[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 24 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D192-D195]
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 Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the USDA: Stephen B. Dewhurst, Budget 
Officer; Eric M. Bost, Under Secretary; and Suzanne M. Biermann, Deputy 
Under Secretary, both with Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services; 
George A. Braley, Acting Administrator; and Peter S. Murano, Deputy 
Administrator, Special Nutrition Programs, both with Food and Nutrition 
Service.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE AND JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State 
and Judiciary held a hearing on Federal Judiciary, and on Immigration 
and Naturalization Service. Testimony was heard from the following 
members of the Committee on the Budget of the Judicial Conference of 
the United States: Judge John G. Heyburn II, Chairman, U.S. District 
Court, Western District of Kentucky; and Magistrate Judge Thomas B. 
McCoun III, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; Leonidas 
Ralph Mecham, Director, Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts, member, Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the 
United States; Judge Fern M. Smith, Director, Federal Judicial Center, 
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California; and James W. 
Ziglar, Commissioner, INS, Department of Department of Justice.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development met in executive session to hold a hearing on Department of 
Energy-National Nuclear Security Administration. Testimony was heard 
from Gen. John A. Gordon, USAF, (Ret.),

[[Page D193]]

Under Secretary, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department 
of Energy.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Agencies held a hearing on Export Financing. 
Testimony was heard from Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., Vice-Chairman and First 
Vice President, Export-Import Bank; Peter Watson, President, Overseas 
Private Investment Corporation; and Thelma J. Askey, Director, Trade 
and Development Agency.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
Geological Survey. Testimony was heard from Charles G. Groat, Director, 
U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
LABOR, HHS AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on Health Resources and Services 
Administration. Testimony was heard from Elizabeth James Duke, Acting 
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department 
of Health and Human Services.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction held 
a hearing on Pacific Command. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Gen. Thomas A. Schwartz, 
Commander in Chief, United Nations Command; and Adm. Dennis T. Blair, 
USN, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command.
TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation held a 
hearing on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Testimony 
was heard from Jeffery W. Runge, Administrator, National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation.
VA, HUD, INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies held a hearing on Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry, and on Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. Testimony was 
heard from Henry Falk, M.D., Assistant Administrator, Agency for Toxic 
Substance and Disease Registry, Department of Health and Human 
Services, and Ellen Lazar, Executive Director, Neighborhood 
Reinvestment Corporation.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Installations and 
Facilities held a hearing on the fiscal year 2003 National Defense 
authorization budget request. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Dov Zakheim, Under Secretary 
(Comptroller); Raymond F. DuBois, Jr., Deputy Under Secretary 
(Installations and Environment); Mario P. Fiori, Assistant Secretary, 
Army (Installations and Environment); Maj. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, 
Jr., USA, Assistant Chief of Staff (Installation Management), 
Department of the Army; Maj Gen. James R. Helmly, Commander (TPU), 78th 
Division, Training Support, U.S. Army Reserve; and Brig. Gen. Michael 
J. Squier, Deputy Director, Army National Guard.
HEALTH CARE SHARING--DOD AND DVA
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel and the 
Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a 
joint hearing on health care sharing by the Department of Defense and 
Department of Veterans Affairs. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Smith of New Jersey; Leo S. Mackay, Deputy Secretary, Health, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary 
(Personnel and Readiness), Department of Defense; Nancy Dorn, Deputy 
Director, OMB; Gail Wilensky, Co-Chair, President's Task Force To 
Improve Health Care Delivery For Our Nation's Veterans; representatives 
of veterans organizations; and public witnesses.
BUDGET REQUEST--MEDICAL READINESS NEEDS ADEQUACY
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on the adequacy of the fiscal year 2003 budget request to meet 
readiness needs. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Defense: Gen. John M. Keane, USA, Vice Chief of 
Staff, Department of the Army; Adm. William J. Fallon, USN, Vice Chief 
of Naval Operations and Gen. Michael J. Williams, USMC, Assistant 
Commandant, Marine Corps, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps., both with 
the Department of the Navy; and Gen. Robert H. Foglesong, USAF, Vice 
Chief of Staff, Department of the Air Force.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUDGET PRIORITIES
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on the Department of State 
Budget Priorities Fiscal Year 2003. Testimony was heard from Colin L. 
Powell, Secretary of State.

