[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 132 (Wednesday, September 24, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1039-D1041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW CROP INSURANCE--PROGRAM CROPS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing to review crop insurance for program 
crops. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST--IRAQ
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs held a hearing on the Administration's 
Fiscal Year 2004 Supplemental Request for Iraq. Testimony was heard 
from Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, III, Presidential Envoy to Iraq and 
Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority; and Lt. Gen. John 
P. Abizaid, USA, Commander, U.S. Command, Department of Defense.
REPORT OF PANEL--AIR FORCE ACADEMY--SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS
Committee on Armed Services; Subcommittee on Total Force held a hearing 
on the final report of the Panel to Review Sexual Misconduct 
Allegations at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Testimony was heard from 
Tillie Fowler, Chair, and members of the Panel to Review Sexual 
Misconduct Allegations at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

[[Page D1040]]


FAIRNESS TO CONTACT LENS CONSUMERS ACT; INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER 
PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 3140, Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act; and H.R. 
3143, International Consumer Protection Act of 2003.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE--FUTURE
Committee on Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the 
Internet held a hearing entitled ``The Future of Universal Service.'' 
Testimony was heard from Kathleen Q. Abernathy, Commissioner, FCC; Bob 
Rowe, Chairman, Public Service Commission, State of Montana; Billy Jack 
Gregg, Director, Consumer Advocate Division, Public Service Commission, 
State of West Virginia; and public witnesses.
HAMAS ASSET FREEZE--OTHER EFFORTS TO STOP TERRORIST FINANCING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Hamas Asset Freeze and 
Other Government Efforts to Stop Terrorist Financing.'' Testimony was 
heard from David Aufhauser, General Counsel, Department of the 
Treasury; E. Anthony Wayne, Assistant Secretary, Economic and Business 
Affairs, Department of State; John Pistole, Assistant Director, 
Counterterrorism Division, FBI, Department of Justice; and Marcy 
Forman, Deputy Assistant Director, Financial Investigations Division, 
Department of Homeland Security.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT; OVERSIGHT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Efficiency 
and Financial Management approved for full Committee action, as 
amended, H.R. 2886, Department of Homeland Security Financial 
Accountability Act.
  The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing entitled ``Improving 
USAID Financial Management.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of AID, Department of State: John Marshall, Assistant 
Administrator, Management and Chief Information Officer; and Everett 
Mosley, Inspector General; and Gregory Kutz, Director, Financial 
Management and Assurance, GAO.
MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG SAFETY NET
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Rights and 
Wellness held a hearing entitled ``A Medicare Prescription Drug Safety 
Net: Creating a Target Benefit for Low-Income Seniors.'' Testimony was 
heard from Representative Dooley of California; and public witnesses.
CONTINUITY IN REPRESENTATION ACT
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on H.R. 2844, 
Continuity in Representation Act of 2003. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Sensenbrenner, Dreier, Frost, Baird and Miller of 
Michigan; Mary Kiffmeyer, Secretary of State, Minnesota; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1417, amended, Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2003; 
H.R. 2359, amended, Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2003; H.R. 2620, 
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003; and H.R. 
2685, to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
to reauthorize the Matching Grant Program for School Security.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following measures: H. 
Con. Res. 268, expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the 
imposition of sanctions on nations that are undermining the 
effectiveness of conservation and management measures for Atlantic 
highly migratory species, including marlin, adopted by the 
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and 
that are threatening the continued viability of United States 
commercial and recreational fisheries; H.R. 135, amended, Twenty-First 
Century Water Commission Act of 2003; H.R. 408, amended, to provide for 
expansion of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; H.R. 708, to 
require the conveyance of certain National Forest System lands in 
Mendocino National Forest, California, to provide for the use of the 
proceeds from such conveyance for National Forest purposes; H.R. 884, 
amended, Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act; H.R. 982, to clarify 
the tax treatment of bonds and other obligations issued by the 
Government of American Samoa; H.R. 1092, amended, Nevada National 
Forest Land Disposal Act of 2003; H.R. 1204, amended, 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; H.R. 1442, amended, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor 
Center Act; H.R. 1521, amended,

[[Page D1041]]

Johnstown Flood National Memorial Boundary Adjustment Act of 2003; H.R. 
1598, Irvine Basin Surface and Groundwater Improvement Act of 2003; 
H.R. 2048, amended, International Fisheries Reauthorization Act of 
2003; H.R. 2055, to amend Public Law 89-366 to allow for an adjustment 
in the number of free roaming horses permitted in Cape Lookout National 
Seashore; H.R. 2696, amended, Southwest Forest Health and Wildlife 
Prevention Act of 2003; and H.R. 3062, to amend the Mineral Leasing Act 
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issues separately for the 
same area, a lease for tar sand and a lease for oil and gas.
RESOLUTION--RECOMMIT CONFERENCE REPORT TO ACCOMPANY FLIGHT 100--CENTURY 
OF AVIATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a resolution providing that 
upon adoption of the rule, the conference report to accompany H.R. 
2115, Flight 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, shall be 
recommitted to the conference committee. Conference Report to accompany 
H.R. 2115, Flight 100--Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act.
OVERSIGHT--REPORT ON SAFETY OF FAA'S CONTRACT TOWER PROGRAM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held an oversight hearing on the DOT Inspector General's 
September 4th Report on the Safety of the FAA's Contract Tower Program. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Transportation: Marion C. Blakey, Administrator, FAA; and Kenneth R. 
Mead, Inspector General; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; OVERSIGHT--EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ISSUES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management 
approved for full Committee action the following: H.R. 587, amended, to 
amend title 40, United States Code, to add Ashtabula, Mahoning, and 
Trumbull Counties, Ohio, to the Appalachian region; H.R. 3118, to 
designate the Orville Wright Federal Building and the Wilbur Wright 
Federal Building in Washington, District of Columbia; H.R. 1274, 
amended, to direct the Administrator of General Services to convey to 
Fresno County, California, the existing Federal courthouse in that 
county; H.R. 1702, to designate the Federal building which is to be 
constructed at 799 First Avenue in New York, New York, as the ``Ronald 
H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building,'' and a 
measure reauthorizing the prehazard mitigation program.
  The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing on Emergency 
Preparedness Issues. Testimony was heard from Ron Castleman, Chief 
Operating Officer, Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, 
Department of Homeland Security; Chad Berginnis, Supervisor, Division 
of Water, Department of Natural Resources, State of Ohio; and a public 
witness.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
consider Committee business.
GLOBAL HUMINT STRATEGIES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Human 
Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence met in executive session 
to hold a hearing on Global HUMINT Strategies. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.
JOINT INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on 
Intelligence Policy and National Security and the Subcommittee on 
Terrorism and Homeland Security met in executive session to hold a 
joint hearing on Joint Inquiry Recommendations. Testimony was heard 
from departmental witnesses.
DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Preparedness and Response held a hearing entitled ``Disease 
Surveillance Systems: How Can They Help the Nation Prepare for 
Bioterrorism?'' Testimony was heard from Joseph Henderson, Associate 
Director, Terrorism Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; Janet 
Heinrich, Director, Public Health Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.