[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 54 (Thursday, April 3, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D347-D349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
hearings to examine proposed legislation authorizing funds for child 
nutrition programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition 
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), focusing on ensuring 
program access, fighting hunger and obesity, after receiving testimony 
from Eric M. Bost, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition 
and Consumer Services; James D. Weill, Food Research and Action Center; 
Douglas J. Besharov, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy 
Research, and Anne Curry, Food Marketing Institute, all of Washington, 
D.C.; Jill Leppert, North Dakota State WIC Program, Bismarck, on behalf 
of the National WIC Association; Karen Caplan, Frieda's Inc., Los 
Alamitos, California, on behalf of United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable 
Association; Rod Hofstedt, Adult and Children's Alliance, St. Paul, 
Minnesota, on behalf of National Child and Adult Care Food Program 
Forum; and Don Wambles, Alabama State Farmers Marketing Authority 
Montgomery, on behalf of the National Association of Farmers' Market 
Nutrition Programs.
APPROPRIATIONS: SCIENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies concluded hearings to 
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2004 for the National 
Science Foundation and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
after receiving testimony from John H. Marburger III, Director, Office 
of Science and Technology Policy; Rita R. Colwell, Director, and 
Christine Boesz, Inspector General, both of the National Science 
Foundation; and Warren M. Washington, National Center for Atmospheric 
Research, Boulder, Colorado, on behalf of the National Science Board.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION: AIR-LAUNCHED WEAPONS PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded hearings 
on proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2004 for 
Department of

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Defense and the Future Years Defense Program, focusing on Navy, Marine 
Corps, and Air Force aviation and air-launched weapons programs, after 
receiving testimony from John J. Young, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the 
Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; Marvin R. Sambur, 
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition; Vice Admiral John 
B. Nathman, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare 
Requirements and Programs; Lieutenant General Michael A. Hough, USMC, 
Deputy Commandant for Aviation; and Lieutenant General Ronald E. Keys, 
USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations.
CHECK TRUNCATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded 
oversight hearings to examine the Federal Reserve Board proposal to 
facilitate check truncation by creating a new negotiable instrument 
called a ``substitute check,'' which would permit banks to truncate the 
original checks, to process the check information electronically, and 
to print and deliver substitute checks to banks and bank customers that 
want to continue receiving paper checks, after receiving testimony from 
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., Vice Chairman, Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System; Lindsay A. Alexander, National Institutes of 
Health Federal Credit Union, Washington, D.C., on behalf of Credit 
Union National Association, Inc.; Janell Mayo Duncan, Consumers Union, 
Washington, D.C.; and Danne Buchanan, Zions Bancorporation, Salt Lake 
City, Utah.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the nominations of Thomas Waters Grant, of New York, 
Noe Hinojosa, Jr., of Texas, and William Robert Timken, Jr., of Ohio, 
each to be a Director of the Securities Investor Protection 
Corporation, and Alfred Plamann, of California, to be a Member of the 
Board of Directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank.
HEALTH CARE
Committee on Finance: Committee held hearings to examine the issue of 
purchasing health care services in a competitive environment, focusing 
on the impact on administrative costs, profits, risk load, remote area 
providers, and senior citizens, receiving testimony from Abby L. Block, 
Senior Advisor for Employee and Family Policy, Office of Personnel 
Management; Tom Carrato, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Health Plan Administration; Bruce E. Bradley, General Motors, 
Washington, D.C.; and Lois E. Quam, UnitedHealth Group Company, 
Minnetonka, Minnesota.
  Hearings recessed subject to call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee resumed hearings to examine 
the nominations of Lino Gutierrez, of Florida, to be Ambassador to 
Argentina, James B. Foley, of New York, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Haiti, and Roland W. Bullen, of Virginia, to be Ambassador 
to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, after each nominee testified 
and answered questions in their own behalf.
NATO ENLARGEMENT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine 
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) enlargement, focusing on 
qualifications and contributions, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, 
Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia and NATO membership, receiving 
testimony from F. Stephen Larrabee, RAND, Arlington, Virginia; and 
Janusz Bugajski, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and 
Jeffrey Simon, National Defense University, both of Washington, D.C.
  Hearings will continue on Tuesday, April 8.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of Edward C. Prado, of Texas, to be United States Circuit 
Judge for the Fifth Circuit, Richard D. Bennett, to be United States 
District Judge for the District of Maryland, Dee D. Drell, to be United 
States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, and Allen 
Garber, to be United States Marshal for the District of Minnesota, and 
Raul David Bejarano, to be United States Marshal for the Southern 
District of California, both of the Department of Justice.
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