[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 21, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1151-D1153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW--U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing to review the United 
States National Arboretum. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Frelinghuysen; Rodney J. Brown, Deputy Under Secretary, Research, 
Education, and Economics, USDA; and a public witness.
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Operation Iraqi Freedom: 
Outside Perspectives. Testimony was heard from the following former 
officials of the U.S. Army War College: Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, USA, 
(Ret.), Commandant; and Stephen D.

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Biddle, Associate Research Professor of National Security Studies; and 
a public witness.
FORCES--RESETTING AND RECONSTITUTING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on Resetting and Reconstituting the Forces. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Adm. Michael G. 
Mullen, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations and Gen. William L. Nyland, 
USMC, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, both with the 
Department of the Navy; Gen. T. Michael Moseley, USAF, Vice Chief of 
Staff, Air Force, Department of the Air Force; and Lt. Gen. Richard A. 
Cody, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3, Department of the Army.
C41 INTEROPERABILITY
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on C41 Interoperability: New 
Challenges in 21st Century Warfare. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Lt. Gen. William 
Wallace, USA, Commanding General, U.S. Combined Arms Center and Fort 
Leavenworth; Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Leaf, USAF, Vice Commander, Air Force 
Space Command; Maj. Gen. Keith Stalder, USMC, Commanding General, First 
Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Deputy Commanding General First Marine 
Expeditionary Force; Brig. Gen. Dennis C. Moran, USA, Director, 
Information Operations, Networks and Space, Office of the Chief 
Information Officer/G-6, U.S. Army; and Brig. Gen. Marc Rogers, USAF, 
Director, Joint Requirements and Integration Directorate, U.S. Joint 
Forces Command.
U.S.-CHINA TIES
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on U.S.-China 
Ties: Reassessing the Economic Relationship. Testimony was heard from 
Grant D. Aldonas, Under Secretary, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
U.S. POLICY--WESTERN HEMISPHERE--CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. 
Policy in the Western Hemisphere. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of State: Roger F. Noriega, 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; and Adolfo 
A. Franco, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the 
Caribbean, AID; and a public witness.
NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS JUDGESHIP AND REORGANIZATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held a hearing on H.R. 2723, Ninth Circuit Court 
of Appeals Judgeship and Reorganization Act of 2003. Testimony was 
heard from the following Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
Ninth Circuit: Mary Schroeder, Chief Judge and Diarmuid O'Scannlain and 
Alex Kozinski; and a public witness.
NORTHERN ARIZONA NATIONAL FOREST LAND EXCHANGE ACT; TRAIL 
RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF LANDS ACT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2907, Northern Arizona National 
Forest Land Exchange Act of 2003; and H.R. 3247, Trail Responsibility 
and Accountability for the Improvement of Lands Act of 2003. Testimony 
was heard from Mark Rey, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and 
Environment, USDA; Larry R. Parkinson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Law 
Enforcement and Security, Department of the Interior; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and 
Public Lands approved for full Committee action the following bills: 
H.R. 265, amended, Mount Rainier National Park Boundary Adjustment Act 
of 2003; H.R. 280, amended, National Aviation Heritage Area Act; H.R. 
532, amended, Rancho Corral de Tierra Golden Gate National Recreation 
Area Boundary Adjustment Act; H.R. 1014, amended, Gateway Communities 
Cooperation Act; H.R. 1058, amended, to provide for an exchange of 
certain private property in Colorado and certain Federal property in 
Utah; H.R. 1594, amended, St. Croix National Heritage Area Study Act; 
H.R. 1618, amended, Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 
1629, Upper Missouri River Breaks Boundary Clarification Act; H.R. 
1798, amended, Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 
1862, amended, Oil Region National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 2424, 
National Great Black Americans Commemoration Act of 2003; H.R. 2715, to 
provide for necessary improvements to facilities at Yosemite National 
Park; and S. 677, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and 
Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Boundary Revision Act of 
2003.
  The Subcommittee also began markup of H.R. 1964, Highlands 
Stewardship Act.

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HOMELAND SECURITY CONTRACTS--CHALLENGES SMALL BUSINESSES FACE
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Rural Enterprise, 
Agriculture and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Challenges that 
Small Businesses Face Accessing Homeland Security Contracts.'' 
Testimony was heard from Kevin Boshears, Director, Office of Small and 
Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of Homeland Security; 
Michael Barrera, Associate Deputy Administrator, Government Contracting 
and Business Development, SBA; and public witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS--PHYSICIAN AND DENTIST COMPENSATION 
ISSUES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the Department of Veterans Affairs physician and dentist 
compensation issues. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Robert H. Roswell, M.D., Under 
Secretary, Health; Jacqueline Parthemore, M.D., Chief of Staff/Medical 
Director, San Diego Health Care System; Richard Bauer, M.D., Chief of 
Staff, South Texas Health Care System; Sheila M. Cullen, Medical 
Director, San Francisco Medical Center; Michael H. Ebert, M.D., Chief 
of Staff, Connecticut Health Care System; Michael M. Lawson, Director, 
Boston Health Care System; and Michael S. Simberkoff, M.D., Executive 
Chief of Staff, New York Harbor Health Care System; and public 
witnesses.
MIDDLE EAST ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Middle East Issues. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.
FUNDING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled 
``Funding for First Responders: Ensuring That Federal Funds Are 
Distributed Intelligently.'' Testimony was heard from John G. Rowland, 
Governor, State of Connecticut; Ray A. Nelson, Executive Director, 
Office for Security Coordination, State of Kentucky; John D. Cohen, 
Special Assistant to the Secretary of Public Safety, State of 
Massachusetts; and a public witness.