109th Congress (2005 - 2006)
January 3 - December 8, 2006
Senate Committee Meetings by Date
Compiled from the Congressional Record's Daily Digests via Thomas at
thomas.loc.gov
2006/01/03
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 3, 2006; pages D1 - D2
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/01/18
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 18, 2006; pages D4 - D8
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: On Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 13,
committee held hearings on the nomination of Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of New
Jersey, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States,
where the nominee, on Monday, was introduced by Senator Lautenberg and former
New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and presented a statement in his
own behalf. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the nominee testified and answered
questions in his own behalf. On Thursday, testimony was received from Stephen
L. Tober, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Marna Tucker and John Payton, both of
Washington, DC, all on behalf of the American Bar Association; Judge Edward R.
Becker, Chief Judge Anthony J. Scirica, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, Judge
Ruggero J. Aldisert, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Judge Leonard I.
Garth, Chicago, Illinois, all of the United States Court of Appeals; John J.
Gibbons, Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, Newark, New Jersey,
former United States Court of Appeals Judge (Ret.); Timothy K. Lewis,
Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, Washington, DC, former United States Court
of Appeals Judge (Ret.); Edna Ball Alexrod, Law Offices of Edna Ball Alexrod,
South Orange, New Jersey; Michael J. Gerhardt, University of North Carolina
School of Law, Chapel Hill; Peter Kirsanow, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan &
Aronoff, Cleveland, Ohio, and Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights;
Samuel Issacharoff, New York University School of Law, New York, New York;
Carter Phillips, Sidley Austin, Washington, DC; and Goodwin Liu, University of
California, Berkeley; and on Friday, testimony was received from
Representatives Gonzalez and Wasserman Schultz; Nora Demleitner, Hofstra
University School of Law, Hempstead, New York; Erwin Chemerinsky, Duke
University Law School, Durham, North Carolina; Anthony Kronman, Yale Law
School, and Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr., both of New Haven, Connecticut; Beth
Nolan, Crowell & Moring, former Counsel to the President (1999-2001), Kate
Michelman, on behalf of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action
League (NARAL), Amanda Frost, American University Washington College of Law,
Reginald M. Turner, Jr., National Bar Association, and Theodore Shaw, NAACP
Legal Defense and Educational Fund, all of Washington, DC; Charles Fried,
former Solicitor General of the United States, and Laurence H. Tribe, both of
Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Fred Gray, Gray, Langford, Sapp,
McGowan, Gray & Nathanson, Tuskegee, Alabama; John G. S. Flym, Northeastern
University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts; Kate Pringle, Friedman,
Kaplan, Seiler & Adelman, New York, New York; and Jack White, Kirkland &
Ellis, San Francisco, California.
No Joint hearings noted.
2005/01/20
Daily Digest - Friday, January 20, 2006; pages D10 - D12
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DECENCY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: On Thursday, January, 19,
2005, Committee concluded a hearing to examine decency in broadcasting, cable,
and other media, after receiving testimony from Jack Valenti, on behalf of the
Motion Picture Association of America, Bruce T. Reese, Bonneville
International Corporation, on behalf of the National Association of
Broadcasters, and Jeff McIntyre, American Psychological Association, all of
Washington, D.C.; Charles W. Ergen, EchoStar Communications Corporation,
Englewood, Colorado; David L. Cohen, Comcast Corporation, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Brent Bozell, III, Parents Television Council, Alexandria,
Virginia; Martin D. Franks, CBS Corporation, New York, New York; and Alan
Rosenberg, Screen Actors Guild, Los Angeles, California.
PROTECTING CHILDREN
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: On Thursday, January, 19,
2005, Committee concluded a hearing to examine methods of protecting children
on the Internet, after receiving testimony from Senator Lincoln; James H.
Burrus, Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, and Laura H. Parsky, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Criminal Division, both of the Department of Justice; James B.
Weaver, III, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of
Communication, Blacksburg; Tim Lordan, Internet Education Foundation,
Washington, D.C.; Tatiana S. Platt, America Online, Inc., Dulles, Virginia;
and Paul J. Cambria, Jr., Adult Freedom Foundation, Buffalo, New York.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: On Thursday, January, 19, 2005, Committee
concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Claudia A. McMurray, of
Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental
and Scientific Affairs, who was introduced by Senator Warner, and Bradford R.
Higgins, of Connecticut, to be Chief Financial Officer, and to be an Assistant
Secretary for Resource Management, both of the Department of State, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BILATERAL MALARIA ASSISTANCE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: On Thursday, January,
19, 2005, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government
Information, and International Security concluded a hearing to examine
bilateral malaria assistance, focusing on progress on the President's malaria
initiative, malaria program reforms at United States Agency for International
Development, lessons on malaria control from the field, and what the experts
say about indoor residual spraying, after receiving testimony from Michael
Miller, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health, United States Agency
for International Development; Donald R. Roberts, Uniformed Services
University of the Health Sciences; Simon Kunene, Swaziland Ministry of Health,
Mbabane; and Andy Arata, American Association for the Advancement of Science,
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D11]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/01/24
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 24, 2006; pages D14 - D16
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MINE SAFETY
Committee on Appropriations: On Monday, January 23, Subcommittee on Labor,
Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies concluded hearings
to examine mine safety issues, focusing on the Sago Mine disaster in West
Virginia, after receiving testimony from David G. Dye, Acting Assistant
Secretary for Mine Safety and Health, and Ray McKinney, Administrator, Coal
Mine Safety and Health, both of the Department of Labor; Bennett K. Hatfield,
International Coal Group, Inc., Ashland, Kentucky; J. Davitt McAteer, Wheeling
Jesuit University, Wheeling, West Virginia, former Assistant Secretary of
Labor for Mine Safety and Health; Chris R. Hamilton, West Virginia Coal
Association, Charleston; Cecil E. Roberts, United Mine Workers of America,
Fairfax, Virginia; and Bruce Watzman, National Mining Association, Washington,
D.C.
BROADCAST TELEVISION AND RADIO FLAG TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded
hearings to examine digital audio broadcast issues and the use of audio flag
for the protection of digital music, focusing on the FCC's Broadcast Flag
Order and strategies to protect music and other audio content in a digital
age, after receiving testimony from Andrew Setos, Fox Entertainment Group,
Inc., and Thomas B. Patton, Philips Electronics North America Corporation,
both of New York, New York; Jonathan Band, American Library Association,
Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of the Library Copyright Alliance; Leslie Harris,
Center for Democracy and Technology, and Mitch Bainwol, Recording Industry
Association of America, Washington, D.C.; Gary Shapiro, Consumers Electronics
Association, Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of the Home Recording Rights
Coalition; and Dan Halyburton, Susquehanna Radio Corporation, York,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters.
CATASTROPHIC PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded
hearings to examine catastrophic planning and preparedness issues, focusing on
hurricane response activities including the Hurricane Pam Exercise, after
receiving testimony from Wayne Fairley, Chief, Response Operation Branch,
Response and Recovery Division (Region VI), Federal Emergency Management
Agency, Department of Homeland Security; Sean R. Fontenot, Louisiana Office of
Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and Madhu Beriwal, Innovative
Emergency Management, Inc. (IEM), both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jesse
St. Amant, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for
Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of New Jersey, to be an Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United States.
[Page: D15]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/01/25
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 25, 2006; pages D17 - D20
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
U.S. VISITOR & IMMIGRANT STATUS INDICATOR TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator
Technology (U.S. VISIT) program, relating to United States Entry/Exit Tracking
information, allowing for the collection of the information and sharing across
the immigration and border management systems, after receiving testimony from
James A. Williams, Director, U.S. VISIT Program, Department of Homeland
Security; and Randolph C. Hite, Director, Information Technology Architecture
and Systems Issues, Government Accountability Office.
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding operations and intelligence in Iraq from Brigadier General
Carter Ham, USA, Deputy Director for Regional Operations, J-3, and Rear
Admiral David J. Dorsett, USN, Director of Intelligence, J-2, both of The
Joint Staff; and MaryBeth Long, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for International Affairs.
[Page: D19]
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM PROPOSALS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held a hearing to
examine proposals to reform the National Flood Insurance Program, focusing on
the causes of the financial disarray of the Program, receiving testimony from
David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government
Accountability Office; David I. Maurstad, Acting Director and Federal
Insurance Administrator, Mitigation Division, Federal Emergency Management
Agency, Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, Department of
Homeland Security; and Donald Marron, Acting Director, Congressional Budget
Office.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Mark D. Wallace, of Florida, to be U.S. Representative to the
United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador,
and to be Alternate 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 for U.N. Management and Reform, and
Jackie Wolcott Sanders, of Virginia, to be Alternate U.S. Representative for
Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador,
and to be an Alternate U.S. Representative to the Sessions of the General
Assembly of the United Nations during her tenure of service as Alternate U.S.
Representative for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, 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 Janet Ann Sanderson, of Arizona, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Haiti, after the nominee testified and answered questions in her
own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Patricia Newton Moller, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Burundi, Robert Weisberg, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Congo, Bernadette Mary Allen, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Niger, and Steven Alan Browning, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Uganda, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
LOBBYING REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine lobbying reform proposals and issues, focusing on S. 2128,
to provide greater transparency with respect to lobbying activities, and S.
2180, to provide more rigorous requirements with respect to disclosure and
enforcement of ethics and lobbying laws and regulations, after receiving
testimony from Senators McCain, Santorum, Coleman, Durbin, and Feingold; Dick
Clark, Aspen Institute Congressional Program, John Engler, National
Association of Manufacturers, and William Samuel, AFL-CIO, Fred Wertheimer,
Democracy 21, all of Washington. D.C.; and Paul A. Miller, American League of
Lobbyists, Alexandria, Virginia.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/01/26
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 26, 2006; pages D22 - D24
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D23]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/01/27
Daily Digest - Friday, January 27, 2006; pages D25 - D28
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/01/30
Daily Digest - Monday, January 30, 2006; pages D30 - D32
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee continued
hearings to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on urban
search and rescue during a catastrophe, receiving testimony from William M.
Lokey, Operations Branch Chief, Response Division, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security; Brigadier General Brod
Veillon, Louisiana National Guard, Jackson; Lieutenant Colonel Keith LaCaze,
Louisiana Department of Wildlife, Baton Rouge; and Timothy P. Bayard, New
Orleans Police Department, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Committee will meet again on Tuesday, January 31, 2006.
[Page: D31]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/01/31
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 31, 2006; pages D33 - D38
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine pandemic
influenza preparedness at Federal, State and local levels, after receiving
testimony from John Agwunobi, Assistant Secretary for Health, and Julie L.
Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both of the
Department of Health and Human Services; Mary Mincer Hansen, Iowa Department
of Public Health, Des Moines; Calvin B. Johnson, Pennsylvania Department of
Health, Harrisburg; Bruce W. Dixon, Allegheny County Department of Public
Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Joanne Godley, Philadelphia Department of
Social Services, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Richard Webby, St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; George B. Abercrombie,
Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., Branchburg, New Jersey; Daniel Soland, Chiron
Corporation, Emeryville, California; Christopher Viehbacher, GlaxoSmithKline,
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; and John M. Barry, Tulane University
Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.
VIDEO CONTENT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine video content, focusing on video competition, program
access, and local sports programming, after receiving testimony from Ben Pyne,
Disney and ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales, New York, New York; Matt Polka,
American Cable Association, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Robert G. Lee, WDBJ
Television, Inc., Roanoke, Virginia; Joseph W. Waz, Jr., Comcast Corporation,
Washington, D.C.; Daniel M. Fawcett, DIRECTV, Inc., El Segundo, California;
and Doron Gorshein, The America Channel, Heathrow, Florida.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Kristie A. Kenney, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of the Philippines, and Michael W. Michalak, of Michigan, for the
rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as United States Senior
Official to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee continued
hearings to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on the
challenges during a catastrophe, including the evacuation of New Orleans in
advance of Hurricane Katrina, receiving testimony from Johnny B. Bradberry,
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Joseph A. Donchess,
Louisiana Nursing Home Association, and Jimmy Guidry, Louisiana Department of
Health and Hospitals, all of Baton Rouge; Terry J. Ebbert, City of New Orleans
Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety, and Kevin U. Stephens, City of
New Orleans Health Department, both of New Orleans, Louisiana; and Walter S.
Maestri, Jefferson Parish Department of Emergency Management, Louisiana.
Committee will meet again on Wednesday, February 1.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., of South Carolina,
to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor, and Richard Stickler, of West Virginia,
to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D35]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/01
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 1, 2006; pages D40 - D46
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
WOMEN IN SPORTS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the importance of promoting and advancing opportunities for
women in physical activity and sports, after receiving testimony from Dorothy
G. Richardson, Vice-Chair, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports,
Office of Public Health and Science, Department of Health and Human Services;
Dominique Dawes, Women's Sports Foundation, and Jenni Finch, both of East
Meadow, New York; Christine H.B. Grant, University of Iowa Department of
Health and Sport Studies, Iowa City; Judith M. Sweet, National Collegiate
Athletic Association, Washington, D.C.; Tara Erickson, University of Oregon
Department of Athletics, Eugene; Lynette Mund, West Fargo High School, Fargo,
North Dakota; Donna de Varona, Greenwich, Connecticut; and Catherine Reddick,
Durham, North Carolina.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee continued
hearings to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on managing
the crisis and evacuating New Orleans, and the role of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), receiving testimony from Vincent Pearce, National
Response Program Manager, Department of Transportation; Brigadier General Mark
A. Graham, Deputy Commanding General, Fifth United States Army; Mayor C. Ray
Nagin, New Orleans, Louisiana; and Dwight David Brashear, Capital Area Transit
System, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Committee will meet again on Thursday, February 2.
GAMING APPLICATIONS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine
off-reservation gaming issues, focusing on the process for considering gaming
applications, the role of, and impact on, county governments, and the advent
of "reservation shopping", receiving testimony from George T. Skibine, Acting
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs for Policy and
Economic Development; Penny J. Coleman, National Indian Gaming Commission,
Washington, DC; Philip Harju, Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington, Longview;
Alvin Alexanderson, on behalf of the Citizens Against Reservation Shopping,
Stand Up for Clark County, and the American Land Rights Association,
Battleground, Washington; Duane Kromm, Solano County Board of Supervisors,
Fairfield, California, on behalf of the California State Association of
Counties; and Liz Thomas, Taxpayers of Michigan Against Casinos, Union Pier.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
ENERGY MARKETS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine consolidation
in the energy industry, focusing on factors that contribute to higher gasoline
prices, receiving testimony from William E. Kovacic, Commissioner, Federal
Trade Commission; James Wells, Director, Natural Resources and Environment,
Government Accountability Office; Connecticut Attorney General Richard
Blumenthal, Hartford; R. Preston McAfee, California Institute of Technology,
Pasadena; Tyson Slocum, Public Citizen, Washington, DC; and Timothy A.
Hamilton, Automotive United Trades Organization, Seattle, Washington.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
DEATH PENALTY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights,
and Property Rights held a hearing to examine the death penalty in the United
States, focusing on innocent people convicted and sent to death row and racial
disparity in the application of punishment, receiving testimony from John
McAdams, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Stephen B. Bright,
Southern Center for Human Rights, and Paul H. Rubin, Emory University, both of
Atlanta, Georgia; Jeffrey Fagan, Columbia Law School, New York, New York; Ann
Scott, Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Vicki A. Schieber, Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D42]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/02
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 2, 2006; pages D48 - D54
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposals to reform the National Flood Insurance Program,
focusing on strengthening the financial solvency of the program, after
receiving testimony from David R. Conrad, National Wildlife Federation, J.
Robert Hunter, Consumer Federation of America, David C. John, The Heritage
Foundation, and Paul J. Gessing, National Taxpayers Union, all of Washington,
D.C.; David Pressly, Pressly Development Company, Inc., Statesville, North
Carolina, on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders; Regina M.
Lowrie, Gateway Funding Diversified Financial Services, Fort Washington,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Mortgage Bankers Association; and Pamela Mayer
Pogue, Providence, Rhode Island, on behalf of the Association of State
Floodplain Managers, Inc.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the CBO
budget and economic outlook, after receiving testimony from Donald B. Marron,
Acting Director, Congressional Budget Office.
TAX TREATIES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the
Government of Bangladesh for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income signed at Dhaka
on September 26, 2004 with an exchange of notes enclosed (Treaty Doc. 109-5),
Protocol Amending the Convention Between the Government of the United States
of America and the Government of the French Republic for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on
Income and Capital, signed at Paris on August 31, 1994 (Treaty Doc. 109-4),
Protocol Amending the Convention Between the United States of America and the
French Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of
Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Estates, Inheritances, and Gifts
signed at Washington on November 24, 1978 (Treaty Doc. 109-7), and Protocol
Amending the Convention Between the Government of the United States of America
and the Government of Sweden for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income signed at
Washington on September 30, 2005 (Treaty Doc. 109-8), after receiving
testimony from Patricia A. Brown, Deputy International Tax Counsel for Treaty
Affairs, Department of the Treasury; Thomas A. Barthold, Acting Chief of
Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation; and William A. Reinsch, National Foreign
Trade Council, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Gary A. Grappo, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Sultanate
of Oman, and Patricia A. Butenis, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
People's Republic of Bangladesh, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee continued
hearings to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on the role of
the Governors in managing the catastrophe, receiving testimony from
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Jackson; and Louisiana Governor Kathleen
Babineaux Blanco, Baton Rouge.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Paul J. McNulty, 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 their own behalf.
[Page: D51]
VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing entitled "The
Jobs for Veterans Act Three Years Later: Are VETS' Employment Programs Working
for Veterans?", focusing on labor actions needed to improve accountability and
help states implement reforms to veterans employment services, after receiving
testimony from Charles S. Ciccolella, Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Veterans' Employment and Training; Sigurd R. Nilsen, Director, Education,
Workforce, and Income Security Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Anthony J. Principi, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Wesley Poriotis,
The Center for Military and Private Sector Initiatives, New York, New York;
Joseph C. Sharpe, Jr., The American Legion, Washington, D.C.; and Rick
Weidman, Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver Spring, Maryland.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
current and projected national security threats to the United States, focusing
on the global jihadist threat, extremism and challenges to effective
governance and legitimacy in Iraq and Afghanistan, weapons of mass destruction
and states of key concern, and Iran and North Korea, after receiving testimony
from John D. Negroponte, Director and General Michael V. Hayden (USAF),
Principal Deputy Director, both of National Intelligence; Robert S. Mueller
III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; Porter
J. Goss, Director, Central Intelligence Agency; General Michael D. Maples
(USA), Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; Charles Allen, Chief
Intelligence Officer, Department of Homeland Security; and Carol Rodley,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine ways to
meet the challenges of the Medicare Drug Benefit implementation, after
receiving testimony from Mark B. McClellan, Administrator, Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Linda
S. McMahon, Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Social Security
Administration; Timothy R. Murphy, Massachusetts Department of Public Health,
Boston; Susan Sutter, Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, Horicon; Mark B. Ganz,
The Regence Group, Portland, Oregon, on behalf of the National Blue Cross Blue
Shield; Sharon Farr, Center for Individual and Family Services, and Michael
Donato, both of Mansfield, Ohio; Robert J. Kenny, Tillamook, Oregon.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/06
Daily Digest - Monday, February 6, 2006; pages D56 - D58
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee resumed a
hearing to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on managing law
enforcement and communications in a catastrophe, pre-landfall preparation,
post-landfall deployment, the Wireless Priority Service (WPS), and the state
of law and order during the crisis, receiving testimony from Michael J.
Vanacore, Assistant Director, Office of Investigations, Office of
International Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Peter M.
Fonash, Deputy Manager and Director, National Communications System, both of
the Department of Homeland Security; Kenneth W. Kaiser, Special Agent in
Charge, Boston Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of
Justice; and Warren J. Riley, New Orleans Police Department, F.G. Dowden, New
Orleans Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety, and William L.
Smith, BellSouth Corporation, all of New Orleans, Louisiana.
[Page: D57]
Committee will meet again on Thursday, February 9, 2006.
NSA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine wartime
executive power and the National Security Agency surveillance authority,
receiving testimony from Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, Department of
Justice.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
Joint Meetings
EMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee: on Friday, February 3, 2006, Committee concluded
hearings to examine the employment-unemployment situation for January 2006,
after receiving testimony from Kathleen P. Utgoff, Commissioner, Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.
2006/02/07
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 7, 2006; pages D60 - D64
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years
defense program, after receiving testimony from Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary
of Defense; General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and
General Peter J. Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, United States Army.
[Page: D61]
IRAQ CONTRACTING ISSUES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine contracting issues in Iraq in review of the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years
defense program, after receiving testimony from Claude M. Bolton, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology;
Major General Ronald L. Johnson, USA, Deputy Chief of Engineers and Deputy
Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Stuart W. Bowen, Jr.,
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
2007 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's fiscal year 2007 budget proposal, after receiving testimony from
Joshua B. Bolten, Director, Office of Management and Budget.
INTERNET NEUTRALITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held a hearing
to examine proposals for government regulation of the Internet, focusing on
concentrations in broadband access, and efforts to protect network neutrality,
receiving testimony from Vinton G. Cerf, Google, Herndon, Virginia; Walter B.
McCormick, Jr., United States Telecom Association, Kyle McSlarrow, National
Cable and Telecommunications Association, Earl W. Comstock, COMPTEL, Kyle
Dixon, Progress and Freedom Foundation, Gary R. Bachula, Internet2, and J.
Gregory Sidak, Georgetown University Law Center, all of Washington, D.C.;
Jeffrey A. Citron, Vonage Holdings Corporation, Edison, New Jersey; and
Lawrence Lessig, Stanford Law School, Stanford, California.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Robert C. Cresanti, of Texas, to be
Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology, who was introduced by Senator
Bennett, and Tyler D. Duvall, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary,
Nicole R. Nason, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, and David C. Sanborn, of Virginia, to be
Administrator of the Maritime Administration, who were introduced by Senator
Allen, Thomas J. Barrett, of Alaska, to be Administrator of the Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, who was introduced by Senator
Murkowski, and Roger Shane Karr, of the District of Columbia, to be an
Assistant Secretary, all of the Department of Transportation, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
2007 BUDGET
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007, receiving testimony from John W.
Snow, Secretary of the Treasury.
Hearings recessed subject to call.
NATO
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
common defense to common security relating to the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), focusing on the evolution of the NATO alliance and its
operations in Afghanistan, and other regions outside the alliance's borders,
after receiving testimony from General James L. Jones, Jr., USMC, Supreme
Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe
Mons, Belgium.
CONFERENCE SPENDING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security held a hearing to examine Federal agencies and conference spending,
focusing on the nature, extent, and benefits of their participation in events
for mission-related purposes, and accountability for the use of Federal funds,
receiving testimony from Charles Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Health and
Human Services for Budget, Technology and Finance; Sid Kaplan, Acting Chief
Financial Officer, Department of State; James M. Martin, Acting Deputy Chief
Financial Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Michael W.S.
Ryan, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency; Scott
H. Evertz, former Director, White House Office of National AIDS Policy.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to be United States District Judge for
the Northern District of Georgia, Thomas E. Johnston, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia, who was introduced
by Senator Rockefeller and Representative Capito, Leo Maury Gordon, of New
Jersey, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade, and
Aida M. Delgado-Colon, to be United States District Judge for the District of
Puerto Rico, who was introduced by Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Luis G.
Fortuno, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
[Page: D62]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/08
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 8, 2006; pages D66 - D72
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PHONE RECORD PRIVACY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs, Product Safety, and Insurance concluded hearings to examine issues
with respect to the procurement and sale of consumers' private phone records,
and Federal efforts to protect the privacy and security of telephone records
and other types of sensitive consumer information, after receiving testimony
from Senator Schumer; former Representative Steve Largent, on behalf of
CTIA--The Wireless Association; Kris Anne Monteith, Chief, Enforcement Bureau,
Federal Communications Commission; Lydia B. Parnes, Director, Bureau of
Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission; Marc Rotenberg, Electronic
Privacy Information Center, and Cindy Southworth, National Network to End
Domestic Violence, both of Washington, D.C.; and Robert Douglas,
PrivacyToday.com, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Terrence L. Bracy, of Virginia, to be a Member of
the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in
National Environmental Policy Foundation, Dennis Bottorff, of Tennessee, who
was introduced by Senator Alexander, Robert M. Duncan, of Kentucky, who was
introduced by Senators McConnell and Bunning, Susan Richardson Williams, of
Tennessee, who was introduced by Senator Alexander, William B. Sansom, of
Tennessee, Howard A. Thrailkill, of Alabama, who was introduced by Senators
Sessions and Alexander, and Donald R. DePriest, of Mississippi, who was
introduced by Senators Cochran and Lott, all to be Members of the Board of
Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine implementation of
the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, focusing on the volume of calls to
1-800-MEDICARE, pharmacy outreach, and total enrollment in the drug benefit
program, receiving testimony from Mark B. McClellan, Administrator, Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services;
William Fleming, Humana, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky; Susan E. Rawlings,
Wellpoint, Inc., Newbury Park, California; David W. Bernauer, Walgreen
Company, Deerfield, Illinois; Tobey Schule, Sykes Pharmacy, Kalispell,
Montana; Joy Paeth, Area Agency on Aging of Southwestern Illinois, Belleville;
and Pamela Willoughby, St. John's Episcopal Church and Bedford Presbyterian
Church, Bedford, Virginia.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Janice L. Jacobs, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic
of Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as
Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, and Jeanine E. Jackson, of
Wyoming, to be Ambassador to Burkina Faso, who was introduced by Senator Enzi,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
ongoing efforts to achieve the reconstruction and development of Iraq,
focusing on improving primary health care, expanding access to electricity,
providing potable water, restoring sewage systems, improving local governance
and community development, connecting Iraq to the global economy, and
transforming primary education, after receiving testimony from Stuart W.
Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Office
of the SIGIR, Department of Defense; James Jeffrey, Senior Advisor to the
Secretary of State for Iraq, Department of State; James R. Kunder, Assistant
Administrator for Asia and the Near East, U.S. Agency for International
Development; and Joseph A. Christoff, Director, International Affairs and
Trade, Government Accountability Office.
INDIAN TRIBES AND THE FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearings to
examine the application of the Federal Election Campaign Act to Indian tribes
and the Federal Election Commission's past decisions in this area, after
receiving testimony from Michael E. Toner, Chairman, and Robert D. Lenhard,
Vice Chairman, both of the Federal Election Commission; and Philip N. Hogen,
National Indian Gaming Commission, W. Ron Allen, National Congress of American
Indians, Lawrence Noble, Center for Responsive Politics, and James A. Thurber,
American University Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, all of
Washington, D.C.
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS TRANSPARENCY
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine procedures to bring greater transparency to the legislative process,
focusing on lobbying and related reforms, and strengthening the enforcement of
existing public advocacy laws and ethics rules that cover Members of Congress,
staff and lobbyists, after receiving testimony from Senators McCain, Feingold,
Coleman, and Obama; and former Representative Al Swift and Robert D. Hynes,
Jr., both of Colling Murphy Swift Hynes, LLC, James A. Thurber, Center for
Congressional and Presidential Studies, and Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 21, all
of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D68]
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.
2006/02/09
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 9, 2006; pages D73 - D76
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TSA'S PASSENGER PRE-SCREENING PROGRAMS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held an
oversight hearing to examine commercial aviation security, focusing on
Transportation Security Administration's aviation passenger pre-screening
programs, Secure Flight and Registered Traveler, to discuss issues that have
prevented these programs from being launched, and to determine their future,
receiving testimony from Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary, Transportation
Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security; Cathleen A. Berrick,
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability
Office; James C. May, Air Transport Association of America, Inc., and Timothy
D. Sparapani, American Civil Liberties Union, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Charles Barclay, American Association of Airport Executives, on behalf of The
American Association of Airport Executives and Airports Council
International-North America, and Bill Connors, National Business Travel
Association, both of Alexandria, Virginia.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
BUDGET: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for the
Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Samuel Bodman, Secretary
of Energy.
NATURAL GAS PRICES
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine the impact of clean
air regulations on natural gas prices, including electricity generation, after
receiving testimony from Howard K. Gruenspecht, Deputy Administrator, Energy
Information Administration, Department of Energy; William Wehrum, Acting
Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection
Agency; Arthur E. Smith, Jr., NiSource, Inc., Washington, D.C., on behalf of
the American Gas Association; and Joel Bluestein, Energy and Environmental
Analysis, Inc., and Jack N. Gerard, American Chemistry Council, both of
Arlington, Virginia.
[Page: D75]
BUDGET: HHS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 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.
COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine new
initiatives in cooperative threat reduction, focusing S. 1949, to provide for
coordination of proliferation interdiction activities and conventional arms
disarmament, after receiving testimony from Robert G. Joseph, Under Secretary
of State for Arms Control and International Security.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on the Defense
Department's role in the response, after receiving testimony from Paul McHale,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense; Admiral Timothy J.
Keating, USN, Commander, United States Northern Command; Lieutenant General H.
Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Russel L.
Honore, Commander, First U.S. Army; and Major General Bennett C. Landreneau,
The Adjutant General, State of Louisiana, and Director, Louisiana Office of
Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee held a hearing
to examine the role of education in global competitiveness, focusing on the
knowledge of math and science, and the respective high school reform and
national security language initiatives, receiving testimony from Margaret
Spellings, Secretary of Education.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
Joint Meetings
RUSSIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): on
Wednesday, February 9, 2006, Commission concluded a hearing to examine the
current situation and future prospects for human rights, civil society, and
democratic governance in Russia, after receiving testimony from Daniel Fried,
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and Barry F.
Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor,
both of the Department of State; Allison Gill, Human Rights Watch, Moscow,
Russia; Andrew C. Kuchins, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Andrei
Piontkovsky, Hudson Institute, and Natalia Bourjaily, International Center for
Not-for-Profit Law, all of Washington, D.C.; and Nicolai N. Petro, University
of Rhode Island, Kingston.
2006/02/10
Daily Digest - Friday, February 10, 2006; pages D78 - D84
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee held a
hearing to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on the roles of
the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency leadership, receiving testimony from Michael D. Brown, former Under
Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Director, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Patrick J. Rhode, former Acting Deputy Director
and Chief of Staff, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Robert B. Stephan,
Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, and Matthew E. Broderick,
Director for Operations Coordination, all of the Department of Homeland
Security.
Committee will meet again on Monday, February 13.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/13
Daily Digest - Monday, February 13, 2006; pages D86 - D90
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee held a
hearing to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on waste,
fraud, and abuse during the disaster, expedited assistance for victims of
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and oversight of sheltering initiatives,
receiving testimony from Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, and John J. Ryan,
Special Agent, both of Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, Government
Accountability Office; Richard L. Skinner, Inspector General, Department of
Homeland Security; and Alice S. Fisher, Assistant Attorney General, Criminal
Division, and Chairman, Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, Department of
Justice.
Committee will meet again on Tuesday, February 14.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/14
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 14, 2006; pages D92 - D100
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years
defense program, after receiving testimony from Frances J. Harvey, Secretary,
and General Peter J. Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, both of the United
States Army; and Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief of the National
Guard Bureau.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Randall S. Kroszner, of New Jersey, and
Kevin M. Warsh, of New York, who was introduced by Senator Schumer, each to be
a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Edward
P. Lazear, of California, to be a Member of the Council of Economic Advisers,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BROADBAND
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine issues of municipal broadband and the role of Federal,
State and local government in the digital world, after receiving testimony
from Robert K. Sahr, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, Pierre; Dianne
Munns, Iowa Utilities Board, on behalf of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and John R. Perkins, National Association of
State Utility Consumer Advocates, both of Des Moines, Iowa; Michael F.
Altschul, CTIA--The Wireless Association, and Donald B. Berrryman, Earthlink,
Inc., both of Washington, D.C.; Douglas A. Boone, Premier Communications,
Sioux City, Iowa; and Dianah L. Neff, Philadelphia Chief Information Officer,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
CANADIAN SOFTWOOD LUMBER
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Trade,
Tourism, and Economic Development concluded a hearing to examine the economic
impacts of the Canadian softwood lumber dispute on U.S. industries, focusing
on the Administration's efforts to negotiate a settlement to the long-standing
trade dispute regarding softwood lumber from Canada, after receiving testimony
from Franklin L. Lavin, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade;
Susan Schwab, Deputy United States Trade Representative, Office of the United
States Trade Representative; Steve Swanson, The Swanson Group, Glendale,
Oregon, on behalf of the Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports; Bill Kluting,
Western Council of Industrial Workers, Monmouth, Oregon; and Barry Rutenberg,
Barry Rutenberg Homes, Gainesville, Florida, on behalf of the National
Association of Home Builders.
OLDER AMERICANS ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement Security and Aging met to discuss the reauthorization of the Older
Americans Act, receiving testimony from Jo Reed, AARP, Howard Bedlin, National
Council on Aging, Laura Howard, National Association of Nutrition and Aging
Service Programs, Patrick Flood, National Association of State Union on Aging,
Sany Markwood, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Karyne Jones,
National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc., Bob Blancato, Matz, Blancato
and Associates, Inc., on behalf of the Elder Justice Coalition, Barbara B.
Kennelly, Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, and George J. Kourpias,
Alliance for Retired Americans, all of Washington, D.C.; Enid A. Borden, Meals
on Wheels Association of America, Alexandria, Virginia; Suzanne Mintz,
National Family Caregivers Association, Kensington, Maryland; Clayton S. Fong,
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, Seattle, Washington; and Carmela G.
Lacayo, National Association for Hispanic Elderly, Pasadena, California.
[Page: D95]
Subcommittee expects to discuss this and related issues again.
BUDGET: INDIAN PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for
Indian programs, after receiving testimony from James Cason, Associate Deputy
Secretary, and Ross 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;
Darla Marburger, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Elementary
and Secondary Education, and Tom Corwin, Director of Division of Elementary
and Secondary Vocational Analysis, both of the Department of Education;
Orlando J. Cabrera, Assistant Secretary, Office of Public and Indian Housing,
Department of Housing and Urban Development; Regina B. Schofield, Assistant
Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice; Joseph A.
Garcia, National Congress of American Indians, Kathleen Kitcheyan, National
Indian Health Board, Cheryl Parish and Gary Gordon, both of National American
Indian Housing Council, and Gary L. Edwards, National Native American Law
Enforcement Association, all of Washington, D.C.; and Ryan Wilson, National
Indian Education Association, Alexandria, Virginia.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/15
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 15, 2006; pages D101 - D110
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch resumed
hearings to examine the progress of Capitol Visitor Center construction,
receiving testimony from Alan M. Hantman, Architect, and Robert C. Hixon, Jr.,
Capitol Visitor Center Project Manager, both of the Office of the Architect of
the Capitol; and Bernard L. Ungar, Director, and Terrell Dorn, Assistant
Director, both of Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability
Office.
[Page: D102]
Hearings will continue on Wednesday, April 26, 2006.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Preston M. Geren, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of the Army,
who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, Michael L. Dominguez, of
Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness,
who was introduced by Senator Allard, James I. Finley, of Minnesota, to be
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology, who was
introduced by Senator Dayton, and Thomas P. D'Agostino, of Maryland, to be
Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security
Administration, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
HURRICANE KATRINA REBUILDING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine rebuilding needs in Hurricane Katrina-impacted areas,
focusing on the Federal response to the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico,
including ongoing efforts to assist affected families and individuals in
finding both short-term and permanent housing, and the overall progress of the
recovery efforts in the five affected states, after receiving testimony from
Senators Landrieu and Vitter; Representative Baker; Alphonso R. Jackson,
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Donald E. Powell, Federal
Coordinator, Office for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, and David Garratt, Acting
Director of Recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the
Department of Homeland Security; Martin J. Gruenberg, Acting Chairman, Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation; and Herbert Mitchell, Associate Administrator
for Disaster Assistance, Small Business Administration.
FEDERAL TAX GAP
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the causes
and solutions to addressing the Federal tax gap, focusing on making
significant progress in improving tax compliance which rests on enhancing
current Internal Revenue Service techniques and adopting new legislative
actions, after receiving testimony from Mark W. Everson, Commissioner, and
Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Taxpayer Advocate Service, both of
the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; and David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office.
VIDEO FRANCHISING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine issues relating to video franchising, and competition in
the video marketplace, after receiving testimony from Representative
Blackburn; Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon, New York, New York; Edward E. Whitacre,
Jr., AT&T, Anthony T. Riddle, Alliance For Community Media, Gene Kimmelman,
Consumers Union, on behalf of Consumer Federation of America and Free Press,
and Gigi B. Sohn, Public Knowledge, all of Washington, D.C.; Thomas M.
Rutledge, Cablevision Systems Corporation, Bethpage, New York; Lori
Panzino-Tillery, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and
Advisors, San Bernardino, California, on behalf of National League of Cities,
United States Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties,
Government Finance Officers Association and Telecommunity; and Brad A. Evans,
Cavalier Telephone, Richmond, Virginia.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine developments in nanotechnology, the science and technology
of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules,
focusing on national priorities and agency missions, and moving closer to
achieving societal goals in areas such as healthcare, energy, security, and
quality of life, after receiving testimony from E. Clayton Teague, Director,
National Nanotechnology Coordination Office; Richard O. Buckius, Acting
Assistant Director for Engineering, National Science Foundation; Jeffery
Schloss, Division of Extramural Research, National Human Genome Research
Institute, and Co-Chair, National Institutes of Health Nanomedicine Roadmap
Initiative, Department of Health and Human Services; Mark E. Davis, California
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, on behalf of City of Hope; J. Clarence
Davies, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C.;
Timothy Swager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Alan
Gotcher, Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc., Reno, Nevada; Todd L. Hylton, Science
Applications International Corporation, McLean, Virginia; and Bryant R.
Linares, Apollo Diamond, Inc., Ashland, Massachusetts.
PACE-ENERGY ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 2197, to improve the global competitiveness of the United States in
science and energy technology, to strengthen basic research programs at the
Department of Energy, and to provide support for mathematics and science
education at all levels through the resources available through the Department
of Energy, including at the National Laboratories, after receiving testimony
from Raymond L. Orbach, Director of the Office of Science, Department of
Energy; Charles M. Vest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; and
Luis M. Proenza, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio.
[Page: D103]
FIRE RETARDANT AIRCRAFT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded an oversight hearing to review the progress made on the
development of interim and long-term plans for use of fire retardant aircraft
in Federal wildfire suppression operations, after receiving testimony from
Mark Rey, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and
Environment; Nina Rose Hatfield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior
for Policy, Management and Budget; James Hall, Hall and Associates LLC,
Washington, D.C.; and James B. Hull, Texas Forest Service, College Station,
Texas, on behalf of the National Association of State Foresters.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Terrence L. Bracy, of Virginia, to be a Member of
the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in
National Environmental Policy Foundation, Dennis Bottorff, of Tennessee,
Robert M. Duncan, of Kentucky, Susan Richardson Williams, of Tennessee,
William B. Sansom, of Tennessee, Howard A. Thrailkill, of Alabama, and Donald
R. DePriest, of Mississippi, all to be Members of the Board of Directors of
the Tennessee Valley Authority.
