[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D454-D457]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Projection Forces approved for 
full Committee action H.R. 4200, National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2005.

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NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities approved for full Committee action H.R. 4200, 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Total Force approved for full 
Committee action, as amended, H.R. 4200, National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2005.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 2728, Occupational Safety and Health Small Business 
Day in Court Act of 2003; H.R. 2729, Occupational Safety and Health Review 
Commission Efficiency Act of 2003; H.R. 2730, Occupational Safety and Health 
Independent Review of OSHA Citations Act of 2003; and H.R. 2731, 
Occupational Safety and Health Small Employer Access to Justice Act of 2003.
ALASKA NATURAL GAS PIPELINE STATUS REPORT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality 
held a hearing entitled ``Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Status Report.'' 
Testimony was heard from Senator Murkowski; Patrick Wood III, Chairman, 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy; and public 
witnesses.
PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE--CURRENT MEDICARE PAYMENT SCHEDULE REVIEW
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Physician Fee Schedule: A Review of the Current Medicare Payment 
System.'' Testimony was heard from Bruce Steinwald, Director, Health Care--
Medicare Payments Issues, GAO; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, CBO; and Glenn 
Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.
ZERO DOWNPAYMENT ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 3755, Zero 
Downpayment Act of 2004.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT'S TRIBAL RECOGNITION PROCESS
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Betting on 
Transparency: Toward Fairness and Integrity in the Interior Department's 
Tribal Recognition Process.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Interior: Theresa Rosier, Counselor to 
the Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs; and Earl E. Devaney, Inspector 
General; the following officials of the State of Connecticut: Richard 
Blumenthal, Attorney General; and Mark D. Boughton, Mayor, City of Danbury; 
and public witnesses.
WILDFIRES IN THE WEST
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural 
Resources and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Wildfires in the 
West--Is the Bush Administration's Response Adequate?'' Testimony was heard 
from P. Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary, Policy, Management, and Budget, 
Department of the Interior; Mark E. Rey, Under Secretary, Natural Resources 
and Environment, USDA; and public witnesses.
MIDDLE EAST--WATER SCARCITY
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Water Scarcity in 
the Middle East: Regional Cooperation as a Mechanism Toward Peace. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of State: John F. 
Turner, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International 
Environmental and Scientific Affairs; David Satterfield, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; and James Kunder, Deputy 
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia and the Near East, AID; and public 
witnesses.
SOCIAL INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR THE AMERICAS ACT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere 
approved for full Committee action H.R. 3447, Social Investment and Economic 
Development Fund for the Americas Act of 2003.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REGARDING APPOINTMENT OF INDIVIDUALS TO FILL HOUSE 
VACANCIES; TERRORIST PENALTIES ENHANCEMENT ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, adversely, H.J. Res. 83, 
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States regarding 
the appointment of individuals to fill vacancies in the House of 
Representatives.
  The Committee also began markup of H.R. 2934, Terrorist Penalties 
Enhancement Act of 2003.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 142, 
amended, To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and 
Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in 
the Inland Empire regional water recycling project, to authorize the 
Secretary to carry out a program to assist agencies in projects to construct 
regional brine lines in California, and to authorize the Secretary to 
participate in the Lower Chino

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Dairy Area desalination demonstration and reclamation project; H.R. 1014, 
amended, Gateway Communities Cooperation Act; H.R. 2010, amended, To protect 
the voting rights of members of the Armed Services in elections for the 
Delegate representing American Samoa in the United States House of 
Representatives; H.R. 2201, National War Permanent Tribute Historical 
Database Act; H.R. 2663, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study 
the suitability and feasibility of designating Castle Nugent Farms located 
on St. Criox, Virgin Islands, as a unit of the National Park System; H.R. 
2828, amended, Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act; 
H.R. 2912, To reaffirm the inherent sovereign rights of the Osage Tribe to 
determine its membership and form of government; H.R. 2966, amended, Right-
to-Ride Livestock on Federal Lands Act of 2003; H.R. 2991, Inland Empire 
Regional Water Recycling Initiative; H.R. 3247, amended, Trail 
Responsibility and Accountability for the Improvement of Lands Act of 2003; 
H.R. 3378, Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2003; H.R. 3504, To amend the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to redesignate the 
American Indian Education Foundation as the National Fund for Excellence in 
American Indian Education; H.R. 3505, amended, to amend the Bend Pine 
Nursery Land Conveyance Act to specify the recipients and consideration for 
conveyance of the Bend Pine Nursery; H.R. 3706, John Muir National Historic 
Site Boundary Adjustment Act; H.R. 3768, amended, Timucuan Ecological and 
Historic Preserve Boundary Revision Act of 2004; H.R. 3819, amended, Lewis 
and Clark National Historical Park Designation Act of 2004; H.R. 3846, 
amended, Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004; H.R. 3874, amended, To convey 
for public purposes certain Federal lands in Riverside County, California, 
that have been identified for disposal; H.R. 3932, amended, To amend Public 
Law 99-338 to authorize the continued use of certain lands within the 
Sequoia National Park by portions of an existing hydroelectric project; and 
H.R. 4114, amended, Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2004.
DEPLORING THE ABUSE OF PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES CUSTODY IN IRAQ
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule providing one hour 
of debate in the House equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit which may not contain instructions. No 
witnesses were heard.
U.S. COMMISSION ON OCEAN POLICY PRELIMINARY REPORT
Committee on Science: Held a hearing entitled ``U.S. Commission on Ocean 
Policy Preliminary Report.'' Testimony was heard from ADM James D. Watkins, 
USN (Ret.), Chairman, U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy; and public witnesses.
IMPROVING THE REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ACT
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Improving the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act--H.R. 2345.'' Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Terry and Pence; Thomas Sullivan, Chief Counsel for 
Advocacy, SBA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--RAILROAD SECURITY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Railroads 
held an oversight hearing on Railroad Security, Testimony was heard from 
Allan Rutter, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Department of 
Transportation; Chet Lunner, Assistant Administrator, Office of Maritime and 
Land Security, Transportation Security Administration, Department of 
Homeland Security; Ernest R. Frazier, Sr., Chief of Police and Security 
Department, Amtrak; and public witnesses.
AGOA ACCELERATION ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 4103, AGOA 
Acceleration Act of 2004.
DCI WRAP UP BUDGET
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold 
a hearing on DCI Wrap Up Budget. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY--MARITIME SECURITY OPERATIONS
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Infrastructure and 
Border Security held a hearing entitled ``Maritime Security Operations 
within the Department of Homeland Security.'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: RADM David S. 
Belz, USCG, Assistant Commandant for Operations, U.S. Coast Guard; Charles 
E. Stallworth II, Director, Office of Air and Marine Operations, Bureau of 
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; Jayson P. Ahern, Assistant 
Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Bureau of Customs and Border 
Protection; and Tom Blank, Assistant Administrator, Policy, Transportation 
Security Administration.
Joint Meetings
NORTHERN IRELAND MURDER CASES
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the impact in Northern Ireland of 
recently published reports on collusion in prominent murder cases, after 
receiving testimony from Peter Cory, former Canadian Supreme Court Justice, 
Ottawa; Geraldine Finucane, Northern Ireland; and Elisa Massimino, Human 
Rights First, Washington, D.C.

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