[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 19, 2002)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D644-D645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense met in executive 
session and approved for full Committee action the Defense 
appropriations for fiscal year 2003.
SOCIAL SECURITY; LONG-TERM BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Social Security: The Long-
Term Budget Implications. Testimony was heard from David M. Walker, 
Comptroller General, GAO; Dan L. Crippen, Director, CBO; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS HEALTH MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported the following: H.R. 
4013, Rare Diseases Act of 2002; Regulatory Reduction and Contracting 
Reform; H.R. 4961, Medicaid, Public Health, and Other Health 
Provisions; and H.R. 4962, Rural Health Care Improvements.
  The Committee began consideration of the Medicare Prescription Drug 
Benefit.
  Will continue tomorrow.
VACCINE SAFETY AND AUTISM
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on ``The Status of 
Research Into Vaccine Safety and Autism.'' Testimony was heard from 
Roger Bernier, Associate Director, Science, Office of Director, Center 
for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Foreign 
Government Complicity in Human Trafficking: A Review of the State 
Department's 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report. Testimony was heard 
from Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary, Global Affairs, Department of 
State; and public witnesses.
BURMA--RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on East Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on Recent Developments in Burma. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of State: Matthew 
Daley, Assistant Secretary, East Asian and Pacific Affairs; and Karen 
Turner, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau For Asia and the Near 
East, AID.
NATO AND ENLARGEMENT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe held a 
hearing on ``NATO and Enlargement: A United States and NATO 
Perspective.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Gen. Joseph W. Ralston, USAF, Commander-in-
Chief, U.S. European Command; and Ian Brzezinski, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, European and NATO Affairs; and Robert A. Bradtke, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following measures: H. 
R. 4623, amended, Child Obscenity and Pornography Prevention Act of 
2002; H.R. 4477, amended, Sex Tourism Prohibition Improvement Act of 
2002; H.R. 4679, amended, Lifetime Consequences for Sex Offenders Act 
of 2002; H.R. 4858, to improve access to physicians in medically 
underserved areas; H. Res. 417, recognizing and honoring the career and 
work of Justice C. Clifton Young; and H.R. 4864, amended, Anti-
Terrorism Explosives Act of 2002.
OVERSIGHT--INS'S INTERIOR ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security, and Claims held an oversight hearing on ``The Immigration and 
Naturalization Service's (INS's) Interior Enforcement Strategy.'' 
Testimony was heard from Joseph R. Greene, Assistant Commissioner, 
Investigations, INS, Department of Justice; Richard M. Stana, Director, 
Justice Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.

[[Page D645]]


OVERSIGHT
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing on the Washington 
Aqueduct and the effects of its discharge on the C&O Canal National 
Historic Park and the endangered shortnose sturgeon. Testimony was 
heard from Don Murphy, Deputy Director, National Park Service, 
Department of the Interior; Tim Keeney, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA, Department of Commerce; Dominic Izzo, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, Department of the Army; and Ben Grumbles, Deputy Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Water, EPA.
SOUND SCIENCE FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PLANNING ACT
Committee on Resources: Held a hearing on H.R. 4840, Sound Science for 
Endangered Species Act Planning Act of 2002. Testimony was heard from 
Craig Manson, Assistant Secretary, Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, 
Department of the Interior; and William Hogarth, Assistant 
Administrator, Fisheries, NOAA, Department of Commerce.
ANDEAN TRADE PREFERENCE EXPANSION ACT--RELATING TO CONSIDERATION OF 
SENATE AMENDMENT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a resolution providing that 
H.R. 3009, Andean Trade Preference Expansion Act, and the Senate 
amendment thereto, shall be taken from the Speaker's table and agreed 
to with the amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules 
accompanying the resolution. The resolution provides that the House 
shall be considered to have insisted on its amendment to the Senate 
amendment. Finally, the resolution provides that the House shall be 
considered to have requested a conference with the Senate thereon. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Thomas and Representatives Rangel and 
Levin.
HOW LIMITING INTERNATIONAL VISITOR VISAS HURTS SMALL BUSINESS TOURISM
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on How Limiting 
International Visitor Visas Hurts Small Business Tourism. Testimony was 
heard from James W. Ziglar, Commissioner, INS, Department of Justice; 
Thomas Sullivan, Chief Counsel, Office of Advocacy, SBA; John E. Bush, 
Governor, State of Florida; John Lewis, former Assistant Director, FBI, 
National Security Division (Counterintelligence and Counter-terrorism), 
Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
ARMING PILOTS AGAINST TERRORISM ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 4635, 
Arming Pilots Against Terrorism Act.
MEDICARE MODERNIZATION AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ACT; IMPROVING ACCESS TO 
LONG-TERM CARE ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 4954, Medicare Modernization and Prescription 
Drug Act of 2002; and H.R. 4946, Improving Access to Long-Term Care Act 
of 2002.

Joint Meetings
9/11 INTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION
Joint Hearing: Senate Select Committee on Intelligence continued joint 
closed hearings with the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence to examine events surrounding September 11, 2001, 
receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence community.
  Joint hearings recessed subject to call.
KOSOVO ETHNIC HARMONY
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Commission to examine the current human rights atmosphere in Kosovo, 
focusing on the rights of ethnic minorities to return home, human 
trafficking, and the rising tensions between the region's ethnic 
minorities, after receiving testimony from Rada Trajkovic, Kosovo 
Parliamentarian, Kosovo Serv Povratak Coalition, Podujevo; Alush Gashi, 
Kosovo Parliamentarian, Democratic League of Kosovo, and Valerie 
Percival, International Crisis Group, both of Pristina; and Nebojsa 
Covic, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia.