[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 39 (Thursday, March 25, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D289-D291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to 
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2005 for the 
Department of Health and Human Services, after receiving testimony from 
Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior concluded a 
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2005 for 
the Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from Gale A. 
Norton, Secretary, and Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary for Policy, 
Management and Budget, both of the Department of the Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: EPA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent 
Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for 
fiscal year 2005 for the Environmental Protection Agency, after 
receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Administrator, 
Environmental Protection Agency.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, 
the Judiciary and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2005 for the Department of 
State, after receiving testimony from Colin L. Powell, Secretary of 
State.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2005 for the Department of 
Agriculture, after receiving testimony from Ann M. Veneman, Secretary 
of Agriculture.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the proposed Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2005, 
focusing on the role of U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Special 
Operations Command in defending the homeland and in the global war on 
terrorism, after receiving testimony from Thomas W. O'Connell, 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity 
Conflict; Paul McHale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland 
Defense; General Ralph E. Eberhart, USAF, Commander, North American 
Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, U.S. Air 
Force; General Bryan D. Brown, USA, Commander, United States Special 
Operations Command, U.S. Army.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded 
a hearing to examine the proposed Defense Authorization Request for 
fiscal year 2005, focusing on national security space programs and 
management, after receiving testimony from Peter B. Teets, Under 
Secretary of the Air Force, Director, National Reconnaissance Office; 
Admiral James O. Ellis, Jr., USN, Commander, United States Strategic 
Command, U.S. Navy; General Lance W. Lord, USAF, Commander, Air Force 
Space Command, U.S. Air Force; and Vice Admiral Arthur K. Cebrowski, 
USN (Ret.), Director, Office of Force Transformation, U.S. Navy.
FLOOD INSURANCE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
Economic Policy concluded a hearing to examine the National Flood 
Insurance Program, focusing on certain measures to address repetitive 
loss properties, after receiving testimony from Senator Mikulski; 
Representatives Bereuter and Blumenauer; Anthony Lowe, Federal 
Insurance Administrator and Mitigation Division Director, Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security; William 
O. Jenkins, Jr., Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, 
General Accounting Office; William Stiglitz III, Hyland,

[[Page D290]]

Block, Hyland Insurance, Louisville, Kentucky, on behalf of the 
Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America and the National 
Association of Professional Insurance Agents; Steven M. Feldmann, The 
Fischer Group, Crestview Hills, Kentucky, on behalf of the National 
Association of Home Builders; Chad Berginnis, Association of State 
Floodplain Managers, Inc., Columbus, Ohio; and Greg Kosse, Kentucky 
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, Louisville, on behalf of the 
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION BUDGET
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal 
year 2005 for the Federal Transit Administration, Department of 
Transportation, after receiving testimony from Jennifer L. Dorn, 
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Department of 
Transportation; Timothy W. Martin, Illinois Department of 
Transportation, Springfield, on behalf of American Association of State 
Highway and Transportation Officials; and William Millar, American 
Public Transportation Association, Dale J. Marsico, Community 
Transportation Association of America, and Rolf Th. Lundberg, Jr., 
United States Chamber of Commerce, all of Washington, D.C.
CABLE RATES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine causes and potential solutions regarding 
escalating cable rates, after receiving testimony from Mark L. 
Goldstein, Director, Amy Abramowitz, Assistant Director, and Michael 
Clements, Senior Analyst, all of Physical Infrastructure Issues, 
General Accounting Office; James O. Robbins, Cox Communications, Inc., 
Atlanta, Georgia; George Bodenheimer, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports, New 
York, New York; Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, Washington, D.C.; 
Marilyn Praisner, Montgomery County Council, Rockville, Maryland, on 
behalf of National Association of Counties and Telecommunity; and 
Rodger L. Johnson, Knology, Inc., West Point, Georgia, on behalf of 
Broadband Service Providers Association.
RURAL WATER SUPPLY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and 
Power concluded a hearing to examine S. 1085, to provide for a Bureau 
of Reclamation program to assist states and local communities in 
evaluating and developing rural and small community water supply 
systems, S. 1732, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish 
a rural water supply program in the Reclamation States to provide a 
clean, safe, affordable, and reliable water supply to rural residents, 
S. 2218, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a rural 
water supply program in the Reclamation States for the purpose of 
providing a clean, safe, affordable, and reliable water supply to rural 
residents and for other purposes, to authorize the Secretary to conduct 
appraisal and feasibility studies for rural water projects, and to 
establish the guidelines for any projects authorized under this 
program, S. 1727, to authorize additional appropriations for the 
Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978, and S. 1791, to amend the Lease 
Lot Conveyance Act of 2002 to provide that the amounts received by the 
United States under that Act shall be deposited in the reclamation 
fund, after receiving testimony from John W. Keys III, Commissioner, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Mike Keegan, 
National Rural Water Association, Duncan, Oklahoma; and David J. 
Koland, Garrison Diversion Conservancy District, Carrington, North 
Dakota.
UNITED STATES-AFRICA PARTNERSHIP
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine proposed legislation to amend the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act to expand certain trade benefits to eligible sub-
Saharan African countries, after receiving testimony from Alan P. 
Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and 
Agricultural Affairs; Florizelle B. Liser, Assistant United States 
Trade Representative for Africa; and Constance B. Newman, Assistant 
Administrator for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Miles T. Bivins, of Texas, to be Ambassador 
to Sweden, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn; Michael 
Christian Polt, of Tennessee, to be Ambassador to Serbia and 
Montenegro, Thomas Bolling Robertson, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to 
Slovenia, John M. Ordway, of California, to be Ambassador to 
Kazakhstan, and Earle I. Mack, of New York, to be Ambassador to 
Finland, who was introduced by Senators Schumer and Lautenberg, after 
each nominee testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
HAZARD COMMUNICATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on 
Employment, Safety, and Training concluded a hearing to examine hazard 
communication in the 21st Century workplace, focusing on

[[Page D291]]

steps that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is 
taking to improve implementation of OSHA's Hazard Communication 
Standard, after receiving testimony from John L. Henshaw, Assistant 
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health; Thomas G. 
Grumbles, American Industrial Hygiene Association, Fairfax, Virginia; 
Jon Hanson, Wyoming Medical Center, Casper; Anne Jackson, Pepperidge 
Farm, Denver, Pennsylvania, on behalf of American Bakers Association; 
Michele R. Sullivan, MRS Associates, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on behalf 
of Society for Chemical Hazard Communications; and Michael J. Wright, 
United Steelworkers of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
  Committee recessed subject to call.