[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 22, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D865-D867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WTO'S AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review Geographical 
Indications and the World Trade Organization's agricultural 
negotiations. Testimony was heard from Jon W. Dudas, Deputy Under 
Secretary, Intellectual Property and Deputy Director, U.S. Patent and 
Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
CONSOLIDATION LOANS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on 21st Century 
Competitiveness held a hearing on ``Consolidation Loans: What's Best 
for Past Borrowers, Future Students and U.S. Taxpayers?'' Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Regula and DeLauro; and public witnesses.
FASB DERIVATIVE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled ``FASB Derivative 
Accounting Standards.'' Testimony was heard from Leslie F. Seidman, 
member, Financial Accounting Standards Board; and public witnesses.
CLEAN AIR ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled `` `Bump Up' Policy Under Title I of 
the Clean Air Act.'' Testimony was heard from Jeffrey Holmstead,

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Assistant Administrator, Air and Radiation, EPA; R.B. Marquez, 
Commissioner, Natural Resource Conservation Commission, State of Texas; 
and public witnesses.
FHA MULTIFAMILY LOAN LIMIT ADJUSTMENT ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity approved for full Committee action H.R. 1985, FHA 
Multifamily Loan Limit Adjustment Act of 2003, 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn.
  Prior to this action, the Subcommittee held a hearing on this 
measure. Testimony was heard from John Weicher, Assistant Secretary, 
Housing/Federal Housing Commissioner, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; and public witnesses.
PAPERWORK AND REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS ACT
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on H.R. 2432, Paperwork 
and Regulatory Improvements Act of 2003. Testimony was heard from John 
D. Graham, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
OMB; Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy; SBA; and public 
witnesses.
U.S. AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe held a 
hearing on The United States and the European Union: Understanding the 
Partnership. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of State: Charles R. Ries, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; and Carl F. 
Lankowski, Deputy Director, Area Studies, Coordinator for European Area 
Studies, Foreign Service Institute.
TERRORIST THREAT INTEGRATION CENTER--RELATIONSHIP WITH JUSTICE AND 
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: and the Select Committee on Homeland 
Security held a joint hearing entitled ``The Terrorist Threat 
Integration Center (TTIC) and Its Relationship with the Departments of 
Justice and Homeland Security.'' Testimony was heard from John O. 
Brennan, Director, Terrorist Threat Integration Center; Larry Mefford, 
Executive Assistant Director, Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence, 
FBI, Department of Justice; Bill Parish, Acting Assistant Secretary, 
Information Analysis, Directorate of Information Analysis and 
Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland Security; and a 
public witness.
DEFENSE OF PRIVACY ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law and the Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
joint hearing on H.R. 338, Defense of Privacy Act, and Privacy in the 
Hands of the Government. Testimony was heard from Senator Grassley; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and 
Intellectual Property approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 2391, amended, Cooperative Research and Technology 
Enhancement (CREATE) Act of 2003; H.R. 2714, State Justice Institute 
Reauthorization Act of 2003; and H.R. 1768, Multidistrict Litigation 
Restoration Act of 2003.
JOHN RISHEL GEOTHERMAL STEAM ACT AMENDMENTS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held a hearing on the John Rishel Geothermal Steam Act Amendments of 
2003. Testimony was heard from Patricia Morrison, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, Department of the Interior; 
and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and 
Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 546, Kaloko-
Honokohau National Historical Park Addition Act of 2003; H.R. 2457, 
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument Preservation and Education 
Act; and H.R. 2715, to provide for necessary improvements to facilities 
at Yosemite National Park. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Case and Mica; Jon Jarvis, Regional Director, Pacific West Region, 
National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and a public 
witness.
U.S. SINGAPORE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT AND U.S. CHILE 
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule providing for 
consideration of H.R. 2738, United States-Chile Free Trade 
Implementation Act, under a closed rule providing 2 hours of debate in 
the House with one hour and forty minutes equally divided and 
controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Ways and Means and twenty minutes equally divided and controlled by 
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the 
Judiciary. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
H.R. 2738. The rule provides that pursuant to section 151(f)(2)

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of the Trade Act of 1974, the previous question shall be considered as 
ordered on H.R. 2738 to final passage without intervening motion.
  The rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 2739, U.S.-
Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, under a closed rule. 
The rule provides 2 hours of debate in the House on H.R. 2739 with one 
hour and forty minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means and 
twenty minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of H.R. 2739. The rule 
provides that pursuant to section 151(f)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974, 
the previous question shall be considered as ordered on H.R. 2739 to 
final passage without intervening motion. The rule provides that during 
consideration of H.R. 2738 or H.R. 2739, not withstanding the operation 
of the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration 
of the bill to a time designated by the Speaker.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science: Ordered reported, as amended, the following 
bills: H.R. 2734, Federal Aviation Administration Research and 
Development Reauthorization Act; H.R. 1085, NASA Flexibility Act of 
2003; H.R. 1856, Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research Amendments 
Act of 2003; H.R. 2801, Minority Serving Institution Digital and 
Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2003; H.R. 2608, National 
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2003; and 
H.R. 2692, United States Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2003.
``FEDERAL PROCUREMENT POLICY: IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FAILING CERTAIN 
INDUSTRIAL SECTORS?''
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment and 
Government Programs held a hearing on ``Federal Procurement Policy: Is 
the Federal Government Failing Certain Industrial Sectors?'' Testimony 
was heard from Diedre Lee, Director, Defense Procurement and 
Acquisition Policy, Department of Defense; Jody Falvey, Director, 
Office of Small Business Development, Department of the Treasury; and 
public witnesses.
MANDATORY TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing on 
elimination of waste, fraud and abuse in mandatory transportation 
programs as required by the fiscal year 2004 budget resolution 
reconciliation instructions. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Transportation: Kenneth M. Mead, 
Inspector General; and Mary E. Peters, Administrator, Federal Highway 
Administration; Jayetta Z. Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure 
Team, GAO; and the following officials of the Railroad Retirement 
Board: Martin J. Dickman, Inspector General; and Michael S. Schwartz, 
Chairman.
PORT SECURITY--INTERIM FINAL REGULATIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Interim Final 
Regulations on Port Security. Testimony was heard from Adm. Thomas H. 
Collins, USCG, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland 
Security; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
``CYBERSECURITY--GETTING IT RIGHT''
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Science and Research and Development held a hearing entitled 
``Cybersecurity--Getting It Right.'' Testimony was heard from Daniel G. 
Wolf, Information Assurance Director, NSA, Department of Defense; and 
public witnesses.