109th Congress (2005 - 2006)
January 4 - December 22, 2005
Senate Committee Meetings by Date
Compiled from the Congressional Record's Daily Digests via Thomas at
thomas.loc.gov
2005/01/04
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 4, 2005; pages D1 - D10
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/01/06
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 6, 2005; pages D12 - D16
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of Mike Johanns, of Nebraska, to be Secretary of
Agriculture.
Prior to this action, committee concluded hearings on the nomination of Mr.
Johanns, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Hagel and Nelson
(NE), testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
[Page: D13]
TSUNAMI RELIEF EFFORTS/IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: On Wednesday, January 5, Committee met in closed
session to receive a briefing on U.S. Government tsunami relief efforts in the
Indian Ocean region, on the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and on other
significant military issues around the world from Peter W. Rodman, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; Admiral Thomas B.
Fargo, USN, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; Lieutenant General James T.
Conway, USMC, Director for Operations, J3, and Major General Ronald L.
Burgess, Jr., USA, Director for Intelligence, J2, both of The Joint Staff;
Evans J. R. Revere, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs; and Ronald L. Schlicher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
for Iraq.
NOMINATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Carlos M. Gutierrez, of Michigan, to be
Secretary of Commerce.
Prior to this action, on Wednesday, January 5, Committee concluded a hearing
on the nomination of Mr. Gutierrez, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Levin and Stabenow, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Margaret Spellings, of Texas, to be
Secretary of Education.
Prior to this action, committee concluded hearings on the nomination of Ms.
Spellings, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Cornyn, testified
and answered questions in her own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales, of Texas, to be Attorney General of the
United States, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Cornyn and
Salazar, testified and answered questions in his own behalf. Testimony was
also received from Admiral John D. Hutson, USN (Ret.), Franklin Pierce Law
Center, Concord, New Hampshire; Harold Hongju Koh, Yale Law School, New Haven,
Connecticut; and Douglas A. Johnson, Center of Victims of Torture,
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/01/20
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 20, 2005; pages D18 - D22
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: On Wednesday, January 19, Committee
concluded a hearing on the nomination of Samuel W. Bodman, of Massachusetts,
to be Secretary of Energy, after the nominee testified and answered questions
in his own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: On Wednesday, January 19, Committee concluded a hearing
on the nomination of Michael O. Leavitt, of Utah, to be Secretary of Health
and Human Services, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: On Wednesday, January 19, committee concluded
hearings and ordered favorably reported the nomination of Condoleezza Rice, of
California, to be Secretary of State.
On Tuesday, January 18, Committee began hearings on the nomination of
Condoleezza Rice, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Feinstein,
testified and answered questions in her own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: On Tuesday, January 18,
Committee concluded a hearing on the nomination of Michael O. Leavitt, of
Utah, to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, after the nominee
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
ASBESTOS CLAIMS RESOLUTION
Committee on the Judiciary: On Tuesday, January 11, Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposed legislation to create a fair and efficient system
to resolve claims of victims for bodily injury caused by asbestos exposure,
after receiving testimony from Judge Edward Becker, Third Circuit Court of
Appeals, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John Engler, National Association of
Manufacturers, Margaret Seminario, Department of Occupational Safety and
Health, AFL-CIO, Craig Berrington, American Insurance Association, Michael
Forscey, American Trial Lawyers Association, and Jeffrey D. Robinson, Baach,
Robinson & Lewis, all of Washington, DC; Mary Lou Keener, McLean, Virginia;
and Billie Joe Speicher, Ontario, Canada.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: On Wednesday, January 19, Committee began
consideration of the nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales, of Texas, to be
Attorney General, Department of Justice, but did not complete action thereon,
and will meet again on Wednesday, January 26.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/01/24
Daily Digest - Monday, January 24, 2005; pages D23 - D26
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Jim Nicholson, of Colorado, to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Prior to this action, committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Jim Nicholson, of Colorado, to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs, after the
nominee, who was introduced by Senators Allard and Salazar, testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/01/25
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 25, 2005; pages D27 - D30
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
An original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee; and,
The nomination of Michael O. Leavitt, of Utah, to be Secretary of Health and
Human Services.
Also, Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress, and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Health Care: Senators Hatch (Chair), Snowe, Frist, Kyl,
Thomas, Santorum, Bunning, Rockefeller, Jeffords, Bingaman, Kerry, and Wyden.
Subcommittee on International Trade: Senators Thomas (Chair), Crapo, Lott,
Smith, Bunning, Hatch, Snowe, Frist, Bingaman, Baucus, Rockefeller, Conrad,
Wyden, and Schumer.
[Page: D28]
Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy: Senators Santorum (Chair),
Grassley, Bunning, Frist, Lott, Kyl, Smith, Crapo, Conrad, Rockefeller,
Jeffords, Bingaman, Kerry, and Lincoln.
Subcommittee on Taxation and I.R.S. Oversight: Senators Kyl (Chair), Lott,
Hatch, Snowe, Crapo, Thomas, Santorum, Jeffords, Baucus, Conrad, Lincoln, and
Schumer.
Subcommittee on Long-Term Growth and Debt Reduction: Senators Smith (Chair),
Grassley, and Kerry.
Also, Committee appointed the following members to the Joint Committee on
Taxation, the Congressional Trade Advisors on Trade Policy and Negotiations,
and the Congressional Oversight Group: Senators Grassley, Hatch, Lott, Baucus,
and Rockefeller.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/01/26
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 26, 2005; pages D32 - D37
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 14) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee, and adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
CURRENT MILITARY OPERATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding current military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan from
Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense; and General John P. Abizaid, USA,
Commander, United States Central Command.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 15) authorizing expenditures by the
committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress, and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions: Senators Bennett (Chairman), Allard,
Santorum, Sununu, Martinez, Hagel, Bunning, Crapo, Johnson, Carper, Dodd,
Reed, Stabenow, and Bayh.
Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation: Senators Allard (Chairman),
Santorum, Dole, Enzi, Bennett, Martinez, Shelby, Reed, Stabenow, Corzine,
Dodd, Carper and Schumer.
Subcommittee on Securities and Investment: Senators Hagel (Chairman), Enzi,
Sununu, Martinez, Bennett, Bunning, Crapo, Dole, Allard, Santorum, Dodd,
Johnson, Reed, Schumer, Bayh, Stabenow, Corzine, and Carper.
Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance: Senators Crapo (Chairman),
Hagel, Enzi, Sununu, Dole, Bayh, Johnson, and Corzine.
Subcommittee on Economic Policy: Senators Bunning (Chairman), Shelby, and
Schumer.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
Samuel W. Bodman, of Massachusetts, to be Secretary of Energy; and
An original resolution (S. Res. 13) authorizing expenditures by the committee.
Also, committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Energy: Senators Alexander (Chairman), Burr, Martinez, Talent,
Allen, Bunning, Murkowski, Craig, Thomas, Burns, Dorgan, Akaka, Johnson,
Laudrieu, Feinstein, Cantwell, Corzine, and Salazar.
Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests: Senators Craig (Chairman), Burns,
Thomas, Talent, Smith, Alexander, Murkowski, Allen, Wyden, Akaka, Dorgan,
Johnson, Landrieu, Feinstein, and Cantwell.
Subcommittee on National Parks: Senators Thomas (Chairman), Alexander, Allen,
Burr, Martinez, Smith, Akaka, Wyden, Landrieu, Corzine, and Salazar.
Subcommittee on Water and Power: Senators Murkowski (Chairman), Smith, Craig,
Burr, Martinez, Burns, Bunning, Talent, Johnson, Dorgan, Wyden, Feinstein,
Cantwell, Corzine, and Salazar.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 17) authorizing expenditures by the
committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress, and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Senators Bond (Chairman),
Warner, Voinovich, Chafee, Murkowski, Thune, Baucus, Lieberman, Boxer, Carper,
and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety: Senators
Voinovich (Chairman), Bond, DeMint, Isakson, Vitter, Carper, Lieberman,
Lautenberg, and Obama.
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water: Senators Chafee (Chairman),
Warner, Murkowski, DeMint, Vitter, Clinton, Lieberman, Lautenberg, and Obama.
Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management: Senators Thune (Chairman),
Isakson, Warner, Bond, Boxer, Baucus, and Lautenberg.
MULTI-EMISSIONS LEGISLATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine the need for
multi-emissions legislation, focusing on the Clean Air Act, National Ambient
Air Quality Standards, and the Clear Skies Act, after receiving testimony from
Indiana State Senator Beverly Gard, Indianapolis; Mayor Bob Young, Augusta,
Georgia, on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; John A. Paul, Regional
Air Pollution Control Agency, Dayton, Ohio, on the behalf of State and
Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators and Association of Local Air
Pollution Control Officials; Ronald R. Harper, Basin Electric Power
Cooperative, Bismarck, North Dakota; Conrad G. Schneider, Clean Air Task
Force, Boston, Massachusetts; and Fred Parady, OCI Wyoming, L.P., Green River,
on behalf of the National Association of Manufacturers.
[Page: D34]
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Department of Homeland Security, focusing on management
challenges related to border security, transportation security, integration,
intelligence, and preparedness, after receiving testimony from Richard L.
Skinner, Acting Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security; James Jay
Carafano, The Heritage Foundation, and Richard A. Falkenrath, The Brookings
Institution, both of Washington, D.C.; Michael A. Wermuth, RAND Corporation,
Arlington, Virginia; and Stephen E. Flynn, Council on Foreign Relations, New
York, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 16) authorizing
expenditures by the Committee.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 19) authorizing expenditures by the committee, and agreed
to continue the protocol used in the 108th Congress for the release of
information obtained by subpoena in the ongoing Indian lobbying investigation.
Also, committee elected Senator McCain as the Chairman and Senator Dorgan as
Vice Chairman, and adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales, of Texas, to be Attorney General,
Department of Justice.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 21) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution authorizing expenditures by the committee, and approved
the committee's rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
Also, committee held closed hearings on intelligence matters, receiving
testimony from officials of the intelligence community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
INTERNET PHARMACY AND DRUG IMPORTATION
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the risks
and benefits associated with Internet pharmacies, focusing on the importation
of prescription drugs into the United States, and reducing the costs of
prescription drugs, after receiving testimony from Richard H. Carmona, Surgeon
General, U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services;
Jeff Kimmell, drugstore.com, Bellevue, Washington; Gary A. Schnabel, Oregon
State Board of Pharmacy, Portland; Mary Jorgensen, Coalition of Wisconsin
Aging Groups, Madison; and Roger Pilon, CATO Institute, Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/01/31
Daily Digest - Monday, January 31, 2005; pages D39 - D42
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D40]
2005/02/01
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 1, 2005; pages D43 - D48
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MILITARY PERSONNEL BENEFITS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine death
benefits and services available to survivors of military personnel and
legislative proposals to enhance these benefits, after receiving testimony
from David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness;
General Richard A. Cody, USA, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army; Admiral
John B. Nathman, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy;
General William L. Nyland, USMC, Assistant Commandant, United States Marine
Corps; General T. Michael Moseley, USAF, Vice Chief of Staff, United States
Air Force; and Robert J. Epley, Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Policy
and Program Management, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of
Veterans Affairs.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 29) authorizing expenditures by the Committee, and adopted
its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Congressional Budget Office report on the budget and economic outlook for
fiscal years 2006 to 2015, after receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Budget: On Monday, January 31, committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 24) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 30) authorizing
expenditures by the committee.
U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
strategies for reshaping U.S. policy regarding Iraq and the Middle East, after
receiving testimony from Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and
International Studies, and Peter Khalil, The Brookings Institution Saban
Center for the Middle East Policy, both of Washington, D.C.; and Lt. Gen.
Gregory S. Newbold, USMC (Ret.), GlobeSecNine, Arlington, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution (S. Res. 32) authorizing expenditures by the Committee,
adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress, and announced the
following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on International Economic Policy, Export and Trade Promotion:
Senators Hagel (Chairman), Alexander, Murkowski, Martinez, Voinovich,
Sarbanes, Dodd, Kerry and Obama.
Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs: Senators Chafee
(Chairman), Hagel, Coleman, Voinovich, Sununu, Boxer, Sarbanes, Nelson, and
Obama.
Subcommittee on European Affairs: Senators Allen (Chairman), Voinovich,
Murkowski, Hagel, Chafee, Biden, Sarbanes, Dodd, and Feingold.
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs:
Senators Coleman (Chairman), Chafee, Allen, Martinez, Sununu, Dodd, Kerry,
Boxer, and Nelson.
Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism: Senators Sununu
(Chairman), Voinovich, Allen, Coleman, Alexander, Nelson, Biden, Kerry, and
Boxer.
Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs: Senators Murkowski (Chairman),
Alexander, Hagel, Chafee, Allen, Kerry, Biden, Feingold, and Obama.
Subcommittee on African Affairs: Senators Martinez (Chairman), Alexander,
Coleman, Sununu, Murkowski, Feingold, Sarbanes, Dodd, and Obama.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 21) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee, and adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
COMMITTEE RULES
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee adopted its rules of procedure for
the 109th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Special Committee on Aging: On Monday, January 31, committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 23) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee, and adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
[Page: D45]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/02
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 2, 2005; pages D49 - D54
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, and S. 50, to authorize
and strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tsunami
detection, forecast, warning, and mitigation program, after receiving
testimony from Senators Frist and Landrieu; John H. Marburger, III, Director,
Office of Science and Technology Policy; Brigadier General John J. Kelly, USAF
(Ret.), Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Charles G. Groat, Director, U.S.
Geological Survey, Department of the Interior; Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director,
National Science Foundation; Roger A. Hansen, Alaska Earthquake Information
Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Eileen L. Shea, East-West Center,
Honolulu, Hawaii; and Daniel T. Cox, Oregon State University College of
Engineering, Corvallis.
[Page: D50]
CLEAR SKIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 131, 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 James L. Connaughton, Chairman, Council on Environmental
Quality; Brian Houseal, Adirondack Council, Albany, New York; John D. Walke,
Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, New York; and Abraham Breehey,
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths,
Forgers, and Helpers, Fairfax, Virginia.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the long term
outlook for social security, focusing on economic, budgetary, and programmatic
perspectives, and the aging of the population of the United States, receiving
testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office; and
Stephen C. Goss, Chief Actuary, Social Security Administration.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 34) authorizing
expenditures by the Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development: Senators Alexander
(Chairman), Gregg, Burr, Isakson, DeWine, Ensign, Hatch, Sessions, Dodd,
Harkin, Jeffords, Bingaman, Murray, Reed, and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness: Senators Burr
(Chairman), Gregg, Frist, Alexander, DeWine, Ensign, Hatch, Roberts, Kennedy,
Dodd, Harkin, Mikulski, Bingaman, Murray, and Reed.
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety: Senators Isakson (Chairman),
Alexander, Burr, Ensign, Sessions, Roberts, Murray, Dodd, Harkin, Mikulski,
and Jeffords.
Subcommittee on Retirement Security and Aging: Senators DeWine (Chairman),
Isakson, Hatch, Sessions, Roberts, Mikulski, Jeffords, Bingaman, and Clinton.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Michael Chertoff, of New Jersey, to be
Secretary of Homeland Security, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Corzine and Lautenberg, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
ASBESTOS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine FELA
issues relating to asbestos, focusing on asbestos-related diseases, other dust
diseases, and development of legislation to establish a trust fund to
compensate workers with asbestos-related diseases, including the Fairness in
Asbestos Injury Resolution (FAIR) Act, after receiving testimony from Edward
Becker, Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Laura Welch, Center to Protect Workers Rights, Silver Spring, Maryland;
Michael B. Martin, Maloney, Martin, and Mitchell, LLP, Houston, Texas; David
Weill, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver; Lester Brickman,
Yeshiva University Cardozo School of Law, New York, New York; Paul E. Epstein,
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Radnor; Paul R. Hoferer, BNSF
Railway Co., Fort Worth, Texas, on behalf of the Association of American
Railroads; Donald F. Griffin, International Brotherhood of Teamsters,
Washington, D.C.; and Theodore Rodman, Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
COMMITTEE FUNDING RESOLUTION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee approved for reporting an original
resolution (S. Res. 35) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
[Page: D51]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/03
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 3, 2005; pages D56 - D60
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BSE
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the effects of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) on
United States imports and exports of cattle and beef, focusing on the
minimal-risk rule, the role of science in determining risk, and opening the
Japanese market, after receiving testimony from Michael Johanns, Secretary,
Keith Collins, Chief Economist, and Ron DeHaven, Administrator, Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, all of the Department of Agriculture.
FBI TRILOGY PROJECT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, the
Judiciary, and Related Agencies held a hearing to examine the Federal Bureau
of Investigation's Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Program,
designed to upgrade the FBI's IT infrastructure and replace its case
management system with the Virtual Case File (VCF), receiving testimony from
Robert S. Mueller III, Director, and Zalmai Azmi, Chief Information Officer,
both of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice.
[Page: D57]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
IRAQ SECURITY FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: On Wednesday, February 2, Committee received a
closed briefing regarding training of Iraqi security forces from Lieutenant
General Walter L. Sharp, USA, Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5,
The Joint Staff; Peter W. Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Affairs; and Robert B. Charles, Assistant Secretary of
State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
MILITARY OPERATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine United
States military operations and stabilization activities in Iraq and
Afghanistan, after receiving testimony from Paul D. Wolfowitz, Deputy
Secretary of Defense; General Richard B. Myers, USAF, Chairman, Joint Chiefs
of Staff; Ronald L. Schlicher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State,
Coordinator for Iraq, and Maureen Quinn, former Ambassador, Coordinator on
Afghanistan.
U.S. ENERGY OUTLOOK
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine global energy trends and their potential impact on U.S. energy needs,
security and policy, focusing on the 2005 annual energy outlook, perspectives
on emerging world energy trends, including key factors affecting energy supply
(such as OPEC and Russia) and energy demand (such as Asia), after receiving
testimony from Guy F. Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information
Administration, Department of Energy; Jeffrey Logan, International Energy
Agency, Paris, France; and Andrew J. Slaughter, Shell Oil Company, and Frank
A. Verrastro, Center for Strategic and International Studies, both of
Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
An original resolution (S. Res. 36) authorizing expenditures by the Committee;
and S. 5, to amend the procedures that apply to consideration of interstate
class actions to assure fairer outcomes for class members and defendants.
SURVIVORS BENEFITS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
benefits for survivors of those killed in the line of duty, after receiving
testimony from Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for
Benefits; Mark L. Ward, Senior Policy Advisor, Casualty, Mortuary and Funeral
Affairs Honors, and Thomas R. Tower, Assistant Director of Compensation, both
of the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense; Frederick G.
Streckewald, Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Social Security for Program
Policy; Bonnie Carroll, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Washington,
D.C.; Edith G. Smith, Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., Arlington, Virginia;
Kathleen B. Moakler, National Military Family Association, Alexandria,
Virginia; Tiffany Petty, Inkom, Idaho; and Jennifer McCollum, Orange Park,
Florida.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine current
and future social security issues, focusing on possible changes to the Social
Security system and implications for the program and the federal budget
relating to the economy, after receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
Director, Congressional Budget Office; David M. Walker, Comptroller General,
Government Accountability Office; David C. John, The Heritage Foundation
Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, and John Rother, American
Association of Retired Persons, both of Washington, D.C.; and Robert L. Bixby,
The Concord Coalition, Arlington, Virginia.
[Page: D58]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/07
Daily Digest - Monday, February 7, 2005; pages D62 - D64
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nominations of Michael Chertoff, of New Jersey, to be
Secretary of Homeland Security, and Allen Weinstein, of Maryland, to be
Archivist of the United States.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/08
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 8, 2005; pages D66 - D70
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CREDIT RATING AGENCIES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the role of credit rating agencies in capital markets,
after receiving testimony from Kathleen A. Corbet, Standard and Poor's, The
McGraw-Hill, Companies, Inc., Stephen W. Joynt, Fitch Ratings, and Raymond W.
McDaniel, Jr., Moody's Investors Services, Inc., all of New York, New York;
Yasuhiro Harada, Rating and Investment Information, Inc., Tokyo, Japan; Sean
J. Egan, Egan-Jones Ratings Company, Haverford, Pennsylvania; Micah S. Green,
The Bond Market Association, Washington, D.C.; and James A. Kaitz, Association
for Financial Professionals, Bethesda, Maryland.
[Page: D67]
2006 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee held a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget for fiscal year 2006, receiving testimony from David M.
Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability
Office.
SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine the implementation of Titles I through
III of P.L. 106-393, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination
Act of 2000, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment; Ed Shepard, Assistant
Director, Renewable Resources and Planning, Bureau of Land Management,
Department of the Interior; James B. French, Trinity County Office of
Education, Weaverville, California; Timothy Creal, Custer School District,
Custer, South Dakota; Reta Griffith, Pocahontas County, Marlinton, West
Virginia, on behalf of County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia, and
Sherry Krulitz, Shoshone County, Wallace, Idaho, on behalf of the Idaho
Association of Counties, both on behalf of the National Association of
Counties; and Tim Lillebo, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Bend, Oregon.
BUDGET REVENUE PROPOSALS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine revenue
proposals in the President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2006, after
receiving testimony from John W. Snow, Secretary of the Treasury.
NIH BIODEFENSE RESEARCH PROGRAM
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness concluded a hearing to examine the
biodefense research program of the National Institutes of Health, focusing on
the development of medical countermeasures against a bioterrorist attack,
after receiving testimony from Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department
of Health and Human Services; Penrose C. Albright, Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security for Science and Technology; Gerald L. Epstein, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.; Gordon Cameron,
Acambis, PLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Jon S. Abramson, Wake Forest
University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and George
Painter, Chimerix, Inc., La Jolla, California.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/09
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 9, 2005; pages D71 - D78
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
2006 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee held a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget for fiscal year 2006, receiving testimony from Joshua B.
Bolten, Director, Office of Management and Budget.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 47, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal land in the Santa Fe
National Forest; and certain non-Federal land in the Pecos National Historical
Park in the State of New Mexico;
S. 63, to establish the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area in the
State of New Mexico, with an amendment;
S. 74, to designate a portion of the White Salmon River as a component of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System;
S. 134, to adjust the boundary of Redwood National Park in the State of
California;
S. 153, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a resource study of
the Rim of the Valley Corridor in the State of California to evaluate
alternatives for protecting the resources of the Corridor;
S. 156, to designate the Ojito Wilderness Study Area as wilderness, to take
certain land into trust for the Pueblo of Zia, with an amendment;
S. 163, to establish the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area in the State of
Utah, with an amendment;
S. 176, to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a
hydroelectric project in the State of Alaska;
S. 177, to further the purposes of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and
Adjustment Act of 1992 by directing the Secretary of the Interior, acting
through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to carry out an assessment and
demonstration program to control salt cedar and Russian olive;
S. 178, to provide assistance to the State of New Mexico for the development
of comprehensive State water plans;
S. 200, to establish the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area in the State
of Georgia, with an amendment;
S. 203, to reduce temporarily the royalty required to be paid for sodium
produced on Federal lands;
S. 204, to establish the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in the State of
Louisiana;
S. 205, to authorize the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish in
the State of Louisiana a memorial to honor the Buffalo Soldiers;
S. 207, to adjust the boundary of the Barataria Preserve Unit of the Jean
Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in the State of Louisiana;
S. 212, to amend the Valles Caldera Preservation Act to improve the
preservation of the Valles Caldera;
S. 214, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the
States on the border with Mexico and other appropriate entities in conducting
a hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, and modeling program for priority
transboundary aquifers;
S. 225, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a program to
reduce the risks from and mitigate the effects of avalanches on recreational
users of public land, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 229, to clear title to certain real property in New Mexico associated with
the Middle Rio Grande Project;
S. 231, to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to participate in the
rehabilitation of the Wallowa Lake Dam in Oregon;
S. 232, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau
of Reclamation, to assist in the implementation of fish passage and screening
facilities at non-Federal water projects;
S. 243, to establish a program and criteria for National Heritage Areas in the
United States;
S. 244, to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a
hydroelectric project in the State of Wyoming;
S. 249, to establish the Great Basin National Heritage Route in the States of
Nevada and Utah;
S. 252, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land in
Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the University and Community
College System of Nevada;
S. 253, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to the
land to the Edward H. McDaniel American Legion Post No. 22 in Pahrump, Nevada,
for the construction of a post building and memorial park for use by the
American Legion, other veterans' groups, and the local community, with an
amendment;
S. 254, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to
Lander County, Nevada, and the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain
land to Eureka County, Nevada, for continued use as cemeteries;
[Page: D73]
S. 263, to provide for the protection of paleontological resources on Federal
lands, with an amendment; and
S. 264, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and
Facilities Act to authorize certain projects in the State of Hawaii.
BUDGET: EPA
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2006 for the
Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from Stephen L.
Johnson, Acting Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
SIX POWER TALKS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing of an update on six-party talks from Joseph DeTrani, Special Envoy to
the Six Power Talks.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 265, to amend the Public Health Service Act to add requirements regarding
trauma care;
S. 306, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with
respect to health insurance and employment;
S. 302, to make improvements in the Foundation for the National Institutes of
Health;
S. 285, to reauthorize the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education
Program;
S. 288, to extend Federal funding for operation of State high risk health
insurance pools; and
The nominations of A. Wilson Greene, of Virginia, to be a Member of the
National Museum and Library Services Board, Katina P. Strauch, of South
Carolina, to be a Member of the National Museum and Library Services Board,
and Edward L. Flippen, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Corporation for
National and Community Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution authorizing expenditures by all committees of the Senate.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/10
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 10, 2005; pages D79 - D86
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
proposed Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2006 and the Future
Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from General Peter J.
Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, United States Army; Admiral Vernon E. Clark,
USN, Chief of Naval Operations; General Michael W. Hagee, USMC, Commandant of
the Marine Corps; and General John P. Jumper, USAF, Chief of Staff, United
States Air Force.
MORTGAGE MARKET
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the role of government-sponsored enterprises in the
mortgage market, focusing on promoting affordable housing and homeownership
opportunities for low- and moderate-income Americans, after receiving
testimony from John C. Weicher, Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, Federal Housing Commissioner; Allen J. Fishbein, Consumer
Federation of America, and Richard K. Green, George Washington University
School of Business, both of Washington, D.C.; Anthony B. Sanders, The Ohio
State University Fisher College of Business, Columbus; and Susan M. Wachter,
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Philadelphia.
2006 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee held a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from John W.
Snow, Secretary of the Treasury.
TSUNAMI RESPONSE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
lessons learned regarding the tsunami response, focusing on inquiries from
American citizens, coordinating government-wide mechanisms, and engaging the
international community, after receiving testimony from Senator Frist; Alan
Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural
Affairs; Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of Defense; Andrew S. Natsios,
Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; Daniel Toole, United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), New York, New York; and Mary E. McClymont,
InterAction, and Nancy Lindborg, Mercy Corps, both of Washington, D.C.
NEW HUMAN RESOURCES SYSTEM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the new human resources system of the
Department of Homeland Security, focusing on unlocking the potential of
employees, pay and performance management, adverse actions and appeals, and
labor-management relations, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office;
Ronald J. James, Chief Human Capital Officer, Department of Homeland Security;
Ronald P. Sanders, Associate Director for Strategic Human Resources Policy,
Office of Personnel Management; and Darryl A. Perkinson, Federal Managers
Association, Colleen M. Kelley, National Treasury Employees Union, John Gage,
American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, Richard N. Brown,
National Federation of Federal Employees, and Kim Mann, National Association
of Agriculture Employees, all of Washington, D.C.
BANKRUPTCY REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
bankruptcy reform, focusing on S. 256, to amend title 11 of the United States
Code, after receiving testimony from Kenneth H. Beine, Shoreline Credit Union,
Two Rivers, Wisconsin, on behalf of the Credit Union National Association;
Maria T. Vullo, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison, LLP, New York, New
York; Malcolm Bennett, International Realty and Investments, Inc., Los
Angeles, California, on behalf of National Multi Housing Council and National
Apartment Association; Phillip L. Strauss, National Child Support Enforcement
Association, San Francisco, California; David McCall, United Steelworkers of
America, AFL-CIO, Columbus, Ohio; R. Michael Stewart Menzies, Sr., Easton Bank
and Trust Company, Easton, Maryland, on behalf of the Independent Community
Bankers of America; Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law School, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; and Todd J. Zywicki, Georgetown University Law Center,
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D81]
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.
2005/02/14
Daily Digest - Monday, February 14, 2005; pages D87 - D90
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: on Thursday, February
10, Committee approved for reporting the following subcommittee assignments:
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security: Senators Coburn (Chairman), Stevens, Voinovich, Chafee, Bennett,
Domenici, Warner, Carper, Levin, Akaka, Dayton and Lautenberg.
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations: Senators Coleman (Chairman),
Stevens, Coburn, Chafee, Bennett, Domenici, Warner, Levin, Akaka, Carper,
Dayton, Lautenberg, and Pryor.
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia: Senators Voinovich (Chairman), Stevens, Coleman, Coburn, Chafee,
Bennett, Domenici, Warner, Akaka, Levin, Carper, Dayton, Lautenberg, and
Pryor.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/15
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 15, 2005; pages D91 - D126
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
priorities and plans for the atomic energy defense activities of the
Department of Energy (DOE) and to review the President's budget request for
fiscal year 2006 for atomic energy defense activities of the Department of
Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration, focusing on the
Administration's priorities for nuclear weapons, threat reduction programs,
and DOE's environmental clean-up program, after receiving testimony from
Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of Energy.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of John Paul Woodley, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Secretary of the Army, Buddie J. Penn, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, who was introduced by former Senator Symms, and the
following named officer for appointment in the United States Navy to the grade
indicated while assigned to a position of importance and responsibility under
title 10, U.S.C., section 601: Adm. William J. Fallon, to be Admiral, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D92]
BUDGET: TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2006 for
the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration
and related program, after receiving testimony from David M. Stone, Assistant
Secretary of Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland
Security; and Cathleen Ann Berrick, Director, Homeland Security and Justice,
Government Accountability Office.
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy concluded a
hearing to examine the future of liquefied natural gas, focusing on the
prospects for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the United States and to discuss
the safety and security issues related to LNG developments, after receiving
testimony from J. Mark Robinson, Director, Office of Energy Projects, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Captain David L. Scott, Commandant, U.S. Coast
Guard, Department of Homeland Security; Mike Hightower, Technical Staff
Member, Sandia National Laboratories; Michael R. Peevey, California Public
Utilities Commission, Los Angeles; William Kramer, Jr., New Jersey Division of
Fire Safety, Trenton, on behalf of the National Association of State Fire
Marshals; Mayor David N. Cicilline, Providence, Rhode Island; Thomas E. Giles,
Mitsubishi, Long Beach, California; and Richard L. Grant, Tractebel North
America, and Distrigas of Massachusetts, Boston.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Robert B. Zoellick, to be Deputy Secretary of State, after the
nominee, who was introduced by Senators Grassley and Baucus, testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BUDGET
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving
testimony from R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Peter S.
Gaytan, The American Legion, Dennis M. Cullinan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of
the United States, Joseph A. Violante, Disabled American Veterans, and Richard
B. Fuller, Paralyzed Veterans of America, all of Washington, D.C.; and Richard
Jones, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/16
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 16, 2005; pages D128 - D136
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine on
proposed legislation making emergency supplemental appropriations for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, after receiving testimony from Donald
Rumsfeld, Secretary, and Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary, Comptroller, both of
the Department of Defense; and General Richard B. Myers, Chairman, Joint
Chiefs of Staff.
MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the semiannual monetary policy report to Congress, focusing
on the Federal Reserve's objectives of price stability and maximum sustainable
employment, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
BUDGET: 2006
Committee on the Budget: Committee held a hearing to examine the transparency
of budget measures, focusing on the economic costs of long-term federal
obligations, receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director,
Congressional Budget Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 48, to reauthorize appropriations for the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail
Route, with an amendment;
S. 52, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey a parcel of real
property to Beaver County, Utah;
S. 54, 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;
S. 55, to adjust the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park in the State of
Colorado;
S. 56, to establish the Rio Grande Natural Area in the State of Colorado;
S. 57, to further the purposes of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic
Site Establishment Act of 2000;
S. 97, to provide for the sale of bentonite in Big Horn County, Wyoming;
S. 99, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to contract with the city of
Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the storage of the city's water in the Kendrick
Project, Wyoming;
S. 101, to convey to the town of Frannie, Wyoming, certain land withdrawn by
the Commissioner of Reclamation;
S. 128, to designate certain public land in Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino,
Lake, and Napa Counties in the State of California as wilderness, to designate
certain segments of the Black Butte River in Mendocino County, California as a
wild or scenic river;
S. 136, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide supplemental
funding and other services that are necessary to assist certain local school
districts in the State of California in providing education services for
students attending schools located within Yosemite National Park, to authorize
the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the boundaries of the Golden Gate
National Recreation Area, with an amendment;
S. 152, 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. 161, to provide for a land exchange in the State of Arizona between the
Secretary of Agriculture and Yavapai Ranch Limited Partnership;
S. 182, to provide for the establishment of the Uintah Research and Curatorial
Center for Dinosaur National Monument in the States of Colorado and Utah, with
an amendment;
S. 272, to designate certain National Forest System land in the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System,
with an amendment;
S. 276, to revise the boundary of the Wind Cave National Park in the State of
South Dakota; and
S. 301, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance in
implementing cultural heritage, conservation, and recreational activities in
the Connecticut River watershed of the States of New Hampshire and Vermont,
with an amendment.
[Page: D130]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 125, to designate the United States courthouse located at 501 I
Street in Sacramento, California, as the "Robert T. Matsui United States
Courthouse".
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Health and
Human Services, receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of
Health and Human Services.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUDGET
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2006 for foreign affairs,
after receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Robert B. Zoellick, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of
State.
OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: on Wednesday,
February 15, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations resumed hearings to
examine the United Nations management and oversight of the Oil-for-Food
Program (OFF Program), focusing on the operations of the independent
inspection agents retained by the United Nations and their role within the OFF
Program, including the administration of the OFF Program by the U.N. Office of
the Iraq Program and the findings of the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight
Services, after receiving testimony from Ambassador Patrick F. Kennedy, U.S.
Representative for U.N. Management and Reform, United States Mission to the
United Nations; Joseph A. Christoff, Director, International Affairs and Trade
Team, Government Accountability Office; Robert M. Massey, Andre E. Pruniaux,
and Milan Radenovic, all of Cotecna Inspection S.A., Geneva, Switzerland; John
Denson, Saybolt Group, Houston, Texas; Arthur Ventham, Kinross, Western
Australia; Stafford Clarry, Syracuse, New York; and Verne Kulyk, Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine transforming government for the 21st century, focusing on
the report of the Government Accountability Office entitled 21st Century
Challenges: Reexamining the Base of the Federal Government, including
addressing the nation's long-term fiscal gap, deciding on the appropriate role
and size of government, and financing the government, after receiving
testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States,
Government Accountability Office.
DRUG IMPORTATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the realities of safety and security regarding drug
importation, after receiving testimony from Richard H. Carmona, Surgeon
General, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services;
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, St. Paul; John M. Gray, Healthcare
Distribution Management Association, Reston, Virginia; Carmen A. Catizone,
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Mount Prospect, Illinois; and
Peter Rost, Pfizer, Inc., New York, New York.
BUDGET: INDIAN PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's fiscal year 2006 budget request for Indian programs, after
receiving testimony from James Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary for Indian
Affairs, and Ross O. Swimmer, Special Trustee for American Indians, both of
the Department of the Interior; Charles W. Grim, Assistant Surgeon General,
Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services;
Michael Liu, Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public
and Indian Housing; Victoria Vasques, Assistant Deputy Secretary and Director
of Education for Indian Education, Department of Education; Tex G. Hall,
National Congress of American Indians, Chester Carl, National American Indian
Housing Council, and John Thomas Petherick, National Indian Health Board, all
of Washington, D.C.; and David Beaulieu, National Indian Education
Association, Alexandria, Virginia.
WORLD THREAT
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
national security threats to the interests of the United States, focusing on
terrorism, Iraq, nuclear weapons proliferation, and North Korea, after
receiving testimony from Porter J. Goss, Director of Central Intelligence;
Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department
of Justice; Admiral James Loy, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.), Deputy Secretary of
Homeland Security; Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby, U.S. Navy, Director, Defense
Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense; and Carol Rodley, Principal Deputy
Assistance Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research.
[Page: D131]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/17
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 17, 2005; pages D137 - D144
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006
for the National Science Foundation, after receiving testimony from John H.
Marburger III, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy; and Arden L.
Bement, Jr., Director National Science Foundation, and Warren M. Washington,
Chair, both of the National Science Board.
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine proposed
legislation making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2005, after receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice,
Secretary of State.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
proposed Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2006 and the Future
Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Donald H. Rumsfeld,
Secretary, and Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary, Comptroller, both of the
Department of Defense; and General Richard B. Myers, USAF, Chairman, Joint
Chiefs of Staff.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Buddie J. Penn, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of
the Navy, Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, to be Commander, U.S. Pacific
Command, and 2,598 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
Committee on the Budget: Committee held a hearing to examine rising health
care costs and the impact on future generations relating to Medicare and
Medicaid, receiving testimony from Thomas R. Saving, Public Trustee, Federal
Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds,
Department of Health and Human Services; Jeffrey R. Brown, University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana; and Lois E. Quam, UnitedHealth Group,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
FEDERAL LANDS RECREATION ENHANCEMENT ACT OVERSIGHT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded an oversight hearing to examine the National Park Service's
implementation of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (Public Law
108-447), after receiving testimony from P. Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary
of the Interior for Policy, Management, and Budget; Jill Nicoll, National Park
Foundation, Washington, D.C.; and Stephanie M. Clement, Friends of Acadia, Bar
Harbor, Maine.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations
of Daniel R. Levinson, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, Department of
Health and Human Services, and Harold Damelin, of Virginia, to be Inspector
General, and Raymond Thomas Wagner, Jr., of Missouri, to be a Member of the
Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board, both of the Department of the
Treasury, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
RUSSIA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
democracy in retreat in Russia, after receiving testimony from Steven Theede,
YUKOS Oil Company, Moscow, Russia; Tim Osborne, Group MENATEP, London, United
Kingdom; Anders Aslund, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Bruce P.
Jackson, Project on Transitional Democracies, Stephen Nix, International
Republican Institute, Nelson Ledsky, National Democratic Institute, Mary
McClymont, Interaction, and Nancy Lindborg, Mercy Corps, all of Washington,
D.C.; and Daniel Toole, UNICEF, New York, New York.
FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine an overview of the Government
Accountability Office high-risk list, focusing on ensuring Congressional
oversight by bringing attention to government-wide management challenges and
high-risk program areas, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office;
and Clay Johnson III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and
Budget.
