[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 101 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D735-D737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FEDERAL FARM BILL
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
hearings to elicit suggestions for the nutrition title of the proposed 
federal farm bill and to examine the reauthorization of the Food Stamp 
Program, focusing on improvement through streamlined applications, 
stable benefit levels, transitional assistance, simplified eligibility, 
and employment and training for economic self sufficiency, after 
receiving testimony from Eric M. Bost, Under Secretary of Agriculture 
for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services; Kevin W. Concannon, Maine 
Department of Human Services, Augusta; Robert Greenstein, Center on 
Budget and Policy Priorities, and Ron Haskins, Brookings Institution, 
both of Washington, D.C.; Karen Ford, Food Bank of Iowa, Des Moines; 
Dean M. Leavitt, U.S. Wireless Data, Inc., New York, New York; Deborah 
A. Frank, Boston Medical Center Grow Clinic for Children and Children's 
Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program, Boston, Massachusetts; Cutberto 
Garza, Cornell University Division of Nutritional Sciences, Ithaca, New 
York; and Celine Dieppa, Manchester, Connecticut.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following bills:
  An original bill, making appropriations for the Departments of 
Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary, and related agencies for 
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002; and
  An original bill, making appropriations for the Departments of 
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry 
independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies approved for full committee consideration an original bill, 
making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and 
Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, 
boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2002.
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings on proposed 
legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2002 for the Department 
of Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing on ballistic 
missile defense policies and programs, after receiving testimony from 
Samuel R. Berger, Stonebridge International, former Assistant to the 
President for National Security Affairs, Philip E. Coyle, Center for 
Defense Information, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and 
Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, Department of Defense, and 
Richard N. Perle, American Enterprise Institute, former Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, all of 
Washington, D.C.
AUTHORIZATION--ARMY MODERNIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded hearings 
on proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2002 for the 
Department of Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing on 
Army modernization and transformation, after receiving testimony from 
Lt. Gen. Paul J. Kern, USA, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology; and 
Maj. Gen. William L. Bond, USA, Director, Force Development, Office of 
the Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs.
NOMINATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded 
hearings on the nomination of Harvey Pitt, of North Carolina, to be a 
Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission, after the nominee, 
who was introduced by Senator Schumer, testified and answered questions 
in his own behalf.

[[Page D736]]


RENEWABLE ENERGY AND HYDROELECTRICITY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee continued hearings 
on proposed energy policy legislation, focusing on issues related to 
removing barriers to distributed generation, renewable energy and other 
advanced technologies in electricity generation and transmission, 
including Sections 301 and Title VI of S. 597, the Comprehensive and 
Balanced Energy Policy Act of 2001, Sections 110, 111, 112, 710, and 
711 of S. 388, the National Energy Security Act of 2001, S. 933, the 
Combined Heat and Power Advancement Act of 2001, hydroelectric 
relicensing procedures of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
including Title VII of S. 388, Title VII of S. 597, and S. 71, the 
Hydroelectric Licensing Process Improvement Act of 2001, receiving 
testimony from David K. Garman, Assistant Secretary for Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and J. Mark Robinson, Director, Office 
of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, both of the 
Department of Energy; William Bettenberg, Deputy Director, Office of 
Policy Analysis, Department of the Interior; Robert T. Boyd, Enron Wind 
Corporation, Los Angeles, California; Christian P. Demeter, Antares 
Group Inc., Landover, Maryland; Mark Hall, Trigen Energy Corporation, 
White Plains, New York; Thomas J. Starrs, Kelso, Starrs and Associates, 
Vashon Island, Washington; S. Elizabeth Birnbaum, American Rivers, on 
behalf of the Hydropower Reform Coalition, and Gerald J. Gray, American 
Forests, both of Washington, D.C.; and Julie Keil, Portland General 
Electric Company, Portland, Oregon.
  Hearings continue on Tuesday, July 24.
CALIFORNIA ECOSYSTEM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and 
Power concluded hearings on S. 976, to provide authorization and 
funding for the enhancement of ecosystems, water supply, and water 
quality of the State of California, after receiving testimony from 
Senator Boxer; Representatives George Miller and Tauscher; Gale A. 
Norton, Secretary of the Interior; California Secretary for Resources 
Mary D. Nichols, and Patrick Writght, CALFED Bay-Delta Program, Stuart 
L. Somach, Somach, Simmons and Dunn, on behalf of the Glenn-Colusa 
Irrigation District, all of Sacramento; Phillip J. Pace, Metropolitan 
Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles; Richar M. Moss, 
Friant Water Users Authority, Lindsay, California; Stephen K. Hall, 
Association of California Water Agencies, Washington, D.C.; James 
Cunneen, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, San Jose, 
California; and Grant Davis, Bay Institute of San Francisco, San 
Rafael, California.
TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings on proposed legislation 
authorizing funds for and to expand eligibility and improve the Trade 
Adjustment Assistance program, receiving testimony from Senators 
Wellstone, Bayh, and Dayton; Clayton Yeutter, former United States 
Trade Representative, George Becker, United Steelworkers of America, 
and William A. Reinsch, National Foreign Trade Council, Inc., all of 
Washington, D.C.; and Gary G. Kuhar, Northwest Trade Adjustment 
Assistance Center, Seattle, Washington.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine 
the United States' international family planning program, focusing on 
the impact of the Administration's global gag rule (also known as the 
Mexico City Policy) on the incidence of abortion, family planning, 
female health services, and American foreign policy objectives that 
promote democracy and free speech in certain countries, and a related 
measure, S. 367, to prohibit the application of certain restrictive 
eligibility requirements to foreign nongovernmental organizations with 
respect to the provision of assistance under part I of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961, after receiving testimony from Senators 
Hutchinson and Reid; Representatives Lowey and Chris Smith; Alan J. 
Kreczko, Acting Assistant Secretary of State/Bureau of Population, 
Refugees, and Migration; Daniel E. Pellegrom, Pathfinder International, 
Watertown, Massachusetts; Nicholas N. Eberstadt, American Enterprise 
Institute, Cathy Cleaver, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and 
Maria Sophia Aguirre, Catholic University Department of Business 
Economics, all of Washington, D.C.; Aryeh Neier, Open Society 
Institute, New York, New York; Nirmal K. Bista, Family Planning 
Association of Nepal, Kathmandu; and Susana Galdos Silva, Movimiento 
Manuela Ramos, Lima, Peru.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings on the 
nominations of Stuart A. Bernstein, of the District of Columbia, to be 
Ambassador to Denmark, Michael E. Guest, of South Carolina, to be 
Ambassador to Romania, Charles A. Heimbold, Jr., of Connecticut, to be 
Ambassador to Sweden, Thomas J. Miller, of Virginia, to be Ambassador 
to Greece, Larry C. Napper, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Kazakhstan, Jim Nicholson, of Colorado, to be Ambassador to the Holy 
See, and

[[Page D737]]

Mercer Reynolds, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to Switzerland, and to serve 
concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the 
Principality of Liechtenstein, after the nominees testified and 
answered questions in their own behalf. Mr. Bernstein was introduced by 
Senator Bob Smith and Congressman Dingell, Mr. Heimbold was introduced 
by Senator Dodd, Mr. Miller was introduced by Senator Sarbanes, Mr. 
Nicholson was introduced by Senators Allard and Campbell, and Mr. 
Reynolds was introduced by Senators DeWine and Voinovich, and 
Representative Portman.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 407, to amend the Trademark Act of 1946 to provide for the 
registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, in order to 
carry out provisions of certain international conventions, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. Res. 16, designating August 16, 2001, as ``National Airborne 
Day'';
  S. Con. Res. 16, expressing the sense of Congress that the George 
Washington letter to Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, which is 
on display at the B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in 
Washington, D.C., is one of the most significant early statements 
buttressing the nascent American constitutional guarantee of religious 
freedom; and
  The nominations of Roger L. Gregory, of Virginia, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Richard F. Cebull and Sam E. 
Haddon, each to be a United States District Judge for the District of 
Montana, Ralph F. Boyd, Jr., of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant 
Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Robert D. McCallum, Jr., of 
Georgia, each to be an Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, and 
Eileen J. O'Connor, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General, 
Tax Division, all of the Department of Justice.
NOMINATION
Committee on Small Business: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nomination of Hector V. Barreto, Jr., of California, to be 
Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
  Prior to this action, committee concluded hearings on the nomination, 
after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
VETERANS HEALTH ASSISTANCE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on S. 739, 
to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve programs for homeless 
veterans, S. 1188, to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance 
the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recruit and 
retain qualified nurses for the Veterans Health Administration, S. 
1160, to amend section 1714 of title 38, United States Code, to modify 
the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide dog-
guides to blind veterans and authorize the provision of service dogs to 
hearing-impaired veterans and veterans with spinal cord injuries, S. 
1042, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve benefits for 
Filipino veterans of World War II, S. Res. 61, expressing the sense of 
the Senate that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should recognize 
board certifications from the American Association of Physician 
Specialists, Inc., for purposes of the payment of special pay by the 
Veterans Health Administration, and proposed legislation to change the 
means test used by the Veterans Administration in determining whether 
veterans will be placed in enrollment priority group 5 or 7, after 
receiving testimony from Representative Evans; Thomas L. Garthwaite, 
Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health, who was accompanied by 
several of his associates; Linda Boone, National Coalition for Homeless 
Veterans, Washington, D.C.; Jimmie L. Coulthard, Minnesota Assistance 
Council for Veterans, Minneapolis; Richard C. Schneider, Pentagon 
Federal Credit Union, Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of the Non 
Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of America and 
the National Military and Veterans Alliance; and Daniel Shaughnessy, 
Tucson VA Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona, on behalf of the American 
Federation of Government Employees.