[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 5, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D189-D191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the USDA: J.B. Penn, Under Secretary, 
Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services; James R. Little, Administrator, 
Farm Service Agency; A. Ellen Terpstra, Administrator, Foreign 
Agricultural Service; and Ross J. Davidson, Jr., Administrator, Risk 
Management Agency.

[[Page D190]]


ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on Secretary of Energy. Testimony was heard 
from Spencer Abraham, Secretary of Energy.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
Forest Service. Testimony was heard from Dale N. Bosworth, Chief, 
Forest Service, USDA.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction held 
a hearing on Air Force Construction. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of the Air Force: Nelson Gibbs, 
Assistant Secretary, Installations, Environment and Logistics; Major 
Gen. Earnest Robbins, USAF, Air Force Civil Engineer; Brig. Gen. 
William M. Rajczak, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air Force Reserve; and 
Col. Charles V. Ickes, II, USAF, Assistant to the Director, Operational 
Readiness, Air National Guard.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Quality of Life. Testimony 
was heard from Sgt. Maj. Jack L. Tilley, USA; Master Chief Petty 
Officer Terry D. Scott, USN, Master Chief Petty Officer; Sgt. Major 
Alfred J. McMichael, USMC; and Chief Master Sgt. Gerald Murray, USAF.
BACK TO WORK INCENTIVE ACT; PENSION SECURITY ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported, as amended, 
H.R. 444, Back to Work Incentive Act of 2003.
  The Committee began markup of H.R. 1000, Pension Security Act.
  Will continue tomorrow.
COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``Comprehensive National Energy 
Policy.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Energy: Kyle McSlarrow, Deputy Secretary; Patrick Wood, 
Chairman, William L. Massey and Nora Mead-Brownell, both Commissioners, 
all with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Richard Meserve, 
Chairman, NRC; and public witnesses.
LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK CLEANUP PROGRAMS EFFECTIVENESS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials held a hearing entitled ``The Effectiveness of 
Leaking Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Programs.'' Testimony was 
heard from Clifford Rothenstein, Director, Office of Underground 
Storage Tanks, EPA; John B. Stephenson, Director, Natural Resources and 
Environment, GAO; and Edward Galbraith, Tanks Section Chief, Land and 
Air Division, Department of Natural Resources, State of Missouri.
HOUSING RELATED AGENCY BUDGETS
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on housing related 
agency budgets for fiscal year 2004. Testimony was heard from Mel 
Martinez, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Art Garcia, 
Director, Rural Housing Service, USDA; Anthony Lowe, Director, National 
Flood Insurance Program, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; and a 
public witness.
BUSINESS CHECKING FREEDOM ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing on H.R. 758 and H.R. 859, Business 
Checking Freedom Act of 2003. Testimony was heard from Donald L. Kohn, 
member, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; Wayne A. Abernathy, 
Assistant Secretary, Financial Institutions, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL REAUTHORIZATION AND STRATEGY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources held a hearing on ``ONDCP Reauthorization 
and the National Drug Control Strategy for 2003.'' Testimony was heard 
from John Walters, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Committee on House Administration: Held an oversight hearing on the 
Smithsonian Institution. Testimony was heard from Lawrence M. Small, 
Secretary, Smithsonian Institution.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Favorably considered and adopted 
a motion urging the Chairman to request that the following measures be 
considered on the Suspension Calendar: H.R. 192, to amend the 
Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in 
developing countries under microenterprise assistant programs under 
those

[[Page D191]]

Acts; H.R. 441, to amend Public Law 107-10 to authorize a United States 
plan to endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the annual 
summit of the World Health Assembly in May 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland; 
H.R. 868, to amend section 527 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995, to require that certain claims for 
expropriation by the Government of Nicaragua meet certain requirements 
for purposes of the prohibition on foreign assistance to that 
government; H. Res. 109, urging passage of a resolution addressing 
human rights abuses in North Korea at the 59th session of the United 
Nations Commission on Human Rights, and calling on the Government of 
North Korea to respect and protect the human rights of its citizens; H. 
Con. Res. 57, supporting the goals of International Women's Day; H. 
Con. Res. 26, condemning the punishment of execution by stoning as a 
gross violation of human rights; and H. Con. Res. 77, commemorating the 
60th anniversary of the historic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from 
the Holocaust and commending the Bulgarian people for preserving and 
continuing their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance.
HELP EFFICIENT, ACCESSIBLE, LOW-COST TIMELY HEALTHCARE (HEALTH) ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 5, Help 
Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 
2003.
OVERSIGHT--BUREAU OF RECLAMATION'S PROPOSED BUDGET
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held an 
oversight hearing on the Bureau of Reclamation's Proposed Fiscal Year 
2004 Budget. Testimony was heard from John H. Keys, III, Commissioner, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior.
ARMED FORCES TAX FAIRNESS ACT OF 2003
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 6 to 4, a closed rule 
providing one hour of debate in the House equally divided and 
controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Ways and Means. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendment 
recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means now printed in the bill, 
modified by the amendment printed in the Rules Committee report, shall 
be considered as adopted. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Jefferson, Skelton, Frost, McGovern, and Bordallo.
BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on Rules: Approved budget views and estimates for fiscal year 
2004 for submission to the Committee on the Budget.
PATH TO A HYDROGEN ECONOMY; COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on The Path to a Hydrogen Economy. 
Testimony was heard from David Garman, Assistant Secretary, Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy; and public 
witnesses.
  Prior to this action, the Committee met for organizational purposes.
HEALTH CARE--SMALL BUSINESS ACCESS AND ALTERNATIVES
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Small Business 
Access and Alternatives to Health Care.'' Testimony was heard from 
Senator Talent; Representative Fletcher; Elaine Chao, Secretary of 
Labor; Hector Barreto, Jr., Administrator, SBA; John Hartnedy, Chief 
Deputy Commissioner, Department of Insurance, State of Arkansas; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing on Independent Peer 
Review of Products that Support Agency Decision-Making. Testimony was 
heard from Paul Gilman, Assistant Administrator, Research and 
Development, EPA; Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary, Policy, 
Management and Budget, Department of the Interior; the following 
officials of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: R. L. Brownlee, Acting 
Assistant Secretary (Civil Works); and Lt. Gen. Robert B. Flowers, USA, 
Chief of Engineers; and public witnesses.
ADMINISTRATION'S ECONOMIC GROWTH PROPOSALS
Committee on Ways and Means: Continued hearings on the Administration's 
Economic Growth Proposals. Testimony was heard from Alan Havesi, 
Comptroller, State of New York; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.