[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 101 (Tuesday, July 20, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D804-D807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOREST LAND ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review the Forest Land 
Enhancement Program. Testimony was heard from Mark E. Rey, Under 
Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, USDA; and public 
witnesses.
VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies approved for full Committee action the VA, HUD and Independent 
Agencies appropriations for fiscal year 2005.
DEPOT MAINTENANCE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on Depot Maintenance--Capacity and Resources for Future Work. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: MG 
Mitchell Stevenson, USA., Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics and 
Operations, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Department of the Army; the 
following officials of the Department of the Navy: RAD Mark A. Hugel, 
USN, Deputy Director, Fleet Readiness Division; and LTG Richard L. 
Kelly, USMC, Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics, U.S. 
Marine Corps; and LTG Donald J. Wetekam, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, 
Installations and Logistics, Department of the Air Force.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND PERSONNEL ISSUES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on Special Operations Command 
Personnel Issues. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Defense: COL

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Kenneth J. Cull, USA, Director, Manpower and Personnel (J1), U.S. 
Special Forces Command; and CSM Michael T. Hall, USA, Senior Enlisted 
Advisor, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, both with the Department 
of the Army; CMSgt. Robert V. Martens, Jr., USAF, Senior Enlisted 
Advisor, U.S. Special Operations Command; and CMSgt. Howard J. Mowry, 
USAF, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Air Force Special Operations Command, 
both with the Department of the Air Force; and FORMC Clell Breining, 
USN, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Naval Special Warfare Command, Department 
of the Navy.
``ARE COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS PRICED FAIRLY?''
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on 21st Century 
Competitiveness held a hearing entitled ``Are College Textbooks Priced 
Fairly?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
PIPELINE SAFETY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``Pipeline Safety.'' Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Transportation: 
Samuel G. Bonasso, Deputy Administrator, Research and Special Programs 
Administration; and Kenneth M. Mead, Inspector General; Katherine 
Siggerud, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
CREDIT UNION REGULATORY IMPROVEMENTS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Credit Union Regulatory 
Improvements.'' Testimony was heard from JoAnn Johnson, Chairman, 
National Credit Union Administration; and public witnesses.
MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing on a GAO report entitled ``Multifamily 
Housing: More Accessible HUD Data Could Help Efforts to Preserve 
Housing for Low-Income Tenants.'' Testimony was heard from David C. 
Wood, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, GAO; John 
C. Weicher, Assistant Secretary, Housing/Federal Housing Commissioner, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; and public witnesses.
FIXING FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PAY AND BENEFITS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Civil Service and 
Agency Organization held an oversight hearing entitled ``Time to Bite 
the Bullet: Fixing Federal Law Enforcement Pay and Benefits.'' 
Testimony was heard from Ronald Sanders, Associate Director, Strategic 
Human Resources Policy, OPM; and public witnesses.
``WHAT IS THE ADMINISTRATION'S RECORD IN RELIEVING BURDEN ON SMALL 
BUSINESS?''
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural 
Resources and Regulatory Affairs and the Subcommittee on Regulatory 
Reform and Oversight of the Committee on Small Business continued joint 
hearings entitled ``What is the Administration's Record in Relieving 
Burden on Small Business?--Part II.'' Testimony was heard from John D. 
Graham, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
OMB; Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, Acting Assistant Secretary, Management and 
Budget and Chief Financial Officer, Department of the Treasury; Felipe 
Mendoza, Associate Administrator, Office of Small Business Utilization, 
GSA; and public witnesses.
DOD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IMPACTING ARMY RESERVE PAY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Efficiency 
and Financial Management held a hearing entitled ``Are Financial 
Management Problems at the Department of Defense Impacting Army Reserve 
Pay?'' Testimony was heard from Gregory D. Kutz, Director, Financial 
Management and Assurance, GAO; the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: LTG James R. Helmly, USA, Chief, Army Reserve; 
and Ernest H. Gregory, Acting Assistant Secretary, Financial Management 
and Comptroller, both with the Department of the Army; and Patrick T. 
Shine, Director, Military and Civilian Pay Services, Defense Finance 
and Accounting Service, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
PUBLIC SAFETY INTEROPERABILITY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Emerging Threats and International Relations held a hearing entitled 
``Public Safety Interoperability: Look Who's Talking Now.'' Testimony 
was heard from William Jenkins, Jr., Director, Homeland Security and 
Justice Issues, GAO; David Boyd, Program Manager, SAFECOM, Department 
of Homeland Security; John Muleta, Chief, Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau, FCC; Stephen T. Devine, Patrol Frequency Coordinator, 
Communications Division, State Highway Patrol General

