,
University of California Boalt School of Law, Berkeley; and A.E. Dick Howard,
University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/26
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 26, 2003; pages D744 - D756
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded
hearings to examine H.R. 1904, to improve the capacity of the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to plan and conduct hazardous
fuels reduction projects on National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land
Management lands aimed at protecting communities, watersheds, and certain
other at-risk lands from catastrophic wildfire, to enhance efforts to protect
watersheds and address threats to forest and rangeland health, including
catastrophic wildfire, across the landscape, after receiving testimony from
Senator McCain; Mark Rey, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources
and the Environment; Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for
Policy, Management, and Budget; Michael Carroll, Minnesota State Forester, St.
Paul, on behalf of the National Association of State Foresters; Frederick M.
Stephen, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, on behalf of the Society of
American Foresters; Tom Nelson, Sierra Pacific Industries, Redding,
California, on behalf of the American Forest and Paper Association; Jacquellin
L. McAvoy, City Council, Post Falls, Idaho, on behalf of the Idaho Women in
Timber; Michael Petersen, The Lands Council, Spokane, Washington; Norman L.
Christensen, Jr., Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth
Sciences, Durham, North Carolina; Hal Salwasser, Oregon State University
Department of Forest Resources, Corvallis; Donald J. Kochan, George Mason
University School of Law, Arlington, Virginia; and Patrick Parenteau, Vermont
Law School, South Royalton.
APPROPRIATIONS--LABOR/HHS/EDUCATION AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business bills:
An original bill (S. 1356) making appropriations for the Departments of Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2004; and
An original bill (S. 1357) making appropriations for military construction,
family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004.
FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine affiliate sharing practices in relation to the Fair Credit
Reporting Act, focusing on privacy protections, security risks and threats to
the credit reporting system, retail credit card programs, and merchandise
returns, after receiving testimony from Vermont Assistant Attorney General
Julie Brill, Montpelier; Joel R. Reidenberg, Fordham University School of Law,
and Martin Wong, Citigroup, Inc., both of New York, New York; Ronald A. Prill,
Target Financial Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on behalf of the National
Retail Federation; Edmund Mierzwinski, U.S. Public Interest Research Group,
Washington, D.C.; Terry Baloun, Wells Fargo Bank, Sioux Falls, South Dakota;
and Angela Maynard, Keycorp, Cleveland, Ohio.
[Page: D750]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1264, to reauthorize the Federal Communications Commission, with
amendments;
H.R. 1320, to amend the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration Organization Act to facilitate the reallocation of spectrum
from governmental to commercial users, with an amendment;
An original bill to authorize funds for highway safety programs, motor carrier
safety programs, hazardous materials transportation safety programs, and
boating safety programs;
S. 1262, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2004, 2005, and 2006 for
certain maritime programs of the Department of Transportation, with
amendments; and
S. 1218, to provide for Presidential support and coordination of interagency
ocean science programs and development and coordination of a comprehensive and
integrated United States research and monitoring program, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine the nominations
of Josette Sheeran Shiner, of Virginia, to be a Deputy United States Trade
Representative, with the rank of Ambassador, and James J. Jochum, of Virginia,
to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, after each nominee testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. Res. 90, expressing the sense of the Senate that the Senate strongly
supports the nonproliferation programs of the United States, with an
amendment;
S. Res. 62, calling upon the Organization of American States (OAS)
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Union, and human rights activists
throughout the world to take certain actions in regard to the human rights
situation in Cuba;
S. Res. 149, expressing the sense of the Senate that the international
response to the current need for food in the Horn of Africa remains
inadequate, with an amendment; and
The nominations of Robert W. Fitts, of New Hampshire, to be Ambassador to
Papua New Guinea, and to serve concurrently and without additional
compensation as Ambassador to the Solomon Islands and Ambassador to the
Republic of Vanuatu, Marsha E. Barnes, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Suriname, John E. Herbst, of Virginia, to be Ambassador toUkraine,
Tracey Ann Jacobson, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to
Turkmenistan, George A. Krol, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to the Republic
of Belarus, John F. Maisto, of Pennsylvania, to be Permanent Representative of
the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the
rank of Ambassador, Greta N. Morris, of California, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, Roger Francisco Noriega, of Kansas, to be an
Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs), William B. Wood, of
New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia, and certain Foreign
Service Officer promotion lists.
INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL ABDUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Department of State's Office of Children's Issues, focusing on responding to
international parental abduction, after receiving testimony from Senator
Lincoln; and Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Consular
Affairs.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Judith Nan Macaluso, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior
Court of the District of Columbia; Fern Flanagan Saddler, to be an Associate
Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; and Joshua B. Bolten,
of the District of Columbia, to be Director of the Office of Management and
Budget.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 281, to amend the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century to make
certain amendments with respect to Indian tribes, to provide for training and
technical assistance to Native Americans who are interested in commercial
vehicle driving careers, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
[Page: D751]
The nominations of Lisa Genevieve Nason, of Alaska, Georgianna E. Ignace, of
Wisconsin, John Richard Grimes, of Massachusetts, each to be a Member of the
Board of Trustees of the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native
Culture and Arts Development, and Charles W. Grim, of Oklahoma, to be Director
of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. Res. 174, designating Thursday, November 20, 2003, as "Feed America
Thursday";
S. Res. 175, designating the month of October 2003, as "Family History
Month";
and
The nominations of Diane M. Stuart, of Utah, to be Director of the Violence
Against Women Office, Department of Justice; and Thomas M. Hardiman, to be
United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Also, committee resumed markup of S. 1125, to create a fair and efficient
system to resolve claims of victims for bodily injury caused by asbestos
exposure, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
GROWING WAHHABI INFLUENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and
Homeland Security concluded hearings to examine the ideological structure of
Wahhabism, an extreme and violent form of Islam, and its potential for
politcal and social influence in the United States, after receiving testimony
from David Aufhauser, General Counsel, Department of the Treasury; Larry A.
Mefford, Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Department of Justice; and Alex Alexiev, Center for Security
Policy, and Stephen Schwartz, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, both of
Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/06/27
Daily Digest - Friday, June 27, 2003; pages D757 - D760
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/07
Daily Digest - Monday, July 7, 2003; pages D762 - D768
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D763]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/08
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 8, 2003; pages D769 - D776
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense approved for full
Committee consideration an original bill making appropriations for the
Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004.
[Page: D770]
LIBERIA
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on the situation in Africa, with a focus on Liberia, from Vice
Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby, USN, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; Major
General Stanley A. McChrystal, USA, Vice Director, Operations Directorate,
J-3, The Joint Staff; and Theresa Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for African Affairs.
NOMINATIONS:
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the nominations of Nicole R. Nason, of Virginia, to be
Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Governmental Affairs, and Pamela
Jones Harbour, of New York, to be a Federal Trade Commissioner, after each
nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
RADIO OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine radio ownership, focusing on the impact of industry
consolidation, and Federal Communications Commission's new radio market
definition, after receiving testimony from Representative Menendez; Lewis W.
Dickey, Jr., Cumulus Media Inc., Atlanta, Georgia; Jon Mandel, MediaCom, Grey
Global Group, Inc., New York, New York; Simon Renshaw, The Firm, Beverly
Hills, California, on behalf of the Recording Artists' Coalition; and Alex
Kolobieski, First Media Radio, Easton, Maryland.
NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded oversight hearings on the maintenance backlog within the national
park system, including the impact of new park unit designations, land
acquisitions, and personnel vacancies, after receiving testimony from Donald
Murphy, Deputy Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior;
Barry T. Hill, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, General Accounting
Office; Eric Dillinger, Carter and Burgess, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas; Thomas C.
Kiernan, National Parks Conservation Association, Washington, D.C.; and Curtis
E. Cornelssen, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Boston, Massachusetts.
CLIMATE CHANGE: AGRICULTURAL SEQUESTRATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded hearings to examine the potential of
agricultural sequestration to address climate change through affecting
atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, after receiving testimony from Bruce I.
Knight, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of
Agriculture; Cynthia Rosenzweig, Research Scientist, Goddard Institute for
Space Studies (Columbia University, New York, New York), National Aeronautics
and Space Administration; Bob Stallman, Columbus, Texas, on behalf of the
American Farm Bureau Federation; Rattan Lal, Ohio State University Carbon
Management and Sequestration Center, Columbus; Joseph L. Bast, Heartland
Institute, Chicago, Illinois; and Debbie A. Reed, National Environmental
Trust, Washington, D.C.