[Page: D140]
DRUG IMPORTATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the price of drug reimportation, focusing on implications
for United States consumers, pricing, research and development, and
innovation, after receiving testimony from Grant D. Aldonas, Under Secretary
of Commerce for International Trade; Robert M. Goldberg, Manhattan Institute
for Policy Research Center for Medical Progress, New York, New York; Benjamin
Zycher, Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, San Francisco,
California; Stephen Pollard, Centre for the New Europe, Brussels, Belgium; and
Kevin Outterson, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 256, to
amend title 11 of the United States Code, with amendments.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUDGET
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2006 for the Small Business Administration, after receiving testimony from
Hector V. Barreto, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration; David
Coit, North Atlantic Capital, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the National
Association of Small Business Investment Companies; Daniel Betancourt,
Association For Enterprise Opportunity, on behalf of the Community First Fund,
and Patricia Sands, Spill-Guard, on behalf of the Women's Business Center of
Northern Virginia, both of Arlington; John R. Massaua, Maine Small Business
Development Center, Portland, on behalf of the Association of Small Business
Development Centers; and Edward Tuvin, Community South Bank, Adamsville,
Tennessee, on behalf of the National Association of Government Guaranteed
Lenders, Inc.
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: D141]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/02/18
Daily Digest - Friday, February 18, 2005; pages D145 - D146
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/01
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 1, 2005; pages D153 - D160
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine military
strategy and operational requirements from combatant commanders in review of
the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving
testimony from General James L. Jones, Jr., USMC, Commander, United States
European Command, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; General John P. Abizaid,
USA, Commander, U.S. Central Command; and General Bryan D. Brown, USA,
Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.
NOMINATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Ronald Rosenfeld, of Oklahoma, to be a
Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board, after the nominee, who was
introduced by former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
BUDGET: DEFENSE
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2006 for defense, after receiving
testimony from Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary, General Peter Pace, Vice
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Tina Jonas, Under Secretary
(Comptroller), all of the Department of Defense.
BUDGET: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2006 for the
Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from Gale A. Norton,
Secretary, and Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and
Budget, both of the Department of the Interior.
DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLAN PROPOSAL
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the financial status
of Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the Administration's Defined
Benefit Plan Funding Proposal, receiving testimony from Mark J. Warshawsky,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for EconomicPolicy; Ann L. Combs,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security
Administration; Bradley D. Belt, Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation; Larry Zimpleman, Principal Financial Group, Des Moines, Iowa, on
behalf of the Business Roundtable; Alan Reuther, United Auto Workers,
Washington, D.C.; and Randall S. Kroszner, The University of Chicago Graduate
School of Business, Chicago, Illinois.
Hearings recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
FDA's DRUG APPROVAL PROCESS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee held a hearing
to examine Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) drug approval process,
focusing on FDA's drug approval process after a sponsor demonstrates that
their benefits outweigh their risks for a specific population and use, and
that the drug meet meets standards for safety and efficacy, receiving
testimony from Sandra L. Kweder, Deputy Director, Office of New Drugs, Food
and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Nancy
Davenport-Ennis, National Patient Advocate Foundation, Scott Gottlieb,
American Enterprise Institute, and William B. Schultz, Zuckerman Spaeder, LLP,
all of Washington, D.C.; Thomas R. Fleming, University of Washington
Department of Biostatistics, Seattle; David Fassler, University of Vermont
College of Medicine, Burlington, on behalf of American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry and the American Psychiatric Association; and Abbey S.
Meyers, National Organization for Rare Disorders, Danbury, Connecticut.
Hearings recessed until Thursday, March 3.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 147,
to express 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,
after receiving testimony from Representative Case and Delegate Faleomavaega;
Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, Hawaii State Attorney General Mark Ben,Haunani
Apoliona, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Micah Kane, State Department of Hawaiian
Home Lands, and Jade Danner, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, all of
Honolulu; Tex Hall, National Congress of American Indians, Washington, D.C.;
and Julie Kitka, Alaska Federation of Natives, Anchorage, Alaska.
[Page: D155]
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of William Gerry Myers III, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Ninth Circuit, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator
Craig, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/02
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 2, 2005; pages D162 - D170
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: On February 17, 2005,
Committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Production and Price Competitiveness: Senators McConnell
(Chairman), Cochran, Roberts, Santorum, Coleman, Grassley, Conrad, Dayton,
Baucus, Leahy, and Lincoln.
Subcommittee on Marketing, Inspection, and Product Promotion: Senators Talent
(Chairman), McConnell, Thomas, Roberts, Grassley, Lugar, Baucus, Nelson (NE),
Salazar, Conrad, and Stabenow.
Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization: Senators
Crapo (Chairman), Lugar, Cochran, Talent, Thomas, Coleman, Lincoln, Leahy,
Nelson (NE), Dayton, and Salazar.
Subcommittee on Research, Nutrition, and General Legislation: Senators
Santorum (Chairman), Lugar, Crapo, Cochran, McConnell, Roberts, Leahy,
Stabenow, Lincoln, Baucus, and Nelson (NE).
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services,
Education and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Education, after
receiving testimony from Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the defense budget,
after receiving testimony from Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary of Defense
(Comptroller); and Admiral Robert F. Willard, Director, Force Structure,
Resources, and Assessment, J8, The Joint Staff.
APPROPRIATIONS: IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for states
citizenship and immigration services, Customs and Border Protection,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after receiving testimony from Robert
Bonner, Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, Michael J. Garcia,
Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Eduardo
Aguirre, Jr., Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, all of the
Department of Homeland Security.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: On February 18, 2005, Committee announced the
following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Airland: Senators McCain (Chairman), Inhofe, Sessions, Ensign,
Talent, Chambliss, Graham, Dole, Lieberman, Reed, Akaka, Nelson (FL), Dayton,
Bayh, and Clinton.
[Page: D164]
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities: Senators Cornyn (Chairman),
Roberts, Collins, Ensign, Talent, Graham, Dole, Thune, Reed, Kennedy, Byrd,
Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Bayh, and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Personnel: Senators Graham (Chairman), McCain, Collins,
Chambliss, Dole, Nelson (NE), Kennedy, Lieberman, and Akaka.
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support: Senators Ensign (Chairman),
McCain, Inhofe, Roberts, Sessions, Chambliss, Cornyn, Thune, Akaka, Byrd,
Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Dayton, Bayh, and Clinton.
Subcommittee on Seapower: Senators Talent (Chairman), McCain, Collins,
Chambliss, Kennedy, Lieberman, and Reed.
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces: Senators Sessions (Chairman), Inhofe,
Roberts, Graham, Cornyn, Thune, Nelson (FL), Byrd, Reed, Nelson (NE), and
Dayton.
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding Department of Defense human intelligence activities from
Stephen A. Cambone, Under Secretary for Intelligence, and Vice Admiral Lowell
E. Jacoby, USN, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, both of the Department
of Defense; and a representative of the intelligence community.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: On January 26, 2005, Committee
adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
FOREST SERVICE BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2006 for USDA
Forest Service, after receiving testimony from Mark E. Rey, Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, and Dale N. Bosworth,
Forest Service Chief, both of the Department of Agriculture.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE OVERSIGHT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine foreign assistance, focusing on South Asia and assisting in keeping
the region free from terrorism, prosperous and economically integrated,
governed through accountable democratic institutions, and a moderator in the
Muslim world, after receiving testimony from Donald Camp, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for South Asian Affairs, David M. Satterfield, Acting Assistant
Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, Michael E. Ranneberger, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Roger F. Noriega, Assistant Secretary
for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Evans Revere, Acting Assistant Secretary for
East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Robert A. Bradtke, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, all of the Department of
State; and James R. Kunder, Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near
East, Lloyd O. Pierson, Assistant Administrator for Africa, Adolfo Franco,
Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Kent R. Hill,
Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia, all of United States Agency
for International Development.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: On February 10, 2005,
Committee approved for reporting the adoption of its rules of procedure for
the 109th Congress.
Also, on March 1, 2005, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations adopted
its rules of procedures for the 109th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: On February 14, 2005, Committee ordered
favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 49) authorizing
expenditures by the Committee.
Also, on February 14, 2005, Committee ordered favorably reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 50) authorizing expenditures by the committees of the
Senate.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: On January 26, 2005,
Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 109th Congress.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
[Page: D165]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/03
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 3, 2005; pages D172 - D178
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: U.S. FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the U.S. Forest
Service, after receiving testimony from Mark E. Rey, Under Secretary for
Natural Resources and Environment, and Dale N. Bosworth, Forest Service Chief,
both of the Department of Agriculture.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee continued hearings to examine the
proposed Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006 and the Future
Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from General James L. Jones,
Jr., USMC, Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander,
Europe; General John P. Abizaid, USA, Commander, U.S. Central Command; and
General Bryan D. Brown, USA, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on the Budget: On January 31, 2005, Committee adopted its rules of
procedure for the 109th Congress.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2006 for the
Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Samuel W. Bodman,
Secretary of Energy.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original bill, entitled Foreign Relations Authorization Act, fiscal years 2006
and 2007, to authorize appropriations for the Department of State and
international broadcasting activities for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, for
foreign assistance programs for fiscal years 2006 and 2007.
DRUG SAFETY
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Food and Drug Administration's process of ensuring drug
safety, after receiving testimony from Janet Woodcock, Acting Deputy
Commissioner for Operations, Food and Drug Administration, Department of
Health and Human Services; Cecil B. Wilson, American Medical Association,
Winter Park, Florida; Keith L. Carson, The Williamsburg BioProcessing
Foundation, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Raymond L. Woosley, University of
Arizona Critical Path Institute, Tucson; and Bruce M. Psaty, University of
Washington Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Seattle.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Terrence W. Boyle, of North Carolina, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, James C. Dever III, to be United States
District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and Robert J.
Conrad, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the Western District of
North Carolina, who were introduced by Senators Dole and Burr, 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: D174]
MEDICARE MODERNIZATION ACT
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act regarding delivering
prescription drugs to low-income beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and
Medicaid, dual eligibles, after receiving testimony from Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services; Tina Kitchin, Oregon Department of Human Services,
Salem; Carl Clark, Mental Health Center of Denver, Denver, Colorado; and Wendy
Gerlach, Roeschen's Omnicare Pharmacy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/04
Daily Digest - Friday, March 4, 2005; pages D179 - D186
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D181]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/07
Daily Digest - Monday, March 7, 2005; pages D188 - D192
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Appropriations: Committee announced the following subcommittee
assignments:
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies: Senators
Bennett (Chair), Cochran, Specter, Bond, McConnell, Burns, Craig, Brownback,
Kohl, Harkin, Dorgan, Feinstein, Durbin, Johnson, and Landrieu.
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science: Senators Shelby (Chair),
Gregg, Stevens, Domenici, McConnell, Hutchison, Brownback, Bond, Mikulski,
Inouye, Leahy, Kohl, Murray, Harkin, and Dorgan.
[Page: D190]
Subcommittee on Defense: Senators Stevens (Chair), Cochran, Specter, Domenici,
Bond, McConnell, Shelby, Gregg, Hutchison, Burns, Inouye, Byrd, Leahy, Harkin,
Dorgan, Durbin, Reid, Feinstein, and Mikulski.
Subcommittee on District of Columbia: Senators DeWine (Chair), Cochran,
Allard, Landrieu, and Durbin.
Subcommittee on Energy and Water: Senators Domenici (Chair), Cochran,
McConnell, Bennett, Burns, Craig, Bond, Hutchison, Allard, Reid, Byrd, Murray,
Dorgan, Feinstein, Johnson, Landrieu, and Inouye.
Subcommittee on Homeland Security: Senators Gregg (Chair), Cochran, Stevens,
Specter, Domenici, Shelby, Craig, Bennett, Allard, Byrd, Inouye, Leahy,
Mikulski, Kohl, Murray, Reid, and Feinstein.
Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies: Senators Burns (Chair),
Stevens, Cochran, Domenici, Bennett, Gregg, Craig, Allard, Dorgan, Byrd,
Leahy, Reid, Feinstein, Mikulski, and Kohl.
Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related
Agencies: Senators Specter (Chair), Cochran, Gregg, Craig, Hutchison, Stevens,
DeWine, Shelby, Harkin, Inouye, Reid, Kohl, Murray, Landrieu, and Durbin.
Subcommittee on Legislative Branch: Senators Brownback (Chair), DeWine,
Allard, Durbin, and Johnson.
Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs: Senators Hutchison
(Chair), Burns, Craig, DeWine, Brownback, Allard, McConnell, Feinstein,
Inouye, Johnson, Landrieu, Byrd, and Murray.
Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: Senators
McConnell (Chair), Specter, Gregg, Shelby, Bennett, Bond, DeWine, Brownback,
Leahy, Inouye, Harkin, Mikulski, Durbin, Johnson, and Landrieu.
Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, and Housing and Urban
Development: Senators Bond (Chair), Shelby, Specter, Bennett, Hutchison,
DeWine, Brownback, Stevens, Domenici, Burns, Murray, Byrd, Mikulski, Reid,
Kohl, Durbin, Dorgan, Leahy, and Harkin.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Michael Jackson, of Virginia, to be
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/08
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 8, 2005; pages D193 - D202
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, after receiving testimony from Sharon Brown-Hruska, Acting
Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Charles P. Carey, Chicago
Board of Trade, Terrence A. Duffy, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and Satish
Nandapurkar, Eurex US, all of Chicago, Illinois; James Newsome, New York
Mercantile Exchange, Inc., and Frederick W. Schoenhut, New York Board of
Trade, both of New York, New York; and John M. Damgard, Futures Industry
Association, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: On February 17, 2005, Committee adopted its rules
of procedure for the 109th Congress.
APPROPRIATIONS: NAVY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for defense
wide and navy budget overview, after receiving testimony from Tina W. Jonas,
Under Secretary (Comptroller), and Philip W. Grone, Deputy Under Secretary
(Installations and Environment), both of the Department of Defense; B.J. Penn,
Assistant Secretary (Installations and Environment), and Rear Admiral Wayne G.
Shears, Jr., Deputy Director, Ashore Readiness Division, both of the United
States Navy; and Brigadier General Willie J. Williams, Assistant Deputy
Commandant, Installations and Logistics (Facilities), United States Marine
Corps.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded an open and closed hearing to
examine military strategy and operational requirements in review of the
Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony
from Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, Commander, United States Pacific Command;
and General Leon J. LaPorte, USA, Commander, United Nations Command and
Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces Command Commander, United
States Forces Korea.
OPERATIONS IN IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to discuss current operations in Iraq from General George W. Casey,
Jr., USA, Commanding General, Multi-National Force--Iraq; and Peter W. Rodman,
Assistant of Defense for International Security Affairs.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 179, to provide for the exchange of
land within the Sierra National Forest, California, S. 213, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal land to Rio Arriba County,
New Mexico, S. 267, to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community
Self-Determination Act of 2000, S. 305, to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to recruit volunteers to assist with or facilitate the activities of
various agencies and offices of the Department of the Interior, S. 476, to
authorize the Boy Scouts of America to exchange certain land in the State of
Utah acquired under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, and S. 485, to
reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992, after
receiving testimony from Senator Hatch; Mark Rey, Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment; Christopher Kearney,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy Management and Budget;
Robert Douglas, Tehama County Schools, Red Bluff, California, on behalf of the
National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition; and Michael A. Francis,
Wilderness Society, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D196]
POWER GENERATION RESOURCES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine ways to encourage the diversification of power generation resources,
focusing on renewable portfolio standards (RPS) efforts among states and the
cost and benefits of a federal RPS program, and new approaches to promoting a
variety of clean power resources, such as wind, solar, clean coal technology
and nuclear power, after receiving testimony from David K. Garman, Assistant
Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Richard E.
Morgan, Commissioner, District of Columbia Public Service Commission, on
behalf of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; Ryan
H. Wiser, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California; Wayne
Brunetti, Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sonny Popowsky, Pennsylvania
Office of Consumer Advocate, Harrisburg, on behalf of National Association of
State Utility Consumer Advocates; Donald N. Furman, PacifiCorp, Portland,
Oregon; Kerry W. Bowers, Southern Company, Birmingham, Alabama; Alan Nogee,
Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Brian
O'Shaughnessy, Revere Copper Products, Rome, New York, on behalf of National
Association of Manufacturers.
PHYSICIAN-OWNED SPECIALITY HOSPITALS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine physician-owned
specialty hospitals, focusing on the effects that speciality hospitals have on
community hospitals, receiving testimony from Thomas A. Gustafson, Deputy
Director, Center for Medicare Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Glenn M. Hackbarth,
Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; Alan H. Pierrot, PSC Health,
Inc., Fresno, California, on behalf of American Surgical Hospital Association;
Larry Veitz, Lookout Memorial Hospital, Spearfish, South Dakota; and J. Andy
Sullivan, Oklahoma University Medical Center, Oklahoma City.
Hearing recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
BLACK SEA AREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on European Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine the current state of democracy in the Black Sea region and
the prospects for further democratic evolution in the area, after receiving
testimony from John F. Tefft, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs; and Bruce P. Jackson, Project on Transitional
Democracies, Vladimir Socor, Jamestown Foundation, and Zeyno Baran, The Nixon
Center, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Thomas B. Griffith, of Utah, to be United States Circuit Judge
for the District of Columbia Circuit, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Hatch and Bennett, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
TERRORISM AND EMP THREAT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and
Homeland Security concluded a hearing to examine terrorism and the
electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat to homeland security, after receiving
testimony from Peter M. Fonsah, Acting Deputy Manager, National Communications
Systems, Department of Homeland Security; and Lowell Wood, Acting Chairman,
and Peter V. Pry, both of the Congressional Commission to Assess the Threat to
the U.S. from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack.
527 REFORM ACT
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 271, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to clarify
when organizations described in section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 must register as political committees, after receiving testimony from
Senators Feingold and McCain; Scott E. Thomas, Chairman, and David M. Mason,
Commissioner, both of the Federal Election Commission; Frances R. Hill,
University of Miami School of Law, Coral Gables, Florida; and Robert F. Bauer,
Perkins Coie LLP, and Michael J. Malbin, Campaign Finance Institute, both of
Washington, D.C.
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: D197]
Joint Meetings
HUMAN RIGHTS IN EUROPE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the challenges facing the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2005, focusing on
security and human rights, after receiving testimony from Dimitrij Rupel,
Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia.
2005/03/09
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 9, 2005; pages D204 - D214
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: ARMY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Army, after
receiving testimony from Francis J. Harvey, Secretary, and General Peter J.
Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, both of the Army.
DEFENSE: AIR FORCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded a hearing to examine the Department of Defense science and
technology budget and strategy, after receiving testimony from Ronald M. Sega,
Director, Defense Research and Engineering; Thomas H. Killion, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology, Chief Scientist;
Rear Admiral Jay M. Cohen, USN, Chief of Naval Research; James B. Engle,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology, and
Engineering; and Anthony J. Tether, Director, Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency.
SECURITIES INDUSTRY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the state of the securities industry, focusing on recent
initiatives regarding market structure, credit rating agencies, mutual funds
and the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, after receiving
testimony from William H. Donaldson, Chairman, Securities and Exchange
Commission.
NOMINATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of Ronald Rosenfeld, of Oklahoma, to be a Director of
the Federal Housing Finance Board.
2006 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee met to mark up a proposed concurrent
resolution setting forth the fiscal year 2006 budget for the Federal
Government, but did not complete consideration thereon, and will meet again
tomorrow.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Patricia Lynn Scarlett, of California, to be Deputy
Secretary of the Interior, and Jeffrey Clay Sell, of Texas, to be Deputy
Secretary of Energy, who was introduced by Senator Hutchison, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee completed its markup of
S. 131, 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, following which a tie vote
occurred, therefore the committee was unable to report the bill.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
An original bill entitled the "Personal Responsibility and Individual
Development for Everyone (PRIDE) Act"; and
The nominations of Harold Damelin, of Virginia, to be Inspector General,
Department of the Treasury, and Raymond Thomas Wagner, Jr., of Missouri, to be
a Member of the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BUDGET
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2006 for the Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Michael Jackson, of Virginia, to be
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
[Page: D207]
S. 250, to amend the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of
1998 to improve the Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 525, to amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to
reauthorize the Act, to improve early learning opportunities and promote
school preparedness;
S. 172, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the
regulation of all contact lenses as medical devices; and
S. 544, 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 effect patient safety.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
S. 147, to express 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; and
S. 536, to make technical corrections to laws relating to Native Americans.
INDIAN TRUST REFORM
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine trust management reform within the Department of the Interior, after
receiving testimony from James Cason, Acting Assistant Secretary for Indian
Affairs, and Ross O. Swimmer, Special Trustee for American Indians, both of
the Department of the Interior; Tex G. Hall, National Congress of American
Indians, and Keith Harper, Native American Rights Fund, both of Washington,
D.C.; Jim Gray, Intertribal Monitoring Association on Indian Trust funds,
Albuquerque, New Mexico; Charles C. Colombe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South
Dakota, Rosebud; and Darrell Hillaire, Lummi Indian Nation, Bellingham,
Washington, on behalf of the California Tribal Trust Reform Consortium.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
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
from John Furgess, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington,
D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/10
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 10, 2005; pages D215 - D224
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the reauthorization of the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, after receiving testimony from Jeffrey C. Sprecher,
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia; Robert G. Pickel,
International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., New York, New York;
Daniel J. Roth, National Futures Association, Chicago, Illinois; and Oliver I.
Ireland, Morrison and Forester, LLP, on behalf of Huntsman Corporation, John
G. Gaine, Managed Funds Association, and Micah S. Green, The Bond Market
Association, all of Washington, D.C.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006
for the Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from Gale A.
Norton, Secretary of the Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
Environmental Management and Radioactive Waste Management in the Department of
Energy, after receiving testimony from Paul M. Golan, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, and Theodore J. Garrish,
Deputy Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, both of the
Department of Energy.
APPROPRIATIONS: FOSTER CARE INITIATIVES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for funding
for Federal foster care initiatives in the District of Columbia, after
receiving testimony from Brenda Donald Walker, District of Columbia Child and
Family Services Agency; Martha B. Knisley, District of Columbia Department of
Mental Health; Lee F. Sattefield, Family Court of District of Columbia
Superior Court; Judith Metzler, Center for the Study of Social Policy, and
Margie Chalofsky, Foster and Adoptive Family Advocacy Center, both of
Washington, D.C.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DETENTION OPERATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
review of Department of Defense detention operations and detainee
interrogation techniques, after receiving testimony from Vice Admiral Albert
T. Church III, USN, Director of the Navy Staff.
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held hearings to
examine recent developments involving the security of sensitive consumer
information relating to identity theft, focusing on laws currently applicable
to resellers of consumer information, receiving testimony from Senator Leahy;
Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission; Larry Johnson,
Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Investigative Division, United States Secret
Service, Department of Homeland Security; Amy S. Friend, Assistant Chief
Counsel, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the
Treasury.
Hearings recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
[Page: D218]
2006 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
concurrent resolution setting forth the fiscal year 2006 budget for the
Federal Government.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 148, to establish a United States Boxing Commission to administer the Act;
S. 361, to develop and maintain an integrated system of ocean and coastal
observations for the Nation's coasts, oceans and Great Lakes, improve warnings
of tsunamis and other natural hazards, enhance homeland security, support
maritime operations;
S. 39, to establish a coordinated national ocean exploration program within
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
S. 362, to establish a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and the United States Coast Guard to help identify, determine
sources of, assess, reduce, and prevent marine debris and its adverse impacts
on the marine environment and navigation safety, in coordination with
non-Federal entities, with an amendment;
S. 50, to authorize and strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's tsunami detection, forecast, warning, and mitigation program,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 268, to provide competitive grants for training court reporters and closed
captioners to meet requirements for realtime writers under the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, with amendments; and
Nominations in the Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Also, Committee adopted its rules of procedures for the 109th Congress.
Joint Meetings
MIDDLE EAST DEMOCRACY
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): On
Wednesday, March 9, 2005, Commission concluded a hearing to examine the
Russian-Syrian connection and threats to democracy in the Middle East and the
great OSCE region, after receiving testimony from Senator Sam Brownback;
Representatives Christopher H. Smith and Benjamin L. Cardin; Walid Phares,
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, on behalf of the Foundation for the
Defense of Democracies; Farid N. Ghadry, Reform Party of Syria, Ilan Berman,
American Foreign Policy Council, and Steven Emerson, The Investigative
Project, all of Washington, D.C.; and Entifadh K. Qanbar, United Iraqi
Alliance, Baghdad, Iraq.
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 Robert N. Lichtenberger, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Springfield,
Virginia; Randy L. Pleva, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America, Louis Abramson,
Jewish War Veterans, and Neil Appleby, Blinded Veterans Association, all of
Washington, D.C.; and H. Gene Overstreet, Non-Commissioned Officers
Association, San Antonio, Texas.
2005/03/11
Daily Digest - Friday, March 11, 2005; pages D226 - D232
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
Nominations
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of R. Nicholas Burns, of Massachusetts, to be an Under Secretary
of State (Political Affairs), C. David Welch, of Virginia, a Career Member of
the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be an Assistant
Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs), and John B. Bellinger, of Virginia,
to be Legal Adviser of the Department of State, who were introduced by Senator
Warner, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
[Page: D227]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/14
Daily Digest - Monday, March 14, 2005; pages D233 - D238
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TERRORIST TRAVEL
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship with the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded a hearing to examine strengthening enforcement and border
security, focusing on the 9/11 Commission staff report on terrorist travel,
after receiving testimony from Elaine Dezenski, Acting Assistant Secretary for
Border and Transportation Security for Policy and Planning, and Thomas J.
Walters, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Training and Development, Customs
and Border Protection, both of the Department of Homeland Security; Doris
Meissner, Migration Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Janice L. Kephart,
The Investigative Project on Terrorism, Mount Vernon, Virginia.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/15
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 15, 2005; pages D239 - D248
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine school nutrition programs, focusing on the elimination of
reduced price meals, the Summer Food Service Program, and nutrition education
and promotion, after receiving testimony from Senator Dole; Dora Rivas, Dallas
Independent School District, Dallas, Texas; Annette Bomar Hopgood, Georgia
Department of Education, Atlanta; Karen Johnson, Child Nutrition Programs,
Yuma, Arizona, on behalf of the School Nutrition Association; and Ruth Jonen,
Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Illinois.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans' Affairs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, after receiving
testimony from R. James Nicholson, Secretary, Jonathan B. Perlin, Acting Under
Secretary for Health, Veterans' Health Administration, Vice Admiral Daniel L.
Cooper (USN Ret.), Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits
Administration, Richard A. Wannemacher, Acting Under Secretary for Memorial
Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, Tim McClain, General Counsel, and
Rita A. Reed, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, all of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Labor,
after receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury,
Judiciary and Housing and Urban Development concluded a hearing to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of
Transportation, after receiving testimony from Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of
Transportation.
[Page: D241]
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Science, and
the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology in the Department of
Energy, after receiving testimony from David Garman, Assistant Secretary,
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Raymond L. Orbach, Director,
Office of Science, and William D. Magwood, IV, Director, Office of Nuclear
Energy, Science and Technology, all of Department of Energy.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: MILITARY STRATEGY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine military
strategy and operational requirements from combatant commanders in review of
the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving
testimony from General Bantz J. Craddock, USA, Commander, U.S. Southern
Command; and Admiral Timothy J. Keating, USN, Commander, U.S. Northern
Command.
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Anthony Joseph Principi, of California, to be a Member of the
Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, after the nominee testified
and answered questions in his own behalf.
HERITAGE AREA BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Nationals Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 175, to establish the Bleeding Kansas and
Enduring Struggle for Freedom National Heritage Area, S. 322, to establish the
Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership in the States of Vermont and
New York, S. 323, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the
suitability and feasibility of designating the French Colonial Heritage Area
in the State of Missouri as a unit of the National Park System, and S. 429, to
establish the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area in the State of
Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, after receiving testimony
from Janet Snyder Matthews, Associate Director, Cultural Resources, National
Park Service, Department of the Interior; James Baker, Missouri Department of
Natural Resources, St. Genevieve; Judy Billings, Kansas Chamber of Commerce,
Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lawrence; Ronald D. Jones, Upper Housatonic
Valley National Heritage Area, Inc., Salisbury, Connecticut; Ann Cousins,
Preservation Trust of Vermont, Burlington; John W. Cosgrove, Alliance of
National Heritage Areas, Scranton, Pennsylvania; and J. Peyton Knight,
American Policy Center, and American Land Rights Association, Warrenton,
Virginia.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Howard J. Krongard, of New Jersey, to be Inspector General,
Department of State, after the nominee answered questions in his own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Joseph R. DeTrani, of Virginia, for the rank of Ambassador
during his tenure of service as Special Envoy for the Six Party Talks, John
Thomas Schieffer, of Texas, to be Ambassador to Japan, who was introduced by
Senator Hutchison, and Christopher R. Hill, of Rhode Island, to be an
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, after each
nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Howard J. Krongard, of New Jersey, to be Inspector General,
Department of State, Joseph R. DeTrani, of Virginia, for the rank of
Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Envoy for the Six Party
Talks, John Thomas Schieffer, of Texas, to be Ambassador to Japan, Christopher
R. Hill, of Rhode Island, to be an Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian
and Pacific Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns, of Massachusetts, to be an Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs, C. David Welch, of Virginia, to be
an Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, John B. Bellinger,
of Virginia, to be Legal Adviser of the Department of State, David B. Balton,
of the District of Columbia, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of
service as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and Fisheries,
Rudolph E. Boschwitz, of Minnesota, for the rank of Ambassador during his
tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the
Human Rights Commission of the Economic and Social Council of the United
Nations, and promotion lists in the Foreign Service.
NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of
Columbia concluded an oversight hearing to examine ensuring the success of the
National Security Personnel System, focusing on the proposed regulations
jointly published by the Department of Defense and Office of Personnel
Management for the National Security Personnel System regarding management of
the department and for civil service reform across the Federal government,
after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General,
Government Accountability Office; Charles S. Abell, Principal Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; George Nesterczuk, Senior
Advisor to the Director on Department of Defense, Office of Personnel
Management; Richard Oppedisano, Federal Managers Association, Alexandria,
Virginia; and John Gage, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO,
Washington, D.C., and Gregory J. Junemann, International Federation of
Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO and CLC, Silver Spring,
Maryland, both on behalf of the United DOD Workers' Coalition.
[Page: D242]
OPEN GOVERNMENT ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded a hearing to examine S. 394, to promote accessibility,
accountability, and openness in Government by strengthening section 552 of
title 5, United States Code (the OPEN Government Act), and S. 589, to
establish the Commission on Freedom of Information Act Processing Delays,
after receiving testimony from Katherine M. "Missy" Cary, Office of the Texas
Attorney General, Austin; Mark Tapscott, The Heritage Foundation, Lisa Graves,
American Civil Liberties Union, Meredith Fuchs, George Washington University
National Security Archive, and Thomas M. Susman, Ropes and Gray LLP, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Walter Mears, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY MERGERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
SBC/ATT and Verizon/MCI mergers relating to remaking the telecommunications
industry, after receiving testimony from Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., SBC
Communications Inc., San Antonio, Texas; Ivan G. Seidenberg, Verizon
Communications, Inc., New York, New York; David Dorman, AT&T Corporation,
Bedminister, New Jersey; and Michael D. Capellas, MCI, Inc., Ashburn,
Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
RETIREMENT
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
economics of retirement, focusing on the aging population, after receiving
testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve Board.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/16
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 16, 2005; pages D249 - D258
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NAVY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Navy, after
receiving testimony from Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy, Admiral
Vern Clark, USN, Chief of Naval Operations, and General Michael W. Hagee,
Commandant of Marine Corps, all of the Department of Defense.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Health and Human Services, after
receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human
Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: ARMY AND AIR FORCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2006 for the Army and Air Force, after receiving testimony from
Geoffrey G. Prosch, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Installations and
Environment, Major General Geoffrey D. Miller, Assistant Chief of Staff,
Installation Management, Major General Walter F. Pudlowski, Special Assistant
to the Director, Army National Guard, and Brigadier General Gary M. Profit,
Deputy Chief, Army Reserve, all of the Department of the Army; and Fred W.
Kuhn, Acting Assistant Secretary for Installations, Logistics, and
Environment, and Major General L. Dean Fox, The Air Force Civil Engineer,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, both of the Department
of the Air Force.
[Page: D251]
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: ARMY TRANSFORMATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a hearing to
examine Army Transformation and the Future Combat System in review of the
Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony
from Claude M. Bolton, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition,
Logistics, and Technology; General Richard A. Cody, USA, Vice Chief of Staff,
U.S. Army; Paul L. Francis, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management,
Government Accountability Office; David R. Graham, Institute for Defense
Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia; and Kenneth F. Boehm, National Legal and
Policy Center, Falls Church, Virginia.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST: NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE POLICY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine national
security space policy and programs in review of the Defense Authorization
request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from Peter B. Teets,
Acting Secretary of the Air Force; General James E. Cartwright, USMC,
Commander, United States Strategic Command; General Lance W. Lord, USAF,
Commander, United States Air Force Space Command; Lieutenant General Larry J.
Dodgen, USA, Commanding General, United States Army Space and Missile Defense
Command, and United States Army Forces Strategic Command; and Vice Admiral
Joseph A. Sestak, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Warfare
Requirements and Programs.
IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and the evolving IED threat and
the Department of Defense's approach to addressing this issue from General
Richard A. Cody, USA, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army, Brigadier
General Joseph L. Votel, USA, Director, Joint IED Task Force, and Robert
Buhrkuhi, Director, Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics).
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: On March 15, 2005, Committee
concluded hearings to examine identity theft, focusing on recent developments
involving the security of sensitive consumer information, after receiving
testimony from Don McGuffey, ChoicePoint, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia; Evan
Hendricks, Privacy Times, Cabin John, Maryland; and Barbara J. Desoer, Bank of
America Corporate Center, Charlotte, North Carolina.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Jeffrey Clay Sell, of Texas, to be Deputy
Secretary of Energy, and Patricia Lynn Scarlett, of California, to be Deputy
Secretary of the Interior.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 606, 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; and
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of
2005, with amendments.
EXPIRING TAX PROVISIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine expiring tax
provisions, focusing on the Administration's proposals to extend expiring tax
provisions, receiving testimony from Robert J. Carroll, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Analysis; Hy L. Dubowsky, New York State
Department of Labor, Albany; Daniel L. Doctoroff, New York Deputy Mayor for
Economic Development and Rebuilding, New York; Donald C. Alexander, Akin,
Gump, Strauss, Hauer, and Feld LLP, Washington, D.C.; David E. Martin, M-CAM,
Charlottesville, Virginia; David Hernandez, EDS, Plano, Texas, on behalf of
the R&D Credit Coalition; and Dale Giovengo, Giant Eagle Markets, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
Hearings recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
ARMS EMBARGO ON CHINA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
lifting of the European Union (EU) arms embargo on China, focusing on United
States-EU-China relations, trans-Atlantic differences, the emergence of China
as a more powerful global and regional player, Chinese military modernization,
and the future security and stability in East Asia, after receiving testimony
from Richard F. Grimmett, Specialist in National Defense, Congressional
Research Service, Library of Congress; Peter T.R. Brookes, Heritage
Foundation, and Bates Gill, Center for Strategic and International Studies,
both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D252]
OBSCENITY PROSECUTION AND THE CONSTITUTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and
Property Rights concluded a hearing to examine obscenity prosecution and the
constitution, focusing on prostitution, child prostitution, and human
trafficking, after receiving testimony from Robert A. Destro, Catholic
University of America Columbus School of Law, and Patrick A. Trueman, Family
Research Council, both of Washington, D.C.; and Frederick Schauer, Harvard
University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/17
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 17, 2005; pages D260 - D270
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine current and future worldwide threats to the national security of the
United States, after receiving testimony from Porter J. Goss, Director of
Central Intelligence; and Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby, USN, Director,
Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of John Paul Woodley, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Secretary of the Army, James William Carr, of Arkansas, George M. Dennison, of
Montana, and Kiron Kanina Skinner, of Pennsylvania, each to be a Member of the
National Security Education Board, Anthony Joseph Principi, of California, to
be a Member of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, and 5,664
nominations in the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
[Page: D265]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill entitled "The Federal Public Transportation Act of
2005".
COAST GUARD BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Fisheries and Coast Guard concluded a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2006 for the Coast Guard Operational
Readiness/Mission Balance, after receiving testimony from Admiral Thomas H.
Collins, Commandant, and Master Chief Petty Officer Franklin A. Welch, both of
the United States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security; and Margaret
T. Wrightson, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of
Daniel R. Levinson, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, Department of Health
and Human Services.
NOMINATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Lester M. Crawford, of Maryland, to be
Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 188, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to authorize
appropriations for fiscal years 2005 through 2011 to carry out the State
Criminal Alien Assistance Program;
S. 589, to establish the Commission on Freedom of Information Act Processing
Delays; and
The nominations of William Gerry Myers III, of Idaho, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, Paul A. Crotty, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of New York, and J. Michael
Seabright, to be United States District Judge for the District of Hawaii.
Also, committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Administrative Oversights and the Courts: Senators Sessions
(Chairman), Specter, Grassley, Kyl, Schumer, Feinstein, and Feingold.
Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights: Senators
DeWine (Chairman), Specter, Hatch, Grassley, Graham, Brownback, Kohl, Leahy,
Biden, Feingold, and Schumer.
Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights: Senators
Brownback (Chair), Specter, Graham, Cornyn, Coburn, Feingold, Kennedy,
Feinstein, and Durbin.
Subcommittee on Corrections and Rehabilitations: Senators Coburn (Chairman),
Specter, Sessions, Cornyn, Brownback, Durbin, Leahy, Biden, and Feingold.
Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs: Senators Graham (Chairman), Grassley, Kyl,
DeWine, Sessions, Coburn, Biden, Kohl, Feinstein, Feingold, and Schumer.
Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship: Senators Cornyn
(Chairman), Grassley, Kyl, DeWine, Sessions, Brownback, Coburn, Kennedy,
Biden, Feinstein, Feingold, Schumer, and Durbin.
Subcommittee on Intellectual Property: Senators Hatch (Chairman), Kyl, DeWine,
Graham, Cornyn, Brownback, Coburn, Leahy, Kennedy, Biden, Feinstein, Kohl, and
Durbin.
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security: Senators Kyl
(Chairman), Hatch, Grassley, Cornyn, DeWine, Sessions, Graham, Feinstein,
Kennedy, Biden, Kohl, Feingold and Durbin.
VETERANS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
report entitled, "Back from the Battlefield: Are we providing the proper care
for America's Wounded Warriors?", after receiving testimony from Jonathan B.
Perlin, Acting Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health; Major General
Kenneth L. Farmer, Jr., Commanding General, North Atlantic Regional Medical
Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, United States Army; Cynthia A.
