[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 19 (Thursday, February 28, 2002)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D148-D151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND FDA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Research, Education and Economics. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the USDA: Stephen B. Dewhurst, Budget 
Officer; Joseph J. Jen, Under Secretary, Research, Education and 
Economics; Ed Knipling, Acting Administrator, Agricultural Research 
Service; Colien Hefferan, Administrator, Cooperative State Research, 
Education and Extension Service; Susan Offutt, Administrator, Economic 
Research Service; and R. Ronald Bosecker, Administrator, National 
Agricultural Statistics Service.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State 
and Judiciary held a hearing on Attorney General. Testimony was heard 
from John Ashcroft, the Attorney General.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on Missile Defense. Testimony was heard from 
Lt. Gen. Ronald T. Kadish, USAF. Director, Missile Defense Agency, 
Department of Defense.
ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on Bureau

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of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project Completion Act. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Interior: 
Gale A. Norton, Secretary; John W. Keys III, Commissioner, Bureau of 
Reclamation; and Ronald Johnson, Central Utah Project Completion Act 
Program.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
Fossil Energy, and Energy Conservation. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Energy: Carl Michael Smith, 
Assistant Secretary, Fossil Energy; and David K. Garman, Assistant 
Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
LABOR, HHS AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services and Education held a hearing on Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting; Institute of Museum and Library Services; and the 
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Testimony was 
heard from Robert Coonrod, President and CEO, Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting; Robert Martin, Director, Institute of Museum and Library 
Services; Martha B. Gould, Chairperson; and Jack E. Hightower, member, 
both with National Commission on Libraries and Information Sciences.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation held a 
hearing on Federal Highway Administration. Testimony was heard from 
Mary E. Peters, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, 
Department of Transportation.
TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service 
and General Government held a hearing on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and 
Firearms, and on IRS. Testimony was heard from the Department of the 
Treasury: Bradley A. Buckles, Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and 
Firearms; Jimmy Gurule, Under Secretary, Enforcement; and Charles 
Rossotti, Commissioner, IRS.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services, Continued hearings on the fiscal year 2003 
National Defense Authorization budget request. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Thomas E. White, 
Secretary of the Army; and Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, USA, Chief of Staff, 
Department of the Army.
  Hearings continue March 6.
EXPORT ADMINISTRATION ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Export 
Administration Act of 2001. Testimony was heard from J.D. Crouch, 
Assistant Secretary, International Security Policy, Department of 
Defense; Vann Van Diepen, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Nonproliferation) 
Department of State; James J. Jochum, Assistant Secretary, Export 
Administration, Department of Commerce; Joseph Cristoff, Director, 
International Affairs and Trade Team, GAO; and public witnesses.
HHS BUDGET PRIORITIES
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Department of Health and 
Human Services Budget Priorities Fiscal Year 2003. Testimony was heard 
from Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services; Dan L. 
Crippen, Director, CBO; and public witnesses.
OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Education 
Reform held a hearing on ``The Reauthorization of the Office of 
Educational Research and Improvement.'' Testimony was heard from Grover 
Whitehurst, Assistant Secretary, Office of Educational Research and 
Improvement, Department of Education; Jim Horne, Secretary, Board of 
Education, State of Florida; Douglas Christensen, Commissioner, 
Department of Education, State of Nebraska; and public witnesses.
TREAD ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled ``Implementation of the 
TREAD Act: One Year Later.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Transportation: Jeffrey W. Runge, 
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and 
Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General; and John D. Graham, Administrator, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB.
UNINSURED AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on ``The Uninsured and Affordable Health Care Coverage.'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.