U.S. TAX POLICY
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine U.S. tax policy
and its effects on the domestic and international competitiveness of
U.S.-based operations, after receiving testimony from Robert Hall, Stanford
University Hoover Institution, Stanford, California; William C. Barrett,
Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, California; James G. Berges, Emerson,
St. Louis, Missouri; Mark Russell, Electrolux North America, Cleveland, Ohio;
Alexander Spitzer, Nestle USA, Norwalk, Connecticut; and Kathryn Kobe, Joel
Popkin and Company, and Thea M. Lea, AFL-CIO, both of Washington, D.C.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Michael J. Garcia, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security, and Jack Landman Goldsmith III, of Virginia, to be
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice,
who was introduced by Senator Allen, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D771]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/09
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 9, 2003; pages D778 - D786
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved for
full Committee consideration an original bill making appropriations for the
Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior approved for full
Committee consideration an original bill making appropriations for the
Department of the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2004.
APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH/DOD
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
An original bill (S. 1383) making appropriations for the Legislative Branch
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004; and
An original bill (S. 1382) making appropriations for the Department of Defense
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004.
AFGHANISTAN & IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine lessons learned during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and
Operation Iraqi Freedom, and ongoing operations in the United States Central
Command region, focusing on USCENTCOM areas of responsibility, regional
concerns, the Horn of Africa, Iran, the Gulf States, South and Central Asia,
weapons of mass destruction proliferation, terrorism and counterterrorism, and
security cooperation, after receiving testimony from Donald H. Rumsfeld,
Secretary of Defense; and General Tommy R. Franks, former Commander, U.S.
Central Command.
INDIAN GAMING REGULATORY ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded oversight hearings on the
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, focusing on the role of the Department of the
Interior in reviewing revenue-sharing provisions included in Class III
tribal-state gaming compacts submitted to the Department for approval, after
receiving testimony from Aurene M. Martin, Acting Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Indian Affairs; Zachariah Pahmahmie, Prairie Band Potawatomi
Nation, Mayetta, Kansas; Herman A. Williams, Jr., Tulalip Tribes of
Washington, Tulalip; Jacob Viarrial, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Santa Fe, New Mexico;
Pedro Johnson, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal
Nation; Brenda Soulliere, California Nations Indian Gaming Association,
Sacramento; and Frank Chaves, New Mexico Indian Gaming Association,
Bernalillo.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
James O. Browning, to be United States District Judge for the District of New
Mexico, who was introduced by Senators Domenici and Bingaman; Kathleen
Cardone, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas,
who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and Representative Reyes;
James I. Cohn, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Florida; Frank Montalvo, to be United States District Judge for the Western
District of Texas, and Xavier Rodriguez, to be United States District Judge
for the Western District of Texas, who were both introduced by Senators
Hutchison and Cornyn, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
[Page: D780]
UNAUTHORIZED APPROPRIATIONS RULE
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded hearings to examine
S. Res. 173, to amend Rule XVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate with
respect to new or general legislation and unauthorized appropriations in
general appropriations bills and amendments thereto, and new or general
legislation, unauthorized appropriations, new matter, or nongermane matter in
conference reports on appropriations Acts, and unauthorized appropriations in
amendments between the Houses relating to such Acts, after receiving testimony
from Senator McCain; and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget
Office.
Joint Meetings
HEALTH CARE COSTS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine technology
and innovation in relation to health care costs, focusing on traditional
approaches versus new technologies, potential policy solutions, the need for
performance measures, rapid access to generic drugs, revised good
manufacturing practices, prevention of medical errors, and safety and efficacy
studies for approved medical products, after receiving testimony from Mark B.
McClellan, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, and Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, both of the Department
of Health and Human Services; Peter J. Neumann, Harvard School of Public
Health, Boston, Massachusetts; and Neil R. Powe, Johns Hopkins University
Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Baltimore,
Maryland.
2003/07/10
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 10, 2003; pages D788 - D796
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY/INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 2555, making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute; and
An original bill (S. 1391) making appropriations for the Department of the
Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Thomas W. O'Connell, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, who was introduced
by Senator Reed, and Paul M. Longsworth, of Virginia, to be Deputy
Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security
Administration, who was introduced by Senator Roberts, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
CREDIT REPORTING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
on the accuracy of credit reporting information and the Fair Credit Reporting
Act, focusing on amendments and other statutory changes proposed by the
Treasury Department on June 30, 2003, including permanent renewal of the
uniform national standards in Section 624 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act,
after receiving testimony from Timothy J. Muris, Chairman, Federal Trade
Commission; Stephen Brobeck, Consumer Federation of America, Stuart K. Pratt,
Consumer Data Industry Association, and Evan Hendricks, Privacy Times, all of
Washington, D.C.; Richard F. Le Febvre, AAA American Credit Bureau, Inc.,
Flagstaff, Arizona; and David A. Jokinen, Sugar Land, Texas.
NATURAL GAS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the high price of natural gas, its effect on the economy and to
consider potential solutions, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan,
Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; David K. Garman,
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy;
Richard L. Grant, Tractebel LNG North America, Boston, Massachusetts; J. Brian
Ferguson, Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, Tennessee; and Bruce Thompson,
Independent Petroleum Association of America, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee met and approved the committee recommendations
relative to proposed legislation to implement the United States-Singapore Free
Trade Agreement and proposed legislation to implement the United States-Chile
Free Trade Agreement.
COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Labor and Pensions: Subcommittee on Children and Families
concluded hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for
Community Services Block grant program, after receiving testimony from Wade F.
Horn, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Children and
Families; David A. Bradley, National Community Action Foundation, Washington,
D.C.; E. Phillip McKain, CTE, Inc. (Community Action Agency), Stamford,
Connecticut, on behalf of the Connecticut Association for Community Action;
Stamford, Connecticut, on behalf of the Connecticut Association for Community
Action; Winifred Octave, Worcester Massachusetts; Michael Saucier, Berlin, New
Hampshire, and Nathaniel Best, Knoxville, Tennessee.
[Page: D792]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 1125, to create a fair and efficient system to resolve claims of victims
for bodily injury caused by asbestos exposure, with amendments;
S. 1280, to amend the Protect Act to clarify certain volunteer liability, with
an amendment;
S. Res. 140, designating the week of August 10, 2003, as "National Health
Center Week";
S. 764, to extend the authorization of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant
Program,
The nominations of Allyson K. Duncan, of North Carolina, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, Robert C. Brack, to be United States
District Judge for the District of New Mexico, Samuel Der-Yeghaiyan, to be
United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, Louise W.
Flanagan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North
Carolina, Lonny R. Suko, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of Washington, Earl Leroy Yeakel III, to be United States District
Judge for the Western District of Texas, and Karen P. Tandy, of Virginia, to
be Administrator of Drug Enforcement, and Christopher A. Wray, of Georgia, to
be an Assistant Attorney General, both of the Department of Justice.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 1375, to provide for the reauthorization of programs administered
by the Small Business Administration, with amendments.
VA PROVIDED BENEFITS PROGRAMS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on proposed
legislation regarding VA-provided benefits programs, including the following::
S. 257, S. 517, S. 1131, S. 1133, S. 1188, S. 1213, S. 1239, S. 1281, S. 249,
S. 938, S. 1132, S. 792, S. 806, S. 1136, S. 978, S. 1124, S. 1199, S. 1282,
and S. 1360, after receiving testimony from Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary
of Veterans Affairs for Benefits; and Craig W. Duehring, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/11
Daily Digest - Friday, July 11, 2003; pages D797 - D802
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/14
Daily Digest - Monday, July 14, 2003; pages D804 - Dl810
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CHILE & SINGAPORE FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine proposed
legislation to implement the proposed free trade agreements with Chile and
Singapore, after receiving testimony from Regina K. Vargo, Assistant United
States Trade Representative for the Americas, and Lead Negotiator for the
Chile Free Trade Agreement; and Ralph F. Ives III, Assistant United States
Trade Representative for Southeast Asia, the Pacific and APEC, and Leader
Negotiator for the Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/15
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 15, 2003; Pages D811 - D822
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies approved for full Committee consideration an original
bill making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2004.
COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the Compact of Free Association with the Federated States of
Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, including related measure
S.J. Res. 16, to approve the "Compact of Free Association, as amended
between
the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the
Federated States of Micronesia", and the "Compact of Free
Association, as
amended between the Government of the United States of America and the
Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands", and otherwise to
amend
Public Law 99-239, and to appropriate for the purposes of amended Public Law
99-239 for fiscal years ending on or before September 30, 2023, after
receiving testimony from Susan S. Westin, Managing Director, International
Affairs and Trade, General Accounting Office; David Cohen, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs; Albert Short, Director, Office
of Compact Negotiations, Department of State; Gerald M. Zackios, Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Marshall Islands; and Sebastian Anefal,
Secretary of Economic Affairs, Federated States of Micronesia.