BUDGET: EPA
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for the
Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from Stephen L.
Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
BUDGET: FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for foreign affairs,
after receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Claudia A. McMurray, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of
State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs,
Bradford R. Higgins, of Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary for Resource
Management and Chief Financial Officer, Department of State, Jackie Wolcott
Sanders, of Virginia, to be U.S. Alternate Representative for Special
Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and to
be U.S. Alternate Representative to the Sessions of the General Assembly of
the United Nations during her tenure of service as U.S. Alternate
Representative for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, Janet Ann
Sanderson, of Arizona, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti, Bernadette
Mary Allen, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Niger, Patricia
Newton Moller, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Burundi,
Steven Alan Browning, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda,
Robert Weisberg, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Congo,
Michael W. Michalak, of Michigan, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure
of service as United States Senior Official to the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation Forum, Janice L. Jacobs, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional
compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Jeanine E.
Jackson, of Wyoming, to be Ambassador to Burkina Faso, James D. McGee, of
Florida, to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as
Ambassador to the Union of Comoros; Kristie A. Kenney, of Virginia, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines, Gary A. Grappo, of Virginia, to
be Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Patricia A. Butenis, of Virginia, to
be Ambassador to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Donald T. Bliss, of
Maryland, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as U.S.
Representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation
Organization, Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be United States Alternate
Governor of the International Monetary Fund; and 2 Foreign Service Officer
promotion lists.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee held a
hearing to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on the Homeland
Security Department's preparation and response, boosting state capabilities,
the Federal Management Agency (FEMA), debris removal, and enhancing
communications between Federal and state government agencies, receiving
testimony from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D104]
MINE SAFETY TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment and Workplace Safety met to discuss communication and mine safety
technology issues, receiving testimony from Starnes Walker, Technical
Director, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Navy; Bob Campman, Grace Industries,
Fredonia, Pennsylvania; Pat Droppleman, Ocenco Corporation, Pleasant Prairie,
Wisconsin; R. Larry Grayson, University of Missouri-Rolla Department of Mining
and Nuclear Engineering, Rolla; Wes Kenneweg, Draeger Industries, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; Roy Nutter, West Virginia University College of Engineering and
Mineral Resources, Morgantown; Dennis O'Dell, UMWA, Fairfax, Virginia; Sam
Shearer, CSE Corporation, Monroeville, Pennsylvania; Gary Zamel, Mine Site
Technologies Pty. Ltd, Artarmon, NSW, Australia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Stephen G. Larson, to be United States District Judge for the
Central District of California, who was introduced by Senator Feinstein, Jack
Zouhary, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio,
who was introduced by Senator DeWine, and John F. Clark, of Virginia, to be
Director of the United States Marshals Service, Department of Justice, who was
introduced by Senators Warner and Allen, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/16
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 16, 2006; pages D111 - D118
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
priorities and plans for the atomic energy defense activities of the
Department of Energy and to review the President's proposed budget request for
fiscal year 2007 for atomic energy defense activities of the Department of
Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration, after receiving
testimony from Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of Energy.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Preston M. Geren, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of the Army,
James I. Finley, of Minnesota, to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Technology, Thomas P. D'Agostino, of Maryland, to be Deputy
Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration,
and 3,576 military nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Randall S. Kroszner, of New Jersey, and Kevin M.
Warsh, of New York, each to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System, and Edward P. Lazear, of California, to be a Member of
the Council of Economic Advisers.
MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the semiannual monetary policy report to the Congress,
after receiving testimony from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System.
[Page: D113]
BUDGET: FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for foreign affairs,
after receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
NOAA BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2007 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), after
receiving testimony from Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy
(Ret.), Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and NOAA,
Administrator.
OIL AND GAS LEASING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 2253, to require the Secretary of the Interior to offer the 181
Area of the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing, after receiving testimony
from Johnnie Burton, Director, Minerals Management Service, Department of the
Interior; Thomas E. Skains, Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Charlotte, North
Carolina; Timothy S. Parker, Dominion Exploration and Production, Inc.,
Houston, Texas; Michael Gravitz, U.S. Public Interest Research Group,
Washington, D.C.; and Stephen R. Wilson, CF Industries Holdings, Inc., Long
Grove, Illinois.
PARKS LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S.J. Res. 28, resolution approving the location
of the commemorative work in the District of Columbia honoring former
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, S. 1870, to clarify the authorities for the
use of certain National Park Service properties within Golden Gate National
Recreation Area and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, S. 1913,
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease a portion of the Dorothy
Buell Memorial Visitor Center for use as a visitor center for the Indiana
Dunes National Lakeshore, S. 1970, to amend the National Trails System Act to
update the feasibility and suitability study originally prepared for the Trail
of Tears National Historic Trail and provide for the inclusion of new trail
segments, land components, and campgrounds associated with that trail, H.R.
562, to authorize the Government of Ukraine to establish a memorial on Federal
land in the District of Columbia to honor the victims of the manmade famine
that occurred in Ukraine in 1932-1933, and H.R. 318, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
designating Castle Nugent Farms located on St. Croix, Virgin Islands, as a
unit of the National Park System, after receiving testimony from John Parsons,
Associate Regional Director for Lands, Resources and Planning, National
Capital Region, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and
Chadwick Smith, Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
ENERGY OUTLOOK
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the Energy Information Administration's 2006 annual energy outlook on
trends and issues affecting the United States' energy market, after receiving
testimony from Guy Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information Administration,
Department of Energy.
TRADE AGENDA
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the Administration's
trade agenda for 2006, receiving testimony from Robert J. Portman, United
States Trade Representative.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Richard A. Boucher, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of
State for South Asian Affairs, after the nominee testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
COMPETITIVENESS IN EDUCATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee met to discuss
the role of education in global competitiveness, receiving testimony from
Erick Ajax, E.J. Ajax and Sons, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota; Bob Bailey,
Central Virginia Community College, and Wanda E. Brooks-Crocker, Framatome
ANP, Inc., both of Lynchburg, Virginia; Michael J. Bzdack, Johnson and
Johnson, Inc., New Brunswick, New Jersey; Sandy Day, Omaha Public Schools,
Omaha, Nebraska; Carrie Langston, Chugwater School, Chugwater, Wyoming; Tom
Layzell, Council on Postsecondary Education, Frankfort, Kentucky; Mary
Morningstar, University of Kansas Department of Special Education, Lawrence;
Mel Riddile, JEB Stuart High School, Falls Church, Virginia; Eric Schwarz,
Citizen Schools, Boston, Massachusetts; Jim Shelton, Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, Washington, D.C.; Robin Willner, IBM Global Community Initiatives,
Armonk, New York; Reygan Freeney, Iowa City, Iowa; and Edna Varner,
Chattanooga, Tennessee.
[Page: D114]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
H.R. 683, to amend the Trademark Act of 1946 with respect to dilution by
blurring or tarnishment, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to be United States District Judge
for the Northern District of Georgia, Thomas E. Johnston, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia, Aida M.
Delgado-Colon, to be United States District Judge for the District of Puerto
Rico, Leo Maury Gordon, of New Jersey, to be a Judge of the United States
Court of International Trade, Carol E. Dinkins, of Texas, to be Chairman of
the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, Alan Charles Raul, of the
District of Columbia, to be Vice Chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties
Oversight Board, and Paul J. McNulty, of Virginia, to be Deputy Attorney
General, Reginald I. Lloyd, to be United States Attorney for the District of
South Carolina, and Stephen C. King, of New York, to be a Member of the
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States, all of the
Department of Justice.
BUDGET: VA PROGRAMS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of
Veterans Affairs, after receiving testimony from R. James Nicholson, Secretary
of Veterans Affairs, who was accompanied by several of his associates; Steve
Robertson, The American Legion, Quentin Kinderman, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Brian Lawrence, Disabled American Veterans, and Carl Blake, Paralyzed Veterans
of America, all of Washington, D.C.; and David G. Greineder, AMVETS, Lanham,
Maryland.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
economic report of the President, after receiving testimony from Katherine
Baicker and Matthew J. Slaughter, both Members, Council of Economic Advisers.
2006/02/17
Daily Digest - Friday, February 17, 2006; pages D120 - D122
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint meetings noted.
2006/02/27
Daily Digest - Monday, February 27, 2006; pages D124 - D130
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DUBAI PORTS WORLD PURCHASE
Committee on Armed Services: On Thursday, February 23, 2006, Committee met to
receive a briefing to discuss the national security implications of the
acquisition of Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Navigation Company by Dubai
Ports World--a government-owned and controlled firm of the United Arab
Emirates from Gordon England, Deputy Secretary, and Peter Flory, Assistant
Secretary for International Security Policy, both of the Department of
Defense, Bob Joseph, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International
Security, and Tony Wayne, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Economic and
Business Affairs, both of the Department of State, Robert Kimmitt, Deputy
Secretary, and Clay Lowery, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs,
both of the Department of the Treasury, and Michael Jackson, Deputy Secretary,
Rear Admiral Thomas Gilmour, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for
Protection, Stewart Baker, Assistant Secretary for Policy, and Jayson Ahern,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operation, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, all of the Department of Homeland Security, all of behalf of the
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
[Page: D125]
DUBAI PORTS WORLD PURCHASE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee met in open
and closed sessions to receive a briefing to discuss Dubai Ports World
purchase of Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company from Clay Lowery,
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; Stewart Baker,
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs, Rear
Admiral Thomas Gilmour, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security, and
Environmental Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, and Jay Ahern, Assistant
Commissioner for Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection, all of the
Department of Homeland Security; Beth McCormick, Deputy Under Secretary and
Acting Director, Defense Technology Security Administration, Department of
Defense; and Alan Misenheimer, Director of Arabian Peninsula and Iran Affairs,
Department of State.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/02/28
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 28, 2006; pages D131 - D138
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from Michael
Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
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 John D. Negroponte, Director,
and General Michael V. Hayden, USAF, Principal Deputy Director, both of the
Office of National Intelligence; and Lieutenant General Michael D. Maples,
USA, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency.
FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION BUDGET
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2007 for the Federal Transit Administration, Department of Transportation,
after receiving testimony from Sandra Bushue, Deputy Administrator, Federal
Transit Administration, Department of Transportation; Mayor Patrick L.
McCrory, Charlotte, North Carolina, on behalf of the United States Conference
of Mayors; and William Millar, American Public Transportation Association,
Washington, D.C.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND CONTRIBUTIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposed reforms of the Universal Service Fund (USF)
contribution system, including the distribution side of the universal service
equation, and wireless carriers providing mobile broadband services, after
receiving testimony from Glen Post, CenturyTel, Inc., Monroe, Louisiana; Tom
Simmons, Midcontinent Communications, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Trent
Boaldin, Epic Touch Company, Elkhart, Kansas; Bonnie Cramer, AARP, Raleigh,
North Carolina; and Paul W. Garnett, CTIA--The Wireless Association,
Washington, D.C.
PORT SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the security of terminal operations at U.S. ports, after
receiving testimony from Michael P. Jackson, Deputy Secretary, Admiral Jayson
Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Field Operations, Customs and Border
Protection, and Rear Admiral Thomas H. Gilmour, Assistant Commandant for
Prevention, United States Coast Guard, all of the Department of Homeland
Security; H. Edward Bilkey, DP World, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Robert
Scavone, P&O Ports North America, Inc, Iselin, New Jersey; Tay Yoshitani,
National Association of Waterfront Employers, and Christopher Koch, World
Shipping Council, both of Washington, D.C.; and Michael Mitre, International
Longshore and Warehouse Union, Los Angeles, California.
FOREST SERVICE BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for the
Forest Service, after receiving testimony from Dale Bosworth, Chief, Forest
Service, and Mark Rey, Under Secretary Natural Resources and Environment, both
of the Department of Agriculture.
WATER REUSE AND RECYCLING PROGRAM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine the current status of the Bureau of Reclamation
Reuse and Recycling Program (Title XVI of Public Law 102-575), after receiving
testimony from John W. Keys, III, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation,
Department of the Interior; Betsy A. Cody, Specialist in Natural Resources
Policy, Resources, Science, and Industry Division, Congressional Research
Service, Library of Congress; Virginia Grebbien, Orange County Water District,
Fountain Valley, California; Thomas F. Donnelly, National Water Resources
Association, Arlington, Virginia; and Richard Atwater, Inland Empire Utilities
Agency, Chino, California, on behalf of the WateRuse Association.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE ACCESS ACT
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 S. 2060, to extend the District of
Columbia College Access Act of 1999 and make certain improvements, S. 1838, to
provide for the sale, acquisition, conveyance, and exchange of certain real
property in the District of Columbia to facilitate the utilization,
development, and redevelopment of such property, and H.R. 3508, to authorize
improvements in the operation of the government of the District of Columbia,
after receiving testimony from Mayor Anthony A. William, Washington, D.C.;
Sally L. Stroup, Assistant Secretary of Education for Postsecondary Education;
and Paul Hoffman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and
Wildlife and Parks.
[Page: D133]
OFF-RESERVATION GAMING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Indian gaming activities, focusing on land into trust and the two-part
determination related to off-reservation gaming, after receiving testimony
from George T. Skibine, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for
Policy and Economic Development for Indian Affairs; Ron Suppah, Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, Pendleton; Cheryle A.
Kennedy, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, Grand
Ronde; Carol York, Hood River County Commissioner, Hood River, Oregon; Michael
Lang, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Portland, Oregon; and Cheryl Schmit,
Stand Up for California, Penryn.
NSA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee resumed hearings to examine issues
relating to wartime executive power and the NSA's surveillance authority,
receiving testimony from R. James Woolsey, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean,
Virginia, Former Director of Central Intelligence; Harold Hongju Koh, Yale Law
School, New Haven, Connecticut; Ken Gormley, Duquesne University School of
Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Douglas W. Kmiec, Pepperdine University,
Malibu, California; Bruce Fein, Fein and Fein, and Robert A. Levy, Cato
Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; and Robert F. Turner, University of
Virginia Center for National Security Law, Charlottesville.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process.
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
certain legislative recommendations and concerns of wartime service-connected
disabled veterans, after receiving testimony from Paul W. Jackson, David W.
Gorman, and Joseph A. Violante, all of the Disabled American Veterans,
Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/01
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 1, 2006; pages D140 - D150
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations : Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of
Education, after receiving testimony from Margaret Spellings, Secretary of
Education.
APPROPRIATIONS--LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded
hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
Library of Congress and the Open World Leadership Center, after receiving
testimony from James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, who was accompanied
by several of his associates.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded hearings to
examine Army Transformation and the future combat systems acquisition strategy
in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the
future years defense program, after receiving testimony from Claude M. Bolton,
Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology
and Army Acquisition Executive; General Richard A. Cody, USA, Vice Chief of
Staff, United States Army; Paul L. Francis, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing
Management, Government Accountability Office; and David R. Graham, Deputy
Director, Strategy Forces and Resources Division, Institute for Defense
Analyses.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded hearings to
examine active component, reserve component, and civilian personnel programs
in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007, 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 John C. Harvey,
Jr., 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; and Lieutenant General Roger A. Brady, USAF, Deputy Chief
of Staff, Personnel, United States Air Force.
REGULATORY RELIEF PROPOSALS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine regulatory relief proposals to remove regulatory burden
from the banking industry, after receiving testimony from John M. Reich,
Director, Office of Thrift Supervision, and Julie L. Williams, First Senior
Deputy Comptroller and Chief Counsel, Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency, both of the Department of the Treasury; Donald L. Kohn, Member,
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Douglas H. Jones, Acting
General Counsel, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; JoAnn M. Johnson,
Chairman, National Credit Union Administration; Gavin Gee, Idaho Department of
Finance, Boise, on behalf of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Linda
Jekel, Washington Department of Financial Institutions, Olympia, on behalf of
the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors; H. Greg McClellan,
MAX Federal Credit Union, Montgomery, Alabama, on behalf of the National
Association of Federal Credit Unions; Bradley E. Rock, Bank of Smithtown,
Smithtown, New York, on behalf of the American Bankers Association; Edmund
Mierzwinski, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Travis Plunkett, Consumer
Federation of America, Margot Saunders, National Consumer Law Center, and
Steve Bartlett, The Financial Services Roundtable, all of Washington, D.C.; F.
Weller Meyer, Acacia Federal Savings Bank, Falls Church, Virginia, on behalf
of America's Community Bankers; Joe McGee, Legacy Community Federal Credit
Union, Birmingham, Alabama, on behalf of the Credit Union National
Association; and Terry Jorde, CountryBank USA, Cando, North Dakota, on behalf
of Independent Community Bankers of America.
2007 BUDGET: HHS
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of
Health and Human Services, after receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt,
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
WINTER STORMS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine the role of the
National Weather Service in forecasting and warning for winter storms, after
receiving testimony from Louis W. Uccellini, Director, National Centers for
Environmental Prediction, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, and Mayor Denise Michels,
Nome, Alaska, on behalf of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.
[Page: D142]
U.S. TERRITORIES ECONOMIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the state of the economies and fiscal affairs in the
Territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands, after receiving testimony from
American Samoa Delegate Eni Faleomavaega, and American Samoa Governor Togiola
T.A. Tulafono, both of Vailoatai; Virgin Islands Delegate Donna M.
Christensen, and Virgin Islands Governor Charles W. Turnbull, both of St.
Croix; Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo, and Guam Governor Felix Perez
Camacho, both of Hagatna; Northern Mariana Islands Resident Representative
Pedro A. Tenorio, Saipan; and David B. Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
the Interior for Insular Affairs.
FOREIGN GUEST WORKER TREE PLANTING CONTRACTS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine the role of the Forest Service and
other Federal agencies in protecting the health and welfare of foreign guest
workers carrying out tree planting and other service contracts on National
Forest System lands, and to consider related Forest Service guidance and
contract modifications issued in recent weeks, after receiving testimony from
Mark Rey, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and
Environment; Victoria A. Lipnic, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment
Standards Administration; D. Michael Dale, Northwest Workers' Justice Project,
Portland, Oregon; Cassandra Moseley, University of Oregon Institute for a
Sustainable Environment, Eugene; Lynn Jungwirth, Watershed Research and
Training Center, Hayfork, California; and Cindy Wood, Wood's Fire and
Emergency Services, Inc., Portola, California, on behalf of the National
Wildfire Suppression Association.
YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROJECT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the status of the Yucca Mountain Project, focusing on the proposed
spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca
Mountain, Nevada, after receiving testimony from Senators Reid and Ensign;
William Wehrum, Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation,
Environmental Protection Agency; Paul M. Golan, Acting Director, Office of
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Department of Energy; Robert R. Loux,
Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, Office of the Governor, Carson City;
Robert Fri, Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the
National Research Council; Allison M. MacFarlane, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge; and Dade W. Moeller, Dade Moeller and Associates,
McLean, Virginia, on behalf of the Health Physics Society.
BUDGET: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded
hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2007 for the Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
PROTECTING AMERICA'S COMPETITIVE EDGE (PACE) ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Education
and Early Childhood Development held hearings to examine S. 2198, to ensure
the United States successfully competes in the 21st century global economy,
focusing on efforts to improve math and science and technology education,
receiving testimony from Henry L. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Education
for Elementary and Secondary Education; Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director,
National Science Foundation; Thomas W. Rudin, The College Board, New York, New
York; James B. Hunt, Jr., Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, former Governor of North Carolina; Peter
O'Donnell, Jr., O'Donnell Foundation, Dallas, Texas, on behalf of the National
Academies' Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century;
and Joshua R. Tagore, University High School of Science and Engineering,
Hartford, Connecticut.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
RYAN WHITE CARE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act relating to
fighting the AIDS epidemic of today, after receiving testimony from Elizabeth
Duke, Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department
of Health and Human Services.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
nominations of Norman Randy Smith, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge
for the Ninth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Craig and Crapo, and
Patrick Joseph Schiltz, to be United States District Judge for the District of
Minnesota, who was introduced by Senator Coleman, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D143]
BORDER VIOLENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and
Homeland Security held joint hearings with the Subcommittee on Immigration,
Border Security, and Citizenship to examine Federal strategies to end border
violence, focusing on border-related volent crime, criminal networks that
smuggle people and drugs across U.S. borders, and certain programs implemented
to address these problems, receiving testimony from Paul K. Charlton, United
States Attorney for the District of Arizona, Department of Justice; David
Aguilar, Chief of Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, and Marcy
Forman, Director of Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, both
of the Department of Homeland Security; Sheriff Larry A. Dever, Cochise
County, Arizona; Sheriff A. D'Wayne Jernigan, Val Verde County, Texas, on
behalf of the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition; Lavoyger Durham, El Tule
Ranch, Falfurrias, Texas; and T. J. Bonner, National Border Patrol Council,
American Federation of Government Employees (AFL-CIO), Campo, California.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Eric M. Thorson, of Virginia, to be
Inspector General, Small Business Administration, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Grassley, testified and answered questions in his 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.
Joint Meetings
COBELL V. NORTON
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs concluded a joint oversight
hearing with the House Committee on Resources to examine the settlement of
Cobell v. Norton, focusing on S. 1439 and H.R. 4322, to provide for Indian
trust asset management reform and resolution of historical accounting claims,
after receiving testimony from Stuart E. Eizenstat, Covington and Burling,
John Bickerman, Bickerman Dispute Resolution, and Joseph Garcia, National
Congress of American Indians, all of Washington, D.C.; Sandra K. Johnigan,
Johnigan, P.C., Dallas, Texas; Mike Marchand, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest
Indians, Portland, Oregon; Keller George, United South and Eastern Tribes,
Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; and Harold Frazier, Great Plains Tribal Chairman's
Association, Eagle Butte, South Dakota.
2006/03/02
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 2, 2006; pages D151 - D176
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
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 2007 for the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, after receiving testimony from
Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
NUCLEAR ENERGY AND POWER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine an outline of the Global Nuclear Energy Plan
and the future of nuclear power, after receiving testimony from Clay Sell,
Deputy Secretary of Energy.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years
defense program, after receiving testimony from Michael W. Wynne, Secretary,
and General T. Michael Moseley, USAF, Chief of Staff, both of the United
States Air Force.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine military installations, military construction,
environmental programs, and base realignment and closure programs in review of
the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007, after receiving
testimony from Philip W. Grone, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Installations and Environment; Keith E. Eastin, Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Installations and Environment; B.J. Penn, Assistant Secretary of the
Navy for Installations and Environment; and William C. Anderson, Assistant
Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Logistics.
DUBAI PORTS WORLD
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine implementation of the Exon-Florio Amendment, focusing on
Dubai Ports World acquisition of Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company, the role of terminal operators, and U.S. Coast Guard actions under
the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, after receiving testimony
from Robert M. Kimmitt, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury; Eric Edelman, Under
Secretary of Defense for Policy; Stewart Baker, Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security for Policy; and Robert Joseph, Under Secretary of State for
Arms Control and International Security.
[Page: D153]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from Gordon England, Deputy Secretary,
Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., U.S. Navy, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff, and Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller), all of the Department
of Defense.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND DISTRIBUTIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held hearings to
examine proposed reforms of the Universal Service Fund (USF) distribution
system, including funds for wireless infrastructure development for rural
consumers, and benefits of the USF to rural America, after receiving testimony
from Jeff Mao, Maine Department of Education, Augusta; Shirley Bloomfield,
National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, Alexandria, Virginia, on
behalf of the Coalition To Keep America Connected; Carson Hughes, Telapex,
Inc., Bismarck, North Dakota, on behalf of the Wireless Independent Group; and
Ben Scott, Free Press, Washington, D.C., on behalf of sundry organizations.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
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 2007 for the
Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from Gale A. Norton,
Secretary, R. Thomas Weimer, Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and
Budget, and John Trezise, Director, Office of Budget, all of the Department of
the Interior.
A NUCLEAR IRAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on challenges and responses with respect to a nuclear Iran from John
D. Negroponte, Director of National Intelligence, Office of the Director of
National Intelligence.
A NUCLEAR IRAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
challenges and responses with respect to Iran's campaign to acquire nuclear
weapons, focusing on limits placed on the International Atomic Energy Agency
inspections and uranium enrichment, after receiving testimony from Ronald F.
Lehman, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California; and
Patrick Clawson, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Ray Takeyh,
Council on Foreign Relations, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported S. 2128, to provide greater transparency with respect to
lobbying activities, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the state of mine safety and health, after receiving
testimony from David G. Dye, Acting Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and
Health, Ray McKinney, Administrator, Coal Mine Safety and Health, Mine Safety
and Health Administration, both of the Department of Labor; John Howard,
Director, and Jeffrey Kohler, Associate Director for Mining and Construction,
both of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services;
Michael Peelish, Foundation Coal Corporation, Linthicum Heights, Maryland, on
behalf of National Mining Association; Michael E. Neason, Hanson Aggregates,
Louisville, Kentucky, on behalf of American Society of Safety Engineers;
Thomas Novak, Virginia Tech Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering,
Blacksburg; and Cecil E. Roberts, United Mine Workers of America, Fairfax,
Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 2178, to make the stealing and selling of telephone records a criminal
offense; and
The nominations of Jack Zouhary, to be United States District Judge for the
Northern District of Ohio, Stephen G. Larson, to be United States District
Judge for the Central District of California, and Terrance P. Flynn, to be
United States Attorney for the Western District of New York.
Also, committee began consideration of proposed legislation to amend the
Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for comprehensive reform and to
provide conditional nonimmigrant authorization for employment to undocumented
aliens.
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
legislative presentations of certain veterans organizations, after receiving
testimony from Joseph L. Barnes, Fleet Reserve Association, Deirdre Parke
Holleman, the Retired Enlisted Association, and MSGT Morgan D. Brown (Ret.),
Air Force Sergeant's Association, all of Washington, D.C.; Colonel Robert F.
Norton, USA (Ret.), Military Officers Association of America, Alexandria,
Virginia; and Rose Elizabeth Lee, Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., Arlington,
Virginia.
[Page: D154]
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.
2006/03/03
Daily Digest - Friday, March 3, 2006; pages D177 - D184
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/06
Daily Digest - Monday, March 6, 2006; pages D185 - D187
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/07
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 7, 2006; pages D189 - D196
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee held a hearing to examine the proposed
supplemental funding request for additional resources to assist the Gulf Coast
region in its recovery from hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, after
receiving testimony from Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Montgomery; Louisiana
Governor Kathleen Blanco, Baton Rouge; Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour,
Jackson; and Texas Governor Rick Perry, Austin.
Hearings continue tomorrow.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary of
Defense (Comptroller); and Vice Admiral Evan M. Chanik, USN, Director, Force
Structure, Resources and Assessments (J8).
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee continued open and closed hearings to
examine military strategy and operational requirements in review of the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years
defense program, receiving testimony from Admiral William J. Fallon, USN,
Commander, United States Pacific Command; General Burwell B. Bell, III, USA,
Commander, United Nations Command and Republic of Korea-United States Combined
Forces Command, Commander, United States Forces Korea; and General James L.
Jones, USMC, Commander, United States European Command and Supreme Allied
Commander, Europe.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded open
and closed hearings to examine the nuclear weapons and defense environmental
cleanup activities of the Department of Energy in review of the defense
authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years nuclear
security program, after receiving testimony from Linton F. Brooks,
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, and James A. Rispoli,
Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, both of the Department of
Energy.
CREDIT RATING AGENCIES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the current oversight and operation of credit rating
agencies, after receiving testimony from Paul Schott Stevens, Investment
Company Institute, Damon A. Silvers, AFL-CIO, and Alex J. Pollock, American
Enterprise Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; Colleen S. Cunningham,
Financial Executives International, Florham Park, New Jersey; Glenn L.
Reynolds, CreditSights, Inc., and Vickie A. Tillman, Standard and Poor's
Credit Market Services, both of New York, New York; Frank Partnoy, University
of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California; and Jeffrey J. Diermeier,
CFA Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia.
RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine rural telecommunications, including telephony, data
transmission, video transmission and mobility, after receiving testimony from
Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary, and James M. Andrew, Administrator, Rural
Utilities Service, both of the Department of Agriculture; Mark Goldstein,
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Mark K. Johnson, Regulatory Commission of Alaska, Anchorage; Ray Baum,
Commissioner, Public Utility Commissioner of Oregon, Salem; William Squires,
Blackfoot Telecommunications Group, Missoula, Montana; Larry Sarjeant, Qwest
Communications, and Joe Garcia, National Congress of American Indians, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Craig Mundie, Microsoft, Redmond, Washington.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the goal of U.S. energy independence, focusing on how the United
States can facilitate the advancement of technologies to create new sources of
energy, how to make more efficient use of existing energy resources, and how
to increase access to domestic resources in an environmentally safe way, after
receiving testimony from R. James Woolsey, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean,
Virginia, former Director of Central Intelligence Agency; Susan M. Cischke,
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan; Frank A. Verrastro, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.; and Amory B. Lovins,
Rocky Mountain Institute, Snowmass, Colorado.
[Page: D191]
U.S.-OMAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Committee on Finance: On Monday, March 6, Subcommittee on International Trade
held a hearing to examine the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement, receiving
testimony from Susan C. Schwab, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; Edward S.
Walker, Jr., Middle East Institute, David Hamod, National U.S. Arab Chamber of
Commerce, and Thea M. Lee, AFL-CIO, all of Washington, D.C.; and Robert
Hemphill, AES Corporation, Arlington, Virginia.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Randall L. Tobias, of Indiana, to be Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Bayh, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
2005 GULF COAST HURRICANES RESPONSE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee met to discuss
the response of community-based organizations to the 2005 Gulf Coast
hurricanes, receiving testimony from Cynthia Fagnoni, Managing Director,
Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, Government Accountability
Office; Kay Wilkins, American Red Cross, Metairie, Louisiana; Jayne Wright,
Louisiana State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and Food Bank of
Central Louisiana, Alexandria; Todd Hawks, Salvation Army, Arlington,
Virginia; Craig Nemitz, America's Second Harvest, and Heather Feltman,
Lutheran Disaster Response, both of Chicago, Illinois; Mostafa Mahbood,
Islamic Relief USA, Burbank, California; Almetra Franklin, St. Mary Community
Action Agency, Franklin, Louisiana; Tanya Harris, Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now, New Orleans, Louisiana; Lorna Bourg, Southern
Mutual Help Association, New Iberia, Louisiana; Thomas E. Green, Office of
Community Services, Little Rock, Arkansas; and Ande Miller, National Voluntary
Organizations Active in Disaster, Tom Hazelwood, United Methodist Committee on
Relief, William Daroff, United Jewish Communities, and Welton Gaddy,
Interfaith Alliance, all of Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
legislative presentation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after receiving
testimony from James R. Mueller, Robert E. Wallace, and Dennis Cullinan, all
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, 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.
2006/03/08
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 8, 2006; pages D197 - D208
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee continued hearings to examine the
proposed supplemental funding request for additional resources to assist the
Gulf Coast region in its recovery from hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico in
2005, receiving testimony from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland
Security; Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and
John Paul Woodley, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works.
Hearings will continue tomorrow.
[Page: D198]
DC FLAT TAX
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded a
hearing to examine potential effects of a flat Federal income tax in the
District of Columbia, after receiving testimony from former Representative
Richard K. Army, FreedomWorks, Daniel J. Mitchell, Heritage Foundation,
Stephen J. Entin, Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation, and
Chris Edwards, Cato Institute, all of Washington, D.C.
DOD QUADRENNIAL DEFENSE REVIEW
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine the Department of Defense quadrennial defense review, after receiving
testimony from Gordon England, Deputy Secretary, and Christopher Ryan Henry,
Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Policy, both of the Department of
Defense; and Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN, Vice Chairman, Joint
Chiefs of Staff.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on
International Trade and Finance concluded a hearing to examine the proposed
reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, focusing on a
new claims reconsideration procedure at the Bank, and technology upgrades,
after receiving testimony from James H. Lambright, Chairman and President
(Acting), Export-Import Bank of the United States; Gerald F. Rama, PNC Bank,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Bankers' Association for Finance
and Trade; Al Merritt, MD International, Inc., Miami, Florida; and John
Matthews, Boeing Capital Corporation, Seattle, Washington, on behalf of sundry
organizations.
2007 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee met to mark up a proposed concurrent
resolution setting forth the fiscal year 2007 budget for the Federal
Government, but did not complete consideration thereon, and will meet again
tomorrow.
PIRACY AND COUNTERFEITING IN CHINA
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Trade,
Tourism, and Economic Development concluded a hearing to examine impacts of
piracy and counterfeiting of American goods and intellectual property in
China, after receiving testimony from Chris Israel, Coordinator for
International Intellectual Property Enforcement, Department of Commerce;
Franklin J. Vargo, National Association of Manufacturers, Washington, D.C.;
Andy York, Leupold and Stevens, Inc., Beaverton, Oregon; and William P.
Alford, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following measures:
S. 1131, to authorize the exchange of certain Federal land within the State of
Idaho, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1288, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative
agreements to protect natural resources of units of the National Park System
through collaborative efforts on land inside and outside of units of the
National Park System, with amendments;
S. 1346, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of
maritime sites in the State of Michigan, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1378, to amend the National Historic Preservation Act to provide
appropriation authorization and improve the operations of the Advisory Council
on Historic Preservation, with amendments;
S. 1913, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to lease a portion of the
Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center for use as a visitor center for the
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and for other purposes, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute;
S. 1970, to amend the National Trails System Act to update the feasibility and
suitability study originally prepared for the Trail of Tears National Historic
Trail and provide for the inclusion of new trail segments, land components,
and campgrounds associated with that trail, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute;
S. 2197, to improve the global competitiveness of the United States in science
and energy technology, to strengthen basic research programs at the Department
of Energy, and to provide support for mathematics and science education at all
levels through the resources available through the Department of Energy,
including at the National Laboratories, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 2253, to require the Secretary of the Interior to offer the 181 Area of the
Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing;
S. Con. Res. 60, designating the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City,
Missouri, as America's National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, with
amendments;
S.J. Res. 28, approving the location of the commemorative work in the District
of Columbia honoring former President Dwight D. Eisenhower;
[Page: D199]
H.R. 318, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability
and feasibility of designating Castle Nugent Farms located on St. Croix,
Virgin Islands, as a unit of the National Park System;
H.R. 326, to amend the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area Act of 2000 to
adjust the boundary of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area;
H.R. 409, to provide for the exchange of land within the Sierra National
Forest, California, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 1129, to authorize the exchange of certain land in the State of Colorado,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 1728, 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
H.R. 2107, to amend Public Law 104-329 to modify authorities for the use of
the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Maintenance Fund.
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,
Landrieu, Feinstein, Cantwell, Salazar, and Menendez.
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, Salazar, and Menendez.
Subcommittee on Water and Power: Senators Murkowski (Chairman), Smith, Craig,
Burr, Martinez, Burns, Bunning, Talent, Johnson, Dorgan, Wyden, Feinstein,
Cantwell, Salazar, and Menendez.
HEALTH CARE TAX POLICY
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the health care tax
policy of the United States, focusing on health savings accounts,
employer-provided health care, and consumer-centric health plans, receiving
testimony from Paul H. O'Neill, former Secretary of the Treasury; Leonard E.
Burman, Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Robert W. Lane, Deere and
Company, Moline, Illinois, on behalf of the Business Roundtable.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Richard T. Miller, of Texas, to be U.S. Representative on the
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of
Ambassador, and to be U.S. Alternate Representative to the Sessions of the
General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as U.S.
Representative on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and
John A. Simon, of Maryland, to be Executive Vice President of the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
SERVICEMEMBERS' PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace
Corps and Narcotics Affairs concluded a hearing to examine the impact of the
American Servicemembers' Protection Act on Latin America, after receiving
testimony from Peter DeShazo, Center for Strategic and International Studies,
Adam Isacson, Center for International Policy, and Ruth Wedgewood, Johns
Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced and International Studies,
all of Washington, D.C.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on
recommendations for reform, after receiving testimony from Senator Mikulski;
David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government
Accountability Office; Richard L. Skinner, Inspector General, Department of
Homeland Security; Bruce P. Baughman, Alabama State Emergency Management
Agency, Montgomery, on behalf of the National Emergency Management
Association; Frank J. Cilluffo, George Washington University Homeland Security
Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Herman B. Leonard, Harvard University,
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
CRIME VICTIMS FUND RESCISSION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine the proposed rescission of Crime
Victims Fund balances relative to the President's budget request for fiscal
year 2007, after receiving testimony from Paul R. Corts, Assistant Attorney
General for Administration, Department of Justice; Ed Meese, The Heritage
Foundation, and Steve Derene, National Association of VOCA Assistance
Administrators, both of Washington, D.C.; and Marsha Kimble, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma.
[Page: D200]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1902, to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize funding for the
establishment of a program on children and the media within the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to study the role and impact of electronic
media in the development of children; and,
The nominations of Michell C. Clark, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary
for Management, Department of Education, Jean B. Elshtain, of Tennessee, to be
a Member of the National Council on the Humanities, Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., of
South Carolina, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor, Allen C. Guelzo, of
Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities, Arlene
Holen, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Federal Mine Safety
and Health Review Commission, George Perdue, of Georgia, to be a Member of the
Board of Trustees of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation,
Anne-Imelda Radice, of Vermont, to be Director of the Institute of Museum and
Library Services, Craig T. Ramey, of West Virginia, to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences, Sarah M.
Singleton, of New Mexico, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Legal Services Corporation, Richard Stickler, of West Virginia, to be
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, Kent D. Talbert, of
Virginia, to be General Counsel, Department of Education, Horace A. Thompson,
of Mississippi, to be a Member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review
Commission, and certain nominations in the Public Health Service.
INDIAN GAMING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 2078,
to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to clarify the authority of the
National Indian Gaming Commission to regulate class III gaming, to limit the
lands eligible for gaming, after receiving testimony from Philip N. Hogen,
Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission; Paul A. Bullis, Arizona
Department of Gaming, Phoenix; Ron His Horse Is Thunder, Standing Rock Sioux
Tribe, Fort Yates, North Dakota; and Norman H. DesRosiers, Viejas Tribal
Government Gaming Commission, Alpine, California.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee began markup of proposed legislative
providing for comprehensive immigration reform, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again.
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.
2006/03/09
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 9, 2006; pages D209 - D222
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS ACT
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Department of Agriculture's management and oversight of
the Packers and Stockyards Act, focusing on competitiveness in livestock and
poultry markets, and developing and sharing information on competitive
conditions with key stakeholders, after receiving testimony from James E.
Link, Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration,
and Phyllis K. Fong, Inspector General, both of the Department of Agriculture;
and Daniel Bertoni, Acting Director, Natural Resources and Environment,
Government Accountability Office.
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 2007 for the Department of Agriculture, after receiving
testimony from Mike Johanns, Secretary, Charles Connor, Deputy Secretary,
Keith Collins, Chief Economist, and W. Scott Steele, Budget Officer, all of
the Department of Agriculture.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
proposed supplemental funding request for additional resources to assist in
ongoing military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations in the Global War on
Terror; stabilization and counter-insurgency activities in Iraq and
Afghanistan, and other humanitarian assistance, after receiving testimony from
Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense; Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of
State; General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and General
John Abizaid, USA, Commander, U.S. Central Command.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future
years defense program, focusing on the naval workforce, and projection of
naval power in the global war on terror, after receiving testimony from Donald
C. Winter, Secretary of the Navy; Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chief of
Naval Operations; and General Michael W. Hagee, USMC, Commandant of the Marine
Corps.
SECURITIES MARKETS SELF-REGULATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held a hearing to
examine self-regulatory organizations in the securities markets, focusing on
strengths and weaknesses of the current system, conflicts of interest, and
eliminating excessive market data fees, receiving testimony from John A.
Thain, New York Stock Exchange, Inc., Robert Glauber, National Association of
Securities Dealers, both of New York, New York; Marc E. Lackritz, Securities
Industry Association, Ann Yerger, Council of Institutional Investors, and
Richard Ferlauto, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal
Employees, AFL-CIO, all of Washington, D.C.; and Henry T.C. Hu, University of
Texas at Austin School of Law.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
2007 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United
States Government for fiscal year 2007 and including the appropriate budgetary
levels for fiscal years 2006 and 2008 through 2011.
[Page: D211]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen, of Maryland,
to be Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Admiral, Department of Homeland
Security, who was introduced by Senator McCain, and Robert M. McDowell, of
Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission, who was
introduced by Senator Allen, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Raymond L. Orbach, of California, to be Under
Secretary for Science, Alexander A. Karsner, of Virginia, to be Assistant
Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, who was introduced by
Senator Allen, and Dennis R. Spurgeon, of Florida, to be Assistant Secretary
for Nuclear Energy, all of the Department of Energy, and David Longly
Bernhardt, of Colorado, to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior,
after each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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, focusing on activities to implement the
provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 initiatives to meet challenges
posed by today's nuclear arena, and current and anticipated new reactor
licensing activities and human capital initiatives, after receiving testimony
from Nils J. Diaz, Chairman, and Edward McGaffigan, Jr., Jeffrey S.
Merrifield, Gregory B. Jaczko, and Peter B. Lyons, each a Commissioner, all of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
FEDERAL PAYMENTS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine Federal agencies' progress relating to
reporting improper payments, focusing on the success or failure of agencies to
report and/or reduce improper payments in fiscal year 2005 performance and
accountability reports, and to discuss whether or not the various ways in
which agencies measure improper payments is accurately depicting the magnitude
of the problem, after receiving testimony from Linda M. Combs, Controller,
Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget; McCoy
Williams, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, Government
Accountability Office; Mark Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service;
James B. Lockhart, Deputy Commissioner, Social Security Administration;
Charles Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Budget,
Technology and Finance; and Samuel T. Mok, Chief Financial Officer, Department
of Labor.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Donald J. DeGabrielle, Jr., of Texas, to be United States
Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, John Charles Richter, of
Oklahoma, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma,
Amul R. Thapar, of Kentucky, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern
District of Kentucky, and Mauricio J. Tamargo, of Florida, to be Chairman of
the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States, all of the
Department of Justice.
Also, Committee continued markup of proposed legislation providing for
comprehensive immigration reform, but did not complete action thereon, and
recessed subject to the call.
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
2007 for the Small Business Administration, after receiving testimony from
Hector V. Barreto, Administrator, Small Business Administration.
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
legislative presentations of certain veteran's organizations, after receiving
testimony from Randy L. Pleva, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America, Larry
Belote, Blinded Veterans Association, and David L. Magidson, Jewish War
Veterans of the United States of America, all of Washington, D.C.; Richard C.
Schneider, Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of
America, Alexandria, Virginia; and James D. Randles, Military Order of the
Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Inc., Springfield, Virginia.
LONG-TERM CARE FINANCING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine how to
prepare Americans for long-term care financing, focusing on awareness and
incentives to encourage people to take responsibility for long term care
needs, after receiving testimony from Robert F. Danbeck, Associate Director,
Human Resources Products and Services, Office of Personnel Management; Eileen
J. Tell, Long Term Care Group, Inc., Natick, Massachusetts; Malcolm Cheung,
Long-Term Care Prudential Financial, Livingston, New Jersey, on behalf of
American Council of Life Insurers; Joanne Vidinsky, Alzheimer's Association,
San Francisco, California; and Robert B. Friedland, Center on an Aging
Society, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D212]
Joint Meetings
FREEDOM IN BELARUS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the complete absence of political
freedom in Belarus and the implications this has on its upcoming elections,
after receiving testimony from David J. Kramer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for European Affairs; and Stephen B. Nix, International Republican
Institute, Rodger Potocki, National Endowment for Democracy, Iryna Vidanava,
Students' Thought, Celeste A. Wallander, Center for Strategic and
International Studies, and Patrick Merloe, all of Washington, D.C.
2006/03/13
Daily Digest - Monday, March 13, 2006; pages D223 - D228
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: On Friday, March 10, 2006, Subcommittee on
Emerging Threats and Capabilities concluded a hearing to examine the defense
authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years defense
program, focusing on the roles and missions of the Department of Defense
regarding homeland defense and support to civil authorities, after receiving
testimony from Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland
Defense; Lieutenant General Joseph R. Inge, USA, Deputy Commander, United
States Northern Command; and Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, USA, Chief,
National Guard Bureau.
JIEDDO
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing from the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization
(JIEDDO) from General Montgomery C. Meigs, USA (Ret.), Director, and General
Daniel B. Allyn, USA, Deputy Director, both of the JIEDDO.
DEFECTIVE PRODUCT ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on the Judiciary: On Friday, March 10, 2006, Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposed legislation to provide federal criminal penalties
for the introduction of dangerously defective products into interstate
commerce, after receiving testimony from former Michigan Governor John Engler,
on behalf of the National Association of Manufacturers, and Victor Schwartz,
Shook, Hardy, and Bacon, LLP, both of Washington, D.C.; Barry Maron,
Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Brian Panish,
Panish, Shea, and Boyle, LLP, Los Angeles, California; Frank J. Vandall, Emory
University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia; Rob Steinbuch, University of
Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law; and Donald L. Mays,
Consumers Union, Yonkers, New York.
NEW SUBCOMMITTEE
Select Committee on Intelligence: On Tuesday, March 7, 2006, Committee
announced the establishment of the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Terrorist
Surveillance Program with the following membership:
[Page: D225]
Senators Roberts (Chairman), Hatch, DeWine, Bond, Rockefeller, Levin, and
Feinstein.
Joint Meetings
EMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee: On Friday, March 10, 2006, Committee concluded
hearings to examine the employment-unemployment situation for February 2006,
after receiving testimony from Kathleen P. Utgoff, Commissioner, Bureau of
Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.
2006/03/14
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 14, 2006; pages D230 - D240
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Boyd Kevin Rutherford, of Maryland, and
Linda Avery Strachan, of Virginia, each to be an Assistant Secretary, Gale A.
Buchanan, of Georgia, to be Under Secretary for Research, Education, and
Economics, and Marc L. Kesselman, of Tennessee, to be General Counsel, all of
the Department of Agriculture, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
APPROPRIATIONS: FDA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates
for fiscal year 2007 for the Food and Drug Administration, after receiving
testimony from Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: D.C. AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007, after
receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from
Eric T. Washington, Chief Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and
Chair, Joint Committee on Judicial Administration; Rufus G. King III, Chief
Judge, District of Columbia Superior Court; Paul Quander, Jr., Director, Court
Services and Offender Supervision Agency; Avis E. Buchanan, Director, Public
Defender Service; and Reverend Donald Isassc, East of the River
Clergy-Police-Community Partnership.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years
defense program, focusing on combatant commanders on their military strategy
and operational requirements, 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.
[Page: D232]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future
years defense program, focusing on the Joint Strike Fighter F-136 Alternate
Engine Program, after receiving testimony from Lord Peter Drayson, Minister
for Defence Procurement, and Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Air Staff, both of
London, England; Air Commodore John Harvey, Director General New Air Combat
Capability, Canberra, Australia; Rear Admiral Raydon W. Gates AO, CSM, Head of
the Australian Defence Staff, and Major General Pasquale Preziosa, Defense and
Defense Cooperation Attache, Embassy of Italy, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Lieutenant General Giuseppe Bernardis, Chief, Department for Armament
Programs, Secretariate for Defence and National Armaments, Rome, Italy.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine the proposed Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2007,
focusing on health benefits and programs, after receiving testimony from Tanna
Schmidli, National Military Family Association, and Vice Admiral Norbert R.
Ryan, Jr., USN (Ret.), Military Officers Association of America, and Edgar M.
Zerr, Fleet Reserve Association, on behalf of the Military Coalition, all of
Alexandria, Virginia; and Lieutenant General Dennis M. McCarthy, USMC (Ret.),
Reserve Officers Association of the United States, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of James S. Simpson, of New York, to be
Federal Transit Administrator, Department of Transportation, who was
introduced by Senator Schumer and former Senator Cleland, and Robert M. Couch,
of Alabama, to be President, Government National Mortgage Association, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
WIRELESS ISSUES AND SPECTRUM REFORM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine wireless issues relating to spectrum reform, focusing on
the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum and other regulatory policies
for wireless services, including efforts to implement these policies to
license and manage the non-Federal spectrum resources and wireless services,
after receiving testimony from Catherine W. Seidel, Acting Bureau Chief,
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Federal Communications Commission; John
M.R. Kneuer, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and
Information, National Telecommunications and Information Administration;
JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government
Accountability Office; Thomas F. Walsh, Illinois Valley Cellular, Marseilles,
on behalf of Rural Cellular Association; Kevin C. Kahn, Intel Corporation,
Thomas J. Sugrue, T-Mobile USA, Inc., and Jeannine Kenney, Consumers Union,
all of Washington, D.C.; Robert W. Hubbard, Hubbard Television Group, St.
Paul, Minnesota; and Lawrence J. White, New York University Stern School of
Business, New York, New York.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Wall Street perspective on telecommunications, focusing on
investment sentiment and viewpoints of valuation, including key investment
considerations, after receiving testimony from Luke T. Szymczak, JP Morgan
Asset Management, Aryeh B. Bourkoff, UBS Investment Research, and Craig E.
Moffett, Bernstein Research, all of New York, New York; and Kevin M. Moore,
Wachovia Securities, Baltimore, Maryland.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for
fiscal year 2007 for National Park Service, Department of the Interior, after
receiving testimony from Fran Mainella, Director, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine administrative
challenges facing the Social Security Administration (SSA), focusing on the
Human Capital Plan of the SSA, the Medicare Prescription Drug Program, new
enumeration procedures, and the funding and productivity of the SSA, receiving
testimony from Jo Anne B. Barnhart, Commissioner, and Patrick P. O'Carroll,
Jr., Inspector General, both of the Social Security Administration; Richard E.
Warsinskey, National Council of Social Security Management Associations, Inc.,
Cleveland, Ohio; Eileen P. Sweeney, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Social Security Task Force of the
Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities; and Erwin Hathaway, Trego, Montana.
[Page: D233]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the
Government of Bangladesh for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income signed at Dhaka
on September 26, 2004 with an exchange of notes enclosed (Treaty Doc. 109-5);
Protocol Amending the Convention Between the Government of the United States
of America and the Government of the French Republic for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on
Income and Capital, signed at Paris on August 31, 1994 (Treaty Doc. 109-4);
Protocol Amending the Convention Between the United States of America and the
French Republic for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of
Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Estates, Inheritances, and Gifts
signed at Washington on November 24, 1978 (Treaty Doc. 109-7);
Protocol Amending the Convention Between the Government of the United States
of America and the Government of Sweden for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income signed at
Washington on September 30, 2005 (Treaty Doc. 109-8);
Protocol of 1997 to Amend the International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution From Ships, 1973, as Modified by the Protocol of 1978 thereto
(hereinafter the "Protocol of 1997"), the Protocol of 1997, which would add
Annex VI, Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution From Ships, to the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973, as
Modified by the Protocol of 1978 (hereinafter the "MARPOL Convention"), was
signed by the United States on December 22, 1998 (Treaty Doc.108-7);
Treaty Between the United States of America and Japan on Mutual Legal
Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed at Washington on August 5, 2003;
including a related exchange of notes (Treaty Doc. 108-12);
Treaty Between the United States of America and the Federal Republic of
Germany on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed at Washington
on October 14,2003, and a related exchange of notes (Treaty Doc. 108-27);
The nominations of Randall L. Tobias, of Indiana, to be Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, Mark D. Wallace, of
Florida, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United
Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador, and to be
Alternate Representative of the United States of America 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 for U.N.
Management and Reform, Richard T. Miller, of Texas, to be Representative of
the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United
Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and to be an Alternate Representative of
the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the
United Nations during his tenure of service as Representative of the United
States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations,
John A. Simon, of Maryland, to be Executive Vice President of the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation, certain Foreign Service Officer promotion
lists; and
An original bill to implement the obligations of the United States under the
Protocol Additional to the Agreement Between the United States of America and
the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in
the United States of America (Treaty Doc. 107-7).
GSA CONTRACTORS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine Federal
contractors with unpaid tax debt, focusing on the extent to which contractors
are tax-delinquent and what can be done about it, after receiving testimony
from Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, and John J. Ryan, Assistant Director,
both of the Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, and Steven J.
Sebastian, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, all of the Government
Accountability Office; Mark Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service,
Department of the Treasury; and Kathleen M. Turco, Acting Deputy
Administrator, General Services Administration.
OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
consolidation in the oil and gas industry, and its impact on the price of
gasoline, after receiving testimony from Wisconsin Attorney General Peggy A.
Lautenschlager, Madison; Joseph M. Alioto, Alioto Law Firm, San Francisco,
California; Thomas Greene, California Department of Justice, Sacramento;
Severin Borenstein, University of California Haas School of Business,
Berkeley; David Boies, Boies, Schiller and Flexner, Armonk, New York; Rex W.
Tillerson, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Irving, Texas; James J. Mulva,
ConocoPhillips, and John Hofmeister, Shell Oil Company, both of Houston,
Texas; David J. O'Reilly, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, California; William
R. Klesse, Valero Energy Corporation, San Antonio, Texas; and Ross J. Pillari,
BP America, Inc., Chicago, Illinois.
[Page: D234]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Michael A. Chagares, of New Jersey, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Third Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Lautenberg and
Menendez, Gray Hampton Miller, to be United States District Judge for the
Southern District of Texas, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and
Cornyn, and Jeffrey L. Sedgwick, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the
Bureau of Justice Statistics, who was introduced by Senators Lautenberg and
Menendez, and Sharee M. Freeman, of Virginia, to be Director, Community
Relations Service, both of the Department of Justice, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
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.
2006/03/15
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 15, 2006; pages D241 - D252
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of
the Navy, after receiving testimony from David C. Winter, Secretary of the
Navy; Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; and General
Michael W. Hagee, Commandant of the Marine Corps.
APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
Secretary of the Senate, and Architect of the Capitol, including an update on
the progress of the Capitol Visitor Center, after receiving testimony from
Emily Reynolds, Secretary of the Senate; Alan Hantman, Architect, Steven
Ayers, Acting Chief Operating Officer, and Robert C. Hixon, Jr., Capitol
Visitor Center Project Executive, all of the Office of the Architect of the
Capitol; and Bernard Ungar, Director, Physical Infrastructure, and Terrell
Dorn, both of Government Accountability Office.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine the proposed defense authorization request for
fiscal year 2007, focusing on ground forces readiness, after receiving
testimony from Lieutenant General James J. Lovelace, Jr., USA, Deputy Chief of
Staff for Operations and Plans, United States Army; Lieutenant General Jan C.
Huly, USMC, Deputy Commandant, Plans, Policies, and Operations, United States
Marine Corps; Lieutenant General John R. Vines, USA, Commanding General, XVIII
Airborne Corps; and Lieutenant General John F. Sattler, Commander, United
States Marine Corps Forces Central Command, Commanding General, I Marine
Expeditionary Force.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future
years defense program, focusing on the Joint Strike Fighter F136 Alternate
Engine Program, after receiving testimony from Gordon England, Deputy
Secretary of Defense; Admiral Robert F. Willard, USN, Vice Chief of Naval
Operations; General John D.W. Corley, USAF, Vice Chief of Staff, United States
Air Force; General Robert Magnus, USMC, Assistant Commandant of the Marine
Corps; and Rear Admiral Steven L. Enewold, USN, Program Executive Officer,
Joint Strike Fighter Program, United States Navy.
INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine proposed legislation to provide a national innovation
initiative, and related proposals for assuring America's leadership and
competitiveness in the 21st century, after receiving testimony from Senators
Baucus and Lieberman; Deborah L. Wince-Smith, Council on Competitiveness,
Washington, D.C.; Craig R. Barrett, Intel Corporation, Santa Clara,
California; John E. Kelly III, IBM Corporation, Somers, New York; and Norman
Augustine, Bethesda, Maryland.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
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, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1829, to repeal certain sections of the Act of May 26, 1936, pertaining to
the Virgin Islands;
S. 1830, to amend the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003, with
amendments;
H.R. 562, to authorize the Government of Ukraine to establish a memorial on
Federal land in the District of Columbia to honor the victims of the man-made
famine that occurred in Ukraine in 1932-1933;
H.R. 3443, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain water
distribution facilities to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District;
and
The nominations of Raymond L. Orbach, to be Under Secretary for Science,
Alexander A. Karsner, to be Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, and Dennis R. Spurgeon, to be Assistant Secretary for
Nuclear Energy, all of the Department of Energy, and David Longly Bernhardt,
to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior.
[Page: D244]
THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
Post-Palestinian election challenges in the Middle East, focusing on Hamas, a
designated terrorist organization, which was victorious in the Palestinian
Legislative Council elections in January 2006, after receiving testimony from
Lieutenant General Keith W. Dayton, U.S. Security Coordinator, Department of
State; and James D. Wolfensohn, Quartet Special Envoy for Gaza Disengagement,
Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Robert Malley,
International Crisis Group, all of Washington, D.C.
GAO HIGH-RISK LIST
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 progress of the programs on the
Government Accountability Office's high-risk list, including whether a
proposal to create a Chief Management Officer at the Department of Homeland
Security and Department of Defense would foster a culture of accountability
necessary for improved high-risk program performance, 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.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported S. 1955, to amend title I of the Employee Retirement
Security Act of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to expand health care
access and reduce costs through the creation of small business health plans
and through modernization of the health insurance marketplace, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
INDIAN CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1899,
to amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act to
identify and remove barriers to reducing child abuse, to provide for
examinations of certain children, after receiving testimony from William P.
Ragsdale, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior;
Robert McSwain, Deputy Director, and Jon Perez, Director, Division of
Behavioral Health, both of Indian Health Service, Department of Health and
Human Services; James H. Burrus, Jr., Acting Assistant Director, Criminal
Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of
Justice; Ron Suppah, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of
Oregon, Warm Springs; Terry L. Cross, National Indian Child Welfare
Association, Portland, Oregon; and Paul D. Steele, Morehead State University
Center for Justice Studies, Morehead, Kentucky.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee resumed markup of proposed legislation
providing for comprehensive immigration reform, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again on Thursday, March 16.
HOSPITAL GROUP PURCHASING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and
Consumer Rights concluded a hearing to examine hospital group purchasing,
focusing on whether the industry's reforms are sufficient to ensure
competition, after receiving testimony from Richard J. Bednar, Healthcare
Group Purchasing Industry Initiative, and Mark B. Leahey, Medical Device
Manufacturers Association, both of Washington, D.C.; S. Prakash Sethi, City
University of New York Baruch College, New York, New York; and Mina Ubbing,
Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, Ohio.
GENDER RETIREMENT DISPARITY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
eliminating retirement income disparity for women, focusing on the financial
security of America's women, after receiving testimony from Jean Chatzky,
Money Magazine, Briarcliff Manor, New York; Cindy Hounsell, Women's Institute
for a Secure Retirement, Barbara B. Kennelly, National Committee To Preserve
Social Security and Medicare, Jack L. VanDerhei, Employee Benefit Research
Institute, and Karyne Jones, The National Caucus and Center on Black Aged,
Inc., all of Washington, D.C.; Sara C. Hart, CNF Service Company, Portland,
Oregon; and Lynn Rollins, 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.
[Page: D245]
Joint Meetings
TAX RELIEF EXTENSION RECONCILIATION ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed
versions of H.R. 4297, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section
201(b) of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006, but
did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the call.
2006/03/16
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 16, 2006; pages D253 - D266
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007
for the Forest Service, after receiving testimony from Dale Bosworth, Chief,
United States Forest Service, and Mark Rey, Under Secretary for Natural
Resources and Environment, both of the Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
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 2007 for the
Department of Transportation and Amtrak, after receiving testimony from Norman
Y. Mineta, Secretary, Joseph H. Boardman, Administrator, Federal Railroad
Administration, and Mark Dayton, Senior Economist, Office of the Inspector
General, all of the Department of Transportation; and David Hughes, President
and Chief Executive Officer, and David M. Laney, Chairman of the Board, both
of Amtrak.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future
years defense program, focusing on military strategy and operational
requirements, after receiving testimony from General John P. Abizaid, USA,
Commander, United States Central Command; and General Bryan D. Brown, USA,
Commander, United States Special Operations Command.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 2,239
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
VOLCANIC HAZARDS IMPACTS ON AVIATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine the natural hazard
threat that volcanoes pose to international aviation, after receiving
testimony from James E. Quick, Program Coordinator, Volcano Hazards Program,
U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior; Terry McVenes, Air Line
Pilots Association, International, Washington, D.C.; and John C. Eichelberger,
University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:
Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:
[Page: D259]
S. 1215, to authorize the acquisition of interests in underdeveloped coastal
areas in order to better ensure their protection from development, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Roger Shane Karr, of the District of Columbia, to be an
Assistant Secretary, Tyler D. Duvall, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Secretary, Nicole R. Nason, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Thomas J. Barrett, of Alaska, to be
Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
all of the Department of Transportation, Robert C. Cresanti, of Texas, to be
Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology, Robert M. McDowell, of Virginia,
to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission, and sundry promotion
lists in the Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
GREAT LAKES PROTECTION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration's strategy to restore and
protect the Great Lakes, after receiving testimony from Senators DeWine,
Levin, and Stabenow; Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental
Protection Agency; Ohio Governor Bob Taft, Columbus, on behalf of the Council
of Great Lakes Governors; Frank Ettawageshik, Little Traverse Bay Bands of
Odawa Indians, Harbor Springs, Michigan; David Ullrich, Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Cities Initiative, Chicago, Illinois; George Kuper, Council of Great
Lakes Industries, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Andy Buchsbaum, National Wildlife
Foundation, Reston, Virginia, on behalf of the Healing Our Waters--Great Lakes
Coalition; Diane Katz, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Midland, Michigan;
and William G. Howland, Lake Champlain Basin Program, Grand Isle, Vermont.
CUNO AND COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on International Trade held a hearing to
examine the decision in the case of Cuno v. DaimlerChrysler (relating to an
agreement between DaimlerChrysler with Toledo, Ohio, and two school districts
to construct a new vehicle assembly plant in exchange for approximately $280
million in tax incentives), and its impact on domestic and international
competitiveness, and a related measure, S. 1066, to authorize the States (and
subdivisions thereof), the District of Columbia, territories, and possessions
of the United States to provide certain tax incentives to any person for
economic development purposes, receiving testimony from Senator Voinovich;
Peter D. Enrich, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts;
Harley T. Duncan, Federation of Tax Administrators, Washington, D.C.; Walter
Hellerstein, University of Georgia School of Law, Athens; Peter Fisher,
University of Iowa, Iowa City; and James H. Renzas, Location Management
Services, Mission Viejo, California.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
APPROPRIATIONS EARMARK REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine S. 1495, and related provisions of
H.R. 1642, bills to prohibit Federal agencies from obligating funds for
appropriations earmarks included only in congressional reports, focusing on
the need for earmark reform and legislation that would be an important step
toward achieving such reform, after receiving testimony from Senator McCain;
Representative Flake; Thomas A. Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste,
Steve Ellis, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action, and Scott Lilly, Center for
American Progress, all of Washington, D.C.
PUBLIC HEALTH SECURITY AND BIOTERRORISM PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the proposed reauthorization of Public Health Security and
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act relating to enhancing public health
and medical preparedness, after receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt,
Secretary of Health and Human Services; Leah Devlin, North Carolina Division
of Public Health, Raleigh, on behalf of the Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials; A. Richard Melton, Utah Department of Health,
Salt Lake City; and Richard A. Falkenrath, Brookings Institution, Washington,
D.C.; and Dan Hanfling, Inova Health System, Falls Church, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of John F. Clark, of Virginia, to be Director of the United States
Marshals Service, and David F. Kustoff, to be United States Attorney for the
Western District of Tennessee, both of the Department of Justice.
Also, Committee continued markup of proposed legislation providing for
comprehensive immigration reform, but did not complete action thereon, and
will meet again on Monday, March 27.
[Page: D260]
HOMELESS VETERANS PROGRAMS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
homeless programs and services administered by the Department of Veterans
Affairs, after receiving testimony from Peter H. Dougherty, Director, Homeless
Veterans Programs, Department of Veterans Affairs; Charles S. Ciccolella,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training; Philip F.
Mangano, Executive Director, United States Interagency Council on
Homelessness; Michael Blecker, Swords to Plowshares, San Francisco,
California, on behalf of the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans; Alan
Belcher, Transitional Living Services, Woodstock, Illinois; and Thomas R.
Cantwell, Jr., Cloudbreak Development, LLC, Inglewood, California, on behalf
of U.S. VETS.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/27
Daily Digest - Monday, March 27, 2006; pages D268 - D276
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for comprehensive
reform and to provide conditional nonimmigrant authorization for employment to
undocumented aliens.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/28
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 28, 2006; pages D277 - D286
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007
for the Bureau of Reclamation, after receiving testimony from John W. Keys
III, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, and Mark Limbaugh, Assistant
Secretary for Water and Science, both of the Department of the Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
Department of State and foreign operations, after receiving testimony from
Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (ARMY)
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Army, after
receiving testimony from Francis Harvey, Secretary, and General Peter
Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, both of the United States Army, Department of
Defense.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a hearing to
examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future
years defense program, focusing on Air Force and Navy tactical aviation
programs, after receiving testimony from Michael J. Sullivan, Director,
Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office; Donald
B. Marron, Acting Director, Congressional Budget Office; Christopher Bolkcom,
Specialist in National Defense, Congressional Research Service, Library of
Congress; Lieutenant General Donald J. Hoffman, USAF, Military Deputy, Office
of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition; and Rear Admiral
Thomas J. Kilcline, Jr., USN, Director, Air Warfare Division, and Rear Admiral
Steven L. Enewold, USN, Program Executive Officer, Joint Strike Fighter
Program, both of the United States Navy.
FAA BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded a hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for
fiscal year 2007 for the Federal Aviation Administration and the long-term
viability of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), after receiving
testimony from Marion C. Blakey, Administrator, Federal Aviation
Administration, and Todd J. Zinser, Acting Inspector General, both of the
Department of Transportation; and Gerald L. Dillingham, Director, Physical
Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office.
MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine U.S.
efforts to promote anti-corruption strategies of multilateral development
banks, after receiving testimony from Clay Lowery, Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for International Affairs; Cynthia S. Perry, African Development
Bank, and Ruth E. Levine, Center for Global Development, both of Washington,
D.C.; William Easterly, New York University, New York, New York; and Adam
Lerrick, Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Warren W. Tichenor, of Texas, to be U.S. Representative to the
Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva,
with the rank of Ambassador, who was introduced by Senator Cornyn, Patricia P.
Brister, of Louisiana, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service
as the U.S. Representative on the Commission on the Status of Women of the
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, who was introduced by
Senator Vitter, Rajkumar Chellaraj, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of
State for Administration, and George McDade Staples, of Kentucky, to be
Director General of the Foreign Service, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D279]
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL THREAT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing to examine securing the global
supply chain relating to neutralizing the nuclear and radiological threat,
focusing on the domestic and international deployment of radiation detection
equipment, U.S. government efforts to prevent radiological or nuclear
terrorism, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Radiation Portal Monitor (RPM)
Program to install RPMs at U.S. ports of entry, the Department of Energy
Second Line of Defense program to install RPMs at key international border
crossings and ports, and the importation of radiological sources across the
Northern and Southern border, receiving testimony from former New Jersey
Governor Thomas H. Kean, Trenton, on behalf of the National Commission on
Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States; Eugene E. Aloise, Director, Natural
Resources and Environment, Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, Forensic Audits
and Special Investigations, and Keith A. Rhodes, Chief Technologist, Center
for Technology and Engineering, all of the Government Accountability Office;
David G. Huizenga, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Office of International
Material Protection and Cooperation, Office of Defense Nuclear
Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security Administration; Vayl S. Oxford,
Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, and Jayson P. Ahern, Assistant
Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
both of the Department of Homeland Security; and Stephen E. Flynn, Council on
Foreign Relations, New York, New York.
Hearings continue on Thursday, March 30.
MEDICAID FRAUD
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine eliminating Medicaid fraud, focusing
on the current infrastructure for Medicaid program integrity at the state and
Federal level, including a review of the current system for tracking improper
spending and fraud at the state and Federal levels, after receiving testimony
from Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General, and Dennis Smith, Director, Center
for Medicaid Services, both of the Department of Health and Human Services;
Leslie G. Aronovitz, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office;
and Brian G. Flood, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin.
PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness held a hearing to examine public
health preparedness in the 21st century, focusing on a national public health
infrastructure with real-time situational awareness, and responding to threats
by terrorism or natural disasters, receiving testimony from Richard Besser,
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and
Human Services; Michael C. Caldwell, Dutchess County Department of Health,
Poughkeepsie, New York; Peggy A. Honore, Mississippi Department of Health,
Jackson; Lisa G. Kaplowitz, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond; Nicole
Lurie, The RAND Corporation, and Elin A. Gursky, ANSER, Analytic Services,
Inc., both of Arlington, Virginia; and Tara O'Toole, University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center, Center for Biosecurity, Baltimore, Maryland.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement Security and Aging held a hearing to examine reauthorization of the
Older Americans Act Title V, focusing on senior community service employment,
receiving testimony from Mason M. Bishop, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor
for Employment and Training; Ignacio Salazar, SER-Jobs for Progress National,
Inc., Irving, Texas; Kent Kahn, Experience Works, Inc., Lima, Ohio; and
Anthony R. Sarmiento, Senior Service America, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
INDIAN TRUST REFORM ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1439,
to provide for Indian trust asset management reform and resolution of
historical accounting claims, after receiving testimony from James Cason,
Associate Deputy Secretary, and Ross Swimmer, Special Trustee for American
Indians, both of the Department of the Interior; Tex G. Hall, the Mandan,
Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, New Town, North Dakota, on behalf of sundry
organizations; Jim Gray, Intertribal Monitoring Association on Indian Trust
Funds, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Clifford Lyle Marshall, Sr., Hoopa Valley
Tribal Council, Hoopa, California; Austin Nunez, Indian Land Working Group,
Tucson, Arizona; and Majel M. Russell, Crow Tribe of Indians, Billings,
Montana.
[Page: D280]
WARTIME POWERS AND FISA COURT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine wartime
executive powers and the FISA Court, focusing on National Security Agency
standards and procedures for electronic surveillance of international
terrorist activity, after receiving testimony from Judge Harold A. Baker, U.S.
District Court for the Central District of Illinois; Judge Stanley S. Brotman,
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey; Judge John F. Keenan, U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New York; Judge William Stafford,
Jr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida; Magistrate
Judge Allan Kornblum, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
Florida; Morton H. Halperin, Open Society Policy Center, Washington, D.C.; and
David S. Kris, Time Warner, Inc., New York, New York.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/29
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 29, 2006; pages D288 - D302
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (AIR FORCE)
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Air Force,
after receiving testimony from Michael W. Wynne, Secretary, and General T.
Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, both of the United States Air Force,
Department of Defense.
APPROPRIATIONS: VA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for Department of Veterans
Affairs, after receiving testimony from R. James Nicholson, Secretary,
Jonathan B. Perlin, Under Secretary for Health, Daniel L. Cooper, Under
Secretary for Benefits, and William F. Tuerk, Under Secretary for Memorial
Affairs, all of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded a hearing to examine the proposed defense authorization request for
fiscal year 2007 and the future years defense program, focusing on the U.S.
nonproliferation strategy and the roles and missions of the Department of
Defense and the Department of Energy in nonproliferation, after receiving
testimony from Peter C.W. Flory, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Policy; General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander,
U.S. Strategic Command; and Jerald S. Paul, Deputy Secretary of Energy for
Nuclear Security and Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year,
focusing on the Global Strike Plans and Programs, after receiving testimony
from Peter C.W. Flory, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International
Security Policy; General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander, U.S. Strategic
Command; Rear Admiral Charles B. Young, USN, Director, Strategic Systems
Programs, Department of the Navy; and Major General Stanley Gorenc, USAF,
Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air
and Space Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower concluded a hearing to
examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and
the future years defense program, focusing on the Navy/Marine Corps force
structure and future capabilities, after receiving testimony from Vice Admiral
Lewis W. Crenshaw, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources,
Requirements and Assessments; Lieutenant General Emerson N. Gardner., Jr.,
USMC, Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Programs and Resources;
Lieutenant General James N. Mattis, USMC, Deputy Commandant of the Marine
Corps for Combat Development and Integration; and Rear Admiral Mark J.
Edwards, USN, Director, Warfare Integration (N8F), Office of the Chief of
Naval Operations.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on
International Trade and Finance concluded a hearing to examine the
reauthorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, focusing on ways to improve
the Bank's economic impact procedures, after receiving testimony from James H.
Lambright, Acting President and Chairman, Export-Import Bank of the United
States; Steven R. Appleton, Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, Idaho; and Thomas
M. Sneeringer, United States Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
BASIC RESEARCH IN COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine the
importance of basic research to United States' competitiveness, focusing on
the importance and priority of Federally-funded basic research, after
receiving testimony from John Marburger III, Director, Office of Science and
Technology Policy; Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science
Foundation; William Jeffrey, Director, National Institute of Standards and
Technology, Technology Administration, Department of Commerce; Steven Knapp,
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Leonard J. Pietrafesa, North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, on behalf of National Ocean and
Atmospheric Administration Science Advisory Board; Philip J. Ritter, Texas
Instruments, Inc., Dallas; and Adam Drobot, Telcordia Technologies, Inc.,
Piscataway, New Jersey.
[Page: D291]
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 1056, to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to convey to the City of Henderson, Nevada, certain Federal land
located in the City, S. 1832, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
lease oil and gas resources underlying Fort Reno, Oklahoma, to establish the
Fort Reno Management Fund, S. 2150, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
convey certain Bureau of Land Management Land to the City of Eugene, Oregon,
S. 2373, to provide for the sale of approximately 132 acres of public land to
the City of Green River, Wyoming, at fair market value, and H.R. 3507, to
transfer certain land in Riverside County, California, and San Diego County,
California, from the Bureau of Land Management to the United States to be held
in trust for the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians, after receiving
testimony from Edward B. Knipling, Administrator, Agricultural Research
Service, Department of Agriculture; and Lawrence E. Benna, Deputy Director,
Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.
CLEAN AIR
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the impact of the elimination of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE)
from gasoline, including regional imbalances in gasoline supply and demand and
temporarily increased fuel prices, especially in the Mid-Atlantic and
Northeast regions and Texas, after receiving testimony from Guy Caruso,
Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy; Robert
J. Meyers, Associate Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation,
Environmental Protection Agency; Bill Douglass, Douglass Distributing Company,
Sherman, Texas, on behalf of the National Association of Convenience Stores
and the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America; and A. Blakeman
Early, American Lung Association, and Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels
Association, both of Washington, D.C.
U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine U.S.-China economic
relations revisited, focusing on U.S.-China trade relations entering a new
phase in which greater accountability on China's part and greater enforcement
on the Administration's part are needed, receiving testimony from Karan K.
Bhatia, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative; Timothy D. Adams, Under Secretary of the Treasury for
International Affairs; Franklin L. Lavin, Under Secretary of Commerce for
International Trade Administration; Joseph S. Papovich, Recording Industry
Association of America, John Frisbie, U.S.-China Business Council, and C. Fred
Bergsten, Institute for International Economics, all of Washington, D.C.;
Robert D. Hormats, Goldman Sachs International, New York, New York; and Gary
Joachim, American Soybean Association, Owatona, Minnesota.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
INDIAN SEPARATION PLAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine United States-India atomic energy cooperation, focusing on
the Indian separation plan and the Administration's related legislative
proposal, S. 2429, to authorize the President to waive the application of
certain requirements under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 with respect to
India, from R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and
Robert Joseph, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security,
both of the Department of State.
U.S.-BURMA RELATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded a hearing to examine United States-Burma relations, focusing on the
current situation in Burma, Burma-India relations, and how Burma represents a
new, non-traditional security threat to the region, after receiving testimony
from Senator McConnell; Eric G. John, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Michael J. Green, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.; Sean Turnell, Macquarie
University, Sydney, Australia; and Thin Thin Aung, Women's League of Burma,
New Delhi, India.
NATION'S CAPITAL TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS
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 status of strategic planning and
readiness in the National Capital Region, focusing on efforts to improve and
refine coordination efforts and the NCR strategic plan and implementation,
after receiving testimony from Thomas Lockwood, Director, National Capital
Region Coordination, Department of Homeland Security; William O. Jenkins, Jr.,
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability
Office; Edward D. Reiskin, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice,
District of Columbia; Robert P. Crouch, Jr., Assistant to the Governor of
Virginia for Commonwealth Preparedness, Richmond; and Dennis R. Schrader,
Director, Maryland Governor's Office of Homeland Security, Annapolis.