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Headquarters, State of Missouri; Glen S. Nash, Telecommunications 
Division, Department of General Services, State of California; and 
public witnesses.
VOTING MACHINE TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Technology, Information 
Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census held a hearing 
entitled `` The Science of Voting Machine Technology: Accuracy, 
Reliability, and Security.'' Testimony was heard from Randolph Hite, 
Director, Information Technology Architecture and Systems, GAO; Hratch 
Semerjian, Acting Director, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Department of Commerce; Terry Jarrett, General Counsel, 
Secretary of State, State of Missouri; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 
1787, Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act of 2003; H.R. 
3369, Nonprofit Athletic Organization Protection Act of 2003; and H.R. 
1084, Volunteer Pilot Organization Protection Act. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
CHILD CUSTODY PROTECTION ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing on H.R. 1755, Child Custody Protection Act. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and 
Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 3176, Ojito 
Wilderness Act; and H.R. 4593, Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, 
and Development Act of 2004. Testimony was heard from Senators Ensign 
and Reid; and Representatives Wilson of New Mexico and Porter; Rebecca 
Watson, Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, Department 
of the Interior; and public witnesses.
CONFERENCE REPORT--COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION
  Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all 
points of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 
2443, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004, and 
against its consideration. The rule provides that the conference 
report shall be considered as read. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives LoBiondo and Filner.
SAME-DAY CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION REPORTED BY THE RULES COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving clause 6(a) 
of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the 
same day it is reported from the Rules Committee) against certain 
resolutions reported from the Rules Committee. The rule applies the 
waiver to any special rule reported on the legislative day of July 21, 
2004, providing for the consideration or disposition of a conference 
report to accompany the bill (H.R. 1308) to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to accelerate the increase in the refundability of the 
child tax credit, and for other purposes.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule providing 1 
hour of general debate on H.R. 4837, Military Construction 
Appropriations Act, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. Under the 
rules of the House the bill shall be read for amendment by paragraph. 
The rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill for 
failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized 
appropriations or legislative provisions in an appropriations bill), 
except as specified in the resolution. The rule authorizes the Chair to 
accord priority in recognition to Members who have pre-printed their 
amendments in the Congressional Record. Finally, the rule provides one 
motion to recommit with or without instructions. No testimony was 
heard.
GSA'S FISCAL YEAR 2005 CAPITAL INVESTING AND LEASING PROGRAM
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management 
approved for full Committee action the GSA's Fiscal Year 2005 
Capital Investment and Leasing Program.
ENSURING VALUE FROM EPA GRANTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing on Ensuring Value 
from EPA Grants. Testimony was heard from The following officials of 
the EPA: Nikki Tinsley, Inspector General; and David J. O'Connor, 
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration and Resources 
Management; John B. Stephenson, Director, Environmental Issues, GAO; 
and public witnesses.
U.S.-MOROCCO FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported H.R. 4842, United States-
Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.

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PUBLIC SERVANT RETIREMENT PROTECTION ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on H.R. 4391, Public Servant Retirement Protection Act. 
Testimony was heard from Martin H. Gerry, Commissioner, Disability and 
Income Security Programs, SSA; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--RED CROSS INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE--REVIEW DOCUMENTS ON 
DETAINEE INTERROGATION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing to Review the International Committee of the Red 
Cross Documents on Detainee Interrogation. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
ROLE OF BIOMETRICS IN COUNTERTERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY EFFORTS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism 
and Homeland Security met in executive session to hold a hearing on the 
Role of Biometrics in Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Efforts. 
Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
DEMOCRACY IN ALBANIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the prospects for advancing 
democracy in Albania, after receiving testimony from Osmo Lipponen, 
Organization For Security and Co-operation In Europe, Erion Veliaj, 
MJAFT! (``Enough!'')/Balkans Youth Link, Kreshnik Spahiu, Albanian 
Coalition Against Corruption, and Fatmir Mediu, Albanian Republican 
Party, all of Tirana, Albania; Nicholas C. Pano, Western Illinois 
University, Macomb, Illinois; Fatos Tarifa, Republic of Albania 
Ambassador, Washington, D.C.; Edward Selami, Former Member Albanian 
Parliament, Virginia Beach, Virginia.