U.S. TAX POLICY
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings on U.S. international tax
rules on the competitiveness of U.S. businesses abroad, after receiving
testimony from Senators Allen, Boxer, and Ensign; Pamela Olson, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy; H. David Rosenbloom, Caplin and
Drysdale, Washington, D.C.; James R. Hines, Jr., University of Michigan
Business School, Ann Arbor; Daniel Kostenbauder, Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo
Alto, California; Charles J. Hahn, Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan;
Michael Gaffney, Merrill Lynch and Co., New York, New York, on behalf of the
Securities Industry Association; and Stephen E. Shay, Ropes and Gray, LLP,
Boston, Massachusetts.
HAITI
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine
successes and challenges for U.S. policy relative to promoting economic
development in Haiti, including related measures S. 489, to expand certain
preferential trade treatment for Haiti and Public Law 105-277, the Haitian
Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, after receiving testimony from Marc
Grossman, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; John B. Taylor,
Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; Paul Farmer,
Harvard Medical School Department of Social Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts;
Steven David Forester, Haitian Women of Miami, and Rudolph Moise, Haitian
Broadcasting Network, both of Miami, Florida.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee held hearings to examine certain
situations where parents must relinquish custody in order to secure mental
health services for their children, receiving testimony from Representatives
Stark and Patrick Kennedy; Trina W. Osher, Federation of Families for
Children's Mental Health, Alexandria, Virginia; Tammy Seltzer, Judge David L.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Washington, D.C.; Jane Adams, Keys for
Networking, Topeka, Kansas; Theresa Brown, Westbrook, Maine; Cynthia Yonan,
Glendale Heights, Illinois; and Patricia Cooper, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Hearings continue on Thursday, July 17, 2003.
[Page: D814]
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Public
Health concluded hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds
for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, focusing on
the importance of substance abuse prevention, after receiving testimony from
Charles G. Curie, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Martha B. Knisley,
District of Columbia Department of Mental Health, Washington, D.C.; First Lady
of Ohio Hope Taft, Columbus; Lewis E. Gallant, National Association of State
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Inc., Washington, D.C.; and Gloria Walker,
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Arlington, Virginia.
VISA ISSUANCE PROCESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship concluded hearings to examine how the Departments of State,
Homeland Security, and Justice could more effectively manage the visa process
with clear and comprehensive policies and procedures and increased agency
coordination and information sharing, after receiving testimony from Jess T.
Ford, Director, International Affairs and Trade, General Accounting Office;
Janice L. Jacobs, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services; and
Michael T. Dougherty, Director of Operations, Bureau of Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, and Jayson P. Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Office of
Field Operations, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, both of the
Department of Homeland Security.
VA HOSPITALS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
current status of VA hospitals, focusing on funding for VA medical care,
enactment of Medicare reimbursements for non-service connected care, and the
Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services program (CARES), after
receiving testimony from Ronald F. Conley, American Legion, Indianapolis,
Indiana, who was accompanied by several of his associates.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/16
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 16, 2003; pages D824 - D834
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
approved for full Committee consideration an original bill making
appropriations for energy and water development programs for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2004.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Thomas W. O'Connell, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary
of Defense, and Paul Morgan Longsworth, of Virginia, to be Deputy
Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security
Administration.
MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine the semi-annual Monetary Policy Report of the Federal Reserve and
the economic outlook, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman,
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
INTERNET TAX MORATORIUM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine proposed legislation to make permanent the moratorium on
taxes on Internet access, focusing on the costs of tax compliance, and
benefits achieved under the Internet Tax Freedom Act, after receiving
testimony from Billy Hamilton, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Austin;
Joseph A. Ripp, America Online, Inc., Dulles, Virginia; Paul Misener,
Amazon.com, Inc., Washington, D.C.; and Mark Beshears, Sprint Corporation,
Overland Park, Kansas.
MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded hearings on proposed legislation
authorizing funds for programs of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, focusing
on improvements to marine mammal bycatch reduction efforts, enforcement, and
other important aspects of marine mammal conservation management policy, after
receiving testimony from Rebecca Lent, Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce; Marshall P. Jones, Jr., Deputy
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Vice
Admiral Charles W. Moore, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet
Readiness and Logistics; David Cottingham, Marine Mammal Commission, Bethesda,
Maryland; Rear Admiral Richard West, USN, (Ret.), Consortium for Oceanographic
Research and Education, and Nina M. Young, The Ocean Conservancy, both of
Washington, D.C.; Peter Tyack, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods
Hole, Massachusetts; and Charles Johnson, Alaska Nanuuq Commission, Nome,
Alaska.
GREAT LAKES RESTORATION
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia concluded hearings
to examine the recent General Accounting Office report entitled: "An
Overall
Strategy and Indicators for Measuring Progress Are Needed to Better Achieve
Restoration Goals", focusing on the ramifications of an uncoordinated
Great
Lakes restoration strategy, current management of various environmental
programs, and possible next steps to improve the management of Great Lakes
programs, after receiving testimony from Senators DeWine and Levin; John B.
Stephenson, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, General Accounting
Office; Robyn Thorson, Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Department of the Interior; Thomas V. Skinner, Region V Administrator,
National Program Manager for the Great Lakes, Environmental Protection Agency;
Colonel William E. Ryan III, Deputy Commander, Great Lakes and Ohio River
Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Timothy R.E. Keeney, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration; Illinois State Senator Susan Garrett, Springfield;
Christopher Jones, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Columbus, on behalf
of the Council of Great Lakes Governors; Dennis L. Schornack, Chair, United
States Section, International Joint Commission, Washington, D.C.; and Margaret
Wooster, Great Lakes United, Buffalo, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
[Page: D827]
S. 618, to provide for the use and distribution of the funds awarded to the
Western Shoshone identifiable group under Indian Claims Commission Docket
Numbers 326-A-1, 326-A-3, 326-K, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute; and
S.1146, to implement the recommendations of the Garrison Unit Tribal Advisory
Committee by providing authorization for the construction of a rural health
care facility on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, North Dakota, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
INDIAN HEALTH CARE
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded joint hearings with House
Committee on Resources, Office of Native American and Insular Affairs on S.
556, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and extend that
Act, and H.R. 2440, to improve the implementation of the Federal
responsibility for the care and education of Indian people by improving the
services and facilities of Federal health programs for Indians and encouraging
maximum participation of Indians in such programs, after receiving testimony
from Charles W. Grim, Interim Director, Indian Health Service, Department of
Health and Human Services; Steven B. Nesmith, Assistant Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations;
Rachel A. Joseph, National Steering Committee on the Reauthorization of the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Lone Pine, California; Ben Muneta,
Association of American Indian Physicians, and Everett R. Rhoades, Central
Oklahoma American Indian Health Council, Inc., both of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma; Steven Weaver, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage;
Kay A. Culbertson, Denver Indian Health and Family Services, Denver, Colorado;
and Carmelita Skeeter, Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, Inc.,
Tulsa, Oklahoma.
HOSPITAL GROUP PURCHASING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and
Consumer Rights concluded hearings on competition in the marketplace in
relation to hospital group purchasing, focusing on how Group Purchasing
Organizations (GPOs) affect the cost and quality of health care in America,
including whether the benefits of GPOs outweigh the potential for harm to
hospitals, consumers and competition, after receiving testimony from Mark
McKenna, Novation, Irving Texas; Richard Norling, Premier, San Diego,
California; Said Hilal, Applied Medical Resources Corporation, Rancho Santa
Margarita, California; Thomas Brown, BIOTRONIK, Inc., Lake Oswego, Oregon;
Gary Heiman, Standard Textile, Cincinnati, Ohio; Elizabeth Weatherman, Warburg
Pincus, LLC, New York, New York; and Lynn James Everard, Coconut Creek,
Florida.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
[Page: D828]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/17
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 17, 2003; pages D836 - D846
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
An original bill (S. 1426) making appropriations for foreign operations,
export financing and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2004;
An original bill (S. 1427) making appropriations for agriculture, rural
development and food and drug administration and related agencies programs for
fiscal year ending September 30, 2004; and
An original bill (S. 1424) making appropriations for energy and water
development for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004.
Also, committee began consideration of an original bill, making appropriations
for the government of the District of Columbia and other activities chargeable
in whole or in part against the revenues of said District for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2004, but did not take final action thereon, and will
continue on Thursday, July 24.
FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE OVERSIGHT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine regulatory oversight of government sponsored enterprise accounting
practices, focusing on the role of a federal financial safety and soundness
regulator, an approach to examining accounting practices and controls over
financial reporting, executive compensation, corporate governance, and
legislative enhancements, after receiving testimony from Armando Falcon, Jr.,
Director, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.
[Page: D840]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1389, to authorize appropriations for the Surface Transportation Board for
fiscal years 2004 through 2008, with amendments;
S. 1402, to authorize appropriations for activities under the Federal railroad
safety laws for fiscal years 2004 through 2008, with amendments;
S. 1250, to improve, enhance, and promote the Nation's homeland security,
public safety, and citizen activated emergency response capabilities through
the use of enhanced 911 services, to further upgrade Public Safety Answering
Point capabilities and related functions in receiving E-911 calls, and to
support the construction and operation of a ubiquitous and reliable citizen
activated system;
S. 1401, to reauthorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
with amendments;
S. 1400, to develop a system that provides for ocean and coastal observations,
to implement a research and development program to enhance security at United
States ports, to implement a data and information system required by all
components of an integrated ocean observing system and related research, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1404, to amend the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, with
amendments;
S. 1395, to authorize appropriations for the Technology Administration of the
Department of Commerce for fiscal years 2004 through 2005, with amendments;
and
The nominations of Nicole R. Nason, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary
of Transportation, and Pamela Harbour, of New York, to be a Federal Trade
Commissioner.
DOE LABORATORY MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the contrast between management of science and technology resources by
the Department of Energy with management of such resources in other agencies
and in the private sector towards the goal of suggesting approaches for
optimizing DOE's management and use of its science and technology resources,
after receiving testimony from William Schneider, Jr., Chairman, Defense
Science Board, Department of Defense; John H. Gibbons, Resource Strategies,
The Plains, Virginia, former Assistant to the President for Science and
Technology, and former Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy;
Victor H. Reis, Hicks and Associates, Inc., Washington, D.C.; and William J.
Spencer, International SEMATECH, Austin, Texas.
EXOTIC ANIMALS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded hearings to
examine the importation of exotic species and the impact on public health and
safety, after receiving testimony from Senator Ensign; John Clifford,
Associate Deputy Administrator, Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, Department of Agriculture; Lester M. Crawford, Deputy
Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, and Stephen M. Ostroff, Deputy
Director, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, both of the Department of Health and Human Services; Marshall
P. Jones, Jr., Deputy Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the
Interior; Gabriela Chavarria, National Wildlife Federation, Reston, Virginia,
on behalf of the National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species; Robert
A. Cook, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, on
behalf of the Wildlife Conservation Society; and N. Marshall Meyers, Pet
Industry Joint Advisory Council, Washington, D.C.
NURSING HOME QUALITY
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine nursing home
quality, focusing on reports of abuse and neglect and federal efforts to
improve conditions in nursing homes, after receiving testimony from Senator
Bond; Dara Corrigan, Acting Principal Deputy Inspector General, and Thomas A.
Scully, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, both of the
Department of Health and Human Services; William J. Scanlon, Director, Health
Care Issues, General Accounting Office; Mary K. Ousley, Sun Bridge Health Care
Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, on behalf of the American Health Care
Association; Jeanne M. Hodgson, Ranson, West Virginia; and Sheila E. Albores,
Oak Park, Illinois.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
bills:
S. 1416, to implement the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement; and
S. 1417, to implement the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
[Page: D841]
BENEFITS FOR VICTIMS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM ACT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine S. 1275, to
establish a comprehensive federal program to provide benefits to U.S. victims
of international terrorism, focusing on issues including the importance of
blocked assets for U.S. foreign policy and national security interests, and
maintaining a proper balance between administrative and litigation
alternatives for international terrorism claims, receiving testimony from
William H. Taft IV, Legal Adviser, Department of State; and Stuart E.
Eizenstat, Covington and Burling, and Allan Gerson, George Washington
University and Gerson International Law Group, both of Washington, D.C.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine
certain situations where parents must relinquish custody in order to secure
mental health services for their children, focusing on adolescent males with
severe mental health problems, limitations in private and public insurance,
difficulties accessing services through mental health and education agencies,
and expanding community mental health services and supporting families, after
receiving testimony from Charles G. Curie, Administrator, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human
Services; J. Robert Flores, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice; and
Cornelia M. Ashby, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues,
General Accounting Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 1416, to implement the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement;
S. 1417, to implement the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement;
S. Con. Res. 53, honoring and congratulating chambers of commerce for their
efforts that contribute to the improvement of communities and the
strengthening of local and regional economies; and
The nominations of Kathleen Cardone, to be United States District Judge for
the Western District of Texas, James I. Cohn, to be United States District
Judge for the Southern District of Florida, Frank Montalvo, to be United
States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, Xavier Rodriguez, to
be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, and
Christopher A. Wray, of Georgia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, and Jack
Landman Goldsmith III, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, both
of the Department of Justice.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/18
Daily Digest - Friday, July 18, 2003; pages D848 - D854
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/21
Daily Digest - Monday, July 21, 2003; pages D855 - D860
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Financial Management, the
Budget, and International Security concluded hearings to examine the risks and
benefits to consumers related to government-sponsored enterprises, focusing on
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and including their financial disclosures, after
receiving testimony from Alex J. Pollock, Federal Home Loan Bank, Chicago,
Illinois; Peter J. Wallison, American Enterprise Institute, F. Barton Harvey
III, Enterprise Foundation, James C. Miller III, CapAnalysis Group, and W.
Michael House, FM Policy Focus, all of Washington, D.C.; Bert Ely, Ely and
Company, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia; Susan M. Wachter, University of
Pennsylvania Wharton School, Philadelphia.
[Page: D856]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/22
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 22, 2003; pages D861 - D870
[Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
Senate meetings for this day were found in the House section.]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
on the nominations of Mark C. Brickell, of New York, to be Director of the
Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Alicia R. Castaneda, of the District of Columbia, to be a
Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board, and Thomas J. Curry, of
Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
NATIONAL FOREST RESTORATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine S. 1314, to expedite procedures for hazardous fuels reduction
activities on National Forest System lands established from the public domain
and other public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, to
improve the health of National Forest System lands established from the public
domain and other public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management,
and H.R. 1904, to improve the capacity of the Secretary of Agriculture and the
Secretary of the Interior to plan and conduct hazardous fuels reduction
projects on National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands
aimed at protecting communities, watersheds, and certain other at-risk lands
from catastrophic wildfire, to enhance efforts to protect watersheds and
address threats to forest and rangeland health, including catastrophic
wildfire, across the landscape, S. 1352, to expedite procedures for hazardous
fuels reduction activities and restoration in wildland fire prone National
Forests, to examine the impacts of insects, disease, weather-related damage,
and fires on public and private forest lands, processes for implementing
forest health and hazardous fuels reduction projects on public and private
lands, and processes for implementing forest health and hazardous fuels
reduction projects, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary
of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment; Rebecca Watson,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management; Montana
Governor Judy Martz, Helena, and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Phoenix,
both on behalf of the Western Governors' Association; Sara Duncan, Denver
Water Board, Denver, Colorado; Michael Nivison, Otero County Commissioner,
Otero, New Mexico; Laura McCarthy, Forest Trust, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Tom
Robinson, Grand Canyon Trust, and W. Wallace Covington, Northern Arizona
University Ecological Restoration Institute, both of Flagstaff, Arizona; and
Bruce Vincent, Communities for a Great Northwest, Libby Montana.
HEAD START AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for Head Start,
focusing on programs to prepare children to succeed in school and life, after
receiving testimony from Windy M. Hill, Associate Commissioner of the Head
Start Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, and G. Reid
Lyon, Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch, National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, both of
the Department of Health and Human Services; Grover J. Whitehurst, Director of
Institute of Education Sciences, Department of Education; Marnie S. Shaul,
Director of Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, General
Accounting Office; Amy Wilkins, Trust for Early Education, Washington, D.C.;
and Janis Santos, Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start, Inc., Springfield,
Massachusetts, on behalf of the National Head Start Association.
[Page: D865]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations of
Steven M. Colloton, of Iowa, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth
Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Grassley and Harkin, and
Representative Leach; P. Kevin Castel, to be United States District Judge for
the Southern District of New York, Sandra J. Feuerstein, to be United States
District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, Richard J. Holwell, to be
United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York, and
Stephen C. Robinson, to be United States District Judge for the Southern
District of New York, all introduced by Senator Schumer; H. Brent McKnight, to
be United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina,
who was introduced by Representative Myrick; and R. David Proctor, to be
United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, who was
introduced by Senators Shelby and Sessions, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
WORLDCOM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine bankruptcy
and competition issues in relation to the WorldCom Case, focusing on MCI's
Chapter 11 filing, after receiving testimony from Dick Thornburgh, Kirkpatrick
and Lockhart, LLP, William P. Barr, Verizon Communications, former U.S.
Attorney General, and Morton Bahr, Communications Workers of America, all of
Washington, D.C.; Nicholas DeB. Katzenbach, MCI Telecommunications, Ashburn,
Virginia, former U.S. Attorney General; Mark A. Neporent, Cerberus Capital
Management, LP, and Marcia L. Goldstein, Weil, Gotshal and Manges, LLP, both
of New York, New York; and Douglas G. Baird, University of Chicago Law School,
Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of the National Bankruptcy Conference.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG ADVERTISING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
consequences of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, focusing
on the value to patients, the impact on the physician-patient relationship,
health care costs and utilization, and consumer and physician surveys, after
receiving testimony from Janet Woodcock, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation
and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human
Services; Majorie E. Powell, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America, and Nancy H. Nielsen, American Medical Association, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Meredith B. Rosenthal, Harvard School of Public Health
Department of Health Policy and Management, and Arnold S. Relman, Harvard
Medical School, both of Boston, Massachusetts.
[Joint Meetings]
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 1588, to authorize appropriations for
fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces.
2003/07/23
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 23, 2003; pages D871 - D882
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing and
Transportation concluded hearings to examine enhancing the role of the private
sector in public transportation, focusing on competitive contracting, the
Denver Experience, intercity motorcoach security funding, intermodal
facilities funding, rural transportation, and public funds versus private
operators, after receiving testimony from Irwin Rosenberg, Laidlaw Transit
Services, Inc., Burlington, Ontario, on behalf of the American Transit
Services Council; Robert Molofsky, Amalgamated Transit Union, and Peter J.
Pantuso, American Bus Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and Margie
Wilcox, Taxicab, Limousine, and Paratransit Association, Kensington, Maryland.
PUBLIC INTEREST AND LOCALISM: MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings on public interest and localism issues with respect to media
ownership, including public interest obligations of local broadcasters and the
role of broadcasters in the delivery of local news and public affairs
programming, after receiving testimony from Michael J. Copps, Commissioner,
Federal Communications Commission; Robert Corn-Revere, Davis Wright Tremaine,
LLP, Washington, D.C.; Barry M. Faber, Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., Hunt
Valley, Maryland; David J. Davis, WPVI-Channel 6, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Dean Martin Kaplan, University of Southern California Annenberg School for
Communication, Los Angeles; and L. Brent Bozell III, Parents Television
Council and the Conservative Communications Center, Alexandria, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 391, to enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor opportunities
protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State of Washington
by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands as wilderness, with an
amendment;
S. 434, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange all or
part of certain parcels of National Forest System land in the State of Idaho
and use the proceeds derived from the sale or exchange for National Forest
System purposes, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 435, to provide for the conveyance by the Secretary of Agriculture of the
Sandpoint Federal Building and adjacent land in Sandpoint, Idaho, with an
amendment;
S. 452, to require that the Secretary of the Interior conduct a study to
identify sites and resources, to recommend alternatives for commemorating and
interpreting the Cold War, with an amendment; S. 714, to provide for the
conveyance of a small parcel of Bureau of Land Management land in Douglas
County, Oregon, to the county to improve management of and recreational access
to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, with an amendment;
S. 1003, to clarify the intent of Congress with respect to the continued use
of established commercial outfitter hunting camps on the Salmon River, with an
amendment;
H.R. 622, to provide for the exchange of certain lands in the Coconino and
Tonto National Forests in Arizona, with an amendment;
[Page: D874]
H.R. 1012, to establish the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in
the District of Columbia, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage
by Air, done at Montreal May 28, 1999 (Treaty Doc. 106-45), with 1
reservation;
Protocol to Amend the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating
to International Carriage by Air Signed at Warsaw on October 12, 1929, done at
The Hague September 28, 1955 (The Hague Protocol) ( Treaty Doc. 107-14);
Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the
Government of the Russian Federation on the Conservation and Management of the
Alaska-Chukotka Polar Bear Population done at Washington on October 16, 2000
(Treaty Doc. 107-10), with 1 condition;
Agreement Amending the Treaty Between the Government of the United States of
America and the Government of Canada on Pacific Coast Albacore Tuna Vessels
and Port Privileges done at Washington May 26, 1981 (the "Treaty"),
effected
by an exchange of diplomatic notes at Washington on July 17, 2002, and August
13, 2002 (the "Agreement") (Treaty Doc 108-1);
Amendments to the 1987 Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments of Certain
Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America, with
Annexes and agreed statements, done at Port Moresby, April 2, 1987, done at
Koror, Palau, March 30, 1999, and at Kiritimati, Kiribati, March 24, 2002
(Treaty Doc. 108-2), with 1 declaration;
H. Con. Res. 209, commending the signing of the United States-Adriatic
Charter, a charter of partnership among the United States, Albania, Croatia,
and Macedonia, with amendments; and
S. Res. 184, calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China
immediately and unconditionally to release Dr. Yang Jianli, with amendments;
and
A Foreign Service Officer promotion list received in the Senate on June 25,
2003.
IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations : Committee held hearings to examine status and
prospects for reconstruction relating to Iraq, focusing on establishing public
safety, Iraqi ownership, employment, providing basic services,
decentralization, changing the Iraqi national mindset, mobilizing a new
reconstruction coalition, money and flexibility, Ba'athist media, and U.S.
media operations, receiving testimony from John Hamre, Center for Strategic
and International Studies, Washington, D.C.; and Anthony Borden, Institute for
War and Peace Reporting, London, United Kingdom. Hearings continue on
Tuesday, July 29, 2003.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 720, to amend title IX of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the
improvement of patient safety and to reduce the incidence of events that
adversely affect patient safety, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute; and
The nominations of Charles Edward Horner, of the District of Columbia, and
Stephen D. Krasner, of California, each to be a Member of the Board of
Directors of the United States Institute of Peace, and Eric S. Dreiband, of
Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
INDIAN HEALTH CARE
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on S. 556, to amend
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and extend that Act, after
receiving testimony from Melanie Benjamin, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Onamia,
Minnesota; Buford L. Rolin, Poarch Creek Band of Indians, Atmore, Alabama, on
behalf of the Indian Health Board; Myra M. Munson, Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse,
Miller and Munson, Juneau, Alaska; and Mim Dixon, Dixon and Associates,
Boulder, Colorado.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TERRORISM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on law enforcement
and terrorism issues, focusing on ongoing federal efforts to improve the
collection and use of intelligence to protect the American people from
terrorist attacks, and the Department of Justice Inspector General Report,
"The September 11 Detainees: A Review of the Treatment of Aliens Held on
Immigration Charges in Connection with the Investigation of the September 11
Attacks" after receiving testimony from Robert S. Mueller III, Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; and Asa Hutchinson,
Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of William H. Pryor, Jr., of Alabama, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Eleventh Circuit.
[Page: D875]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Rene Acosta, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General,
who was introduced by Senator Allen and Representative Ros-Lehtinen, and
Daniel J. Bryant, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, who was
introduced by Senators Allen and Biden, both of the Department of Justice,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
SMITHFIELD/FARMLAND DEAL
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and
Consumer Rights concluded hearings to examine agricultural consolidation and
the Smithfield/Farmland Deal, after receiving testimony from Senator Johnson;
Joseph Sebring, John Morrell, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio; William Hughes,
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Madison;
Russ Kremer, Missouri Farmers' Union, Jefferson City; Michael Stumo,
Organization for Competitive Markets, Winstead, Connecticut; Luther Tweeten,
Columbus, Ohio; and Patrick Bell, Kenansville, North Carolina.