[Page: D292]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
S. 2078, to amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to clarify the authority of
the National Indian Gaming Commission to regulate class III gaming, to limit
the lands eligible for gaming, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1899, to amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention
Act to identify and remove barriers to reducing child abuse, to provide for
examinations of certain children, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 2245, to establish an Indian youth telemental health demonstration project;
and
S. 1773, to resolve certain Native American claims in New Mexico, with an
amendment.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Brian M. Cogan, to be United States District Judge for the
Eastern District of New York, who was introduced by Senator Schumer, Michael
Ryan Barrett, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of
Ohio, who was introduced by Senators DeWine and Voinovich, and Thomas M.
Golden, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania, who was introduced by Senator Santorum, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
REGULATION OF VIDEO GAMES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights,
and Property Rights concluded a hearing to examine state regulation of violent
video games and the first amendment, after receiving testimony from Minnesota
Representative Jeff Johnson, Minnesota House of Representatives, St. Paul;
Elizabeth K. Carll, American Psychological Association, Long Island, New York;
Dmitri Williams, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of
Speech Communication; David S. Bickham, Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard
Medical School Center on Media and Child Health, Boston, Massachusetts;
Patricia E. Vance, Entertainment Software Rating Board, New York, New York;
Paul M. Smith, Jenner and Block LLP, Washington, D.C.; Kevin W. Saunders,
Michigan State University College of Law, East Lansing; and Steve Strickland,
Fayette, Alabama.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
INVESTMENT FRAUD
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine how
seniors can stop investment fraud, focusing on the Investor Education Program
of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, after receiving testimony from
Susan Ferris Wyderko, Director, Office of Investor Education and Assistance,
Acting Director, Division of Investment Management, U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission; Patricia D. Struck, North American Securities
Administrators Association, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin; Elisse B. Walter,
National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), Washington, D.C.; Barry
Minkow, Fraud Discovery Institute, San Diego, California; and Ruth Mitchell,
Columbiana, Ohio.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/30
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 30, 2006; pages D303 - D312
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007
for the Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from P. Lynn
Scarlett, Deputy Secretary, R. Thomas Weimer, Assistant Secretary for Policy,
Management and Budget, and Pamela K. Haze, Co-Director, Office of Budget, all
of the Department of the Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
Department of Energy's Supply and Conservation account, Electricity Delivery
and Energy Reliability account, Office of Nuclear Energy, Office of Civilian
Radioactive Waste Management, Office of Environmental Management, Office of
Fossil Energy Research and Development, and Office of Science, after receiving
testimony from David K. Garman, Under Secretary for Energy, Science, and
Environment, and Raymond L. Orbach, Director, Office of Science, both of the
Department of Energy.
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 2007 for the Department of Agriculture, 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 E. Rey, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and
Environment, Eric M. Bost, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services, Richard A. Raymond, Under Secretary for Food Safety, and Charles
Lambert, Acting Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, all of
the Department of Agriculture.
FLAT FEDERAL INCOME TAX
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia
concluded a hearing to examine the potential effects of a flat Federal income
tax in the District of Columbia, after receiving testimony from Natwar M.
Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer for the Government of the District of
Columbia; and Terence C. Golden, Federal City Council, Washington, D.C.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007,
focusing on reserve component personnel policies, after receiving testimony
from Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs;
Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, USA, Chief National Guard Bureau;
Lieutenant General Clyde A. Vaughn, USA, Director, Army National Guard;
Lieutenant General Daniel James III, USAF, Director, Air National Guard;
Lieutenant General James R. Helmly, USA, Chief, Army Reserve; Vice Admiral
John G. Cotton, USN, Chief, Navy Reserve; Lieutenant General John W. Bergman,
USMC, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Lieutenant General John A.
Bradley, USAF, Chief, Air Force Reserve.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill to amend the Defense Production Act of 1950, to
strengthen Government review and oversight of foreign investment in the United
States, to provide for enhanced Congressional oversight with respect thereto.
MCKINNEY-VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing and
Transportation concluded a hearing to examine S. 1801, to amend the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to reauthorize the Act, and provide for
consolidation of HUD's homeless programs, after receiving testimony from Roy
A. Bernardi, Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Philip F.
Mangano, Executive Director, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness; Gail
Dorfman, County Commissioner, Hennepin County, Minnesota; Steven R. Berg,
National Alliance to End Homelessness, Washington, D.C.; Charles W. Gould,
Volunteers of America, Alexandria, Virginia; Anthony Love, Coalition for the
Homeless of Houston/Harris County, Inc., Houston, Texas; and Dennis P.
Culhane, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
[Page: D305]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported S. 2389, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to
prohibit the unlawful acquisition and use of confidential customer proprietary
network information, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
POLAR-ORBITING OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded an oversight hearing to examine National
Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, which provide data
and imagery that are used by weather forecasters, climatologists, and the
military to map and monitor changes in weather, climate, the oceans, and the
environment, after receiving testimony from Gary E. Payton, Deputy Under
Secretary of the Air Force for Space Programs; David A. Powner, Director,
Information Technology Management Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Gregory W. Withee, Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information
Services, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; David
L. Ryan, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, California.
COMPETITION AND CONVERGENCE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the state of competition and convergence in the
telecommunications industry, after receiving testimony from Kyle McSlarrow,
National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Earl Comstock, COMPTEL,
Walter McCormick, US Telecom, Steve Largent, CTIA-The Wireless Association,
and Mark Cooper, on behalf of Consumer Federation of America, Free Press, and
Consumers Union, all of Washington, D.C.; and Jerry Ellig, George Mason
University Mercatus Center, Arlington, Virginia.
WATER PROJECTS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine S. 1577, to facilitate the transfer of
Spearfish Hydroelectric Plant Number 1 to the city of Spearfish, South Dakota,
S. 1962, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to revise certain
repayment contracts with the Bostwick Irrigation District in Nebraska, the
Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District No. 2, the Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation
District, and the Webster Irrigation District No. 4, all a part of the
Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, S. 2028, to provide for the reinstatement
of a license for a certain Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project, S.
2035, to extend the time required for construction of a hydroelectric project
in the State of Idaho, S. 2054, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study of water resources in the State of Vermont, S. 2205, to direct
the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain parcels of land acquired for
the Blunt Reservoir and Pierre Canal features of the initial stage of the Oahe
Unit, James Division, South Dakota, to the Commission of Schools and Public
Lands and the Department of Game, Fish, and Parks of the State of South Dakota
for the purpose of mitigating lost wildlife habitat, on the condition that the
current preferential leaseholders shall have an option to purchase the parcels
from the Commission, and H.R. 3812, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to prepare a feasibility study with respect to the Mokelumne River, after
receiving testimony from Senator Thune; John Keys III, Commissioner of
Reclamation, and Catherine L. Hill, Northeast Regional Hydrologist, U.S.
Geologist Survey, both of the Department of the Interior; J. Mark Robinson,
Director, Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
Department of Energy; Mayor Jerry Krambeck, Spearfish, South Dakota; Laurence
R. Becker, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Waterbury; C. Mel
Lytle, San Joaquin County, Stockton, California, on behalf of the Mokelumne
River Water and Power Authority; and Darla Pollman Rogers, Riter, Rogers,
Wattier and Brown, LLP, on behalf of Preferential Leaseholders with the Blunt
Reservoir and Pierre Canal.
COST OF OIL
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
hidden cost of oil, focusing on the externality costs of U.S. dependence on
fossil fuels, after receiving testimony from Milton R. Copulos, National
Defense Council Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia; Hillard Huntington, Stanford
University Energy Modeling Forum, Stanford, California; and Gary W. Yohe,
Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
[Page: D306]
NUCLEAR AND RADIOLOGICAL THREAT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations resumed hearings to examine securing the global
supply chain relating to neutralizing the nuclear and radiological threat,
focusing on programs that form the defense against nuclear terrorism including
the Container Security Initiative, the Megaports Initiative, the Customs-Trade
Partnership Against Terrorism, and the role of the Domestic Nuclear Detection
Office, a new office created within DHS to coordinate global nuclear detection
architecture, receiving testimony from Senators Graham and Schumer; Michael P.
Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security; Christopher L. Koch, World
Shipping Council, Washington, D.C.; Gary D. Gilbert, Hutchison Port Holdings,
Oakton, Virginia; and John P. Clancey, Maersk, Inc., Charlotte, North
Carolina.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT VETERANS' PREFERENCE
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 the Federal Government's
implementation of veterans' preference in the hiring of employees, including
an evaluation of the laws designed to protect and promote the employment of
veterans, the impact of workforce flexibilities on veterans, and how veterans'
redress mechanisms are working, after receiving testimony from Dan G. Blair,
Deputy Director, Office of Personnel Management; Charles S. Ciccolella,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training; James
McVay, Deputy Special Counsel, Office of Special Counsel; Richard Weidman,
Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver Spring, Maryland; and Joseph C. Sharpe,
Jr., The American Legion, and Brian E. Lawrence, Disabled American Veterans,
both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 1768, to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings;
S. 829, to allow media coverage of court proceedings; and
The nominations of Michael A. Chagares, of New Jersey, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, Patrick Joseph Schiltz, to be United
States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, Gray Hampton Miller, to
be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, and Sharee
M. Freeman, of Virginia, to be Director, Community Relations Service, and
Jeffrey L. Sedgwick, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the Bureau of Justice
Statistics, both of the Department of Justice.
VETERANS' LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATIONS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
legislative presentations of certain veterans' organizations, after receiving
testimony from George Basher, National Association of State Directors of
Veterans' Affairs, Albany, New York; Gerald S. Harvey, American Ex-Prisoners
of War, Arlington, Texas; John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver
Spring, Maryland; and Edward W. Kemp, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/03/31
Daily Digest - Friday, March 31, 2006, pages D314 - D320
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Uttam Dhillon, of California, to be
Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement, Department of Homeland
Security, and Mark D. Acton, of Kentucky, to be a Commissioner of the Postal
Rate Commission, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
PRESIDENTIAL CENSURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. Res.
398, relating to the censure of George W. Bush, after receiving testimony from
John W. Dean, former White House Counsel to President Richard Nixon; John
Schmidt, Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw, Chicago, Illinois, former Associate
Attorney General; Robert F. Turner, University of Virginia Center for National
Security Law, Charlottesville; and Bruce Fein, Fein and Fein, and Lee A.
Casey, Baker and Hostetler, both of Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/03
Daily Digest - Monday, April 3, 2006; pages D322 - D326
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IMMIGRATION LITIGATION REDUCTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
immigration litigation reduction issues, after receiving testimony from
Jonathan Cohn, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, Department
of Justice; Chief Judge Paul R. Michel, United States Court of Appeals for the
Federal Circuit, Washington, D.C.; Chief Judge John M. Walker, Jr., United
States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, New Haven, Connecticut;
Circuit Judge Carlos T. Bea, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit, San Francisco, California; Senior Judge Jon O. Newman, United States
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Hartford, Connecticut; District Judge
John M. Roll, United States District Court for the District of Arizona,
Tucson; and David A. Martin, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/04
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 4, 2006; pages D328 - D336
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported H.R. 4939,
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2006, with amendments.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year
2007, focusing on missile defense programs, after receiving testimony from
Peter C.W. Flory, Assistant Secretary for International Security Policy, and
David W. Duma, Acting Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, both of the
Department of Defense; Lieutenant General Larry J. Dodgen, USA, Commander,
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army Forces Strategic
Command; and Lieutenant General Henry A. Obering, III, USAF, Director, Missile
Defense Agency.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007,
focusing on health benefits and programs, after receiving testimony from 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; General Richard A. Cody, USA, Vice Chief of Staff,
United States Army; Admiral Robert F. Willard, USN, Vice Chief of Naval
Operations, United States Navy; General Robert Magnus, USMC, Assistant
Commandant of the Marine Corps, United States Marine Corps; and General John
D.W. Corley, USAF, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Air Force.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower concluded a hearing to
examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and
the future years defense program, focusing on the posture of the United States
Transportation Command, after receiving testimony from General Norton A.
Schwartz, USAF, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command; and General Duncan J.
McNabb, USAF, Commander, Air Mobility Command.
TERRORIST FINANCING AND MONEY LAUNDERING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine a current assessment of money laundering and terrorist
financing threats and countermeasures, after receiving testimony from Stuart
Levey, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence; E. Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and
Business Affairs; Michael F.A. Morehart, Chief, Terrorist Financing Operations
Section, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Department of Justice; and Kevin Delli-Colli, Deputy Assistant Director,
Financial and Trade Investigations Division, Office of Investigations, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security.
[Page: D330]
MANUFACTURED HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing and
Transportation concluded a hearing to examine S. 2123, to modernize the
manufactured housing loan insurance program under title I of the National
Housing Act, after receiving testimony from Brian D. Montgomery, Assistant
Secretary for Housing, Federal Housing Commissioner, and Michael J. Frenz,
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Government National Mortgage
Association (Ginnie Mae), both of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development; Kevin Clayton, Clayton Homes, Inc., Maryville, Tennessee, on
behalf of the Manufactured Housing Institute and the Manufactured Housing
Association for Regulatory Reform; and Kevin Jewell, Manufactured Housing
Project, Austin, Texas, on behalf of Consumers Union.
TSA'S BAGGAGE AND PASSENGER SCREENING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the responsibilities, operations, and priorities of
Transportation Security Administration in airline passenger and baggage
screening, after receiving testimony from Edmund "Kip" Hawley, Assistant
Secretary of Homeland Security for Transportation Security; Cathleen Berrick,
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office; and
Gregory O. Principato, Airports Council International-North America,
Washington, D.C., on behalf of the American Association of Airport Executives.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded hearings to
examine design elements of a mandatory market-based greenhouse gas regulatory
system in the United States, including trading and international
competitiveness, after receiving testimony from sundry witnesses.
TAX PREPARERS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the quality and
costs of paid federal income tax return preparers, focusing on enrolled
agents--those who are approved by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after
passing an examination on tax matters or demonstrating past IRS employment
experience, receiving testimony from Michael Brostek, Director, Strategic
Issues, Government Accountability Office; Bert Dumars, Director, Electronic
Tax Administration, and Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Taxpayer
Advocate Service, both of the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the
Treasury; and Robert A. Weinberger, H&R Block, on behalf of the Free File
Alliance, LLC, Francis X. Degen, National Association of Enrolled Agents, and
Harley T. Duncan, Federation of Tax Administrators, all of Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
COUNTERTERRORISM PRIORITIES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Operations and
Terrorism met in closed session to receive a briefing regarding
counterterrorism priorities from Henry A. Crumpton, Coordinator for
Counterterrorism, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Department
of State.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/05
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 5, 2006; pages D337 - D350
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENTS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007, after
receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from
William H. Pickle, Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate; Wilson
Livingood, Chairman, Capitol Police Board and Capitol Guide Service; and
Christopher McGaffin, Acting Chief of Police, Capitol Police Board; Tom
Stevens, Head, Congressional Special Services Office and Capitol Guide
Service; and Alan Hantman, Architect of the Capitol.
APPROPRIATIONS: 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 2007 for the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from
Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, Robert Mueller, Director, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Karen Tandy, Administrator, Drug Enforcement
Administration, Carl J. Truscott, Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives, and John Clark, Director, U.S. Marshals Service, all
of the Department of Justice.
APPROPRIATIONS: ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Army
Corps of Engineers, after receiving testimony from John Paul Woodley,
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works; and Lieutenant General Carl
A. Strock, Chief of Engineers.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded closed and open hearings to examine the proposed defense
authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the future years defense
program, focusing on Department of Defense's role in combating terrorism,
after receiving testimony from Thomas W. O'Connell, Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict; Vice Admiral Eric
T. Olson, USN, Deputy Commander, United States Special Operations Command;
Vice Admiral John Scott Redd, USN (Ret.), Director, National Counterterrorism
Center; and Jeffrey N. Rapp, Director, Joint Intelligence Task Force-Combating
Terrorism, Defense Intelligence Agency.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine the proposed defense authorization request for
fiscal year 2007, focusing on improving contractor incentives, after receiving
testimony from Kenneth J. Krieg, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics; and David M. Walker, Comptroller General, Government
Accountability Office.
ASIA PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Global
Climate Change and Impacts concluded a hearing to examine the current and
future role of science in the Asia Pacific Partnership, focusing on the
public-private initiative that addresses the interconnected challenges of
assuring economic growth and development, poverty eradication, energy
security, pollution reduction, and mitigating climate change, after receiving
testimony from James L. Connaughton, Chairman, White House Council on
Environmental Quality; and W. David Montgomery, CRA International, Margo
Thorning, International Council for Capital Formation, and David D. Doniger,
Natural Resources Defense Council Cimate Center, all of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D340]
WILDFIRE SEASON
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded an oversight hearing to examine the 2005 wildfire season and
the Federal land management agencies' preparations for the 2006 wildfire
season, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment; and Nina Rose Hatfield,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Richard Capka, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator
of the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, and James
B. Gulliford, of Missouri, to be Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances,
and William Ludwig Wehrum, Jr., of Tennessee, to be an Assistant
Administrator, both of the Environmental Protection Agency, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of W. Ralph Basham, of Virginia, to be Commissioner of Customs, Department of
Homeland Security, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
U.S.-INDIA CIVILIAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
United States-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement, and non-proliferation goals,
global energy requirements, environmental concerns, and the United States
geo-strategic relationship with India, focusing on S. 2429, to authorize the
President to waive the application of certain requirements under the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954 with respect to India, after receiving testimony from
Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
ISLAMIST EXTREMISM IN EUROPE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on European Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine the nature and scope of Islamist extremism in Europe,
focusing on secular and spiritual alienation, after receiving testimony from
Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Henry A.
Crumpton, Coordinator for Counterterrorism, and Tom C. Korologos, United
States Ambassador to Belgium, all of the Department of State; and Robin
Niblett, and Daniel Benjamin, both of the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, and Mary Habeck, Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, all of Washington, D.C.
PORT SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 2459, to improve cargo security, and other related
measures, after receiving testimony from Senator Murray; Representatives
Lungren and Harman; Michael P. Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security;
Jeffrey W. Monroe, Department of Ports and Transportation, Portland, Maine;
M.R. Dinsmore, Port of Seattle, Seattle, Washington; and Andrew Howell, U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, and James P. Hoffa, International Brotherhood of
Teamsters, Washington, D.C.
FEDERAL FUNDING OF MUSEUMS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine various avenues of Federal funding for
museums including authorized programs, grantmaking agencies, and earmarks,
after receiving testimony from David A. Ucko, Head, Informal Science
Education, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education,
Education and Human Resources Directorate, National Science Foundation;
Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director, Institute of Museums and Library Services;
Edward H. Able, Jr., American Association of Museums, and Thomas A. Schatz,
Citizens Against Government Waste, both of Washington, D.C.
ALL-HAZARDS MEDICAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness concluded a hearing to examine
all-hazards medical preparedness and response, after receiving testimony from
John Agwunobi, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Health;
Ellen Embrey, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Force Health Protection and
Readiness, and Director, Deployment Health Support, Department of Defense;
Lawrence Deyton, Chief Public Health and Environmental Hazards Officer,
Department of Veterans Affairs; Eddy A. Bresnitz, New Jersey Department of
Health and Senior Services, Trenton, on behalf of the Council of State and
Territorial Epidemiologists; Thomas V. Inglesby, Center for Biosecurity,
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland; Richard Serino,
Boston Emergency Medical Services, Boston, Massachusetts; and Rob Gougelet,
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
[Page: D341]
METHAMPHETAMINE
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the impact methamphetamine use is having in Indian country, after
receiving testimony from Senator Burns; William P. Ragsdale, Director, Bureau
of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Robert McSwain, Deputy
Director, Jon Perez, Director, Division of Behavioral Health, and Anthony
Dekker, Associate Director, Clinical Services, Phoenix Indian Medical Center,
all of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services;
Matthew H. Mead, United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming, Cheyenne,
Department of Justice; Kathleen W. Kitcheyan, San Carlos Apache Tribe, San
Carlos, Arizona; Jefferson Keel, National Congress of American Indians, and
Gary L. Edwards, National Native American Law Enforcement Association, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Karrie Azure, United Tribes Technical College, Bismark,
North Dakota.
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.
2006/04/06
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 6, 2006; pages D351 - D362
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 2007
for the Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from
Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Marcus Peacock, Deputy Administrator, and
Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, all of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
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 2007 for the
Department of the Treasury, after receiving testimony from John Snow,
Secretary, Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence, and Janice B. Gardner, Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and
Analysis, all of the Department of the Treasury.
BORDER SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine the United States Coast Guard's role in border and maritime
security, focusing on port infrastructure and ports of entry in the United
States, and terrorist targets including ferries, cruise ships, and fuel
vessels, after receiving testimony from Vice Admiral Thad Allen, Chief of
Staff, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HEALTHCARE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia
concluded a hearing to examine healthcare in the District of Columbia,
focusing on access to primary care and affordable health insurance, after
receiving testimony from Brenda Donald Walker, Deputy Mayor for Children,
Youth, Families and Elders, Government of the District of Columbia; Randall R.
Bovbjerg, Urban Institute, Sharon A. Baskerville, District of Columbia Primary
Care Association, Maria Gomez, Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care,
Lawrence H. Mirel, Wiley Rein and Fielding, LLP, Edmund F. Haislmaier,
Heritage Foundation, and Christine Reesor, DC Spanish-Catholic Center Medical
Clinic of Catholic Community Services, all of Washington, D.C.
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
National Nuclear Security Administration, after receiving testimony from
Linton F. Brooks, Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower concluded a hearing to
examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007,
focusing on navy shipbuilding, after receiving testimony from Delores M.
Etter, Assistant Secretary for Research, Development, and Acquisition, Rear
Admiral Mark J. Edwards, USN, Director for Warfare Integration, N8F, and Rear
Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, III, USN, Director for Programming Division, N80,
both of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, all of the Department of
the Navy; Damien Bloor, First Marine International Limited, United Kingdom;
and John F. Schank, RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year
2007, focusing on military space programs, after receiving testimony from
Ronald M. Sega, Under Secretary of the Air Force; Rear Admiral Kenneth W.
Deutsch, USN, Director, Net-Centric Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of
Naval Operations; Lieutenant General Kevin P. Chilton, USAF, Joint Functional
Component Commander for Space and Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command;
Lieutenant General Michael A. Hamel, USAF, Commander, Space and Missile
Systems Center, Air Force Space Command; and Cristina T. Chaplain, Acting
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management Team, Government Accountability
Office.
OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on National
Ocean Policy Study concluded a hearing to examine offshore aquaculture,
focusing on current proposals to regulate offshore aquaculture operations,
discuss research in this field being conducted off the coasts of New England
and Hawaii, and the impacts that expanded aquaculture operations would have on
fishermen, seafood processors, and consumers, after receiving testimony from
Bill Hogarth, Director, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Richard Langan,
University of New Hampshire Open Ocean Aquaculture Project, Durham; John R.
Cates, Cates International Inc., Kailua, Hawaii; Mark Vinsel, United Fishermen
of Alaska, Juneau; Rebecca Goldburg, Environmental Defense, New York, New
York; and Sebastian Belle, Maine Aquaculture Association, Hallowell.
[Page: D354]
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 1510, to designate as wilderness certain
lands within the Rocky Mountain National Park in the State of Colorado, S.
1719 and H.R. 1492, bills to provide for the preservation of the historic
confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II,
S. 1957, to authorize the Secretary of Interior to convey to the Missouri
River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor Center Foundation,
Inc. certain Federal land associated with the Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail in Nebraska, to be used as an historical interpretive site
along the trail, S. 2034 and H.R. 394, bills to direct the Secretary of the
Interior to conduct a study to evaluate the significance of the Colonel James
Barrett Farm in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and assess the suitability
and feasibility of including the farm in the National Park System as part of
the Minute Man National Historical Park, S. 2252, to designate the National
Museum of Wildlife Art, located at 2820 Rungius Road, Jackson, Wyoming, as the
National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States, and S. 2403, to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to include in the boundaries of the
Grand Teton National Park land and interests in land of the GT Park
Subdivision, after receiving testimony from Sue Masica, Associate Director,
Park Planning, Facilities, and Lands, National Park Service, Department of the
Interior; and Gerald H. Yamada, O'Connor and Hannan LLP, Washington, D.C., on
behalf of the Japanese American National Heritage Coalition.
HEALTH CARE COVERAGE
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine challenges and
opportunities relating to health care coverage for small businesses, focusing
on the employer-based system in the United States and the impact of health
care cost growth and state regulation of health insurance rates, receiving
testimony from Senators Durbin and DeMint; Joseph E. Rossman, Associated
Builders and Contractors, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of the Small
Business Health Plan Coalition; and Len M. Nichols, New America Foundation,
Todd O. McCracken, National Small Business Association, and Deborah Chollet,
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., all of Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Long-Term Growth and Debt Reduction held
a hearing to examine if America is saving enough to be competitive in the
global marketplace relating to saving for the 21st century, focusing on
current saving decisions and their implications for long-term economic growth,
receiving testimony from Thomas J. McCool, Director, Center for Economics,
Applied Research and Methods, Government Accountability Office; Jurrien
Timmer, Fidelity Investments, Boston, Massachusetts; Barry P. Bosworth and
Lael Brainard, both of The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Mark C. Minton, of Florida, to be Ambassador to Mongolia, after
the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
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 the Small
Business Administration, focusing on SBA programs and their financial impact
on the budget and economy, after receiving testimony from Representative
Kelly; Hector Barreto, Administrator, Small Business Administration; William
B. Shear, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government
Accountability Office; Veronique de Rugy, American Enterprise Institute,
Washington, D.C.; Jonathan J. Bean, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale;
David H. Bartram, U.S. Bank, San Diego, California, on behalf of National
Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, Inc.; and John Pointer,
Nashville, Tennessee.
ORPHAN WORKS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property concluded a
hearing to examine proposals for a legislative solution relating to orphan
works, focusing on enactment of legislation as a catalyst necessary to prompt
non-legal, marketplace reforms that will most efficiently address the problems
identified by photographers and creators of visual images, after receiving
testimony from Jule L. Sigall, Associate Register for Policy and International
Affairs, U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress; Victor S. Perlman,
American Society of Media Photographers, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
June V. Cross, Columbia University, and Maria Pallante, Solomon R. Guggenheim
Foundation (Guggenheim Museum), both of New York, New York; Brad Holland,
Illustrators' Partnership of America, Marshfield, Massachusetts; Thomas C.
Rubin, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Virginia; and Rick Prelinger, Prelinger
Archives, San Francisco, California, on behalf of the Internet Archive.
[Page: D355]
VA'S CAPITAL PLAN
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Department of Veterans Affairs 5-year capital construction plan, focusing on
the VA's portfolio management approach and how the Capital Asset Realignment
for Enhanced Services (CARES) process and the Enhanced-Use Leasing program
play an integral role in the management of VA's portfolio, after receiving
testimony from Senators Allard, Nelson of Florida, and Martinez; Jonathan B.
Perlin, Under Secretary for Health, James M. Sullivan, Deputy Director, Office
of Asset Enterprise Management, and Robert L. Neary, Jr., Acting Chief and
Associate Chief, Facilities Management Officer for Service Delivery, all of
the Department of Veterans Affairs; and Dennis M. Cullinan, Veterans of
Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington, D.C.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
SENIOR EMPLOYMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
employment and community service for low-income seniors, focusing on what
effect the Older Americans Act Amendments have had on the distribution of the
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) funds to national and
state grantees, describe the progress Labor has made in implementing the
enhanced performance accountability system, and identify the challenges faced
by national and state grantees in managing the SCSEP program, after receiving
testimony from Sigurd R. Nilsen, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income
Security Issues, Government Accountability Office; John R. Beverly, III,
Administrator, Office of National Programs, Employment and Training
Administration, Department of Labor; Melinda M. Adams, Idaho Commission on
Aging, Boise; Shauna O'Neil, Salt Lake County Aging Services, Salt Lake City,
Utah; and Carol Salter, Easter Seals, Inc., Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/07
Daily Digest - Friday, April 7, 2006; pages D363 - D366
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/24
Daily Digest - Monday, April 24, 2006; pages D368 - D374
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COAL LIQUEFACTION/GASIFICATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held a hearing to examine
the economic and environmental issues associated with coal liquefaction
technology and on the implementation of the provisions of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 addressing coal gasification, receiving testimony from Clarence L.
Miller, Director, Office of Sequestration, Hydrogen, and Clean Coal Fuels,
Office of Fossil Energy, Department of Energy; Arie Geertsema, University of
Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research, Lexington; David G. Hawkins,
Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.; D. Hunt Ramsbottom,
Rentech, Inc., Los Angeles, California; and James F. Roberts, Foundation Coal
Corporation, Linthicum Heights, Maryland.
Hearings continue on Monday, May 1.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/25
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 25, 2006; pages D375 - D382
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine current securities issues, focusing on improving financial
disclosure for individual investors, after receiving testimony from
Christopher Cox, Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
NASA
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science
and Space concluded a hearing to examine activities of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, focusing on space exploration,
scientific discovery, and aeronautics research, after receiving testimony from
Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
METHAMPHETAMINE
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the social and
economic effects of the methamphetamine epidemic on America's child welfare
system, receiving testimony from Kevin T. Frank, Montana Department of Public
Health and Human Services, Child and Family Services, Billings; Nancy K.
Young, Children and Family Futures, Inc., Irvine, California; Frederick
Aigner, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Des Plaines; and certain other
witnesses.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine the scope of illicit activity funding
the current regime of North Korea, focusing on narcotics trafficking,
manufacturing and trading in counterfeit cigarettes, and the Supernote family
of counterfeit currency notes, after receiving testimony from Peter A. Prahar,
Director, Office of Africa, Asia and Europe Programs, Bureau for International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of State; Michael Merritt,
Deputy Assistant Director, U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland
Security; Kim Seung Min, Free North Korea Radio, Seoul, South Korea; David
Asher, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia; and Marcus
Noland, Institute for International Economics, and Chuck Downs, both of
Washington, D.C.
IMMIGRATION AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
immigration issues, focusing on economic impacts relating to trade and capital
flows and policies that affect trade and capital that alter immigration, after
receiving testimony from Richard B. Freeman, Harvard University, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; Dan Siciliano, Stanford Law School, Stanford, California; Barry
R. Chiswick, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Harry J. Holzer,
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Milan D. Smith, Jr., of California, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Ninth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Feinstein and
Boxer, and Renee Marie Bumb, Noel Lawrence Hillman, Peter G. Sheridan, and
Susan Davis Wigenton, each to be United States District Judge for the District
of New Jersey, who were introduced by Senators Lautenberg and Menendez, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/26
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 26, 2006; pages D384 - D394
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BIOFUELS INDUSTRY
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the state of the biofuels industry, after receiving
testimony from Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association, Washington, D.C.; Joe
Jobe, National Biodiesel Board, Jefferson City, Missouri; Jay Derbertin, CHS,
Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota; and Robert C. Brown, Iowa State University Center
for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Ames.
[Page: D386]
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL GUARD & RESERVE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the National Guard
and Reserve, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum,
Chief, National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Clyde A. Vaughn, Director,
Army National Guard; Major General Charles Ickes, II, Acting Director, Air
National Guard; Lieutenant General James R. Helmly, Chief, Army Reserve; Vice
Admiral John G. Cotton, Chief, Naval Reserve; Lieutenant General John W.
Bergman, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Lieutenant General John A.
Bradley, Chief, Air Force Reserve.
APPROPRIATIONS: GAO
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
Government Accountability Office, after receiving testimony from David M.
Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Gene L. Dodaro, Chief
Operating Officer, Sallyanne Harper, Chief Administrator Office, and George G.
Strader, Controller, all of the Government Accountability Office.
APPROPRIATIONS: NASA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science,
and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates
for fiscal year 2007 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
after receiving testimony from Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 2,043
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine
certain efforts to foster innovation in math and science education, after
receiving testimony from Mary Ann Rankin, University of Texas at Austin; Paul
Dugan, Washoe County School District, Reno, Nevada; Thomas N. McCausland,
Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, Pennsylvania; and Ioannis Miaoulis, Museum
of Science, Boston, Massachusetts.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Global
Climate Change and Impacts concluded a hearing to examine projected and past
effects of climate change, focusing on certain marine and terrestrial systems,
after receiving testimony from Steven A. Murawski, Director, Scientific
Programs and Chief Science Advisor, National Marine Fisheries Service and
Ecosystem Goal Team Leader, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Department of Commerce; Thomas R. Armstrong, Program Coordinator, Earth
Surface Dynamics Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior;
Syun-Ichi Akasofu, International Arctic Research Center, Fairbanks, Alaska;
Robert W. Corell, American Meteorological Society, Grasonville, Maryland; and
Paul Reiter, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Richard Capka, of Pennsylvania, to be
Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, and James B. Gulliford, of Missouri, to be Assistant
Administrator for Toxic Substances, and William Ludwig Wehrum, Jr., of
Tennessee, to be an Assistant Administrator, both of the Environmental
Protection Agency.
Also, Committee adopted a proposal to amend Committee Rule 7(d) on the naming
of public buildings and facilities.
CUSTOMS AND TRADE AUTHORIZATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine authorizations for
activities of the United States International Trade Commission, United States
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Customs and Border
Protection, and for an International Trade Data System, receiving testimony
from Stephen Koplan, Chairman, International Trade Commission; Julie Myers,
Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Jayson P.
Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, United States
Customs and Border Protection, both of the Department of Homeland Security;
Timothy E. Skud, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax, Trade,
and Tariff Policy; Marian Duntley, Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., Torrance,
California, on behalf of the American Association of Exporters and Importers;
Peter H. Powell, C.H. Powell, Company, Westwood, Massachusetts, on behalf of
the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, Inc.;
Brian Monks, Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Northbrook, Illinois; Jerry
Cook, Sara Lee Branded Apparel, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Mic
Dinsmore, Port of Seattle, Seattle, Washington.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D387]
U.S.-INDIA ATOMIC ENERGY COOPERATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
United States-India atomic energy cooperation, focusing on strategic and
nonproliferation implications, including S. 2429, to authorize the President
to waive the application of certain requirements under the Atomic Energy Act
of 1954 with respect to India, after receiving testimony from Ashton B.
Carter, Harvard University Belfer Center for Science and International
Affairs, Cambridge, Massachusetts; William J. Perry, Stanford University
Hoover Institution, Stanford, California; Robert L. Gallucci, Georgetown
University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Ashley J. Tellis,
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Robert J. Einhorn, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, Gary Milhollin, Wisconsin Project on
Nuclear Arms Control, and Stephen P. Cohen, Brookings Institution, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Ronald F. Lehman, II, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, Livermore, California.
HIV/AIDS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security held an oversight hearing to examine Federal efforts to ensure early
diagnosis and access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, focusing on how federal
funding is being distributed to provide AIDS drugs and HIV testing
opportunities in the United States, receiving testimony from Deborah Parham
Hopson, Associate Administrator, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and
Services Administration, and Kevin Fenton, Director, National Center for HIV,
STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both of
the Department of Health and Human Services; Marcia Crosse, Director, Health
Care, Government Accountability Office; Beth Scalco, National Alliance of
State and Territorial AIDS Directors, Washington, D.C.; and Michael Weinstein,
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Los Angeles, California.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
DIGITAL RADIO REVOLUTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine the future of
the music industry in the digital radio revolution, focusing on parity,
platforms, and protection issues, receiving testimony from Edgar Bronfman,
Jr., Warner Music Group, New York, New York; Gary Parsons, XM Satellite Radio
Inc., Washington, D.C.; Bruce T. Reese, Bonneville International Corporation,
Salt Lake City, Utah, on behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters;
N. Mark Lam, Live365, Inc., Foster City, California, on behalf of the Digital
Media Association; Anita Baker, Grosse Point, Michigan; Todd Rundgren, Darby,
Pennsylvania; and Victoria Shaw, Nashville, Tennessee.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
FINANCING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the reauthorization of the Financing and Entrepreneurial
Development programs administered by the Small Business Administration, after
receiving testimony from Hector V. Barreto, Administrator, Small Business
Administration; Harry C. Alford, National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.,
Washington, D.C.; Mark Morrissette, North Atlantic Capital, Portland, Maine,
on behalf of the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies;
James R. Baird, Bay Area Development Company, Walnut Creek, California; and
James A. Maxwell, Granite State Economic Development Corporation/New England
Business Finance, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/04/27
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 27, 2006; pages D395 - D406
Committee Meetings
( Committees not listed did not meet )
APPROPRIATIONS: IRS
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 2007 for the
Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, after receiving
testimony from Mark Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Raymond
T. Wagner, Jr., Chairman, Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board, J. Russell
George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Nina E. Olsen,
National Taxpayer Advocate, Taxpayer Advocate Service, all of the Department
of the Treasury.
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch resumed
hearings to examine the progress of Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) construction,
focusing on the installation and fabrication of stone, and the acceptance
testing of the CVC's complex fire and life-safety systems, receiving testimony
from Alan M. Hantman, Architect, Robert C. Hixon, Jr., Capitol Visitor Center
Project Manager, Stephen Ayers, Chief Operating Officer, all of the Office of
the Architect of the Capitol; and Bernard L. Ungar, Director, and Terrell
Dorn, Assistant Director, both of Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
Hearings continue on Wednesday, May 24, 2006.
MILITARY ACTIVITY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine operations and intelligence from Peter W. Rodman,
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; Brigadier
General Carter Ham, USA, Deputy Director for Regional Operations, J-3, and
Rear Admiral David J. Dorsett, USN, Director of Intelligence, J-2, both of The
Joint Staff.
DROUGHT ISSUES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded an oversight hearing to examine drought
research, monitoring, and forecasting issues and the shortage of water,
focusing on drought management in the United States, and the need to move the
nation to a more risk-based management approach to lessen the vulnerability to
this natural hazard, after receiving testimony from Chester J. Koblinsky,
Director, Climate Program Office, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce;
former Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer, Environmental Systems Research
Institute, Redlands, California, on behalf of the Alliance for Earth
Observations; and Donald A. Wilhite, University of Nebraska National Drought
Mitigation Center, Lincoln.
WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace
Corps and Narcotics Affairs concluded a hearing to examine the progress of
implementing the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will require all
travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean, and Bermuda to have a
passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and
nationality to enter or re-enter the United States, in order to strengthen
border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens
and legitimate foreign visitors, after receiving testimony from Senators
Dorgan and Schumer; Representatives Reynolds and Slaughter; Paul Rosenzweig,
Counselor (Policy Directorate) and Acting Assistant Secretary of Homeland
Security for Policy Development; Frank E. Moss, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State for Passport Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs; Ken Oplinger,
Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bellingham, Washington;
Brian Sage, Northwest Angle and Islands Homeowners Association, Angle Inlet,
Minnesota; and Howard A. Zemsky, Greater Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Buffalo,
New York, on behalf of the Binational Tourism Alliance.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 2557, to improve competition in the oil and gas industry, to strengthen
antitrust enforcement with regard to industry mergers;
[Page: D399]
S. 2292, to provide relief for the Federal judiciary from excessive rent
charges; and
The nominations of Michael Ryan Barrett, to be United States District Judge
for the Southern District of Ohio, Brian M. Cogan, to be United States
District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, Thomas M. Golden, to be
United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Timothy
Anthony Junker, to be United States Marshal for the Northern District of Iowa,
and Patrick Carroll Smith, Sr., of Maryland, to be United States Marshal for
the Western District of North Carolina.