Bascetta, Director, Health Care--Veterans', Health and Benefits Issues,
Government Accountability Office; Major Tammy Duckworth, United States Army
National Guard; Joseph J. Costello, Vista Vet Center, Vista, California; and
David J. Hosking, Vet Center, Madison, Wisconsin.
[Page: D266]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/19
Daily Digest - Saturday, March 19, 2005; pages D271 - D272
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/03/20
Daily Digest - Sunday, March 20, 2005; pages D274 - D275
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/04
Daily Digest - Monday, April 4, 2005; pages D277 - D284
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded open
and closed hearings to examine strategic forces and nuclear weapons issues in
review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after
receiving testimony from General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander, United
States Strategic Command; and Ambassador Linton F. Brooks, Administrator,
National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/05
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 5, 2005; pages D286 - D292
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine active component, reserve component, and civilian personnel programs
in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after
receiving testimony from David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness; Lieutenant General Franklin L. Hagenbeck, 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
H.P. Osman, USMC, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, United
States Marine Corps; Lieutenant General Roger A. Brady, USAF, Deputy Chief of
Staff, Personnel, United States Air Force; Colonel Steven P. Strobridge, USAF
(Ret.), Military Officers Association of America, on behalf of the Military
Coalition, and Joyce Wessel Raezer, National Military Family Association, both
of Alexandria, Virginia; and Deirder Parke Holleman, National Military and
Veterans Alliance, Springfield, Virginia.
HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine concluded a hearing to examine the
reauthorization of the safety programs in the Transportation Equity Act for
21st Century (TEA-21), focusing on highway, motor carrier and hazardous
materials transportation safety, and transportation of household goods, after
receiving testimony from Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General, Jeffrey W. Runge,
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Annette
Sandberg, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and
Stacey L. Gerard, Acting Assistant Administrator/Chief Safety Officer,
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, all of the Department
of Transportation.
CHARITABLE GIVING
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine proposals for reform
regarding charities and charitable giving, receiving testimony from George K.
Yin, Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; Jane G. Gravelle, Senior
Specialist in Economic Policy, Congressional Research Service, Library of
Congress; Mark W. Everson, Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service,
Department of the Treasury; Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch, St. Paul;
Richard Johnson, Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis, PLLC, Nashville, Tennessee;
David Kuo, Beliefnet.com, New York, New York; Brian A. Gallagher, United Way
of America, Alexandria, Virginia; and Diana Aviv, Independent Sector,
Washington, D.C., and Leon E. Panetta, California State University Panetta
Institute, Long Beach, both on behalf of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector.
[Page: D288]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and
Modernization Act of 2003, focusing on new Medicare Advantage (MA) plan
options and voluntary Medicare prescription drug coverage, after receiving
testimony from Mark B. McClellan, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Ann Womer
Benjamin, Director, Ohio Department of Insurance, Columbus; and Marcia Marsh,
Partnership for Public Service, Washington, D.C.
HEAD START
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Education
and Early Childhood Development held a hearing to examine Head Start, focusing
on ensuring dollars benefit children relating to the effectiveness of the
oversight by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for
Children and Families in identifying and resolving financial management
weaknesses in Head Start grantees, after receiving testimony from Wade Horn,
Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Administration for
Children and Families; Marnie Shaul, Director, Educating and Protecting
Children, Government Accountability Office; A.C. Wharton, Mayor of Shelby
County, Memphis, Tennessee; Yvonne Gates, Center for Academic Enrichment and
Outreach, Clark County, Nevada; Jim Caccamo, Metropolitan Council on Early
Learning, Kansas City, Missouri; and Olivia Golden, Urban Institute,
Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
LYTTON RANCHERIA TRIBAL LANDS STATUS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held a hearing to examine S. 113, to
modify the date as of which certain tribal land of the Lytton Rancheria of
California is deemed to be held in trust, receiving testimony from Senator
Feinstein; Representative George Miller; George T. Skibine, Acting Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy and Economic Development for
Indian Affairs; California State Assemblymember Loni Hancock, Sacramento;
Sharon J. Brown and Brock Arner, both of the City of San Pablo, San Pablo,
California; Margie Mejia, Lytton Band of Pomo Indians, Santa Rosa, California;
and Mark Macarro, Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, Temecula,
California.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
USA PATRIOT ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act, focusing on renewing key
provisions in the USA PATRIOT ACT that have been integral in the Federal
Government's prosecution of the war on terrorism, after receiving testimony
from Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, and Robert S. Mueller III,
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, both of the Department of Justice.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
[Page: D289]
2005/04/06
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 6, 2005; pages D294 - D302
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Charles F. Conner, of Indiana, to be
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senator Lugar, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the National Institutes of Health, after
receiving testimony from Elias Zerhouni, Director, National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Resources.
APPROPRIATIONS: AIR FORCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Air Force,
after receiving testimony from Michael L. Dominguez, Acting Secretary for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and General John P. Jumper, Chief of Staff, both
of the U.S. Air Force.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported H.R. 1268,
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2005, to establish and rapidly implement regulations for State
driver's license and identification document security standards, to prevent
terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United States, to unify
terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and removal, to ensure
expeditious construction of the San Diego border fence, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute.
ORGANIZATIONAL
Committee on Appropriations: Committee announced the following subcommittee
assignments:
Subcommittee on District of Columbia: Senators Brownback (Chairman), DeWine,
Allard, Landrieu, and Durbin.
Subcommittee on Energy and Water, and Related Agencies: Senators Domenici
(Chairman), Cochran, McConnell, Bennett, Burns, Craig, Bond, Hutchison,
Allard, Reid, Byrd, Murray, Dorgan, Feinstein, Johnson, Landrieu, and Inouye.
Subcommittee on Legislative Branch: Senators Allard (Chairman), Cochran,
DeWine, Durbin, and Johnson.
Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related
Agencies: Senators Hutchison (Chairman), Burns, Craig, DeWine, Brownback,
Allard, McConnell, Feinstein, Inouye, Johnson, Landrieu, Byrd, and Murray.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST: MILITARY INSTALLATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine military installation programs in review of the
Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony
from Phillip W. Grone, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and
Environment; Geoffrey G. Prosch, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Installations and Environment; B.J. Penn, Assistant Secretary of the
Navy for Installations and Environment; and Nelson F. Gibbs, Assistant
Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Logistics.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: TACTICAL AVIATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a hearing to
examine tactical aviation programs in review of the Defense Authorization
request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from Joseph E.
Schmitz, Inspector General, Department of Defense; Michael J. Sullivan,
Acquisition and Sourcing Management, General Accountability Office;
Christopher Bolkcom, Specialist on National Defense, Congressional Research
Service, Library of Congress; Michael W. Wynne, Acting Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; John J. Young, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Research, Development and Acquisition, and Vice
Admiral Joseph A. Sestak, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for
Warfare, Requirements, and Programs, both of the United States Navy; Major
General Stanley Gorenc, USAF, Director, Operational Capabilities and
Requirements, United States Air Force; and Brigadier General Martin Post,
USMC, Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation, United States Marine Corps.
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the role of housing-related government-sponsored
enterprises (GSEs) in our economy, focusing on promoting mortgage
securitization, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
[Page: D297]
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nomination of David Garman, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of
Energy, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Stephen L. Johnson, of Maryland, to be
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Luis Luna, of Maryland,
to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for
Administration and Resource Management, John Paul Woodley, Jr., of Virginia,
to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Major General Don T.
Riley, United States Army, to be a Member and President of the Mississippi
River Commission, Brigadier General William T. Grisoli, United States Army, to
be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission, and D. Michael Rappoport, of
Arizona, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall
Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NON-AMBULATORY PERSONS HEALTH CARE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine health care provided to non-ambulatory persons, focusing on
the medical, scientific, and ethical issues involved in the diagnosis,
treatment, and decision-making for patients with disorders of consciousness
resulting from severe brain damage, after receiving testimony from Rud
Turnbull, University of Kansas Beach Center on Disability, Lawrence; James L.
Bernat, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire, on behalf of the
American Academy of Neurology; Deborah L. Warden, Defense and Veterans Head
Injury Program, Washington, D.C.; and J. Donald Schumacher, National Hospice
and Palliative Care Association, Alexandria, Virginia.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
Joint Meetings
SCHNEERSON COLLECTION
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the efforts of the Chabad community
and the U.S. Government to recover the "Schneerson Collection" of sacred and
irreplaceable Jewish books and manuscripts from the Russian Government, after
receiving testimony from Ambassador Edward B. O'Donnell, Jr., Special Envoy
for Holocaust Issues, Department of State; Boruch Shlomo Cunin, Los Angeles,
California, Isaac Kogan, Moscow, Russia, and Sholom Ber Levinson, and Yehuda
Krinsky, both of Brooklyn, New York, all of Agudas Chasidel Chabad-Lubavitch;
Marshall B. Grossman, Alschuler Grossman Stein and Kahan, LLP, Santa Monica,
California; Yosef Aronoc, Chabad, Ksar Chabad, Israel; Leon Fuerth, The George
Washington University, Washington, D.C.; Jon Voight, Los Angeles, California;
and Joseph Wineberg, Miami, Florida.
2005/04/07
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 7, 2005; pages D303 - D310
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
Internal Revenue Service, after receiving testimony from Mark W. Everson,
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, and J. Russell George, Treasury
Inspector General for Tax Administration, both of the Department of the
Treasury.
APPROPRIATIONS: CORPS OF ENGINEERS/BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water, and Related
Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2006 for Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation, after receiving
testimony from John Paul Woodley, Jr., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
the Army for Civil Works; Lieutenant General Carl A. Strock, Chief of
Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and R. Tomas Weimer, Acting Assistant
Secretary for Water and Science, and John W. Keys, III, Commissioner, both of
the Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior.
[Page: D304]
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine Ballistic Missile Defense Programs in review of the Defense
Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from
Michael W. Wynne, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics; General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander, United
States Strategic Command; David W. Duma, Acting Director, Operational Test and
Evaluation, Department of Defense; and Lieutenant General Henry A. Obering,
III, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency.
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine regulatory reform of the Government-Sponsored Enterprises,
focusing on the Administration's views on how best to improve and reform
regulatory oversight of the housing government-sponsored enterprises, after
receiving testimony from John W. Snow, Secretary of the Treasury; and Alphonso
Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
NOMINATION
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Jonathan Brian Perlin, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for Health, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator
Thune, testified and answered questions in his 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.
Joint Meetings
KYRGYZSTAN REVOLUTION
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the recent revolution in Kyrgyzstan
and the prospects now for consolidating democracy, focusing on the
implications for Central Asia, Belarus, Russia and the United States, after
receiving testimony from Martha Olcott, Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, and Daniel Kimmage, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Zamira Sydykova, Res Publica, and Yulia Savchenko,
Pyramid TV, both of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
2005/04/08
Daily Digest - Friday, April 8, 2005; pages D311 - D312
[Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/11
Daily Digest - Monday, April 11, 2005; pages D313 - D316
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded a hearing to examine the Chemical Demilitarization Program of the
Department of Defense in review of the Defense Authorization Request for
fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from Michael W. Wynne, Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; Claude M.
Bolton, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Technology and
Logistics; Donald A. Mahley, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of
Arms Control; Dale E. Klein, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Nuclear
and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs.
[Page: D314]
UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND EXEMPTION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 241, to amend section 254 of the Communications Act of
1934 to provide that funds received as universal service contributions and the
universal service support programs established pursuant to that section are
not subject to certain provisions of title 31, United States Code, commonly
known as the Antideficiency Act, after receiving testimony from Austin C.
Schlick, Acting General Counsel, and Lisa Gelb, Deputy Bureau Chief, Wireline
Competition Bureau, both of the Federal Communications Commission; Patricia A.
Dalton, Managing Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government
Accountability Office; Brian L. Talbott, Universal Service Administrative
Company, Denver, Colorado; Sheryl Abshire, Calcasieu ParishPublic Schools,
Lake Charles, Louisiana; and Steve Hamlen, United Utilities, Inc., Anchorage,
Alaska.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee began a hearing to examine the
nominations of John Robert Bolton, of Maryland, to be U.S. Representative to
United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador and U.S. Representative
in the Security Council of the United Nations, and Representative to the
Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of
service as Representative of the United States of America to the United
Nations, where the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
Hearings will continue tomorrow.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/12
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 12, 2005; pages D317 - D324
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates
for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Agriculture, after receiving
testimony from Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture.
IRAQI SECURITY FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding assessment of Iraqi Security Forces from General Gary E.
Luck, USA (Ret.), Peter W. Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Affairs, Lieutenant General Raymond T. Odierno, USA,
Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lieutenant General
Walter L. Sharp, USA, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, The Joint
Staff.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower concluded closed and
open hearings to examine Navy shipbuilding and industrial base status in
review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after
receiving testimony from Admiral Vernon E. Clark, USN, Chief of Naval
Operations, United States Navy; Ronald O'Rourke, National Defense Specialist,
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Michael W. Toner, General
Dynamics Corporation, Falls Church, Virginia; and Philip A. Dur, Northrop
Grumman Ship Systems, Pascagoula, Mississippi.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Michael D. Griffin, of Virginia, to be
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who was
introduced by Senators Mikulski and Sarbanes; Joseph H. Boardman, of New York,
to be Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, Department of
Transportation, who was introduced by Senator Schumer; Nancy Ann Nord, of the
District of Columbia, to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety
Commission, and William Cobey, of North Carolina, to be a Member of the Board
of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, who was
introduced by Senators Dole and Burr, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
OIL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine developing a reliable supply of oil from domestic oil shale and oil
sands resources, focusing on opportunities to advance technology that will
facilitate environmentally friendly development of oil shale and oil sands
resources, after receiving testimony from Mark Maddox, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy; Ted Barna, Assistant Deputy
Under Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Technology;
Thomas Lonnie, Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty, and Resource Protection,
Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; Russell George,
Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Denver; Stephen Mut, Shell
Exploration and Production Company, Washington, D.C.; Jim Evans, Associated
Governments of Northwestern Colorado, Rifle; and Steve Smith, The Wilderness
Society, Denver, Colorado.
NATIONAL MALL
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine management and planning issues for the National
Mall, including the history of the development, security projects and other
planned construction, and future development plans, after receiving testimony
from John Parsons, Associate Regional Director, Lands, Resources, and
Planning, National Capital Region, National Park Service, Department of the
Interior; and W. Kent Cooper, National Mall Third Century Initiative, John V.
Cogbill, III, National Capital Planning Commission, and David M. Childs,
Commission of Fine Arts, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of John Robert Bolton, of Maryland, to be U.S. Representative to
United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador and U.S. Representative
in the Security Council of the United Nations, and Representative to the
Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of
service as Representative of the United States of America to the United
Nations, after the nominee further testified and answered questions in his own
behalf. Testimony was also received from Carl W. Ford, Jr., former Assistant
Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research.
[Page: D319]
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded open and closed hearings
to examine the nomination of John D. Negroponte, of New York, to be Director
of National Intelligence, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator
Stevens, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
RETIREMENT PLANS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the role
of employer-sponsored retirement plans in increasing national savings,
focusing on 401(k) plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and financial
literacy, after receiving testimony from Mark J. Warshawsky, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy; and J. Mark Iwry, The Brookings
Institution, C. Eugene Steuerle, The Urban Institute, and James A. Klein,
American Benefits Council, and John M. Kimpel, Fidelity Investments, all of
Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/13
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 13, 2005; pages D326 - D336
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year, after receiving
testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from Emily
Reynolds, Secretary of the Senate; and Alan Hantman, Architect of the Capitol.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates
for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their
respective activities from Keith Collins, Chief Economist, J.B. Penn, Under
Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, Mark Rey, Under
Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Gilbert Gonzalez, Acting
Under Secretary for Rural Development, and Joseph Jen, Under Secretary for
Research, Education, and Economics, all of the Department of Agriculture.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine high risk areas in the management of the
Department of Defense in review of the Defense Authorization Request for
fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller
General of the United States, Government Accountability Office; Michael W.
Wynne, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and
Logistics; and Robert J. Henke, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense(Comptroller).
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine active and Reserve military and civilian personnel programs in review
of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving
testimony from Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve
Affairs; Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, ARNG, 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 G. Cotton, USNR, Chief, Naval Reserve; Lieutenant General Dennis
M. McCarthy, USMCR, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Lieutenant General
John A. Bradley, USAFR, Chief, Air Force Reserve.
FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK SYSTEM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Federal Home Loan Bank System, focusing on changes and
current issues affecting the system, including the promotion of housing and
community development generally by making loans, also known as advances, to
member financial institutions, after receiving testimony from Thomas J.
McCool, Managing Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment,
Government Accountability Office; George L. Engelke, Jr., Astoria Federal
Savings and Loan Association, Lake Success, New York, on behalf of the Federal
Home Loan Bank of New York; Paul Clabuesch, Thumb National Bank and Trust
Company, Pigeon, Michigan, on behalf of the Federal Home Loan Bank of
Indianapolis; John Edward Norris, III, Plantation Federal Bank, Pawleys
Island, South Carolina; Alex J. Pollock, American Enterprise Institute,
Washington, D.C.; and Martin Eakes, Self-Help Credit Union and Center for
Responsible Lending, Durham, North Carolina.
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee announced the
following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Aviation: Senators Burns (Chair), Stevens, McCain, Lott,
Hutchison, Snowe, Smith, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, DeMint, Rockefeller, Inouye,
Dorgan, Boxer, Cantwell, Lautenberg, Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), and Pryor.
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine: Senators Lott
(Chair), Stevens, McCain, Burns, Hutchison, Snowe, Smith, Allen, Sununu,
Vitter, Inouye, Rockefeller, Dorgan, Boxer, Cantwell, Lautenberg, Nelson (NE),
and Pryor.
Subcommittee on Science and Space: Senators Hutchison (Chair), Stevens, Burns,
Lott, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, Nelson (FL), Rockefeller, Dorgan, Nelson (NE),
and Pryor.
Subcommittee on Fisheries and the Coast Guard: Senators Snowe (Chair),
Stevens, Lott, Smith, Sununu, Vitter, Cantwell, Inouye, Kerry, and Lautenberg.
Subcommittee on Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development: Senators Smith
(Chair), Stevens, McCain, Burns, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, DeMint, Vitter,
Dorgan, Inouye, Rockefeller, Kerry, Cantwell, Lautenberg, Nelson (FL), Nelson
(NE), and Pryor.
Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness: Senators Ensign
(Chair), Stevens, Burns, Lott, Hutchison, Allen, Sununu, DeMint, Kerry,
Inouye, Rockefeller, Dorgan, Nelson (FL), and Pryor.
[Page: D329]
Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Product Safety, and Insurance: Senators
Allen (Chair), Stevens, Burns, DeMint, Vitter, Pryor, Inouye, and Boxer.
Subcommittee on Global Climate Change and Impacts: Senators Vitter (Chair),
Stevens, McCain, Snowe, Lautenberg, and Kerry.
Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction: Senators DeMint (Chair),
Stevens, Smith, Vitter, Nelson (NE), Cantwell, and Nelson (FL).
National Ocean Policy Study: Senators Sununu (Chair), Stevens, Lott,
Hutchison, Snowe, Smith, DeMint, Vitter, Boxer, Inouye, Kerry, Cantwell, and
Lautenberg.
JUNK FAX TRANSMISSIONS PROHIBITION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Trade,
Tourism, and Economic Development concluded a hearing to examine S. 714, to
amend section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 relating to the
prohibition on junk fax transmissions, after receiving testimony from Steven
T. Kirsch, Propel Software Corporation, San Jose, California.
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of David Garman, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of
Energy.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 728, to provide for the consideration and development of water and related
resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various
projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States, with
amendments; and
The nominations of Stephen L. Johnson, of Maryland, to be Administrator, and
Luis Luna, of Maryland, to be Assistant Administrator for Administration and
Resource Management, both of the Environmental Protection Agency, John Paul
Woodley, Jr., of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil
Works, Major General Don T. Riley, United States Army, to be a Member and
President of the Mississippi River Commission, Brigadier General William T.
Grisoli, United States Army, to be a Member of the Mississippi River
Commission, and D. Michael Rappoport, of Arizona, and Michael Butler, of
Tennessee, each to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall
Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation.
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the U.S.-Central
America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, focusing on textiles, rice,
sugar, worker rights and labor standards, environmental provisions, and the
World Trade Organization (WTO), receiving testimony from Peter F. Allgeier,
Acting U.S. Trade Representative; Lochiel Edwards, Montana Grain Growers
Association, Big Sandy, on behalf of sundry organizations; Terry Harris,
Stuttgart, Arkansas, on behalf of the USA Rice Federation and the U.S. Rice
Producers Association; Jack Roney, American Sugar Alliance, Arlington,
Virginia; Mark Berlind, Kraft Foods, Inc., Northfield, Illinois; John J.
Castellani, Business Roundtable, Washington, DC.; J. Keith Crisco, Asheboro
Elastics Corporation, Asheboro, North Carolina; Patricia A. Forkan, Humane
Society International, Gaithersburg, Maryland; and Mark Levinson, UNITE
HERE!,New York, New York.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS:
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Daniel Fried, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant
Secretary of State for European Affairs, and Robert Joseph, of Virginia, to be
Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 21, to provide for homeland security grant coordination and simplification,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 335, to reauthorize the Congressional Award Act;
S. 494, to amend chapter 23 of title 5, United States Code, to clarify the
disclosures of information protected from prohibited personnel practices,
require a statement in nondisclosure policies, forms, and agreements that such
policies, forms, and agreements conform with certain disclosure protections,
provide certain authority for the Special Counsel; and
S. 501, to provide a site for the National Women's History Museum in the
District of Columbia.
INDIAN HEALTH
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
the status of Indian health care issues, focusing on health disparities,
access to health care, Community Health Aide Program (CHAP), Urban Indian
health, Indian self-determination, mental health and substance abuse services,
and related provisions of the Medicare Modernization Act, receiving testimony
from Charles W. Grim, Director, Gary J. Hartz, Director, Office of
Environmental Health and Engineering, W. Craig Vanderwagen, Acting Chief
Medical Officer, all of the Indian Health Service, and A. Kathryn Power,
Director, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, all of the Department of Health and Human Services;
H. Sally Smith, National Indian Health Board, and Georgiana Ignace, National
Council on Urban Indian Health, both of Washington, D.C.; Rachel A. Joseph,
Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Reservation, Lone Pine, California; and Anslem
Roanhorse, Jr., The Navajo Nation Division of Health, Window Rock, Arizona.
[Page: D330]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
SECURING ELECTRONIC PERSONAL DATA
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine securing
electronic personal data, focusing on striking a balance between privacy and
commercial and governmental use, focusing on laws currently applicable to
resellers of consumer information, commonly known as "data brokers", after
receiving testimony from Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman, Federal Trade
Commission; Chris Swecker, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative
Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; Larry D.
Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Investigative Division, Secret
Service, Department of Homeland Security; Vermont Attorney General William H.
Sorrell, Montpelier, on behalf of the National Association of Attorneys
General; Douglas C. Curling, ChoicePoint Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia; Kurt P.
Sanford, LexisNexis Group, Miamisburg, Ohio; Jennifer T. Barrett, Acxiom
Corporation, Little Rock, Arkansas; James X. Dempsey, Center for Democracy and
Technology, Washington, D.C.; and Robert Douglas, PrivacyToday.com, Steamboat
Springs, Colorado.
FEDERAL AND STATE MARRIAGE INITIATIVES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and
Property Rights concluded a hearing to examine judicial activism regarding
federal and state marriage protection initiatives, focusing on the Defense of
Marriage Act, after receiving testimony from Lynn D. Wardle, Brigham Young
University J. Reuben Clark Law School, Provo, Utah; Gerard V. Bradley,
University of Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana; and Kathleen Moltz,
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/14
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 14, 2005; pages D338 - D346
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HUD
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, after receiving testimony from
Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates
for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their
respective activities from William T. Hawks, Under Secretary for Marketing and
Regulatory Programs, Eric M. Bost, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and
Consumer Services, and Merle D. Pearson, Acting Under Secretary for Food
Safety and Inspection, all of the Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water, and Related
Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2006, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for his respective
activities from Linton F. Brooks, Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.
NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
implementation by the Department of Defense of the National Security Personnel
System, focusing on pay, performance, accountability, staffing flexibilities,
and labor relations, after receiving testimony from Gordon R. England,
Secretary of the Navy; Dan G. Blair, Acting Director, Office of Personnel
Management; Derek B. Stewart, Director, Military and Department of Defense
Civilian Personnel Issues, Government Accountability Office; and John Gage,
American Federation of Government Employees, and Hannah S. Sistare, National
Academy of Public Administration, both of Washington, D.C.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a hearing to
examine Air Force acquisition oversight in review of the Defense Authorization
Request for Fiscal Year 2006, after receiving testimony from Paul J. McNulty,
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Department of Justice;
Joseph E. Schmitz, Inspector General, Michael L. Dominguez, Acting Secretary
of the Air Force, and Sallie Flavin, Deputy Director, Defense Contract
Management Agency, all of the Department of Defense; and Daniel I. Gordon,
Managing Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law, Government
Accountability Office.
TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the implementation of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program,
focusing on the role of the Federal government in ensuring that insurance to
protect against losses from acts of terrorism remains available to Americans,
after receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional
Budget Office; Howard Mills, New York State Department of Insurance, Albany,
on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; and Ernst
Csiszar, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, J. Robert Hunter,
Consumer Federation of America, Brian Duperreault, ACE Limited, on behalf of
the American Insurance Association, Franklin W. Nutter, Reinsurance
Association of America, and Robert J. Lowe, Lowe Enterprises, on behalf of the
Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 364, to establish a program within the National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration to integrate Federal coastal and ocean mapping activities, with
amendments;
S. 714, to amend section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 relating to the
prohibition on junk fax transmissions, with amendments;
S. 432, to establish a digital and wireless network technology program;
An original bill, to reauthorize and improve surface transportation safety
programs; and
The nominations of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Promotion
List, and 2 Coast Guard Promotion Lists.
[Page: D341]
TAX GAP
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine issues relating to
the amount of taxes, including individual income, corporate income,
employment, estate, and excise, owed by taxpayers and the amount voluntarily
paid on time (the so-called "tax gap"), focusing on tax laws and enforcement,
pensions and employee benefits, and fraud, receiving testimony from George K.
Yin, Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; Eileen J. O'Connor,
Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division, Department of Justice; David M.
Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability
Office; Mark Everson, Commissioner, Kevin M. Brown, Commissioner, Small
Business/Self-Employed Division, and Nancy J. Jardini, Chief, Criminal
Investigation, all of the Internal Revenue Service, and J. Russell George,
Inspector General for Tax Administration, all of the Department of the
Treasury; and Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of
Columbia concluded an oversight hearing to examine a review of the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995, focusing on the impact the Act has had on
Federal, state, and local governments and explore if changes are necessary to
strengthen the law's procedures, definitions, and exclusions, after receiving
testimony from Orice M. Williams, Director, Strategic Issues, Government
Accountability Office; John D. Graham, Administrator, Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget; Elizabeth Robinson,
Deputy Director, Congressional Budget Office; Maryland Delegate John Hurson,
Annapolis, on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures; Colleen
Landkamer, Blue Earth County, Mankato, Minnesota, on behalf of the National
Association of Counties; and Nick Licata, City of Seattle, Washington, on
behalf of the National League of Cities.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the ongoing need for comprehensive postal reform, focusing
on United States Postal Service reform that includes self-financing,
transparency, flexibility, accountability and corporate best practices, after
receiving testimony from Timothy S. Bitsberger, Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Financial Markets; Dan G. Blair, Acting Director, Office of
Personnel Management; John E. Potter, Postmaster General, U.S. Postal Service;
and David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government
Accountability Office.
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine lifelong education opportunities, focusing on S. 694, to
amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide for a job training grant
pilot program, after receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of
Labor; Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education; Kentucky Governor Ernie
Fletcher, Frankfort, and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Topeka, both on
behalf of the National Governors Association; Steve Gunderson, The Greystone
Group, Arlington, Virginia; Brian K. Fitzgerald, The Business-Higher Education
Forum, Washington, D.C.; and Pamela Boisvert, Colleges of Worcester
Consortium, Worcester, Massachusetts.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 119, to provide for the protection of unaccompanied alien children, with an
amendment;
S. 555, to amend the Sherman Act to make oil-producing and exporting cartels
illegal, and
The nominations of Thomas B. Griffith, of Utah, to be a United States Circuit
Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, Robert J. Conrad, Jr., to be
United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, and
James C. Dever III, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of North Carolina.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship and Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security
concluded joint hearings to examine immigration reform issues, focusing on
deportation and related issues relating to strengthening interior enforcement,
after receiving testimony from Jonathan Cohn, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Civil Division, Department of Justice; Victor X. Cerda, Acting
Director of Detention and Removal Operations, Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, and David Venturella, former Acting Director of the Office of
Detention and Removal Operations, both of the Department of Homeland Security;
and Lee Gelernt, American Civil Liberties Union Immigrant's Rights Project,
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D342]
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Lieutenant General Michael V. Hayden, United States Air Force,
to be Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, after the nominee,
who was introduced by Senator Mikulski and Representative Murtha, testified
and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session and ordered
favorably reported the nominations of John D. Negroponte, of New York, to be
Director of National Intelligence, and Lieutenant General Michael V. Hayden,
United States Air Force, to be Principal Deputy Director of National
Intelligence.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
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 William A. Boettcher, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland; James Cooper, American
Ex-Prisoners of War, Arlington, Texas; Thomas H. Corey, Vietnam Veterans of
America, Silver Spring, Maryland; Colonel Robert F. Norton, USA (Ret.), and
John Class, USN (Ret.), both of Military Officers Association of America,
Alexandria, Virginia; and Brigadier General Leslie E. Beavers, USA (Ret.),
National Association of State Directors of Veterans' Affairs, Baton Rouge,
Louisiana.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the current
economic outlook for April 2005, after receiving testimony from Harvey S.
Rosen, Chairman, and Kristen J. Forbes, Member, both of the Council of
Economic Advisers.
RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN RUSSIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine problems experienced by unregistered
religious communities operating within the Russian Federation, after receiving
testimony from John V. Hanford, III, Ambassador-at-Large for International
Religious Freedom, Department of State; Lawrence A. Uzzell, International
Religious Freedom Watch, Fishersville, Virginia; Paul Goble, University of
Tartu, Estonia; Boris Perchatkin, American-Russian Relief Committee,
Washington; Andrew Okhotin, Independent Christian Baptists, Massachusetts;
Sergei Cherpanov, Jehovah's Witnesses, Russia.
2005/04/15
Daily Digest - Friday, April 15, 2005; pages D348 - D354
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/18
Daily Digest - Monday, April 18, 2005; pages D356 - D360
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/19
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 19, 2005; pages D361 - D370
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/GAO
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006, after
receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from
James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, and Chairman of the Board of
Trustees, Open World Leadership Center, and David M. Walker, Comptroller
General of the United States, Government Accountability Office, who were both
accompanied by several of their associates.
[Page: D364]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Gordon England, of Texas, to be Deputy Secretary of Defense,
who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and Admiral Michael G.
Mullen, USN, for reappointment, to the grade of admiral and to be Chief of
Naval Operations, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower concluded a hearing to
examine the United States Marine Corps ground and rotary wing programs and
seabasing in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2006,
after receiving testimony from John J. Young, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the
Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; Vice Admiral Joseph A.
Sestak, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements
and Programs, United States Navy; and Lieutenant General Robert Magnus, USMC,
Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, and Lieutenant General James N.
Mattis, USMC, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command,
both of the U.S. Marine Corps.
HOUSING GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposals to improve the regulation of the Housing
Government Sponsored Enterprises, after receiving testimony from David E.
Hayes, Security Bank, Dyersburg, Tennessee, on behalf of the Independent
Community Bankers of America; Al Mansell, Coldwell Banker Residential
Brokerage, Midvale, Utah, on behalf of the National Association of Realtors;
William A. Longbrake, The Financial Services Roundtable, and David F. Wilson,
National Association of Home Builders, both of Washington, D.C.; Marc Savitt,
The Mortgage Center, McLean, Virginia, on behalf of the National Association
of Mortgage Brokers; Harry P. Doherty, Independence Community Bank
Corporation, Brooklyn, New York, on behalf of America's Community Bankers;
Michael F. Petrie, P/R Mortgage and Investment Corporation, Carmel, Indiana,
on behalf of the Mortgage Bankers Association; and Nancy O. Andrews, Low
Income Investment Fund, San Francisco, California.
OFFSHORE ENERGY PRODUCTION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine offshore hydrocarbon production and the future of alternate energy
resources on the Outer Continental Shelf, focusing on recent technological
advancements made in the offshore exploration and production of traditional
forms of energy, and the future of deep shelf and deepwater production;
enhancements in worker safety, and steps taken by the offshore oil and gas
industry to meet environmental challenges, after receiving testimony from
Admiral James D. Watkins, USN (Ret.), Chairman, United States Commission on
Ocean Policy; R.M. "Johnnie" Burton, Director, Minerals Management Service,
Department of the Interior; Robert W. Thresher, Director, National Wind
Technology Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Department of Energy;
Virginia State Senator Frank W. Wagner, Virginia Beach; Scott A. Angelle,
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge; Charles D. Davidson,
Noble Energy, Inc., Houston, Texas, on behalf of the Domestic Petroleum
Council, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America; and Debbie
Boger, Sierra Club, Washington, D.C.
WATER AND POWER BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine S. 166, to amend the Oregon Resource
Conservation Act of 1996 to reauthorize the participation of the Bureau of
Reclamation in the Deschutes River Conservancy, S. 251, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to
conduct a water resource feasibility study for the Little Butte/Bear Creek
Sub-basins in Oregon, S. 310, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey the Newlands Project Headquarters and Maintenance Yard Facility to the
Truckee-Carson Irrigation District in the State of Nevada, S. 519, to amend
the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act
of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that Act, and S.
592, to extend the contract for the Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin
Project in the State of Wyoming, after receiving testimony from Bill Rinne,
Deputy Commissioner, Director of Operations, Bureau of Reclamation, Department
of the Interior; Wayne Halbert, Harlingen Irrigation District, Harlingen,
Texas; Tod Heisler, Deschutes River Conservancy, Bend, Oregon; Jim Hill, City
of Medford Water Reclamation Division, Medford, Oregon; and Ernie Schank,
Truckee-Carson Irrigation District, Fallon, Nevada.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
bills:
An original bill, entitled Highway Reauthorization and Excise Tax
Simplification Act of 2005; and
[Page: D365]
S. 661, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the
modernization of the United States Tax Court, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
MIDDLE EAST EDUCATIONAL REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Near East and South Asian experience relating to combating terrorism through
education, focusing on education reform in the Middle East, after receiving
testimony from Elizabeth L. Cheney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for Near Eastern Affairs; James Kunder, Assistant Administrator for Asia
and the Near East, U.S. Agency for International Development; Bassem
Awadallah, Minister of Finance, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Amman; Shahid
Javed Burki, Nathan Associates, Potomac, Maryland; Samina Ahmed, International
Crisis Group, Islamabad, Pakistan; and Frank J. Method, Research Triangle
Institute International, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met and began consideration of the
nominations of John Robert Bolton, of Maryland, to be U.S. Representative to
United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador and U.S. Representative
in the Security Council of the United Nations, and Representative to the
Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of
service as Representative of the United States of America to the United
Nations, but did not take final action thereon, and recessed subject to the
call.
DRUG IMPORTATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee held a hearing
to examine S. 334, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with
respect to the importation of prescription drugs, receiving testimony from
Senators Snowe, Vitter, Dorgan and Stabenow; Graham Satchwell, Proco
Solutions, London, United Kingdom; Todd Cecil, United States Pharmacopeia,
Rockville, Maryland; Thomas C. Arthur, Emory University School of Law,
Atlanta, Georgia; and David A. Kessler, University of California-San Francisco
School of Medicine, San Francisco.
Hearings recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY MERGERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine the SBC/ATT
and Verizon/MCI mergers relating to remaking the telecommunications industry,
focusing on ramifications effecting competition for local, long-distance, and
wireless telephone services, and internet-based services, receiving testimony
from Carl Grivner, XO Communications, Inc., Reston, Virginia; Jeffrey Citron,
Vonage Holdings Corporation, Edison, New Jersey; and Scott Cleland, Precursor
Group, and Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, both of Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
CIVILIAN LIFE TRANSITION
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine "Back
from the Battlefield, Part II: Seamless Transition to Civilian Life", focusing
on outreach to military service men and woman, including Reserve and National
Guard members during their induction into service, during service, and when
preparing to separate or retire from the military, after receiving testimony
from Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits; John
M. Molino, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family
Policy; Frederico Juarbe, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans
Employment and Training, Veterans Employment and Training Service; Lieutenant
John Fernandez, USA (Ret.), Rocky Point, New York; and Tristan Wyatt,
Washington, D.C.
PATRIOT ACT
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56), after receiving testimony from Gregory T.
Nojeim, American Civil Liberties Union, and James X. Dempsey, Center for
Democracy and Technology, both of Washington, D.C.; and Heather MacDonald,
Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, New York, New York.
[Page: D366]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/20
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 20, 2005; pages D372 - D382
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL GUARD & RESERVE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the National Guard
and Reserve, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum,
Chief, National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Roger Schultz, Director, Army
National Guard; Lieutenant General Daniel James III, Director, Air National
Guard; Lieutenant General James R. Helmly, Chief and Commander, Army Reserve;
Vice Admiral John G. Cotton, Chief of Naval Reserve; Lieutenant General Dennis
M. McCarthy, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Lieutenant General John A.
Bradley, Chief of Air Force Reserve.
[Page: D375]
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from Michael
Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
government of the District of Columbia, after receiving testimony in behalf of
funds for their respective activities from Annice Wagner, Chief Judge,
District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and Chair, Joint Committee on Judicial
Administration; Rufus King III, Chief Judge, Superior Court of the District of
Columbia; Paul Quander, Jr., Director, Court Service and Offender Supervision
Agency; and Avis Buchanan, Director, Defender Service for the District of
Columbia.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine the readiness of military units deployed in
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in review of
the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving
testimony from Lieutenant General Thomas F. Metz, USA, Commander, III Corps
and Fort Hood; Lieutenant General John F. Sattler, USMC, Commanding General, I
Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Corps; Lieutenant General Walter E.
Buchanan III, USAF, Commander, U.S. Central Command, Air Forces; Major General
Lloyd J. Austin III, USA, Commander, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)
and Fort Drum; and Rear Admiral Barry McCullough, USN, Commander, Carrier
Strike Group Six.