[[Page D194]]


DOT KIDS IMPLEMENTATION AND EFFICIENCY ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet approved for full Committee action H.R. 3833, Dot Kids 
Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002.
FEDERAL DEPOSIT REFORM ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit approved for full Committee action, as amended, 
H.R. 3717, Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2002.
DRAFT REPORT; BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on Government Reform: Approved the following: a draft 
Committee Report ``A Citizen's Guide on Using the Freedom of 
Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to Request Government 
Records;'' and Committee Budget Views and Estimates for Fiscal Year 
2003 for submission to the Committee on the Budget.
SERVICES ACQUISITION REFORM ACT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Procurement held a hearing on the Services Acquisition Reform Act. 
Testimony was heard from William Woods, Director, Acquisition and 
Sourcing Management, GAO; Angela Styles, Administrator, Office of 
Federal Procurement Policy, OMB; Stephen Perry, Administrator, GSA; 
Diedre Lee, Director, Procurement, Department of Defense; and public 
witnesses.
TIBET-U.S. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on U.S. Policy 
Considerations in Tibet. Testimony was heard from Paula Dobriansky, 
Under Secretary, Global Affairs, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
  Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 2341, Class Action Fairness Act of 2001; and 
H.R. 3297, Mychal Judge Police and Fire Chaplains Public Safety 
Officer's Benefit Act of 2001.
OVERSIGHT--HUD'S LEGISLATIVE HANDBOOK
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held an 
oversight hearing on ``HUD's `Legislative Guidebook' and its Potential 
Impact on Property Rights and Small Businesses, including Minority-
Owned Businesses.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime held an oversight 
hearing on ``The Office of Justice Programs Part Two-Evaluation of 
Effectiveness.'' Testimony was heard from Laurie Ekstrand, Director, 
Justice Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
and the National Marine Fisheries Service Budget Requests for Fiscal 
Year 2003. Testimony was heard from Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, 
Jr., USN, (Ret.) Under Secretary, Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA, 
Department of Commerce; Steve Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and 
Public Lands approved for full Committee action the following measures: 
H. Res. 261, recognizing the historical significance of the Aquia 
sandstone quarries of Government Island in Stafford County, Virginia, 
for their contributions to the construction of the Capital of the 
United States; H.R. 1462, amended, Harmful Nonnative Weed Control Act 
of 2001; H.R. 2628, Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Study Act of 
2001; H.R. 2937, amended, to provide for the conveyance of certain 
public land in Clark County, Nevada, for use as a shooting range; H.R. 
3421, amended, Yosemite National Park Educational Facilities 
Improvement Act; H.R. 3425, amended, to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing 
Highway 49 in California, known as the ``Golden Chain Highway'', as a 
National Heritage Corridor; and H.R. 3853, to make technical 
corrections to laws passed by the 106th Congress related to parks and 
public lands.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 3480, Upper Mississippi River Basin 
Protection Act of 2001; and H.R. 3606, Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation 
and Water Management Act of 2001. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of the Interior: John W. Keys 
III, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation; and Robert M. Hirsch, 
Associate Director, Water, U.S. Geological Survey; and public 
witnesses.

[[Page D195]]


KNOWLEDGE BASED ECONOMY DEMANDS
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Research held a hearing on 
Meeting the Demands of the Knowledge Based Economy: Strengthening 
Undergraduate Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
CIVIL AERONAUTICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a 
hearing on A Review of Civil Aeronautics Research and Development, 
focusing on H.R. 3130, Technology Talent Act of 2001. Testimony was 
heard from Steve Zaidman, Associate Administrator, Research and 
Acquisitions, FAA, Department of Transportation; Sam Venneri, Associate 
Administrator, Aerospace Technology, NASA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--COAST GUARD BUDGET
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held an oversight hearing on the 
Coast Guard Fiscal Year 2003 Budget. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of 
Transportation: Adm. James M. Loy, USCG, Commandant; and Master Chief 
Petty Officer Vincent Patton III.
OVERSIGHT--REDUCED CORPS OF ENGINEERS' BUDGET IMPACTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing on Impacts of a 
Reduced Corps of Engineers' Budget. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
HEALTH QUALITY AND MEDICAL ERRORS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Health Quality and Medical Errors. Testimony was heard James Bagain, 
M.D., Director, National Center for Patient Safety, Department of 
Veterans' Affairs, State of Michigan; and public witnesses.
WELFARE REFORM WORK REQUIREMENTS AND TIME LIMITS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a 
hearing on Implementation of Welfare Reform Work Requirements and Time 
Limits. Testimony was heard from Cynthia Fagnoni, Managing Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO; Jennifer 
Reinert, Secretary, Department of Workforce Development, State of 
Wisconsin; and public witnesses.