Also, Committee began markup of S. 2453, to establish procedures for the
review of electronic surveillance programs; S. 2455, to provide in statute for
the conduct of electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists for the
purposes of protecting the American people, the Nation, and its interests from
terrorist attack while ensuring that the civil liberties of United States
citizens are safeguarded; and S. 2468, to provide standing for civil actions
for declaratory and injunctive relief to persons who refrain from electronic
communications through fear of being subject to warrantless electronic
surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes, but did not complete action
thereon, and recessed subject to the call.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine renewing the
temporary provisions of the Voting Rights Act, ensuring that the right to vote
continues to be protected to the full extent of Congress's constitutional
authority, receiving testimony from Representatives Sensenbrenner, and
Conyers.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Daniel L. Cooper, of Pennsylvania, to be Under Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for Benefits.
VA RESEARCH
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Department of Veterans Affairs medical and prosthetic research program,
focusing on funding basic science and clinical research, after receiving
testimony from Jonathan B. Perlin, Under Secretary for Health, Joel
Kupersmith, Chief Research and Development Officer, Richard F. Weir, Research
Scientist, VA Prosthetics Research Laboratory, Jesse Brown, VA Medical Center
(Chicago, Illinois), and Fred S. Wright, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
(West Haven), and Dennis L. Stevens, Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Boise,
Idaho), both Associate Chiefs of Staff for Research, all of the Department of
Veterans Affairs; John R. Feussner, Medical University of South Carolina
Department of Medicine, Charleston; and John I. Kennedy, Jr., University of
Alabama at Birmingham, on behalf of the Alliance for Academic Internal
Medicine.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the current
economic outlook, focusing on the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, and
incentives for investment activity, after receiving testimony from Ben
Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
2006/05/01
Daily Digest - Monday, May 1, 2006; pages D407 - D412
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ENERGY POLICY AND COAL GASIFICATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the economic and environmental issues associated with coal
gasification technology and on implementation of the provisions of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 addressing coal gasification, after receiving testimony
from David K. Garman, Under Secretary of Energy; Brian Ferguson, Eastman
Chemical Company, Kingsport, Tennessee; Antonia Herzog, Natural Resources
Defense Council, Washington, D.C.; William F. Bruce, BRI Energy, New Smyrna
Beach, Florida; William C. Douglas, Econo-Power International Corporation,
Houston, Texas; and William A. Boycott, Agrium U.S. Inc., Kenai, Alaska.
[Page: D410]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/02
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 2, 2006; pages D414 - D422
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FARM BILL: PEANUT PROVISIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the implementation of the peanut provisions of the Farm
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, after receiving testimony from
Floyd Gaibler, Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign
Agriculture Services; Stanley M. Fletcher, University of Georgia, Griffin, on
behalf of the National Center for Peanut Competitiveness; Evans J. Plowden,
Jr., American Peanut Shellers Association, Inc., Albany, Georgia; and Gary
Rasor, American Peanut Product Manufacturers, Inc., Rittman, Ohio.
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 2007.
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 2007.
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 2007.
LINE-ITEM RESCISSION AUTHORITY
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 2381, to
amend the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to provide
line-item rescission authority, after receiving testimony from Senator Byrd;
Austin Smythe, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget; Donald
B. Marron, Acting Director, Congressional Budget Office; Louis Fisher,
Specialist at the Law Library, Library of Congress; and Charles J. Cooper,
Cooper and Kirk, PLLC, Washington, D.C.
BUDGET: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science
and Space concluded a hearing to examine fiscal year 2007 budget request,
programs and science priorities of the National Science Foundation, after
receiving testimony from Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science
Foundation; Warren M. Washington, Chairman, National Science Board; Alan I.
Leshner, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington,
D.C.; and Jerome D. Odom, University of South Carolina Foundations, Columbia,
on behalf of EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 2459, to improve cargo security, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
H.R. 2066, to amend title 40, United States Code, to establish a Federal
Acquisition Service, to replace the General Supply Fund and the Information
Technology Fund with an Acquisition Services Fund, with amendments;
An original resolution thanking Joyce Rechtschaffen for her service to the
Senate and to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and
The nominations of Uttam Dhillon, of California, to be Director of the Office
of Counternarcotics Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, and Mark D.
Acton, of Kentucky, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Rate Commission.
Also, committee approved a committee report entitled "Hurricane Katrina: A
Nation Still Unprepared."
FBI OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held an oversight hearing to examine the
current state of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), focusing on the
National Security Branch, human resources, and the Trilogy Project information
technology system and the payment of questionable contractor costs and missing
assets, receiving testimony from Robert S. Mueller III, Director, FBI, and
Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General, both of the Department of Justice; Linda M.
Calbom, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, Government
Accountability Office; and John C. Gannon, BAE Systems Information Technology,
McLean, Virginia.
[Page: D418]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Sandra Segal Ikuta, of California, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Ninth Circuit, Sean F. Cox and Thomas L. Ludington, each to be
United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan, who were
introduced by Senators Levin and Stabenow and Representative Camp, and Kenneth
L. Wainstein, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Department of
Justice, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/03
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 3, 2006; pages D424 - D434
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
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 2007 for the Department of Health and Human
Services, after receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of
Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE MEDICAL HEALTH PROGRAM
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Defense Medical
Health Program, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Kevin C.
Kiley, Surgeon General, and Major General Gale S. Pollock, Chief, Nurse Corps,
both of the U.S. Army; Vice Admiral Donald C. Arthur, Surgeon General, and
Rear Admiral Christine M. Bruzek-Kohler, Director, Nurse Corps, both of the
U.S. Navy; and Lieutenant General George Peach Taylor, Jr., Surgeon General,
and Major General Melissa A. Rank, Assistant Surgeon General for Nursing
Services, both of the Air Force.
MARRIAGE PENALTY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia
concluded a hearing to examine ways to eliminate penalties for marriage for
low income families, focusing on the Healthy Marriage Initiative, after
receiving testimony from Wade F. Horn, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human
Services for Children and Families; Kate Jesberg, District of Columbia
Department of Human Services, and C. Eugene Steuerle, Urban Institute, Ron
Haskins, Brookings Institution, Curtis Watkins, East Capitol Center for
Change, and Winston and Saundra Graham, all of Washington, D.C.
APPROPRIATIONS: OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE/GPO/CBO
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the
Office of Compliance, Government Printing Office and Congressional Budget
Office, after receiving testimony from Susan S. Robfogel, Chair, Tamara E.
Chrisler, Acting Executive Director, and Peter Eveleth, General Counsel, all
of the Office of Compliance; Bruce R. James, Public Printer of the United
States, Government Printing Office; and Donald B. Marron, Acting Director,
Congressional Budget Office.
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 2007 for Department of Commerce, after receiving testimony from
Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce.
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 2007.
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 2007.
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 2007.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to mark up
proposed legislation authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for
military activities of the Department of Defense, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again on tomorrow.
[Page: D428]
POOL SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs, Product Safety, and Insurance concluded a hearing to examine pool
safety issues, after receiving testimony from Jacqueline Elder, Assistant
Executive Director for Hazard Identification and Reduction, U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission; Mark Laven, Latham International, Alexandria,
Virginia, on behalf of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals; Alan
Korn, Safe Kids Worldwide, Washington, D.C.; and Nancy Baker, McLean,
Virginia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Robert F. Godec, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic
of Tunisia, and Robert S. Ford, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the People's
Democratic Republic of Algeria, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
SOCIAL SERVICES FOR OLDER AMERICANS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
innovation in the aging network regarding the future of social services for
older Americans, focusing on ensuring that America's communities are prepared
to meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's older adults, after receiving
testimony from Neal E. Lane, New York State Office for the Aging, Albany;
Pamela B. Smith, San Diego County Aging and Independence Services, San Diego,
California; and Gayla S. Woody, Centralina Area Agency on Aging, Charlotte,
North Carolina.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/04
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 4, 2006; pages D435 - D442
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FAA
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 2007 for the
Federal Aviation Administration, after receiving testimony from Marion C.
Blakey, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of
Transportation.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
An original bill entitled "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2007";
An original bill entitled "Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2007";
An original bill entitled "Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2007"; and
An original bill entitled "Department of Energy National Security Act for
Fiscal Year 2007".
BUSINESS MEETING: FINANCIAL SERVICES REGULATORY RELIEF ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill, to provide regulatory relief and improve
productivity for insured depository institutions.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS MOVING FRAUD
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine concluded a hearing to examine protecting
consumers from fraudulent practices in the moving industry, focusing on
criminal elements that operate at the fringe of the industry and victimize the
public, after receiving testimony from Todd J. Zinser, Acting Inspector
General, and Warren Hoemann, Acting Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration, both of the Department of Transportation; J. Joseph
Curran, Jr., Maryland Attorney General, and Steven M. Sakamoto-Wengel,
Maryland Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Chief, Consumer Protection
Division, both of Baltimore; J.R. Kelly, Florida Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services, Tallahassee; Kay F. Edge, Virginia Tech School of
Architecture and Design, Blacksburg; and Joseph M. Harrison, American Moving
and Storage Association, Alexandria, Virginia.
[Page: D437]
NANO COMMERCIALIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Trade,
Tourism, and Economic Development concluded a hearing to examine promoting
economic development opportunities through nano commercialization, after
receiving testimony from Sean Murdock, NanoBusiness Alliance, Skokie,
Illinois; Robert D. Rung, Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute,
Corvallis; Philip Boudjouk, North Dakota State University, Fargo; David
Rejeski, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, D.C.;
and Jerry L. Gwaltney, City of Danville, Danville, Virginia.
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nomination of Dirk Kempthorne, of Idaho, to be Secretary of the
Interior, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Craig and Crapo,
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
URBANIZATION IN AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine housing and urbanization issues in Africa, focusing on the
East Africa Peer Exchange Program, and economic growth and poverty reduction,
after receiving testimony from Darlene F. Williams, Assistant Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development for Policy Development and Research; James T.
Smith, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Economic Growth,
Agriculture, and Trade, U.S. Agency for International Development; Jonathan
T.M. Reckford, Habitat for Humanity International, Americus, Georgia; and Anna
Kajumulo Tibaijuka, UN-HABITAT, United Nations Human Settlements Programme,
Nairobi, Kenya.
BUSINESS MEETING: NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Norman Randy Smith, of Idaho, and Milan D. Smith, Jr., of
California, each to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit,
and Renee Marie Bumb, Noel Lawrence Hillman, Peter G. Sheridan, and Susan
Davis Wigenton, each to be a United States District Judge for the District of
New Jersey.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights,
and Property Rights approved for full committee consideration S.J. Res.12,
proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing
Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United
States.
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.
2006/05/05
Daily Digest - Friday, May 5, 2006; pages D444 - D448
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/08
Daily Digest - Monday, May 8, 2006; pages D449 - D452
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HYDROELECTRIC FACILITIES LICENSING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine issues associated with the implementation of the provisions
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 addressing licensing of hydroelectric
facilities, after receiving testimony from J. Mark Robinson, Director, Office
of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Lawrence Finfer,
Acting Director, Office of Policy Analysis, Department of the Interior; and
Daniel M. Adamson, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, on behalf of the National
Hydropower Association, and Andrew Fahlund, American Rivers, on behalf of the
Hydropower Reform Coalition, both of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of David L. Norquist, of Virginia, to be
Chief Financial Officer, Department of Homeland Security, after the nominee,
who was introduced by Senator Warner, testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/09
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 9, 2006; pages D454 - D460
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2007 for military construction, after receiving testimony from
Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller), and Philip W. Grone, Deputy
Under Secretary for Installations and Environment, both of the Department of
Defense; Keith Eastin, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and
Environment; B.J. Penn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and
Environment; and William C. Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for
Installations, Environment, and Logistics.
CAFE STANDARDS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine concluded a hearing to examine efforts to
reform corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars,
focusing on oil consumption, flexible fuel, fuel cells and hybrid-electric
vehicles, and hydrogen internal combustion engines, after receiving testimony
from Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary, Jeffrey Rosen, General Counsel, and
Jacqueline Glassman, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, all of the Department of Transportation; Frederick L. Webber,
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Philip R. Sharp, Resources for the
Future, Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen, David Friedman, Union of Concerned
Scientists, and Alan Reuther, International Union, United Automobile,
Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, all of Washington,
D.C.; and John M. Cabaniss, Jr., Association of International Automobile
Manufacturers, Arlington, Virginia.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN U.S. AIR CARRIERS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded a hearing to examine the Department of Transportation's notice of
proposed rulemaking that clarifies the rules regarding foreign investments in
U.S. air carriers, after receiving testimony from Representatives Mica and
Oberstar; Jeffrey N. Shane, Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy;
Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corporation, Memphis, Tennessee; Jeffery A. Smisek,
Continental Airlines, Houston, Texas; Michael G. Whitaker, United Airlines,
Elk Grove Village, Illinois; and Duane Woerth, Air Line Pilots Association,
International, Washington, D.C.
LONGSHORE HARBOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment and Workplace Safety concluded a hearing to examine proposed reform
of Longshore Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, after receiving testimony from
Lawrence P. Postol, Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, Washington, D.C.; Richard A. Victor,
Workers Compensation Research Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Stephen
Embry, Embry and Neusner, Groton, Connecticut; and Mitch White, Manson
Construction, San Pedro, California, on behalf of the AGC National Marine
Contractors Committee.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine an
introduction to the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act and legal
issues relating to reauthorization, after receiving testimony from Chandler
Davidson, Rice University, Houston, Texas; Theodore M. Shaw, NAACP Legal
Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and Samuel Issacharoff, New York
University School of Law, both of New York, New York; Richard L. Hasen, Loyola
Law School, Los Angeles, California; and Laughlin McDonald, ACLU Voting Rights
Project, Atlanta, Georgia.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Judge Walter K. Stapleton, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third
Circuit and Judge Alex Kozinski, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
[Page: D456]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/10
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 10, 2006; pages D462 - D470
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FARM BILL: SUGAR PROVISIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the implementation of the sugar provisions of the Farm
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, after receiving testimony from J.B.
Penn, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural
Services; John C. Roney, American Sugar Alliance, Arlington, Virginia; Wallace
Ellender, III, American Sugar Cane League, Bourg, Louisiana; Steve Williams,
Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, Fisher, Minnesota, on behalf
of American Sugarbeet Growers Association; Margaret Blamberg, American Cane
Sugar Refiners' Association, Brooklyn, New York; Robert A. Peiser, Imperial
Sugar Company, Sugar Land, Texas; Joe Goehring, The Hershey Company, Hershey,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Sweetener Users Association; and Mrinal Roy,
Mauritius Sugar Syndicate and Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture, London, United
Kingdom.
APPROPRIATIONS: MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAM
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the missile defense
program, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Henry A. Obering,
III, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency; and Lieutenant General Larry J.
Dodgen, USA, Commanding General, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command,
and U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command.
WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to discuss the
current situation in Afghanistan with Lieutenant General Karl W. Eikenberry,
USA, Commanding General, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of Dirk Kempthorne, of Idaho, to be Secretary of the
Interior.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 906, to promote wildland firefighter
safety, S. 2003, to make permanent the authorization for watershed restoration
and enhancement agreements, H.R. 585, to require Federal land managers to
support, and to communicate, coordinate, and cooperate with, designated
gateway communities, to improve the ability of gateway communities to
participate in Federal land management planning conducted by the Forest
Service and agencies of the Department of the Interior, and to respond to the
impacts of the public use of the Federal lands administered by these agencies,
and H.R. 3981, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out certain
land exchanges involving small parcels of National Forest System land in the
Tahoe National Forest in the State of California, after receiving testimony
from Representative Radanovich; Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest
System, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; Christopher Kearney,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget;
Steve Duerr, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and Bob
Warren, City of Redding, California, on behalf of the National Alliance of
Gateway Communities.
[Page: D464]
CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the progress
achieved and challenges ahead for America's child welfare system, focusing on
foster care, mentoring the children of prisoners, and the Promoting Safe and
Stable Families program, after receiving testimony from Joan E. Ohl,
Commissioner, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, Administration
for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services; Gary
Stangler, Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, St. Louis, Missouri;
Arlene Templer, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation
Department of Human Resources Development, Pablo, Montana; Joe Kroll, North
American Council on Adoptable Children, St. Paul, Minnesota; and Jackie
Hammers-Crowell, Iowa City, Iowa.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Earl Anthony Wayne, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to Argentina,
David M. Robinson, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the Co-operative
Republic of Guyana, and Lisa Bobbie Schreiber Hughes, of Pennsylvania, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Indian economic development, focusing on the recent Bureau of Indian
Affairs Indian labor force report and unemployment in Indian population, after
receiving testimony from Robert W. Middleton, Director, Office of Indian
Energy and Economic Development, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Indian Affairs; Joe Garcia, National Congress of American
Indians, Washington, D.C.; Tex G. Hall, InterTribal Economic Alliance,
Sisseton, South Dakota; Lance Morgan, Ho-Chunk, Inc., Winnebago, Nebraska;
Elsie M. Meeks, First Nations Oweesta Corporation, Rapid City, South Dakota;
and Miriam Jorgensen, Harvard University Project on American Indian Economic
Development, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and University of Arizona Native
Nations Institute.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine modern
enforcement and reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, including S. 2703,
to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965, after receiving testimony from Wan J.
Kim, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice;
Robert B. McDuff, Law Offices of Robert McDuff, Jackson, Mississippi; Gregory
S. Coleman, Weil Gotshall and Manges, Austin, Texas; Natalie A. Landreth,
Native American Rights Fund, Anchorage, Alaska; Frank B. Strickland,
Strickland Brockington Lewis, LLP, Atlanta, Georgia; and Juan Cartagena,
Community Service Society of New York, New York, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D465]
Joint Meetings
HEALTH INFORMATION TOOLS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the next
generation of health information tools for consumers, focusing on healthcare
delivery system reform, medical treatment decisions, and the affordability and
quality of medicare care, after receiving testimony from Carolyn M. Clancy,
Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and
Human Services; Arnold Milstein, Pacific Business Group on Health, San
Francisco, California; Michael D. Parkinson, Lumenos, Inc., Alexandria,
Virginia; Paul B. Ginsburg, Center for Studying Health System Change,
Washington, D.C.; Douglas G. Cave, Cave Consulting Group, Foster City,
California; Donald W. Kemper, Healthwise, Inc., Boise, Idaho; and Walton
Francis, Fairfax, Virginia.
2006/05/11
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 11, 2006; pages D471 - D478
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AVIAN INFLUENZA
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Department of Agriculture's national response plan to
detect and control the potential spread of Avian Influenza into the United
States, focusing on the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for
Pandemic Influenza, and migratory bird surveillance, after receiving testimony
from Ron DeHaven, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
Department of Agriculture.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Robert J. Portman, of Ohio, to be Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators
Bunning and DeWine, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine Iran's nuclear program and the impact of potential
sanctions from Robert Walpole, Deputy Director for Strategy and Evaluation,
National Counter-proliferation Center, and S. Leslie Ireland, Mission Manager
for Iran, both of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and
Paul E. Simons, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy, Sanctions and
Commodities, Bureau of Economics and Business Affairs.
BUSINESS MEETING: NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, and Sean F. Cox and Thomas L.
Ludington, both to be a United States District Judge for the Eastern District
of Michigan.
[Page: D473]
VA HEALTHCARE LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
proposed health care-related legislation, after receiving testimony from
Michael Kussman, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health
Administration, and Jack Thompson, Deputy General Counsel, both of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; Robert Shaw, State Veterans Center, Rifle,
Colorado, on behalf of National Association of State Veterans Homes; John
Melia, Wounded Warrior Project, Roanoke, Virginia; and Carl Blake, Paralyzed
Veterans of America, Juan Lara, American Legion, and Adrian M. Atizado,
Disabled American Veterans, all 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.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/12
Daily Digest - Friday, May 12, 2006; pages D479 - D484
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Nominations: of William B. Taylor, Jr., of Virginia, to be Ambassador to
Ukraine, Anne E. Derse, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Azerbaijan, who was introduced by former Senator Mathias, and Daniel S.
Sullivan, of Alaska, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and
Business Affairs, who was introduced by Senator Murkowski, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D480]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/15
Daily Digest - Monday, May 15, 2006; pages D485 - D488
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ELECTRICITY RELIABILITY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005's
electricity reliability provisions, focusing on the security of the nation's
bulk-power system, after receiving testimony from John S. Moot, General
Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Rick Sergel, North American
Electric Reliability Council, Princeton, New Jersey; David K. Owens, Edison
Electric Institute, Allen Mosher, American Public Power Association, and John
A. Anderson, Electricity Consumers Resource Council, all of Washington, D.C.;
Michael E. Easley, Powder River Energy Corporation, Sundance, Wyoming, on
behalf of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, and the National Rural
Electric Cooperative Association; and Trudy A. Harper, Tenaska Power Services
Company, Arlington, Texas, on behalf of the Electric Power Supply Association.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/16
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 16, 2006; pages D489 - D496
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 James Lambright, of Missouri, to be
President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Armando J. Bucelo,
Jr., and Todd S. Farha, both of Florida, each to be a Director of the
Securities Investor Protection Corporation, Jon T. Rymer, of Tennessee, to be
Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, John W. Cox, of
Texas, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, and William Hardiman, of Michigan, to be a Member of the Board of
Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences, after each nominee
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
HEDGE FUNDS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Securities
and Investment concluded a hearing to examine the role of hedge funds in U.S.
capital markets, after receiving testimony from Randal K. Quarles, Under
Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance; Susan Ferris Wyderko,
Director, Office of Investor Education and Assistance, U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission; Patrick M. Parkinson, Deputy Director, Division of
Research and Statistics, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
James A. Overdahl, Chief Economist, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
Richard T. McCormack, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Adam
Lerrick, American Enterprise Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; James
Chanos, Coalition of Private Investment Companies, New York, New York; and
Kurt N. Schacht, Chartered Financial Analyst Institute, Charlottesville,
Virginia.
TRANSPORTATION WORKER IDENTIFICATION CREDENTIAL PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Transportation Security Administration's Transportation
Worker Identification Credential Program, after receiving testimony from
Michael P. Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security; George P. Cummings,
City of Los Angeles Harbor Department, San Pedro, California; Lisa B. Himber,
Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
and Larry I. Willis, AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C.
YUCCA MOUNTAIN REPOSITORY PROJECT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the status of the Yucca Mountain Repository Project within
the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management at the Department of
Energy, focusing on the history of high-level nuclear waste disposal, after
receiving testimony from B. John Garrick, Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Waste
Technical Review Board; Paul M. Golan, Acting Director, Office of Civilian
Radioactive Waste Management, Department of Energy; William Wehrum, Jr.,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency; and Robert R. Loux, Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects,
Carson City.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 1686, to amend the Constitution Heritage Act
of 1988 to provide for the operation of the National Constitution Center, S.
2417 and H.R. 4192, bills to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
designate the President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace home in Hope,
Arkansas, as a National Historic Site and unit of the National Park System, S.
2419 and H.R. 4882, bills to ensure the proper remembrance of Vietnam veterans
and the Vietnam War by providing a deadline for the designation of a visitor
center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, S. 2568, to amend the National
Trails System Act to designate the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National
Historic Trail, S. 2627, to amend the Act of August 21, 1935, to extend the
authorization for the National Park System Advisory Board, and S. Res. 468,
supporting the continued administration of Channel Islands National Park,
including Santa Rosa Island, in accordance with the laws (including
regulations) and policies of the National Park Service, after receiving
testimony from Senators Warner, Sarbanes, Boxer, and Pryor; Stephen P. Martin,
Deputy Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Patricia
Gallagher, Executive Director, National Capital Planning Commission; Patrick
F. Noonan, Conservation Fund, Arlington, Virginia; Harry G. Robinson III, TRG
Consulting Studio, Washington, D.C.; and Rimantas Saikus, Cleveland, Ohio.
[Page: D491]
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Susan C. Schwab, of Maryland, to be United States Trade Representative,
with the rank of Ambassador, after the nominee testified and answered
questions in her own behalf.
OIL DEPENDENCE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
strategies for reducing dependence on oil, focusing on S. 2435, to increase
cooperation on energy issues between the United States Government and foreign
governments and entities in order to secure the strategic and economic
interests of the United States, after receiving testimony from Vinod Khosla,
Khosla Ventures, Menlo Park, California; and Jason S. Grumet, National
Commission on Energy Policy, Washington, D.C.
RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement Security and Aging concluded a hearing to examine naturally
occurring retirement communities and what impact they may have on the ability
to create livable community options for all Americans, after receiving
testimony from Elinor Ginzler, AARP, Washington, D.C.; Fredda Vladeck, United
Hospital Fund, New York, New York; Joyce Garver Keller, Ohio Jewish
Communities, Columbus; Ann Sutton Burke, Jewish Family Service, Cincinnati,
Ohio; Julia Pierson, Senior Home Services Comprehensive Housing Assistance,
Inc., Baltimore, Maryland; and Beth K. Shapiro, Jewish Federation of Greater
Washington, Rockville, Maryland.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine the continuing
need for Section 5 pre-clearance requirements of the Voting Rights Act,
including trends in minority participation in the seven states originally
covered by the Act, renewal of the Act, and the history and prospects for
minority voter participation in the states originally covered by Section 5,
receiving testimony from Anita S. Earls, University of North Carolina Center
for Civil Rights, Chapel Hill; Pamela S. Karlan, Stanford Law School,
Stanford, California; Keith Gaddie, University of Oklahoma, Norman; Theodore
S. Arrington, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; and Richard H. Pildes,
New York University School of Law, New York, New York.
Hearing will continue on tomorrow.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Kenneth L. Wainstein, of Virginia, to be Assistant Attorney
General for National Security, Department of Justice, after the nominee, who
was introduced by Senator Warner, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
[Page: D492]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/17
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 17, 2006; pages D497 - D506
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE BROADBAND LOAN PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities
Service Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, after receiving testimony
from Jim Andrew, Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, Department of
Agriculture; Larry Sevier, Rural Telephone Service Company, Lenora, Kansas;
Mark Pagon, Pegasus Communications Corporation, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; and
Tom Simmons, Midcontinent Communications, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of
Defense; and General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
NATIONAL GUARD
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
roles and missions of the National Guard in support of the Bureau of Customs
and Border Protection, after receiving testimony from Paul McHale, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense; Lieutenant General James T. Conway,
USMC, Director of Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff; Lieutenant General H.
Steven Blum, USA, Chief, National Guard Bureau; and Chief David V. Aguilar,
Office of Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of
Homeland Security.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Dale Klein, of Texas, to be Member of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, who was introduced by Senator Hutchison, and Molly A.
O'Neill, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
PHYSICIAN-OWNED SPECIALTY HOSPITALS
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the quality of
patient care and services at physician-owned specialty hospitals, receiving
testimony from Mark B. McClellan, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Michael W. Wilson,
Sellwood Baptist Church, Portland, Oregon; Cindy Morrison, Sioux Valley Health
System, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on behalf of the Coalition of Full Service
Hospitals; John M. House, Irving, Texas, on behalf of the American Surgical
Hospital Association; Dan Mulholland, Horty, Springer and Mattern, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; and James C. Cobey, Washington, DC.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
IRAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held a hearing to examine Iran's
political and nuclear ambitions and the enrichment of uranium, focusing on
United States policy options, the possibility of unilateral sanctions
targeting European and Asian corporations, and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), receiving testimony from Robert J. Einhorn, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, David Albright, Institute for Science and
International Security, Kenneth M. Pollack, Brookings Institution, Karim
Sadjadpour, International Crisis Group, Patrick Clawson, Washington Institute
for Near East Policy, and Geoffrey Kemp, Nixon Center, all of Washington, DC.
Hearing will continue on tomorrow.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of April H. Foley, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic
of Hungary, who was introduced by Representative Kelly, Michael D. Kirby, of
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, John A. Cloud, Jr., of
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, Tracey Ann Jacobson,
of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Tajikistan,
Michael Wood, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to Sweden, and
Robert Anthony Bradtke, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Croatia, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
[Page: D499]
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Robert J. Portman, of Ohio, to be
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Voinovich, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia continued hearings to examine the Federal government's security
clearance process, focusing on the progress of the Office of Personnel
Management in implementing a plan to address the longstanding backlog of
security clearance investigations, including the next steps by the Office of
Management and Budget, and the recent halt by the Defense Security Service in
processing government contractor security clearances, receiving testimony from
Clay Johnson, III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and
Budget; Kathy L. Dillaman, Associate Director for Federal Investigative
Services Division, Office of Personnel Management; Robert Andrews, Deputy
Under Secretary for Counter-Intelligence and Security, and Robert W. Rogalski,
Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Intelligence, both of the
Department of Defense; and Derek B. Stewart, Director, Defense Capabilities
and Management, Government Accountability Office.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 2823, to provide life-saving care for those with HIV/AIDS;
S. 2803, to amend the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to improve
the safety of mines and mining, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
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; and
The nominations of Jerry Gayle Bridges, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial
Officer, and Vince J. Juaristi, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of
Directors, both of the Corporation for National and Community Service, J.C.A.
Stagg, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the James
Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, Kent D. Talbert, of Virginia, to be
General Counsel, Department of Education, and Horace A. Thompson, of
Mississippi, to be a Member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review
Commission.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee continued oversight hearings to examine
how suicide prevention programs and resources that exist outside of Indian
country might be applied to American Indians and Alaska Natives, receiving
testimony from Jerry Gidner, Deputy Bureau Director for Tribal Services,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Charles W. Grim,
Director, Indian Health Service, and Charles G. Curie, Administrator,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, both of Department
of Health and Human Services; Donna Vigil, White Mountain Apache Tribe,
Whiteriver, Arizona; William E. Martin, Alaska State Suicide Prevention
Council, Juneau; R. Dale Walker, Oregon Health and Science University One Sky
Center, Portland; and Jo Ann Kauffman, Kauffman and Associates, Inc., Spokane,
Washington, on behalf of Native Aspirations Project.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
understanding the benefits and cost of Section 5 pre-clearance requirements of
the Voting Rights Act, after receiving testimony from Fred Gray, Gray,
Langford, Sapp, McGowan, Gray and Nathanson, Montgomery, Alabama; Drew S.
Days, III, Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut; Abigail M. Thernstrom,
Manhattan Institute, New York, New York; Armand Derfner, Derfner, Altman and
Wilborn, Charleston, South Carolina; and Nathaniel Persily, University of
Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia.
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: D500]
Joint Meetings
HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY PROGRAMS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Committee concluded a hearing to examine the role of the Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights relating to advancing the human dimension in the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), focusing on the
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and its role in monitoring
elections in OSCE countries, after receiving testimony from Kurt Volker,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs; Christian Strohal, Director, Office for Democratic Institutions and
Human Rights, OSCE, Austria; and Carl Gershman, National Endowment for
Democracy, Jeff Fischer, International Foundation for Election Systems,
Patrick Merloe, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and
Lorne Craner, International Republican Institute, all of Washington, D.C.
2006/05/18
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 18, 2006; pages D508 - D516
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 2,086
nominations in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 1881, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of the Old Mint at San Francisco, otherwise known as the
"Granite Lady";
S. 633, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of veterans who became disabled for life while serving in the
Armed Forces of the United States; and
S. 2784, to award a congressional gold medal to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth
Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding contributions
to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious understanding.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND EXCHANGE RATE POLICIES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the report to Congress on International Economic and
Exchange Rate Policies, after receiving testimony from John W. Snow, Secretary
of the Treasury.
COMMUNICATIONS CONSUMER'S CHOICE AND BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held a hearing
to examine S. 2686, to amend the Communications Act of 1934, receiving
testimony from former Representative Steve Largent, on behalf of the CTIA--The
Wireless Association; Mayor Michael A. Guido, Dearborn, Michigan, on behalf of
the United States Conference of Mayors and sundry organizations; Philip
McClelland, Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate, Harrisburg, on behalf of
the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates; Kyle McSlarrow,
National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Walter B. McCormick, Jr.,
United States Telecom Association (USTelecom), Gene Kimmelman, Consumers
Union, on behalf of the Consumer Federation of America, and Free Press, and
Joslyn Read, Satellite Industry Association, all of Washington, DC; Julia L.
Johnson, Video Access Alliance, Tallahassee, Florida; and Shirley A.
Bloomfield, National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, Arlington,
Virginia, on behalf of the Coalition to Keep America Connected.
Hearing continues on Thursday, May 25.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported S. 2802, to improve American innovation and competitiveness
in the global economy, with amendments.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of
W. Ralph Basham, of Virginia, to be Commissioner of Customs, Department of
Homeland Security.
Also, Committee approved recommendations relative to proposed legislation
implementing the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement.
IRAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine Iran's
political and nuclear ambitions and the enrichment of uranium, focusing on the
United Nations Security Council, and the prospect of direct talks with the
government of Iran, after receiving testimony from Frank G. Wisner, American
International Group, Inc., New York, New York; Vali R. Nasr, Naval
Postgraduate School, Monterey, California; and Julia Nanay, PFC Energy, and
James A. Phillips, Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C.
NEPAL
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian
Affairs concluded a hearing to examine recent political developments in Nepal,
focusing on the role of the United States to support democracy, security and
prosperity in Nepal, after receiving testimony from Richard A. Boucher,
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs; Deepak
Thapa, Columbia University, and Sam Zarifi, Human Rights Watch, both of New
York, New York; and John Norris, International Crisis Group, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Robert Irwin Cusick, Jr., of Kentucky, to
be Director of the Office of Government Ethics, Office of Personnel
Management, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator McConnell,
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
UNOBLIGATED BALANCES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine unobligated balances, focusing on
their treatment by Federal agencies and how they impact their budgeting and
programming process, including what happens to these accounts when they
expire, and how the Office of Management and Budget, Department of the
Treasury, and the agencies treat them, after receiving testimony from Phyllis
F. Scheinberg, Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Budget and Programs,
and Chief Financial Officer; Lee J. Lofthus, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General/Controller, Department of Justice; John P. Roth, Deputy Comptroller
for Program Budget, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller),
Department of Defense; Charles E. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Health and
Human Services for Budget, Technology and Finance; and Robert J. Henke,
Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Management.
[Page: D511]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S.J. Res. 1,
proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to
marriage.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of General Michael V. Hayden, United States Air Force, to be
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR SENIORS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine caring
for seniors during a national emergency, including issues that surfaced as a
result of the 2005 hurricanes, focusing on challenges faced by hospital and
nursing home administrators that are related to hurricane evacuations, the
Federal program that supports the evacuation of patients needing hospital care
and nursing home residents, and challenges States and localities face in
preparing for and carrying out the evacuation of transportation-disadvantaged
populations and efforts to address evacuation needs, after receiving testimony
from Daniel W. Sutherland, Officer, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and
Chair, Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and
Individuals with Disabilities, Department of Homeland Security; Cynthia
Bascetta, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office; Amy B.
Aiken, Miami-Dade Office of Emergency Management, Miami, Florida; Carmel
Bitondo Dyer, Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Program at the Harris
County Hospital District, Houston, Texas, on behalf of the American Geriatrics
Society; Maurice Frisella, New Orleans, Louisiana; and Jean Cefalu, Slidell,
Louisiana.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/19
Daily Digest - Friday, May 19, 2006; pages D517 - D524
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NIH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human
Services, and Education concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the National Institutes of Health, after
receiving testimony from Elias A. Zerhouni, Director, John E. Niederhuber,
Acting Director, National Cancer Institute, Francis Collins, Director,
National Human Genome Research Institute, Elizabeth Nabel, Director, National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and Anthony Fauci, Director, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, all of the National Institutes
of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; and sundry witnesses
representing health groups and organizations.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/22
Daily Digest - Monday, May 22, 2006; pages D525 - D530
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ENERGY POLICY ACT: NUCLEAR POWER PROVISIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine nuclear power provisions contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005,
focusing on incentives for the construction of new nuclear power plants,
including production tax credits, loan guarantees, insurance against
regulatory delays, and extension of the Price-Anderson Act nuclear liability
system, after receiving testimony from Dennis Spurgeon, Assistant Secretary of
Energy for Nuclear Energy; Nils J. Diaz, Chairman, United States Nuclear
Regulatory Commission; and James K. Asselstine, Lehman Brothers, Inc., New
York, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of
Susan C. Schwab, of Maryland, to be United States Trade Representative, with
the rank of Ambassador.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Lurita Alexis Doan, of Virginia, to be
Administrator of General Services, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Landrieu and Allen, testified and answered questions in her own
behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nominations of Robert J. Portman, of Ohio, to be
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Robert Irwin Cusick, Jr., of
Kentucky, to be Director of the Office of Government Ethics, Office of
Personnel Management, and David L. Norquist, of Virginia, to be Chief
Financial Officer, Department of Homeland Security.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/23
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 23, 2006; pages D531 - D542
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BIODEFENSE AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine biodefense and pandemic influenza preparedness issues,
after receiving testimony from John M. Clerici, McKenna Long, and Aldridge,
LLP, and Frank J. Cilluffo, George Washington University Homeland Security
Policy Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; Scott R. Lillibridge, University
of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health; and Paul
Offit, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
FINANCIAL LITERACY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the status of financial literacy and financial education in
the United States, focusing on the importance of financial literacy, both as a
source of better decisionmaking by consumers and as a means of improving the
functioning of financial markets, including initiatives to promote financial
education and address opportunities and challenges that policymakers and
financial educators face as they seek to improve financial literacy, after
receiving testimony from Senator Akaka; Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Christopher Cox, Chairman, U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission; M. Cindy Hounsell, Women's Institute for a
Secure Retirement, and Stephen Brobeck, Consumer Federation of America, both
of Washington, D.C.; and Sarah Teslik, Certified Financial Planner Board of
Standards, Inc., Denver, Colorado.
[Page: D533]
NOMINATION
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination
of Robert J. Portman, of Ohio, to be Director of the Office of Management and
Budget.
GASOLINE PRICE GOUGING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine if the price of gasoline is being artificially manipulated
by reducing refinery capacity or by any other form of market manipulation or
price gouging practices, including recommendations for Congress's
consideration in its ongoing efforts to protect consumers in petroleum
markets, after receiving testimony from Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman,
Federal Trade Commission; Nariman Behravesh, Global Insight, Lexington,
Massachusetts; and Bob Slaughter, National Petrochemical and Refiners
Association, and Mark Cooper, Consumer Federation of America, both of
Washington, D.C.
BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the National Research Council report, Managing Construction and
Infrastructure in the 21st Century Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation Report, Managing for Excellence: An Action Plan for the 21st
Century, after receiving testimony from William E. Rinne, Acting Commissioner,
Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; New Mexico State Senator H.
Diane Snyder, Albuquerque, on behalf of the American Council of Engineering
Companies; Lloyd A. Duscha, Reston, Virginia, on behalf of the National
Research Council; Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance, Klamath Falls, Oregon; and
Thomas F. Donnelly, National Water Resources Association, and Scott Yates,
Trout Unlimited, both of Arlington, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 2781, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to enhance the
security of wastewater treatment works, with an amendment;
S. 2023, to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to improve that Act, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 2735, to amend the National Dam Safety Program Act to reauthorize the
national dam safety program, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 2430, to amend the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act of 1990 to
provide for implementation of recommendations of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service contained in the Great Lakes Fishery Resources Restoration
Study, with an amendment;
S. 2912, to establish the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, to establish the
Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, with an amendment;
S. Res. 301, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Audubon
Society, with an amendment;
S. 2832, to reauthorize and improve the program authorized by the Appalachian
Regional Development Act of 1965;
S. 1509, to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to add non-human primates
to the definition of prohibited wildlife species;
S. 2041, to provide for the conveyance of a United States Fish and Wildlife
Service administrative site to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada;
S. 2127, to redesignate the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in the State
of Virginia as the "Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge";
S. 2650, to designate the Federal courthouse to be constructed in Greenville,
South Carolina, as the "Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Federal Courthouse.";
S. 801, to designate the United States courthouse located at 300 North Hogan
Street, Jacksonville, Florida, as the "John Milton Bryan Simpson United States
Courthouse"; and
The nominations of Molly A. O'Neill, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and and Dale Klein, of
Texas, Gregory B. Jaczko, of the District of Columbia, and Peter B. Lyons, of
Virginia, each to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
TRIBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Long-Term Growth and Debt Reduction held
a hearing to examine the ability of tribal governments to implement long-term,
self-sustaining economic development, focusing on Tribal tax-exempt bond
issues, receiving testimony from Raymond C. Etcitty, Navajo Nation Office of
Legislative Counsel, Window Rock, Arizona; Lenor A. Scheffler, Best and
Flanagan LLP, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Gavin Clarkson, University of Michigan
School of Information, School of Law, and Native American Studies, Ann Arbor;
Scott Schickli, Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe LLP, Portland, Oregon; and
Wayne A. Shammel, Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Roseburg, Oregon.
[Page: D534]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. Res. 312, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the
United States to address global climate change through the negotiation of fair
and effective international commitments, with amendments;
S. Res. 359, concerning the Government of Romania's ban on intercountry
adoptions and the welfare of orphaned or abandoned children in Romania;
S. Res. 456, expressing the sense of the Senate on the discussion by the North
Atlantic Council of secure, sustainable, and reliable sources of energy;
S. Res. 469, condemning the April 25, 2006, beating and intimidation of Cuban
dissident Martha Beatriz Roque;
S. 559, to make the protection of vulnerable populations, especially women and
children, who are affected by a humanitarian emergency a priority of the
United States Government, with amendments;
S. 1950, to promote global energy security through increased cooperation
between the United States and India in diversifying sources of energy,
stimulating development of alternative fuels, developing and deploying
technologies that promote the clean and efficient use of coal, and improving
energy efficiency, with amendments;
S. 2125, to promote relief, security, and democracy in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo;
S. 2200, to establish a United States-Poland parliamentary youth exchange
program, with amendments;
S. 2566, to provide for coordination of proliferation interdiction activities
and conventional arms disarmament, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 2697, to establish the position of the United States Ambassador for ASEAN,
with amendments;
The Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, with a
declaration, done at Vienna on September 12, 1997, Convention Adopted by a
Diplomatic Conference convened by the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) and opened for signature at Vienna, September 29, 1997, during the IAEA
General Conference (Treaty Doc. 107-21), with one declaration and one
condition; and
The nominations of Rajkumar Chellaraj, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary
of State for Administration, Patricia P. Brister, of Louisiana, for the rank
of Ambassador during her tenure of service as the U.S. Representative on the
Commission on the Status of Women of the Economic and Social Council of the
United Nations, Warren W. Tichenor, of Texas, to be U.S. Representative to the
Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva,
with the rank of Ambassador, Mark C. Minton, of Florida, to be Ambassador to
Mongolia, Robert F. Godec, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Tunisia, Robert S. Ford, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the People's
Democratic Republic of Algeria, David M. Robinson, of Connecticut, to be
Ambassador to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Lisa Bobbie Schreiber
Hughes, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname, Anne E.
Derse, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, William B.
Taylor, Jr., of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Ukraine, Daniel S. Sullivan, of
Alaska, to be an Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business
Affairs, Goli Ameri, of Oregon, to be a U.S. Representative to the Sixtieth
Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Duane Acklie, of
Nebraska, to be an Alternate U.S. Representative to the Sixtieth Session of
the General Assembly of the United Nations, Robert C. O'Brien, of California,
to be an Alternate U.S. Representative to the Sixtieth Session of the General
Assembly of the United Nations, Michael D. Kirby, of Virginia, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, John A. Cloud, Jr., of Virginia, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, April H. Foley, of New York, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary, Tracey Ann Jacobson, of the District of
Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Tajikistan, Michael Wood, of the
District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to Sweden, Robert Anthony Bradtke, of
Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, and certain Foreign
Service Officer promotion lists.
PATENT REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property concluded a
hearing to examine post-grant review procedures and other litigation reforms
relating to patents, after receiving testimony from Mark Chandler, Cisco
Systems, San Jose, California; Philip S. Johnson, Johnson and Johnson, New
Brunswick, New Jersey; Nathan P. Myhrvold, Intellectual Ventures, Bellevue,
Washington; John R. Thomas, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington,
D.C.; and Andrew Cadel, JP Morgan Chase, New York, New York, on behalf of the
Financial Services Roundtable.
[Page: D535]
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session and ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for
intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States
Government, the Intelligence Community Management Account, and the Central
Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System; and
The nomination of General Michael V. Hayden, United States Air Force, to be
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/24
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 24, 2006; pages D544 - D554
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for defense-related
programs, after receiving testimony from numerous public witnesses.
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch resumed
hearings to examine the progress of Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) construction,
focusing on the project's schedule, costs and funding, receiving testimony
from Alan M. Hantman, Architect, Robert C. Hixon, Jr., Capitol Visitor Center
Project Manager, Stephen Ayers, Chief Operating Officer, Susan Adams, Safety
Officer, and Mark Weiss, Director, Capitol Power Plant, all of the Office of
the Architect of the Capitol; and Bernard L. Ungar, Director, and Terrell
Dorn, Assistant Director, both of Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government
Accountability Office; and Peter Evelyth, General Counsel, Office of
Compliance.
Hearings continue on Wednesday, June 21.
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Michael V. Hayden for appointment in the United States Air Force
to the grade indicated while assigned to a position of importance and
responsibility under title 10, U.S.C., section 601, to be General.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded a hearing to examine National Transportation Safety Board
reauthorization issues, after receiving testimony from Mark V. Rosenker,
Acting Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; and Gerald L.
Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
2006 HURRICANE SEASON
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Disaster
Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine the outlook for the
2006 hurricane season and U.S. cities most vulnerable to hurricanes, after
receiving testimony from Max Mayfield, Director, Tropical Prediction
Center/National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Brigadier General
Benjamin J. Spraggins, Harrison County Emergency Management and Homeland
Security Agency, Gulfport, Mississippi; and Major General Stanhope S. Spears,
South Carolina Military Department, Columbia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
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, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1529, to provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land in the city of
Yuma, Arizona, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1548, to provide for the conveyance of certain Forest Service land to the
city of Coffman Cove, Alaska, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 2003, to make permanent the authorization for watershed restoration and
enhancement agreements, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 2028, to provide for the reinstatement of a license for a certain Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission project (West Virginia Hydro Extension), with
amendments;
S. 2035, to extend the time required for construction of a hydroelectric
project in the State of Idaho, with amendments;
S. 2054, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of water
resources in the State of Vermont, with amendments;
S. 2150, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Bureau of
Land Management Land to the city of Eugene, Oregon, with amendments;
S. 2373, to provide for the sale of approximately 132 acres of public land to
the City of Green River, Wyoming, at fair market value, with amendments;
S. 2403, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to include in the
boundaries of the Grand Teton National Park land and interests in land of the
GT Park Subdivision, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 2568, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Captain John
Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, with amendments;
S. Res. 468--supporting the continued administration of Channel Islands
National Park, including Santa Rosa Island, in accordance with the laws
(including regulations) and policies of the National Park Service;
H.R. 394, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to
evaluate the significance of the Colonel James Barrett Farm in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and assess the suitability and feasibility of
including the farm in the National Park System as part of the Minute Man
National Historical Park;
[Page: D547]
H.R. 482, to provide for a land exchange involving Federal lands in the
Lincoln National Forest in the State of New Mexico, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
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, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 1492, to provide for the preservation of the historic confinement sites
where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II, with amendments;
and
H.R. 4000, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to revise certain
repayment contracts with the Bostwick Irrigation District in Nebraska, the
Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District No. 2, the Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation
District, and the Webster Irrigation District No. 4, all a part of the
Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program.
PUBLIC LANDS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 2466, to authorize and direct the
exchange and conveyance of certain National Forest land and other land in
southeast Arizona, S. 2788, to direct the exchange of certain land in Grand,
San Juan, and Uintah Counties, Utah, and S. 2567, to maintain the rural
heritage of the Eastern Sierra and enhance the region's tourism economy by
designating certain public lands as wilderness and certain rivers as wild and
scenic rivers in the State of California, after receiving testimony from
Senators Boxer, Bennett, and Kyl; Chad Calvert, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
the Interior for Land and Minerals Management; Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief,
National Forest System, Department of Agriculture; Mayor Michael Hing,
Superior, Arizona; John W. Andrews, Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands
Administration, Salt Lake City; Bill Williams, Resolution Copper Company,
Phoenix, Arizona; and Laura Kamala, Grand Canyon Trust, Castle Valley, Utah.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Gaddi H. Vasquez, of California, for the rank of Ambassador
during his tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the United Nations
Agencies for Food and Agriculture, who was introduced by Senator Coleman, and
John Clint Williamson, of Louisiana, to be Ambassador at Large for War Crimes
Issues, Department of State, 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 R. David Paulison, of Florida, to be
Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Federal Emergency Management, after
the nominee, who was introduced by Representative Shaw, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Andrew J. Guilford, to be United States District Judge for the
Central District of California, and Frank D. Whitney, to be United States
District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, who was introduced
by Senators Dole and Burr, after the nominees testified and answered questions
in their own behalf.
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.
2006/05/25
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 25, 2006; pages D556 - D566
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HADITHA INCIDENT
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on the status of on-going investigations into an incident involving
Iraqi civilians on November 19, 2005, near Haditha, from Brigadier General
John F. Kelly, USMC, Legislative Assistant to the Commandant of the Marine
Corps.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
An original bill to amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, to restore
the financial solvency of the flood insurance fund; and
The nominations of Armando J. Bucelo, Jr., and Todd S. Farha, both of Florida,
each to be a Director of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, Jon
T. Rymer, of Tennessee, to be Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, John W. Cox, of Texas, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department
of Housing and Urban Development, and William Hardiman, of Michigan, to be a
Member of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building
Sciences.
TELECOM REFORM: NET NEUTRALITY AND INTERCONNECTION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee resumed hearings
to examine S. 2686, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 and for other
purposes, focusing on policies that will increase investment in network
technologies to promote facilities-based competition, receiving testimony from
Paul Misener, Amazon.com, Tom Tauke, Verizon, Timothy J. Regan, Corning
Incorporated, Ben Scott, Free Press, on behalf of Consumers Union and Consumer
Federation of America, and Earl W. Comstock, COMPTEL, all of Washington, D.C.;
and Roger J. Cochetti, Computing Technology Industry Association, Arlington,
Virginia.
Hearings continue on Tuesday, June 13.
COAL-BASED ELECTRIC GENERATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the outlook for growth of coal-fired electric generation and whether
sufficient supplies of coal will be available to supply electric generators on
a timely basis both in the near term and in the future, after receiving
testimony from Howard Gruenspecht, Deputy Administrator, Energy Information
Administration, Department of Energy; Robert McLennan, Tri-State Generation
and Transmission Association, Inc., Westminster, Colorado; Steven Jackson,
Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, Atlanta; Edward R. Hamberger,
Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C.; David Wilks, Xcel Energy,
Minneapolis, Minnesota, on behalf of the Edison Electric Institute and
Consumers United for Rail Equity; and Robert K. Sahr, South Dakota Public
Utilities Commission, Pierre, on behalf of the National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners.
[Page: D559]
U.N. REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current status of reform efforts at the United Nations (U.N.), focusing on the
U.N.'s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the Human Rights Council,
and critical issues confronting the U.N. Security Council, including Iran,
Darfur, Lebanon, and Burma, after receiving testimony from John R. Bolton,
United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Department of
State.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Michael E. Ranneberger, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Kenya, Eric M. Bost, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
South Africa, W. Stuart Symington IV, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Djibouti, who was introduced by Representative Skelton, and
Gayleatha Beatrice Brown, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to the Republic of
Benin, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
BUDGET PROCESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine Congress' role and
effectiveness in the Federal budget process, as well as ways it can improve
the management of Federal funds, including restoration of realistic
discretionary caps, application of pay-as-you-go discipline to both mandatory
spending and revenue legislation, the use of "triggers" for some mandatory
programs, and better reporting of fiscal exposures, after receiving testimony
from former Representative Timothy Penny; David M. Walker, Comptroller General
of the United States, Government Accountability Office; James C. Miller, III,
former Director, Office of Management and Budget; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Council
on Foreign Relations, New York, New York; and Chris Edwards, Cato Institute,
and Maya C. MacGuineas, New America Foundation, and Committee for a
Responsible Federal Budget, both of Washington, DC.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nominations of R. David Paulison, of Florida, to be
Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Federal Emergency Management, and
Lurita Alexis Doan, of Virginia, to be Administrator of General Services.
SUBPOENA
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee approved the
issuance of a subpoena for the Institute of Medicine to release material
relevant to the immunization safety review committee.
INDIAN EDUCATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Indian education programs, including the status of academic
achievement of Indian children, after receiving testimony from James E. Cason,
Associate Deputy Secretary, and Kevin Skenandore, Acting Director, Office of
Indian Education Programs, both of the Department of the Interior; Darla
Marburger, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education,
Cathie Carothers, Acting Director, Office of Indian Education, and Thomas
Corwin, Director, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Analysis,
Budget Service, all of the Department of Education; Bernie Teba, New Mexico
Children, Youth and Families Department, Santa Fe; Ryan Wilson, National
Indian Education Association, Washington, D.C.; Ivan Small, National
Association of Federally Impacted Schools, Poplar, Montana, on behalf of the
National Indian Impacted Schools Association, and the National Association of
Federally Impacted Schools; Beth Kirsch, WGBH, Boston, Massachusetts; and
David M. Gipp, United Tribes Technical College, Bismarck, North Dakota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 2039, to provide for loan repayment for prosecutors and public defenders;
S. 2560, to reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
The nominations of Sandra Segal Ikuta, of California, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, and Erik C. Peterson, of Wisconsin, to be
United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, and Gary D.
Orton, of Nevada, to be United States Marshal for the District of Nevada, both
of the Department of Justice.
[Page: D560]
LEGALIZED ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights,
and Property Rights concluded a hearing to examine the consequences of
legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia, after receiving testimony from
Senator Wyden; Hendrick Reitsema, Eck en Wiel, The Netherlands; Jonathan
Imbody, Christian Medical Association, Ashburn, Virginia; Wesley Smith,
Discovery Institute, Castro Valley, California; Kathryn Tucker, University of
Washington School of Law, Seattle; Rita Marker, International Taskforce on
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, Steubenville, Ohio; Ann Jackson, Oregon
Hospice Association, and Julie McMurchie, both of Portland, Oregon; and Diane
Coleman, Not Dead Yet, Forest Park, Illinois.
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded joint hearings with the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to examine the
Department of Veterans Affairs data privacy breach, focusing on the recent
theft of computer material that contained the names and Social Security
numbers of 26.5 million veterans, after receiving testimony from R. James
Nicholson, Secretary, and George J. Opfer, Inspector General, both of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
PANDEMIC FLU
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine efforts
by the Department of Health and Human Services to improve the nation's
preparedness for a potential human influenza pandemic, focusing on strategy
and threat assessment, and the possible impact on the elderly, after receiving
testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services; J.
Steven Cline, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh;
and Nancy Donegan, Washington Hospital Center/MedStar, Washington, D.C., on
behalf of the American Hospital Association.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/05/26
Daily Digest - Friday, May 26, 2006; pages D567 - D570
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/05
Daily Digest - Monday, June 5, 2006; pages D571 - D576
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D572]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/06
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 6, 2006; pages D577 - D584
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE STANDARDS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs, Product Safety, and Insurance concluded a hearing to examine
compliance with All-Terrain Vehicle Standards, including a recommendation to
issue a formal notice of proposed rulemaking to address the risk of injury and
death associated with this product, after receiving testimony from Elizabeth
Leland, Project Manager, ATV Safety Review Team, U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission; Tim Buche, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Irvine,
California; Rachel Weintraub, Consumer Federation of America, Washington,
D.C.; Brett Williams, Coleman PowerSports, Woodbridge, Virginia; Mary Aitken,
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, on behalf of the
American Academy of Pediatrics; and Susan W. Halbert, National 4-H Council,
Chevy Chase, Maryland.
[Page: D579]
CENSUS 2010
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine the rising costs of the
census in 2010, focusing on ways the Census Bureau can prevent major cost
overruns, and reasons for not pursuing an online option for data gathering in
2010, after receiving testimony from Charles Louis Kincannon, Director, U.S.
Census Bureau, Department of Commerce; and Brenda S. Farrell, Acting Director,
Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office.
PUBLISHING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine the Department
of Justice investigation of journalists who publish classified information,
focusing on the First Amendment right of freedom of the press, receiving
testimony from Matthew W. Friedrich, Chief of Staff for the Criminal Division,
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice; Rodney A.
Smolla, University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, Virginia; Gabriel
Schoenfeld, Commentary, New York, New York; Mark Feldstein, George Washington
University School of Media and Public Affairs, Washington, D.C.; and Kevin N.
Anderson, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/07
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 7, 2006; pages D586 - D594
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine agricultural conservation programs in Title II of
the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-171), after
receiving testimony from Bruce I. Knight, Chief, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, and John A. Johnson, Deputy Administrator for Farm
Programs, Farm Service Agency, both of the Department of Agriculture; James
Earl Kennamer, National Wild Turkey Federation, Edgefield, South Carolina;
Olin Sims, Sims Cattle Company, McFadden, Wyoming, on behalf of the National
Association of Conservation Districts; James O. Andrew, Andrew Farms,
Jefferson, Iowa, on behalf of the Iowa Soybean Association; and Randall
Spronk, Edgerton, Minnesota, on behalf of the National Pork Producers Council.
2006 HURRICANE SEASON
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine the 2006 hurricane season,
after receiving testimony from Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Under
Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Louis W. Uccellini, Director,
National Weather Service, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, both
of the Department of Commerce.
[Page: D588]
NASA BUDGET AND PROGRAMS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science
and Space concluded a hearing to examine outside perspectives relating to NASA
budget and programs, including the present budget and its impact on the
ability of NASA to carry out their planned scientific program, and workforce
issues, risk management approaches, and full-cost accounting mechanisms that
impact the budget, after receiving testimony from Roy B. Torbert, University
of New Hampshire Space Science Center, Durham; Peter W. Voorhees, Northwestern
University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Evanston,
Illinois; James A. Pawelczyk, Pennsylvania State University, University Park;
and Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr., USMC (Ret.), JackandPanther,LLC,
Houston, Texas.
OIL DEPENDENCE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
economic risk of the oil dependence of the United States, and S. 2435, to
increase cooperation on energy issues between the United States Government and
foreign governments and entities in order to secure the strategic and economic
interests of the United States, after receiving testimony from Alan C.
Greenspan, Greenspan Associates, LLC, Washington, D.C.
ASBESTOS CLAIMS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 3274,
to create a fair and efficient system to resolve claims of victims for bodily
injury caused by asbestos exposure, after receiving testimony from former
Michigan Governor John Engler, National Association of Manufacturers, Douglas
Holtz-Eakin, Council on Foreign Relations, and Dennis M. Cullinan, Veterans of
Foreign Wars of the United States, all of Washington, D.C.; Peter J. Ganz,
Foster Wheeler Ltd., Clinton, New Jersey; Eric D. Green, Boston University
School of Law, and Edmund F. Kelly, Liberty Mutual Group, both of Boston,
Massachusetts; Flora M. Green, Seniors Coalition, Fairfax, Virginia; and James
A. Grogan, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos
Workers, Lantham, Maryland.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
Joint Meetings
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT
Conferees met on Tuesday, June 6, 2006, and agreed to file a conference report
on the differences between the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 4939,
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2006.
2006/06/08
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 8, 2006; pages D595 - D602
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: USAID
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2007 for the U.S. Agency for International Development, after
receiving testimony from Randall L. Tobias, Administrator, U.S. Agency for
International Development.
OVERHEAD IMAGERY SYSTEMS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine the satellite system that allows the United States to
gather images of military targets in other countries from Stephen A. Cambone,
Under Secretary for Intelligence, and Donald M. Kerr, Director, National
Reconnaissance Office, and General James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander, U.S.
Strategic Command, all of the Department of Defense; and Patrick F. Kennedy,
Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Management, and Mary Margaret
Graham, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Collection, both of the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
DATA LOSS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met to receive a briefing regarding the
loss of personal information regarding Department of Defense personnel as a
result of the theft of a computer from a Department of Veterans Affairs
analyst from Gail H. McGinn, Deputy Under Secretary for Plans, and Jeanne
Fites, Deputy Under Secretary for Program Integration, both of the Department
of Defense; Anita K. Blair, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Total
Force Transformation and Military Personnel Policy; Daniel B. Denning,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army; and Lieutenant General Roger
A. Brady, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Personnel.
AL-ZARQAWI
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on the death in Iraq of insurgent terrorist leader Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi from Lieutenant General James T. Conway, USMC, Director of
Operations, J-3, and Rear Admiral David J. Dorsett, USN, Director of
Intelligence, J-2, both of The Joint Staff.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Sheila C. Bair, of Kansas, to be a
Member and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, James B. Lockhart III, of Connecticut, to be Director
of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Department of Housing
and Urban Development, Donald L. Kohn, of Virginia, to be Vice Chairman of the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Kathleen L. Casey, of
Virginia, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on National
Ocean Policy Study concluded a hearing to examine opportunities and challenges
posed by offshore aquaculture and the Federal government's role in setting the
stage for more robust commercial production of cultured seafood, focusing on
the development of the domestic marine aquaculture industry in the United
States to meet the demand for seafood, after receiving testimony from Timothy
R.E. Keeney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; David
Bedford, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Juneau; John R. MacMillan,
National Aquaculture Association, Buhl, Idaho; Tim Eichenberg, The Ocean
Conservancy, San Francisco, California; and Marianne Cufone, Environmental
Matters, Tampa, Florida.
[Page: D597]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of R. Hunter Biden, of Delaware, who was
introduced by Senator Carper, and Donna R. McLean, of the District of
Columbia, both to be a Member of the Reform Board (Amtrak), and John H. Hill,
of Indiana, to be Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration, Mark V. Rosenker, of Maryland, to be Chairman of the National
Transportation Safety Board, who was introduced by Representative Issa, and
Andrew B. Steinberg, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary, all of the
Department of Transportation, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Philip D. Moeller, of Washington, who was
introduced by Senators Murray and Cantwell, and Jon Wellinghoff, of Nevada,
who was introduced by Senator Reid, each to be a Member of the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
bills:
An original bill entitled, Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Indian Health Care
Improvement Act of 2006; and
An original bill entitled, Improving Outcomes for Children Affected by Meth
Act of 2006.
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the development of democracy,
focusing on the contributions of NGOs, restrictions that a growing number of
governments are placing on NGO activities, and how to protect NGOs work, after
receiving testimony from Barry F. Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary of State for
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; and Carl Gershman, National Endowment for
Democracy, Mark Palmer, Freedom House, Morton H. Halperin, Open Society
Institute, and Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
all of Washington, D.C.
ASIAN ADOPTIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded a hearing to examine the status of Asian adoptions in the United
States, after receiving testimony from Senators Craig and Landrieu; Catherine
M. Barry, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs; Robert
Divine, Acting Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
Department of Homeland Security; Thomas Atwood, National Council For Adoption,
Alexandria, Virginia; and Susan Soon-keum Cox, Holt International Children's
Services, Eugene, Oregon.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine ways to build an integrated preparedness and emergency
management system, focusing on the status of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) with the Department of Homeland Security, after receiving
testimony from Michael Chertoff, Secretary, and Admiral Thad W. Allen,
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, both of the Department of Homeland Security;
Donald F. Kettl, University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government,
Philadelphia; and John R. Harrald, George Washington University Institute for
Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Andrew J. Guilford, to be United States District Judge for the
Central District of California, and Charles P. Rosenberg, to be United States
Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Also, Committee began consideration of:
S. 2453, to establish procedures for the review of electronic surveillance
programs, agreeing to an amendment in the nature of a substitute, and S. 2468,
to provide standing for civil actions for declaratory and injunctive relief to
persons who refrain from electronic communications through fear of being
subject to warrantless electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence
purposes, agreeing to an amendment in the nature of a substitute, but did not
take final action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
[Page: D598]
COMMISSION ON SAFETY AND ABUSE IN AMERICA'S PRISONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Corrections and Rehabilitation
held a hearing to examine the findings and recommendations of the Commission
on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons, which explored violence and abuse in
America's prisons and jails and ways to make correctional facilities safer for
prisoners and staff and more effective in promoting public safety and public
health, receiving testimony from John J. Gibbons, Co-Chairman, Nicholas de B.
Katzenbach, Co-Chairman, and Gary D. Maynard, Iowa Department of Corrections,
and American Correctional Association, Marc H. Morial, National Urban League,
and Pat Nolan, Prison Fellowship, and Justice Fellowship, all Commissioners,
all of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
VETERANS' BENEFITS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
pending benefits related legislation, including related measures S. 2121, S.
2416, S. 2562, S. 2659, S. 2694, and S. 3363, after receiving testimony from
Senators Burns and Pryor; Ronald R. Aument, Deputy Under Secretary for
Benefits, and John H. Thompson, Deputy General Counsel, both of Department of
Veterans Affairs; Donald L. Ivers, Alexandria, Virginia, former Chief Judge of
the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; and Quentin Kinderman,
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Richard F. Weidman, Vietnam
Veterans of America, and Barton F. Stichman, National Veterans Legal Services
Program, all of Washington, D.C.
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.
2006/06/09
Daily Digest - Friday, June 9, 2006; pages D604 - D610
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint meetings noted.
2006/06/12
Daily Digest - Monday, June 12, 2006; pages D612 - D616
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NEXT GENERATION NUCLEAR PLANT PROJECT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the implementation of Sections 641 through 645 of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005, the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project within the Department
of Energy, after receiving testimony from Dennis Spurgeon, Assistant Secretary
of Energy for Nuclear Energy; Douglas M. Chapin, MPR Associates, Inc.,
Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of the Nuclear Energy Research Advisory
Committee Generation IV Sub-committee; Thomas A. Christopher, AREVA, Inc.,
Lynchburg, Virginia; Lawrence D. Burns, General Motors Corporation, Warren,
Michigan; Regis A. Matzie, Westinghouse Electric Company, Windsor,
Connecticut; Jeffrey Serfass, National Hydrogen Association, Washington, D.C.;
and Dan R. Keuter, Entergy Nuclear, Jackson, Mississippi.
[Page: D613]
BILATERAL INVESTMENT TREATY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Treaty Between the United States of America and the Oriental Republic of
Uruguay Concerning the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investment
(Treaty Doc. 109-9), after receiving testimony from Daniel S. Sullivan,
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/13
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 13, 2006; pages D618 - D626
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FARM LOAN PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine Department of Agriculture farm loan programs,
focusing on the Farm Loan Programs Risk Assessment (FLPRA), and barriers for
entry-level farmers and ranchers, after receiving testimony from Glen Keppy,
Associate Administrator for Programs, Farm Service Agency, Department of
Agriculture; Dennis A. Everson, First Dakota National Bank, Yankton, South
Dakota, on behalf of the American Bankers Association; Elisabeth B. Senter,
Federal Managers Association, Gregory, South Dakota, on behalf of the National
Association of Credit Specialists of the Farm Service Agency; and Karen R.
Krub, Farmers' Legal Action Group, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota.
COMMUNICATIONS CONSUMER'S CHOICE & BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 2686, to amend the Communications Act of 1934, after
receiving testimony from former Representatives Dan Glickman, on behalf of the
Motion Picture Association of America, and Steve Largent, on behalf of the
CTIA--The Wireless Association; Robert LeGrande, II, Office of the Chief
Technology Officer, District of Columbia Government; Mayor Kenneth S. Fellman,
Arvada, Colorado, on behalf of sundry organizations; Brigadier General Richard
M. Green (Ret.), National Guard Association of the United States, Ben Scott,
Free Press, on behalf of sundry organizations, John Rose, Organization for the
Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies, on behalf of
the Coalition to Keep America Connected, Kyle McSlarrow, National Cable &
Telecommunications Association, Walter B. McCormick, Jr., USTelecom, and
Christopher Putala, Earthlink, Inc., all of Washington, D.C.; Dave McCurdy,
Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of the Electronic Industries Alliance and the
Telecommunications Industry Association; John Rutledge, Rutledge Capital, Cos
Cob, Connecticut, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Philip Jones,
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, Olympia, Washington, on
behalf of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; and
Robert S. Foosaner, Sprint Nextel Corporation, Reston, Virginia.
CORPORATE TAX COMPLIANCE
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine trends in corporate
taxes and opportunities to improve corporate tax compliance, including recent
work on the misreporting of capital gains income from securities sales and
options to improve compliance, receiving testimony from Mark Everson,
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; David M.
Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability
Office; Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division,
Department of Justice; George A. Plesko, University of Connecticut School of
Business, Storrs; Edward D. Kleinbard, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton
LLP, New York, New York; and Martin A. Sullivan, Tax Analysts, Falls Church,
Virginia.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
COUNTERTERRORISM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
changing face of terror relating to counterterrorism, focusing on U.S.
counterterrorism efforts, how terrorists are adapting and changing their
operations, and where the U.S. is headed in the short and longer term, after
receiving testimony from Vice Admiral John Scott Redd, USN (Ret.), Director,
National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National
Intelligence; Henry A. Crumpton, Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Department
of State; and John E. McLaughlin, Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze
School of Advanced International Studies, and Daniel Benjamin, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, both of Washington, D.C.
FEDERAL BUDGET
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine autopilot budgeting,
including the PART (Program Assessment Rating Tool) and consider how
systematic performance reporting of government agencies helps taxpayers get
better services as well as whether Congress can better utilize the report
cards to inform their annual budgeting, after receiving testimony from Clay
Johnson III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget;
Eileen Norcross, George Mason University Mercatus Center, Fairfax, Virginia;
and Adam Hughes, OMB Watch, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D620]
VOTING RIGHTS ACT: BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine the continuing
need for section 203 provisions of the Voting Rights Act regarding bilingual
election materials, receiving testimony from Peter N. Kirsanow, Member,
National Labor Relations Board, and Commissioner, United States Commission on
Civil Rights; Deborah Wright, Los Angeles County Department of
Registrar-Recorder, and John Trasvina, Mexican American Legal Defense and
Education Fund, both of Los Angeles, California; Mauro E. Mujica, U.S.
English, Inc., and Linda Chavez, One Nation Indivisible, and the Center for
Equal Opportunity, both of Washington, D.C.; and Margaret Fung, Asian American
Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York, New York.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/14
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 14, 2006; pages D627 - D636
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
S. 418, to protect members of the Armed Forces from unscrupulous practices
regarding sales of insurance, financial, and investment products, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 811, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln;
S. 2321, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of Louis Braille; and
The nominations of Sheila C. Bair, of Kansas, to be a Member and Chairperson
of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
Kathleen L. Casey, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, Robert M. Couch, of Alabama, to be President, Government National
Mortgage Association, Donald L. Kohn, of Virginia, to be Vice Chairman of the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and James B. Lockhart III,
of Connecticut, to be Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise
Oversight, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Financial Accountability Standards Board's proposed
standard on "Employers' Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other
Postretirement Plans", after receiving testimony from Robert H. Herz,
Financial Accounting Standards Board, Norwalk, Connecticut; and David Tweedie,
International Accounting Standards Board, London, England.
MARK-TO-MARKET PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 3511, to extend for 5 years the Mark-to-Market program
of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which aims to reduce
long-term Section 8 subsidy costs while preserving affordable housing, after
receiving testimony from Theodore K. Toon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development, Office of Affordable Housing Preservation;
Chris Foster, Hampstead Partners, La Jolla, California, on behalf of the
National Leased Housing Association; and Scott Kline, National Housing Trust,
Washington, D.C.
[Page: D629]
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine
alternative energy technologies, focusing on fuel cells, the solar power
industry, and ocean wave energy conversion, after receiving testimony from
Alan J. Gotcher, Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc., Reno, Nevada; Francis R.
Preli, Jr., UTC Power, South Windsor, Connecticut; K. R. Sridhar, Ion America
Corporation, Sunnyvale, California; Thomas H. Werner, SunPower Corporation,
San Jose, California; Peter L. Corsell, GridPoint, Inc., Washington, D.C.;
George W. Taylor, Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., Pennington, New Jersey; and
Daniel J. Raudebaugh, Center for Transportation and the Environment, Atlanta,
Georgia.
MINE CLEAN-UP
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine whether potential liability deters abandoned hard rock mine
clean up, after receiving testimony from Senators Allard and Salazar; Stephen
L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Dennis E. Ellis,
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver; Velma M. Smith,
National Environmental Trust, Washington, D.C.; John Gioia, Contra Costa
County Public Works, Martinez, California; Terry A. Harwood, Athol, Idaho,
former Executive Director, Hazardous Materials Policy Council of the
Department of Agriculture; and Scott A. Lewis, AngloGold Ashanti North
America, Inc., Greenwood Village, Colorado, on behalf of the National Mining
Association.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 2228, and H.R. 4456, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2404 Race Street, Jonesboro, Arkansas, as the
"Hattie W. Caraway Post Office.";
S. 2376, and H.R. 3934, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 80 Killian Road in Massapequa, New York, as the
"Gerard A. Fiorenza Post Office Building";
S. 2722, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 170 East Main Street in Patchogue, New York, as the "Lieutenant Michael P.
Murphy Post Office Building";
H.R. 4108, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 3000 Homewood Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, as the "State Senator
Verda Welcome and Dr. Henry Welcome Post Office Building";
H.R. 3440, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 100 Avenida RL Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, as the "Dr. Jose
Celso Barbosa Post Office Building";
H.R. 4786, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 535 Wood Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as the "H. Gordon
Payrow Post Office Building";
H.R. 4561, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 8624 Ferguson Road in Dallas, Texas, as the "Francisco `Pancho'
Medrano Post Office Building";
H.R. 4688, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1 Boyden Street in Badin, North Carolina, as the "Mayor John
Thompson `Tom' Garrison Memorial Post Office";
H.R. 4995, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 7 Columbus Avenue in Tuckahoe, New York, as the "Ronald Bucca Post
Office";
H.R. 3549, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 210 West 3rd Avenue in Warren, Pennsylvania, as the "William F.
Clinger, Jr. Post Office Building";
H.R. 2977, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 306 2nd Avenue in Brockway, Montana, as the "Paul Kasten Post
Office Building";
S. 2690, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 8801 Sudley Road in Manassas, Virginia, as the "Harry J. Parrish Post
Office";
S. 3187, to designate the Post Office located at 5755 Post Road, East
Greenwich, Rhode Island, as the "Richard L. Cevoli Post Office"; and
H.R. 5245, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1 Marble Street in Fair Haven, Vermont, as the "Matthew Lyon Post
Office Building".
[Page: D630]
Also, Committee began consideration of S. 2145, to enhance security and
protect against terrorist attacks at chemical facilities, agreeing to an
amendment in the nature of a substitute, but did not take final action
thereon, and recessed subject to call.
TRIBAL COMPENSATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 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, and S. 1535, to amend the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable
Compensation Act to provide compensation to members of the Cheyenne River
Sioux Tribe for damage resulting from the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project,
after receiving testimony from Robin M. Nazzaro, Director, and Jeffrey D.
Malcolm, Assistant Director, both of Natural Resources and Environment,
Government Accountability Office; Michael B. Jandreau, Lower Brule Sioux
Tribe, Lower Brule, South Dakota; Lester Thompson, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe,
Fort Thompson, South Dakota; Michael L. Lawson, Morgan, Angel, and Associates
LLC, Washington, D.C.; and Harold Frazier, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and
Sharon Vogel, Tribal Ventures Project, both of Eagle Butte, South Dakota.
COMMUNICATIONS LAWS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine ensuring
competition and innovation relating to reconsidering communication laws,
including protecting the interests of consumers and competition in the
offering of broadband Internet access services, after receiving testimony from
Representative Sensenbrenner; William E. Kovacic, Commissioner, Federal Trade
Commission; Vinton G. Cerf, Google, Inc., Herndon, Virginia; David L. Cohen,
Comcast Corporation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Walter B. McCormick, Jr.,
USTelecom Association, and Chris Putala, Earthlink, Inc., both of Washington,
D.C.; Blair Levin, Stifel Nicolaus and Company, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri;
Paul T. Morris, Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, West Valley
City; and Jeff C. Kuhns, Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: On Tuesday, June 13, 2006, Committee met in
closed session to receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from
officials of the intelligence community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/15
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 15, 2006 ; pages D638 - D644
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FANNIE MAE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Report of
the Special Examination of Fannie Mae, after receiving testimony from James B.
Lockhart III, Acting Director, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight,
Department of Housing and Urban Development; Christopher Cox, Chairman, U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission; and Daniel H. Mudd, and Stephen B. Ashley,
both of Fannie Mae, Washington, D.C.
