[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 23, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D873-D875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
Housing and Transportation concluded hearings to examine enhancing the 
role of the private sector in public transportation, focusing on 
competitive contracting, the Denver Experience, intercity motorcoach 
security funding, intermodal facilities funding, rural transportation, 
and public funds versus private operators, after receiving testimony 
from Irwin Rosenberg, Laidlaw Transit Services, Inc., Burlington, 
Ontario, on behalf of the American Transit Services Council; Robert 
Molofsky, Amalgamated Transit Union, and Peter J. Pantuso, American Bus 
Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and Margie Wilcox, Taxicab, 
Limousine, and Paratransit Association, Kensington, Maryland.
PUBLIC INTEREST AND LOCALISM: MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
hearings on public interest and localism issues with respect to media 
ownership, including public interest obligations of local broadcasters 
and the role of broadcasters in the delivery of local news and public 
affairs programming, after receiving testimony from Michael J. Copps, 
Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Robert Corn-Revere, 
Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, Washington, D.C.; Barry M. Faber, Sinclair 
Broadcast Group, Inc., Hunt Valley, Maryland; David J. Davis, WPVI-
Channel 6, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dean Martin Kaplan, University 
of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication, Los Angeles; 
and L. Brent Bozell III, Parents Television Council and the 
Conservative Communications Center, Alexandria, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following bills:
  S. 391, to enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor 
opportunities protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the 
State of Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal 
lands as wilderness, with an amendment;
  S. 434, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to sell or exchange 
all or part of certain parcels of National Forest System land in the 
State of Idaho and use the proceeds derived from the sale or exchange 
for National Forest System purposes, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute;
  S. 435, to provide for the conveyance by the Secretary of Agriculture 
of the Sandpoint Federal Building and adjacent land in Sandpoint, 
Idaho, with an amendment;
  S. 452, to require that the Secretary of the Interior conduct a study 
to identify sites and resources, to recommend alternatives for 
commemorating and interpreting the Cold War, with an amendment;
  S. 714, to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of Bureau of 
Land Management land in Douglas County, Oregon, to the county to 
improve management of and recreational access to the Oregon Dunes 
National Recreation Area, with an amendment;
  S. 1003, to clarify the intent of Congress with respect to the 
continued use of established commercial outfitter hunting camps on the 
Salmon River, with an amendment;
  H.R. 622, to provide for the exchange of certain lands in the 
Coconino and Tonto National Forests in Arizona, with an amendment;

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  H.R. 1012, to establish the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic 
Site in the District of Columbia, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International 
Carriage by Air, done at Montreal May 28, 1999 (Treaty Doc. 106-45), 
with 1 reservation;
  Protocol to Amend the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules 
Relating to International Carriage by Air Signed at Warsaw on October 
12, 1929, done at The Hague September 28, 1955 (The Hague Protocol) ( 
Treaty Doc. 107-14);
  Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and 
the Government of the Russian Federation on the Conservation and 
Management of the Alaska-Chukotka Polar Bear Population done at 
Washington on October 16, 2000 (Treaty Doc. 107-10), with 1 condition;
  Agreement Amending the Treaty Between the Government of the United 
States of America and the Government of Canada on Pacific Coast 
Albacore Tuna Vessels and Port Privileges done at Washington May 26, 
1981 (the ``Treaty''), effected by an exchange of diplomatic notes at 
Washington on July 17, 2002, and August 13, 2002 (the ``Agreement'') 
(Treaty Doc 108-1);
  Amendments to the 1987 Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments of 
Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States 
of America, with Annexes and agreed statements, done at Port Moresby, 
April 2, 1987, done at Koror, Palau, March 30, 1999, and at Kiritimati, 
Kiribati, March 24, 2002 (Treaty Doc. 108-2), with 1 declaration;
  H. Con. Res. 209, commending the signing of the United States-
Adriatic Charter, a charter of partnership among the United States, 
Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia, with amendments; and
  S. Res. 184, calling on the Government of the People's Republic of 
China immediately and unconditionally to release Dr. Yang Jianli, with 
amendments; and
  A Foreign Service Officer promotion list received in the Senate on 
June 25, 2003.
IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine 
status and prospects for reconstruction relating to Iraq, focusing on 
establishing public safety, Iraqi ownership, employment, providing 
basic services, decentralization, changing the Iraqi national mindset, 
mobilizing a new reconstruction coalition, money and flexibility, 
Ba'athist media, and U.S. media operations, receiving testimony from 
John Hamre, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, 
D.C.; and Anthony Borden, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, 
London, United Kingdom.
  Hearings continue on Tuesday, July 29, 2003.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 720, to amend title IX of the Public Health Service Act to provide 
for the improvement of patient safety and to reduce the incidence of 
events that adversely affect patient safety, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Charles Edward Horner, of the District of 
Columbia, and Stephen D. Krasner, of California, each to be a Member of 
the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace, and 
Eric S. Dreiband, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Equal 
Employment Opportunity Commission.
INDIAN HEALTH CARE
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded hearings on S. 556, to 
amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and extend that 
Act, after receiving testimony from Melanie Benjamin, Mille Lacs Band 
of Ojibwe, Onamia, Minnesota; Buford L. Rolin, Poarch Creek Band of 
Indians, Atmore, Alabama, on behalf of the Indian Health Board; Myra M. 
Munson, Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller and Munson, Juneau, Alaska; 
and Mim Dixon, Dixon and Associates, Boulder, Colorado.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TERRORISM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings on law 
enforcement and terrorism issues, focusing on ongoing federal efforts 
to improve the collection and use of intelligence to protect the 
American people from terrorist attacks, and the Department of Justice 
Inspector General Report, ``The September 11 Detainees: A Review of the 
Treatment of Aliens Held on Immigration Charges in Connection with the 
Investigation of the September 11 Attacks'' after receiving testimony 
from Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
Department of Justice; and Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary of Homeland 
Security for Border and Transportation Security.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nomination of William H. Pryor,

[[Page D875]]

Jr., of Alabama, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh 
Circuit.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded hearings to examine the 
nominations of Rene Acosta, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney 
General, who was introduced by Senator Allen and Representative Ros-
Lehtinen, and Daniel J. Bryant, of Virginia, to be an Assistant 
Attorney General, who was introduced by Senators Allen and Biden, both 
of the Department of Justice, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
SMITHFIELD/FARMLAND DEAL
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition 
Policy, and Consumer Rights concluded hearings to examine agricultural 
consolidation and the Smithfield/Farmland Deal, after receiving 
testimony from Senator Johnson; Joseph Sebring, John Morrell, Inc., 
Cincinnati, Ohio; William Hughes, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, 
Trade and Consumer Protection, Madison; Russ Kremer, Missouri Farmers' 
Union, Jefferson City; Michael Stumo, Organization for Competitive 
Markets, Winstead, Connecticut; Luther Tweeten, Columbus, Ohio; and 
Patrick Bell, Kenansville, North Carolina.