[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 89 (Thursday, June 24, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D694-D695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORATION ACT
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Subcommittee on 
Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization concluded a hearing to 
examine the implementation of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (P.L. 
108-148), after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary of 
Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment; Chad Calvert, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals 
Management; James L. Sledge, Mississippi Forestry Commission, Jackson, 
on behalf of the National Association of State Foresters; Robert Cope, 
Lemhi County Board of Commissioners, Salmon, Idaho, on behalf of the 
National Association of Counties and the Idaho Association of Counties; 
Carol Daly, Communities Committee of the Seventh American Forest 
Congress, Columbia Falls, Montana, on behalf of the Society of American 
Foresters; James R. Crouch, Jim Crouch and Associates, Russellville, 
Arkansas, on behalf of sundry organizations; Tom Partin, American 
Forest Resource Council, Portland, Oregon; and James Earl Kennamer, 
National Wild Turkey Federation, Edgefield, South Carolina.
AIRLINE DENIAL AUTHORITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, 
and General Government concluded an oversight hearing to examine 
passenger screening and airline authority to deny plane boarding, after 
receiving testimony from Jeff Rosen, General Counsel, Department of 
Transportation; Tom Blank, Assistant Administrator, Office of 
Transportation Security Policy, Transportation Security Administration, 
Department of Homeland Security; Michael Smerconish, WPHT-AM, 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Peggy Sterling, American Airlines, Dallas, 
Texas; and Christy E. Lopez, Relman and Associates, Washington, D.C.

[[Page D695]]


BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nomination of General George W. Casey, Jr., USA, for reappointment to 
the grade of general and to be Commander, Multi-National Force-Iraq, 
and 2,249 nominations in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
  Prior to this action, committee concluded hearings on the nomination 
of General George W. Casey, Jr. (listed above), after the nominee 
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
CRC REPORTS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive 
a briefing regarding ICRC Reports on U.S. military detainee operations 
from officials of the Department of Defense.
AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Aviation concluded a hearing to examine security screening options for 
airports, focusing on the status of the private screening pilot (PP5) 
program and TSA's plans to implement the Federal screening opt-out 
provisions of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, after 
receiving testimony from Thomas Blank, Assistant Administrator for 
Transportation Security Policy, Transportation Security Administration, 
Department of Homeland Security; Patrick Pacious, BearingPoint, Inc., 
McLean, Virginia; Terry Anderson, Tupelo Regional Airport, Tupelo, 
Mississippi; and Richard A. Atkinson, III, Central West Virginia 
Regional Airport Authority, Charleston.
EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Science, Technology, and Space concluded a hearing to examine H.R. 
2608, to reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, 
after receiving testimony from David Applegate, Senior Science Advisor 
for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey, Department 
of the Interior; Archibald C. Reid, III, Acting Deputy Director, 
Mitigation Division, Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, 
Department of Homeland Security; Sivaraj Shyam-Sunder, Acting Deputy 
Director, Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, Department of 
Commerce; and A. Galip Ulsoy, Director, Division of Civil and 
Mechanical Systems, National Science Foundation.
NATIONAL HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National 
Parks concluded a hearing to examine S. 2543, to establish a program 
and criteria for National Heritage Areas in the United States, after 
receiving testimony from A. Durand Jones, Deputy Director, National 
Park Service, Department of the Interior; Barry T. Hill, Director, 
Natural Resources and Environment, General Accounting Office; Daniel M. 
Rice, Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition, Akron, Ohio, on behalf of the 
Advocacy Committee of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas; and 
Robert J. Smith, Center for Private Conservation, and Craig D. Obey, 
National Parks Conservation Association, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee failed to approve the Committee's 
recommendation, as amended, to the proposed legislation implementing 
the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: on Wednesday, June 23, Committee met in 
closed session to receive a briefing on the situation in Iraq with 
regard to the June 30, 2004 transition from Colin L. Powell, Secretary 
of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 
1735, to increase and enhance law enforcement resources committed to 
investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and punish 
violent gang crime, to protect law abiding citizens and communities 
from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for 
violent crimes, to reform and facilitate prosecution of juvenile gang 
members who commit violent crimes, to expand and improve gang 
prevention programs, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.