[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D568-D570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WTO--NEGOTIATIONS ON AGRICULTURE STATUS
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the status of the 
World Trade Organization Negotiations on Agriculture. Testimony was 
heard from Ann M. Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture; and Robert B. 
Zoellick, U.S. Trade Representative.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs held a hearing on Millennium Challenge 
Corporation. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of State: Alan P. Larson. Under Secretary, Economic, 
Business and Agricultural Affairs; and Andrew S. Natsios, 
Administrator, AID.
LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative held a hearing 
on the Architect of the Capitol (Not Capitol Visitor's Center). 
Testimony was heard from Alan M. Hantman, Architect of the Capitol.
TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury 
and Independent Agencies held a hearing on Benefits and Costs of 
Transportation Options. Testimony was heard from Charles Nottingham, 
Associate Administrator, Policy, Federal Highway Administration, 
Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 23, Tornado Shelters Act; H.R. 1276, amended, American Dream 
Downpayment Act; H.R. 1614, HOPE VI Program Reauthorization and Small 
Community Main Street Rejuvenation and Housing Act of 2003; and H.R. 
2120, Financial Contracts Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2003.
FUTURE OF KOSOVO
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the Future of 
Kosovo. Testimony was heard from Janet L. Brogue, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Department of 
State; Daniel Serwer, Director, Balkans Initiative, U.S. Institute of 
Peace; and public witnesses.

[[Page D569]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following measures: 
H.J. Res. 4, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of 
the flag of the United States; H.R. 361, amended, Sports Agent 
Responsibility and Trust Act; H. Res. 193, reaffirming support of the 
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 
and anticipating the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Genocide 
Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act) on November 4, 
2003; and H.R. 1115, amended, Class Action Fairness Act of 2003.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule on H.R. 
1588, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, 
providing for further consideration of the bill. The rule makes in 
order only those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report 
accompanying the resolution and amendments en bloc described in section 
2 of the resolution. The rule provides that amendments printed in the 
report shall be considered only in the order printed in the report 
(except as specified in section 3 of the resolution), may be offered 
only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read 
and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in 
the House or in the Committee of the Whole. The rule provides that each 
amendment printed in the report shall be debatable for 10 minutes 
(unless otherwise specified in the report) equally divided and 
controlled by the proponent and an opponent and shall not be subject to 
amendment (except that the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Armed Services each may offer one pro forma amendment for 
the purpose of further debate on any pending amendment). The rule 
waives all points of order against amendments printed in the report and 
those amendments en bloc as described in Section 2 of the resolution.
  The rule authorizes the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services 
or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments 
printed in the report, or germane modifications thereto, which shall be 
considered as read (except that modifications shall be reported), shall 
be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled between the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services 
or their designees, and shall not be subject to amendment or demand for 
a division of the question. The rule provides that, for the purpose of 
inclusion in such amendments en bloc, an amendment printed in the form 
of a motion to strike may be modified to the form of a germane 
perfecting amendment to the text originally proposed to be stricken and 
that the original proponent of an amendment included in such amendments 
en bloc may insert a statement in the Congressional Record immediately 
before the disposition of the amendments en bloc. The rule allows the 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to recognize for consideration 
of any amendment printed in the report, out of the order printed, but 
not sooner than one hour after the chairman of the Armed Services 
Committee or his designee announces from the floor a request to that 
effect. Finally, the rule provides a motion to recommit with or without 
instructions.
SAME DAY CONSIDERATION--CONFERENCE REPORT JOBS AND GROWTH TAX RELIEF 
RECONCILIATION ACT OF 2003
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a resolution waiving clause 
6(a) of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on 
the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee) against certain 
resolutions reported from the Rules Committee. The resolution applies 
the waiver to any special rule reported on the legislative day of 
Thursday, May 22, 2003, providing for consideration or disposition of 
H.R. 2, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201 of the 
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2004, any amendment 
thereto, any conference report thereon, or any amendment reported in 
disagreement from a conference thereon.
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION AMENDMENTS OF 2003
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 8 to 3, a closed rule on H.R. 
2185, to extend the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 
2002 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 one motion to recommit 
with or without instructions.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following bills: S. 703, to designate the regional headquarters 
building for the National Park Service under construction in Omaha, 
Nebraska, as the ``Carl T. Curtis National Park Service Midwest 
Regional Headquarters Building;'' H.R. 1082, to designate the Federal 
building and United States courthouse located at 46 East Ohio Street in 
Indianapolis, Indiana, as the ``Birch Bayh Federal Building

[[Page D570]]

and United States Courthouse;'' and H.R. 2115, amended, Flight 100--
Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act.
  The Committee also approved U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Survey 
resolutions.
SAFE AND FLEXIBLE TRANSPORTATIONEFFICIENCY ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit, and Pipelines continued overview hearings on the 
Administration's Proposed Reauthorization bill (SAFETEA), (Part 111). 
Testimony was heard from Jenna Dorn, Administrator, Federal Transit 
Administration, Department of Transportation.
HOMELAND SECURITY SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY PREPARING FUTURE
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Science, and Research and Development held an oversight hearing on 
``Homeland Security Science and Technology: Preparing for the Future.'' 
Testimony was heard from Charles McQueary, Under Secretary, Science and 
Technology, Department of Homeland Security.

Joint Meetings
U.S. ECONOMY
Joint Economic Committee:
  Committee concluded hearings to examine the state of the U.S. economy 
and future economic policy, focusing on dividend tax relief and capped 
exclusions, deflation, and small business tax rates, after receiving 
testimony from Alan Greenspan, Chairman, Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System.