[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 67 (Thursday, May 13, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D501-D503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing and Related Programs held a hearing on Millennium Challenge 
Corporation. Testimony was heard from Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator, U.S. 
Agency for International Development, Department of State; and Paul 
Applegarth, CEO, Millennium Challenge Corporation.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES 
ACT OF 2004
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on 21st Century 
Competitiveness approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 4278, 
Improving Access to Assistive Technology for Individuals with Disabilities 
Act of 2004.
EXAMINING THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ACT AND ITS BENEFITS FOR 
WORKERS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing entitled ``Examining the Federal Employees' 
Compensation Act and Its Benefits for Workers.'' Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Labor: Shelby Hallmark, 
Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs; and Elliot Lewis, 
Assistant Inspector General, Audit; and public witnesses.
``THE US-EU REGULATORY DIALOGUE AND ITS FUTURE''
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``The US-EU 
Regulatory Dialogue and Its Future.'' Testimony was heard from Randal 
Quarles, Assistant Secretary, International Affairs, Department of the 
Treasury; Ethiopia Tafara, Director, Office of International Affairs, SEC; 
Susan Bies, Governor, Federal Reserve Board, Federal Reserve System; and 
public witnesses.
HARNESSING SCIENCE
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Harnessing 
Science: Advancing Care by Accelerating the Rate of Cancer Clinical Trial 
Participation.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: Michaele Christian, M.D., Associate 
Director, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Cancer Therapy 
Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute; and Richard Pazdur, M.D., 
Director, Division of Oncology Drug Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and 
Research, FDA; and public witnesses.
IRAQ--TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on The Imminent 
Transfer of Sovereignty in Iraq. Testimony was heard from Marc Grossman, 
Under Secretary, Political Affairs, Department of State; and the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Stephen A. Cambone, Under Secretary, 
Intelligence; Peter Rodman, Assistant Secretary, International Security 
Affairs; and LTG Walter L. Sharp, USA, Director, Strategic Plans and Policy, 
The Joint Chiefs of Staff.
BUSINESS ACTIVITY TAX SIMPLIFICATION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative 
Law held a hearing on H.R. 3220, Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 
2003. Testimony was heard from Jamie Van Fossen, Representative, State of 
Iowa; Rick Clayburgh, Tax Commissioner, State of North Dakota; and public 
witnesses

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MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; FEDERAL MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution approved for 
full Committee action the following measures: H.J. Res. 568, amended, 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Judicial 
determinations regarding the meaning of the laws of the United States should 
not be based on judgments, laws, or pronouncements of foreign institutions 
unless such foreign judgments, laws, or pronouncements inform an 
understanding of the original meaning of the laws of the United States; and 
H.R. 1775, To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate the oak tree 
as the national tree of the United States.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.J. Res. 56, Proposing an 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Musgrave and Frank; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and 
Oceans held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 3433, To transfer federal 
lands between the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
Interior; H.R. 3479, Brown Tress Snake Control and Eradication Act of 2003; 
H.R. 4027, To authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make available to the 
University of Miami property under the administrative jurisdiction of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Virginia Key, Florida, 
for use by the University for a Marine Life Science Center; and H.R. 4158, 
To provide for the conveyance to the Government of Mexico of a 
decommissioned National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Ros-Lehtinen, Emerson and Case; the 
following officials of the Department of the Interior: James Tate, Jr., 
Science Advisor to the Secretary; and William Hartwig, Assistant Director, 
National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the 
following officials of the USDA: William Clay, Deputy Administrator of 
Wildlife Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and 
Christopher Pyron, Deputy Chief, Business Operations, Forest Service; the 
following officials of Guam: Felix P. Camacho, Governor; and Senator Tiana 
Muna Barnes; Pedro A. Tenorio, Resident Representative to the United States, 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and a public witness.
OVERSIGHT--FIREFIGHTING PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``Firefighting Preparedness: Are we ready for the 
2004 Wildlife Season?'' Testimony was heard from Mark Rey, Under Secretary, 
Natural Resources and Environment, USDA; Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary, 
Policy, Management and Budget, Department of the Interior; Ellen Engleman 
Conners, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; and James B. Hull, 
Forester, Forest Service, State of Texas and Co-Chair, Blue Ribbon Panel on 
Federal Aerial Firefighting.
FEDERAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING R&D
Committee on Science: Held a hearing to examine federal high-performance 
computing research and development activities and to consider H.R. 4218, 
High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2004. Testimony was heard 
from John H. Marburger III, Director, Office of Science and Technology 
Policy; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--FAA's AIR TRAFFIC ORGANIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Aviation 
held an oversight hearing on Avoiding Summer Delays and a Review of the 
FAA's Air Traffic Organization. Testimony was heard from Stephen J. McHale, 
Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, Department of 
Homeland Security; and the following officials of the FAA, Department of 
Transportation: Marion C. Blakey, Administrator; and Russell G. Chew, Chief 
Operating Officer.
OVERSIGHT--ACTS OF TERROR--PREPAREDNESS AND FIRST RESPONDER FUNDING
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Economic 
Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management held an oversight 
hearing on How to Best Prepare for Acts of Terror: National Preparedness and 
First Responder Funding. Testimony was heard from William O. Jenkins, 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, GAO; Andrew Mitchell, Deputy 
Director, Office of Domestic Preparedness, Department of Homeland Security; 
and George W. Foresman, Assistant to the Governor, Preparedness, State of 
Virginia.
VETERANS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Subcommittee on Benefits approved for full 
Committee action the following bills: H.R. 1716, amended, Veterans Earn and 
Learn Act; H.R. 3936, To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize 
the principal office of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans 
Claims to be at any location in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, 
rather than only in the District of Columbia, and expressing the sense of 
Congress that a dedicated Veterans Courthouse and Justice Center should be 
provided for that Court and those it serves and should be located, if 
feasible, at a site owned by the United States that is part of or proximate 
to the Pentagon Reservation; H.R. 4175, amended, Veterans' Compensation 
Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2004; and H.R. 4345, To amend title 38, 
United

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States Code, to increase the maximum amount of home loan guaranty available 
under the home loan guaranty program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
VETERANS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health approved for full 
Committee action, as amended, the following bills: H.R. 4231, Department of 
Veterans Affairs Nurse Recruitment and Retention Act of 2004; and H.R. 4248, 
Homeless Veterans Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2004.
FEDERAL CHILD WELFARE REVIEWS--STATE EFFORTS TO COMPLY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing 
on State Efforts to Comply with Federal Child Welfare Reviews. Testimony was 
heard from Wade F. Horn, Assistant Secretary, Children and Families, 
Department of Health and Human Services; Cornelia M. Ashby, Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO; Edward Cotton, 
Director, Division of Youth and Family Services, Department of Human 
Services, State of New Jersey; and Christopher J. McCabe, Secretary, 
Department of Human Resources, State of Maryland.
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT INTELLIGENCE BUDGET
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold 
a hearing on Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Budget. Testimony 
was heard from departmental witnesses.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY LANGUAGE CAPABILITIES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Intelligence 
Policy and National Security held a hearing on Intelligence Community 
Language Capabilities. Testimony was heard from COL Michael R. Simone, USA, 
Commandant, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Department 
of Defense; Richard Brecht, Executive Director, Center for Advanced Study of 
Language; and Ellen Laipson, President and CEO, Henry L. Stimson Center.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY POLICY SHARING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism and 
Homeland Security met in executive session to hold a hearing on Information 
Technology Policy Sharing. Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.
Joint Meetings
HEALTH SERVICES REGULATION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the costs 
of health services regulations, focusing on quality and accessibility to 
health care insurance, the uninsured, and ways that health care coverage can 
be made more affordable, after receiving testimony from David A. Hyman, 
University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore; Daniel Mulholland, Horty, 
Springer, and Mattern, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Vicki Gottlich, Center for 
Medicare Advocacy, Inc., Washington, D.C.; and Christopher J. Conover, 
Durham, North Carolina.
COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House passed 
versions of H.R. 2443, to authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for 
fiscal year 2004, to amend various laws administered by the Coast Guard, but 
did not complete action thereon, and will meet again.
F