HOUSING GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposals to improve the regulation of Housing
Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), focusing on ensuring that GSEs have a
regulator with the necessary authority to enable GSEs to fulfill their
important mission in a safe and sound fashion, after receiving testimony from
Raymond R. Christman, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; and
Daniel H. Mudd, Fannie Mae, and Richard F. Syron, Freddie Mac, both of
Washington, D.C.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science
and Space concluded a hearing to examine International Space Station research
benefits, focusing on research and technology development efforts on areas
that best contribute to the vision for space exploration, specifically using
the space station to study human endurance in space and to test new
technologies and techniques to prepare NASA for longer journeys to the moon
and Mars, after receiving testimony from William F. Readdy, Associate
Administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, Howard Ross, Deputy Chief
Scientist, and Lieutenant Colonel Mike Fincke, Active Duty Astronaut, all of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Marcia S. Smith, Specialist
in Aerospace and Telecommunications Policy, Resources, Science, and Industry
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Jeffrey Sutton,
National Space Biomedical Research Institute, Houston, Texas; and Mary Ellen
Weber, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Austin.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Gregory B. Jaczko, of the District of Columbia, and
Peter B. Lyons, of Virginia, each to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
TERRORISM PROHIBITION IMPROVEMENTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded a hearing to examine a review of the material support to
Terrorism Prohibition Improvements Act, focusing on the need to strengthen
statutory arsenal that enables law enforcement to stop terrorist attacks at an
early stage, before they endanger Americans, and the need to recognize the
threat posed by paramilitary training, after receiving testimony from Barry
Sabin, Chief, Counterterrorism Section, Criminal Division, and Daniel Meron,
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, both of the
Department of Justice; and Andrew C. McCarthy, Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D376]
SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH CARE
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the small business health care crisis, focusing on
alternatives for lowering costs and covering the uninsured, including related
provisions of S. 406, Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005, after
receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor; Hector V.
Barreto, Administrator, Small Business Administration; Montana State Auditor
John Morrison, Commissioner for Insurance and Securities, Helena, on behalf of
the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Doug Newman, Newman
Concrete Services, Inc., Hallowell, Maine, on behalf of the National
Federation of Independent Business; Al Mansell, National Association of
Realtors, and Len Nichols, The New America Foundation, both of Washington,
D.C.; W. Thomas Haynes, The Coca-Cola Bottlers' Association, Atlanta, Georgia,
on behalf of the Association Healthcare Coalition; and William N. Lindsay III,
Denver, Colorado.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/21
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 21, 2005; pages D383 - D390
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: OMB
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, The
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006, after
receiving testimony in behalf of funds for the respective activities of Joshua
B. Bolten, Director, Office of Management and Budget.
METHAMPHETAMINE ABUSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine methamphetamine
abuse, focusing on behavioral and health effects of the drug, and prevention
and treatment strategies, after receiving testimony from Charles G. Curie,
Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and
Nora D. Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National
Institutes of Health, both of the Department of Health and Human Services;
Vicki Sickels, Iowa Lutheran Hospital, Des Moines; and Richard E. Steinberg,
WestCare Foundation, Inc., Sylva, North Carolina.
NOMINATIONS:
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Lieutenant General Michael V. Hayden, United States Air Force,
for appointment to the grade of general.
Prior to this action, committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations
of Kenneth J. Krieg, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, who was introduced by Senator Sununu;
and Lieutenant General Michael V. Hayden (listed above), who was introduced by
Senators Roberts and Collins, after each nominee testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
DOD HEALTH CARE COSTS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine present and future costs of Department of Defense health care, and
national health care trends in the civilian sector, after receiving testimony
from Senator Coburn; David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary for Personnel and
Readiness, and William Winkenwerder, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Health
Affairs, both of the Department of Defense; David Blumenthal, Massachusetts
General Hospital Institute for Health Policy, and Harvard Medical School,
Boston; Robert S. Galvin, General Electric Company, Stamford, Connecticut; and
Susan D. Hosek, Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, California.
[Page: D385]
HOUSING GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine proposals to improve the regulation of Housing Government-Sponsored
Enterprises, focusing on proposed policies to improve the balance of federal
costs and benefits from the operations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the
Federal Home Loan Banks, after receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
Director, Congressional Budget Office; David M. Walker, Comptroller General of
the United States, Government Accountability Office; Armando Falcon, Jr.,
Director, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Department of
Housing and Urban Development; and Ronald A. Rosenfeld, Chairman, Federal
Housing Finance Board.
HUD: BUDGET
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing and
Transportation concluded a hearing to examine the President's proposed budget
request for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, after receiving testimony from Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development.
BUDGET PROCESS REFORM
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine structural
deficits and federal budget process reform, focusing on the United States
economy, procedural restraints on budget-making mechanisms, the aging U.S.
population, and medical care costs, after receiving testimony from Alan
Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
AMTRAK REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine concluded a hearing to examine the proposed
reauthorization of Amtrak, focusing on intercity passenger rail service
reform, after receiving testimony from Jeffrey A. Rosen, General Counsel, and
Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General, both of the Department of Transportation;
and David M. Laney and David L. Gunn, both of the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation (Amtrak).
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Robert J. Portman, of Ohio, to be United States Trade Representative, with
the rank of Ambassador, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators
DeWine, Voinovich, and Bunning, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
DEVELOPMENT BANK ANTI-CORRUPTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
anti-corruption strategies of the African Development Bank, Asian Development
Bank and European Bank on Reconstruction and Development, focusing on
corporate culture and environment that features enhanced corporate governance,
internal controls and compliance that promotes good governance in its
countries of operation, after receiving testimony from Paul W. Speltz, Asian
Development Bank, Manila, Philippines; Mark Sullivan, III, European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, London, United Kingdom; Hemantha Withanage,
Center for Environmental Justice, and Sri Lankan Working Group on Trade and
International Financial Institutions, Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Ted Devine,
Government Accountability Project, Washington, D.C.
FEDERAL WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITIES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded an oversight hearing to examine governmentwide workforce
flexibilities available to federal agencies including the implementation, use
by agencies, and training and education related to using the new
flexibilities, after receiving testimony from Marta Brito Perez, Associate
Director for Human Capital Leadership and Merit System Accountability, Office
of Personnel Management; Eileen R. Larence, Director, Strategic Issues,
Government Accountability Office; Jeffery K. Nulf, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of Commerce for Administration; Evelyn M. White, Acting Assistant Secretary of
Health and Human Services for Administration and Management; Rafael DeLeon,
Director, Office of Human Resources, Environmental Protection Agency; and
Vicki A. Novak, Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Management and Chief
Human Capital Officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
PRESIDENT'S MANAGEMENT AGENDA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine the President's Management Agenda,
including Federal financial performance, best practices, and program
accountability, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller
General of the United States, Government Accountability Office; and Clay
Johnson, III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget.
[Page: D386]
EARLY EDUCATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: On Wednesday, April 20,
2005, Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development held a hearing
to examine the Federal role to improve the effectiveness and coordination of
early childhood education programs, including the Head Start program, the
Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and increasing food security and
reducing hunger, receiving testimony from Wade F. Horn, Assistant Secretary of
Health and Human Services for Children and Families; Raymond Simon, Assistant
Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education; and Kate Coler,
Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH FAIRNESS ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine easing costs and expanding access relating to small
businesses and health insurance, focusing on S. 406, to amend title I of the
Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974 to improve access and choice for
entrepreneurs with small businesses with respect to medical care for their
employees, after receiving testimony from Sandy Praeger, Commissioner of
Insurance, Topeka, Kansas, on behalf of the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners; Mitchell Blake, Ward & Blake Architects, Jackson, Wyoming, on
behalf of the National Federation of Independent Business; Joseph E. Rossmann,
Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of
the Association Health Plan Coalition; Karen Ignagni, America's Health
Insurance Plans, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 378, to make it a criminal act to willfully use a weapon with the intent to
cause death or serious bodily injury to any person while on board a passenger
vessel, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 629, to amend chapter 97 of title 18, United States Code, relating to
protecting against attacks on railroads and other mass transportation systems,
with an amendment;
S. 339, to reaffirm the authority of States to regulate certain hunting and
fishing activities; and
The nominations of Priscilla Richman Owen, of Texas, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, and Janice R. Brown, of California, to be
United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.
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
VETERANS PROGRAMS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to review the legislative
recommendations of certain veterans organizations, after receiving testimony
from LeRoy Riddell, NCC (SW), USN (Ret.), Retired Enlisted Association, Penny
Splinter, Gold Star Wives, George R. Kaye, and Joseph L. Barnes, both of the
Fleet Reserve Association, and Chief Master Sergeant James E. Lokovic, USAF
(Ret.), Air Force Sergeants Association, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Committee on Printing: Committee met and designated Senator Lott as
Chairman and Representative Ney as Vice-Chairman, and adopted its rules of
procedure for the 109th Congress.
2005/04/22
Daily Digest - Friday, April 22, 2005; pages D391 - D396
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded open and closed hearings to examine United States Special Operations
Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2006,
after receiving testimony from Thomas W. O'Connell, Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict; and General Bryan
D. Brown, USA, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/25
Daily Digest - Monday, April 25, 2005; pages D397 - D400
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PATENT REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property concluded a
hearing to examine the current and future U.S. patent system and perspectives
on patent reform, after receiving testimony from Jon W. Dudas, Under Secretary
of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and Director, United States Patent and
Trademark Office; Richard C. Levin, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut,
and Mark B. Myers, University of Pennsylvania Wharton Business School,
Philadelphia, both on behalf of the National Research Council Committee on
Intellectual Property Rights in the Knowledge-Based Economy; William Parker,
Diffraction, Ltd., Waitsfield, Vermont; Dean Kamen, DEKA Research and
Development Corporation, Manchester, New Hampshire; David Simon, Intel
Corporation, Santa Clara, California, on behalf of the Business Software
Alliance; Robert A. Armitage, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana;
Joel L. Poppen, Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, Idaho; and Michael K. Kirk,
American Intellectual Property Law Association, Arlington, Virginia.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/26
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 26, 2005; pages D401 - D408
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, The
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
Department of the Treasury, after receiving testimony from John Snow,
Secretary of the Treasury.
[Page: D402]
MONEY SERVICES BUSINESSES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held a hearing to
review money services businesses under Bank Secrecy Act and USA PATRIOT Act
regulations, focusing on federal and state efforts in the anti-money
laundering area, receiving testimony from Kevin M. Brown, Commissioner, Small
Business/Self-Employed Division, Internal Revenue Service, William J. Fox,
Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and Julie L. Williams, Acting
Comptroller of the Currency, all of the Department of the Treasury; Diana L.
Taylor, New York State Banking Department, Albany; John J. Byrne, American
Bankers Association, Washington, D.C.; Gerald Goldman, Financial Service
Centers of America, Hackensack, New Jersey; Dan O'Malley, MoneyGram
International, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota; and David Landsman, National
Money Transmitters Association, Inc., Great Neck, New York.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS:
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Maria Cino, of Virginia, to be Deputy
Secretary of Transportation, who was introduced by Senators Allen and Clinton,
and Phyllis F. Scheinberg, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of
Transportation, who was introduced by Senator Allen, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2006 for the Transportation Security Administration and related programs,
after receiving testimony from Charles Barclay, American Association of
Airport Executives, Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of sundry organizations;
and James C. May, Air Transport Association, Washington, D.C.
NUCLEAR POWER 2010 PROGRAM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the status of the Department of Energy's Nuclear Power 2010 program,
which is a joint government/industry cost-shared effort to identify sites for
new nuclear power plants, develop advanced nuclear plant technologies, and
demonstrate new regulatory processes leading to a private sector decision by
2005 to order new nuclear power plants for deployment in the United States in
the 2010 timeframe, after receiving testimony from Clay Sell, Deputy Secretary
of Energy; Nils J. Diaz, Chairman, Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and Michael
J. Wallace, Constellation Generation Group, Baltimore, Maryland.
WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine the preparedness of the Department of
Agriculture and the Interior for the 2005 wildfire season, including the
agencies' assessment of the risk of fires by region, the status of and
contracting for aerial fire suppression assets, and other information needed
to better understand the agencies ability to deal with the upcoming fire
season, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment; Lynn Scarlett, Assistant
Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management, and Budget; Robin M.
Nazzaro, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government
Accountability Office; and James Caswell, Idaho Office of Species
Conservation, Boise, and Kirk Rowdabaugh, Arizona State Forester, Phoenix,
both on behalf of the Western Governors' Association.
SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine Social Security
proposals to achieve sustainable solvency regarding personal accounts,
receiving testimony from Peter Ferrara, Institute for Policy Innovation, and
USA Next, Michael Tanner, Cato Institute Project on Social Security Change,
Peter R. Orszag, The Brookings Institution, Joan Entmacher, National Women's
Law Center, all of Washington, D.C.; and Robert C. Pozen, MFS Investment
Management, Boston, Massachusetts.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of
Robert J. Portman, of Ohio, to be United States Trade Representative, with the
rank of Ambassador.
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Millennium Challenge Corporation's global impact, focusing on assistance to
developing countries that uphold political freedoms, fight corruption,
maintain the rule of law, and pursue sound economic policies, after receiving
testimony from Paul V. Applegarth, Chief Executive Officer, Millennium
Challenge Corporation; and David B. Gootnick, Director, International Affairs
and Trade, General Accountability Office.
[Page: D403]
PENSION FUND REFORM
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement Security and Aging concluded a hearing to examine proposals to
reform the pension funding rules and premiums payable to the Pension Benefit
Guarantee Corporation, after receiving testimony from Bradley Belt, Executive
Director, Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation; Ian P. MacFarlane, Medley
Global Advisors, New York, New York; Sallie B. Bailey, The Timken Company,
Canton, Ohio, on behalf of the National Association of Manufacturers; and Ron
Gebhardtsbauer, American Academy of Actuaries, and Alan Reuther, United Auto
Workers, both of Washington, D.C.
FAIR ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 852,
to create a fair and efficient system to resolve claims of victims for bodily
injury caused by asbestos exposure, after receiving testimony from Judge
Edward Becker, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Craig A. Berrington, American Insurance Association, John M. Engler, National
Association of Manufacturers, on behalf of the Asbestos Alliance, and Margaret
Seminario, AFL-CIO, all of Washington, D.C.; James D. Crapo, National Jewish
Medical and Research Center and the University of Colorado Health Sciences
Center, Denver; Eric D. Green, Boston University School of Law, Boston,
Massachusetts; Hershel W. Gober, Military Order of the Purple Heart, McLean,
Virginia; Philip J. Landrigan, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York,
New York; Carol Morgan, National Service Industries, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia,
on behalf of the Coalition for Asbestos Reform; Mark A. Peterson, Legal
Analysis Systems, Inc., Thousand Oaks, California; Francine Rabinovitz,
Hamilton, Rabinovitz, and Alschuler, Carmel, California; and Alan Reuther,
United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America,
Lebanon, Tennessee.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Jonathan Brian Perlin, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for Health.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/04/27
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 27, 2005; pages D409 - D418
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Thomas C. Dorr, of Iowa, to be Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, and to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation, after the nominee, who
was introduced by Senator Grassley, testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary, Tina
Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller), and General Richard Myers, Chairman of
the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, all of the Department of Defense.
CONSTELLATION ARCHITECTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a closed
hearing to examine the Constellation Architecture Panel, after receiving
testimony from General James E. Cartwright, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command;
Charlie Allen, Deputy Director of Intelligence for Collection; Dennis
Fitzgerald, Acting Director, National Reconnaissance Office; Leo Hazelwood,
Constellation Architecture Panel; and Tom Boehling, Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense for Intelligence.
APPROPRIATIONS: SAA/CAPITOL POLICE BOARD/CAPITOL GUIDE SERVE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for
activities of the Sergeant at Arms, the U.S. Capitol Police Board, and the
Capitol Guide Service, after receiving testimony from William H. Pickle,
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, Wilson Livingood, Sergeant at
Arms of the House of Representatives, and Alan Hantman, Architect of the
Capitol, all on behalf of the Capitol Police Board and Capitol Guide Board;
and Terrance Gainer, Chief, U.S. Capitol Police.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nominations of Maria Cino, of Virginia, to be Deputy
Secretary of Transportation, Phyllis F. Scheinberg, of Virginia, to be an
Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Joseph H. Boardman, of New York, to be
Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration Department of
Transportation, Nancy Ann Nord, of the District of Columbia, to be a
Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and William Cobey, of
North Carolina, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan
Washington Airports Authority.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
[Page: D411]
S. 655, to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the National
Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
S. 898, to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a demonstration
grant program to provide patient navigator services to reduce barriers and
improve health care outcomes, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
CHEMICAL FACILITIES SAFETY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the vulnerability of the United States to a chemical
attack, focusing on federal and industry efforts to address security issues at
chemical facilities as targets of terrorism, after receiving testimony from
Senator Corzine; Carolyn W. Merritt, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; John B. Stephenson,
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office;
Richard A. Falkenrath, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.; and
Stephen E. Flynn, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York.
INDIAN GAMING REGULATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
the state of Indian gaming regulation, focusing on concerns of Congress
expressed in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act regarding the operation and
regulation of gaming on Indian lands, receiving testimony from Philip N.
Hogen, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission; Earl E. Devaney, Inspector
General, Department of the Interior; Thomas B. Heffelfinger, U.S. Attorney for
the District of Minnesota, Department of Justice; Norman DesRosiers, Viejas
Tribal Government Gaming Commission, Alpine, California; Charles Colombe,
Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Rosebud, South Dakota, and Mark Van Norman, Washington,
D.C., both on behalf of the National Indian Gaming Association; Kevin K.
Washburn, University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis; and Steven A. Light
and Kathryn R.L. Rand, School of Law, both of the University of North Dakota,
Grand Forks.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Paul D. Clement, of Virginia, to be Solicitor General of the
United States, Department of Justice, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senator Feingold, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original bill, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to clarify
when organizations described in section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 must register as political committees, in lieu of S. 271.
PATRIOT ACT
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
history and application of the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56) and the
importance of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Public Law 95-511),
focusing on their role in improving the ability of the intelligence and law
enforcement communities to fight the global war on terrorism, after receiving
testimony from Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States, and
Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, both of the
Department of Justice; and Porter J. Goss, Director, Central Intelligence
Agency.
REDEFINING RETIREMENT
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
redefining retirement in the 21st century workplace, focusing on demographic
and labor force trends and the economic and fiscal need to increase labor
force participation among older workers, after receiving testimony from
Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security,
Government Accountability Office; Frank Robinson, Washington Nationals, and
Douglas Holbrook, AARP Board of Directors, both of Washington, D.C.; Kathlyn
Peterson, SSM Health Care, Madison, Wisconsin; Laurie Barr, Oregon Health and
Science University, Portland; and Valerie Paganelli, Watson Wyatt Worldwide,
Seattle, Washington.
[Page: D412]
Joint Meetings
CONCURRENT BUDGET RESOLUTION
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed
versions of H. Con. Res. 95, establishing the congressional budget for the
United States Government for fiscal year 2006, revising appropriate budgetary
levels for fiscal year 2005, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels
for fiscal years 2007 through 2010, but did not complete action thereon, and
recessed subject to the call.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed
versions of H.R. 1268, making emergency supplemental appropriations for
defense, the global war on terror, and tsunami relief, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2005, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet
again on Thursday, April 28, 2005.
2005/04/28
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 28, 2005; pages D419 - D428
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BIOTERRORISM & PROJECT BIOSHIELD
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine bioterrorism and Project BioShield, which is a
comprehensive effort to develop and make available modern, effective drugs and
vaccines to protect against attack by biological and chemical weapons or other
dangerous pathogens, after receiving testimony from Penrose Albright,
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology
Directorate; Stewart Simonson, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human
Services for Public Health Emergency Preparedness; David Franz, Midwest
Research Institute, Kansas City, Missouri; Leighton Read, Alloy Ventures, Palo
Alto, California; and John Clerici, McKenna Long and Aldridge, Washington,
D.C.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine defense intelligence in review of the Defense Authorization Request
for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from Stephen A. Cambone, Under
Secretary for Intelligence, and Vice Admiral Lowell E. Jacoby, USN, Director,
Defense Intelligence Agency, both of the Department of Defense.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 741
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
PARKS BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 242, to establish 4 memorials to the Space
Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texas, S. 262, to authorize appropriations to
the Secretary of the Interior for the restoration of the Angel Island
Immigration Station in the State of California, S. 336, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study of the feasibility of
designating the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Watertrail as
a national historic trail, S. 670, 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. 777, to designate Catoctin
Mountain Park in the State of Maryland as the "Catoctin Mountain National
Recreation Area", and H.R. 126, to amend Public Law 89-366 to allow for an
adjustment in the number of free roaming horses permitted in Cape Lookout
National Seashore, after receiving testimony from Senator Sarbanes;
Representative Walter B. Jones; Michael Soukup, Associate Director, Natural
Resource Stewardship and Science, National Park Service, Department of the
Interior; Felicia Lowe, Angel Island Immigration Station Board, San Francisco,
California; and Patrick F. Noonan, The Conservation Fund, Arlington, Virginia.
BUILDING ASSETS AMONG LOW-INCOME FAMILIES
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy held a
hearing to examine building assets for low-income families, including the
Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED), using the private
pension system and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's), and increasing
savings, receiving testimony from Michelle Simmons, Norristown, Pennsylvania,
and Dorothy Beale, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, both of the Women's Opportunity
Resource Center; Charles M. Palmer, Institute for Social and Economic
Development, Des Moines, Iowa; Victoria Gonzalez-Rubio, Delmar-Harvard
Elementary School, University City, Missouri; Ric Edelman, Edelman Financial
Services, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia; Bernard M. Wilson, H&R Block, Kansas City,
Missouri, on behalf of the Outreach and Business Development; Michael
Sherraden, Washington University Center for Social Development, St. Louis,
Missouri; Trina R. Williams Shanks, University of Michigan School of Social
Work, Ann Arbor; Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and
Flom, LLP, Ray Boshara, New America Foundation, David C. John, The Heritage
Foundation, and J. Mark Iwry, The Brookings Institution, all of Washington,
D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
DEFENSE MANAGEMENT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine Department of Defense business
practices, focusing on fiscal trends that prompt questions about the
affordability and sustainability of the rate of growth in defense spending,
business management challenges that DOD needs to address to successfully
transform its business operations, and key elements for achievements of
reforms, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General
of the United States, Government Accountability Office; Clay Johnson III,
Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget; and Bradley
M. Berkson, Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and
Materiel Readiness.
[Page: D423]
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine access and accountability relating to providing quality
post-secondary education, focusing on the Federal government's role in making
post-secondary education financially available for Americans, after receiving
testimony from Kati Haycock, Education Trust, Washington, D.C.; Brian
Bosworth, FutureWorks, Arlington, Massachusetts; Robert M. Shireman, The
Institute for College Access and Success, Inc., Berkeley, California; Phillip
F. Van Horn, Wyoming Student Loan Corporation, and Western States Learning
Corporation, Cheyenne; and Trinity Thorpe, Malibu, California.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee began markup of S. 852, to create a fair
and efficient system to resolve claims of victims for bodily injury caused by
asbestos exposure, but did not complete consideration thereon, and recessed
subject to call.
BORDER SECURITY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship concluded a joint hearing with the Subcommittee on Terrorism,
Technology and Homeland Security to examine the use of technology to
strengthen border security between the Ports of Entry, focusing on the
operations and law enforcement initiatives of the Office of Border Patrol,
after receiving testimony from David Aguilar, Chief, Office of Border Patrol,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Kirk Evans, Director, Mission Support
Office, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, Science and
Technology Directorate, both of the Department of Homeland Security.
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
MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine medical
liability reform, after receiving testimony from Mark B. McClellan,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services.
CONCURRENT BUDGET RESOLUTION
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H. Con. Res. 95, establishing the
congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2006,
revising appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2005, and setting forth
appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2007 through 2010.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed
versions of H.R. 1268, making emergency supplemental appropriations for
defense, the global war on terror, and tsunami relief, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2005, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed
subject to the call.
2005/05/02
Daily Digest - Monday, May 2, 2005; pages D429 - D430
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/03
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 3, 2005; pages D432 - D436
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/04
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 4, 2005; pages D437 - D442
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
Joint Meetings
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT
Conferees on Tuesday, May 3, agreed to file a conference report on the Senate
and House passed versions of H.R. 1268, making emergency supplemental
appropriations for defense, the global war on terror, and tsunami relief, for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005.
2005/05/05
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 5, 2005; pages D444 - D450
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/09
Daily Digest - Monday, May 9, 2005; pages D451 - D454
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
Joint Meetings
EMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee: On Friday, May 6, Committee concluded hearings to
examine the employment-unemployment situation for April 2005, after receiving
testimony from Kathleen P. Utgoff, Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Department of Labor.
2005/05/10
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 10, 2005; pages D455 - D462
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE MEDICAL HEALTH PROGRAM
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Defense Medical
Health Program, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Kevin C.
Kiley, Surgeon General of the Army; Vice Admiral Donald C. Arthur, Surgeon
General of the Navy; Lieutenant General George Peach Taylor, Jr., Surgeon
General of the Air Force; Colonel Barbara J. Bruno, Deputy Chief, Army Nurse
Corps; Rear Admiral Nancy J. Lescavage, Director, Navy Nurse Corps; and Major
General Barbara C. Brannon, Assistant Air Force Surgeon General for Nursing
Services.
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 the proposed National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.
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 the proposed National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.
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 the
proposed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine issues relating to identity theft and fraud, focusing on
data broker services and the treatment of such services under existing State
and Federal privacy laws, consumer protection, and challenges in securing
electronic data, after receiving testimony from Kurt P. Sanford, LexisNexis,
Miamisburg, Ohio; Douglas C. Curling, ChoicePoint, Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia;
Jennifer T. Barrett, Acxiom Corporation, Little Rock, Arkansas; Paul B. Kurtz,
Cyber Security Industry Alliance, Arlington, Virginia; Marc Rotenberg,
Electronic Privacy Information Center, and Mari J. Frank, Mari J. Frank and
Associates, Laguna Niguel, California.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine the National Park Service's funding needs for
administration and management of the national park system, after receiving
testimony from Fran P. Mainella, Director, National Park Service, Department
of the Interior; Greg Moore, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San
Francisco, California; Robert Arnberger, The Coalition of National Park
Service Retirees, Tucson, Arizona; and Lee Werst, Association of National Park
Rangers, Orem, Utah.
OSHA AND SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment and Workplace Safety concluded a hearing to examine ways to improve
the relationship between OSHA and small business, focusing on OSHA rules and
regulations to protect the health and safety of small business employees,
after receiving testimony from Jerrold Dodd, Dayton United Metal Spinners,
Inc., Dayton, Ohio, on behalf of the National Association of Manufacturers;
Arthur G. Sapper, McDermott, Will and Emery, LLP, on behalf of the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, and Lynn Rhinehart, AFL-CIO, both of Washington, D.C.;
and Roy Swindal, Bessemer, Alabama.
[Page: D457]
USA PATRIOT ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56),
focusing on civil liberties, national security versus domestic policing, and
business records, after receiving testimony from Senators Craig and Durbin;
former Representative Bob Barr, Liberty Strategies, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, on
behalf of the Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances; David Cole, Georgetown
University Law Center, James X. Dempsey, Center for Democracy and Technology,
Andrew C. McCarthy, The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and Suzanne
E. Spaulding, The Harbour Group, LLC, all of Washington, D.C.; Daniel P.
Collins, Munger, Tolles, and Olsen, LLP, Los Angeles, California.
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.
2005/05/11
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 11, 2005; pages D464 - D472
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine the Gynecologic
Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2003, to provide for programs to
increase the awareness and knowledge of women and health care providers with
respect to gynecologic cancers, after receiving testimony from Andrew C. von
Eschenbach, Director, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Sheryl Silver, Johanna's Law
Foundation, Bloomfield Hills, Illinois; and Fran Drescher, Los Angeles,
California.
LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine new approaches
to understand and treat ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), after receiving testimony
from Story C. Landis, Director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services; Lucie Bruijn, The ALS Association, Calabasas Hills, California; Rob
Boresellino, The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa; Eric Obermann,
Huntsville, Alabama; Tommy John, Charlotte, North Carolina; David Cone, New
York, New York; and Kate Linder, Los Angeles, California.
APPROPRIATIONS: MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAM
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine the proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Missile
Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Henry A.
Obering, III, Director of the Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense;
and General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander, United States Strategic
Command.
GPO/CBO/OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006, after
receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from
Bruce R. James, Public Printer, Government Printing Office; Douglas
Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office; and William W. Thompson,
III, Executive Director, and Susan S. Robfogel, Chair of the Board of
Directors, both of the Office of Compliance.
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 the proposed National
Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.
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 the proposed National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.
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 the
proposed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland continued in closed
session and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which
fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of the proposed National
Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006.
[Page: D466]
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to mark up the
proposed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, but did not
complete action thereon, and will meet again tomorrow.
SPYWARE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine issues relating to spyware, focusing on spyware's ability
to access a user's machine without informed consent for financial gain that
threatens the viability of the Internet as a commerce, entertainment,
communications and educational tool, after receiving testimony from Senator
Wyden; Trevor Hughes, Network Advertising Initiative, York, Maine; C. David
Moll, Webroot Software, Inc., Boulder, Colorado; and Ari Schwartz, Center for
Democracy and Technology, Washington, D.C.
RURAL WATER SUPPLY ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 895, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a rural
water supply program in the Reclamation States to provide a clean, safe,
affordable, and reliable water supply to rural residents, after receiving
testimony from John W. Keys, III, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation,
Department of the Interior; Mayor David Lansford, Clovis, New Mexico, on
behalf of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Association; Jim T. Dunlap, Upper
La Plata Water Users, Farmington, New Mexico, on behalf of the National Rural
Water Association, and the New Mexico Rural Water Association; Harold Frazier,
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Eagle Butte, South Dakota; and Duane A. Smith,
Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma City, on behalf of the Western States
Water Council.
LANDS BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 100, to authorize the exchange of
certain land in the State of Colorado, S. 235 and H.R. 816, bills to direct
the Secretary of Agriculture to sell certain parcels of Federal land in Carson
City and Douglas County, Nevada, S. 404, to make a technical correction
relating to the land conveyance authorized by Public Law 108-67, S. 741, to
provide for the disposal of certain Forest Service administrative sites in the
State of Oregon, S. 761, to rename the Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area in the State of Idaho as the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds
of Prey National Conservation Area in honor of the late Morley Nelson, an
international authority on birds of prey, who was instrumental in the
establishment of this National Conservation Area, and H.R. 486, to provide for
a land exchange involving private land and Bureau of Land Management land in
the vicinity of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, for the purpose of
removing private land from the required safety zone surrounding munitions
storage bunkers at Holloman Air Force Base, after receiving testimony from
Joel Holtrip, Deputy Chief for National Forest System, and Greg Smith,
Director of Lands, both of the U.S. Forest System, Department of Agriculture;
and Thomas P. Lonnie, Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty and Resource
Protection, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.
U.S.-EUROPEAN UNION REGULATORY COOPERATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on European Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine the United States-European Union regulatory cooperation on
emerging technologies, focusing on nanotechnology, European collection
societies, and information technology accessibility for the disabled, after
receiving testimony from Harris N. Miller, Information Technology Association
of America, Arlington, Virginia; Frederick C. Klaessig, Degussa Corporation,
Piscataway, New Jersey, on behalf of the American Chemistry Council; Frances
W. West, IBM Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Stephen F. Harper,
Intel Corporation, Washington, D.C., both on behalf of the European-American
Business Council; Thomas B. Patton, Philips Electronics North America
Corporation, John D. Hassell, Hewlett-Packard Company, and Joseph E. Duffy,
SAP Public Services, Inc., all of Washington, D.C.
BIOLOGICAL THREATS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness concluded a hearing to examine
21st century biological threats, focusing on dual-purpose preparedness against
natural and deliberate microbial threats, after receiving testimony from John
Deutch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, former Director of
Central Intelligence, and former Deputy Secretary of Defense; J. Craig Venter,
J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland; Guenael R. Rodier, World
Health Organization, United Nations, New York, New York; and Harvey V.
Fineberg, The National Academies, and Shelly Hearne, Trust for America's
Health, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D467]
INDIAN TRIBE RECOGNITION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
Federal recognition of Indian tribes, focusing on local municipalities and
communities and tax and zoning issues, and casino gaming, receiving testimony
from Senators Dodd and Lieberman; Representatives Shays, Simmons, and Nancy
Johnson; Mary L. Kendall, Deputy Inspector General, and Lee Fleming, Director
of Federal Acknowledgment, Office of Indian Affairs, both of the Department of
the Interior; Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell, Hartford; Richard L. Velky,
Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, Derby, Connecticut; Stephen R. Adkins,
Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Charles City, Virginia; John Barnett, Cowlitz
Indian Tribe, Longview, Washington; Kathleen J. Bragdon, College of William
and Mary Department of Anthropology, Williamsburg, Virginia; and Ken Cooper,
Town Action to Save Kent, South Kent, Connecticut.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee began mark-up of S. 852, 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 tomorrow.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/12
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 12, 2005; pages D473 - D480
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: AMTRAK
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, The
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), after receiving testimony
from David L. Gunn, President and Chief Executive Officer, and David M. Laney,
Chairman of the Board of Directors, both of Amtrak; and Jeffrey A. Rosen,
General Counsel, and Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General, both of the
Department of Transportation.
APPROPRIATIONS: NASA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science,
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006
for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, after receiving
testimony from Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2006 for the Department of State and Foreign Operations, after
receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
AUTHORIZATION--NATIONAL DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills: An original bill entitled "National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2006"; An original bill entitled "Department of Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006"; An original bill entitled "Military
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006"; and An original bill
entitled "Department of Energy National Security Act for Fiscal Year 2006".
TRUTH IN BROADCASTING ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 967, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure
that prepackaged news stories contain announcements that inform viewers that
the information within was provided by the United States Government, after
receiving testimony from Jonathan S. Adelstein, Commissioner, and Austin C.
Schlick, Acting General Counsel, both of the Federal Communications
Commission; Susan A. Poling, Managing Associate General Counsel, Government
Accountability Office; Barbara Cochran, Radio-Television News Directors
Association, Washington, D.C.; Douglas Simon, D S Simon Productions, Inc., New
York, New York; and Judith T. Phair, Public Relations Society of America,
Laurel, Maryland.
[Page: D476]
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered reported, without
recommendation, the nominations of John Robert Bolton, of Maryland, to be the
U.S. Representative to the United Nations, with the rank and status of
Ambassador, and the U.S. Representative in the Security Council of the United
Nations, and to be U.S. Representative to the Sessions of the General Assembly
of the United Nations during his tenure of service as U.S. Representative to
the United Nations.
BUSINESS MEETING
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.
Also, Committee resumed its markup of S. 852, 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 the
call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Rachel Brand, of Iowa, who was introduced by Senators Grassley
and Harkin, Alice S. Fisher, of Virginia, who was introduced by Senator
McConnell, and Regina B. Schofield, of Virginia, who was introduced by
Senators Cochran and Lott, each to be an Assistant Attorney General,
Department of Justice, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
VETERANS LONG TERM CARE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
issues relating to the planning, providing, and paying for veterans' long-term
care services, after receiving testimony from Jonathan B. Perlin, Under
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health; Lourdes E. Alvarado-Ramos,
Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, Seattle, on behalf of the
National Association of State Veterans Homes; and Joshua M. Wiener, RTI
International, Fred Cowell, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Donald L.
Mooney, The American Legion, all of Washington, D.C.
HIV/AIDS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
threat of HIV affecting people over fifty, focusing on U.S. HIV/AIDS trends,
specifically among persons 50 years and older, and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention efforts for people in this age group who are at high
risk for acquiring and transmitting HIV, after receiving testimony from Robert
S. Janssen, Director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for
Infectious Diseases, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services;
Thomas Bruner, Cascade AIDS Project, Portland, Oregon; Jeanine M. Reilly,
Broadway House for Continuing Care, Newark, New Jersey; and Shirley Royster,
Boston, Massachusetts.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/13
Daily Digest - Friday, May 13, 2005; pages D481 - D486
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
USAID ANTI-MALARIA POLICY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: On Thursday, May 12,
Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and
International Security concluded an oversight hearing to assess the
anti-malaria policy of the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), focusing on the transmission of HIV/AIDS, heath issues in Africa, and
the World Health Organization (WHO), after receiving testimony from Senator
Brownback; Michael Miller, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health,
United States Agency for International Development; Roger Bate, The American
Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.; Amir Attaran, University of Ottawa,
Ottawa, Canada; and Carlos C. Campbell, Program for Appropriate Technology in
Health (PATH), Seattle, Washington, on behalf of the Malaria Control and
Evaluation Program in Africa (MACEPA).
[Page: D482]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/16
Daily Digest - Monday, May 16, 2005; pages D487 - D492
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/17
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 17, 2005; pages D494 - D502
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine the progress of the Capitol Visitor Center, after receiving
testimony from Alan Hantman, Architect of the Capitol; and David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from numerous public witnesses.
CREDIT CARDS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the current legal and regulatory requirements and industry
practices for credit card issuers with respect to consumer disclosures and
marketing efforts, after receiving testimony from Senators Akaka and
Feinstein; Edward M. Gramlich, Member, Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System; Julie L. Williams, Acting Comptroller of the Currency,
Department of the Treasury; Antony Jenkins, Citi Cards, Sioux Falls, South
Dakota; Travis B. Plunkett, Consumer Federation of America, Edmund
Mierzwinski, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and Linda Sherry, Consumer
Action, all of Washington, D.C.; Louis J. Freeh, MBNA Corporation, and Carter
Franke, Chase Bank U.S.A., both of Wilmington, Delaware; Robert D. Manning,
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York; and Marge Connelly,
Capital One Financial Corporation, Richmond, Virginia.
PORT SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine measures that have been taken since September 11, 2001, to
secure our nation's ports, focusing on the implementation of the Maritime
Transportation Security Act and vulnerabilities that remain in the maritime
transportation sector, after receiving testimony from Representative
Ruppersberger; Robert M. Jacksta, Executive Director, Border Security and
Facilitation, U.S. Customs and Border Security, Rear Admiral Larry Hereth,
U.S. Coast Guard, and Richard L. Skinner, Acting Inspector General, Office of
Inspector General, all of the Department of Homeland Security; Margaret T.
Wrightson, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government
Accountability Office; Jean Godwin, American Association of Port Authorities,
Alexandria, Virginia; and Christopher Koch, World Shipping Council,
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D496]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee began markup of proposed
comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating to Indian
Energy, Department of Energy Management, and Personnel and Training, but did
not complete action thereon, and will meet again tomorrow.
NUCLEAR SECURITY
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a closed
hearing to examine nuclear security issues, receiving testimony from officials
of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
COMMISSION FOR AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Commission for Africa, recommendations for a coherent strategy for African
development and reform, after receiving testimony from former Senator Nancy
Kassebaum-Baker, and Tidjane Thiam, Aviva, London, United Kingdom, both on
behalf of the Commission for Africa; and Nancy Birdsall, Center for Global
Development, Washington, D.C.
OIL FOR FOOD
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing to examine the United Nations'
Oil-for-Food Program, the illegal surcharges paid on Iraqi oil sales, and the
nature and extent of the 2003 Khor al-Amaya incident, receiving testimony from
George Galloway, Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow, Great
Britain; and Mark L. Greenblatt, Counsel, Dan M. Berkovitz, Counsel to the
Minority, and Steven A. Groves, Counsel, all of the U.S. Senate Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
OLDER AMERICANS ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement Security and Aging held a hearing to examine the Administration's
recommendations for the Older Americans Act Reauthorization, focusing on the
National Family Caregiver Support Program, primary long-term care issues, and
the aging population and workforce, receiving testimony from Josefina
Carbonell, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Aging; and
Emily DeRocco, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security held a joint hearing to examine strengthening our national security,
regarding the need for comprehensive immigration reform, receiving testimony
from Asa Hutchinson, Venable, LLP, Washington, D.C., former Under Secretary of
Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security; Margaret D. Stock,
United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, on behalf of the
American Immigration Lawyers Association; and Mark K. Reed, Border Management
Strategies, LLC, Tucson, Arizona.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D497]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/18
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 18, 2005; pages D504 - D512
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
[Page: D505]
REGULATION NMS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Regulation National Market System (NMS) designed to
strengthen our national market system for equity securities, focusing on
recent market developments, after receiving testimony from John A. Thain, New
York Stock Exchange, Robert Greifeld, NASDAQ Stock Market, and Edward J.
Nicoll, Instinct Group, Inc., all of New York, New York; Gerald D. Putnam,
Archipelago Holdings, Inc., Chicago, Illinois; and Meyer S. Frucher,
Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science
and Space concluded a hearing to examine human space flight, focusing on the
status and role of the Space Shuttle in human space flight, plans for the
Shuttle's retirement, progress in minimizing the gap between the retirement of
the Space Shuttle and the introduction of the Crew Exploration Vehicle, after
receiving testimony from Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration; Allen Li, Director, Acquisition and
Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office; Joan Johnson-Freese,
Chair, Department of National Security Decision Making, Naval War College,
United States Navy; Michael J. McCulley, United Space Alliance, Houston,
Texas; and Scott J. Horowitz, ATK Thiokol, Inc., Brigham City, Utah.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of David A. Sampson, of Texas, to be Deputy
Secretary of Commerce, who was introduced by Senator Hutchison, and John J.
Sullivan, of Maryland, to be General Counsel of the Department of Commerce,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee continued markup of
proposed comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating to
coal, vehicles and fuels, hydrogen, and research and development, but did not
complete action thereon, and will meet again tomorrow.
ECO-TERRORISM
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine eco-terrorism, acts of politically motivated violence to
force changes in attitudes about certain issues, specifically examining the
Earth Liberation Front ("ELF") and the Animal Liberation Front ("ALF"), after
receiving testimony from John E. Lewis, Deputy Assistant Director,
Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Carson W.
Carroll, Deputy Assistant Director, Field Operations, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, both of the Department of Justice; Bradley
M. Campbell, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton; David
Martosko, Center for Consumer Freedom, Washington, D.C.; David J. Skorton, The
University of Iowa, Iowa City; and Monty A. McIntyre, Seltzer, Caplan,
McMahon, Vitek, San Diego, California, on behalf of Garden Communities.
FLORIDA HURRICANES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s response to
the 2004 Florida hurricanes, and its impact on taxpayers, and a related
measure, S. 1059, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act to specify procedures for the conduct of preliminary
damage assessments, to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to vigorously
investigate and prosecute instances of fraud, including fraud in the handling
and approval of claims for Federal emergency assistance, after receiving
testimony from Senator Nelson (FL); Richard L. Skinner, Acting Inspector
General, and Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and
Response, both of the Department of Homeland Security.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1021, to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute, and
The nomination of Raymond Simon, of Arkansas, to be Deputy Secretary of
Education.
INDIAN TRUST LANDS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine issues relating to the taking of land into trust by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA) for federally-recognized Indian tribes, focusing on land
used for gaming purposes, after receiving testimony from George T. Skibine,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy and Economic
Development, Office of Indian Affairs; David K. Sprague and John Shagonaby,
both of the Gun Lake Tribe, Dorr, Michigan; James T. Martin, United South and
Eastern Tribes, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; Mike Jandernoa, 23 Is Enough,
Grand Rapids, Michigan; and David Crosby, Santa Ynez, California.
[Page: D506]
PROTECTING THE JUDICIARY
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine issues
relating to protecting the judiciary at home and in the courthouse, after
receiving testimony from Senators Durbin and Obama; Judge Joan Humphrey
Lefkow, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois;
Judge Jane R. Roth, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, on
behalf of the Judicial Conference of the United States; Chief Magistrate Judge
Samuel Alba, United States District Court for the District of Utah; and
Benigno G. Reyna, Director, and Kim R. Widup, United States Marshal for the
Northern District of Illinois, both of the United States Marshals Service,
Department of Justice.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/19
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 19, 2005; pages D514 - D520
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: EPA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006
for the Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from Steven
L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
REGULATION NMS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded hearings
to examine Regulation National Market System (NMS) designed to strengthen our
national market system for equity securities, focusing on recent market
developments, after receiving testimony from William H. Donaldson, Chairman,
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee continued markup of
proposed comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating to
Energy Efficiency and Electricity, but did not complete action thereon, and
will meet again on Tuesday, May 24.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water concluded an oversight hearing to examine the
implementation of the Endangered Species Act (Public Law 93-205), focusing on
successes and shortcomings of the Act, and possible improvements to ensure
species protection in the future, after receiving testimony from Senator
Crapo; Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife
and Parks; James H. Lecky, Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Programs,
National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce; Robin M. Nazzaro, Director, Natural
Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; John F. Kostyack,
National Wildlife Federation, Jamie Rappaport Clark, Defenders of Wildlife,
and Monita Fontaine, National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Reed Hopper, Pacific Legal Foundation, Sacramento,
California.
IRAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine
weapons proliferation, terrorism and democracy in Iran, after receiving
testimony from R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political
Affairs; and Geoffrey Kemp, The Nixon Center, Gary Milhollin, Wisconsin
Project on Nuclear Arms Control, George Perkovich, Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, and Abbas William Samii, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,
all of Washington, D.C.
Also, committee met in closed session to receive a briefing on weapons
proliferation, terrorism and democracy in Iran from officials of the
intelligence community.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Philip J. Perry, of Virginia, to be
General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Warner, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Carolyn L. Gallagher, of Texas, who was
introduced by Senator Cornyn, and Louis J. Giuliano, of New York, who was
introduced by Senator Warner, each to be a Governor of the United States
Postal Service, and Tony Hammond, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of the
Postal Rate Commission, who was introduced by Senator Bond, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
AMERICAN WORKFORCE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee met to discuss
issues relating to higher education and corporate leaders, focusing on
defining the roles industry and institutions of higher education will have to
ensure that the United States has the skilled and diverse workforce it will
need to succeed today and in the future, after receiving testimony from Louis
Caldera, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; Robert Craves, Washington
Education Foundation, Issaquah, Washington; Edward J. Hoff, IBM, Armonk, New
York; Edison Jackson, Medgar Evers College--City University of New York,
Brooklyn; Patricia McGuire, Trinity University, Washington, D.C.; James
Mullen, Biogen Idec, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Walter Nolte, Casper College,
Casper, Wyoming; Laura Palmer-Noone, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona;
Charles B. Reed, California State University, Long Beach; and Patrick J.
Sweeney, Odin Technologies, Reston, Virginia.
[Page: D516]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee resumed markup of S. 852, 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 the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/20
Daily Digest - Friday, May 20, 2005; pages D521 - D526
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/23
Daily Digest - Monday, May 23, 2005; pages D527 - D532
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
[Page: D528]
INDIVIDUAL ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight held a
hearing to examine the impact of the individual Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT),
the separate tax system within the individual income tax system that applies
lower tax rates to a broader base of income and a proposal to repeal the AMT,
receiving testimony from Robert J. Carroll, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Tax Analysis; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget
Office; Carol C. Markman, Feldman, Meinberg and Company, LLP, Syosset, New
York, on behalf of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners; Nina E.
Olson, National Taxpayer Service, Leonard E. Berman, The Urban Institute Tax
Policy Center, and Kevin A. Hassett, American Enterprise Institute, all of
Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/24
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 24, 2005; pages D534 - D542
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from
Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, and Robert S. Mueller III, Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigations, both of the Department of Justice.
U.S. ANTI-DOPING AGENCY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 529, to designate a United States Anti-Doping Agency and
to examine the competitive pressures that lead amateur athletes to use drugs,
the sources of such drugs, and the science of doping, after receiving
testimony from Jim Scherr, U.S. Olympic Committee, and Terrence Madden, U.S.
Anti-Doping Agency, both of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Roger Blake,
California Interscholastic Federation, Alameda; Don H. Catlin, University of
California at Los Angeles Medical School; and Kelli White, Voorhees, New
Jersey.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations
of Alex Azar II, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human
Services, who was introduced by Senator Hatch, Timothy D. Adams, of Virginia,
to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, who was
introduced by Senator McConnell, Suzanne C. DeFrancis, of Maryland, to be
Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Public Affairs, Charles
E. Johnson, of Utah, to be Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services
for Budget, Technology, and Finance, who was introduced by Senator Hatch, and
Shara L. Aranoff, of Maryland, to be a Member of the United States
International Trade Commission, who was introduced by Senator Baucus, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., of Texas, to be Ambassador to Spain and
Andorra, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison, Cornyn and Martinez;
Victoria Nuland, of Connecticut, to be Permanent Representative of the United
States of America on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
with the rank and status of Ambassador, who was introduced by Senator
Lieberman; Julie Finley, of the District of Columbia, to be U.S.
Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
with the rank of Ambassador, who was introduced by Senator Warner; and John F.
Tefft, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Georgia, and Craig Roberts Stapleton,
of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to France, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
U.S. SPECIAL COUNSEL
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine a review of the U.S. Office of Special
Counsel, focusing on safeguarding the merit system by protecting federal
employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially
reprisal for whistleblowing, after receiving testimony from Scott J. Bloch,
Special Counsel, U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
SPECIALTY HOSPITALS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine the competitive effects of
specialty hospitals, after receiving testimony from John D. Graubert,
Principal Deputy General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission; Mark E. Miller,
Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; Regina E.
Herzlinger, Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts; Stan Pelofsky,
Oklahoma Spine Hospital, Oklahoma City; John T. Thomas, Baylor Health Care
System, Dallas, Texas; William G. Plested, American Medical Association,
Chicago, Illinois; James E. Cain, Lampasas, Texas; and Ed Jungbluth,
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[Page: D536]
USA PATRIOT ACT AUTHORIZATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
proposed legislation to reauthorize certain provisions of the Uniting and
Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and
Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 and the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, to clarify certain definitions in the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to provide additional
investigative tools necessary to protect the national security, after
receiving testimony from Valerie Caproni, General Counsel, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, David S. Kris, former Associate Deputy Attorney General, and
Daniel P. Collins, former Associate Deputy Attorney Chief Privacy Officer, all
of the Department of Justice; and Joseph Onek, Constitution Project, and James
X. Dempsey, Center for Democracy and Technology, both of Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/05/25
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 25, 2005; pages D543 - D552
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
GRAIN STANDARDS ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the proposed reauthorization of the U.S. Grain Standards
Act, focusing on the Federal Grain Inspection Service, and mandatory export
inspection and weighing services, after receiving testimony from David R.
Shipman, Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards
Administration, Department of Agriculture; Jerry D. Gibson, Bunge North
America, Inc., Destrehan, Louisiana, on behalf of the National Grain and Feed
Association, and the North American Export Grain Association; Thomas Dahl,
American Association of Grain Inspection and Weighing Agencies, Sioux City,
Iowa; and Garry Niemeyer, National Corn Growers Association, Glenarm,
Illinois.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Kenneth J. Krieg, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, and 661 nominations in the Army,
Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be a
Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, and Brian D. Montgomery, of Texas,
to be Assistant Secretary of Housing, Federal Housing Commissioner, Department
of Housing and Urban Development, who was introduced by Senator Cornyn, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S.360, to reauthorize and amend the Coastal Zone Management
Act, after receiving testimony from Thomas Kitsos, Associate Deputy Assistant
Administrator, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce; Walter D. Cruickshank, Deputy
Director, Minerals Management Service, Department of the Interior; Bill
Jeffress, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Anchorage; W. Donald Hudson,
Jr., Maine State Planning Office, Augusta; Sarah W. Cooksey, Delaware Coastal
Programs, Dover, on behalf of the Coastal States Organization; Tom Fry,
National Ocean Industries Association, Washington, D.C.; and Sarah Chasis,
Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee resumed markup of
proposed comprehensive energy legislation, focusing on provisions relating to
renewable energy, nuclear matters, and studies, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again tomorrow.
[Page: D545]
ENERGY PROJECT PERMITTING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the process for issuing permits for energy projects,
focusing on the White House Task Force on Energy Project Streamlining, and
ensuring that energy exploration, production, and transportation projects are
permitted efficiently, after receiving testimony from J. Mark Robinson,
Director, Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;
Dennis J. Duffy, Cape Wind Associates, LLC, Boston, Massachusetts; Sharon
Buccino, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, New York; and Ronald E.
Hogan, Questar Market Resources, Pinedale, Wyoming.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of David Horton Wilkins, of South Carolina, to be Ambassador to
Canada, who was introduced by Senators Allard, Graham, DeMint, and Reed;
William Alan Eaton, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Panama; James M. Derham,
of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Guatemala; Robert Johann Dieter, of Colorado,
to be Ambassador to Belize; Paul A. Trivelli, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to
Nicaragua; and Linda Jewell, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to
Ecuador, after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
COUNTERFEIT GOODS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine how counterfeit goods provide easy cash for criminals and
terrorists, focusing on how intellectual property rights crime affects this
country, including the possibility that proceeds from counterfeiting fund
terrorism, after receiving testimony from John C. Stedman, County of Los
Angeles Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles, California; Kris Buckner,
Investigative Consultants, Lawnsdale, California; and Matthew Levitt, The
Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nominations of Philip J. Perry, of Virginia, to be
General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security, Carolyn L. Gallagher, of
Texas, and Louis J. Giuliano, of New York, each to be a Governor of the United
States Postal Service, and Tony Hammond, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of
the Postal Rate Commission.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Linda Morrison Combs, of North Carolina,
to be Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management
and Budget, after the nominee testified and answered questions in her own
behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following items:
S. 1107, to reauthorize the Head Start Act,
S. 518, to provide for the establishment of a controlled substance monitoring
program in each State, and;
The nominations of Charles P. Ruch, of South Dakota, to be a Member of the
Board of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in
Education Foundation, Kim Wang, of California, to be a Member of the National
Museum and Library Services Board, and Harry Robinson, Jr., of Texas, to be a
Member of the National Museum Services Board.
AMERICAN INDIAN POLICIES
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S.J.
Res. 15, to acknowledge a long history of official depredations and
ill-conceived policies by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes
and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States,
after receiving testimony from Senator Brownback; Tex Hall, National Congress
of American Indians, Washington, D.C.; Edward K. Thomas, Central Council of
the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Juneau; and Negiel Bigpond,
Sr., Two Rivers Native American Training Center, Bixby, Oklahoma.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee resumed markup of S. 852, 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 tomorrow.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PIRACY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property concluded a
hearing to examine piracy of intellectual property and counterfeiting
problems, after receiving testimony from Marybeth Peters, Register of
Copyrights, and Associate Librarian for Copyright Services, United States
Copyright Office, Library of Congress; Stephen M. Pinkos, Deputy Under
Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and Deputy Director, United
States Patent and Trademark Office; James E. Mendenhall, Acting General
Counsel, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; Eric H. Smith, International
Intellectual Property Alliance, and Robert W. Holleyman II, Business Software
Alliance, both of Washington, D.C.; and Taylor Hackford, Directors Guild of
America, Los Angeles, California.
[Page: D546]
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
KOSOVO
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Committee concluded a hearing to examine human rights concerns in Kosovo,
after receiving testimony from Soren Jessen-Petersen, Special Representative
of the United Nations Secretary General and Head of United Nations Mission in
Kosovo; and Charles L. English, Director, Office of South Central European
Affairs, Department of State.
2005/05/26
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 26, 2005; pages D553 - D562
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Commerce, after receiving testimony
from Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce.
APPROPRIATIONS: USAID
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2006 for the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), after receiving testimony from Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator,
United States Agency for International Development.
[Page: D556]
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the report to Congress on international economic and
exchange rate policies, focusing on imbalances in the global economy, and
China's currency regime, after receiving testimony from John W. Snow,
Secretary of the Treasury.
AVIATION CAPACITY AND CONGESTION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded a hearing to examine aviation capacity and congestion challenges
regarding summer 2005 and future demand, focusing on traffic and delay trends,
factors contributing to the increased system complexity, how the aviation
community is responding, and the specific actions that must be pursued in
order to meet the forecasted demand and maintain global leadership in aviation
safety, capacity, and efficiency, after receiving testimony from Marion C.
Blakey, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, and Kenneth M. Mead,
Inspector General, both of the Department of Transportation; Gerald
Dillingham, Director, Civil Aviation Issues, Government Accountability Office;
and Amr A. ElSawy, MITRE Corporation, McLean, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill to enhance the energy security of the United States.
NRC OVERSIGHT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded an oversight hearing to examine the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), focusing on challenges facing the NRC in
effectively carrying out its mission, especially in overseeing the security
and safety of nuclear power plants in the United States, after receiving
testimony from Nils J. Diaz, Chairman, Edward McGaffigan, Jr., Commissioner,
and Gregory B. Jaczko, Commissioner, all of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission;
Jim Wells, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government
Accountability Office; Marilyn C. Kray, Exelon Nuclear, Kennett Square,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of NuStart Energy Development; and Edwin S. Lyman,
Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Dina Habib Powell, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of State
for Educational and Cultural Affairs, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison
and Cornyn; and Sean Ian McCormack, of the District of Columbia, to be
Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Rodolphe M. Vallee, of Vermont, to be Ambassador to the Slovak
Republic, who was introduced by Senators Leahy and Jeffords; Molly Hering
Bordonaro, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malta, who was
introduced by Senators Smith and Wyden; and Ann Louise Wagner, of Missouri, to
be Ambassador to Luxembourg, who was introduced by Senators Bond and Talent,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
CONTAINER SECURITY INITIATIVE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine the container
security initiative and the customs-trade partnership against terrorism,
focusing on how Customs utilizes container security initiative and customs
trade partnership against terrorism in connection with its other enforcement
programs and review the requirements for and challenges involved in
transitioning these from promising risk management concepts to effective and
sustained enforcement operations, after receiving testimony from Robert C.
Bonner, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and C. Stewart
Verdery, Jr., Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, Inc., Washington, D.C., former
Assistant Secretary of Border and Transportation Security Policy, both of the
Department of Homeland Security; Richard M. Stana, Director, Homeland Security
and Justice Team, Government Accountability Office; and Commander Stephen E.
Flynn, USCG (Ret.), Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York.
PRIVATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine the effectiveness of federal financing
of private research and development, and whether some of these programs result
in the development of new technologies or displace private investment, after
receiving testimony from Robin M. Nazzaro, Director, Natural Resources and
Environment, Government Accountability Office; Brian Riedl, The Heritage
Foundation, and Charles W. Wessner, National Research Council, The National
Academies, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D557]
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine issues relating to the 21st century workplace, focusing on
preparing for tomorrow's employment trends today, after receiving testimony
from Tamara J. Erickson, The Concours Group, Watertown, Massachusetts; and
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Hudson Institute, and Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy
Institute, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 852, to create a fair and efficient system to resolve claims of victims for
bodily injury caused by asbestos exposure, with amendments; and
The nominations of Richard A. Griffin, of Michigan, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, David W. McKeague, of Michigan, to be
United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, and Paul D. Clement, of
Virginia, to be Solicitor General of the United States, Anthony Jerome
Jenkins, of Virgin Islands, to be United States Attorney for the District of
the Virgin Islands, Stephen Joseph Murphy III, of Michigan, to be United
States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Gretchen C.F. Shappert,
of North Carolina, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of
North Carolina, and Regina B. Schofield, of Virginia, to be Assistant Attorney
General for the Office of Justice Programs, all of the Department of Justice.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship concluded a hearing to examine the need for comprehensive
immigration reform relating to the national economy, focusing on the proposed
Temporary Worker Program recognizing that the economy relies on temporary
foreign workers to fill workforce shortages when there are insufficient
numbers of willing or able domestic workers, after receiving testimony Steven
J. Law, Deputy Secretary of Labor; Thomas J. Donahue, United States Chamber of
Commerce, and Daniel Griswold, Cato Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
VA DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
challenges facing the VA claims adjudication and appeal process, focusing on
the current state of VA's disability claims process and factors that may
impede VA's ability to improve performance, after receiving testimony from
Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary for Benefits, Ronald Garvin, Acting Chairman
of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, and Robert H. Epley, Associate Deputy Under
Secretary for Policy and Program Management, Veterans Benefits Administration,
all of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Cynthia A. Bascetta, Director,
Education, Workforce and Income Security, Government Accountability Office;
Kenneth B. Kramer, former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals
for Veterans Claims; Robert Chisholm, National Organization of Veterans
Advocates, Providence, Rhode Island; and Rick Surratt, Disabled American
Veterans, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/06
Daily Digest - Monday, June 6, 2005; pages D563 - D568
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/07
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 7, 2005; pages D569 - D574
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CAFT-DR
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the United States-Central America-Dominican Republic Free
Trade Agreement (CAFTA), focusing on potential impacts on the agriculture and
food sectors, after receiving testimony from Mike Johanns, Secretary of
Agriculture; Allen F. Johnson, Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the
United States Trade Representative; Bob Stallman, Columbus, Texas, on behalf
of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Cal Dooley, Food Products Association,
Tom Buis, National Farmers Union, and Augustine Tantillo, American
Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, all of Washington, D.C.; Robert E.
McLendon, Leary Georgia, National Cotton Council; and Jack Roney, American
Sugar Alliance, Arlington, Virginia.
[Page: D570]
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
approved for full Committee consideration H.R. 2361, making appropriations for
the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
TANKER PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine the Department of Defense Inspector General's Management
Accountability Review of the Boeing KC-767A Tanker Program, after receiving
testimony from Gordon R. England, Acting Deputy Secretary, Michael W. Wynne,
Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Joseph E. Schmitz,
Inspector General, and Thomas F. Gimble, Deputy Inspector General, all of the
Department of Defense; and Michael L. Dominguez, Acting Secretary, and General
John P. Jumper, USAF, Chief of Staff, both of the U.S. Air Force.
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND REFORM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on
International Trade and Finance concluded a hearing to examine progress on
reform of the International Monetary Fund, focusing on the growing role of
international debt securities, the increase in volume of private capital
flows, and the increasing interconnection between financial markets, after
receiving testimony from Randal Quarles, Acting Under Secretary of the
Treasury for International Affairs; Allan H. Meltzer, Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and C. Fred Bergsten, Institute for
International Economics, Washington, D.C.
PRIVATE PENSIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to current problems and future
challenges of defined-benefit pension plans, relating to the United Airlines
case, receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the
United States, Government Accountability Office; Bradley D. Belt, Executive
Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director,
Congressional Budget Office; Patricia A. Friend, Association of Flight
Attendants--CWA, AFL-CIO, and Duane E. Woerth, Air Line Pilots Associaiton,
International, both of Washington, D.C.; Robert Roach, Jr., International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Upper Marlboro, Maryland;
Glenn F. Tilton, United Airlines, Chicago, Illinois; Douglas M. Steenland,
Northwest Airlines, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Gerald Grinstein, Delta Air
Lines, Atlanta, Georgia.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Zalmay Khalilzad, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to Iraq, after
the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Hagel, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
CHINA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded a hearing to examine the emergence of China throughout Asia relating
to security and economic consequences for the U.S., focusing on China's growth
in the East Asia region, what growth means for the United States, and policy
decisions to maintain U.S. presence politically, economically, and militarily
in the region, after receiving testimony from Christopher R. Hill, Assistant
Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Minxin Pei, Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, and Catharin E. Dalpino, Georgetown
University and The George Washington University, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Mikkal E. Herberg, The National Bureau of Asian Research, Seattle, Washington.
PENSION PLAN REFORM
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement Security and Aging concluded a hearing to examine reforming hybrid
and multi-employer pension plans, focusing on the causes of uncertainty for
hybrids and multiemployer plans, including funding problems and proposals to
restore stability and solvency, after receiving testimony from Randy G.
DeFrehn, National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans, Timothy P.
Lynch, Motor Freight Carriers Association, William F. Sweetnam, Jr., The Groom
Law Group, on behalf of the American Benefits Council, and David Certner,
AARP, all of Washington, D.C.; Jeffrey Noddle, SUPERVALU, INC., Minneapolis,
Minnesota, on behalf of the Food Marketing Institute; John Ward, Standard
Forwarding Co., East Moline, Illinois, on behalf of the Multiemployer Pension
Plan Alliance; and Ellen Collier, Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, on
behalf of the Coalition to Preserve the Defined Benefit System.
[Page: D571]
BORDER SECURITY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded joint hearings to examine the successes and challenges of
border security, focusing on resources and strategies to improve national
security, after receiving testimony from David Aguilar, Chief, Office of
Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Wesley Lee, Acting
Director, Detention and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, both of the Department of Homeland Security; and C. Stewart
Verdery, Jr., Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, Inc., and Center for Strategic and
International Studies, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session and ordered
favorably reported an original bill to reauthorize certain provisions of the
Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to
Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 and the
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, to clarify certain
definitions in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to provide
additional investigative tools necessary to protect the national security.
Joint Meetings
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the problem of human trafficking of
American citizens in the United States, and related provisions of H.R. 972, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 for the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000, after receiving testimony from Susan Orr,
Associate Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families,
Department of Health and Human Service; Frank Barnaba, Paul and Lisa Program,
Inc., Hartford, Connecticut; Norma Hotaling, Standing Against Global
Exploitation (SAGE) Project, San Francisco, California; and a protected
witness.
2005/06/08
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 8, 2005; pages D575 - D582
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MANUFACTURING COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine
manufacturing competitiveness in a high-tech era, focusing on current
challenges that confront American manufacturers, how manufacturers have
responded to these challenges, discuss how recent technological innovations
have impacted the manufacturing industry, and explore what government should
do to help American manufacturers remain competitive in today's global
economy, after receiving testimony from Albert A. Frink, Assistant Secretary
of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services of the International Trade
Administration; G. Wayne Clough, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta;
Sebastian Murray, FPI Thermoplastic Technologies, Morristown, New Jersey; and
Thomas R. Howell, Dewey Ballantine, LLP, Washington, D.C.
DISASTER PROTECTION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine research and
development to protect America's communities from disaster, focusing on
National Institute of Standards and Technology recent World Trade Center
report, as well as computer security, and chemical, biological, radiological
detection standards, National Science Foundation scientific research in areas
such as computer security and data mining, and NOAA's work developing
atmospheric models to aid in prediction of the transport and dispersion of
chemical and biological releases, including the hazards alert system, after
receiving testimony from Hratch G. Semerjian, Acting Director, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, and Conrad
Lautenbacher, Jr., Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, both of the Department of Commerce; and Arden
L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science Foundation.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
H.R. 483, to designate a United States courthouse in Brownsville, Texas, as
the "Reynaldo G. Garza and Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse";
S. 260, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and
financial assistance to private landowners to restore, enhance, and manage
private land to improve fish and wildlife habitats through the Partners for
Fish and Wildlife Program, with an amendment;
S. 864, to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to modify provisions relating
to nuclear safety and security, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 865, to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to reauthorize the
Price-Anderson provisions, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 858, to reauthorize Nuclear Regulatory Commission user fees, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1017, to reauthorize grants for the water resources research and technology
institutes established under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, and;
S. 1140, to designate the State Route 1 Bridge in the State of Delaware as the
"Senator William V. Roth, Jr. Bridge".
LAND CONSERVATION TAX POLICY
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine proposals to reform
the tax code relating to land conservation, focusing on legal requirements for
deductions for conservation easements, and governance, accountability, and
transparency reforms, receiving testimony from Jonathan Selib, Tax Counsel,
and Dean Zerbe, Tax Counsel and Senior Counsel to the Chairman, both of the
Committee on Finance; Earl E. Devaney, Inspector General, Department of the
Interior; Steven T. Miller, Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities
Division, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; Burnet R.
Maybank, III, South Carolina Department of Revenue, Columbia; Steven J.
McCormick, Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia; Rand Wentworth, Land Trust
Alliance, Washington, D.C.; and Timothy Lindstrom, Jackson Hole Land Trust,
Jackson, Wyoming.
[Page: D577]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Pamela E. Bridgewater, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Ghana, Donald E. Booth, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Liberia, Terence Patrick McCulley, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to
the Republic of Mali, and Roger Dwayne Pierce, of Virginia, to be Ambassador
to the Republic of Cape Verde, 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 certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine exploring
the promise of embryonic stem cell research, focusing on Alzheimer's Disease,
Huntington's Disease, diabetes, and Parkinson's Disease, after receiving
testimony from Lawrence S. Goldstein, University of California, San Diego
School of Medicine; Douglas A. Doerfler, MaxCyte, Inc., Gaithersburg,
Maryland, on behalf of the Biotechnology Industry Organization; John D.
Gearhart, Johns Hopkins University Department of Medicine Institute for Cell
Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland; Su-Chun Zhang, University of
Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Mental Retardation Center; and Chris Dudley,
Portland, Oregon.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/09
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 9, 2005; pages D583 - D592
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Walter Lukken, of Indiana, to be a
Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and Reuben Jeffery
III, of the District of Columbia, to be a Commissioner and Chairman of the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission, after the nominees, who were both
introduced by Senator Lugar, testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported H.R. 2361,
making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
Also, 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 2006, revising appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2005,
and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2007 through
2010.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 582, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of the Little Rock
Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute; and
The nominations of Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the
Council of Economic Advisers, and Brian D. Montgomery, of Texas, to be
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Federal Housing
Commissioner.
GENERAL AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine general aviation (GA) security, the Transportation Security
Administration's proposed plan to reopen Ronald Reagan Washington National
Airport to GA operations, and the security procedures followed during the
recent air incursion that caused the emergency evacuation of the White House
and the U.S. Capitol buildings, after receiving testimony from Michael A.
Cirillo, Vice President, System Operations Services, Air Traffic Organization,
Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation; Jonathan
Fleming, Chief Operating Officer, Transportation Security Administration,
Department of Homeland Security; Ed Bolen, National Business Aviation
Association, Washington, D.C.; James K. Coyne, National Air Transportation
Association, Alexandria, Virginia; and Andrew V. Cebula, Aircraft Owners and
Pilots Association, Frederick, Maryland.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Richard J. Griffin, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office
of Foreign Missions, and to have the rank of Ambassador, and to be an
Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security, and Henrietta Holsman
Fore, of Nevada, to be Under Secretary of State for Management, who was
introduced by Senator Hutchison, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
CROSS-BORDER TRAVEL
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace
Corps and Narcotics Affairs concluded a hearing to examine the Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), focusing on plans to augment United
States border security and facilitate international travel by establishing new
documentary standards, and regarding safety and convenience in cross-border
travel, after receiving testimony from Frank E. Moss, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Consular Affairs; Elaine Dezenski, Acting Assistant
Secretary of Homeland Security for Policy and Planning, Border and
Transportation Directorate; Paul M. Ruden, American Society of Travel Agents,
Inc., Alexandria, Virginia; and Robert A. Pastor, American University Center
for North American Studies, Washington, D.C.
PENSION PLAN FRAUD
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine protecting America's pensions plans from fraud, focusing on
the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration's
enforcement strategy, efforts to address weakness in its enforcement program
along with the challenges that remain, after receiving testimony from Alan D.
Lebowitz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefit
Security Administration; Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce,
and Income Security Issues, Government Accountability Office; John Endicott,
Local Union 290 Plumbers, Steamfitters and Marine Fitters, Tualatin, Oregon;
Barclay Grayson, BDC Advisors, LLC, and Stephen F. English, Bullivant Houser
Bailey, PC, both of Portland, Oregon; and James S. Ray, Law Offices of James
S. Ray, Alexandria, Virginia.
BIOSHIELD
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness concluded a hearing to examine
promising medical countermeasures to bioshield, focusing on the Project
BioShield Act of 2004, and the Administration's priority to have an
appropriate armamentarium of medical countermeasures as a critical aspect of
the response and recovery component of the President's strategy "Biodefense
for the 21st Century", after receiving testimony from John Vitko, Jr.,
Director, Biological Countermeasures Portfolio, Science and Technology
Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; William F. Raub, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Public Health Emergency Preparedness, and Carol
Heilman, Director, Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, both of the Department of
Health and Human Services; Colonel Joseph Palma, Medical Director, Office of
the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Chemical and Biological
Defense, Department of Defense; Alan P. Timmins, AVI BioPharma, Inc.,
Portland, Oregon; Richard Frothingham, Duke University Medical Center and
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina; David P. Wright,
PharmAthene, Inc., Annapolis, Maryland; Scott Magids, University of Maryland
Technology Advancement Program, College Park; and Philip K. Russell, Potomac,
Maryland.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 1181, to
ensure an open and deliberate process in Congress by providing that any future
legislation to establish a new exemption to section 552 of title 5, United
States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act) be stated
explicitly within the text of the bill.
VETERANS' HEALTHCARE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S.
1182, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for
veterans, S. 481, to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the period
of eligibility for health care for combat service in the Persian Gulf War or
future hostilities from two years to five years after discharge or release, S.
716, to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance services provided by
vet centers, to clarify and improve the provision of bereavement counseling by
the Department of Veterans Affairs, S. 1176, to improve the provision of
health care and services to veterans in Hawaii, S. 1177, to improve mental
health services at all facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.
614, to amend title 38, United States Code, to permit Medicare-eligible
veterans to receive an out-patient medication benefit, to provide that certain
veterans who receive such benefit are not otherwise eligible for medical care
and services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, S. 1180, to amend title
38, United States Code, to reauthorize various programs servicing the needs of
homeless veterans for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, S. 1189, to require the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to publish a strategic plan for long-term care,
S. 1190, to provide sufficient blind rehabilitation outpatient specialists at
medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and S. 1191, to
establish a grant program to provide innovative transportation options to
veterans in remote rural areas, after receiving testimony from R. James
Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Donald Mooney, The American Legion,
Dennis M. Cullinan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Adrian
Atizado, Disabled American Veterans, and Carl Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of
America, all of Washington, D.C.; and Richard Jones, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland.
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the current
economic outlook, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman,
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
IRAN CRISIS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the human rights situation in Iran
and the prospects for a U.S.-European response, after receiving testimony from
Goli Ameri, U.S. Public Delegate to the United Nations Human Rights
Commission; Jeff Gedmin, Aspen Institute Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Tom Melia,
Freedom House, Washington, D.C.; Manda Zand Ervin, Alliance of Iranian Women;
Karim Lahidji, International Federation of Human Rights, France.
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed
versions of H.R. 3, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway
safety programs, and transit programs, but did not complete action thereon,
and recessed subject to call.
2005/06/13
Daily Digest - Monday, June 13, 2005; pages D594 - D598
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D595]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/14
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 14, 2005; pages D599 - D606
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AGRICULTURE AND FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the benefits and future developments in agriculture and
food biotechnology, focusing on crossbreeding, hybridization, and
bioengineering, legal and regulatory background, and the interagency
Agricultural Biotechnology Working Group, after receiving testimony from Chuck
Lambert, Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory
Programs; Clifford Gabriel, Director, Office of Science Coordination and
Policy, Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, Environmental
Protection Agency; Robert E. Brackett, Director, Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and
Human Services; Jim Greenwood, Biotechnology Industry Organization,
Washington, D.C.; Ron Heck, American Soybean Association, Perry, Iowa; and
Kenneth M. Quinn, World Food Prize Foundation, Des Moines, Iowa.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved for
full Committee consideration H.R. 2360, making appropriations for the
Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
APPROPRIATIONS: ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water, and Related
Agencies approved for full Committee consideration H.R. 2419, making
appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch resumed a
hearing to examine the progress of the Capitol Visitor Center construction,
receiving testimony from Alan Hantman, Architect of the Capitol; and Bernard
Ungar, Director, and Terrell Dorn, Assistant Director, both of Physical
Infrastructure, Government Accountability Office.
Hearing will continue on Thursday, July 14.
SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Securities
and Investment concluded a hearing to examine the role of financial markets in
social security reform, focusing on the Federal Thrift Savings Plan, personal
retirement savings accounts, and retirement plan administrative costs, after
receiving testimony from Gary A. Amelio, Executive Director, Federal
Retirement Thrift Investment Board; Francis Enderle, Barclays Global
Investors, San Francisco, California; Francis X. Cavanaugh, Public Finance
Consulting, Chevy Chase, Maryland; Michael Tanner, CATO Institute, and David
C. John, The Heritage Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.; and Jason Furman,
New York University Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York, New
York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee met and approved recommendations on proposed
legislation implementing the United States-Central America-Dominican Republic
Free Trade Agreement.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
status of the Six-Party Talks in Beijing, and matters related to the
resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis, after receiving testimony from
Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
and Joseph R. DeTrani, Special Envoy, Six-Party Talks, both of the Department
of State.
[Page: D601]
TARGETING ORGANIZED PIRACY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia held a hearing to examine the Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy
(STOP!) initiative, established to stop trade in pirated and counterfeit
goods, focusing on activities undertaken by STOP! to date, its effectiveness
in coordinating Federal government efforts to combat intellectual property
theft at home and abroad, and the Federal government's ability to recruit,
train and retain the workforce necessary to implement STOP!, including the
Administration's long-term strategic plan for STOP! and ways the initiative
assists small business protect its intellectual property rights, receiving
testimony from Jon W. Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual
Property, and Director, United States Patent and Trademark Office; Victoria
Espinel, Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intellectual Property;
Daniel Baldwin, Acting Assistant Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Laura H. Parsky, Deputy Assistant
Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice; Loren Yager,
Director, International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office;
Brad Huther, United States Chamber of Commerce, and Franklin J. Vargo,
National Association of Manufacturers, both of Washington, D.C.; and Jeffrey
O. Evans, The Will-Burt Company, Orrville, Ohio.
Hearing recessed subject to call.
FEDERAL BUDGETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine accountability and results in Federal
budgeting, focusing on the specific metrics and tools used by the Office of
Management and Budget to determine the effectiveness of Federal programs, the
advantages and disadvantages of using these metrics, and how information
provided by these metrics is being used to increase effectiveness and
accountability in Federal budgeting, after receiving testimony from David M.
Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability
Office; Clay Johnson, III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of
Management and Budget; Eileen Norcross, George Mason University Mercatus
Center, Fairfax, Virginia; and Beryl A. Radin, University of Baltimore,
Baltimore, Maryland.
PATENT LAW REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property concluded a
hearing to examine injunctions and damages relating to patent law reform,
focusing on prior user rights, the first-inventor-to-file system, and a life
sciences perspective on patents, after receiving testimony from Carl E.
Gulbrandsen, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison; Jonathan Band, on
behalf of Visa U.S.A. and The Financial Services Roundtable, and Jeffrey P.
Kushan, Sidley Austin Brown and Wood, LLP, both of Washington, D.C.; Mark A.
Lemley, Stanford Law School, Stanford, California; Chuck Fish, Time Warner,
Inc., New York, New York; and J. Jeffrey Hawley, Eastman Kodak Company,
Rochester, New York, on behalf of the Intellectual Property Owners
Association.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/15
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 15, 2005; pages D608 - D616
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the
government of the District of Columbia, after receiving testimony from Mayor
Anthony A. Williams, Linda W. Cropp, Chairman, Council, Natwar M. Gandhi,
Chief Financial Officer, and Clifford B. Janey, Superintendent, Chief State
School Officer, all of the government of the District of Columbia.
[Page: D609]
PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine current
financial condition and potential risks relating to solvency of the Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation, focusing on the state of the defined benefit
system, and accrual accounting and exposure to underfunding of pension plans,
after receiving testimony from Bradley D. Belt, Executive Director, Pension
Benefit Guaranty Corporation; and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional
Budget Office.
BALLAST WATER INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: National Ocean Policy
Study concluded a hearing to examine ballast water invasive species management
and threats to coral reefs, focusing on reauthorization of the Coral Reef
Conservation Act, after receiving testimony from Timothy R.E. Keeney, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration; Rear Admiral Thomas H. Gilmour, Assistant
Commandant for Marine Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection, U.S.
Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security; Maurya B. Falkner, California
State Lands Commission, Sacramento; Kathy J. Metcalf, Chamber of Shipping of
America, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Shipping Industry Ballast Water
Coalition; Joel C. Mandelman, Nutech 03, Incorporated, Arlington, Virginia;
and Kim Hum, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Honolulu.
MEDICAID REFORM
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine strategies for
strengthening Medicaid, focusing on the impact on State government budgets,
cost-sharing rules, enhancing quality and reducing costs of the overall health
care system, and strengthening employer-based and other forms of health care
coverage, receiving testimony from Virginia Governor Mark Warner, Richmond,
and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Little Rock, both on behalf of the
National Governors Association; Alan R. Weil, National Academy for State
Health Policy, Portland, Maine; and Jeanne M. Lambrew, Center for American
Progress, and Stuart M. Butler, The Heritage Foundation, both of Washington,
D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Zalmay Khalilzad, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to Iraq,
Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., of Texas, to be Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Julie
Finley, of the District of Columbia, to be U.S. Representative to the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of
Ambassador, Craig Roberts Stapleton, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to
France, Robert Johann Dieter, of Colorado, to be Ambassador to Belize,
Rodolphe M. Vallee, of Vermont, to be Ambassador to the Slovak Republic, Molly
Hering Bordonaro, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malta, Ann
Louise Wagner, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to Luxembourg, Donald E. Booth,
of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, Pamela E.
Bridgewater, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana, Terence
Patrick McCulley, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mali, Roger
Dwayne Pierce, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Republic of Cape Verde,
Christopher J. Hanley, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors
of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Jorge A. Plasencia, of
Florida, to be a Member of the Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting, Jay T.
Snyder, of New York, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission
on Public Diplomacy, Richard J . Griffin, of Virginia, to be Director of the
Office of Foreign Missions, and to have the rank of Ambassador during his
tenure of service, and to be Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic
Security, and certain Foreign Service Officer promotion lists.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing on the
nominations of Ronald E. Neumann, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, Gregory L. Schulte, of Virginia, to be Representative
of the United States of America to the International Atomic Energy Agency,
with the rank of Ambassador, and Representative of the United States of
America to the Vienna Office of the United Nations, with the rank of
Ambassador, and Michael E. Hess, of New York, to be Assistant Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development in the Bureau of
Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
CHEMICAL FACILITIES SAFETY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee held a
hearing to determine whether the Federal government is doing enough to secure
chemical facilities, focusing on buffer zone protection plans (BZPPs), site
assistance visits (SAVs), and increased security information sharing,
receiving testimony from Robert B. Stephan, Acting Under Secretary of Homeland
Security for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection; and Thomas P.
Dunne, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response, Environmental Protection Agency.
[Page: D610]
Hearing recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Linda M. Springer, of Pennsylvania, to
be Director of the Office of Personnel Management, Laura A. Cordero, to be an
Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, who was
introduced by District of Columbia Delegate Norton, and A. Noel Anketell
Kramer, to be an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Lester M. Crawford, of Maryland, to be
Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services.
YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine youth suicide prevention among Native Americans, focusing on economic
issues, health care benefits and access, behavioral health care issues for
tribal youth, and traditional health practice, after receiving testimony from
Richard H. Carmona, Surgeon General, Public Health Service, Office of Public
Health and Science, and Charles Grim, Director, Indian Health Service, both of
the Department of Health and Human Services; Twila Rough Surface, Standing
Rock Sioux Tribe, Fort Yates, North Dakota; Joseph B. Stone, Confederated
Tribes of the Grande Ronde Behavioral Health Program, Grande Ronde, Oregon, on
behalf of the American Psychological Association; Julie Garreau, Cheyenne
River Youth Project, Eagle Butte, South Dakota; R. Dale Walker, Oregon Health
and Science University One Sky Center, Portland; and Clark Flatt, The Jason
Foundation, Inc., Hendersonville, Tennessee.
DETAINEES
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine issues
relating to detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba, focusing on
certain Supreme Court rulings related to detained enemy combatants, status of
cases pending before Military Commissions, and the war on terrorism, after
receiving testimony from Brigadier General Thomas L. Hemingway, Legal Advisor
to the Appointing Authority for the Office of Military Commissions, and Rear
Admiral James M. McGarrah, Director of Administrative Review of the Detention
of Enemy Combatants, and Lieutenant Commander Charles D. Swift, Judge Advocate
General's Corps, both of the Department of the Navy, all of the Department of
Defense; J. Michael Wiggins, Deputy Associate Attorney General, and Glenn A.
Fine, Inspector General, both of the Department of Justice; William P. Barr,
Verizon Corporation, Washington, D.C., former U.S. Attorney General; Joseph
Margulies, University of Chicago Law School MacArthur Justice Center, Chicago,
Illinois; and Stephen J. Schulhofer, New York University School of Law, New
York, New York.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
ENERGY COSTS AND THE ELDERLY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
effects of rising energy prices and their impact on America's senior citizens,
focusing on the costs of heating oil, gasoline, residential natural gas, and
electricity, after receiving testimony from Margot H. Anderson, Director,
Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Energy Information Administration,
Department of Energy; Nelda Barnett, Owensboro, Kentucky, on behalf of the
AARP; Donna K. Harvey, Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging, Inc., Waterloo,
Iowa, on behalf of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging; and Jim
Slusher, Mid Columbia Community Action Council, Inc., The Dalles, Oregon.
[Page: D611]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/16
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 16, 2005; pages D618 - D626
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY/ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 2360, making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute; and
H.R. 2419, making appropriations for energy and water development for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
MEETING THE HOUSING AND SERVICE NEEDS OF SENIORS ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 705, to establish the Interagency Council on Meeting the
Housing and Service Needs of Seniors, after receiving testimony from Alphonso
R. Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; David G. Wood,
Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government
Accountability Office; Nelda Barnett, AARP, and William T. Smith, American
Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, both of Washington, D.C.;
Dana Jo Olson, Volunteers of America, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Stephen
Proctor, Presbyterian Homes, Inc., Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, on behalf of the
Pennsylvania Non Profit Housing Association; Terry Allton, National Church
Residences, Columbus, Ohio; and Steve Protulis, Elderly Housing Development
and Operations Corporation, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Federal legislative solutions to data breaches and identity
theft, focusing on ensuring the safety and security of consumers' personal
information, after receiving testimony from Senators Feinstein and Schumer;
Representative Hooley; Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman, Orson Swindle, Thomas
B. Leary, Pamela Jones Harbour, and Jon Leibowitz, all Commissioners, all of
the Federal Trade Commission; and Vermont Attorney General William H. Sorrell,
Montpelier, on behalf of the National Association of Attorneys General.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of William Alan Jeffrey, of Virginia, to be
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of
Commerce, who was introduced by Senator Allen, and Israel Hernandez, of Texas,
to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United
States and Foreign Commercial Service, who was introduced by Senator
Hutchison, Ashok G. Kaveeshwar, of Maryland, to be Administrator of the
Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Department of
Transportation, and Edmund S. Hawley, of California, to be Assistant Secretary
of Homeland Security for Transportation Security Administration, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
entitled, Energy Policy Tax Incentives Act of 2005.
U.S. STABILIZATION AND RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
United States stabilization and reconstruction efforts to prevent or prepare
for certain post-conflict situations, after receiving testimony from Carlos
Pascual, Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, Department of
State; Ryan Henry, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Policy, and Lieutenant
General Walter Sharp, Director, Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, both
of the Department of Defense; and James R. Kunder, Assistant Administrator for
Asia and the Near East, United States Agency for International Development.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing to examine tax delinquency
problems with Federal contractors, focusing on civilian agency contractors
involved in abusive and potentially criminal activity related to the Federal
tax system, receiving testimony from Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director,
Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, Steven J. Sebastian, Director,
Financial Management and Assurance, and John J. Ryan, Assistant Director,
Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, all of the Government
Accountability Office; and Mark W. Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue
Service, and Richard L. Gregg, Commissioner, Financial Management Service,
both of the Department of the Treasury.
Hearing recessed subject to call.
[Page: D621]
INDIAN EDUCATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
Indian education issues, focusing on Bureau of Indian Affairs education
programs, program performance and professional development, teacher
recruitment efforts, fiscal and financial management, and safe and secure
schools, receiving testimony from James E. Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary,
Ed Parisian, Acting Director, Office of Indian Education Programs, and Dominic
Lowery, Acting Chair, National Fund for Excellence in American Indian
Education, all of the Department of the Interior; Victoria Vasques, Assistant
Deputy Secretary of Education and Director, Office of Indian Education; David
Beaulieu, National Indian Education Association, Washington, D.C.; Joe
McDonald, Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, Montana, on behalf of the American
Indian Higher Education Consortium; Roger Bordeaux, Tiospa Zina Tribal School,
Sisseton, South Dakota, on behalf of the Association of Community Tribal
Schools, Inc.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 491, to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
expand the definition of firefighter to include apprentices and trainees,
regardless of age or duty limitations, and
The nominations of Terrence W. Boyle, of North Carolina, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, and Rachel Brand, of Iowa, to be
Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy, and Alice S.
Fisher, of Virginia, to be Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal
Division, both of the Department of Justice.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Janice B. Gardner, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Intelligence and Analysis, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in her own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/l7
Daily Digest - Friday, June 17, 2005; pages D627 - D632
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/20
Daily Digest - Monday, June 20, 2005; pages D633 - D638
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/21
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 21, 2005; pages D640 - D648
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: COMMERCE/JUSTICE/SCIENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies approved for full Committee consideration H.R. 2862, making
appropriations for Science, the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce,
and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies approved for full Committee consideration H.R. 2744,
making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
IED
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on the nature of the evolving Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
threat and the Department of Defense's approach to addressing this threat from
General Richard A. Cody, USA, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army,
Brigadier General Joseph L. Votel, USA, Director, Joint IED Task Force, and
Robert Buhrkuhl, Director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell, all of the
Department of Defense.
REGULATORY RELIEF
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposals to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden on
depository institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
after receiving testimony from John M. Reich, Vice Chairman, Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation; Julie L. Williams, Acting Comptroller, Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency, and Richard M. Riccobono Acting Director, Office
of Thrift Supervision, both of the Department of the Treasury; Mark W. Olson,
Member, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; JoAnn M. Johnson,
Chairman, National Credit Union Administration; Eric McClure, Missouri
Division of Finance, Jefferson City, on behalf of the Conference of State Bank
Supervisors; Steve Bartlett, Financial Services Roundtable, Carolyn Carter,
National Consumer Law Center, and Travis Plunkett, Consumer Federation of
America, all of Washington, D.C.; Arthur R. Connelly, South Shore Savings
Bank, South Weymouth, Massachusetts, on behalf of the America's Community
Bankers; Chris Loseth, Potlatch No. 1 Federal Credit Union, Lewiston, Idaho,
on behalf of the Credit Union National Association, Inc.; David Hayes,
Security Bank, Dyersburg, Tennessee, on behalf of the Independent Community
Bankers of America; Edward Pinto, Courtesy Settlement Services LLC, Sarasota,
Florida, on behalf of the National Federation of Independent Business; Bradley
Rock, Bank of Smithtown, Smithtown, New York, on behalf of the American
Bankers Association; Christopher A. Korst, Rent-A-Center, Inc., Plano, Texas;
Eugene F. Maloney, Federated Investors, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and
Michael Vadala, The Summit Federal Credit Union, Rochester, New York.
[Page: D642]
DEEPWATER IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Fisheries
and the Coast Guard concluded a hearing to examine the Coast Guard's revised
deepwater implementation plan to secure America's waterways, focusing on
preliminary observations on the condition of deepwater legacy assets and
acquisition management challenges, after receiving testimony from Admiral
Thomas H. Collins, Commandant, and Rear Admiral Patrick M. Stillman, Program
Executive Officer, Deepwater Program, both of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department
of Homeland Security; Margaret T. Wrightson, Director, Homeland Security and
Justice, Government Accountability Office; and Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in
National Defense, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
U.S.-RUSSIA POLICY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
United States policy toward Russia, focusing on the fate of democracy, human
rights, and the rule of law, energy issues, economic investment, and the
spread of HIV/AIDS, receiving testimony from Patricia M. Cloherty, The U.S.
Russia Investment Fund, New York, New York; Frank A. Verrastro and Celeste A.
Wallander, both of the Center for Strategic and International Studies,
Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Larry Miles Dinger, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
the Fiji Islands, and to serve concurrently and without additional
compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga,
Tuvalu, and the Republic of Kiribati; Joseph A. Mussomeli, of Virginia, to be
Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia; and Emil A. Skodon, of Illinois, to be
Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
JUVENILE DIABETES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine issues relating to juvenile diabetes, focusing on the
personal toll on families, financial costs to the Federal health care system,
and research progress toward a cure, 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; Mary Tyler Moore, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), New
York, New York; Douglas Wick, Red Wagon Entertainment, Los Angeles,
California; Gary Hall, Jr., Miami, Florida; and certain representatives of the
JDRF Children's Congress.
VOTING TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the issue of voter verification in the Federal elections process,
focusing on Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machine security, and
Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), after receiving testimony from
Senator Ensign; Conny McCormack, Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder,
Norwalk, California; James C. Dickson, American Association of People with
Disabilities, Washington, D.C.; David L. Dill, Stanford University Department
of Computer Science, Stanford, California; and Ted Selker, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, Cambridge, on behalf of the
Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/22
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 22, 2005; pages D650 - D658
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Richard A. Raymond, of Nebraska, to be
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Hagel, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
USDA LIVESTOCK REPORTING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999, focusing on
the reporting program that requires large packers and importers to report to
USDA the details of their transactions involving purchases of livestock, as
well as sales of boxed beef, boxed lamb, lamb carcasses, and imported lamb
cuts, after receiving testimony from Kenneth C. Clayton, Acting Administrator,
Agricultural Marketing Service, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Department
of Agriculture; Harold Hommes, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
Stewardship, Windsor Heights; Jon Caspers, Pleasant Valley Pork Corporation,
Swaledale, Iowa, on behalf of the National Pork Producers Council; J. Patrick
Boyle, American Meat Institute, Washington, D.C.; and James G. Robb, Livestock
Marketing Information Center, Lakewood, Colorado.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Ronald E. Neumann, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, Gregory L. Schulte, of Virginia, to be U.S.
Representative to the Vienna Office of the United Nations, with the rank of
Ambassador, and to be U.S. Representative to the International Atomic Energy
Agency, with the rank of Ambassador, Michael E. Hess, of New York, to be an
Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development in the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance,
Dina Habib Powell, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of State for
Educational and Cultural Affairs, Larry Miles Dinger, of Iowa, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of the Fiji Islands, and to serve concurrently and
without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Nauru, the
Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Kiribati, Joseph A. Mussomeli,
of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, and Emil A. Skodon,
of Illinois, to be Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam.
[Page: D653]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 662, to reform the postal laws of the United States, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute;
S. 457, to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to
issue guidance for, and provide oversight of, the management of micropurchases
made with Governmentwide commercial purchase cards, with amendments;
S. 611, to establish a Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical
Services and a Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services
Advisory Council;
S. 37, to extend the special postage stamp for breast cancer research for 2
years;
H.R. 1460, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 6200 Rolling Road in Springfield, Virginia, as the "Captain Mark
Stubenhofer Post Office Building";
S. 590 and H.R. 1236, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 750 4th Street in Sparks, Nevada, as the "Mayor Tony
Armstrong Memorial Post Office";
S. 571, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 1915 Fulton Street in Brooklyn, New York, as the "Congresswoman Shirley A.
Chisholm Post Office Building";
S. 892 and H.R. 324, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 321 Montgomery Road in Altamonte Springs, Florida,
as the "Arthur Stacey Mastrapa Post Office Building";
S. 867 and H.R. 289, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 8200 South Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles,
California, as the "Sergeant First Class John Marshall Post Office Building";
S. 1207 and H.R. 120, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 30777 Rancho California Road in Temecula,
California, as the "Dalip Singh Saund Post Office Building";
S. 775, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 123 W. 7th Street in Holdenville, Oklahoma, as the "Boone Pickens Post
Office";
S. 1206 and H.R. 504, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 4960 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles,
California, as the "Ray Charles Post Office Building";
H.R. 1001, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 301 South Heatherwilde Boulevard in Pflugerville, Texas, as the
"Sergeant Byron W. Norwood Post Office Building";
H.R. 1072, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 151 West End Street in Goliad, Texas, as the "Judge Emilio Vargas
Post Office Building";
S. 904, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 1560 Union Valley Road in West Milford, New Jersey, as the "Brian P.
Parrello Post Office Building";
H.R. 1542, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 695 Pleasant Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts, as the
"Honorable Judge George N. Leighton Post Office Building";
H.R. 1082, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 120 East Illinois Avenue in Vinita, Oklahoma, as the "Francis C.
Goodpaster Post Office Building";
H.R. 1524, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 12433 Antioch Road in Overland Park, Kansas, as the "Ed Eilert Post
Office Building";
H.R. 627, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 40 Putnam Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut, as the "Linda White-Epps
Post Office";
H.R. 2326, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 614 West Old County Road in Belhaven, North Carolina, as the "Floyd
Lupton Post Office"; and
The nominations of Linda Morrison Combs, of North Carolina, to be Controller,
Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget, Linda
M. Springer, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of the Office of Personnel
Management, Laura A. Cordero, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court
of the District of Columbia, and A. Noel Anketell Kramer, to be an Associate
Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
TRIBAL LOBBYING MATTERS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
the In Re Tribal Lobbying Matters, et al, receiving testimony from Charlie
Ben, Donald Kilgore, and Nell Rogers, all of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw
Indians, Choctaw; Amy Moritz Ridenour, National Center for Public Policy
Research, Washington, D.C.; and certain protected witnesses.
[Page: D654]
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/23
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 23, 2005; pages D659 - D666
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 2744, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 2862, making appropriations for Science, the Departments of State,
Justice, and Commerce, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
Proposed legislation making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2006.
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine United
States military strategy and operations in Iraq, after receiving testimony
from Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense; General Richard B. Myers, USAF,
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; General John P. Abizaid, USA, Commander,
United States Central Command; and General George W. Casey, USA, Commanding
General, Multi-National Force-Iraq.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1281, to authorize appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration for science, aeronautics, exploration, exploration
capabilities, and the Inspector General, and for other purposes, for fiscal
years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, with amendments;
S. 1280, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 for the
United States Coast Guard, with an amendment; and
The nominations of Edmund S. Hawley, of California, to be an Assistant
Secretary of Homeland Security, Israel Hernandez, of Texas, to be Assistant
Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign
Commercial Service, William Alan Jeffrey, of Virginia, to be Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce, Ashok
G. Kaveeshwar, of Maryland, to be Administrator of the Research and Innovative
Technology Administration, Department of Transportation, David A. Sampson, of
Texas, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce, John J. Sullivan, of Maryland, to
be General Counsel of the Department of Commerce, Rear Admiral Sally
Brice-O'Hara to be Director of the Coast Guard Reserve, and sundry officers in
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine United States-China
economic relations and China's role in the world economy, especially its
currency valuation policy, and exports, and the World Trade Organization
(WTO), receiving testimony from Senators Collins, Bayh, Graham, and Stabenow;
Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
John W. Snow, Secretary of the Treasury; Kenneth Rogoff, Harvard University
Department of Economics, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Neal Bredehoeft, American
Soybean Association, Alma, Missouri; Sean Maloney, Intel Corporation, Santa
Clara, California, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Al Lubrano,
Technical Materials, Inc., Lincoln, Rhode Island, on behalf of the National
Association of Manufacturers.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D662]
HIV/AIDS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
issues relative to developing an HIV/AIDS vaccine, focusing on S. Res. 42,
expressing the sense of the Senate on promoting initiatives to develop an HIV
vaccine, after receiving testimony from Representative Visclosky; Anthony S.
Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Ashley
Judd, Franklin, Tennessee, on behalf of YouthAIDS; Helene Gayle, Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington; and Seth Berkley, International
AIDS Vaccine Initiative, New York, New York.
HIV/AIDS CARE PROGRAMS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine disparities in federal HIV/AIDS CARE
programs, focusing on the effectiveness of CARE Act funding allocations in
ensuring that all Americans living with HIV are provided access to core
medical services and life-saving AIDS medications, after receiving testimony
from Marcia G. Crosse, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability
Office; Robert S. Janssen, Director, Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention,
National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Coordinating Center for
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Deborah
P. Hopson, Associate Administrator for HIV/AIDS, Health Resources and Services
Administration, both of the Department of Health and Human Services; and
Michael Montgomery, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento.
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee met to discuss
the Family Medical Leave Act, receiving testimony from Jamie Marsden, City of
Gillette Human Resources, Gillette, Wyoming; Cheryl Barbanel, Boston
University Occupational Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Sandy Boyd,
National Association of Manufacturers, Laurie Dohnalek, Georgetown University
Hospital, Janemarie Mulvey, The Employment Policy Foundation, and Debra Ness,
National Partnership for Women and Families, all of Washington, D.C.; Susan
O'Flaherty, Bank One, Chicago, Illinois; Patrick Lancaster, American Axle and
Manufacturing, Detroit, Michigan; Jeff Payne, Palmeto Health Hospitals,
Columbia, South Carolina; Robert Prybutok, Polymer Technologies, Newark,
Delaware; Sue Willman, Spencer Fane, Kansas City, Missouri; Ellen Bravo,
Multi-state Working Families Consortium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Marie
Alexander, Quova, Inc., Mountain View, California; Jody Heymann, Harvard
Center for Society and Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Patti Philips,
Atlanta, Georgia.
ROE v. WADE/DOE v. BOLTON
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution concluded a
hearing to examine the consequences of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, after
receiving testimony from Ken Edelin, Boston University School of Medicine,
Boston, Massachusetts; Teresa Collett, University of St. Thomas Law School,
Minneapolis, Minnesota; M. Edward Whelan, III, Ethics and Public Policy
Center, and Karen O'Connor, American University, both of Washington, D.C.; R.
Alta Charo, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison; Sandra Cano, Atlanta,
Georgia; and Norma McCorvey, Dallas, Texas.
VETERANS BENEFITS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
benefits-related legislative initiatives, focusing on S. 151, to amend title
38, United States Code, to require an annual plan on outreach activities of
the Department of Veterans Affairs, S. 423, to amend title 38, United States
Code, to make a stillborn child an insurable dependent for purposes of the
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program, S. 551, to direct the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in the
Colorado Springs, Colorado, metropolitan area, S. 552, to make technical
corrections to the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004, S. 909, to
expand eligibility for governmental markers for marked graves of veterans at
private cemeteries, S. 917, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make
permanent the pilot program for direct housing loans for Native American
veterans, S. 1234, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2005, the rates of
compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of
dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled
veterans, S. 1235, to amend chapters 19 and 37 of title 38, United States
Code, to extend the availability of $400,000 in coverage under the
servicemembers' life insurance and veterans' group life insurance programs, S.
1138, to authorize the placement of a monument in Arlington National Cemetery
honoring the veterans who fought in World War II as members of Army Ranger
Battalions, S. 1252, to amend section 1922A of title 38, United States Code,
to increase the amount of supplemental insurance available for totally
disabled veterans, S. 1259, to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend
the requirement for reports from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the
disposition of cases recommended to the Secretary for equitable relief due to
administrative error and to provide improved benefits and procedures for the
transition of members of the Armed Forces from combat zones to noncombat zones
and for the transition of veterans from service in the Armed Forces to
civilian life, S. 1271, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide
improved benefits for veterans who are former prisoners of war, after
receiving testimony from Senators Pryor and Allard; Daniel L. Cooper, Under
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits; Steve Smithson, The American
Legion, Quentin Kinderman, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Rick
Surratt, Disabled American Veterans, and Carl Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of
America, all of Washington, D.C.; and Richard Jones, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland.
[Page: D663]
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.
2005/06/24
Daily Digest - Friday, June 24, 2005; pages D667 - D674
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQI SECURITY FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine Iraqi security forces from Peter W. Rodman, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; Lieutenant General
David H. Petraeus, USA, Commanding General, Mulit-National Security Transition
Command--Iraq; and Lieutenant General Walter L. Sharp, USA, Director,
Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, The Joint Staff.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/27
Daily Digest - Monday, June 27, 2005; pages D675 - D682
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D678]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/28
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 28, 2005; pages D684 - D694
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the implementation of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act
of 2000 and related crop insurance issues, after receiving testimony from
Keith Collins, Chief Economist, and Ross J. Davidson, Jr., Administrator, Risk
Management Agency, both of the Department of Agriculture; Ron Brichler, Great
American Insurance Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, on behalf of the American
Association of Crop Insurers; Norman A. Nielsen, Associated Insurance
Counselors, Inc., Preston, Iowa, on behalf of the Independent Insurance Agents
and Brokers of America; Billy Rose, Crop 1 Insurance, Urbandale, Iowa; Bert
Little, Tarleton State University Center for Agribusiness Excellence,
Stevenville, Texas; Bruce A. Babcock, Iowa State University Center for
Agricultural and Rural Development, Ames; Mike Clemens, Wimbledon, North
Dakota, on behalf of the National Sunflower Association, U.S. Canola
Association, and the American Soybean Association; and Ray Buttars, Weston,
Idaho, on behalf of the National Association of Wheat Growers.
[Page: D687]
OVERSEAS BASING COMMISSION REPORT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans' Affairs concluded a hearing to examine the Commission on the Review
of Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States (Overseas Basing
Commission) Report on the U.S. overseas military basing posture, after
receiving testimony from Al Cornella, Chairman, Major General Lewis E. Curtis
III, USAF (Ret.), Vice Chairman, and Vice Admiral Anthony A. Less, USN (Ret.),
Brigadier General Keith Martin, Pennsylvania ARNG (Ret.), and Lieutenant
General H.G. Taylor, USA (Ret.), each a Commissioner, all of the overseas
Basing Commission; Philip W. Grone, Deputy Under Secretary for Installations
and Environment, and Ryan Henry, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Policy,
both of the Department of Defense; and Rose Likins, Acting Assistant Secretary
of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 206, to designate the Ice Age Floods
National Geologic Trail, S. 556, to direct the Secretary of the Interior and
the Secretary of Agriculture to jointly conduct a study of certain land
adjacent to the Walnut Canyon National Monument in the State of Arizona, S.
588, to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to jointly conduct a study on the
feasibility of designating the Arizona Trail as a national scenic trail or a
national historic trail, and S. 955, to direct the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and
feasibility of including in the National Park System certain sites in
Williamson County, Tennessee, relating to the Battle of Franklin, after
receiving testimony from Donald W. Murphy, Deputy Director, National Park
Service, Department of the Interior; Mayor Tom Miller, Franklin, Tennessee;
Elizabeth Archuleta, Coconino County Board of Supervisors, Flagstaff, Arizona;
Gary Kleinknecht, Ice Age Floods Institute, Kennewick, Washington; and Larry
Snead, Arizona Trail Association, Phoenix.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee met to begin markup of S. 1307, to implement
the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, and
S.J. Res. 18, approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the
Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again on Wednesday, June 29, 2005.
MEDICAID
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine problems that
threaten the long term sustainability of Medicaid, focusing on the incidence
of Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse, receiving testimony from Daniel R.
Levinson, Inspector General, and George M. Reeb, Assistant Inspector General,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Audits, and Dennis G. Smith,
Director, Center for Medicaid and State Operations, Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, all of the Department of Health and Human Services; Leslie
G. Aronovitz and Kathryn Allen, each a Director, Health Care, both of the
Government Accountability Office; Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General
Nicholas J. Messuri, Boston, on behalf of the National Association of Medicaid
Fraud Control Units; Barbara C. Edwards, Ohio Department of Job and Family
Services, Columbus; Timothy W. Westmoreland, Georgetown University, and James
W. Moorman, Taxpayers Against Fraud, both of Washington, D.C.; and Charles J.
Milligan, Jr., University of Maryland Center for Health Program Development
and Management, Baltimore.
Hearing will continue tomorrow.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the security clearance process of the
Department of Defense (DOD), focusing on the transfer of investigative
responsibilities from DOD to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM),
including the impact this shift will have on the ability to investigate and
adjudicate security clearances in a thorough and expeditious manner, including
strategies employed by DOD and OPM to remove the Personnel Security Clearance
Program from the high-risk list, after receiving testimony from Derek B.
Stewart, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, Government
Accountability Office; Kathy L. Dillaman, Deputy Associate Director for Human
Resource Products and Services, Center for Federal Investigative Services,
Office of Personnel Management; and Heather Anderson, Director, Strategic
Integration, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense,
Counterintelligence and Security, and Acting Director, Defense Security
Service.
[Page: D688]
INDIAN GAMING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine regulation of Indian gaming, after receiving testimony from Vivian
Juan-Sanders, Tohono O'odham Nation, Sells, Arizona; Dallas Massey, Sr., White
Mountain Apache Tribe, Whiteriver, Arizona, on behalf of Arizona Indian Gaming
Association; Deron Marquez, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Patton,
California; Joseph A. Pakootas, Colville Business Council, Nespelem,
Washington, on behalf of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation;
James "JC" Crawford, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation,
Agency Village, South Dakota; James W. Ransom, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe,
Akwesasne, New York; and Doreen Hagen, Prairie Island Indian Community, Welch,
Minnesota.
VA'S MEDICAL CARE BUDGET
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
budget forecasting and finances of the Veterans Health Administration,
focusing on project resource requirements for the health care needs of
veterans, current status of resources, and the budget formulation process and
current budget status, after receiving testimony from R. James Nicholson,
Secretary, and Jonathan Perlin, Under Secretary for Health, both of the
Department of Veteran Affairs.
MEDICAID
Special Committee on Aging: Committee held a hearing to examine the structure
of the Medicaid program and its use of mandatory and optional populations and
benefits, focusing on how Congress can meet its budgetary obligations to find
savings in Medicaid and strengthen the program for the long-term, receiving
testimony from Pamela S. Hyde, New Mexico Human Services Department, Santa Fe;
Diane Rowland, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Howard Bedlin, National
Council on the Aging, and Jeffrey S. Crowley, Georgetown University, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Sister Karin Dufault, Catholic Health Association of the
United States, Seattle, Washington.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/06/29
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 29, 2005; pages D696 - D708
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs approved for full Committee consideration proposed
legislation making appropriations for the Department of State and foreign
operations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of General Peter Pace, USMC, for reappointment to the grade of
general and to be Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was introduced by
Senator Nelson (FL), Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN, for
reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff, who was introduced by Senator Clinton, General T. Michael Moseley,
USAF, for reappointment to the grade of general and to be Chief of Staff of
the Air Force, who was introduced by Senator Cornyn, Eric S. Edelman, of
Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, who was introduced by
Senator Allen, Daniel R. Stanley, of Kansas, to be Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Legislative Affairs, who was introduced by Senator Roberts and
former Senator Bob Dole, and James A. Rispoli, of Virginia, to be Assistant
Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
GUANTANAMO BAY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding detention operations and interrogation procedures at
Guantanamo Bay from Brigadier General Jay Hood, USA, Commanding General, Joint
Task Force--Guantanamo Bay.
SEVERE WEATHER
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine national weather
service issues, focusing on the Federal role in researching, forecasting, and
warning the public about hurricanes and tornadoes, after receiving testimony
from Max Mayfield, Director, Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane
Center, and Dennis McCarthy, Director, Office of Climate, Water, and Weather
Services, both of the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Asbury H. Sallenger, Jr.,
Oceanographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior; Doug
Ahlberg, Lancaster County Emergency Management, Lincoln, Nebraska; Bill Walsh,
WCSC Live 5 News, Charleston, South Carolina; Marc L. Levitan, Louisiana State
University Hurricane Center, Baton Rouge, on behalf of the American
Association for Wind Engineering; and Timothy A. Reinhold, Institute for
Business and Home Safety, Tampa, Florida.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
measures:
S. 1307, to implement the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States
Free Trade Agreement; and
[Page: D700]
S.J. Res. 18, approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the
Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.
MEDICAID
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine problems that
threaten the long term sustainability of Medicaid, focusing on the incidence
of Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse, including pharmaceutical pricing schemes
perpetrated against state Medicaid programs, receiving testimony from Timothy
J. Coleman, Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, Department of
Justice; Robert A. Vito, Regional Inspector General for Evaluation and
Inspections, Philadelphia, Office of the Inspector General, Department of
Health and Human Services; Patrick J. O'Connell, Texas Office of the Attorney
General, Austin; Paul J. Pickerell, Oregon Department of Human Services,
Eugene; Julie Stone-Axelrad, Analyst in Social Legislation, Domestic Social
Policy Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Marjorie
E. Powell, Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America, and Judith Feder,
Georgetown University Public Policy Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; Joyce
Ruddock, MetLife Insurance, Westport, Connecticut, on behalf of the American
Council of Life Insurers; Daniel K. O'Brien, Erickson Retirement Communities,
and Ruth C. Pundt, both of Parkville, Maryland; and Beatrice Manning, Stow,
Massachusetts.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
U.S. PASSPORT FRAUD
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine vulnerabilities in the United States passport system,
focusing on how passport fraud is committed, what key fraud detection
challenges the State Department faces, and what effect new passport examiner
performance standards could have on fraud detection, after receiving testimony
from Jess T. Ford, Director, International Affairs and Trade, Government
Accountability Office; Michael L. Johnson, Former Special Agent in Charge
(Miami Field Office), Diplomatic Security Service, and Frank E. Moss, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Passport Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, both of
the Department of State; Donna A. Bucella, Director, Terrorist Screening
Center, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland
Security; and Thomas E. Bush III, Assistant Director, Criminal Justice
Information Services Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of
Justice.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1317, to provide for the collection and maintenance of cord blood units for
the treatment of patients and research, and to amend the Public Health Service
Act to authorize the Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Cell Transplantation Program
to increase the number of transplants for recipients suitable matched to
donors of bone marrow and cord blood, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute; and
The nomination of Tom Luce, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of Education
for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
S.J. Res. 15, to acknowledge a long history of official depredations and
ill-conceived policies by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes
and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States;
S. 374, to provide compensation to the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes
of South Dakota for damage to tribal land caused by Pick-Sloan projects along
the Missouri River;
S. 113, to modify the date as of which certain tribal land of the Lytton
Rancheria of California is deemed to be held in trust;
S. 881, to provide for equitable compensation to the Spokane Tribe of Indians
of the Spokane Reservation for the use of tribal land for the production of
hydropower by the Grand Coulee Dam;
S. 449, to facilitate shareholder consideration of proposals to make
Settlement Common Stock under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
available to missed enrollees, eligible elders, and eligible persons born
after December 18, 1971;
H.R. 797, to amend the Native American Housing Assistance and
Self-Determination Act of 1996 and other Acts to improve housing programs for
Indians;
H.R. 680, to direct the Secretary of Interior to convey certain land held in
trust for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah to the City of Richfield, Utah;
S. 598, to reauthorize provisions in the Native American Housing Assistance
and Self-Determination Act of 1996 relating to Native Hawaiian low-income
housing and Federal loan guarantees for Native Hawaiian housing;
S. 1291, to provide for the acquisition of subsurface mineral interests in
land owned by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and land held in trust for the Tribe;
[Page: D701]
S. 1295, to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to provide for
accountability and funding of the National Indian Gaming Commission;
S. 1239, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to permit the Indian
Health Service, an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or an urban Indian
organization to pay the monthly part D premium of eligible Medicare
beneficiaries;
S. 1231, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
to modify provisions relating to the National Fund for Excellence in American
Indian Education, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1312, to amend a provision relating to employees of the United States
assigned to, or employed by, an Indian tribe, and
S. 731, to recruit and retain more qualified individuals to teach in Tribal
Colleges or Universities, with an amendment.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
Joint Meetings
UZBEKISTAN CRISIS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the ongoing crisis in Uzbekistan and
its implications for the United States, after receiving testimony from
Muhammed Salih, ERK Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, and Galima Bukharbaeva,
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, both of Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Holly
Cartner, Human Rights Watch, and Robert Templer, International Crisis Group,
both of Washington, D.C.; and Marcus Bensmann, Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Germany.
2005/06/30
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 30, 2005; pages D710 - D718
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported H.R. 3057,
making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and related
programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute.
MILITARY READINESS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
status of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps in fighting the global war on
terrorism, after receiving testimony from David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary for
Personnel and Readiness, and Charles S. Abell, Principal Deputy Under
Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, both of the Department of Defense;
General Richard B. Myers, USAF, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Peter
J. Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, United States Army; and General Michael W.
Hagee, USMC, Commandant, United States Marine Corps.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Daniel R. Stanley, of Kansas, to be Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Legislative Affairs, James A. Rispoli, of Virginia, to be
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, General Teed M.
