[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 41 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D237-D240]
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 National Resources Conservation Service. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the USDA: Mark Rey, Under Secretary, 
Natural Resources and Environment; Bruce Knight, Chief, Natural 
Resources Conservation Service; and Gerald Patterson, Acting Budget 
Officer.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Research, Education and 
Economics. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
USDA: Joseph J. Jen, Under Secretary, Research, Education and 
Economics; Edward B. Knipling, Acting Administrator, Agricultural 
Research Service; Collen Hefferan, Administrator, Cooperative State 
Research, Education and Extension Service; Susan E. Offutt, 
Administrator, Economic Research Service; and R. Ronald Bosecker, 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE AND THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appriopriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and 
State and The Judiciary, and Related Agencies held a hearing on SEC. 
Testimony was heard from William H. Donaldson, Chairman, SEC.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on U.S. Northern Command. Testimony was heard 
from Gen. Ralph Eberhart, USAF, Commander and Chief, U.S. Northern 
Command.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on Department of Energy-Science, Nuclear 
Energy, and Renewable Energy. Testimony was heard from Robert Card, 
Under Secretary, Energy, Science and Environment, Department of Energy.

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FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Programs held a hearing on Secretary of State. 
Testimony was heard from Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State.
INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related 
Agencies held a hearing on National Endowment for the Arts, and 
National Endowment for the Humanities. Testimony was heard from Bruce 
Cole, Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities; and Dana Gioia, 
Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department 
of Education-Panel: ``Special Education and Vocational Education'' 
program. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Education: Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary, Office 
of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services; and Grover 
Whitehurst, Assistant Secretary, Institute of Education Sciences; 
Office of Education Research and Improvement.
TRANSPORTATION AND TREASURY, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation and 
Treasury, and Independent Agencies held a hearing on Inspector General, 
Department of Transportation. Testimony was heard from Kenneth M. Mead, 
Inspector General, Department of Transportation.
VA AND HUD, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA and HUD, and 
Independent Agencies held a hearing on Council on Environmental 
Quality. Testimony was heard from James Connaughton, Chairman, Council 
on Environmental Quality.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Chemical Safety and Hazard 
Investigation Board. Testimony was heard from Carolyn Merritt, 
Chairman, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Continued hearings on the fiscal year 2004 
national defense authorization budget request. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Gen. Ralph E. 
Eberhart, USAF, Commander, U.S. Northern Command; and Adm. James O. 
Ellis, Jr., USN, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command.
  Hearings continue March 20.
ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on environmental legislative proposals. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Raymond F. DuBois, 
Jr., Deputy Under Secretary, Installations and Environment; Nelson 
Gibbs, Assistant Secretary, Air Force, Installations, Environment and 
Logistics, Department of the Air Force; Raymond J. Fatz, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, (Environment, Safety and Occupational Health), 
Department of the Army; and Wayne Arny, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
(Installations and Facilities), Department of the Navy; John Peter 
Suarez, Assistant Administrator, Office of Enforcement and Compliance 
Assurance, EPA; Julie MacDonald, Special Assistant to Assistant 
Administrator, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior; 
William Hogarth, Assistant Administrator, Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, NOAA, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
FORCE PROTECTION POLICY--HOMELAND SECURITY--ROLE OF DOD AND NATIONAL 
GUARD
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on force protection policy, 
with emphasis on the role of the Department of Defense and the National 
Guard in homeland security. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Paul McHale, Assistant 
Secretary, Homeland Defense; Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees, USA, Acting 
Chief, National Guard Bureau; and Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Lowenberg, USAF, 
The Adjutant General, Director, Military Department, State of 
Washington.
TOTAL FORCE TRANSFORMATION--OVERVIEW MILITARY PERSONNEL BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Total Force held a hearing 
on the Department of Defense total force transformation and overview of 
the fiscal year 2004 military personnel budget request. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the

