[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 96 (Thursday, June 26, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D754-D755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MANDATORY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING LAW REVIEW
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the mandatory 
country of origin labeling law. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the USDA: Charles Lambert, Deputy Under Secretary, 
Marketing and Regulatory Programs; Nancy Bryson, General Counsel; and 
Keith Collins, Chief Economist; and public witnesses.
DEFENSE AND LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the following 
appropriations for fiscal year 2004: Defense and Legislative.
FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 1950, 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005.
FINANCIAL MAINSTREAM--BROADEN ACCESS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Serving the Underserved: 
Initiatives to Broaden Access to the Financial Mainstream.'' Testimony 
was heard from Wayne Abernathy, Assistant Secretary, Financial 
Institutions, Department of the Treasury; Dennis Dollar, Chairman, 
National Credit Union Administration; and public witnesses.
COMPETITIVE SOURCING FOR 21ST CENTURY
  Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing titled ``New 
Century, New Process: A Preview of Competitive Sourcing for the 21st 
Century.'' Testimony was heard from David M. Walker, Comptroller, 
GAO; Angela Styles, Director, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, 
OMB; Philip Grone, Principal Assistant Deputy Under Secretary, 
Installations and Environment, Department of Defense; Scott J. 
Cameron, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Performance and Management, 
Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC--U.S. SECURITY POLICY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on East Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on U.S. Security Policy in Asia and the Pacific: 
Restructuring America's Forward Deployment. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Peter Rodman, 
Assistant Secretary, International Security Affairs; and Adm. Thomas B. 
Fargo, USN, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; and Christopher LaFleur, 
Special Envoy, Northeast Asia Security Consultations, Bureau of East 
Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State.
AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS' PROTECTION ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe approved 
for full Committee action H.R. 2550, to amend the American 
Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2002 to provide clarification with 
respect to the eligibility of certain countries for United States 
miliary assistance.
HOMETOWN HEROES SURVIVORS BENEFITS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on H.R. 919, Hometown Heroes Survivors 
Benefits. Testimony was heard from Michael E. Williams, Jr., Fire 
Rescue Training Specialist, Office of the State Fire Marshall, 
Department of Insurance, State of North Carolina; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--CONSULAR IDENTIFICATION CARDS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security, and Claims held an oversight hearing on ``The Federal 
Government's Response to the Issuance and Acceptance in the U.S. of 
Consular Identification Cards.'' Testimony was heard from Roberta S. 
Jacobson, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western 
Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State; Steven McCraw, Assistant 
Director, Office of Intelligence, FBI, Department of Justice; C. 
Stewart Verdery, Assistant Secretary, Policy and Planning, Border and 
Transportation Security Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; 
and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, 
Wildlife and Oceans held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1204, 
to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 
to establish requirements for the award of concessions in the National 
Wildlife Refuge System, to provide for maintenance and repair of 
properties located in the System by concessionaires authorized to use 
such properties; and H.R. 2408, National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Act 
of 2003. Testimony was heard from Marshall P. Jones, Jr. Deputy 
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; 
and public witnesses.

[[Page D755]]


NASA FLEXIBILITY ACT
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics approved 
for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 1085, NASA Flexibility Act 
of 2003.
COMPUTER RESERVATION SYSTEMS REGULATIONS AND SMALL BUSINESS--TRAVEL 
INDUSTRY
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Oversight held a hearing entitled: ``CRS Regulations and Small Business 
in the Travel Industry'' Testimony was heard from Tom Sullivan, Chief 
Counsel, Office of Advocacy, SBA; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING PROPOSALS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads held an oversight hearing on National Rail Infrastructure 
Financing Proposals. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of Transportation: Allan Rutter, Administrator, 
Federal Railroad Administration; and Roger Nober, Chairman, Surface 
Transportation Board; Joseph Boardman, Commissioner, Department of 
Transportation, State of New York; and public witnesses.
VETERAN'S LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.R. 1516, as amended, National Cemetery Expansion Act of 
2003; H.R. 2297, as amended, Veterans Benefits Act of 2003; H.R. 116, 
as amended, Veterans' New Fitzsimons Health Care Facilities Act of 
2003; H.R. 1720, as amended, Veterans Health Care Facilities Capital 
Improvement Act; H.R. 2357, as amended, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to establish standards of access to care for veterans 
seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs; H.R. 2433, 
as amended, Health Care for Veterans of Project 112/Project SHAD Act of 
2003; H.R. 2595, to restore the operation of the Native American 
Veteran Housing Loan Program during fiscal year 2003 to the scope of 
that program as in effect on September 30, 2002; and H. Con. Res. 159, 
declaring Emporia, Kansas, to be the founding city of the Veterans Day 
holiday and recognizing the contributions of Alvin J. King and 
Representative Ed Rees to the enactment into law of the observance of 
Veterans Day.
PROJECT BIOSHIELD ACT
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Ordered reported, as amended, 
H.R. 2122, Project BioShield Act of 2003.