[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 145 (Thursday, October 16, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1130-D1133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MAXIMIZE FARM AND RANCH INCOME
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to examine new generation 
cooperatives and strategies to maximize farm and ranch income. Testimony was 
heard from Thomas C. Dorr, Under Secretary, Rural Development, USDA; Douglas 
Flory, member of the Board, Farm Credit Administration; and public 
witnesses.

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DOD LONG-TERM BUDGET ISSUES
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Department of Defense Long-Term 
Budget Issues. Testimony was heard from Dov S. Zakheim, Under Secretary 
(Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer, Department of Defense; and 
Douglas J. Holtz-Eakin, Director, CBO.
HEALTHSOUTH FINANCIAL COLLAPSE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Financial Collapse of 
HealthSouth.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
HealthSouth Corporation: Diana Henze, Assistant Controller; and Greg Smith, 
Chief Auditing Officer; the following former officials of HealthSouth 
Corporation: Teresa Sanders, Group Vice President and Chief Auditing 
Officer; Steve Schlatter, Physical Therapist; Michael Vines, Corporate Fixed 
Assets Department; Kelly Cullison, Vice President of Compliance; William 
Horton, Executive Vice President and corporate Counsel; Brandon Hale, 
Executive Vice President of Administration, Corporate Secretary and 
Compliance Office; James Goodreau, Chief of Security; and Anthony Tanner, 
Corporate Secretary and Compliance Officer; and Martin Cohen, Senior 
Managing Director, FTI Consulting.
  In refusing to give testimony, the following former officials of 
HealthSouth Corporation: Richard M. Scrushy, Founder and Former Chairman and 
CEO; and Susan Jones-Smith, Senior Vice President Finance Reimbursement, 
invoked Fifth Amendment privileges.
U.S. CAPITAL MARKET STRUCTURE REVIEW
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, 
and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``Reviewing 
U.S. Capital Market Structure: The New York Stock Exchange and Related 
Issues.'' Testimony was heard from John Reed, Interim Chairman and Chief 
Executive Officer, New York Stock Exchange, Inc.; and public witnesses.
INTERNET VULNERABILITIES AFFECTING BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENTS AND HOMES
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing on ``You've Got Mail--But is 
it Secure? An Examination of Internet Vulnerabilities Affecting Businesses, 
Governments and Homes.'' Testimony was heard from Karen Evans, 
Administrator, Office of Electronic Government, OMB; and public witnesses.
CASTRO'S CUBA--ONGOING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Rights and Wellness 
held a hearing entitled ``Castro's Cuba: What is the Proper United States 
Response to Ongoing Human Rights Violations in Our Hemisphere?'' Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of State: Roger 
Noriega, Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere; and Adolpho Franco, 
Assistant Administrator, Latin America and the Carribean, AID; R. Richard 
Newcomb, Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.
FEC--ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on the Federal Election 
Commission Enforcement Procedures. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the FEC: Ellen L. Weintraub, Chairman; and Bradley A. Smith, 
Vice Chairman; Karl Sandstrom, former Commissioner, FEC; and public 
witnesses.
U.S. POLICY IN AFGHANISTAN--CURRENT RECONSTRUCTION ISSUES
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on United States Policy 
in Afghanistan: Current Issues in Reconstruction--Part II. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of State: William B. 
Taylor, Jr., Afghanistan Coordinator; and James Kunder, Deputy Assistant 
Administrator, Bureau for Asia and the Near East, AID; Peter Rodman, 
Assistant Secretary, International Security Affairs, Department of Defense.
RESOLUTION OF THE ETHIOPIA-ERITREA BORDER DISPUTE ACT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa approved for 
full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 2760, Resolution of the Ethiopia-
Eritrea Border Dispute Act of 2003.
STATE FEDERAL AGENCY PROTECTIONS OF PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing 
on ``The GAO's Recent Report on the Implementation of Executive Order 12630 
and the State of Federal Agency Protections of Private Property Rights.'' 
Testimony was heard from Anu Mittal, Director, Natural Resources and 
Environment Division, GAO; and public witnesses.

