[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 23, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D877-D880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WILDFIRE SEASON AND THREATS
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the 2002 Wildfire 
Season and the Wildfire Threats of the 2003 Season. Testimony was heard 
from Mark E. Rey, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, 
USDA; and public witnesses.
AIR FORCE TANKER LEASE PROPOSAL
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Air Force Tanker 
Lease Proposal. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Michael Wynne, Acting Under Secretary, 
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; Marvin R. Sambur, Assistant 
Secretary, Air Force (Acquisition); and Maj. Gen. Paul W. Essex, USAF, 
Director, Plans and Programs, Headquarters, Air Mobility Command; Neal 
Curtin, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, GAO; and a 
public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 382, 
Solid Waste International Transportation Act of 2003; H.R. 411, to 
direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
carry out certain authorities under an agreement with Canada respecting 
the importation of municipal solid waste; and H.R. 1730, Solid Waste 
Interstate Transportation Act of 2003. Testimony was heard from Senator 
Stabenow; Representative Miller of Michigan; Robert Springer, Director, 
Office of Solid Waste, EPA; the following officials of the State of 
Michigan: Ken Sikkema, member, Senate; and Steven Chester, Director, 
Department of Environmental Quality; the following officials of New 
York City: Andrew Lanza, Councilman; and Robert Orlin, Deputy 
Commissioner, Department of Sanitation; Nick DiPasquale, Deputy 
Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection, State of 
Pennsylvania; and public witnesses.
``ISSUES RELATING TO EPHERA-CONTAINING DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS''
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held an hearing entitled ``Issues Relating to Ephera-
containing Dietary Supplements.'' Testimony was heard from Marcia

[[Page D878]]

Crosse, Acting Director, Health Care--Public Health and Science Issues, 
GAO; and public witnesses.
  In refusing to give testimony, the following witnesses invoked Fifth 
Amendment privileges: Michael Ellis, Founder and co-owner; and Daniel 
Rodriguez, R.N., Head Nurse, all with Metabolife International, Inc., 
San Diego, California; and David Brown, former President and Chief 
Executive Officer, Metabolife International, Inc., San Diego, 
California.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported the following: H.R. 
1533, to amend the securities laws to permit church pension plans to be 
invested in collective trusts; H.R. 1985, amended, FHA Multifamily Loan 
Limit Adjustment Act of 2003; H.R. 253, amended, Two Floods and Your 
Are Out of the Taxpayers' Pocket Act of 2003; and H.R. 2420, amended, 
Mutual Funds Integrity and Fee Transparency Act of 2003.
POST 9/11 FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL--IMBALANCED COMPENSATION 
SYSTEM
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Civil Service and 
Agency Organization and the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources held a joint hearing entitled ``Federal Law 
Enforcement Personnel in the Post 9/11 Era: How Can We Fix an 
Imbalanced Compensation System?'' Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Filner, Van Hollen, Rogers of Alabama and King of New 
York; Joanne Simms, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Human Resources 
Administration, Department of Justice; Norman J. Rabkin, Managing 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, GAO; Donald J. Winstead, 
Deputy Associate Director, Center for Pay and Performance Policy, OPM; 
Kay Frances Dolan, Director, Human Relations Policy, Department of 
Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
GAO HUMAN CAPITAL REFORM ACT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Civil Service and 
Agency Organization approved for full Committee action, as amended, 
H.R. 2751, GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2003.
SEC STRATEGIC PLANNING
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Efficiency 
and Financial Management held an oversight hearing entitled ``SEC 
Strategic Planning--Will Additional Resources Help the SEC Fulfill It's 
Mission?'' Testimony was heard from Richard Hillman, Director, 
Financial Markets and Community Investment, GAO; and Peter Derby, 
Managing Executive, Operations, Office of the Chairman, SEC.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.J. Res. 63, amended, to approve the ``Compact of Free 
Association, as amended between the Government of the United States of 
America and the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia,'' and 
the ``Compact of Free Association, as amended between the Government of 
the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands,'' and otherwise to amend Public Law 99-239, and to 
appropriate for the purposes of amended Public Law 99-239 for fiscal 
years ending on or before September 30, 2023; H.R. 1813, Torture 
Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2003; and H.R. 2620, amended, 
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003.
CENTRAL ASIA TERRORISM, RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM, AND REGIONAL STABILITY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Middle East 
and Central Asia, hearing on Central Asia: Terrorism, Religious 
Extremism, and Regional Stability. Testimony was heard from Stephen 
Blank, Professor, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College; 
and public witnesses.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing one 
hour of general debate on H.R. 2765, making appropriations for the 
government of the District of Columbia and other activities chargeable 
in whole or in part against the revenues of said District for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, equally divided and controlled 
by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. Under the rules of the House the bill shall 
be read for amendment by paragraph. The rule waives points of order 
against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of 
rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized appropriations or legislative 
provisions in an appropriations bill), except as specified in the 
resolution. The rule provides that the amendment printed in the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the rule may be offered only by a Member 
designated in the report and only at the appropriate point in the 
reading of the bill, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable 
for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by 
the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, 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 waives all points of 
order against

