[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 66 (Tuesday, May 6, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D450-D451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security 
concluded hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 
2004 for border and transportation security, after receiving testimony 
from Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border 
and Transportation Security.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and 
Capabilities met in closed session and approved for full committee 
consideration, those provisions which fall within the jurisdiction of 
the subcommittee, of proposed legislation authorizing appropriations 
for fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the Department of 
Defense.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower met in closed 
session and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions 
which fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed 
legislation authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel met in closed 
session and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions 
which fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of proposed 
legislation authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense.
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
hearings to examine cable television rates, focusing on rising 
programming costs and consumer benefits of tiering expensive channels, 
Retransmission Consent rules, and vertical integration, coupled with 
horizontal media consolidation, after receiving testimony from William 
B. Shear, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure, and Amy Abramowitz, 
Assistant Director, both of the General Accounting Office; James O. 
Robbins, Cox Communications, and Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, both 
of Washington, D.C.; Charles F. Dolan, Cablevision Systems Corporation, 
Bethpage, New York; James M. Gleason, Cabledirect, Sikeston, Missouri, 
on behalf of the American Cable Association; and Leo Hindery Jr., YES 
Network, New York, New York.
NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National 
Parks concluded hearings to examine S. 324, to amend the National 
Trails System Act to clarify Federal authority relating to land 
acquisition from willing sellers for certain trails in the National 
Trails System, S. 634, to amend the National Trails System Act to 
direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study on the 
feasibility of designating the Trail of the Ancients as a national 
historic trail, S. 635, to amend the National Trails System Act to 
require the Secretary of the Interior to update the feasibility and 
suitability studies of four national historic trails, and S. 651, to 
amend the National Trails System Act to clarify Federal authority 
relating to land acquisition from willing sellers for the majority of 
the trails in the System, after receiving testimony from Senators 
Hatch, Levin, and Allard; D. Thomas Ross, Assistant Director, 
Recreation and Conservation, National Park Service, Department of the 
Interior; Gary Werner, Partnership for the National Trails System, 
Madison, Wisconsin; Dru Bower, Petroleum Association of Wyoming, 
Casper; and Dave Cioffi, Etna, New Hampshire.
FILIBUSTERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil 
Rights and Property Rights concluded hearings to examine the 
constitutional right of a Senate majority to confirm judicial nominees 
of the President irrespective of a filibuster or cloture rule, after 
receiving testimony from Senators Specter and Schumer; Steven G. 
Calabresi, Northwestern University Law School, Chicago, Illinois; John 
C.

[[Page D451]]

Eastman, Chapman University School of Law, Orange California; Marcia D. 
Greenberger and Judith Appelbaum, both of the National Women's Law 
Center, Bruce Fein, Fein and Fein, and Douglas W. Kmiec, Catholic 
University of America Law School, all of Washington, D.C.; and Michael 
J. Gerhardt, William and Mary Law School, Williamsburg, Virginia.
MEDICARE REFORM
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded hearings to examine 
Medicare reform and competition, focusing on the Federal Employees 
Health Benefits (FEHB) program, benefit and rate negotiations, contract 
administration and financial oversight, policy design, universality and 
redistribution, and the private sector, after receiving testimony from 
Abby L. Block, Senior Advisor for Employee and Family Support Policy, 
Office of Personnel Management; Robert E. Moffit, Heritage Foundation, 
Marilyn Moon, Urban Institute, Joseph R. Antos, American Enterprise 
Institute, and Jeff Lemieux, Progressive Policy Institute, all of 
Washington, D.C.; and Walton Francis, Fairfax, Virginia.