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Department of Defense: David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary, Personnel and 
Readiness; Lt. Gen. John Le Moyne, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-l, 
U.S. Army; Vice Adm. Gerald Hoewing, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel; Lt. 
Gen. Garry L. Parks, USMC, Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve 
Affairs, U.S. Marine Corps; and Lt. Gen. Richard E. Brown, USAF, Deputy 
Chief of Staff, Personnel, U.S. Air Force.
CONCURRENT BUDGET RESOLUTION
Committee on the Budget: Ordered reported the Concurrent Resolution on 
the Budget for Fiscal Year 2004.
IDEA--IMPROVING RESULTS FOR CHILDREN AND DISABILITIES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Education 
Reform held a hearing on ``IDEA, Focusing on Improving Results for 
Children and Disabilities.'' Testimony was heard from Dianne Talarico, 
Superintendent, City School District, Canton, Ohio; Larry Lorton, 
Superintendent, Caroline County School District, Denton, Maryland; and 
public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH FAIRNESS ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Employer-
Employee Relations held a hearing on H.R. 660, Small Business Health 
Fairness Act of 2003. Testimony was heard from Ann L. Combs, Assistant 
Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Department of 
Labor; and public witnesses.
COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality concluded hearings on ``Comprehensive National Energy Policy.'' 
Testimony was heard from Sam J. Ervin, Commissioner, Public Utility 
Commission, State of North Carolina; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 21, Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act; H. R 522, 
amended, Federal Deposit Insurance Act of 2003; and H.R. 758, amended, 
Business Checking Freedom Act of 2003.
PORNOGRAPHY ACCESS ON NETWORKS
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Stumbling 
onto Smut: The Alarming Ease of Access to Pornography on Peer-to-Peer 
Networks.'' Testimony was heard from Linda Koontz, Director, 
Information Management Issues, GAO: John M. Netherland, Acting 
Director, CyberSmuggling Center, Bureau of Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL E-GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Technology, Information 
Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census held an oversight 
hearing entitled ``Federal E-Government Initiatives: Are We Headed In 
the Right Direction?'' Testimony was heard from Mark A. Forman, 
Associate Director, Information Technology and Electronic Government, 
OMB; Joel C. Willemssen, Managing Director, Information Technology, 
GAO; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE FUNDING
Committee on House Administration: Met to consider Committee funding 
requests for the following Committees: Agriculture, Science, Rules, 
Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, Budget, International Relations, 
Homeland Security and Veterans.
EUROPE--U.S. PRIORITIES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe held a 
hearing on United States Priorities in Europe. Testimony was heard from 
A. Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Security, Bureau of European and Eurasian 
Affairs, Department of State; and J. D. Crouch, II, Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of International Security Policy, Department of 
Defense.
OVERSIGHT-INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT PIRACY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held an oversight hearing on the ``International 
Copyright Piracy: Links to Organized Crime and Terrorism.'' Testimony 
was heard from John G. Malcolm, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, 
Criminal Division, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES RESEARCH ACT
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and 
Standards approved for full Committee action H.R. 1081, Aquatic 
Invasive Species Research Act.
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and 
Standards held a hearing on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia: 
Strengthening the Science. Testimony was heard from Donald Scavia, 
Chief Scientist, National Ocean Service, NOAA, Department of Commerce; 
Robert Hirsch, Associate

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Director, Water, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior; 
Dan Ayres, Coastal Shellfish Lead Biologist, Department of Fish and 
Wildlife, State of Washington; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--COAST GUARD AND FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION BUDGET REQUESTS; 
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held an oversight hearing on the 
Administration's Fiscal Year 2004 Budgets for the U.S. Coast Guard and 
the Federal Maritime Commission. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security: 
Adm. Thomas H. Collins, USCG, Commandant; and Master Chief Franklin A. 
Welch, USCG, Master Chief Petty Officer; and Steven Blust, Chairman, 
Federal Maritime Commission.
  Prior to the hearing, the Subcommittee met for organizational 
purposes.
OVERSIGHT--FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND TRANSIT PROGRAMS REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit and Pipelines held an oversight hearing on 
Reauthorization of Federal Highway and Transit Programs: What are the 
needs, and how to meet those needs. Testimony was heard from Tim 
Martin, Secretary, Department of Transportation, State of Illinois; and 
public witnesses.
SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 743, 
Social Security Protection Act of 2003.
HOT SPOTS BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on 
Intelligence Policy and National Security met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Hot Spots. The Subcommittee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
FUTURE IMAGERY ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Technical 
and Tactical Intelligence met in executive session to hold a hearing on 
Future Imagery Architecture Program. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.