Joint Meetings
Notice: The information relative to conference action on H.R. 1588 was
incorrect on page D865 in the Senate Daily Digest of July 22, 2003. Listed
below is the statement as it should have appeared:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Conferees met on the differences between the Senate and House passed versions
of H.R. 1588, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for military
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel
strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, but did not complete
action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
2003/07/24
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 24, 2003; pages D883 - D892
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported H.R. 1904, to improve the capacity of the Secretary of Agriculture
and the Secretary of the Interior to plan and conduct hazardous fuels
reduction projects on National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land
Management lands aimed at protecting communities, watersheds, and certain
other at-risk lands from catastrophic wildfire, to enhance efforts to protect
watersheds and address threats to forest and rangeland health, including
catastrophic wildfire, across the landscape, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of General Richard B. Meyers, USAF, for reappointment as Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and reappointment to the grade of general, and
General Peter Pace, USMC, for reappointment as Vice Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and reappointment to the grade of general, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: COMPETITIVE SOURCING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded oversight hearings on competitive sourcing effort within the
National Park Service, focusing on the process for determining inherently
governmental positions, the number of positions being evaluated, the time
schedule and cost for evaluation, the process for keeping personnel informed
during the evaluation, the progress made to date, and the effect on National
Park Service management responsibilities, after receiving testimony from Fran
P. Mainella, Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior;
Angela B. Styles, Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, Office of
Management and Budget; Sam Kleinman, Center for Naval Analysis Corporation,
Alexandria, Virginia; Geoffrey F. Segal, Reason Foundation, Arlington,
Virginia; J.W. Wade, Tuscon, Arizona, on behalf of the Campaign to Protect
America's Lands, and a coalition of concerned NPS retirees; and Scot McElveen,
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, on
behalf of the Association of National Park Rangers, and the Association of
National Park Maintenance Employees.
[Page: D886]
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nomination of Donald K. Steinberg, of California, to be Ambassador to the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, after the nominee testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
CONGO BASIN FOREST
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded
hearings on the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (a partnership of countries,
non-governmental organizations, and private businesses dedicated to the
conservation and sustainable use and management of the forest), focusing on
the logging policy, enhancing protected areas, encouraging better
environmental governance, strengthening local resources management,
fundamental benefits of the Partnership, and the Yaounde Summit, after
receiving testimony from Walter H. Kansteiner III, Assistant Secretary for
African Affairs, and John F. Turner, Assistant Secretary for Oceans,
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, both of the Department of
State; Keith Brown, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa,
U.S. Agency for International Development; J. Michael Fay, Wilderness
Conservation Society, Bronx, New York; and Tony Mokombo, World Wildlife Fund,
Washington, D.C.
COMPETITIVE SOURCING INITIATIVE
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia concluded
hearings to examine the Administration's competitive sourcing initiative,
focusing on the Office of Management and Budget's revisions of the A-76
circular outlining the guidance on public/private competitions, after
receiving testimony from Angela Styles, Administrator, Office of Federal
Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget; David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States, General Accounting Office; Jacques
S. Gansler, University of Maryland, College Park; Paul C. Light, New York
University, New York, New York; Charles Tiefer, University of Baltimore School
of Law, Chevy Chase, Maryland; and Frank Camm, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica,
California.
FEDERAL BIODEFENSE READINESS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine federal biodefense readiness, focusing on the public
health workforce, the status of Centers for Disease Control terrorism
preparedness and emergency response activities, the Emergency Communication
System, smallpox preparedness, the Food and Drug Administration's role in
counterterrorism activities, vulnerability and threat assessments, laboratory
enhancements, research, Operation Liberty Shield, and developing the research
infrastructure, after receiving testimony from Julie L. Gerberding, Director,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mark B. McClellan, Commissioner of
Food and Drugs, and Elias A. Zerhouni, Director, National Institutes of
Health, all of the Department of Health and Human Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 1301, to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit video voyeurism in
the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Con. Res. 40, designating August 7, 2003, as "National Purple Heart
Recognition Day";
S. Res. 124, designating September 28, 2003, as "National Good Neighbor
Day";
S. Res. 167, recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of the
Harley-Davidson Motor Company, which has been a significant part of the
social, economic, and cultural heritage of the United States and many other
nations and a leading force for product and manufacturing innovation
throughout the 20th century; and
The nominations of James O. Browning, to be United States District Judge for
the District of New Mexico, and H. Brent McKnight, to be United States
District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina.
Also, committee began consideration of S.J. Res. 1, proposing an amendment to
the Constitution of the United States to protect the rights of crime victims,
but did not complete action thereon and will meet again on Tuesday, July 29.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
[Page: D887]
Joint Meetings
COMMERCIAL HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT
Joint Hearings: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space concluded joint hearings with
the House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics to
examine space commercialization, including orbital and suborbital flights,
understanding the current demand for public space travel, and the future of
space tourism, after receiving testimony from Jeff Greason, XCOR Aerospace,
Mojave, California; Jon B. Kutler, Quarterdeck Investment Partners, Los
Angeles, California; Philip McAlister, Futron Corporation, Bethesda, Maryland;
Elon Musk, SpaceX, El Segundo, California; and Dennis A. Tito, Wilshire
Associates, Incorporated, Santa Monica, California.
AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT
Conferees met on the differences between the Senate and House passed versions
of H.R. 2115, to amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize programs
for the Federal Aviation Administration, but did not complete action thereon,
and recessed subject to call.
2003/07/25
Daily Digest - Friday, July 25, 2003; pages D894 - D902
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ALIEN SMUGGLING/HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Corrections and Victims'
Rights concluded hearings to examine deterrence of alien smuggling and human
trafficking, focusing on these as two distinct crimes posing challenges for
international law enforcement, legislative and law enforcement efforts, the
nature of the offenses, the evolution of trafficking and smuggling networks,
coordination with foreign law enforcement, reorganization of resources within
the Department of Justice, interagency and international cooperation,
significant prosecutions, and sentencing and penalty issues, after receiving
testimony from John Malcolm, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal
Division, Paul K. Charlton, United States Attorney, District of Arizona, and
Jane J. Boyle, United States Attorney, Northern District of Texas, all of the
Department of Justice; Charles H. Demore, Interim Assistant Director of
Investigations, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Robert L.
Harris, Deputy Chief, United States Border Patrol, Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection, both of the Department of Homeland Security; and Sharon B.
Cohn, International Justice Mission, Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/28
Daily Digest - Monday, July 28, 2003; pages D903 - D906
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
OLDER AMERICANS AND DEPRESSION
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine mental
health treatments for older Americans with depression, focusing on ways to
enhance mental health, vitality, and meaningful existence for our rapidly
aging and changing population, after receiving testimony from Jane L. Pearson,
Associate Director for Preventive Interventions, National Institute of Mental
Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services; Donna Cohen, University of South Florida Louis De La Parte Florida
Mental Health Institute, Tampa; Ira R. Katz, Philadelphia VA Medical Center,
and Hikmah Gardiner, Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania,
both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Diana Waugh, National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill, San Diego, California.
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/29
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 29, 2003; pages D908 - D913
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations
of General Peter J. Schoomaker (Ret.), USA, for appointment as Chief of Staff,
United States Army and appointment to the grade of general; and Lieutenant
General Bryan D. Brown, USA, who was introduced by Senator Roberts, for
appointment as Commander, United States Special Operations Command and
appointment to the grade of general, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D910]
CREDIT GRANTING PROCESS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine consumer awareness and understanding of the credit granting
process, focusing on the importance of the national credit reporting system
and credit scoring, adverse action notices and risk-based credit pricing, the
accuracy of consumer credit reports, consumer education and financial
literacy, after receiving testimony from Dolores S. Smith, Director, Division
of Consumer and Community Affairs, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System; Donna J. Gambrell, Deputy Director for Compliance and Consumer
Protection, Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection, Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation; Joel Winston, Associate Director, Financial Practices
Division, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission; Travis B.
Plunkett, Consumer Federation of America, and Stacey Davis Stewart, Fannie Mae
Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.; Cheri St. John, Fair Isaac Corporation,
San Rafael, California; and Scott Hildebrand, Capital One Financial
Corporation, McLean, Virginia.
PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy concluded
hearings to examine the role of the Department of Energy's Office of Science
in supporting research in physical sciences, programs that support many of the
DOE's missions, and research that lays the foundation for many of the current
and future developments in the applied missions of the DOE in energy, defense,
and environmental issues, after receiving testimony from Spencer Abraham,
Secretary, Raymond Orbach, Director, Office of Science, and Hermann A.
Grunder, Director, Argonne National Laboratory, all of the Department of
Energy; Burton Richter, Stanford University Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo
Park, California; and G. Wayne Clough, Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, Georgia.
MERCURY EMISSIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded hearings to
examine climate history and its implications, and the science underlying fate,
transport and health effects of mercury emissions, after receiving testimony
from Deborah C. Rice, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Augusta;
David R. Legates, University of Delaware Center for Climatic Research, Newark;
Michael E. Mann, University of Virginia Department of Environmental Sciences,
Charlottesville; Willie Soon, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; Gary Myers, University of Rochester, Rochester, New
York; and Leonard Levin, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto,
California.
IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine status
and prospects for reconstruction relating to Iraq, focusing on pre-war
planning, progress and the current mission, and efforts to restore public
safety, health, power, oil, the economy, and funding for Iraq relief and
reconstruction, after receiving testimony from Joshua B. Bolten, Director,
Office of Management and Budget; and Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary, and
General John M. Keane, USA, Acting Chief of Army Staff, both of the Department
of Defense.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on the
nominations of Joe D. Whitley, of Georgia, to be General Counsel, who was
introduced by Senators Miller and Chambliss, and Penrose C. Albright, of
Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Plans, Programs, and Budget, both of
the Department of Homeland Security; and Joel David Kaplan, of Massachusetts,
to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the nomination of Howard Radzely, of Maryland, to be
Solicitor for the Department of Labor, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
L-1 VISA AND AMERICAN INTERESTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship concluded hearings on the L-1 visa and American interests in the
21st century global economy, after receiving testimony from Senator Dodd; Beth
R. Verman, Systems Staffing Group, Inc., Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, on behalf
of National Association of Computer Consultant Business; Daryl R. Buffenstein,
Global Personnel Alliance, Atlanta, Georgia; Michael W. Gildea, Department for
Professional Employees (AFL-CIO), and Austin T. Fragomen, Jr., American
Council on International Personnel, Inc., both of Washington, D.C.; Stephen
Yale-Loehr, Cornell Law D911School, Ithaca, New York; and Patricia Fluno,
Orlando, Florida.
[Page: D911]
VETERANS HEALTH CARE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded to examine S. 613, to
authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct, lease, or modify
major medical facilities at the site of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical
Center, Aurora, Colorado, S. 615, to name the Department of Veterans Affairs
outpatient clinic in Horsham, Pennsylvania, as the "Victor J. Saracini
Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic", S. 1144, to name the
health
care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs located at 820 South Damen
Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the "Jesse Brown Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Center", S. 1156, to amend title 38, United States Code,
to
improve and enhance the provision of long-term health care for veterans by the
Department of Veterans Affairs, to enhance and improve authorities relating to
the administration of personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.
1213, to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the ability of the
Department of Veterans Affairs to improve benefits for Filipino veterans of
World War II and survivors of such veterans, S. 1283, to require advance
notification of Congress regarding any action proposed to be taken by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the implementation of the Capital Asset
Realignment for Enhanced Services initiative of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and S. 1289, to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after Paul Wellstone, after receiving
testimony from Tim McClain, General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs;
Cathleen C. Wiblemo, American Legion, Paul A. Hayden, Veterans of Foreign Wars
of the United States, Adrian M. Atizado, Disabled American Veterans, and Carl
Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of America, all of Washington, D.C.; and Richard
Jones, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland.
COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine U.S.
Army policies on the award of the Combat Medical Badge, after receiving
testimony from Lieutenant General John M. LeMoyne, Deputy Chief of Staff, G1,
United States Army; Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael J. Novosel, USA (Ret.),
Enterprise, Alabama; Chief Warrant Officer 5 John M. Travers, USA (Ret.),
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and William Fredrick Castleberry, Owens Cross Roads,
Alabama.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine a current
law trust fund exhaustion scenario if no action is taken to strengthen Social
Security, focusing on the GAO report analyzing the "do nothing"
scenario with
the analytical framework previously used to evaluate the models developed by
the President's Commission to strengthen Social Security, after receiving
testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States,
General Accounting Office; James B. Lockhart III, Deputy Commissioner of
Social Security, Social Security Administration; Thomas R. Saving, Social
Security Board of Trustees, College Station, Texas; and Brad Smith, Knoxville,
Tennessee, on behalf of Social Good through Politics (Harvard University).
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/30
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 30, 2003; pages D915 - D920
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Lawrence Mohr, Jr., of South Carolina, to be a Member of the
Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences,
Department of Defense, and 1,293 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marines.
[Page: D917]
SPACE EXPLORATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Space concluded hearings to examine space exploration,
focusing on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Department of Defense partnerships
in future spacecraft systems and products and services developed through their
collaborative efforts, sensor development, research to operations, and
collaborative activities in ground systems support, after receiving testimony
from Brigadier General Richard C. Zilmer, USMC, Director, Strategy and Plans
Division, Plans, Policies, and Operations Department, Headquarters, Marine
Corps; Orlando Figueroa, Director, Mars Exploration Program Office, Office of
Space Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Gregory W.
Withee, Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce;
Michael J.S. Belton, Belton Space Exploration Initiatives, Tucson, Arizona;
and Louis J. Lanzerotti, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 1279, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to authorize the President to carry out a program for the
protection of the health and safety of residents, workers, volunteers, and
others in a disaster area, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
H.R. 274, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the property
in Cecil County, Maryland, known as Garrett Island for inclusion in the
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge;
S. 930, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to establish a program to provide assistance to enhance the
ability of first responders to prepare for and respond to all hazard, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 269, to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to further the conservation
of certain wildlife species, with amendments.
S. 551, to provide for the implementation of air quality programs developed in
accordance with an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Southern Ute Indian
Tribe and the State of Colorado concerning Air Quality Control on the Southern
Ute Indian Reservation, with an amendment.
S. 793, to provide for increased energy savings and environmental benefits
through the increased use of recovered mineral component in federally funded
projects involving procurement of cement or concrete, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
H.R. 1018, to designate the building located at 1 Federal Plaza in New York,
New York, as the "James L. Watson United States Court of International
Trade
Building";
S. 1210, to assist in the conservation of marine turtles and the nesting
habitats of marine turtles in foreign countries;
S. 1425, to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reauthorize the New York City
Watershed Protection Program, with an amendment; and
S. 1486, to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to implement the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Protocol on Persistent
Organic Pollutants to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution, and the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent
Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International
Trade, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute to Title 1.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Nominations of Jeffrey A. Marcus, of Texas, to be Ambassador to Belgium, who
was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, Constance Albanese Morella,
of Maryland, to be Representative of the United States of America to the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of
Ambassador, who was introduced by Senators Sarbanes and Warner, George H.
Walker, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to Hungary, who was introduced by
Senators Bond and Talent, and Jackie Wolcott Sanders, for the rank of
Ambassador during her tenure of service as United States Representative to the
Conference on Disarmament and the Special Representative of the President of
the United States for Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, who was introduced
by Senator Warner, testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
SARS
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
concluded hearings to examine the best practices for identifying and caring
for new cases of SARS, focusing on control measures to help contain the spread
of SARS should future outbreaks occur, after receiving testimony from Marjorie
E. Kanof, Director, Health Care-Clinical and Military Health Care Issues,
General Accounting Office; and James M. Hughes, Director, National Center for
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of
Health and Human Services.
[Page: D918]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
Nominations of Joe D. Whitley, of Georgia, to be General Counsel, and Penrose
C. Albright, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of
Homeland Security, and Joel David Kaplan, of Massachusetts, to be Deputy
Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nominations of Howard Radzely, of Maryland, to be
Solicitor for the Department of Labor, Michael Young, of Pennsylvania, to be a
Member of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, and Thomasina
V. Rogers, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Occupational Safety and Health
Review Commission.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 428, to
provide for the distribution of judgment funds to the Assiniboine and Sioux
Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
COBELL V. NORTON LAWSUIT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded oversight hearings on
potential settlement mechanisms of the Cobell v. Norton lawsuit, after
receiving testimony from James Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary of the
Interior; Tex G. Hall, National Congress of American Indians, Washington,
D.C.; John Berrey, Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, Quapaw; John E. Echohawk, Native
American Rights Fund, Boulder, Colorado; Harold Frazier, Cheyenne River Sioux
Tribe, Eagle Butte, South Dakota; and Donald T. Gray, Nixon Peabody, LLP, San
Francisco, California.
TRIBAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENTS TO HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine S. 578,
Tribal Government Amendments to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, a bill to
amend the Homeland Security Act to include Indian tribes among the entities
consulted with respect to activities carried out by the Secretary of
Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from Thomas B. Heffelfinger,
United States Attorney (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Department of Justice;
Terry Virden, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the
Interior; Josh Filler, Director, Office of State and Local Government
Coordination, Department of Homeland Security; William F. Raub, Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Service for Public Health
Emergency Preparedness; Roland E. Johnson, Pueblo of Laguna, Laguna, New
Mexico; Audrey Bennett, Prairie Island Tribal Council, Welch, Minnesota;
Earl Old Person, Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, Browning, Montana;
Vivian Juan-Saunders, Tohono O'odham Nation, Sells, Arizona; Alvin Windy
Boy, Sr., Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder, Montana; Tim Sanders, Gila River
Indian Community, Sacaton, Arizona; and Tex Hall, National Congress of
American Indians, and Gary Edwards, National Native American Law
Association, both of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations
of Henry W. Saad, of Michigan, to be United States Circuit Judge for the
Sixth Circuit, who was introduced by Representative Rogers (MI); Larry Alan
Burns, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of
California, and Dana Makoto Sabraw, to be United States District Judge for
the Southern District of California, who were both introduced by Senator
Feinstein; Glen E. Conrad, to be United States District Judge for the
Western District of Virginia, who was introduced by Senators Warner and
Allen; Henry F. Floyd, to be United States District Judge for the District
of South Carolina, who was introduced by Senators Hollings and Graham
(S.C.); Kim R. Gibson, to be United States District Judge for the Western
District of Pennsylvania, who was introduced by Senators Specter and
Santorum; and Michael W. Mosman, to be United States District Judge for the
District of Oregon, who was introduced by Senators Wyden and Smith, after
each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf. Also,
testimony was received from Senators Levin and Stabenow.
MENTALLY ILL OFFENDER TREATMENT AND CRIME REDUCTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine S. 1194,
to foster local collaborations which will ensure that resources are
effectively and efficiently used within the criminal and juvenile justice
systems, after receiving testimony from Vermont State Senator John F.
Campbell, Quechee; Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Supreme Court of Ohio,
on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Mentally Ill in the Courts, and
Reginald A. Wilkinson, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, on
behalf of the Association of State Correctional Administrators and the
Council of State Governments, both of Columbus; Donald F. Eslinger, Seminole
County Sheriff, Sanford, Florida; Ron Honberg, National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill, Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of the Campaign for Mental
Health Reform; and Rhonda Atkins, Sarasota, Florida.
[Page: D919]
No Joint hearings noted.
2003/07/31
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 31, 2003; pages D921 - D928
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COAL DUST
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine the
proposed Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rule on coal dust,
after receiving testimony from David D. Lauriski, Assistant Secretary of
Labor for Mine Safety and Health; Joseph A. Main, United Mine Workers of
America, Fairfax, Virginia; and David Beerbower, Peabody Energy Corporation,
St. Louis, Missouri, on behalf of the National Mining Association.
[Page: D925]
OVERTIME PAY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings on a proposed
rule on overtime pay, after receiving testimony from Tammy D. McCutchen,
Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, Employment Standards Administration,
Department of Labor; Christine Owens, AFL-CIO, and Ross Eisenbrey, Economic
Policy Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; and Lawrence Lorber, Proskauer
Rose, New York, New York, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
UNION FINANCIAL REPORTING AND DISCLOSURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine
labor union financial reporting and disclosure, after receiving testimony
from Victoria Lipnic, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment Standards;
Jonathan Hiatt, AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C.; Jay Cochran, George Mason
University Mercatus Center, Arlington, Virginia; and Lynn Turner, Colorado
State University Center for Quality Financial Reporting, Fort Collins.
IRAQ SURVEY GROUP
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on the work of the Iraq survey group from David Kay, Special
Adviser for Strategy Regarding Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction Program;
Major General Keith W. Dayton, USA, Director, Iraq Survey Group; Major
General John F. Kimmons, USA, former Director of Intelligence, U.S. Central
Command; and Major General James A. Marks, USA, former Director of
Intelligence, Coalition Forces Land Component Command, all of the United
States Army.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 627, to prevent the use of certain payments instruments, credit cards,
and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute; and
H.R. 659, to amend section 242 of the National Housing Act regarding the
requirements for mortgage insurance under such Act for hospitals, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded
hearings to examine measures to enhance the operation of the Fair Credit
Reporting Act, focusing on a proposed National Security Alert System,
prohibition on the sale or transfer of identity theft debt, adverse action
notices, private enforcement rights and agency enforcement, tools to protect
privacy, mortgages, credit availability, and prescreening, and the
importance of national uniformity to the security of consumers' personal
information, after receiving testimony from John W. Snow, Secretary of the
Treasury; and Edmund Mierzwinski, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and
Michael F. McEneney, Sidley Austin Brown and Wood, on behalf of the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 150, to make permanent the moratorium on taxes on Internet access and
multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce imposed by the
Internet Tax Freedom Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1478, to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration; and
S. 733, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for the United
States Coast Guard, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
ICANN
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN), focusing on consumer issues, computer security and stability, root
server systems, continued globalization of the internet, innovation in
services and processes, the proposed Wait List Service, and new top-level
domains, after receiving testimony from Nancy J. Victory, Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, National
Telecommunications and Information Administration; Paul Twomey, Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, Marina del Ray, California;
Aristotle Balogh, VeriSign, Dulles, Virginia; Alan B. Davidson, Center for
Democracy and Technology, Washington, D.C.; and Paul Stahura, ENom, Inc.,
Belleview, Washington.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: on July 30, 2003 Committee concluded hearings to
examine the Nominations: of Robert Stanley Nichols, of Washington, to be
Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, and Teresa M. Ressel, of Virginia,
to be Assistant Secretary for Management, both of the Department of the
Treasury, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
[Page: D926]
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific
Affairs met in closed session to receive a briefing on corruption in North
Korea's economy.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific
Affairs concluded hearings to examine corruption in North Korea's economy,
after receiving testimony from Nicholas Eberstadt, American Enterprise
Institute, and Michael J. Horowitz, Hudson Institute, both of Washington,
D.C.
FINANCING TERRORISM
Committee on Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine
Federal efforts in identifying, tracking and dismantling the financial
structure supporting terrorist groups, focusing on Saudi Arabia and the War
on Terrorism, the USA PATRIOT Act and other related legislation, Executive
Branch organizational changes, foundations of terrorist financing and
support, the effect of the May 12, 2003 Riyadh attacks, multilateral actions
against Al-Qaeda and other terrorist infrastructure, and the ideological
roots of the new terrorism, after receiving testimony from John S. Pistole,
Deputy Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Department of Justice; R. Richard Newcomb, Director, Office
of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury; Dore Gold, Jerusalem
Center for Public Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel, former Israeli Ambassador to
the United Nations; Steven Emerson, Investigative Project, Washington, D.C.;
and Jonathan M. Winer, Alston and Bird, Atlanta, Georgia, former Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State and member, Independent Task Force of the
Council on Foreign Relations on Terrorist Finance.
HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded
hearings to examine solutions to the problem of health care transmission of
HIV/AIDS in Africa, focusing on injection safety, blood safety, safe
obstetrical delivery practices, and quality assurance in medical care, after
receiving testimony from E. Anne Peterson, Assistant Administrator for
Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development; Yvan Hutin, World
Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; John Kiwanuka Ssemakula,
Africa-America Institute, New York, New York; and Holly Burkhalter,
Physicians for Human Rights, Boston Massachusetts; and John Stover, Futures
Group, Glastonbury, Connecticut.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 1177, to ensure the collection of all cigarette taxes, with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 30, expressing the sense of the Senate that the President should
designate the week beginning September 14, 2003, as "National
Historically
Black Colleges and Universities Week";
S. Con. Res. 25, recognizing and honoring America's Jewish community on the
occasion of its 350th anniversary, supporting the designation of an
"American Jewish History Month", with an amendment; S. Res. 204,
designating the week of November 9 through November 15, 2003, as
"National
Veterans Awareness Week" to emphasize the need to develop educational
programs regarding the contributions of veterans to the country;
The nominations of Steven M. Colloton, of Iowa, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Eighth Circuit; P. Kevin Castel, to be United States District
Judge for the Southern District of New York; Sandra J. Feuerstein, to be
United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York; Richard
J. Holwell, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of
New York; R. David Proctor, to be United States District Judge for the
Northern District of Alabama; Stephen C. Robinson, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of New York; and Rene Acosta,of
Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Daniel J. Bryant, of
Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, and Paul Michael Warner, of
Utah, to be United States Attorney for the District of Utah, all of the
Department of Justice. Also, committee resumed consideration of S.J. Res.
1, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to
protect the rights of crime victims, but did not complete action thereon,
and recessed subject to the call.
FORENSIC SCIENCES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the
Courts concluded hearings to examine activities of the Administration and
the Department of Justice relating to the use of DNA technology, including
forensic tools and techniques, to solve crimes and promote public safety,
focusing on a DNA initiative to improve the use of DNA technology in the
criminal justice system by providing funds, training, and assistance, after
receiving testimony from Sarah V. Hart, Director, National Institute of
Justice, Department of Justice; Susan Hart Johns, Illinois State Police,
Springfield, on behalf of the American Society of Crime Laboratory
Directors; Randall Hillman, Alabama District Attorney's |