Moseley, USAF, to be Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and 130 nominations in
the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine how
information technology can reduce medical errors, lower healthcare costs, and
improve the quality of patient care, including the importance of developing
interoperable electronic medical records and highlight new technologies that
will impact how health services are provided in the future, after receiving
testimony from Senators Enzi and Stabenow; David Brailer, National Coordinator
of Health Information Technology, and Carolyn Clancy, Director, Agency for the
Healthcare Research and Quality, both of the Department of Health and Human
Services; Hratch G. Semerjian, Acting Director, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, Department of Commerce;
Robert M. Kolodner, Acting Veterans Health Administration Chief Health
Informatics Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs; Susan L. Bostrom, Cisco
Systems, Inc., San Jose, California; John Glaser, Partners Healthcare, Boston,
Massachusetts; Peter Basch, MedStar Health, and Karen Ignagni, America's
Health Insurance Plans, both of Washington, D.C.; and Pamela Pure, McKesson
Corporation, Alpharetta, Georgia.
[Page: D713]
SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight held a
hearing to examine savings and investment issues, focusing on present law on
certain expiring provisions in the United States tax code, receiving testimony
from G. Scott Harding, F.B. Harding, Inc. Electrical Contractors, Rockville,
Maryland, on behalf of the National Federation of Independent Business; Robert
A. Weinberger, H & R Block, Eric J. Toder, The Urban Institute Tax Policy
Center, and Stephen J. Entin, Institute for Research on the Economics of
Taxation, all of Washington, D.C.; David R. Malpass, Bear Stearns, New York,
New York; and Brian Graff, American Society of Pension Professionals and
Actuaries, Arlington, Virginia.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
MIDDLE EAST ROAD MAP
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current state of the Middle East road map, focusing on the challenge of
organizing talks and resolving issues between Israel and Palestine, after
receiving testimony from C. David Welch, Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern
Affairs, and James D. Wolfensohn, Quartet Special Envoy for Gaza
Disengagement, both of the Department of State; and Lieutenant General William
E. Ward, Deputy Commander, United States Army Europe, U.S. Coordinator for
Security, Department of Defense.
AMERICAN HISTORY ACHIEVEMENT ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Education
and Early Childhood Development concluded a hearing to examine issues relating
to American history, focusing on S. 860, to amend the National Assessment of
Educational Progress Authorization Act to require State academic assessments
of student achievement in United States history and civics, after receiving
testimony from Stephanie L. Norby, Director, Smithsonian Institution Center
for Education and Museum Studies; Charles E. Smith, National Assessment
Governing Board, Washington, D.C.; James Parisi, Rhode Island Federation of
Teachers and Health Professionals, Providence; and David McCullough, West
Tisbury, Massachusetts.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of James B. Letten, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern
District of Louisiana, and Rod J. Rosenstein, to be United States Attorney for
the District of Maryland, both of the Department of Justice.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship concluded a hearing to examine securing the cooperation of
participating countries relating to the need for comprehensive immigration
reform, after receiving testimony from Andres Rozental, Rozental and
Associados, former Mexican Ambassador at Large, and Roberta Clariond,
Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, both of Mexico City, Mexico.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
MEDICARE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine possible
strategies for slowing the growth of Medicare spending, including increasing
the share of spending paid by beneficiaries and enhancing competition in the
provision of services, after receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
Director, Congressional Budget Office; William J. Evans, University of
Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock; Bill Herman, Highsmith Inc., Fort
Atkinson, Wisconsin; Stephen J. Brown, Health Hero Network, Inc., Mountain
View, California; and Steven H. Woolf, Virginia Commonwealth University,
Fairfax.
[Page: D714]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/01
Daily Digest - Friday, July 1, 2005, pages D719 - D724
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D722]
No Joint hearing noted.
2005/07/11
Daily Digest - Monday, July 11, 2005; pages D726 - D732
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CPB
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine funding for the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, after receiving testimony from Patricia
S. Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Kenneth Y. Tomlinson,
Chairman, Board of Directors, both of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting;
Pat Mitchell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Public Broadcasting
Service, Alexandria, Virginia; and John M. Lawson, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Association of Public Television Stations, and David Boaz,
CATO Institute, both of Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/12
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 12, 2005; pages D734 - D740
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
STEM CELLS RESEARCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine alternative
methods for deriving stem cells, focusing on a single cell technique without
destruction of the embryo, and a related measure, H.R. 810, to amend the
Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research
(pending on Senate calendar), after receiving testimony from James F. Battey,
Director, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders,
and Chair, National Institutes of Health Stem Cell Task Force, Department of
Health and Human Services; Robert Lanza, Advanced Cell Technology, Worcester,
Massachusetts; Ronald M. Green, Director, Dartmouth College Ethics Institute,
Hanover, New Hampshire; George Q. Daley, Harvard Medical School, Boston,
Massachusetts, on behalf of the American Society for Cell Biology; and William
B. Hurlbut, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
APPROPRIATIONS: LABOR/HHS/EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies approved for full Committee consideration H.R.
3010, making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine issues concerning Digital Television (DTV) transition,
after receiving testimony from Edward O. Fritts, National Association of
Broadcasters, Kyle McSlarrow, National Cable and Telecommunications
Association, Richard Slenker, DIRECTV, Inc., John M. Lawson, Association of
Public Television Stations, Michael D. Kennedy, Motorola, Gene Kimmelman,
Consumers Union, on behalf of Consumer Federation of America, and Michael
Calabrese, New America Foundation, all of Washington, D.C.; Manuel Abud,
KVEA-TV, Channel 52, Los Angeles, California, on behalf of Telemundo; Patrick
Knorr, Sunflower Broadband, Lawrence, Kansas, on behalf of the American Cable
Association; Harlin R. McEwen, Ithaca, New York, on behalf of the
International Association of Chiefs of Police; Charles C. Townsend, Aloha
Partners, LP, Rumford, Rhode Island; and Gary J. Shapiro, Consumer Electronics
Association, Arlington, Virginia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Jill L. Sigal, of Wyoming, to be Assistant
Secretary of Energy for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, who was
introduced by Senator Crapo; David R. Hill, of Missouri, to be General Counsel
of the Department of Energy, and James A. Rispoli, of Virginia, to be
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
WATER PROJECTS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine S. 49, to establish a joint Federal-State
Floodplain and Erosion Mitigation Commission for the State of Alaska, S. 247,
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assist in the planning, design,
and construction of the Tumalo Irrigation District Water Conservation Project
in Deschutes County, Oregon, S. 648, to amend the Reclamation States Emergency
Drought Relief Act of 1991 to extend the authority for drought assistance, S.
819, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to reallocate costs of the
Pactola Dam and Reservoir, South Dakota, to reflect increased demands for
municipal, industrial, and fish and wildlife purposes, S. 891, to extend the
water service contract for the Ainsworth Unit, Sandhills Division, Pick-Sloan
Missouri Basin Program, Nebraska, and S. 1338, to require the Secretary of the
Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States
Geological Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of
Alaska, after receiving testimony from John W. Keys III, Commissioner, Bureau
of Reclamation, and Leslie Holland-Bartels, U.S. Geological Survey, both of
the Department of the Interior; Edgar Blatchford, Alaska Department of
Community and Economic Development, Anchorage; and Elmer McDaniels, Tumalo
Irrigation District, Bend, Oregon.
[Page: D736]
DIESEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine S. 1265, to make
grants and loans available to States and other organizations to strengthen the
economy, public health, and environment of the United States by reducing
emissions from diesel engines, after receiving testimony from Wayne Nastri,
Regional Administrator, Region 9--Pacific Southwest Region, Environmental
Protection Agency; Joseph P. Koncelik, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency,
Columbus; Judge Margaret Keliher, Dallas County Commissioner's Court, Dallas,
Texas; Michael S. Cross, Cummins, Inc., Columbus, Indiana; Conrad G.
Schneider, Brunswick, Maine, on behalf of the Clean Air Task Force; Timothy J.
Regan, Emissions Control Technology Association, Washington, D.C.; and Stuart
Nemser, Compact Membrane Systems, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware.
NORTH AMERICAN BORDER SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine North
American cooperation on border security, after receiving testimony from
Senators McCain, Cornyn, and Kennedy; Representative Harris; David V. Aguilar,
Chief, U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, Department of
Homeland Security; Perrin Beatty, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters,
Ottawa; and Jorge Castaneda, former Foreign Minister of Mexico, Mexico City.
FEDERAL FINANCIAL REPORTING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine truth and transparency in
Federal financial reporting, focusing on challenges Federal agencies face in
meeting the requirements of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002, as
well as incentives for improved reporting, and elimination of improper
payments in the Federal government, after receiving testimony from McCoy
Williams, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, Government
Accountability Office; Linda M. Combs, Controller, Office of Federal Financial
Management, Office of Management and Budget; Tim Hill, Director, Office of
Financial Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department
of Health and Human Services; and Kate Coler, Deputy Under Secretary of
Agriculture, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services.
MUSIC LICENSING REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property held a
hearing to examine music licensing reform issues, focusing on legal online
music services, and equitable compensation of creators and copyright holders,
receiving testimony from Marybeth Peters, Register of Copyrights, U.S.
Copyright Office, Library of Congress; Rob Glaser, RealNetworks, Inc.,
Seattle, Washington, on behalf of the Digital Media Association; Rick Carnes,
Songwriters' Guild of America, Nashville, Tennessee; Ismael Cuebas, Trans
World Entertainment Corporation, Albany, New York, on behalf of the National
Association of Recording Merchandisers; Glen Barros, Concord Music Group,
Beverly Hills, California; Del R. Bryant, Broadcast Music, Inc., New York, New
York; and David Israelite, National Music Publishers' Association, Washington,
D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/13
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 13, 2005; pages D741 - D748
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
GUANTANAMO BAY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine the investigation into Federal Bureau of Investigations allegations of
detainee abuse at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Detention Facility, after receiving
testimony from General Bantz J. Craddock, USA, Commander, U.S. Southern
Command; Lieutenant General Randall M. Schmidt, USAF, Senior Investigating
Officer; and Brigadier General John T. Furlow, USA, Investigating Officer.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of General Peter Pace, USMC, for reappointment to the grade of
general and to be Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Edmund P.
Giambastiani, Jr., USN, for reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be
Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and 8 nominations in the Army, Navy, and
Air Force.
TERRORIST FINANCING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held a hearing to
examine money laundering and terror financing issues in the Middle East,
focusing on the Financial Action Task Force, the use of charities to fund
terrorism, and the Presidential Executive Order (13224) which allows the
United States to freeze the assets of certain organizations, after receiving
testimony from Stuart Levey, Under Secretary of the Treasury, Office of
Terrorism and Financial Intelligence; E. Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary
for Economic and Business Affairs, and Nancy Powell, Acting Assistant
Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, both of the
Department of State; Dennis M. Lormel, Corporate Risk International, Fairfax,
Virginia; Steven Emerson, The Investigative Project on Terrorism, Washington,
D.C.; and Mahmoud A. El-Gamal, Rice University, Houston, Texas.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
AIRLINE FINANCIAL STABILITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded a hearing to examine the financial stability of airlines, focusing
on the continued financial difficulties faced by legacy airlines, the effect
of bankruptcy on the industry and competitors, and the effect of airline
pension underfunding on employees, airlines and the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation, after receiving testimony from JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director,
Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office; James C.
May, Air Transport Association of America, Inc., Washington, D.C.; Jamie N.
Baker, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., New York, New York; and Robert Roach, Jr.,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Upper Marlboro,
Maryland.
[Page: D744]
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT: PRIVATE LANDOWNER INCENTIVES
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water concluded a hearing to examine the Endangered Species Act
and incentives for private landowners, focusing on existing Federal incentives
for private landowners to protect threatened and endangered species, as well
as new and innovative ways for incentivizing species protection on private
lands, after receiving testimony from Marshall P. Jones, Deputy Director, Fish
and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Sara Braasch, Regional
Assistant Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of
Agriculture; Michael J. Bean, Environmental Defense, and Laurence D. Wiseman,
on behalf of the American Forest Foundation and the American Tree Farm System,
both of Washington, D.C.; Paul Campos, Home Builders Association of Northern
California, Contra Costa County, on behalf of the National Association of Home
Builders; Alan Foutz, Colorado Farm Bureau, Akron, on behalf of the American
Farm Bureau Federation; and Robert J. Olszewski, Plum Creek Timber Company,
Inc., Atlanta, Georgia.
CHEMICAL FACILITY SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee resumed
hearings to examine the Federal role regarding chemical facility security,
receiving testimony from Martin J. Durbin, American Chemistry Council,
Arlington, Virginia; Matthew Barmasse, ISOCHEM, Inc., Lockport, New York, on
behalf of Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association; Bob Slaughter,
National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, and Gerald V. Poje, National
Academy of Science, both of Washington, D.C.; Glenn Erwin, United Steel
Workers International Union, Washburn, Missouri; and Carol L. Andress,
Environmental Defense Fund, New York, New York.
Hearings will continue on Wednesday, July 27, 2005.
STREAMLINED PROCEDURES ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine current
habeas corpus proceedings and issues of actual innocence, focusing on S. 1088,
to establish streamlined procedures for collateral review of mixed petitions,
amendments, and defaulted claims, after receiving testimony from Seth P.
Waxman, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr, Washington, D.C., former
Solicitor General of the United States; Thomas Dolgenos, Office of
Philadelphia District Attorney, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John Pressley Todd
and Kent E. Cattani, both of the Office of Arizona Attorney General, Phoenix;
and Barry C. Scheck, Yeshiva University Cardozo School of Law, and Bryan A.
Stevenson, New York University School of Law, both of New York, New York.
Joint Meetings
YUKOS AFFAIR
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission met to receive a briefing regarding the political and business
implications of the prosecution and imprisonment of Russian Yukos Oil Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mikhail Khodorkovsky from Peter Roudik,
Senior Foreign Law Expert, Congressional Research Service, Library of
Congress; and Leonid Nevzlin, Tel Aviv, Israel.
2005/07/14
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 14, 2005; pages D750 - D760
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a hearing
to examine the progress of the Capitol Visitor Center, receiving testimony
from Alan M. Hantman, Architect of the Capitol; Bob Hixon, Capitol Visitor
Center Project Manager; and Bernard L. Ungar, Director, and Terrell Dorn,
Assistant Director, both of the Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D753]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported H.R. 3010,
making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
MILITARY JUSTICE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine military justice and detention policy in the global war on terrorism,
after receiving testimony from Senator Wyden; Daniel J. Dell'Orto, Principal
Deputy General Counsel, Department of Defense; Major General Thomas J. Romig,
JAGC, USA, Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army; Rear Admiral James E. McPherson,
JAGC, USN, Judge Advocate General, and Rear Admiral James M. McGarrah, CEC,
USN, Director, Office of the Administrative Review of Detention of Enemy
Combatants, both of the U.S. Navy; Brigadier General Kevin M. Sandkuhler,
USMC, Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps; Major
General Jack L. Rives, USAF, Deputy Judge Advocate General, and Brigadier
General Thomas L. Hemingway, USAF, Legal Advisor to the Appointing Authority
for the Office of Military Commissions, both of the U.S. Air Force; William P.
Barr, Arlington, Virginia, former Attorney General of the United States;
Stephen A. Saltzburg, George Washington University Law School, Washington,
D.C.; and John D. Hutson, Franklin Pierce Law Center, Concord, New Hampshire.
TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE ACT OF 2002
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held a hearing to
examine the Department of the Treasury's report to Congress entitled:
"Assessment: The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002", focusing on assessing
the likely capacity of the property and casualty insurance industry to offer
insurance for terrorism risk after the termination of the Terrorism Risk
Insurance Program, receiving testimony from John W. Snow, Secretary of the
Treasury; and Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Mark A. Limbaugh, of Idaho, who was introduced by
Senator Craig, and R. Thomas Weimer, of Colorado, who was introduced by
Senator Allard, each to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine the National Park Service's business strategy
for operation and management of the national park system, the National Parks
Business Plan Initiative (BPI), including development and implementation of
business plans, use of business consultants, and incorporating business
practices into day-to-day operations, after receiving testimony from Bruce
Sheaffer, Comptroller, National Park Service, Department of the Interior;
Thomas C. Kiernan, National Parks Conservation Association, Washington, D.C.;
Reginald Hagood, Student Conservation Association, Arlington, Virginia; and
Geoffrey A. Baekey, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, Boston, Massachusetts.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Marcus C. Peacock, of Minnesota, to be Deputy
Administrator, Susan P. Bodine, of Maryland, to be Assistant Administrator,
Office of Solid Waste, who was introduced by Representative Duncan, and Granta
Y. Nakayama, of Virginia, to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance, all of the Environmental Protection Agency, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Henry Crumpton, of Virginia, to be Coordinator for
Counterterrorism, with the rank and status of Ambassador at Large, Department
of State, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
CAPITAL REGION SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine how prepared the National Capitol
Region is for terrorism, focusing on how the National Capitol Region (NCR) is
spending its homeland security grant funding, the organizational structures
established to provide coordinated security, and if the NCR can be used as a
model for security in other regions of the country, after receiving testimony
from William O. Jenkins, Jr., Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues,
Government Accountability Office; Thomas J. Lockwood, Director, Office of
National Capital Region Coordination, Department of Homeland Security; George
W. Foresman, Assistant to the Governor of Virginia for Commonwealth
Preparedness, Richmond; Dennis R. Schrader, Director, Governor's Office of
Homeland Security in the State of Maryland, Annapolis; and Edward D. Reiskin,
Deputy Mayor, Public Safety and Justice for the District of Columbia.
[Page: D754]
HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Department of Homeland Security, focusing on an
evaluation of the Department's operations, policies and structures to ensure
that form and function are aligned to maximize the ability to achieve the
security outcomes associated with the overriding mission of protecting the
homeland, after receiving testimony from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of
Homeland Security.
TERRORISM
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee met to discuss
preparing an effective and immediate public health response in the aftermath
of a terrorism attack, with Leah M. Devlin, North Carolina Department of
Health and Human Services, Raleigh; Tara O'Toole, University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Elin Gursky, Advancing National
Strategies and Enabling Results (ANSER), Arlington, Virginia; John M. Clerici,
McKenna Long and Aldridge, and Chuck Ludlam, both of Washington, D.C.; George
Barrett, Teva North America, North Wales, Pennsylvania; David P. Wright,
PharmAthene, Annapolis, Maryland; Clay Elward, Caterpillar, Inc., Peoria,
Illinois; Bronwen A. Kaye, Wyeth, Madison, New Jersey; George W. Conk, Fordham
Law School, New York, New York; David Franz, National Agricultural Biosecurity
Center, Manhattan, Kansas; and John Pournoor, 3M Corporation, St. Paul,
Minnesota.
INDIAN HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Indian Affairs/Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions: Committees concluded a joint hearing to examine S. 1057, to amend
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and extend that Act, after
receiving testimony from Charles W. Grim, Director, Indian Health Service,
Department of Health and Human Services; Rachel A. Joseph Lone-Pine Paiute
Shoshone Reservation, Lone Pine, California, on behalf of the National
Steering Committee for the Reauthorization of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act, National Indian Health Board, and the National Congress of
American Indians; Don Kashevaroff, Seldovia Village Tribe, Seldovia, Alaska,
on behalf of the Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee, and the Alaska
Native Tribal Health Consortium; Richard Brannan, Northern Arapaho Tribe, Fort
Washakie, Wyoming; Ralph Forquera, Seattle Indian Health Board, Seattle,
Washington; Mary Williard, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Bethel, Alaska,
on behalf of the Alaska Native Health Board; and Robert M. Brandjord,
Minnesota, on behalf of the American Dental Association.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee approved their rules of procedure for
the 109th Congress.
Also, committee resumed markup of S.1088, to establish streamlined procedures
for collateral review of mixed petitions, but did not complete action thereon,
and recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of James Philip Terry, of Virginia, to be Chairman of the Board of
Veterans' Appeals, Department of Veterans Affairs, who was introduced by
Senator Allen, and Charles S. Ciccolella, of Virginia, to be Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training, who was introduced
by Senator Warner, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
[Page: D755]
Joint Meetings
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed
versions of H.R. 6, to ensure jobs for our future with secure, affordable, and
reliable energy, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on
Tuesday, July 19, 2005.
2005/07/15
Daily Digest - Friday, July 15, 2005; pages D761 - D766
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine the United States'
relationship with the World Trade Organization, focusing on the role of the
World Trade Organization and its impact on national sovereignty and economic
security, after receiving testimony from James E. Mendenhall, Acting General
Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative; and Claude E.
Barfield, American Enterprise Institute, Robert K. Stumberg, Georgetown
University Law Center, and J. Robert Vastine, Coalition of Service Industries,
all of Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/18
Daily Digest - Monday, July 18, 2005; pages D767 - D772
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ENGINE COOLANT AND ANTIFREEZE BITTERING AGENT ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs, Product Safety, and Insurance concluded a hearing to examine S. 1110,
to amend the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to require engine coolant and
antifreeze to contain a bittering agent in order to render the coolant or
antifreeze unpalatable, after receiving testimony from Jacqueline Elder,
Assistant Executive Director, Hazard and Reduction, Consumer Product Safety
Commission; New Mexico State Representative Kathy A. McCoy, Cedar Crest;
Jeffrey Bye, Prestone, Honeywell International, Inc., Danbury, Connecticut;
and Sara Amundson, Doris Day Animal League, Washington, D.C.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
certain efforts to secure Iraq, focusing on the current counterinsurgency
strategy in Iraq, protecting Iraq's borders and preventing foreign
infiltration, the training schedule of Iraqi forces and supporting more
training in other countries, and the force structure of the United States'
presence in Iraq, after receiving testimony from Kenneth M. Pollack, The
Brookings Institution Saban Center for Middle East Policy, and Anthony H.
Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies, both of Washington,
D.C.; and General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.), BR McCaffrey Associates,
LLC, Arlington, Virginia.
NOMINATIONS
[Page: D769]
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Gillian Arlette Milovanovic, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador
to the Republic of Macedonia, and James Cain, of North Carolina, to be
Ambassador to Denmark, who was introduced by Senator Burr, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Richard L. Skinner, of Virginia, to be
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security, who was introduced by
Senator Warner, and Brian David Miller, of Virginia, to be Inspector General,
General Services Administration, who was introduced by Senators Warner and
Allen, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Edmund S. Hawley, of California, to be an
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/19
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 19, 2005; pages D773 - D782
Committee Meetings
( Committees not listed did not meet )
APPROPRIATIONS: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION/VA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans' Affairs and Related Agencies approved for full Committee
consideration H.R. 2528, making appropriations for military quality of life
functions of the Department of Defense, military construction, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
APPROPRIATIONS: DOT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, The
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies approved for
full Committee consideration H.R. 3058, making appropriations for the
Departments of Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development,
the Judiciary, District of Columbia, and independent agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY REORGANIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine modifications to the organizational structure and
operations of the Department of Homeland Security as part of an effort to make
it more efficient and effective, focusing on preparedness, borders and
immigration, transportation security, and information sharing, after receiving
testimony from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
FAA's AGE 60 RULE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded a hearing to examine the Federal Aviation Administration's Age-60
Rule, which provides that a pilot may not engage in what are known as part 121
operations if the pilot has reached his 60th birthday, including operations of
large commercial passenger aircraft, smaller propeller aircraft with 10 or
more passenger seats, and common carriage operations of all-cargo aircraft
with a payload capacity of 7500 pounds, after receiving testimony from Senator
Inhofe and Representative Gibbons; Jon L. Jordan, Federal Air Surgeon, Federal
Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation; Russell B. Rayman,
Aerospace Medical Association, Alexandria, Virginia; Duane E. Woerth, Air Line
Pilots Association, International, Washington, D.C.; Joseph Eichelkraut,
Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association, Dallas, Texas; Ralph Hunter, Allied
Pilots Association, Fort Worth, Texas; and Al Spain, Jet Blue Airways
Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah.
[Page: D776]
NUCLEAR TESTING ON MARSHALL ISLANDS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the effects of the United States nuclear testing program on
the Marshall Islands, focusing on the development of baseline cancer and
radiation-related illness rates relating to the testing, after receiving
testimony from American Samoa Delegate Faleomavaega; Howard M. Krawitz, Acting
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs; Thomas Lum,
Specialist in Asian Affairs, Congressional Research Service, Library of
Congress; Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics,
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health
and Human Services; Gerald M. Zackios, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and James
H. Plasman, Nuclear Claims Tribunal, both of Republic of the Marshall Islands,
Majuro; Neal A. Palafox, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of
Medicine, Manoa; and Steven L. Simon, Washington, D.C.
IRAQI POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
advancing Iraqi political development, focusing on the development of a
constitution, after receiving testimony from Phebe Marr, United States
Institute of Peace, and Judy Van Rest, International Republican Institute,
both of Washington, D.C.; and Noah Feldman, New York University School of Law,
New York.
SECURING CYBERSPACE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine efforts to protect national
information infrastructures, focusing on challenges in protecting United
States critical infrastructures from cybersecurity threats, after receiving
testimony from Donald Purdy, Jr., Acting Director, National Cyber Security
Division, Department of Homeland Security; David A. Powner, Director,
Information Technology, Management Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Thomas M. Jarrett, Delaware Department of Technology and Information, Dover;
and Paul M. Skare, Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution, Inc.,
Minnetonka, Minnesota.
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1197,
to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, focusing on the Family
Justice Center Initiative, the sexual assault forensic exam protocol, and
other efforts to eradicate crimes of domestic violence, dating violence,
sexual assault, and stalking, after receiving testimony from Diane M. Stuart,
Director, Office on Violence Against Women, Department of Justice; Sheriff
Edmund M. Sexton, Sr., Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, on behalf of the National
Sheriffs' Association; Lynn Rosenthal, National Network to End Domestic
Violence, and Mary Lou Leary, National Center for Victims of Crime, both of
Washington, D.C.; M.L. Carr, WARM2Kids, San Francisco, California, on behalf
of the Family Violence Prevention Fund; and Salma Hayek, Avon Foundation, New
York, New York.
FEDERAL CONSENT DECREE FAIRNESS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the
Courts concluded a hearing to conduct a review of Federal consent decrees,
focusing on S. 489, to amend chapter 111 of title 28, United States Code, to
limit the duration of Federal consent decrees to which State and local
governments are a party, after receiving testimony from Senator Alexander;
Representative Berman; Lois J. Schiffer, Baach, Robinson, and Lewis, PLLC,
former Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, and Michael S.
Greve, American Enterprise Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; Alabama
Attorney General Troy King, Montgomery; Judge Nathaniel R. Jones (Ret.), Blank
and Rome, LLP, Cincinnati, Ohio; Ross Sandler, New York University School of
Law, New York, New York; and Timothy Stoltzfus Jost, Washington and Lee
University School of Law, Lexington, Virginia.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Benjamin A. Powell, of Florida, to be General Counsel of the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Martinez, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
[Page: D777]
Joint Meetings
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed
versions of H.R. 6, to ensure jobs for our future with secure, affordable, and
reliable energy, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on
Thursday, July 21, 2005.
2005/07/20
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 20, 2005; pages D783 - D792
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SECURITY
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine biosecurity preparedness and efforts to address
agroterrorism threats, after receiving testimony from Charles F. Conner,
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture; Maureen I. McCarthy, Director, Office of
Research and Development, Science and Technology Directorate, Department of
Homeland Security; John E. Lewis, Deputy Assistant Director, Counterterrorism
Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; Robert E.
Brackett, Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and
Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; John L.
Sherwood, University of Georgia Department of Plant Pathology, Athens; James
A. Roth, Iowa State University Center for Food Security and Public Health,
Ames; James Lane, Ford County Undersheriff, Dodge City, Kansas; and Mark J.
Cheviron, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Decatur, Illinois.
[Page: D785]
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Federal
role and budget implications relating to health information technology, which
integrates the disciplines of medicine, computer technology, and business
management, focusing on preventing medical errors, providing clinicians with
better clinical decision-making tools, the treatment of patients, tracking
health outcomes, and coordinating public health activities, after receiving
testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services.
CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Global
Climate Change and Impacts concluded a hearing to examine the climate policy
of the United States, focusing on the climate-related science and technology
budget request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony from James R.
Mahoney, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; Daniel
Reifsnyder, Director, Office of Global Climate Change, Department of State;
David W. Conover, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy and
International Affairs, Department of Energy; and Ralph J. Cicerone, President,
National Academy of Sciences.
LANDS BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 703, to provide for the conveyance
of certain Bureau of Land Management land in the State of Nevada to the Las
Vegas Motor Speedway, S. 997, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey
certain land in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest, Montana, to Jefferson County,
Montana, for use as a cemetery, S. 1131, to authorize the exchange of certain
Federal land within the State of Idaho, S. 1170, to establish the Fort
Stanton-Snowy River National Cave Conservation Area, S. 1238, to amend the
Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that
protect forests, and H.R. 1101, to revoke a Public Land Order with respect to
certain lands erroneously included in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge,
California, after receiving testimony from Senator Ensign; Joel Holtrop,
Deputy Chief, National Forest System, U.S. Forest Service, Department of
Agriculture; Lawrence E. Benna, Deputy Director, Operations, Bureau of Land
Management, Department of the Interior; Idaho State Controller Keith L.
Johnson, Boise; and Penelope J. Boston, New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology, Socorro.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
H.R. 1428, to authorize appropriations for the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation;
S. 1250, to reauthorize the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000, with an
amendment;
S. 1409, to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 to modify the
grant program to improve sanitation in rural and Native villages in the State
of Alaska, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1265, to make grants and loans available to States and other organizations
to strengthen the economy, public health, and environment of the United States
by reducing emissions from diesel engines, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute;
S. 1400, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and the Safe
Drinking Water Act to improve water and wastewater infrastructure in the
United States, with amendments;
S. 1339, to reauthorize the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program
Act of 1994;
S. 1340, to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to extend the
date after which surplus funds in the wildlife restoration fund become
available for apportionment;
S. 158, to establish the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative;
S. 1410, to reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act;
S. 1415, to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to protect captive wildlife
and make technical corrections;
The nominations of Marcus C. Peacock, of Minnesota, to be Deputy
Administrator, Granta Y. Nakayama, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Administrator, and Susan P. Bodine, of Maryland, to be Assistant
Administrator, Office of Solid Waste, all of the Environmental Protection
Agency.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations
of Robert M. Kimmitt, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury,
Randal Quarles, of Utah, to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic
Finance, Sandra L. Pack, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Management, and Kevin I. Fromer, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under
Secretary of the Treasury for Legislative Affairs, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D786]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of
Charles E. Johnson, of Utah, and Suzanne C. DeFrancis, of Maryland, both to be
an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Alex Azar II, of
Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.
IRAQ ECONOMIC PROGRESS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
economic progress in Iraq, focusing on oil production and distribution
infrastructure and combating corruption in the Iraqi oil industry, after
receiving testimony from Keith Crane, RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia;
and Fareed Mohamedi, PFC Energy, and Frederick D. Barton, Center for Strategic
and International Studies, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1420, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to
medical device user fees, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
S. 1418, to enhance the adoption of a nationwide interoperable health
information technology system and to improve the quality and reduce the costs
of health care in the United States, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute; and
The nomination of Kathie L. Olsen, of Oregon, to be Deputy Director of the
National Science Foundation.
REPORTERS' PRIVILEGE LEGISLATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine issues
and implications relating to proposed reporters' shield legislation, focusing
on freedom of the press, the use of confidential sources by journalists, and
state laws that recognize the rights of reporters to those sources, after
receiving testimony from Senators Lugar and Dodd; Representative Pence;
Matthew Cooper, Time Magazine, Inc., and Lee Levine, Levine, Sullivan, Koch,
and Schulz, LLP, both of Washington, D.C.; Norman Pearlstine, Time Inc.,
William Safire, New York Times Company, and Floyd Abrams, Cahill Gordon and
Reindel, LLP, all of New York, New York; and Geoffrey R. Stone, University of
Chicago Law School, Chicago, Illinois.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
MEDICAID
Special Committee on Aging: Committee held a hearing to examine solutions to
save money in Medicaid, focusing on the government's system for purchasing
prescription drugs under the Medicaid program, features of the process by
which Medicaid purchases prescription drugs in the fee-for-service sector of
the program, including the way it reimburses pharmacies for drug purchases and
the rebate it receives from drug manufacturers, and how prices that Medicaid
pays for drugs compare with the prices paid by other purchasers, receiving
testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office;
Julie Stone-Axelrad, Analyst in Social Legislation, Domestic Social Policy
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Vincent J.
Russo, Vincent J. Russo and Associates, PC, Westbury, New York, on behalf of
the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys; Mark Gibson, Oregon Health and
Science University Center for Evidence-based Policy, Portland; and Margaret A.
Murray, Association for Community Affiliated Plans, Washington, D.C.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/21
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 21, 2005; pages D794 - D802
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill entitled "Commodity Exchange Reauthorization Act of
2005."
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 3058, making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation,
Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, District of
Columbia, and independent agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 2528, making appropriations for military quality of life functions of the
Department of Defense, military construction, the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
An original bill (S. 1446), making appropriations for the government of the
District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine the Semi-Annual Monetary Policy Report of the
Federal Reserve, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman,
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
An original bill to amend and enhance certain maritime programs of the
Department of Transportation;
S. 1390, to reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, with
amendments;
S. 363, to amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act
of 1990 to establish vessel ballast water management requirements, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 360, to amend the Coastal Zone Management Act, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 1392, to reauthorize the Federal Trade Commission, with amendments; and
The nominations of Rebecca F. Dye, of North Carolina, to be a Federal Maritime
Commissioner, and certain Coast Guard officer nomination lists.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the current state of climate change scientific research and the
economics of strategies to manage climate change, focusing on the relationship
between energy consumption and climate change, new developments in climate
change research and the potential effects on the U.S. economy of climate
change and strategies to control greenhouse gas emissions, after receiving
testimony from Ralph J. Cicerone, National Academy of Sciences, Washington,
D.C.; Mario Molina, University of California, San Diego; James W. Hurrell,
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; and John
Houghton, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, London, England.
[Page: D797]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Jill L. Sigal, of Wyoming, to be Assistant
Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, David R. Hill, of
Missouri, to be General Counsel, and James A. Rispoli, of Virginia, to be
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, all of the Department of
Energy; and R. Thomas Weimer, of Colorado, to be Assistant Secretary for
Policy, Management, and Budget, and Mark A. Limbaugh, of Idaho, to be
Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, both of the Department of the
Interior.
TAX CODE'S DEPRECIATION SYSTEM
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Long-term Growth and Debt Reduction held
a hearing to examine the Federal Tax Code's depreciation system focusing on
how to amend the current depreciation system to provide simplification and
updated guidance for areas such as emerging industries and technologies, and
the role that depreciation should play in providing fiscal stimulus or
encouraging economic growth for particular industries of the U.S. economy at
large, receiving testimony from Jane G. Gravelle, Senior Specialist in
Economic Policy, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Joseph
M. Mikrut, Capitol Tax Partners, and Thomas S. Neubig, Ernst & Young, LLP,
both of Washington, D.C.; Kenneth D. Simonson, The Associated General
Contractors of America, Alexandria, Virginia; and Christopher R. Anderson,
Massachusetts High Technology Council, Inc., Waltham.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
UNITED NATIONS REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
reforms at the United Nations, focusing on expansion of the Security Council,
the U.N. Human Rights Commission, and budget and management reform
recommendations and proposed performance measures, after receiving testimony
from former Senator George Mitchell, and former Representative Newt Gingrich,
both on behalf of the Task Force on the United Nations, United States
Institute of Peace; and R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Michael Retzer, of Mississippi, to be Ambassador to the United
Republic of Tanzania, who was introduced by Senators Cochran and Lott,
Katherine Hubay Peterson, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Botswana, and Alan W. Eastham, Jr., of Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Malawi, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nominations of Richard L. Skinner, of Virginia, to be
Inspector General, and Edmund S. Hawley, of California, to be Assistant
Secretary, both of the Department of Homeland Security, and Brian David
Miller, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, General Services Administration.
UNITED NATIONS RENOVATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine United States financial involvement
relative to the United Nations' Capital Master Plan to renovate the United
Nations headquarters in New York City, after receiving testimony from Senators
Inhofe and Sessions; Anne W. Patterson, Deputy Permanent United States
Representative to the United Nations, Department of State; New York State
Senator Martin J. Golden, Albany; and Christopher B. Burnham, United Nations
Department of Management, and Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, both of
New York, New York.
BIOSHIELD II
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness met to discuss S. 975, to provide
incentives to increase research by private sector entities to develop medical
countermeasures to prevent, detect, identify, contain, and treat illnesses,
including those associated with biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological
weapons attack or an infectious disease outbreak, with Senators Lieberman,
Schumer, and Hatch.
NAVAJO-HOPI LAND SETTLEMENT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1003,
to amend the Act of December 22, 1974, relating to Navajo-Hopi land
settlement, after receiving testimony from William P. Ragsdale, Director,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Christopher J. Bavasi and Paul Tessler, both of the
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, all of the Department of the
Interior; Wayne Taylor, Jr., The Hopi Tribe, Kykotsmovi, Arizona; and Joe
Shirley, Jr., Louis Denetsosie, and Roman Bitsuie, all of The Navajo Nation,
Window Rock, Arizona.
[Page: D798]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 1389, to
reauthorize and improve the USA PATRIOT Act, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of John S. Redd, of Georgia, to be Director of the National
Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence,
after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Chambliss and former Senator
Robb, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
Joint Meetings
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Conferees continued in evening session to resolve the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 6, to ensure jobs for our future with
secure, affordable, and reliable energy.
2005/07/22
Daily Digest - Friday, July 22, 2005; pages D804 - D812
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Karen P. Hughes, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of State for
Public Diplomacy, with the rank of Ambassador, who was introduced by Senators
Hutchison and Cornyn, Josette Sheeran Shiner, of Virginia, to be Under
Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs, Kristen
Silverberg, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of State for International
Organization Affairs, and Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer, of Virginia, to be
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/25
Daily Digest - Monday, July 25, 2005; pages D813 - D820
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D816]
Joint Meetings
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Conferees continued in evening session to resolve the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 6, to ensure jobs for our future with
secure, affordable, and reliable energy.
2005/07/26
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 26, 2005; pages D822 - D836
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SPECIES CONSERVATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Subcommittee on Forestry,
Conservation, and Rural Revitalization concluded a hearing to examine how farm
bill programs can better support species conservation, focusing on the
Wetlands Reserve Program, the eastern bog turtle and ivory billed woodpecker,
pallid sturgeon, salmon, and the sage grouse, after receiving testimony from
Bruce I. Knight, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of
Agriculture; J. Kent Foster, Idaho Association of Soil Districts, Boise; James
L. Cummins, Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Stoneville; Steve
Manning, Leon River Restoration Project, Gatesville, Texas; and Timothy D.