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the amendment printed in the report. The rule authorizes the Chair to 
accord priority in recognition to Members who have pre-printed their 
amendments in the Congressional Record. The rule provides that after a 
motion that the Committee rise has been rejected on a legislative day, 
the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may entertain another such 
motion on that day only if offered by the chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations or the Majority Leader, or a designee. The rule provides 
that after a motion to strike out the enacting words of the bill (as 
described in clause 9 of rule XVIII) has been rejected, the Chairman 
may not entertain another such motion during further consideration of 
the bill. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Frelinghuysen and Smith of New Jersey.
PHARMACEUTICAL MARKET ACCESS ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule providing one 
hour of debate on H.R. 2427, Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003, 
in the House equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, or their 
designees. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill. The rule provides that during consideration of the bill, 
notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the Chair may 
postpone further consideration of the bill to a time designated by the 
Speaker. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Buyer, Gutknecht, Emerson, Deutsch, 
Sanders, and Emanuel.
READY TO TEACH ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
one hour of general debate on H.R. 2210, Ready to Teach Act of 2003, 
equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The rule 
provides that in lieu of the amendment recommended by the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce now printed in the bill, it shall be in 
order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment, the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in part A of the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the resolution, and provides that it 
shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order 
against the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in part A 
of the report. The rule provides that amendments printed in part B of 
the report shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, 
may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be 
considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the 
report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, 
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand 
for a division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the 
Whole. The rule waives all points of order against the amendments 
printed in part B of the report. The rule provides that after a motion 
that the Committee rise has been rejected on a legislative day, the 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may entertain another such 
motion on that day only if offered by the chairman of the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce or the Majority Leader or a designee. The 
rule provides that after a motion to strike out the enacting words of 
the bill (as described in clause 9 of rule XVIII) has been rejected, 
the Chairman may not entertain another such motion during further 
consideration of the bill. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions.
TAX CODE--ASSISTING SMALL BUSINESSES--RECENT GAINS AND WHAT REMAINS TO 
BE DONE
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on Assisting Small 
Businesses Through the Tax Code--Recent Gains and What Remains to be 
Done. Testimony was heard from Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief Counsel for 
Advocacy, SBA; Nina E. Olson, Taxpayer Advocate, IRS, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported, as 
amended, H.R. 2557, Water Resources Development Act of 2003.
  The Committee also approved the following: GSA Fiscal Year 2004 
Capital Investment and Leasing Program Resolutions and Courthouse 
Resolutions; Natural Resources Conservation Service Small Watershed 
Resolution; and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Waste, 
Fraud, and Abuse Report.
INTELLIGENCE ISSUES; LEGAL AUTHORITIES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive sessions 
to hold hearings on Intelligence Issues and Legal Authorities. 
Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.
SECURING AMERICA'S BORDERS--BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Infrastructure 
and Border Security held a hearing

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entitled ``Best Business Practices in Securing America's Borders.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
Notice: The information relative to conference action on H.R. 1588 was 
incorrect on page D865 in the Senate Daily Digest of July 22, 2003. 
Listed below is the statement as it should have appeared:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Conferees met on the differences between the Senate and House passed 
versions of H.R. 1588, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2004 
for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed 
Forces, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to 
call.