[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 120 (Thursday, September 4, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D952-D953]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection. 
Testimony was heard from Frank Libutti, Under Secretary, Information 
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland 
Security.
BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK UPDATE
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Update of the Budget and 
Economic Outlook. Testimony was heard from Douglas J. Holtz-Eakin, 
Director, CBO.
STRENGTHENING PENSION SECURITY AND DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing on 
``Strengthening Pension Security and Defined Benefit Plans: Examining 
the Financial Health of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.'' 
Testimony was heard from David Walker, Comptroller General, GAO; and 
Steven A. Kandarian, Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty 
Corporation.
``BLACKOUT 2003: HOW DID IT HAPPEN AND WHY''
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Concluded hearings entitled 
``Blackout 2003: How Did It Happen and Why?'' Testimony was heard from 
William J. Museler, President and CEO, Independent System Operator, New 
York; James P. Torgerson, President and CEO, Independent System 
Operator, Midwest; David Goulding, CEO, The Independent Market Operator 
of Ontario, Canada; Gordon van Welie, CEO, Independent System Operator, 
New England; and public witnesses.
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Government 
Accountability: Efforts to Identify and Eliminate Waste and 
Mismanagement. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of State: Christopher Burnham, Assistant Secretary, Resource 
Management and Chief Financial Officer, Bureau of Resource Management; 
Anne M. Sigmund, Acting Inspector General; John Marshall, Assistant 
Administrator, Management and Chief Information Officer and Everett 
Mosley, Inspector General, both with AID; and Jess Ford, Director, 
Bureau of International Affairs and Trade, GAO.
OVERSIGHT--COLLEGE ATHLETIC CONFERENCES AND ANTITRUST ASPECTS OF BOWL 
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing on ``Competition 
in College Athletic Conferences and Antitrust Aspects of the Bowl 
Championship Series.'' Testimony was heard from Scott Cowen, Chairman, 
Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--INTERNET DOMAIN NAME FRAUD
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held an oversight hearing on ``Internet Domain 
Name Fraud--the U.S. Government's Role in Ensuring Public Access to 
Accurate Whois Data.'' Testimony was heard from James E. Farnan, Deputy 
Assistant Director, Cyber Crime Division, FBI, Department of Justice; 
Theodore W. Kassinger, General Counsel, Department of Commerce; and 
public witnesses.
COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION AMENDMENTS ACT
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported, as amended, H.J. Res. 63, 
Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003.

[[Page D953]]


COLUMBIA ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BOARD REPORT
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on ``The Columbia Accident 
Investigation Board Report.'' Testimony was heard from Admiral Harold 
W. Gehman, Jr., USN (Ret.), Chairman, Columbia Accident Investigation 
Board.
ECONOMIC GROWTH--RURAL ECONOMY
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing to discuss attracting 
economic growth for the rural economy and whether the federal 
government is adequately supporting a policy of growth in the rural 
portions of the country. Testimony was heard from Thomas C. Dorr, Under 
Secretary, Rural Development, USDA; David A. Sampson, Assistant 
Secretary, Economic Development, Economic Development Administration, 
Department of Commerce; Bernard L. Ungar, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues, GAO; Mark R. Drabenscott, Vice President and 
Director, Center for the Study of Rural America, Federal Reserve Bank 
of Kansas City, Federal Reserve System; and a public witness.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
consider pending business.
BRIEFING--GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE UPDATE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on 
Intelligence Policy and National Security met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Global Intelligence Update. The Subcommittee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.
BRIEFING--RECENT COUNTERTERRORISM SUCCESS: HAMBALI
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism 
and Homeland Security met in executive session to receive a briefing on 
Recent Counterterrorism Success: Hambali. The Subcommittee was briefed 
by departmental witnesses.
POWER BLACKOUTS IMPLICATIONS--NATION'S CYBERSECURITY AND CRITICAL 
INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Science, and Research and Development and the Subcommittee on 
Infrastructure and Border Security held a joint hearing entitled 
``Implications of Power Blackouts for the Nation's Cybersecurity and 
Critical Infrastructure Protection: The Electric Grid, Critical 
Interdependencies, Vulnerabilities, and Readiness.'' Testimony was 
heard from Cofer Black, Coordinator, Counterterrorism, Department of 
State; Larry A. Mefford, Executive Assistant Director, 
Counterterrorism, FBI, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue September 17.