Searchinger, Environmental Defense, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Christopher Cox, of California, who was
introduced by Senators Stevens, Feinstein, and Boxer, Roel C. Campos, of
Texas, and Annette L. Nazareth, of the District of Columbia, who was
introduced by Senator Schumer, each to be a Member of the Securities and
Exchange Commission, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
[Page: D828]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of John C. Dugan, of Maryland, to be
Comptroller of the Currency, John M. Reich, of Virginia, to be Director of the
Office of Thrift Supervision, and Martin J. Gruenberg, of Maryland, to be a
Member and Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
ELECTRONICS WASTE
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste
Management concluded an oversight hearing to examine the potential health and
environmental impact of electronics waste, after receiving testimony from
Senators Talent and Wyden; Representative Mike Thompson; Thomas P. Dunne,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
Environmental Protection Agency; John B. Stephenson, Director, Natural
Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; Garth T. Hickle,
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Paul; Richard Goss, Electronic
Industries Alliance, Arlington, Virginia; Scott Slesinger, Environmental
Technology Council, Washington, D.C.; Michael Vitelli, Best Buy Company, Inc.,
Richfield, Minnesota, on behalf of the Consumer Electronics Retailers
Coalition; and Sheila Davis, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, San Jose,
California.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
entitled "National Employee Savings and Trust Equity Guarantee Act".
GLOBAL ENERGY TRENDS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
implications for the United States regarding energy trends in China and India,
focusing on China and India's expanding role in the global energy market and
energy dialogues taking place with these two countries, after receiving
testimony from E. Anthony Wayne, Interim Under Secretary of State for
Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, and David K. Garman, Under
Secretary of Energy for Science and Environment; Mikkal Herberg, The National
Bureau of Asian Research, Seattle, Washington; Randall G. Shriver, Armitage
International, Arlington, Virginia; and Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University
India Studies Program, Bloomington.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 1129, to provide authorizations of appropriations for certain development
banks, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism (Treaty Doc. 107-18), with one
understanding;
Protocol of Amendment to International Convention on Simplification and
Harmonization of Customs Procedures (Treaty Doc. 108-6), with reservations to
24 recommended practices contained in specific annexes;
Convention on Cybercrime (Treaty Doc. 108-11), with six reservations and five
declarations;
U.N. Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (Treaty Doc. 108-16),
with three reservations and one declaration relating to the convention, three
reservations, one understanding, and one declaration relating to the
supplementary protocol on trafficking in persons, and two reservations and one
understanding relating to the supplementary protocol on migrant smuggling; and
The nominations of Henrietta Holsman Fore, of Nevada, to be an Under Secretary
of State for Management, Henry Crumpton, of Virginia, to be Coordinator for
Counterterrorism, with the rank and status of Ambassador at Large, Gillian
Arlette Milovanovic, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Macedonia, James Cain, of North Carolina, to be Ambassador to Denmark, Alan W.
Eastham, Jr., of Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi,
Katherine Hubay Peterson, of California, to be Ambassador to Republic of
Botswana, Michael Retzer, of Mississippi, to be Ambassador to the United
Republic of Tanzania, Karen P. Hughes, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of
State for Public Diplomacy, with the rank of Ambassador, Josette Sheeran
Shiner, of Virginia, to be an Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business,
and Agricultural Affairs, Kristen Silverberg, of Texas, to be an Assistant
Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, and Jendayi
Elizabeth Frazer, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State for
African Affairs.
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine the General Services Administration
(GSA), focusing on GSA's historic use of two proven negotiation tools to
improve the pricing of schedules contracts-pre-award audits and postaward
audits of pre-award information, after receiving testimony from David E.
Cooper, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Government
Accountability Office; Emily W. Murphy, Chief Acquisition Officer, and
Kathleen S. Tighe, Counsel to the Inspector General, both of the General
Services Administration; David H. Safavian, Administrator, Federal Procurement
Policy, Office of Management and Budget; John B. Ames, Director, Contract
Review and Evaluation Division, Office of Inspector General, Department of
Veterans Affairs; and Thomas Graham, Networld Exchange, Carlsbad, California.
[Page: D829]
INDIAN TRUST REFORM ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
legislation to resolve the lawsuit of Cobell v. Norton, focusing on S. 1439,
to provide for Indian trust asset management reform and resolution of
historical accounting claims, after receiving testimony from Jim Cason,
Associate Deputy Secretary, and Ross Swimmer, Special Trustee for American
Indians, both of the Department of the Interior; Tex Hall, National Congress
of American Indians, Washington, D.C.; Jim Gray, Inter-Tribal Monitoring
Association, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Ernest L. Stensgar, Affiliated Tribes of
Northwest Indians, Portland, Oregon; James T. Martin, United South and Eastern
Tribes, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; and Elouise C. Cobell, Blackfeet
Reservation Development Fund, Browning, Montana.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine comprehensive
immigration reform proposals, receiving testimony from Senators Kennedy,
McCain, Kyl, and Cornyn; Hal Daub, American Health Care Association, and
National Center For Assisted Living, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the
Essential Worker Immigration Coalition; Tamar Jacoby, Manhattan Institute, New
York, New York; and Gary Endelman, Houston, Texas.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
PATENTS REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property held a
hearing to examine harmonization and other matters concerning patents,
focusing on the first-inventor-to- file issue, and pre-issuance submissions of
art, receiving testimony from Gerald J. Mossinghoff, Oblon, Spivak,
McClelland, Maier, and Neustadt, Alexandria, Virginia, former Assistant
Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks; Q. Todd
Dickinson, General Electric Company, Fairfield, Connecticut, former Under
Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office; Christine J. Siwik, Rakoczy Molino Mazzochi LLP,
Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of Barr Laboratories, Inc.; Marshall C. Phelps,
Jr., Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington; Charles E. Phelps, University
of Rochester, Rochester, New York, on behalf of sundry groups; David Beier,
Amgen, Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Timothy Elliott Flanigan, of Virginia, to be Deputy Attorney
General, Department of Justice, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Warner and Allen, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Janice B. Gardner, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for
Intelligence and Analysis, Department of the Treasury, Benjamin A. Powell, of
Florida, to be General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence, and John S. Redd, of Georgia, to be Director of the National
Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Joint Meetings
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 6, to ensure jobs for our future with
secure, affordable, and reliable energy.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 2361, making appropriations for the
Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2006.
APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 2985, making appropriations for the
Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006.
2005/07/27
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 27, 2005; pages D837 - D848
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Subcommittee on Forestry,
Conservation, and Rural Revitalization concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Conservation Reserve Program, the voluntary program for
agricultural landowners that provides annual rental payments and cost-share
assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving covers on eligible
farmland, after receiving testimony from James R. Little, Administrator, Farm
Service Agency, Department of Agriculture; Dan Forster, Georgia Department of
Natural Resources, Social Circle; Sherman Reese, Echo, Oregon, on behalf of
the National Association of Wheat Growers; Kendell W. Keith, National Grain
and Feed Association, and Krysta Harden, National Association of Conservation
Districts, both on behalf of sundry groups, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Jeffrey W. Nelson, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Bismarck, North Dakota, on behalf of
sundry groups.
NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine the need for a
national all-hazards alert and public warning system, focusing on the role and
activities of the Federal Government to ensure the quick and accurate
dissemination of alert and warning information, after receiving testimony from
Reynold N. Hoover, Director, Office of National Security Coordination, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security; Kenneth Moran,
Acting Director, Office of Homeland Security, Enforcement Bureau, Federal
Communications Commission; Mark Paese, Director, Maintenance, Logistics and
Acquisition Division, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; and Christopher E.
Guttman-McCabe, CTIA--The Wireless Association, Richard Taylor, ComCARE
Alliance, and John M. Lawson, Association of Public Television Stations, all
of Washington, D.C.
FAIR RATINGS ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 1372, to provide for the accuracy of television ratings
services, focusing on Nielsen's implementation of the local people meter (LMP)
service, after receiving testimony from George Ivie, Media Rating Council,
Inc., Susan Whiting, Nielsen Media Research, Ceril Shagrin, Univision, and
Kathy Crawford, MindShare, all of New York, New York; Patrick J. Mullen,
Tribune Broadcasting Company, Chicago, Illinois; and Gale Metzger, SMART
Media, Cranford, New Jersey.
HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELL RESEARCH
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy concluded a
hearing to examine recent progress in hydrogen and fuel cell research
sponsored by the Department of Energy and by private industry, including
challenges to the development of these technologies, after receiving testimony
from Douglas L. Faulkner, Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Jeremy Bentham, Royal Dutch Shell, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands; Lawrence D. Burns, General Motors Corporation, Warren,
Michigan; and Dennis Campbell, Ballard Power Systems, Burnaby, British
Columbia.
MEDICARE
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the role of
value-based purchasing relating to improving quality in Medicare, focusing on
the use of pay-for-performance reimbursement systems within the Medicare
program, receiving testimony from Herb Kuhn, Director, Center for Medicare
Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health
and Human Services; Mark E. Miller, Executive Director, Medicare Payment
Advisory Commission; Thomas Byron Thames, AARP, and Nancy H. Nielsen, American
Medical Association, both of Washington, D.C.; Leo P. Brideau, Columbia St.
Mary's, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on behalf of the American Hospital Association;
and James J. Mongan, Partners HealthCare, Boston, Massachusetts.
[Page: D840]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Nominations of William J. Burns, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador
to the Russian Federation, who was introduced by Senator Hagel; William Robert
Timken, Jr., of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, who
was introduced by Senators Voinovich, DeWine, and Allen; Richard Henry Jones,
of Nebraska, to be Ambassador to Israel; and Francis Joseph Ricciardone, Jr.,
of New Hampshire, to be Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Operations and
Terrorism concluded a hearing to examine United Nations peacekeeping reform
efforts, focusing on exploitation by United Nations peacekeepers of civilian
populations, relating to the need for stronger oversight, investigative and
disciplinary procedures, and training to prevent such abuse, after receiving
testimony from Philo L. Dibble, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for
International Organization Affairs.
Also, committee received a briefing on United Nations peacekeeping efforts
from H.R.H. Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Permanent Representative of the
Hashemite, Kingdom of Jordan, and Jane Holl Lute, Assistant Secretary General,
Peacekeeping Operations, both of the United Nations.
CHEMICAL FACILITIES SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee held a
hearing to determine whether the Federal government is doing enough to secure
chemical facilities, focusing on security operations relating to marine
transportation, the fertilizer industry, and the industrial sector, receiving
testimony from Rear Admiral Craig E. Bone, Director of Port Security, Maritime
Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection Directorate, U.S. Coast Guard,
Department of Homeland Security; Robert A. Full, Allegheny County Department
of Emergency Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Beth Turner, E.I. duPont de
Nemours and Company, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware; Jim L. Schellhorn, Terra
Industries, Inc., Washington, D.C., on behalf of The Fertilizer Institute; and
John P. Chamberlain, Shell Oil Company, Houston, Texas, on behalf of the
American Petroleum Institute.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine financial management at the Securities
and Exchange Commission, focusing on the results of the fiscal year 2004
financial audit of the Commission, after receiving testimony from David M.
Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability
Office; and James M. McConnell, Executive Director, Securities and Exchange
Commission.
INDIAN GAMING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight to examine lands
eligible for gaming pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, after
receiving testimony from Senators Voinovich and Vitter; George T. Skibine,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy and Economic
Development for Indian Affairs; Penny J. Coleman, Acting General Counsel,
National Indian Gaming Commission; Walter Gray, Guidiville Band of Pomo
Indians, Talmage, California; Christine Norris, The Jena Band of Choctaw
Indians, Jena, Louisiana; John R. Barnett, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Longview,
Washington; and Charles D. Enyart, Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Seneca,
Missouri.
FBI OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Federal Bureau of Investigation, focusing on the creation of an
intelligence service within the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specifically
impacting the language program, information technology capabilities, and
ability to recruit, hire, train, and retain expertise, after receiving
testimony from former Representative Lee Hamilton, on behalf of the National
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States; Robert S. Mueller,
III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Glenn A. Fine, Inspector
General, both of the Department of Justice; William H. Webster, Milbank,
Tweed, Hadley, and McCloy, LLP, former Director, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and John A. Russack, Information Sharing Environment, both of
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D841]
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
ELDERLY VICTIMIZATION
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
victimization of the elderly through scams, focusing on internet fraud, prize
and sweepstakes fraud, health-related fraud, identity theft, and consumer
education, after receiving testimony from Lois C. Greisman, Associate
Director, Division of Planning and Information, Federal Trade Commission; Zane
M. Hill, Acting Assistant Chief Inspector, U.S. Postal Inspection Service;
Anthony R. Pratkanis, University of California at Santa Cruz; Denise C. Park,
University of Illinois Beckman Institute, Urbana-Champaign; Helen Marks Dicks,
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups, Madison; and Vicki Hersen, Elders in
Action, Portland, Oregon.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/07/28
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 28, 2005; pages D849 - D858
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Lieutenant General Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, for appointment to
the grade of general and to be Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, who was
introduced by Senator Stevens, Ronald M. Sega, of Colorado, to be Under
Secretary of the Air Force, who was introduced by Senator Allard, Phillip
Jackson Bell, of Georgia, to be Deputy Under Secretary for Logistics and
Materiel Readiness, and John G. Grimes, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary
for Networks and Information Integration, both of the Department of Defense,
Keith E. Eastin, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Installations and Environment, and William Anderson, of Connecticut, to be
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and
Logistics, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Peter Cyril Wyche Flory, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Secretary for International Security Affairs, Phillip Jackson Bell, of
Georgia, to be Deputy Under Secretary for Logistics and Materiel Readiness,
both of the Department of Defense, Keith E. Eastin, of Texas, to be Assistant
Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment, Lieutenant General
Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, for appointment to the grade of general and to be
Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, and 4,070 nominations in the Army,
Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 705, to establish the Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and
Service Needs of Seniors, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 804, to exclude from consideration as income certain payments under the
national flood insurance program;
S. 1047, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of each of the Nation's past Presidents and their spouses,
respectively to improve circulation of the $1 coin, to create a new bullion
coin;
S. 190, to address the regulation of secondary mortgage market enterprises,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Christopher Cox, of California, Roel C. Campos, of Texas,
and Annette L. Nazareth, of the District of Columbia, each to be a Member of
the Securities and Exchange Commission, John C. Dugan, of Maryland, to be
Comptroller of the Currency, and John M. Reich, of Virginia, to be Director of
the Office of Thrift Supervision, both of the Department of the Treasury,
Martin J. Gruenberg, of Maryland, to be a Member and Vice Chairperson of the
Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 1516, to reauthorize Amtrak, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute; and
S. 1408, to strengthen data protection and safeguards, require data breach
notification, and further prevent identity theft, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine issues related to MGM v. Grokster and the appropriate
balance between copyright protection and communications technology innovation,
focusing on balancing the protection of copyright and technological
innovation, after receiving testimony from Adam M. Eisgrau, Flanagan
Consulting, on behalf of P2P United, Inc. and the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, and Mitch Bainwol, Recording Industry Association of America, both
of Washington, DC; Gregory G. Kerber, Wurld Media, Inc., Saratoga Springs, New
York; Mark G. Heesen, National Venture Capital Association, Arlington,
Virginia; David N. Baker, EarthLink, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia; and Fritz E.
Attaway, Motion Picture Association of America, Encino, California.
[Page: D853]
NATIONAL PARKS/MEMORIALS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 584 and H.R. 432, bills to require the
Secretary of the Interior to allow the continued occupancy and use of certain
land and improvements within Rocky Mountain National Park, S. 652, to provide
financial assistance for the rehabilitation of the Benjamin Franklin National
Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the development of an exhibit to
commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin, S. 958,
to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Star-Spangled Banner
Trail in the States of Maryland and Virginia and the District of Columbia as a
National Historic Trail, S. 1154, to extend the Acadia National Park Advisory
Commission, to provide improved visitor services at the park, S. 1166, to
extend the authorization of the Kalaupapa National Historical Park Advisory
Commission, and S. 1346, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
study of maritime sites in the State of Michigan, after receiving testimony
from Stephen P. Martin, Deputy Director, National Park Service, Department of
the Interior; Steve Belko, Michigan Lighthouse Project, Oxford; Dennis M.
Wint, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Ralph Eshelman,
Lusby, Maryland; and Betty H. Dick, Grand Lake, Colorado.
NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION AND REPATRIATION ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
the implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation
Act (P.L. 101-601), focusing on the impact of the United States Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decision in Bonnichsen v. United States, and the
proposed amendment to the definition of "Native American" under the Act,
receiving testimony from Paul Hoffman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks; Paul Bender, Arizona State
University College of Law, and Keith W. Kintigh, Society for American
Archaeology, both of Tempe, Arizona; Walter R. Echo-Hawk, Native American
Rights Fund, Boulder, Colorado; Patricia M. Lambert, Utah State University,
Logan, on behalf of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists;
Paula A. Barran, Barran and Leibman, LLP, Portland, Oregon; and A. Van Horn
Diamond, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 103, to respond to the illegal production, distribution, and use of
methamphetamine in the United States, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute; and
The nominations of Michael J. Garcia, of New York, to be United States
Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Peter Manson Swaim, to be
United States Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana.
Also, Committee resumed markup of S. 1088, to establish streamlined procedures
for collateral review of mixed petitions, amendments, and defaulted claims,
but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 1234, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2005, the rates of
compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of
dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled
veterans;
S. 1235, to amend chapters 19 and 37 of title 38, United States Code, to
extend the availability of $400,000 in coverage under the servicemembers' life
insurance and veterans' group life insurance programs, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute, (as approved by the Committee, the substitute
amendment incorporated related provisions of S. 1235, as introduced, S. 552,
S. 917, S. 151, S. 1259, S. 1271, and S. 423); and
The nominations of James Philip Terry, of Virginia, to be Chairman of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals, Department of Veterans' Affairs, and Charles S.
Ciccolella, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans'
Employment and Training.
[Page: D854]
Joint Meetings
ALTERNATIVE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine alternative
automotive technologies to develop energy efficient vehicles, after receiving
testimony from David K. Garman, Secretary of Energy; Mark Chernoby,
DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Auburn Hills, Michigan; Mary Ann Wright, Ford
Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan; Tom Stricker, Toyota Motor North America,
Inc., Torrance, California; and Joe Loper, Alliance to Save Energy,
Washington, DC.
2005/07/29
Daily Digest - Friday, July 29, 2005; pages D860 - D866
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of
Robert M. Kimmitt, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary, Randal Quarles, of
Utah, to be an Under Secretary, Timothy D. Adams, of Virginia, to be an Under
Secretary, Sandra L. Pack, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary, Kevin I.
Fromer, of Virginia, to be a Deputy Under Secretary, all of the Department of
the Treasury, and Shara L. Aranoff, of Maryland, to be a Member of the United
States International Trade Commission.
[Page: D865]
Joint Meetings
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT
Conferees on Thursday, July 28, 2005, agreed to file a conference report on
the differences between the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 3, to
authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit
programs.
2005/09/01
Daily Digest - Thursday, September 1, 2005; pages D868 - D870
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/02
Daily Digest - Friday, September 2, 2005; pages D872 - D874
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/06
Daily Digest - Tuesday, September 6, 2005; pages D875 - D882
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
GAS PRICES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine gasoline prices and factors contributing to current high prices such
as global oil demand, constraints on refinery capacity, and increased
speculation in the futures market, after receiving testimony from Rebecca
Watson, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management;
Guy F. Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of
Energy; James A. Overdahl, Chief Economist, Commodity Futures Trading
Commission; Bob Slaughter, National Petrochemical and Refiners Association,
Washington, D.C.; William S. Shipley III, Shipley Stores, LLC, York,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of the National Association of Convenience Stores and
the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America; Robert L.Darbelnet,
AAA, Heathrow, Florida; and John Dowd, Sanford C. Bernstein and Co., LLC, New
York, New York.
[Page: D877]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/07
Daily Digest - Wednesday, September 7, 2005; pages D883 - D886
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/08
Daily Digest - Thursday, September 8, 2005; pages D887 - D891
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COMMODITY FUTURES MODERNIZATION ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the proposed reauthorization of the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission, focusing on the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of
2000 and recent market developments, after receiving testimony from Randy K.
Quarles, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance; Robert L.D.
Colby, Deputy Director, Division of Market Regulation, U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission; Patrick J. McCarty, General Counsel, Commodity Futures
Trading Commission; Patrick M. Parkinson, Deputy Director, Division of
Research and Statistics, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
Charles P. Carey, Chicago Board of Trade, Terrence A. Duffy, Chicago
Mercantile Exchange Holdings, Inc., and Daniel J. Roth, National Futures
Association, all of Chicago, Illinois; John M. Damgard, Futures Industry
Association, and Mark Lackritz, Securities Industry Association, both of
Washington, D.C.; Meyer S. Frucher, Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of the U.S. Options Exchange Coalition; and Robert G.
Pickel, International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., New York, New
York.
[Page: D889]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Robert A. Mosbacher, of Texas, to be President of the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and
Cornyn, Robert B. Holland III, of Texas, to be United States Executive
Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, who was
introduced by Senator Hutchison, and Jan E. Boyer, of Texas, to be United
States Alternate Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank,
who was introduced by Senator Hagel, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee met to discuss
rebuilding lives and communities regarding Hurricane Katrina after hearing
from numerous public witnesses.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 1614, to extend the authorization of programs under the Higher Education
Act of 1965, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
An original bill entitled "Defined Benefit Security Act of 2005".
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 1197, to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nomination of Kenneth L. Wainstein, of Virginia, to be United States
Attorney for the District of Columbia, Department of Justice.
Also, Committee approved the issuance of various subpoenas relative to
asbestos matters.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/09
Daily Digest - Friday, September 9, 2005; pages D894 - D898
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/12
Daily Digest - Monday, September 12, 2005; pages D899 - D902
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee began hearings to examine the nomination
of John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be Chief Justice of the United
States, where the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Lugar, Warner and
Bayh, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
Hearings continue tomorrow.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/13
Daily Digest - Tuesday, September 13, 2005; pages D903 - D908
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CHARITIES
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy held a
hearing to examine how the nonprofit sector meets the needs of American
communities relating to charities on the frontline, receiving testimony from
Luke L. Hingson, Borther's Brother Foundation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Major
George Hood, The Salvation Army, Alexandria, Virginia; Robert E. Reccord,
North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Alpharetta,
Georgia; and William G. Gale, Brookings Institution, and C. Eugene Steuerle,
Urban Institute, both of Washington, D.C.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of John R. Fisher, to be an Associate Judge
of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Juliet JoAnn McKenna, to be an
Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, who were
introduced by Delegate Norton, Colleen Duffy Kiko, of Virginia, to be General
Counsel of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, who was introduced by
Representative Sensenbrenner, and Mary M. Rose, of North Carolina, to be a
Member of the Merit Systems Protection Board, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee continued hearings to examine the
nomination of John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be Chief Justice of the
United States, where the nominee, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
Hearings continue tomorrow.
[Page: D905]
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/14
Daily Digest - Thursday, September 14, 2005; pages D910 - D918
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AVIATION EFFECTS OF HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded a hearing to examine the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the aviation
industry, focusing on jet fuel markets, airport infrastructure, and the
National Airspace System, after receiving testimony from Howard K.
Gruenspecht, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Energy Information Administration,
Department of Energy; James C. May, Air Transport Association, Inc., and
Deborah McElroy, Regional Airline Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Frank Miller, Pensacola Regional Airport, Pensacola, Florida.
HURRICANE KATRINA RECOVERY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee held a
hearing to examine issues relating to recovering from Hurricane Katrina,
focusing on lessons learned from previous disasters in various locations
across the United States, and the urgent and long-term needs of disaster
survivors, receiving testimony from former Senator Pete Wilson; former Mayor
Patricia A. Owens, Grand Forks, North Dakota; and former Mayor Marc H. Morial,
New Orleans, Louisiana, on behalf of the National Urban League; and Iain B.
Logan, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, New
York, New York.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee continued hearings to examine the
nomination of John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be Chief Justice of the
United States, where the nominee, further testified and answered questions in
his own behalf.
Hearings continue tomorrow.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/15
Daily Digest - Thursday, September 15, 2005; pages D920 - D929
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine the progress of Capitol Visitor Center construction,
focusing on the Architect of the Capitol's progress in managing the project's
schedule since the Subcommittee's last hearing on the project, estimate of a
general time frame for completing the construction, and the costs and funding,
including the potential impact of scheduling issues on cost, after receiving
testimony from Alan Hartman, Architect of the Capitol; Bernard L. Ungar,
Director, and Terrell Dorn, Assistant Director, both of Physical
Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Keith E. Gottfried, of California, to be
General Counsel, Kim Kendrick, of the District of Columbia, who was introduced
by Senator Santorum, Keith A. Nelson, of Texas, and Darlene F. Williams, of
Texas, each to be an Assistant Secretary, all of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development, and Israel Hernandez, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary
and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service,
Darryl W. Jackson, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary,
Franklin L. Lavin, of Ohio, to be Under Secretary for International Trade, who
was introduced by Senator DeWine, and David H. McCormick, of Pennsylvania, to
be Under Secretary for Export Administration, who was introduced by Senator
Santorum, all of the Department of Commerce, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
U.S.-INDONESIA RELATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded a hearing to examine U.S.-Indonesia relations, focusing on a
bilateral relationship with Indonesia, after receiving testimony from Eric G.
John, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of East Asian and Pacific
Affairs; James R. Kunder, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia and the
Near East, U.S. Agency for International Development; Hadi Soesastro, Centre
for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia; Randolph Martin,
Mercy Corps, Washington, D.C.; and Paul M. Cleveland, Arlington, Virginia.
[Page: D923]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Stewart A. Baker, of Virginia, who was
introduced by Senator McCain and former Senator Robb, and Julie L. Myers, of
Kansas, who was introduced by Senator Roberts, each to be an Assistant
Secretary of Homeland Security, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on the nomination of
John G. Roberts, Jr., of Maryland, to be Chief Justice of the United States
Supreme Court, after the nominee further answered questions in his own behalf.
Also, testimony was received from Representative John Lewis; Jennifer Cabranes
Braceras and Peter Kirsanow, each a Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights; Dick Thornburgh, former Attorney General of the United States; Carol
M. Browner, former Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; John
Engler, former Michigan Governor, Lansing; Bruce Botelho, former Alaska
Attorney General, Juneau; Judge Nathaniel Jones, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
to the Sixth Circuit (Retired); Judge Denise Lindberg, Third District of the
Utah State Court, Salt Lake City; Stephen L. Tober, Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
Tom Hayward, Chicago, Illinois, and Pamela A. Bresnahan, Washington, D.C., all
on behalf of the American Bar Association; Reginald M. Turner, Jr., National
Bar Association, Detroit, Michigan; Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights, Maureen E. Mahoney, Latham & Watkins, Catherine E. Stetson,
Hogan & Hartson, Marcia Greenberger, National Women's Law Center, Peter B.
Edelman, Georgetown University Law Center, and Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Hudson
Institute, all of Washington, D.C.; Kathryn Webb Bradley, Duke Law School,
Durham, North Carolina; Charles Fried, Harvard Law School, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; Patricia L. Bellia, Notre Dame Law School, South Bend, Indiana;
Judith Resnik, Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut; Christopher S. Yoo,
Vanderbilt University Law School, Nashville, Tennessee; David Strauss,
University of Chicago Law School, and Susan Thistlethwaite, Chicago
Theological Seminary, both of Chicago, Illinois; Robert Reich, Brandeis
University, Waltham, Massachusetts; Anne Marie Tallman, Mexican American Legal
Defense and Education Fund, Los Angeles, California; Rabbi Dale Polakoff,
Rabbinical Council of America, Great Neck, New York; Karen Pearl, Planned
Parenthood Federation of America, New York, New York; Henrietta Wright,
Dallas, Texas, on behalf of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center; Roderick
Jackson, Ensley High School, Birmingham, Alabama; and Beverly Jones,
Lafayette, Tennessee.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
S. 1182, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve health care for
veterans, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, (as approved by the
Committee, the substitute amendment incorporated related provisions of S.
1182, as introduced, and provisions of S. 1177, S. 1189, and S. 1190); and
S. 716, to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance services provided by
vet centers, to clarify and improve the provision of bereavement counseling by
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/19
Daily Digest - Monday, September 19, 2005; pages D931 - D934
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of C. Boyden Gray, of the District of Columbia, to be
Representative of the United States of America to the European Union, with the
rank and status of Ambassador, who was introduced by Senator Dole, and Francis
Rooney, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Holy See, and Alfred Hoffman, of
Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Portugal, who were both
introduced by Senator Martinez, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/20
Daily Digest - Tuesday, September 20, 2005; pages D935 - D940
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Emil W. Henry, Jr., of New York, to be
Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions, who was introduced by
Representative Kelly, and Patrick M. O'Brien, of Minnesota, to be Assistant
Secretary for Terrorist Financing, who was introduced by Senator Hatch, both
of the Department of the Treasury, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
HURRICANE PREDICTION AND PREPARATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine the prediction of
Hurricane Katrina and the work of the National Hurricane Center, focusing on
the role in forecasting, warning the public about hurricanes, and the
essential role and activities following landfall, after receiving testimony
from Max Mayfield, Director, Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane
Center, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Department of Commerce; Windell Curole, South Lafourche Levee
District, Gallino, Louisiana; Marc L. Levitan, Louisiana State University
Hurricane Center, Baton Rouge; Keith G. Blackwell, University of South Alabama
Coastal Weather Research Center, Mobile; and C. Patrick Roberts, Florida
Association of Broadcasters, Tallahassee.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine climate change science and economics, focusing on the current state of
climate change scientific research and the economics of strategies to manage
climate change, including the relationship between energy consumption and
climate change, and the potential effects on the U.S. economy of climate
change and strategies to control greenhouse gas emissions, after receiving
testimony from Howard Gruenspecht, Deputy Administrator, Energy Information
Administration, Department of Energy; Anne E. Smith, CRA International,
Boston, Massachusetts; and Jason S. Grumet, National Commission on Energy
Policy, and Richard D. Morgenstern, Resources for the Future, both of
Washington, D.C.
LATIN AMERICA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace
Corps and Narcotics Affairs concluded a hearing to examine the diplomatic,
political, and eoconomic consequences of the emergence of China in Latin
America and the Caribbean, including military-to-military contacts, and
national security implications for the United States, after receiving
testimony from Charles S. Shapiro, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary,
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Robert Forden, Deputy Director for
China and Mongolian Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, both of
the Department of State; Rogelio Pardo-Maurer IV, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs; and Stephen C. Johnson, The
Heritage Foundation, David M. Lampton, Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, and Gal Luft, Institute for the
Analysis of Global Security, all of Washington, D.C.
EMINENT DOMAIN
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
impact of the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. City of New London on the
use of eminent domain for economic development purposes, including a related
measure S. 1313, to protect homes, small businesses, and other private
property rights, by limiting the power of eminent domain, after receiving
testimony from Senator Cornyn; Mayor Eddie A. Perez, Hartford, Connecticut, on
behalf of the National League of Cities; Fred Jenkins, St. Luke's Pentecostal
Church, North Hempstead, New York; Hilary O. Shelton, NAACP, Washington, D.C.;
Thomas W. Merrill, Columbia University Law School, New York, New York; Steven
J. Eagle, George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, Virginia; and
Susette Kelo, New London, Connecticut.
[Page: D937]
AMERICAN LEGION
Joint Hearings: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded a joint
hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to receive the
legislative priorities of the American Legion, focusing on budgetary
recommendations for the Department of Veterans Affairs for FY 2006, after
receiving testimony from Thomas L. Bock, American Legion, Aurora, Colorado.
No other Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/21
Daily Digest - Wednesday, September 21, 2005; pages D942 - D950
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
WTO AGRICULTURE NEGOTIATIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the status of the World Trade Organization negotiations on
agriculture, focusing on the Doha Round Development Agenda, and the links
between agricultural policy and trade policy, after receiving testimony from
Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture; Robert Portman, United States Trade
Representative; Audrae Erickson, Corn Refiners Association, on behalf of
AgTrade, Leondard W. Condon, Altria Corporate Services, Inc., on behalf of the
Grocery Manufacturers Association, and Mark Viso, World Vision United States,
all of Washington, D.C.; and Allen Helms, National Cotton Council, Clarkedale,
Arkansas.
ENERGY PRICING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the rise of domestic energy prices, focusing on what
actions can be taken to profitably lower U.S. oil consumption, after receiving
testimony from John Seesel, Associate General Counsel for Energy, Federal
Trade Commission; Jim Wells, Director, Energy, Resources, and Science Issues,
Government Accountability Office; Guy Caruso, Administrator, Energy
Information Administration, Department of Energy; Robin West, PFC Energy Team,
Odd-Even Bustnes, Rocky Mountain Institute, Robert Slaughter, National
Petrochemical and Refiners Association, and Tyson Slocum, Public Citizen, all
of Washington, D.C.; and Ronald W. Kosh, American Automobile Association-Mid
Atlantic, Wilmington, Delaware.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Water concluded a hearing to examine the Endangered Species Act
and the role of States, Tribes and local governments, focusing on areas where
the law may be strengthened or new programs created to encourage species
recovery at all levels of government, after receiving testimony from Colorado
State Representative Cory Gardner, Denver; Billy Frank, Jr., Northwest Indian
Fisheries Commission, Olympia, Washington; Michael A. Pasteris, Forest
Preserve District of Will County, Joliet, Illinois, on behalf of the National
Association of Counties; John Baughman, International Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies, Washington, D.C.; Bill Burnham, The Peregrine Fund, Boise,
Idaho; Robert P. Davison, Wildlife Management Institute, Corvallis, Oregon;
and Dwayne Shaw, Downeast Salmon Federation/Downeast Rivers Land Trust,
Columbia Falls, Maine.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Charles A. Ford, of
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras, Mark Langdale, of
Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica, and Brenda LaGrange
Johnson, of New York, to be Ambassador to Jamaica, who was introduced by
Senators McCain and Collins, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
TRANSIT SYSTEM SAFETY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the lessons that have been learned to secure United States
transit systems relating to the London terrorist attacks, focusing on the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) operating the
Washington areas subway system, increasing public awareness and security, and
training the transit workforce and first-responders, after receiving testimony
from Edmund S. Hawley, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security,
Transportation Security Administration; Polly L. Hanson, Chief, Metro Transit
Police Department, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Michael
Brown, London Underground, London, England; and Rafi Ron, New Age Security
Solutions, McLean, Virginia.
[Page: D945]
REGULATION OF CLASS III GAMING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
Indian gaming, focusing on a decision issued by the Washington, D.C. District
Court relative to the National Indian Gaming Commission's Minimum Internal
Control Standards regulations as applied to Class III gaming, and tribal
government efforts to regulate gaming, receiving testimony from Philip N.
Hogen, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission; Mark Van Norman, National
Indian Gaming Association, Washington, D.C.; and Kevin K. Washburn, University
of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION SHARING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine the operations
of Able Danger, a small highly-classified United States Army intelligence unit
that searched for al Qaeda terrorists, and the status of intelligence
information sharing between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the
Department of Defense, receiving testimony from Representative Curt Weldon;
William R. Dugan, Jr., Acting Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for
Intelligence Oversight; Gary M. Bald, Executive Assistant Director, National
Security Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; Mark
S. Zaid, Krieger and Zaid, PLLC, Washington, D.C.; and Erik Kleinsmith,
Lockheed Martin, Newington, Virginia, former Major, USA, Chief of
Intelligence, Land Information Warfare Activity.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/09/22
Daily Digest - Thursday, September 22, 2005; pages D952 - D962
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the financial services industry's responsibilities and role
in preventing identity theft and protecting sensitive financial information,
after receiving testimony from Senator Pryor; Stuart K. Pratt, Consumer Data
Industry Association, Edmund Mierzwinski, U.S. Public Interest Research Group,
Ira D. Hammerman, Securities Industry Association, Gilbert T. Schwartz,
Schwartz and Ballen LLP, on behalf of the American Council of Life Insurers,
and Oliver I. Ireland, Morrison and Foerster, on behalf of the American
Bankers Association, all of Washington, D.C.
COMMUNICATIONS IN DISASTER
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held a hearing
to examine the protection of critical communications infrastructure during a
disaster, focusing on the impact on communications services in the area
effected by Hurricane Katrina, a status report on the extent to which services
have been restored, and steps the Federal Communications Commission has taken
to facilitate the restoration of service and to provide support for evacuees,
receiving testimony from Kevin J. Martin, Chairman, Federal Communications
Commission; William L. Smith, BellSouth, and Paul Roth, Cingular Wireless,
both of Atlanta, Georgia; Jeffrey A. Citron, Vonage Holdings Corporation,
Edison, New Jersey; and Hossein Eslambolchi, AT&T Global Networking Technology
Services and AT&T Labs, Bedminster, New Jersey.
Hearings will continue on Thursday, September 29.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 435, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
to designate a segment of the Farmington River and Salmon Brook in the State
of Connecticut for study for potential addition to the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, S. 1096, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to
designate portions of the Musconetcong River in the State of New Jersey as a
component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, S. 1310, to authorize
the Secretary of the Interior to allow the Columbia Gas Transmission
Corporation to increase the diameter of a natural gas pipeline located in the
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, S. 1378, to amend the National
Historic Preservation Act to provide appropriation authorization and improve
the operations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and S. 1627,
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources
study to evaluate resources along the coastal region of the State of Delaware
and to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing a unit of the
National Park System in Delaware, after receiving testimony from Senator Dodd
and Carper; Janet Snyder Matthews, Associate Director for Cultural Resources,
National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Timothy Slavin, State of
Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs, Dover; Eric Hammerling, Farmington
River Watershed Association, Inc., Simsbury, Connecticut; Beth Anne Styler
Barry, Musconetcong Watershed Association, Asbury, New Jersey; Michael W.
Roberts, Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania;
and John Fowler, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D955]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Santanu K. Baruah, of Oregon, to be Assistant
Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, who was introduced by Senator
Smith; George M. Gray, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Administrator, and
Lyons Gray, of North Carolina, to be Chief Financial Officer, who was
introduced by Senator Burr, both of the Environmental Protection Agency; H.
Dale Hall, of New Mexico, to be Director of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, who was introduced by Senator
Domenici; and Edward McGaffigan, Jr., of Virginia, to be a Member of the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Alexander R. Vershbow, of the District of Columbia, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Patricia Louise Herbold, of Washington,
to be Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, who was introduced by Senators
Murray and Cantwell, and William Paul McCormick, of Oregon, to be Ambassador
to New Zealand, and serve concurrently as Ambassador to Samoa, who was
introduced by Senators Wyden and Smith, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1725, to strengthen Federal leadership, provide grants, enhance outreach
and guidance, and provide other support to State and local officials to
enhance emergency communications capabilities, to achieve communications
interoperability, to foster improved regional collaboration and coordination,
to promote more efficient utilization of funding devoted to public safety
communications, to promote research and development by both the public and
private sectors for first responder communications, with amendments;
An original bill to provide relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, with
amendments;
S. 1738, to expand the responsibilities of the Special Inspector General for
Iraq Reconstruction to provide independent and objective audits and
investigations relating to the Federal programs for Hurricane Katrina, with an
amendment;
S. 939, to expedite paym |