BUDGET: COAST GUARD
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Fisheries
and the Coast Guard concluded a hearing to examine the Coast Guard budget,
after receiving testimony from Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, United
States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security; and Stephen L. Caldwell,
Acting Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
SUPERFUND PROGRAM
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste
Management concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Superfund Program,
which was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation
and Liability Act (CERCLA), focusing on efforts to stabilize and clean up
National Priority list (NPL) sites through the United States, after receiving
testimony from Senators Durbin and Cantwell; Susan Parker Bodine, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental
Protection Agency; Leonardo Trasande, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine Center for Children's Health
and the Environment, New York, New York; Michael W. Steinberg, Morgan, Lewis
and Bockius, LLP, on behalf of the Superfund Settlements Project, and
Katherine N. Probst, both of Washington, D.C.; Robert Spiegel, Edison Wetlands
Association, Edison, New Jersey; and J. Winston Porter, Waste Policy Center,
Leesburg, Virginia.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Robert O. Blake, Jr., of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and to serve concurrently and
without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Maldives,
after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 2145, to enhance security and protect against terrorist attacks at chemical
facilities, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1554, to establish an intergovernmental grant program to identify and
develop homeland security information, equipment, capabilities, technologies,
and services to further the homeland security of the United States and to
address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local governments,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1741, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to authorize the President to carry out a program for the
protection of the health and safety of residents, workers, volunteers, and
others in a disaster area;
S. 2068, to preserve existing judgeships on the Superior Court of the District
of Columbia;
S. 2146, to extend relocation expenses test programs for Federal employees;
and
H.R. 3508, to authorize improvements in the operation of the government of the
District of Columbia, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
[Page: D641]
S.J. Res. 12, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States
authorizing Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the
United States, with amendments; and
The nominations of Frank D. Whitney, to be United States District Judge for
the Western District of North Carolina, Kenneth L. Wainstein, of Virginia, to
be an Assistant Attorney General, and Thomas D. Anderson, to be United States
Attorney for the District of Vermont, all of the Department of Justice.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Jerome A. Holmes, of Oklahoma, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Tenth Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Inhofe, Daniel
Porter Jordan III, to be United States District Judge for the Southern
District of Mississippi, who was introduced by Senators Cochran and Lott, and
Gustavo Antonio Gelpi, to be United States District Judge for the District of
Puerto Rico, who was introduced by Representative Fortuno, 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.
Joint Meetings
SOUTH CENTRAL EUROPE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine human rights challenges that
countries in South Central Europe face as they seek integration into the
European Union and/or North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), focusing on
legal restrictions on religions activities and other attacks on religious
freedom, lagging efforts to combat trafficking in persons, discrimination and
violence against Roma, and the prevalence of official corruption and organized
crime, after receiving testimony from Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasia Affairs; Daniel Serwer, United
States Institute of Peace, Janusz Bugajski, Center for Strategic and
International Studies, Joseph K. Grieboski, Institute on Religion and Public
Policy, all of Washington, D.C.; and Nicolae Gheorghe, Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe, Warsaw, Poland.
2006/06/16
Daily Digest - Friday, June 16, 2006; pages D645 - D652
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D647]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/19
Daily Digest - Monday, June 19, 2006; pages D654 - D658
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session and ordered
favorably reported S. 3237, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007
for the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States
Government, the Intelligence Community Management Account, and the Central
Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System.
BIOFUELS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard in the 2005 Energy Bill
and the future potential of biofuels such as biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol,
and E85, after receiving testimony from William Wehrum, Acting Assistant
Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency;
Michael Pacheco, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado;
Charles P. Carey, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago, Illinois; Chris Standlee,
Abengoa Bioenergy Corporation, Chesterfield, Missouri, on behalf of the
Renewable Fuels Association; Daniel More, Morgan Stanley, New York, New York;
and Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board, Jefferson City, Missouri.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Robert D. McCallum, Jr., of Georgia, to be Ambassador to
Australia, and Leslie V. Rowe, of Washington, to be Ambassador to Papua New
Guinea, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as
Ambassador to the Solomon Islands and Ambassador to the Republic of Vanuatu,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN THE WORKPLACE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and
Citizenship concluded a hearing to examine the lessons learned from the
immigration reform legislation of 1986 relating to enforcement in the
workplace, focusing on investigation and prosecution of employers engaged in
the hiring of illegal aliens, receiving testimony from Stewart Baker,
Assistant Secretary for Policy, and Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary for
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, both of the Department of Homeland
Security; Martin H. Gerry, Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income
Security Programs, Social Security Administration; Richard M. Stana, Director,
Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office; C. Stewart
Verdery, Jr., Center for Strategic and International Studies; Cecilia Munoz,
National Council of La Raza, and Linda Dodd-Major, all of Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D656]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/20
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 20, 2006; pages D659 - D668
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Rural Development Programs of the Department of
Agriculture, focusing on broadband technology, and energy sources, especially
ethanol, after receiving testimony from Thomas C. Dorr, Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Rural Development; Jane Halliburton, Story County Iowa,
Nevada, Iowa, on behalf of the National Association of Counties and the
National Association of Development Organizations; Glenn English, National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Arlington, Virginia; and Mary McBride,
CoBank, Denver, Colorado.
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies approved for full Committee consideration of H.R. 5384,
making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2007, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United
States, after receiving testimony from James H. Lambright, Acting Chairman and
President, Export-Import Bank of the United States; Clay Lowery, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs; James D. McClaskey,
Midrex Technologies, Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina; David Ickert, Air
Tractor, Inc., Olney, Texas, on behalf of Small Business Exporters
Association; and Robert E. Scott, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.;
and Harry G. Hayman, III, Commerce Bank, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on behalf of
Bankers' Association for Finance and Trade.
FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing and
Transportation concluded a hearing to examine reform issues relating to the
Federal Housing Administration, focusing on the need for continued improvement
in managing risks and estimating program costs, after receiving testimony from
Brian D. Montgomery, Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for
Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner; William B. Shear, Director,
Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government Accountability Office;
Regina M. Lowrie, Gateway Funding Diversified Mortgage Services, Horsham,
Pennsylvania, on behalf of Mortgage Bankers Association; A.W. Pickel, III,
LeaderOne Financial Corporation, Lenexa, Kansas, on behalf of National
Association of Mortgage Brokers; Ira Goldstein, The Reinvestment Fund,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Basil N. Petrou, Federal Financial Analytics,
Inc., and Tom Stevens, National Association of Realtors, both of Washington,
D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 3521, to
establish a new budget process to create a comprehensive plan to rein in
spending, reduce the deficit, and regain control of the Federal budget
process, with an amendment.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE'S REVISED DRAFT MANAGEMENT POLICIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine the National Park Service's Revised Draft
Management Policies, including potential impact of the policies on park
operations, park resources, wilderness areas, recreation, and interaction with
gateway communities, after receiving testimony from Stephen P. Martin, Deputy
Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and Thomas C.
Kiernan, National Parks Conservation Association, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D662]
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Paul A. Denett, of Virginia, to be
Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Warner, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
UNITED NATIONS RENOVATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine United Nations headquarters
renovation, focusing on transparency, accountability, financial and ethical
integrity at the international body, after receiving testimony from John R.
Bolton, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Thomas Melito,
Director, International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office;
Claudia Rosett, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, New York, New York;
and Anne Bayefsky, Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C.
INSURERS' ANTITRUST EXEMPTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine implications
on repealing the insurers' antitrust exemption relating to the
McCarran-Ferguson Act, and S. 1525, to ensure that commercial insurers cannot
engage in price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocations to the detriment of
competition and consumers, receiving testimony from Elinor R. Hoffmann, Office
of the Attorney General for the State of New York, New York; Michael McRaith,
Illinois Director of Insurance, Chicago, on behalf of the National Association
of Insurance Commissioners; Marc Racicot, American Insurance Institute, former
Montana Governor, Bob Hunter, Consumer Federation of America, and Donald C.
Klawiter, American Bar Association, all of Washington, D.C.; and Kevin
Thompson, Insurance Services Office, Jersey City, New Jersey.
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.
2006/06/21
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 21, 2006; pages D669 - D678
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 3237, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for the intelligence
and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the
Intelligence Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency
Retirement and Disability System. (Committee approved a written report to
accompany the bill.); and
A list of 3,741 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
FREIGHT RAILROAD INDUSTRY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine concluded a hearing to examine economics,
service, and capacity in the freight railroad industry, after receiving
testimony from JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure,
Government Accountability Office; W. Douglas Buttrey, Chairman, Surface
Transportation Board, Department of Transportation; Dale Schuler, National
Association of Wheat Growers, Carter, Montana, on behalf of sundry
organizations; Glenn English, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association,
and John B. Ficker, National Industrial Transportation League, both of
Arlington, Virginia; John L. McIntosh, Olin Corporation, Clayton, Missouri, on
behalf of the American Chemistry Council; and Edward R. Hamberger, Association
of American Railroads, Washington, D.C.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine
accelerating the adoption of health information technology, focusing on
efforts to improve efficiency, reduce medical errors, increase the quality of
medical care, and provide better information for patients and physicians,
after receiving testimony from former Representative Newt Gingrich, on behalf
of the Center for Health Transformation; Carolyn M. Clancy, Director, Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and Human Services;
Mark Leavitt, Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology,
Chicago, Illinois; John Halamka, Healthcare Information Technology Standards
Panel, Boston, Massachusetts; Michael Raymer, GE Healthcare, Seattle,
Washington; Kevin Hutchinson, SureScripts LLC, Alexandria, Virginia; and Terry
Ragon, InterSystems Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Philip D. Moeller, of Washington, and Jon
Wellinghoff, of Nevada, each to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.
WILDLAND FIRE SUPPRESSION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine the Government Accountability Office
report entitled "Wildland Fire Suppression--Lack of Clear Guidance Raises
Concerns About Cost Sharing Between Federal and Nonfederal Entities"
(GAO-06-570), after receiving testimony from Robert A. Robinson, Managing
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office;
Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary of the Interior for Policy; Mark Rey, Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment; and Anne
Heissenbuttel, National Association of State Foresters, Washington, D.C.
CHEMICAL SITE SECURITY
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine inherently safer technology in the context of chemical site security,
focusing on the release of hazardous chemicals from industrial facilities and
how to prevent such releases and to improve preparedness and response
capabilities, after receiving testimony from Senator Biden; Lisa P. Jackson,
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton; Dennis C.
Hendershot, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Furlong, Pennsylvania;
Philip J. Crowley, Center for American Progress, Washington, D.C.; David A.
Moore, Acutech Consulting Group, Alexandria, Virginia; and Charlie Cott,
Missouri Farmers Association, Columbia, on behalf of the Agricultural
Retailers Association.
[Page: D671]
TREATY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
United Nations Convention Against Corruption (the "Corruption Convention"),
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on October 31, 2003 (Treaty
Doc. 109-06), after receiving testimony from Samuel M. Witten, Deputy Legal
Adviser, Department of State; Bruce C. Swartz, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice; and Alan P. Larson,
Transparency International-USA, and William A. Reinsch, National Foreign Trade
Council, both of Washington, D.C.
METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Economic Policy,
Export and Trade Promotion and the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace
Corps and Narcotics Affairs concluded joint hearings to examine international
methamphetamine trafficking, after receiving testimony from John P. Walters,
Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Anne W. Patterson, Assistant
Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs;
and Karen P. Tandy, Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department
of Justice.
FEDERAL RECOGNITION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 480,
to extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the
Chickahominy Indian Tribe--Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the
Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Indian
Tribe, and S. 437, to expedite review of the Grand River Band of Ottawa
Indians of Michigan to secure a timely and just determination of whether that
group is entitled to recognition as a Federal Indian tribe, after receiving
testimony from Senators Warner, Allen, and Levin; Representative James P.
Moran; R. Lee Fleming, Director, Office of Federal Acknowledgment, Department
of the Interior; Stephen R. Adkins, Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Charles City,
Virginia; Helen C. Rountree, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia; Ron
Yob, Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, Grand Rapids, Michigan; David
Willerup, Westwood Reformed Church, Muskegon, Michigan; and Michael J.
O'Connor, Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association, Richmond,
Virginia.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine if
Congress can protect copyright and promote innovation relating to the analog
hole, focusing on the technology gap known as the analog hole that creates a
disconnect between the analog past and the digital future, after receiving
testimony from LeVar Burton, Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles,
California; Dan Glickman, Motion Picture Association of America, Gary J.
Shapiro, Consumer Electronics Association and Home Recording Rights Coalition,
and Gigi B. Sohn, Public Knowledge, all of Washington, D.C.; Chris Cookson,
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., Burbank, California; and Matthew Zinn, TiVo
Inc., Alviso, California.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights,
and Property Rights held a hearing to examine policy and perspectives and
views from the field regarding reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act, receiving
testimony from Gerald A. Reynolds, Chairman, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights;
Donald M. Wright, North Carolina State Board of Elections, Raleigh; John J.
Park, Jr., Office of the Attorney General of Alabama, Montgomery; Debo P.
Adegbile, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., New York, New York;
David T. Canon, University of Wisconsin Department of Political Science,
Madison; and Carol M. Swain, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be United States Circuit Judge
for the Tenth Circuit, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators
Allard and Salazar, testified and answered questions on his own behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Steven C. Preston, of Illinois, to be
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Durbin, testified and answered questions on his own
behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D672]
MANAGING RETIREMENT ASSETS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine ways to
ensure that seniors do not outlive their savings and efforts to manage
retirement assets, focusing on consumer preparedness, risks in retirement,
stock market volatility, and the value of annuities, after receiving testimony
from Ben Stein, Los Angeles, California, on behalf of the National Retirement
Planning Coalition; C. Robert Henrikson, MetLife, Inc., Long Island City, New
York; Stephen P. Utkus, Vanguard Center for Retirement Research, Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania; and Leroy Gilbertson, AARP, Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/22
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 22, 2006; pages D679 - D692
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the District of Columbia
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for the government of
the District of Columbia for fiscal year 2007, after receiving testimony from
Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Linda W. Cropp, Chairman, Council, Natwar M.
Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer, and Clifford B. Janey, Superintendent, Public
Schools, all of the District of Columbia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 5384, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and
Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
H.R. 5521, making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
Also, Committee adopted the 302(b) subcommittee allocations of budget outlays
and new budget authority for fiscal year 2007.
IRAN AND LIBYA SANCTIONS ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the policy of the United States toward Iran, focusing on S.
2657, to extend the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996, after receiving
testimony from R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political
Affairs; and Patrick O'Brien, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Office of
Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes.
TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Trade,
Tourism, and Economic Development concluded a hearing to examine the state of
the U.S. tourism industry, including challenges from the impact of 9/11,
international pandemics such as SARS, and the continuing economic uncertainty
of the airline industry, after receiving testimony from Franklin L. Lavin,
Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade; Wanda L. Nesbitt,
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs; Robert M. Jacksta,
Executive Director, Traveler Security and Facilitation, Office of Field
Operations U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland
Security; James W. LeDuc, Coordinator for Influenza, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; Todd
Davidson, Oregon Tourism Commission, Salem, on behalf of the National Council
of State Tourism Directors and the Western States Tourism Policy Council; Jay
Rasulo, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Burbank, California, on behalf of the
Travel Industry Association and U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board;
Jonathan M. Tisch, Loews Hotels, New York, New York, on behalf of the Travel
Business Roundtable; and Virginia Pressler, Hawaii Pacific Health, Honolulu.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee began markup of
H.R. 5252, to promote the deployment of broadband networks and services, but
did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on Tuesday, June 27.
ENHANCED ENERGY SECURITY ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 2747, to enhance energy efficiency and conserve oil and natural
gas, after receiving testimony from Senators Bayh and Coleman; Alexander
Karsner, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy; and Daniel A. Lashof, Natural Resources Defense Council, Kateri
Callahan, Alliance to Save Energy, and Steven Nadel, American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy, all of Washington, D.C.
HERITAGE AREAS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 574, to amend the Quinebaug and Shetucket
Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor Act of 1994 to increase the
authorization of appropriations and modify the date on which the authority of
the Secretary of the Interior terminates under the Act, S. 1387, to provide
for an update of the Cultural Heritage and Land Management Plan for the John
H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, to extend the
authority of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage
Corridor Commission, to authorize the undertaking of a special resource study
of sites and landscape features within the Corridor, and to authorize
additional appropriations for the Corridor, S. 1721, to amend the Omnibus
Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to extend the authorization for
certain national heritage areas, S. 2037, to establish the Sangre de Cristo
National Heritage Area in the State of Colorado, and S. 2645, to establish the
Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, after receiving
testimony from Donald W. Murphy, Deputy Director, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior; W. Michael Sullivan, Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management, Providence; Ann Marie Velasquez, Los Caminos
Antiguous Scenic and Historic Byway, Antonito, Colorado; Cate Magennis Wyatt,
The Journey Through Hallowed Ground, Waterford, Virginia; Daniel M. Rice, Ohio
and Erie Canal Way Coalition, Akron; and Charlene Perkins Cutler,
Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc., Putnam, Connecticut.
[Page: D687]
NUCLEAR PLANT REGULATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded an oversight hearing to examine the
regulatory processes for new and existing nuclear plants, including progress
on implementing the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, programs for
new reactor regulation, and the current state of the Reactor Oversight
Process, after receiving testimony from Nils J. Diaz, Chairman, and Edward
McGaffigan, Jr., Jeffrey S. Merrifield, Gregory B. Jaczko, and Peter B. Lyons,
each a Commissioner, all of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; J. Barnie
Beasley, Jr., Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Birmingham, Alabama; David
A. Lochbaum, Nuclear Safety Project, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Union
of Concerned Scientists; and Kevin Book, Friedman, Billings, Ramsey and
Company, Inc., Arlington, Virginia.
ENERGY SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
energy security in Latin America, including S. 2435, to increase cooperation
on energy issues between the United States Government and foreign governments
and entities in order to secure the strategic and economic interests of the
United States, after receiving testimony from Senators Craig and Salazar;
Domingo Cavallo, DFC Associates LLC, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Luis E. Giusti,
Center for Strategic and International Studies, and David L. Goldwyn, Goldwyn
International Strategies LLC, both of Washington, D.C.; and Eduardo Pereira de
Carvalho, Brazilian Association of Sugar Cane and Ethanol Producers, Sao
Paulo, Brazil.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Clifford M. Sobel, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to the
Federative Republic of Brazil, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Frist and Lautenberg, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine efforts to assure healthy initiatives
in health information technology, after receiving testimony from Jodi G.
Daniel, Director, Policy and Research, Office of the National Coordinator for
Health Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services; Linda
D. Koontz, Director, Information Management Issues, Government Accountability
Office; Carl E. Hendricks, Chief Information Officer for the Military Health
System, Department of Defense; and Michael Kussman, Deputy Under Secretary for
Health, and Robert Howard, Supervisor, Office of Information and Technology,
and Ross Fletcher, Chief of Staff, VA Medical Center Wilmington, all of the
Department of Veterans' Affairs.
MEDICAL LIABILITY
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee held a hearing
to examine alternatives to improve the medical liability system work better
for patients, focusing on S. 1337, to restore fairness and reliability to the
medical justice system and promote patient safety by fostering alternatives to
current medical tort litigation, receiving testimony from David M. Studdert,
Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Philip K.
Howard, Common Good, and William M. Sage, Columbia Law School, both of New
York, New York; Richard C. Boothman, University of Michigan Health System, Ann
Arbor; Susan E. Sheridan, Consumers Advancing Patient Safety, Boise, Idaho;
Cheryl Niro, American Bar Association, Chicago, Illinois; and Neil Vidmar,
Duke University Law School, Durham, North Carolina.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 2464, to revise a provision relating to a repayment obligation of the Fort
McDowell Yavapai Nation under the Fort McDowell Indian Community Water Rights
Settlement Act of 1990;
S. 3501, to amend the Shivwits Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Water
Rights Settlement Act to establish an acquisition fund for the water rights
and habitat acquisition program;
[Page: D688]
S. 3526, to amend the Indian Land Consolidation Act to modify certain
requirements under that Act.
Also, Committee approved the report on Tribal Lobbying Matters and
Recommendations.
VA LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
S. 2562, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2006, 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. 3421, to authorize major medical facility projects and major medical
facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal years 2006
and 2007, with an amendment; and
S. 2694, to amend title 38, United States Code, to remove certain limitation
on attorney representation of claimants for veterans benefits in
administrative proceedings before the Department of Veterans Affairs, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
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
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session and ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Kenneth L. Wainstein, of Virginia, to be
an Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/23
Daily Digest - Friday, June 23, 2006; pages D693 - D698
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
INTERDEPARTMENTAL COOPERATION OVERSEAS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on State Department and Defense Department cooperation overseas from
Philip D. Zelikow, Counselor of the Department of State; and Eric S. Edelman,
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/26
Daily Digest - Monday, June 26, 2006; pages D699 - D704
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D701]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/06/27
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 27, 2006; pages D705 - D714
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine the potential
impact of S. 2754, to derive human pluripotent stem cell lines using
techniques that do not knowingly harm embryos (referred to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions), after receiving testimony from
Senator Santorum; James F. Battey, Jr., Director, National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, and Chair, National Institutes of
Health Stem Cell Task Force, National Institutes of Health, Department of
Health and Human Services; Stephen Strom, University of Pittsburgh Department
of Pathology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Alan I. Leshner, American
Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C.
APPROPRIATIONS: INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
approved for full Committee consideration H.R. 5386, making appropriations for
the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
APPROPRIATIONS: ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water approved for
full Committee consideration H.R. 5427, making appropriations for energy and
water development for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved for
full Committee consideration H.R. 5441, making appropriations for the
Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on recent North Korean ballistic missile developments from Brian
Green, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Forces Policy, Patricia Sanders,
Executive Director, Missile Defense Agency, and Brad Ahlskog, Senior
Intelligence Officer, Korean Branch, Defense Intelligence Agency, all of the
Department of Defense.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Michael L. Dominguez, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary
of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and a list of 979 nominations in the
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
SAFETEA-LU IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing and
Transportation concluded an oversight hearing to examine the current state of
progress and future outlook relating to SAFETEA-LU implementation, including
changes SAFETEA-LU made to the New Starts program, changes SAFETEA-LU made to
the JARC program, and issues that may be important as FTA moves forward with
implementing the Act, after receiving testimony from Sandra Bushue, Deputy
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Department of Transportation;
Katherine Siggerud, Physical Infrastructure, Government Accountability Office;
and William W. Millar, American Public Transportation Association, Washington,
D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee continued markup
of H.R. 5252, to promote the deployment of broadband networks and services,
but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again on Wednesday, June
28.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine implementation of the Energy Policy Act provisions on enhancing oil
and gas production on Federal lands in the Rocky Mountain Region, after
receiving testimony from Kathleen Clarke, Director, Bureau of Land Management,
Department of the Interior; Mary Flanderka, Wyoming Office of the Governor,
Cheyenne; Jeffrey Eppink, Advanced Resources International, Inc., and Tom
Reed, Trout Unlimited, both of Arlington, Virginia; and Duane Zavadil,
Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States, Denver, Colorado.
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Henry M. Paulson, Jr., of New York, to be Secretary of the Treasury, after
the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Schumer, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
[Page: D707]
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
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 the Office of Personnel
Management, focusing on whether the Office of Personnel Management is
positioned to be the Federal government's leader in personnel policy today and
in the future, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller
General of the United States, Government Accountability Office; and Linda M.
Springer, Director, Office of Personnel Management.
PRESIDENTIAL SIGNING STATEMENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
purpose, history, and legal significance of presidential signing statements,
which are mainly issued when a President signs new legislation into law, after
receiving testimony from Michelle E. Boardman, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice; Charles J. Ogletree,
Jr., Harvard Law School Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and
Justice, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Christopher S. Yoo, Vanderbilt University
Law School, Nashville, Tennessee; and Bruce Fein, Fein & Fein LLC, and
Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Georgetown University Law Center, both of
Washington, D.C.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
HEALTHCARE GLOBALIZATION
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine if
medical tourism can reduce health care costs relating to the globalization of
health care, after receiving testimony from Arnold Milstein, Mercer Health &
Benefits, San Francisco, California; Bonnie Grissom Blackley, Blue Ridge Paper
Products Inc., Canton, North Carolina; Rajesh Rao, IndUShealth, Inc., Raleigh,
North Carolina; Bruce Cunningham, University of Minnesota Department of
Plastic Surgery, Minneapolis, on behalf of the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons; and Howard Staab and Maggi Ann Grace, both of Carrboro, North
Carolina.
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC EXPANSION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine prospects
for economic expansion in the United States, after receiving testimony from
Edward P. Lazear, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers; and Mickey D. Levy,
Bank of America, and Brad Setser, Roubini Global Economics, LLC, both of New
York, New York.
2006/06/28
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 28, 2006; pages D716 - D728
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch resumed
hearings to examine the progress of Capitol Visitor Center construction,
receiving testimony from Alan M. Hantman, Architect, Robert C. Hixon, Jr.,
Capitol Visitor Center Project Manager, John Eisold, Attending Physician, and
Stephen Ayers, Chief Operating Officer, all of the Office of the Architect of
the Capitol; Bernard L. Ungar, Director, and Terrell Dorn, Assistant Director,
both of Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Peter Evelyth, General Counsel, Office of Compliance; and Captain Joseph
Terra, U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.
Hearings continue on Wednesday, August 2.
IRAQI SECURITY FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to discuss
training and equipping Iraqi security forces with Lieutenant General Martin
Dempsey, USA, Commander, Multinational Security Transition Command in Iraq.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported H.R. 5252, to promote the deployment of broadband networks
and services, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nomination of Marc Spitzer, of Arizona, to be a Member of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators McCain and Kyl, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
WATER BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine S. 1812, to amend the Reclamation Projects
Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 to provide for the conjunctive use of
surface and ground water in Juab County, Utah, S. 1965, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain buildings and lands of the Yakima
Project, Washington, to the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District, S. 2129, to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land and
improvements of the Gooding Division of the Minidoka Project, Idaho, S. 2470,
to authorize early repayment of obligations to the Bureau of Reclamation
within the A & B Irrigation District in the State of Idaho, S. 2502, to
provide for the modification of an amendatory repayment contract between the
Secretary of the Interior and the North Unit Irrigation District, S. 3404, to
reauthorize the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply Project, H.R. 2383, to
redesignate the facility of the Bureau of Reclamation located at 19550 Kelso
Road in Byron, California, as the "C.W. 'Bill' Jones Pumping Plant", and H.R.
4204, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer ownership of the
American River Pump Station Project, after receiving testimony from William E.
Rinne, Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, and Jason Peltier, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, both of the Department of the
Interior; Richard Dieker, Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District, Yakima,
Washington; and Einar L. Maisch, Placer County Water Agency, Auburn,
California.
[Page: D718]
EPA
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing on the efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency to meet the
challenges of ensuring consistent implementation of federal environmental laws
and regulations, after receiving testimony from Granta Y. Nakayama, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, and Donald
Welsh, Regional Administrator, Region 3, both of the Environmental Protection
Agency; John B. Stephenson, Director, Natural Resources and Environment,
Government Accountability Office; David Paylor, Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality, Richmond, on behalf of the Environmental Council of the
States; Jean Payne, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Bloomington;
Richard W. Waterman, University of Kentucky Department of Political Science,
Lexington; and Eric Schaeffer, Environmental Integrity Project, Washington,
D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 1321, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax
on telephone and other communications, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute. (As approved by the committee, the substitute amendment
incorporates the text of S. 832.);
S. 3569, to implement the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement; and
The nomination of Henry M. Paulson, Jr., of New York, to be Secretary of the
Treasury.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Peter R. Coneway, of Texas, to be Ambassador to Switzerland,
and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to
the Principality of Liechtenstein, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison
and Cornyn, Richard E. Hoagland, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador
to the Republic of Armenia, and Thomas C. Foley, of Connecticut, to be
Ambassador to Ireland, 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 Mickey D. Barnett, of New Mexico, who
was introduced by Senator Domenici, Katherine C. Tobin, of New York, and Ellen
C. Williams, of Kentucky, who was introduced by Senator McConnell, each to be
a Governor of the United States Postal Service, 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 following business items:
S. 3570, to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize appropriations
for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 3546, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to
serious adverse event reporting for dietary supplements and nonprescription
drugs, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 707, to reduce preterm labor and delivery and the risk of pregnancy-related
deaths and complications due to pregnancy, and to reduce infant mortality
caused by prematurity, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 757, to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of
the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the
development and operation of research centers regarding environmental factors
that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute; and
The nomination of Jonann E. Chiles, of Arkansas, to be a Member of the Board
of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation.
NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the barriers, challenges, and accomplishments of Native American
Housing Programs, including Alaska Native Villages, the Native Hawaiian
Program, and the Land Assignment Law, after receiving testimony from Orlando
J. Cabrera, Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Office of
Public and Indian Housing; Pattye Green, Fannie Mae, Tishomingo, Oklahoma;
Marty Shuravloff, National American Indian Housing Council, Washington, D.C.;
A.D. Ellis, Muscogee Creek Nation, Okmulgee, Oklahoma; and James Steele, Jr.,
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation,
Pablo, Montana.
[Page: D719]
HEDGE FUNDS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
relationship between certain hedge funds and independent analysts, focusing on
ensuring integrity of the marketplace and protection of investors and the
public from fraud, after receiving testimony from Matthew Friedrich, Principal
Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Staff, Criminal Division,
Department of Justice; Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal,
Hartford; Gary J. Aguirre, Government Accountability Project, Washington,
D.C.; Marc E. Kasowitz, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP, and Joseph
McLaughlin, Sidley Austin LLP, on behalf of Managed Funds Association, both of
New York, New York; Kim D. Blickenstaff, Biosite Incorporated, San Diego,
California; Owen A. Lamont, Yale School of Management, New Haven, Connecticut;
Demetrios Anifantis, JP Morgan, Scottsdale, Arizona; Howard M. Schilit, Center
for Financial Research and Analysis, Rockville, Maryland; and Jonathan A.
Boersma, CFA Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Kimberly Ann Moore, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Federal Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Warner, and Bobby
E. Shepherd, of Arkansas, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth
Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Lincoln and Pryor, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
Joint Meetings
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Committee on the Library: Committee met and agreed to certain committee
procedural matters.
ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE)
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission):
Commission concluded a hearing to examine Belgium's Chairmanship of the OSCE,
focusing on developments in Central Asia and neighboring Afghanistan, the
emergence of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the political situation in
the Caucasus, and human rights trends in the Russian Federation, after
receiving testimony from Karel De Gucht, Foreign Minister of Belgium,
Brussels.
2006/06/29
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 29, 2006; pages D729 - D738
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FOREIGN OPERATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: On Wednesday, June 28, 2006, Subcommittee on
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs approved for reporting to the
full Committee H.R. 5522, making appropriations for foreign operations, export
financing, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
[Page: D732]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 5427, making appropriations for energy and water development for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
H.R. 5441, making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute;
H.R. 5522, making appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and
related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
H.R. 5386, making appropriations for the Department of the Interior,
environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2007, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
NOMINATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of James S. Simpson, of New York, to be Federal
Transit Administrator, Department of Transportation.
U.S.-PERU TRADE PROMOTION AGREEMENT
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the U.S.-Peru
Trade Promotion Agreement, after receiving testimony from Everett Eissenstat,
Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Americas, Office of U.S.
Trade Representative; Jon Stoner, Montana Grain Growers Association, Havre;
Joy Philippi, National Pork Producers Council, Bruning, Nebraska; Leon
Trammel, TRAMCO, Wichita, Kansas, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America, and the
U.S.-Peru Trade Coalition; Richard L. Trumka, AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C.; and
Brian D. O'Neill, J.P. Morgan, New York, New York.
SMALL BUSINESS PENSION PLANS
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Long-Term Growth and Debt Reduction held
a hearing to examine how to increase pension coverage for small business
employees, receiving testimony from Craig Copeland, Employee Benefit Research
Institute, David C. John, Heritage Foundation, and J. Mark Iwry, Brookings
Institution, all of Washington, D.C.; Steven P. Bjerke, Edward Jones
Investments, Pendleton, Oregon; Daniel Hall, StanCorp Equities, Inc.,
Portland, Oregon; and Paula A. Calimafde, Small Business Council of America,
Bethesda, Maryland.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current status of political developments in Russia and the future of the
United States-Russia relationship, and S. 2435, to increase cooperation on
energy issues between the United States Government and foreign governments and
entities in order to secure the strategic and economic interests of the United
States, after receiving testimony from Stephen Sestanovich, Council on Foreign
Relations, Washington, D.C.; Dmitri Trenin, Carnegie Moscow Center/Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, Moscow, Russia; and Amy Myers Jaffe, Rice
University James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Houston, Texas.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
Protocol between the Government of the United States of America and the
Government of the State of Israel, signed at Jerusalem on July 6, 2005 (Treaty
Doc. 109-3);
An original bill, to exempt from certain requirements of the Atomic Energy Act
of 1954 United States exports of nuclear materials, equipment and technology
to India, and to implement the United States Additional Protocol;
S. Res. 460, expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should
increase its support to the people of Somalia in their efforts to end decades
of violence, establish lasting peace, form a democratically elected and stable
central government, and become an effective partner in eradicating radicalism
and terrorism from their country and the region;
S. Con. Res. 105, commending the Government of Canada for its renewed
commitment to the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan; and
The nominations of Earl Anthony Wayne, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to
Argentina, Gaddi H. Vasquez, of California, for the rank of Ambassador during
his tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies
for Food and Agriculture, John Clint Williamson, of Louisiana, to be
Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, Michael E. Ranneberger, of
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya, Eric M. Bost, of Texas,
to be Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, W. Stuart Symington IV, of
Missouri, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti, Gayleatha Beatrice
Brown, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Robert O.
Blake, Jr., of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic
of Sri Lanka, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as
Ambassador to the Republic of Maldives, Robert D. McCallum, Jr., of Georgia,
to be Ambassador to Australia, Leslie V. Rowe, of Washington, to be Ambassador
to Papua New Guinea, and to serve concurrently and without additional
compensation as Ambassador to the Solomon Islands and Ambassador to the
Republic of Vanuatu, Clifford M. Sobel, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to the
Federative Republic of Brazil, Peter R. Coneway, of Texas, to be Ambassador to
Switzerland, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as
Ambassador to the Principality of Liechtenstein, and Thomas C. Foley, of
Connecticut, to be Ambassador to Ireland.
[Page: D733]
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE
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 S. 3492, to strengthen performance
management in the Federal Government, to make the annual general pay increase
for Federal employees contingent on performance, and S. 3584, to amend chapter
41 of title 5, United States Code, to provide for the establishment and
authorization of funding for certain training programs for supervisors of
Federal employees, after receiving testimony from Dan G. Blair, Deputy
Director, Office of Personnel Management; Darryl Perkinson, Federal Managers
Association, Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of Government Managers Coalition;
Colleen M. Kelley, National Treasury Employees Union, Jacqueline Simon,
American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, and Patricia McGinnis,
Council for Excellence in Government, all of Washington, D.C.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine the case for reform regarding
community development block grants, focusing on issues surrounding program
formulas, recipient communities, and management of grants within the Community
Development Block program, including aspects of the reform package, the "CDBG
Reform Act of 2006", after receiving testimony from Pamela H. Patenaude,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, and Kenneth M.
Donohue, Inspector General, both of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development; Eileen Norcross, Mercatus Center at George Mason University,
Fairfax, Virginia; and Cardell Cooper, National Community Development
Association, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee began consideration of H.R. 1036, to
amend title 17, United States Code, to make technical corrections relating to
Copyright Royalty Judges, agreeing to an amendment in the nature of a
substitute, and S. 155, to increase and enhance law enforcement resources
committed to investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and
punish violent gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities
from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent
crimes, to reform and facilitate prosecution of juvenile gang members who
commit violent crimes, to expand and improve gang prevention programs,
agreeing to an amendment in the nature of a substitute, but did not take final
action thereon, and recessed subject to call.
MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION RESTORATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the
Courts concluded a hearing to examine H.R. 1038, to amend title 28, United
States Code, to allow a judge to whom a case is transferred to retain
jurisdiction over certain multidistrict litigation cases for trial, after
receiving testimony from Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges, United States District
Court for the Middle District of Florida, Ocala; and Judge Thomas W. Thrash,
Jr., United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia,
Atlanta.
NOMINATION
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of Steven C. Preston, of Illinois, to be Administrator
of the Small Business Administration.
[Page: D734]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/10
Daily Digest - Monday, July 10, 2006; pages D739 - D746
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D740]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/11
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 11, 2006; pages D748 - D754
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: STATE/JUSTICE/COMMERCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies approved for full Committee consideration, H.R. 5672, making
appropriations for Science, the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce,
and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
INSURANCE REGULATION REFORM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held a hearing to
examine insurance regulation reform issues, receiving testimony from
Alessandro Iuppa, Maine Superintendent of Insurance, Augusta, on behalf of the
National Association of Insurance Commissioners; John D. Johns, Protective
Life Corporation, Birmingham, Alabama; Thomas Minkler, Clark-Mortenson Agency,
Inc., Keane, New Hampshire, on behalf of the Independent Insurance Agents and
Brokers of America, Inc.; Travis Plunkett, Consumer Federation of America,
Alan F. Liebowitz, Old Mutual (Bermuda) Ltd., on behalf of the America Bankers
Insurance Association, and Scott A. Sinder, Scott Group, on behalf of the
Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, all of Washington, D.C.; Joseph J.
Beneducci, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Novato, California; Jaxon White,
Medmarc Insurance Group, Chantilly, Virginia, on behalf of the Property
Casualty Insurers Association of America; Robert A.Wadsworth, Preferred Mutual
Insurance Company, New Berlin, New York, on behalf of the National Association
of Mutual Insurance Companies; and Robert M. Hardy, Jr., Investors Heritage
Life Insurance Company, Frankfort, Kentucky, on behalf of the National
Alliance of Life Companies.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 on geothermal
energy and other renewable energy production of Federal lands in the Western
states, including the current state of and potential for geothermal
development, challenges faced by developers of geothermal resources, Federal,
state, and local government actions to address these challenges, and how
provisions of the Act are likely to affect Federal geothermal royalty
disbursement and collections, after receiving testimony from Lynn Scarlett,
Deputy Secretary of the Interior; Jim Wells, Director, Natural Resources and
Environment, Government Accountability Office; Sally Collins, Associate Chief,
Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; Walter S. Snyder, Boise State
University, Boise, Idaho, on behalf of the Intermountain West Geothermal
Consortium; Chris Taylor, Horizon Wind Energy, LLC, Portland, Oregon, on
behalf of the American Wind Energy Association; Bernie Karl, Chena Hot Springs
Resort, Fairbanks, Alaska; Paul A. Thomsen, ORMAT Technologies, Reno, Nevada,
on behalf of the Geothermal Energy Association; Robert B. Liden, Stirling
Energy Systems, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, on behalf of the Solar Energy
Industries Association; and V. John White, Center for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Technologies, Sacramento, California.