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BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES; INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
Committee on Financial Services: Approved Committee Budget Views and 
Estimates for Fiscal Year 2003 for submission to the Committee on the 
Budget.
  The Committee also held a hearing on the International Monetary Fund. 
Testimony was heard from Paul H. O'Neill, Secretary of the Treasury.
QUICKEN RESEARCH PACE--PROTECT AGAINST ANTHRAX AND OTHER BIOLOGICAL 
TERRORIST AGENTS
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on ``Quickening the Pace 
of Research in Protecting Against Anthrax and Other Biological 
Terrorist Agents-A Look at Toxin Interference.'' Testimony was heard 
from Rodney Balhorn, Research Director, Lawrence Livermore 
Laboratories, Department of Energy; Stephen Leppla, Senior 
Investigator, National Institute of Dental and Cranial Facial Research, 
NIH, Department of Health and Human Services; Arthur Friedlander, 
Senior Scientist, Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 
U.S. Army, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland; and public witnesses.
URGE UKRAINE--FAIR ELECTION PROCESS; U.N. CRIMINAL TRIBUNALS--
YUGOSLAVIA AND RWANDA
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered the 
following resolution and adopted a motion urging the Chairman to 
request that it be considered on the Suspension Calendar: H. Res. 339, 
as amended, urging the Government of Ukraine to ensure a democratic, 
transparent, and fair election process leading up to the March 31, 
2002, parliamentary elections.
  The Committee also held a hearing on the U.N. Criminal Tribunals for 
Yugoslavia and Rwanda: International Justice or Show of Justice? 
Testimony was heard from Pierre-Richard Prosper, Ambassador-at-Large, 
War Crimes Issues, Department of State; and public witnesses.
ZIMBABWE: ARE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS POSSIBLE?
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa held a 
hearing on Zimbabwe: Are `Free and `Fair' Elections Possible? Testimony 
was heard from Walter H. Kansteiner III, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
Africa Affairs, Department of State; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held an oversight hearing on the Legal Services 
Corporation. Testimony was heard from John N. Erlenborn, President, 
Legal Services Corporation; and public witnesses.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT--TEMPORARY FILLING OF HOUSE VACANCIES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing on H.J. Res. 67, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of 
the United States regarding the appointment of individuals to serve as 
Members of the House of Representatives in the event a significant 
number of Members are unable to serve at any time because of a national 
emergency. Testimony was heard from Harold Relyea, Expert and 
Specialist in American National Government, Government and Finance 
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--VISA WAIVER PROGRAM--IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims held 
an oversight hearing on ``The Implications of Transnational Terrorism 
for the Visa Waiver Program.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Justice: Glenn A. Fine, Inspector 
General; and Peter M. Becraft, Deputy Commissioner, INS; and public 
witnesses.
NOAA SEA GRANT PROGRAM: REVIEW AND REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and 
Standards held a hearing on the NOAA Sea Grant Program: Review and 
Reauthorization. Testimony was heard from Vice Adm. Conrad C. 
Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Rtd.), Under Secretary, Oceans and Atmosphere, 
NOAA, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
TEA 21 REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing on Perspectives of Governors and 
Local Elected Officials on Reauthorization of TEA 21. Testimony was 
heard from Paul E. Patton, Governor, State of Kentucky; Kenneth Barr, 
Mayor, Fort Worth, Texas; and public witnesses.
PHYSICIAN PAYMENTS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Physician Payments. Testimony was heard from Dan L. Crippen, Director, 
CBO; Glenn Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare Payments Advisory Commission; 
and public witnesses.

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ANNUAL REPORTS--IRS NATIONAL TAXPAYER ADVOCATE; IRS OVERSIGHT BOARD
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on IRS National Taxpayer Advocate Annual Report and IRS Oversight Board 
Annual Report. Testimony was heard from Nina E. Olson, National 
Taxpayer Advocate, Department of the Treasury; and Larry R. Levitan, 
Chairman, IRS Oversight Board.
SOCIAL SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS--WOMEN, SENIORS AND WORKING AMERICANS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on Social Security Improvements for Women, Seniors and Working 
Americans. Testimony was heard fromJo Anne Barnhardt, Commissioner, 
SSA; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue March 6.
FBI COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrrorism 
and Homeland Security met in executive session to hold a hearing on FBI 
Counterterrorism Issues. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.