[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 137 (Wednesday, October 1, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1075-D1077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW MANDATORY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture held a 
hearing to review mandatory country of origin labeling. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
3030, Improving the Community Services Block Grant Act of 2003.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
2898, amended, E-911 Implementation Act of 2003; H.R. 3140, amended, 
Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act; and H.R. 3143, International 
Consumer Protection Act of 2003.
  The Committee also approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of 
subpoenas with respect to matters involved in, related to, or arising from 
the Committee's investigation of the HealthSouth Corporation.
REMITTANCES: REDUCING COSTS, INCREASING COMPETITION, AND BROADENING ACCESS 
TO MARKETS
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Remittances: 
Reducing Costs, Increasing Competition, and Broadening Access to the 
Market.'' Testimony was heard from Wayne Abernathy, Assistant Secretary, 
Financial Institutions, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
CHINA'S EXCHANGE RATE REGIME--EFFECTS ON U.S. ECONOMY
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic and International 
Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology held a hearing entitled ``China's 
Exchange Rate Regime and its Effects on the U.S. Economy,'' Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Green of Wisconsin and English; John Taylor, 
Under Secretary, Department of the Treasury; Grant Aldonis, Under Secretary, 
Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--HUMAN CAPITAL SUCCESSION PLANNING
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency 
Organization held an oversight hearing entitled ``Human Capital Succession 
Planning: How the Federal Government Can Get a Workforce to Achieve 
Results.'' Testimony was

[[Page D1076]]

heard from J. Christopher Mihm, Director, Strategic Issues, GAO; Dan. G. 
Blair, Deputy Director, OPM; David J. O'Connor, Deputy Assistant 
Administrator, Administration and Resources Management, EPA; Vicki A. Novak, 
Assistant Administrator, Human Resources and Chief Human Capital Officer, 
NASA; William H. Campbell, Acting Assistant Secretary, Human Resources and 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
STRENGTHENING THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources held a hearing entitled ``Strengthening the Long 
Arm of the Law: How Are Fugitives Avoiding Extradition, and How Can We Bring 
Them to Justice?'' Testimony was heard from Bruce Swartz, Deputy Assistant 
Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice; Samuel Witten, 
Deputy Legal Advisor, Legal Bureau, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.
MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE HIGH COST--ARE PATIENTS NEEDLESSLY SUFFERING?
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness 
held a hearing entitled ``Dying for Help: Are Patients Needlessly Suffering 
Due to the High Cost of Medical Liability Insurance?'' Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of GAO: Kathryn G. Allen, Director, Health 
Care--Medicaid and Private Health Insurance Issues; and Richard J. Hillman, 
Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment; Dick Thornburgh, 
former Attorney General; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--SECURITY OF INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Technology, Information 
Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census met in executive session 
to hold an oversight hearing entitled ``Security of Industrial Control 
Systems in Our Nation's Critical Infrastructure.'' Testimony was heard from 
Robert Dacey, Director, IT Security, GAO; Denise Swink, Acting Director, 
Energy Assurance Office, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
TURKEY'S FUTURE DIRECTION AND U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe held a hearing 
on Turkey's Future Direction and U.S.-Turkey Relations. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
HUMAN RIGHTS IN BURMA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights, and the Subcommittee on Asia 
and the Pacific held a joint hearing on Human Rights in Burma: Fifteen Years 
Post Military Coup--Part I. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
OVERSIGHT--STREAMLINED SALES AND USE TAX AGREEMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative 
Law held an oversight hearing on ``The Streamlined Sales and Use Tax 
Agreement: States' Efforts to Facilitate Sales Tax Collection from Remote 
Vendors.'' Testimony was heard from Bill Owens, Governor, State of Colorado; 
and public witnesses.
CLEAR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR CRIMINAL ALIEN REMOVAL ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, 
and Claims held a hearing on H.R. 2671, Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal 
Alien Removal Act of 2003. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 313, Coal 
Accountability and Retired Employee Act for the 21st Century; H.R. 542, to 
repeal the reservation of mineral rights made by the United States when 
certain lands in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, were conveyed by Public Law 
102-562; H.R. 1899, Cape Fox Land Entitlement Adjustment Act of 2003; and 
H.R. 2766, amended, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests Land Exchange Act 
of 2003.
  The Committee also held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 151, to 
elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the 
Department of Health and Human Services to Assist Secretary for Indian 
Health; and H.R. 2440, Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 
2003. Testimony was heard from Representative Nethercutt; Michel Lincoln, 
Deputy Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
CONFERENCE REPORT--PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION BAN ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points of 
order against the conference report to accompany S. 3, Partial Birth 
Abortion Ban Act of 2003, and against its consideration. The rule provides 
that the conference report shall be considered as read.
FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRY'S EFFECTS ON U.S. ECONOMY AND SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and 
Government Programs and the Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports held a 
joint hearing on Federal Prison Industry's Effects on the U.S. Economy and 
the Small Business Environment. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Hoekstra; and public witnesses.

[[Page D1077]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following bills: 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. 1274, 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;'' H.R. 3118, to 
designate the Orville Wright Federal Building and the Wilbur Wright Federal 
Building in Washington, District of Columbia; H.R. 3181, Predisaster 
Mitigation Program Reauthorization Act of 2003; and H.R. 3198, John F. 
Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2003.
  The Committee also approved the following: a Building Project Survey 
Resolution; and U.S. Army Corps Survey Resolutions.
OVERSIGHT--CLEANING UP THE WASTE AT EPA
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing on Cleaning Up the Waste 
at EPA: Phase II. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
EPA: Melissa M. Heist, Assistant Inspector General, Audit; Morris X. Winn, 
Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration and Resources Management; 
and Don S. Welsh, Regional Administrator, Region 3: Mid-Atlantic Region; and 
John B. Stephenson, Director, Environmental Issues, GAO.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism and 
Homeland Security met in executive session to hold a hearing on Afghanistan/
Pakistan Issues. Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.
IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS FRAUD--IMPLICATIONS FOR HOMELAND SECURITY
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled 
``Identification Documents Fraud and the Implications for Homeland 
Security.'' Testimony was heard from C. Stewart Verdery, Jr., Assistant 
Secretary, Border and Transportation Security Policy Directorate, Department 
of Homeland Security; the following officials of the Department of Justice: 
John Pistole, Assistant Director, Counterterrorism, FBI; Paul J. McNulty. 
U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia; and Roscoe C. Howard, Jr., U.S. 
Attorney, District of Columbia; Ronald D. Malfi, Director, Office of Special 
Investigations, GAO; Joseph R. Carico, Chief Deputy Attorney General, State 
of Virginia; and a public witness.
F