[Page: D750]
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing relative to North Korea from John D. Negroponte, Director of National
Intelligence.
SOMALIA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine United States government policy and challenges relative to
Somalia, after receiving testimony from Jendayi E. Frazer, Assistant Secretary
of State for African Affairs; Michael E. Heiss, Assistant Administrator,
Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for
International Development; and David H. Shinn, George Washington University
Elliott School of International Affairs, Andre Le Sage, National Defense
University Africa Center for Strategic Studies, and J. Stephen Morrison,
Center for Strategic and International Studies, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Anna Blackburne-Rigsby and Phyllis D.
Thompson, each to be an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of
Appeals, and Jennifer M. Anderson, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior
Court of the District of Columbia, who were all introduced by District of
Columbia Delegate Norton, after the nominees testified and answered questions
in their own behalf.
HAMDAN V. RUMSFELD
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine efforts
to establish a constitutional process for the humane treatment and fair trial
of suspected terrorist detainees, relative to the recent Supreme Court's
decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, after receiving testimony from Steven G.
Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel,
Department of Justice; Daniel J. Dell'Orto, Principal Deputy General Counsel,
Office of General Counsel, Paul W. Cobb, Jr., former Deputy General Counsel,
and Lieutenant Commander Charles D. Swift, JAGC, USN, Office of Military
Commissions, Office of Chief Defense Counsel, all of the Department of
Defense; Theodore B. Olson, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, Washington, D.C.,
former Solicitor General; Harold Koh, Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut;
Scott L. Silliman, Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina,
former Judge Advocate General, USAF; and Daniel P. Collins, Munger, Tolles and
Olson, Los Angeles, California, former Associate Deputy Attorney General.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of William James Haynes II, of Virginia, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Warner
and Allen, and Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood, to be Judge for the District
Court of Guam, who was introduced by Guam Delegate Bordallo, 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.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/12
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 12, 2006; pages D756 - D764
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 Frederic S. Mishkin, of New York, to be
a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Linda
Mysliwy Conlin, of New Jersey, to be First Vice President, and J. Joseph
Grandmaison, of New Hampshire, to be a Member of the Board of Directors, both
of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Edmund C. Moy, of Wisconsin,
to be Director of the Mint, Department of the Treasury, and Geoffrey S.
Bacino, of Illinois, to be a Director of the Federal Housing Finance Board,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of Marc Spitzer, of Arizona, to be a Member of the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
VIETNAM
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine S. 3495, to
authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations
treatment) to the products of Vietnam, receiving testimony from Karan K.
Bhatia, Deputy United States Trade Representative; Eric G. John, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Jon
Caspers, National Pork Producers Council, Swaledale, Iowa; Christian Schlect,
Northwest Horticultural Council, Yakima, Washington; Jeffrey R. Shafer,
Citigroup Global Markets, New York, New York; and Augustine D. Tantillo,
American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition, Chris Seiple, Institute for
Global Engagement, T. Kumar, Amnesty International USA, and Virginia B. Foote,
U.S.-Vietnam Trade Council, all of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D759]
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
development effectiveness of certain infrastructure projects relating to
multilateral development banks and their role in promoting economic
development and reducing poverty, focusing on the Camisea pipeline project in
Peru, and the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline revenue management program, after
receiving testimony from Clay Lowery, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for
International Affairs; Jaime Quijandria, The World Bank, Korinna Horta,
Environmental Defense Fund, on behalf of The Chadian Association for the
Promotion and Defense of Human Rights and The Center for Environment and
Development in Cameroon, and Manish Bapna, Bank Information Center, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Carlos Herrera Descalzi, National Engineers Association
of Peru, Lima.
LUMBEE RECOGNITION ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 660,
to provide for the acknowledgment of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, after
receiving testimony from Senator Dole; Representative McIntyre; R. Lee
Fleming, Director, Office of Federal Acknowledgment, Department of the
Interior; James Ernest Goins, Pembroke, North Carolina, Arlinda F. Locklear,
Jefferson, Maryland, and Jack Campisi, Red Hook, New York, all of the Lumbee
Tribe of North Carolina; and Michell Hicks, Eastern Bank of Cherokees,
Cherokee, North Carolina.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
immigration reform issues, after receiving testimony from Carlos Gutierrez,
Secretary of Commerce; Michael W. Cutler, Center for Immigration Studies,
Benjamin Johnson, American Immigration Law Foundation, and William F.
McDonald, Georgetown University Law Center, all of Washington, D.C.; and Niall
O'Dowd, Irish Lobby for Immigration, New York, New York.
SMALL BUSINESS FEDERAL CONTRACTING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine strengthening participation of small businesses in Federal
contracting and innovation research programs, after receiving testimony from
Eric M. Thorson, Inspector General, Small Business Administration; Joe Wynn,
Veterans Enterprise Training and Services Group, and Charles W. Wessner,
National Research Council, both of Washington, D.C.; Steven Sims, National
Minority Supplier Development Council, New York, New York; Michael Squillante,
RMD, Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts, on behalf of the Small Business
Technology Council; Eugene Watson, Red Ladder Ranch, Centennial, Wyoming, on
behalf of the University of Wyoming Research Office and Wyoming Business
Council; and Thomas J. Bigger, Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Boston, 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.
2006/07/13
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 13, 2006; pages D765 - D774
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 5672, making appropriations for Science, the Departments of State,
Justice, and Commerce, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
An original bill (S. 3660), making appropriations for the government of the
District of Columbia and other activities chargeable in whole or in part
against the revenues of said District for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2007.
HAMDAN V. RUMSFELD
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine military
commissions in light of the Supreme Court decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld,
after receiving testimony from Major General Scott C. Black, USA, Judge
Advocate General, and Major General Thomas J. Romig, USA (Ret.), former Judge
Advocate General, both of the U.S. Army; Rear Admiral James E. McPherson, USN,
Judge Advocate General, and Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, USN (Ret.), former
Judge Advocate General, both of the U.S. Navy; Major General Jack L. Rives,
USAF, Judge Advocate General of the Air Force; and Brigadier General Kevin M.
Sandkulher, USMC, Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination
of Stephen S. McMillin, of Texas, to be Deputy Director of the Office of
Management and Budget.
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine unmanned aerial systems in Alaska and the Pacific regions
as a framework for the United States, after receiving testimony from Vice
Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.), Under Secretary of Commerce
for Oceans and Atmosphere, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration; Nicholas Sabatini, Associate Administrator for Aviation
Safety, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation; Rear
Admiral Wayne Justice, Assistant Commandant for Response, U.S. Coast Guard,
Department of Homeland Security; and John W. Madden, Alaska Department of
Homeland Security, Anchorage.
REFINERY PERMIT PROCESS SCHEDULE ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine H.R. 5254, to set schedules for the consideration of permits for
refineries, after receiving testimony from Robert J. Meyers, Associate
Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection
Agency; Glenn McGinnis, Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma, LLC, Phoenix; and S. William
Becker, on behalf of the State and Territorial Air Pollution Program
Administrators, and the Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials,
and Bob Slaughter, National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, both of
Washington, D.C.
PARTICULATE MATTER AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate
Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine the Environmental
Protection Agency's proposed revisions to the particulate matter air quality
standards, after receiving testimony from William Wehrum, Acting Assistant
Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency;
Bebe Heiskell, Commissioner, Walker County, Georgia; John A. Paul, Regional
Air Pollution Control Agency, Dayton, Ohio, on behalf of the Association of
Local Air Pollution Control Officials and the State and Territorial Air
Pollution Program Administrators; Larry J. Gould, Lenawee County Board of
Commissioners, Adrian, Michigan; Harry C. Alford, National Black Chamber of
Commerce, Washington, D.C.; Conrad G. Schneider, Clean Air Task Force, Boston,
Massachusetts; and William F. Christopher, Alcoa, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
[Page: D770]
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Eric Solomon, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
for Tax Policy, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current situation relative to Iraq, after receiving testimony from Zalmay
Khalilzad, Ambassador to Iraq, Department of State.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Stephen S. McMillin, of Texas, to be
Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, after the nominee
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
H.R. 1036, to amend title 17, United States Code, to make technical
corrections relating to Copyright Royalty Judges, with an amendment; and
The nominations of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Tenth Circuit, Jerome A. Holmes, of Oklahoma, to be United
States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit, Bobby E. Shepherd, of Arkansas, to
be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit, Gustavo Antonio Gelpi,
to be United States District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico, Daniel
Porter Jordan III, to be United States District Judge for the Southern
District of Mississippi, and Martin J. Jackley, to be United States Attorney
for the District of South Dakota, and Brett L. Tolman, to be United States
Attorney for the District of Utah, both of the Department of Justice.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights,
and Property Rights concluded a hearing to examine renewing the temporary
provisions of the Voting Rights Act relating to legislative options after
LULAC v. Perry, after receiving testimony from Roger Clegg, Center for Equal
Opportunity, Sterling, Virginia; Sherrilyn A. Ifill, University of Maryland
School of Law, Baltimore; Nina Perales, Mexican American Legal Defense and
Educational Fund, San Antonio, Texas; Michael A. Carvin, Jones Day,
Washington, D.C.; Joaquin G. Avila, Seattle University School of Law, Seattle,
Washington; and Abigail Thernstrom, The Manhattan Institute, Lexington,
Massachusetts, on behalf of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
VETERANS CLAIMS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine
challenges facing the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, focusing on
efforts to address the backlog of cases, after receiving testimony from
William P. Greene, Jr., Chief Judge, and Norman Y. Herring, Clerk of the
Court, both of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; James
P. Terry, Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals, and R. Randall Campbell,
Assistant General Counsel, Professional Staff Group VII, both of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; and Joseph A. Violante, Disabled American
Veterans, Washington, D.C.
MEDICAID
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine Medicaid
spending growth and options for controlling costs, focusing on the impact of
seniors on health care costs in the United States, after receiving testimony
from Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Phoenix; Donald B. Marron, Acting
Director, Congressional Budget Office; and G. Richard Wagoner, Jr., General
Motors Corporation, Detroit, Michigan.
[Page: D771]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/14
Daily Digest - Friday, July 14, 2006; pages D775 - D780
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D776]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/17
Daily Digest - Monday, July 17, 2006; pages D782 - D786
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 provisions on hydrogen
and fuel cell research and development, after receiving testimony from David
Garman, Under Secretary of Energy; Donald L. Paul, Chevron Corporation, San
Ramon, California; James D. Balcom, PolyFuel, MountainView, California; J.
Byron McCormick, General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Michigan; and Timothy D.
Leuliette, Metaldyne Corporation, Plymouth, Michigan.
[Page: D783]
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Christina B. Rocca, of Virginia, for the rank of Ambassador
during her tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the Conference on
Disarmament, after the nominee testified and answered questions in her own
behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/18
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 18, 2006; pages D788 - D796
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS--DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense approved for full
committee consideration H.R. 5631, making appropriations for the Department of
Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute.
APPROPRIATIONS--LABOR/HHS/EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies approved for full committee consideration an
original bill making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2007.
APPROPRIATIONS--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION/VA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans' Affairs and Related Agencies approved for full committee
consideration H.R. 5385, making appropriations for the 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, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
APPROPRIATIONS--TRANSPORTATION/TREASURY/JUDICIARY/HUD
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies approved for
full committee consideration H.R. 5576, 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, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on the nominations
of Charles E. McQueary, of North Carolina, to be Director of Operational Test
and Evaluation, Department of Defense, Anita K. Blair, of Virginia, to be
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, who was
introduced by Senator Allen, Benedict S. Cohen, of the District of Columbia,
to be General Counsel of the Department of the Army, who was introduced by
former Representative Christopher Cox, Frank R. Jimenez, of Florida, to be
General Counsel of the Department of the Navy, who was introduced by Senator
Martinez, David H. Laufman, of Texas, to be Inspector General, Department of
Defense, Sue C. Payton, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of the Air
Force for Acquisition, William H. Tobey, of Connecticut, to be Deputy
Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security
Administration, and Robert L. Wilkie, of North Carolina, to be Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, who was introduced by Senator
Lott, after testifying and answering questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D790]
INSURANCE REGULATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine perspectives on insurance regulation, focusing on the role
of insurance in the U.S. economy and the need to modernize the regulation of
insurance, after receiving testimony from Randal K. Quarles, Under Secretary
of the Treasury for Domestic Finance; Scott E. Harrington, University of
Pennsylvania Wharton School, Philadelphia; and Robert W. Klein, Georgia State
University, Atlanta.
U.S.-INDIA ENERGY COOPERATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine United States and India energy cooperation in the context of global
energy demand, the emerging energy needs of India, and the role nuclear power
can play in meeting those needs, after receiving testimony from David
Pumphrey, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Energy
Cooperation; Paul Simons, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and
Business Affairs; David G. Victor, Stanford University Program on Energy and
Sustainable Development, Stanford, California; and Daniel B. Poneman, The
Scowcroft Group, and R. Michael Gadbaw, General Electric Company, both of
Washington, D.C.
ISLAM AND THE WEST
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine Islam
and the West, focusing on the search for common ground, including the roots of
Islamic-based terrorism, the current image of the United States in the Muslim
world, how Westerners and Muslims view each other, and the state of the
struggle within contemporary Islam between its more moderate and extreme
factions, after receiving testimony from Bruce Hoffman, RAND Corporation,
Andrew Kohut, Pew Research Center, and Akbar S. Ahmed, American University
School of International Service, all of Washington, D.C.; and Muqtedar Khan,
University of Delaware, Newark.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OPERATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded hearings to examine District of Columbia government
operations, focusing on successes and challenges the District has experienced
during the two terms of Mayor Williams, including the anticipated challenges
that the new mayor will face, after receiving testimony from Mayor Anthony A.
Williams, Natwar M. Gandhi, District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer,
Clifford B. Janey, District of Columbia Superintendent of Public Schools, and
Alice M. Rivlin, Brookings Institution, all of Washington, D.C.
FEDERAL FUNDING ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded hearings to examine S. 2590, to require full disclosure of
all entities and organizations receiving Federal funds, after receiving
testimony from Senators McCain and Obama; Gary D. Bass, OMB Watch, and Mark
Tapscott, Washington Examiner, both of Washington, D.C.; and Eric Brenner,
Maryland Governor's Grants Office, Annapolis.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Department of Justice, focusing on combating terrorism and
national security matters, after receiving testimony from Alberto R. Gonzales,
Attorney General, 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: D791]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/19
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 19, 2006; pages D798 - D806
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MILITARY COMMISSION: HAMDAN V. RUMSFELD
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
status of military commissions in light of the Supreme Court decision in
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, after receiving testimony from Elisa C. Massimino, Human
Rights First, Katherine Newell Bierman, Human Rights Watch, Eugene R. Fidell,
Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell, LLP, on behalf of the National Institute of
Military Justice, James Jay Carafano, Heritage Foundation, and Neal K. Katyal,
Georgetown University, all of Washington, D.C.; Michael Mernin, Association of
the Bar of the City of New York, New York, New York; David A. Schlueter, St.
Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas; and Scott L. Silliman, Duke University
School of Law Center on Law, Ethics, and National Security, Durham, North
Carolina.
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 Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman,
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nominations of Frederic S. Mishkin, of New York, to be a Member
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Linda Mysliwy Conlin,
of New Jersey, to be First Vice President, James Lambright, of Missouri, to be
President, and J. Joseph Grandmaison, of New Hampshire, to be a Member of the
Board of Directors, all of the Export-Import Bank of the United States,
Geoffrey S. Bacino, of Illinois, to be a Director of the Federal Housing
Finance Board, Edmund C. Moy, of Wisconsin, to be Director of the Mint,
Department of the Treasury.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. Con. Res. 71, expressing the sense of Congress that States should require
candidates for driver's licenses to demonstrate an ability to exercise greatly
increased caution when driving in the proximity of a potentially visually
impaired individual;
S. 3661, to amend section 29 of the International Air Transportation
Competition Act of 1979 relating to air transportation to and from Love Field,
Texas;
S. 3679, to authorize appropriations for the National Transportation Safety
Board;
An original bill, proposed Maritime Administration Improvements Act of 2006;
and
The nominations of Mark V. Rosenker, of Maryland, to be Chairman of the
National Transportation Safety Board, R. Hunter Biden, of Delaware, and Donna
R. McLean, of the District of Columbia, each to be a Member of the Reform
Board (Amtrak), John H. Hill, of Indiana, to be Administrator of the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Andrew B. Steinberg, of Maryland, to
be Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, both of the
Department of Transportation, and routine lists in the Coast Guard and NOAA.
[Page: D800]
HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on
Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine
high-performance computing as a priority in the overall Federal research and
development portfolio, the impact and success of interagency coordination in
this area, and United States leadership in high-performance computing in the
context of global competitiveness in information technology and its
applications, after receiving testimony from Simon Szykman, Director, National
Coordination Office for Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development; Irving Wladawsky-Berger, IBM Corporation, Somers, New York;
Christopher Jehn, Cray Inc., Arlington, Virginia; Jack Waters, Level (3)
Communications, Broomfield, Colorado; Joseph Lombardo, University of Nevada
National Supercomputing Center for Energy and the Environment, Las Vegas;
Michael Garrett, The Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington; and Stanley Burt,
Advanced Biomedical Computing Center, Frederick, Maryland.
HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded an oversight hearing on the implementation of The Healthy
Forests Restoration Act (Public Law 108-148), after receiving testimony from
Nina Rose Hatfield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy,
Management and Budget; Dale Bosworth, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, Department
of Agriculture; Rick Delaco, Village of Ruidoso, Lincoln County, New Mexico;
Colleen MacLeod, Commissioner, Union County, La Grande, Oregon, on behalf of
the National Association of Counties; Matthew Koehler, WildWest Institute,
Missoula, Montana; and Jay Jensen, Council of Western State Foresters,
Lakewood, Colorado.
AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the science and risk assessment behind the Environmental Protection
Agency's proposed revisions to the particulate matter air quality standards,
after receiving testimony from George Gray, Assistant Administrator, Research
and Development, Environmental Protection Agency; John B. Stephenson,
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office;
Roger O. McClellan, Toxicology and Human Health Risk Analysis, Albuquerque,
New Mexico; George D. Thurston, New York University School of Medicine, New
York, New York; and Anne E. Smith, CRA International, and Daniel S. Greenbaum,
Health Effects Institute, both of Boston, Massachusetts.
DHS PURCHASE CARDS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Department of Homeland Security purchase cards, focusing on
whether DHS's control environment and management of purchase card usage were
effective, key internal control activities operated effectively and provided
reasonable assurance that purchase cards were used appropriately, and
indications existed of potentially fraudulent, improper, and abusive or
questionable purchase card activity at DHS, after receiving testimony from
Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, and John J. Ryan, Assistant Director, both
of Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, Government Accountability
Office; and David L. Norquist, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Homeland
Security.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 3678, to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to public health
security and all-hazards preparedness and response, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 843, to amend the Public Health Service Act to combat autism through
research, screening, intervention and education, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Elizabeth Dougherty, of the District of Columbia, and Harry
R. Hoglander, of Massachusetts, each to be a Member of the National Mediation
Board, Ronald S. Cooper, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, and Lawrence A. Warder, of Texas, to be
Chief Financial Officer, and Troy R. Justesen, of Utah, to be Assistant
Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, both of the Department of
Education.
CREDIT CARD INTERCHANGE FEES
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine antitrust
concerns relating to credit card interchange rates--the fees that credit card
issuers, and/or processors, charge the merchant to process a credit card
transaction, after receiving testimony from Bill Douglass, Douglass
Distributing Company, Sherman, Texas, on behalf of the National Association of
Convenience Stores; Kathy Miller, The Elmore Store, Elmore, Vermont; Joshua L.
Peirez, MasterCard Worldwide, Purchase, New York; and Joshua R. Floum, Visa
U.S.A., Inc., Timothy J. Muris, George Mason University School of Law and
O'Melveny and Meyers, and W. Stephen Cannon, Constantine Cannon, on behalf of
the Merchants Payments Coalition, Inc., all of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D801]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 2703, to
amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 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.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/20
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 20, 2006; pages D808 - D816
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DAIRY PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee held a hearing to
examine Department of Agriculture dairy programs, focusing on the structural
reforms occurring in the dairy industry, the economic outlook for milk and
dairy products, and federal milk marketing orders, receiving testimony from
Joseph Glauber, Deputy Chief Economist, Department of Agriculture; Charles
Beckendorf, Tomball, Texas, on behalf of the National Milk Producers
Federation; Jim Green, Kemps, LLC, St. Paul, Minnesota, on behalf of the
International Dairy Foods Association; Ken Hall, Terreton, Idaho, on behalf of
the Idaho Dairymen's Association; and Leon Berthiaume, St. Albans Cooperative
Creamery, Inc., St. Albans, Vermont.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
H.R. 5631, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2007, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
An original bill (S. 3708) making appropriations for the Departments of Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2007;
H.R. 5385, making appropriations for the 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, 2007,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 5576, 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,
2007, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
OVERHEAD IMAGERY SYSTEMS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding overhead imagery systems, from Kenneth Johnson and Andrew
Johnson, each a Professional Staff Member, U.S. Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence; Stephen A. Cambone, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence;
John Gass, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Dayton, Ohio; and Mary Margaret Graham, Deputy Director of
National Intelligence for Collection.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Charles E. McQueary, of North Carolina, to be Director of
Operational Test and Evaluation, Department of Defense, Sue C. Payton, of
Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, and
823 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of John Ray Correll, of Indiana, to be Director of the
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and Mark Myers, of
Alaska, to be Director of the United States Geological Survey, who was
introduced by Senators Stevens and Murkowski, both of the Department of the
Interior, and Drue Pearce, of Alaska, to be Federal Coordinator for Alaska
Natural Gas Transportation Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, who
was introduced by Senators Stevens and Murkowski, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
NORTH KOREA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine U.S.
policy options regarding North Korea, including the U.S. response to the July
missile launches and the ongoing dialogue with China, after receiving
testimony from Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East
Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Arnold Kanter, The Scowcroft Group, and Morton
Abramowitz, The Century Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.
IRAN
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security met in closed session to receive a briefing regarding Iran from
officials of the Department of State.
[Page: D811]
IRAN
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine Iran's nuclear impasse, focusing on
the status of Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities, European negotiations and
the U.N. Security Council, and the feasibility of further negotiations,
democracy promotion, sanctions, and/or military operations, after receiving
testimony from Amir Abbas Fakhravar, Independent Student Movement, Ilan
Berman, American Foreign Policy Council, Michael A. Ledeen, American
Enterprise Institute, Ray Takeyh, Council on Foreign Relations, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Jim Walsh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge.
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH
Committee on Veteran's Affairs: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data privacy breach, focusing on the
establishment of a new Office of Cyber and Information Security Training with
the VA's Office of Information Technology, after receiving testimony from R.
James Nicholson, Secretary, and George J. Opfer, Inspector General, both of
the Department of Veterans Affairs, who were accompanied by several of their
associates.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
GENERIC DRUGS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
generic drug maze relating to access to affordable, life-saving drugs,
focusing on the efforts to expedite the approval of generic drug products,
after receiving testimony from Gary Buehler, Director, Office of Generic
Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services; Jon Leibowitz, Commissioner, Federal
Trade Commission; Heather Bresch, Mylan Laboratories, Canonsburg,
Pennsylvania; and Mark Merritt, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association,
Washington, D.C.
Joint Meetings
CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the
Senate and House passed versions of S. 250, to amend the Carl D. Perkins
Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 to improve the Act.
2006/07/21
Daily Digest - Friday, July 21, 2006; pages D818 - D824
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
U.S.-U.K. EXTRADITION TREATY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Extradition Treaty Between the United States of America and the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and related exchanges of letters,
signed at Washington on March 31, 2003 (Treaty Doc. 108-23), after receiving
testimony from Paul J. McNulty, Deputy Attorney General, Department of
Justice; Samuel M. Witten, Deputy Legal Adviser, Department of State; John J.
Meehan, Jr., Ancient Order of Hibernians, Quincy, Massachusetts; Robert C.
Linnon, Irish American Unity Conference, Boynton Beach, Florida; and Madeline
Morris, Duke University Law School, Durham, North Carolina.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/24
Daily Digest - Monday, July 24, 2006; pages D825 - D830
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D826]
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/25
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 25, 2006; pages D832 - D840
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a hearing to
examine the F-22A multiyear procurement proposal in review of the Defense
Authorization Request for fiscal year 2007, after receiving testimony from
Michael W. Wynne, Secretary of the Air Force; David M. Walker, Comptroller
General of the United States; James I. Finley, Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Technology; David B. Newman, Principal Analyst in
Defense, Congressional Budget Office; Christopher Bolkcom, Specialist in
National Defense, Congressional Research Service; J. Richard Nelson, Institute
for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia; and Danielle Brian, Project on
Government Oversight, Washington, D.C.
HEDGE FUNDS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the regulation of hedge funds, focusing on systematic
market risks posed by hedge fund activity, and the investor protection issues
that stem from the increasing exposure of retail investors to hedge fund
investment opportunities, after receiving testimony from Christopher Cox,
Chairman, United States Securities and Exchange Commission; Reuben Jeffery
III, Chairman, United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and Randal
K. Quarles, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance.
JOINT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Joint Planning and Development
Office, which was created to plan for and coordinate, with Federal and
non-Federal stakeholders, a transformation from the current air traffic
control (ATC) system to the next generation air transportation system, after
receiving testimony from Marion C. Blakey, Administrator, Federal Aviation
Administration, and David A. Dobbs, Assistant Inspector General for Aviation
and Special Program Audits, both of the Department of Transportation; Lisa J.
Porter, Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration; and Gerald L. Dillingham, Director, Physical
Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office.
TAX JURISDICTION
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on International Trade concluded a hearing
to examine State jurisdiction to tax certain business activity, focusing on
legislation that could provide uniformity, simplification, and fairness
concerning the taxation of remote sales over the Internet, after receiving
testimony from Senator Enzi; Iowa State Representative Christopher Rants, Des
Moines; Daniel W. Noble, Wyoming Department of Revenue, and Gary Imig, Sierra
Trading Post, Inc., both of Cheyenne, Wyoming; Dan R. Bucks, Montana
Department of Revenue, Helena; George S. Isaacson, Brann and Isaacson,
Lewiston, Maine, on behalf of the Direct Marketing Association; Robert Benham,
Balliet's, L.L.C., Oklahoma City, Ohlahoma, on behalf of the National Retail
Federation; and Douglas L. Lindholm, Council on State Taxation, and Michael F.
Mundaca, Ernst and Young, both of Washington, D.C.
HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Health Care concluded a hearing to
examine the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health
care coverage for uninsured children, after receiving testimony from Senator
Kennedy; Mark B. McClellan, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services; and Evelyne P. Baumrucker,
Analyst in Social Legislation, Domestic Social Policy Division, and Chris L.
Peterson, Specialist in Social Legislation, both of the Congressional Research
Service, Library of Congress.
[Page: D834]
DOD SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PLAN
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 Department of Defense Supply Chain
Management Plan, focusing on the extent to which the supply chain management
improvement plan is integrated with other Department of Defense logistics
strategies, concepts, and plans, and if the Department has identified valid
performance metrics and data to use in monitoring initiatives and measuring
progress, after receiving testimony from Alan F. Estevez, Assistant Deputy
Under Secretary of Defense for Supply Chain Integration; and William M. Solis,
Director, Defense Capabilities Management, Government Accountability Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Stephen S. McMillin, of Texas, to be
Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
No Joint hearings noted.
2006/07/26
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 26, 2006; pages D842 - D852
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Michael V. Dunn, of Iowa, to be a
Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, who was introduced
by Senator Harkin; Nancy Montanez-Johner, of Nebraska, to be Under Secretary
of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and to be a Member
of the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation, who was
introduced by Senator Nelson (NE); Margo M. McKay, of Virginia, to be an
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights, who was introduced by
Senator Allen; and Bruce I. Knight, of South Dakota, to be Under Secretary of
Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation, who was introduced by
Senator Thune, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
TAX GAP
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS (Internal Revenue
Service) Oversight held a hearing to examine the size and sources of the tax
gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax imposed on taxpayers
for a given year and the amount that is paid voluntarily and timely, receiving
testimony from Mark J. Mazur, Director, Research, Analysis, and Statistics,
IRS, J. Russell George, Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Raymond
T. Wagner, Jr., Chairman, IRS Oversight Board, all of the Department of the
Treasury; Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate Service; and Michael
Brostek, Director, Tax Issues, Strategic Issues Team, Government Accounting
Office.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Philip S. Goldberg, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Bolivia, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
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 progress report on protecting and
enforcing intellectual property rights here and abroad, focusing on the
Administration's Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!) and the extent to
which it has been effective in educating businesses about the issues related
to conducting business in the global economy, the progress made since the
appointment of the IP Coordinator last July, and explore if the STOP!
initiative has identified effective human capital and strategic plans to build
on the existing program, and if it has the necessary resources required to
complete its mission, after receiving testimony from Chris Israel, Coordinator
for International Intellectual Property Enforcement, and Stephen M. Pinkos,
Deputy Under Secretary for Intellectual Property, and Deputy Director, U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office, both of the Department of Commerce; Arif Alikhan,
Vice Chairman, Taskforce on Intellectual Property, and Deputy Director,
National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council,
Department of Justice; Loren Yager, Director, International Affairs and Trade,
Government Accountability Office; and Anthony C. LaPlaca, Bendix Commercial
Vehicle Systems, LLC, Elyria, Ohio.
[Page: D844]
FISA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current and future status of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which
prescribes procedures for requesting judicial authorization for electronic
surveillance and physical search of persons engaged in espionage or
international terrorism against the United States on behalf of a foreign
power, and related measures S. 2453, to establish procedures for the review of
electronic surveillance programs, and S. 2455, to provide in statute for the
conduct of electronic surveillance of suspected terrorists for the purposes of
protecting the American people, the Nation, and its interests from terrorist
attack while ensuring that the civil liberties of United States citizens are
safeguarded, after receiving testimony from General Michael V. Hayden,
Director, Central Intelligence Agency; Lieutenant General Keith B. Alexander,
Director, National Security Agency, Chief, Central Security Service; Steven G.
Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel,
Department of Justice; H. Bryan Cunningham, Morgan and Cunningham, LLC,
Denver, Colorado; James X. Dempsey, Center for Democracy and Technology, and
Mary B. DeRosa, Johns Hopkins Center for Strategic and International Studies
Technology and Public Policy Program, both of Washington, D.C.; and John
Schmidt, Mayer, Brown, Rowe, and Maw, LLP, Chicago, Illinois.
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.
2006/07/27
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 27, 2006; pages D853 - D862
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Subcommittee on Forestry,
Conservation, and Rural Revitalization concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Department of Agriculture's use of technical service providers, to
provide assistance to carry out conservation programs under Title II of the
2002 Farm Bill, after receiving testimony from Sara Braasch, Regional
Assistant Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of
Agriculture; David Goad, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Little Rock; James
D. Chapin, Shasta Land Management Consultants, Redding, California, on behalf
of the Association of Consulting Foresters of America; Gene Schmidt, Hanna,
Indiana, on behalf of the National Association of Conservation Districts; and
Doug Wolf, Lancaster, Wisconsin, on behalf of the National Pork Producers
Council.
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Lieutenant General James T. Conway, USMC, for appointment to the
grade of general and to be Commandant of the Marine Corps, after the nominee,
who was introduced by Senator Talent, testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Nathaniel F. Wienecke, of New York, to
be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Jay M. Cohen, of New York, to be Under
Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, who was introduced
by Senators Domenici and Reed, Sean T. Connaughton, of Virginia, to be
Administrator of the Maritime Administration, and Charles D. Nottingham, of
Virginia, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board, both of the
Department of Transportation, both introduced by Senators Warner and Allen and
Representative Tom Davis, and Robert L. Sumwalt III, of South Carolina, to be
a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board, who was introduced by
Senator DeMint, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
WATER BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine S. 3638, to encourage the Secretary of the
Interior to participate in projects to plan, design, and construct water
supply projects and to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study
and Facilities Act to encourage the design, planning, and construction of
projects to treat impaired surface water, reclaim and reuse impaired
groundwater, and provide brine disposal in the State of California, S. 3639,
to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act
to provide standards and procedures for the review of water reclamation and
reuse projects, H.R. 177, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, to authorize
the Secretary to carry out a program to assist agencies in projects to
construct regional brine lines in California, to authorize the Secretary to
participate in the Lower Chino Dairy Area desalination demonstration and
reclamation project, H.R. 2341, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of a project
to reclaim and reuse wastewater within and outside of the service area of the
City of Austin Water and Wastewater Utility, Texas, and H.R. 3418, to amend
the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas
Water Recycling and Reuse Project, after receiving testimony from
Representative Dreier; Larry Todd, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation,
Department of the Interior; P. Joseph Grindstaff, CALFED Bay-Delta Program,
Sacramento, California; Chris Lippe, City of Austin Water Utility, Austin,
Texas; Richard Atwater, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, Alexandria, Virginia,
on behalf of the WateReuse Association; and J. Tom Ray, Central Texas Water
Recycling Project, Waco.
STAFFORD ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine a path forward for the nation's emergency preparedness and response
system relating to the Stafford Act, after receiving testimony from Robert F.
Shea, Acting Director of Operations, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and
Corey Gruber, Acting Executive Director, National Preparedness Task Force,
both of the Department of Homeland Security; Major General Don T. Riley,
Director of Civil Works, United States Army Corps of Engineers; Deborah Y.
Dietrich, Director, Office of Emergency Management, Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency; Pamela Mayer Pogue, Rhode
Island Floodplain Manager, Providence, on behalf of the Association of State
Floodplain Managers, Inc.; Armond Mascelli, American Red Cross, Washington,
D.C.; and Tamara S. Little, Ohio State Emergency Management Agency, Columbus,
on behalf of the National Emergency Management Association.
[Page: D855]
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 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, to which
position he was appointed during the recess of the Senate from July 29, 2005,
to September 1, 2005, 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, to which position he was appointed
during the recess of the Senate from July 29, 2005, to September 1, 2005,
after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Richard W. Graber, of Wisconsin, to be Ambassador to the Czech
Republic, who was introduced by Representatives Paul Ryan and James
Sensenbrenner, and Karen B. Stewart, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Belarus, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
NATIONAL UNIFORMITY FOR FOOD ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 3128, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
to provide for uniform food safety warning notification requirements, after
receiving testimony from Senators Chambliss, Boxer and Feinstein; William
Stadtlander, Homestat Farm, Dublin, Ohio; Peter Barton Hutt, Covington and
Burling, Washington, D.C.; Elsa Murano, Texas A&M University, College Station,
former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety; and William K. Hubbard,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, former Associate Commissioner for Policy, Food
and Drug Administration.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 2590, to require full disclosure of all entities and organizations
receiving Federal funds, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 3721, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the United
States Emergency Management Authority, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1838, to provide for the sale, acquisition, conveyance, and exchange of
certain real property in the District of Columbia to facilitate the
utilization, development, and redevelopment of such property, with an
amendment;
H.R. 3858, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to ensure that State and local emergency preparedness
operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and
service animals following a major disaster or emergency;
S. 3613, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 2951 New York Highway 43 in Averill Park, New York, as the "Major George
Quamo Post Office Building";
H.R. 4246, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 8135 Forest Lane in Dallas, Texas, as the "Dr. Robert E. Price Post
Office Building";
H.R. 4962, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 100 Pitcher Street in Utica, New York, as the "Captain George A.
Wood Post Office Building";
H.R. 5104, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1750 16th Street South in St. Petersburg, Florida, as the "Morris
W. Milton Post Office";
H.R. 5169, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1310 Highway 64 NW. in Ramsey, Indiana, as the "Wilfred Edward
`Cousin Willie' Sieg, Sr. Post Office";
H.R. 5540, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 217 Southeast 2nd Street in Dimmitt, Texas, as the "Sergeant Jacob
Dan Dones Post Office";
S. 2555, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 2633 11th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, as the "Lane Evans Post Office
Building";
S. 2719 and H.R. 5107, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1400 West Jordan Street in Pensacola, Florida, as
the "Earl D. Hutto Post Office Building";
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H.R. 4646, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 7320 Reseda Boulevard in Reseda, California, as the "Coach John
Wooden Post Office Building";
H.R. 4811, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 215 West Industrial Park Road in Harrison, Arkansas, as the "John
Paul Hammerschmidt Post Office Building"; and
The nominations of Paul A. Denett, of Virginia, to be Administrator for
Federal Procurement Policy, Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, to be Associate Judge of
the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Phyllis D. Thompson, to be
Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Jennifer M.
Anderson, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the
Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Mickey D. Barnett, of New
Mexico, Katherine C. Tobin, of New York, and Ellen C. Williams, of Kentucky,
each to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service.
HEALTHY START PROGRAM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine the Health Resources and Services
Administration financial management of its budget in carrying out its mission
to increase access to and quality of health care, after receiving testimony
from Peter C. Van Dyck, Associate Administrator, Maternal and Child Health
Bureau, and Joyce Somsak, Associate Administrator, Healthcare Systems Bureau,
both of Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and
Human Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Kimberly Ann Moore, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Federal Circuit, and Steven G. Bradbury, of Maryland, to be
Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, and R. Alexander
Acosta, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida,
both of the Department of Justice.
SMUGGLED NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security Committee concluded a hearing to examine the United States response
to the threat of nuclear or radiological terrorism in the United States,
focusing on efforts to prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons and nuclear
materials, after receiving testimony from Vayl S. Oxford, Director, Domestic
Nuclear Detection Office, Department of Homeland Security; Steven Aoki, Deputy
Under Secretary of Energy for Counterterrorism; George P. Nanos, Associate
Director, Research and Development Enterprise, Defense Threat Reduction
Agency; Michael A. Levi, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York; and
Fred Ikle, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill to reauthorize the Small Business Administration.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Patrick W. Dunne, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary of
Veterans Affairs for Policy and Planning, and Thomas E. Harvey, of New York,
to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Congressional Affairs, who
was introduced by Senator Hutchison, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a closed hearing to
examine the nomination of Randall M. Fort, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Secretary of State (Intelligence and Research), after the nominee testified
and answered questions in his own behalf.
AT-HOME DNA TEST
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
direct-to-consumer genetic DNA tests, focusing on whether these should be
considered a marketing scam or a medical breakthrough, focusing on laboratory
enrollment and perfo |