[[Page D1132]]


DATABASE AND COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION MISAPPROPRIATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 
3261, Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act.
OVERSIGHT--VISA OVERSTAYS A GROWING PROBLEM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, 
and Claims held an oversight hearing on ``Visa Overstays: A Growing Problem 
for Law Enforcement.'' Testimony was heard from Kevin Tanner, Director, 
Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force, FBI, Department of Justice; Nancy 
Kingsbury, Managing Director, Applied Research and Methods, GAO; Theresa 
Papademetriou, Senior Legal Specialist, Library of Congress; and a public 
witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and 
Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 280, National 
Aviation Heritage Area Act; H.R. 704, Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act; 
H.R. 1399, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Gunnison Gorge 
National Conservation Area Boundary Revision Act of 2003; H.R. 1594, St. 
Croix National Heritage Area Study Act; H.R. 1618, Arabia Mountain National 
Heritage Area Act; H.R. 1862, Oil Region National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 
1798, Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Act; and H.R. 2909, 
Utah Test and Training Range Protection Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Schiff and McInnis; Gerald F. Pease, Jr., Associate 
Director, Ranges and Airspace, U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense; the 
following officials of the Department of the Interior: deTeel Patterson 
Tiller, Acting Associate Director, Cultural Resources, National Park 
Service; Jeffrey Loman, Acting Director, Trust Services, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs; and Jim Hughes, Deputy Director, Land Management, Bureau of Land 
Management; Randy Johnson, Deputy Director, Planning for Public Lands, State 
of Utah; and public witnesses.
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule on H.R. 3289, making 
emergency supplemental appropriations for defense and for the reconstruction 
of Iraq and Afghanistan for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, 
providing that the bill shall be considered as read. The rule provides that 
no further motion or amendment shall be in order.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; FUTURE OF HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT
Committee on Science: Ordered reported the following measures: H. Con. Res. 
279, recognizing the significance of the anniversary of the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Science and 
Engineering Fellowship Program, and reaffirming the commitment to support 
the use of science in governmental decisionmaking through such Program; and 
H. Res. 395, recognizing the importance of chemistry to our everyday lives 
and supporting the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week.
  The Committee also held a hearing on The Future of Human Space Flight. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
IS AMERICA LOSING ITS LEAD IN HIGH-TECH?
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Is America losing its 
lead in high-tech: implications for the U.S. defense industrial base?'' 
Testimony was heard from Ronald Sega, Director, Defense Research and 
Engineering, Department of Defense.
AVIATION SECURITY--TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION'S PERSPECTIVE
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Aviation 
held an oversight hearing on the Transportation Security Administration's 
Perspective on Aviation Security. Testimony was heard from James M. Loy, 
Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, Department of 
Homeland Security.
VETERAN'S HEALTH CARE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing entitled ``Handoff or Fumble: 
Do VA and DOD Provide Seamless Health Care Coverage to Transitioning 
Veterans?'' Testimony was heard from Neal P. Curtin, Director, Defense 
Capabilities and Management, GAO; the following officials of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs: Harold Kudler, M.D., Co-Chairman, Under Secretary for 
Health's Special Committee on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Robert H. 
Roswell, M.D., Under Secretary, Health; and Robert

[[Page D1133]]

J. Epley, Associate Deputy Under Secretary, Policy and Programs, Veterans 
Benefits Administration; and Edward P. Wyatt, Jr., Principal Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs, Department of Defense.
BRIEFING--SENSITIVE COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Sensitive Counterterrorism Issues. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.
BRIEFING--GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE UPDATE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Intelligence 
Policy and National Security, executive, briefing on Global Intelligence 
Update. The Subcommittee was briefed by departmental witnesses.
FASTER AND SMARTER FUNDING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS ACT
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Preparedness and Response held a hearing on H.R. 3266, Faster and Smarter 
Funding for First Responders Act of 2003. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
PLUGGING THE GAPS IN BORDER SECURITY
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Infrastructure and 
Border Security held a hearing entitled ``Plugging the Gaps in Border 
Security: the One Face at the Border Initiative.'' Testimony was heard from 
Robert Bonner, Commissioner, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
F