[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D834-D836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOOD PROMOTION ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Ordered reported H.R. 4576, Food Promotion 
Act of 2004.
USDA'S NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture 
held a hearing to review the USDA's National Animal Identification 
System. Testimony was heard from John Clifford, Deputy Administrator, 
Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA; 
and public witnesses.
VA, HUD AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES AND THE TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY AND 
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL YEAR 2005
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the following 
appropriations for fiscal year 2005: VA, HUD and Independent Agencies; 
and Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies.
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE ATTACK
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Report of the 
Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from 
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack. Testimony was heard from William R. 
Graham, Chairman, Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States 
from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack.
SPACE CADRE/SPACE PROFESSIONALS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on Space Cadre/Space Professionals. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Peter B. Teets, 
Under Secretary, Air Force, Space; GEN Lance Lord, USAF, Commander, Air 
Force Space Command; LTG Larry J. Dodgen, USA, Commander, Space and 
Missile Defense Command; and RADM James McArthur, USN, Commander, Navy 
Network Warfare Command; and public witnesses.

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TAX CODE'S IMPACT ON REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND THE FEDERAL BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on the U.S. Tax Code's Impact 
on Revenue Projections and the Federal Budget. Testimony was heard from 
Douglas J. Holtz-Eakin, Director, CBO; and public witnesses.
GENETIC NON-DISCRIMINATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Employer-
Employee Relations held a hearing entitled ``Genetic Non-
Discrimination: Examining the Implications for Workers and Employers.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DC--SAFE DRINKING WATER
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials held a hearing entitled ``Tapped Out? Lead in the 
District of Columbia and the Providing of Safe Drinking Water.'' 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the EPA: Benjamin 
Grumbles, Acting Assistant Administrator, Water; and Don Welsh, 
Administrator, Region III; John Stephenson, Director, Natural Resources 
and Environment Team, GAO; Jerry N. Johnson, Executive Director, Water 
and Sewer Authority, District of Columbia; and public witnesses.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Health Information Technology: Improving Quality and Value 
of Patient Care.'' Testimony was heard from Tommy Thompson, Secretary 
of Health and Human Services; Robert M. Kolodner, M.D., Acting Chief, 
Health Informatics Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer, 
Health, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
E-RATE PROGRAM INVESTIGATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Problems with the E-rate 
Program: Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Concerns in the Wiring of Our Nation's 
Schools to the Internet.'' Testimony was heard from William Maher, 
Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC; and public witnesses.
  In refusing to give testimony at the hearing, the following 
individuals: Thomas J. Burger, President and CEO, NEC Unified 
Solutions, Inc.; William Holman, former Vice President of Sales, NEC 
Business Network Solutions; and George Marchelos, former E-rate 
Consultant and Salesperson, Video Network Communications, Inc., invoked 
Fifth Amendments privileges.
MARKET AND INVESTOR RECOVERY
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Sarbanes-
Oxley: Two Years of Market and Investor Recovery.'' Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
IRAQ--CONTRACTING AND REBUILDING
Committee on Government Reform: Continued hearings entitled 
``Contracting and the Rebuilding of Iraq: Part IV.'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
DRUGS AND SECURITY IN POST-9/11 WORLD
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources and the Subcommittee on Infrastructure and 
Border Security of the Select Committee on Homeland Security held a 
joint hearing entitled ``Drugs and Security in a Post-9/11 World: 
Coordinating the Counternarcotics Mission at the Department of Homeland 
Security.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Robert Bonner, Commissioner, U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection; ADM Thomas H. Collins, USCG, Commandant, 
U.S. Coast Guard; Michael J. Garcia, Assistant Secretary, U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Roger Mackin, Counternarcotics 
Officer.
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Rights and 
Wellness held a hearing entitled `` Balancing Act: The Health 
Advantages of Naturally-Occurring Hormones in Hormone Replacement 
Therapy.'' Testimony was heard from Barbara Alving, M.D., Acting, 
Director, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Department of Health 
and Human Services; and public witnesses
ESTABLISH--NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on H.R. 4863, To 
establish the Commission to Establish the National Museum of the 
American Latino to develop a plan of action for the establishment and 
maintenance within the Smithsonian Institution of the National Museum 
of the American Latino in Washington, DC. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Ros-Lehtinen and Becerra; Lawrence M. Small, Secretary, 
Smithsonian Institution; and pubic witnesses.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO PEACE ACCORDS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa held a 
hearing on The Democratic Republic

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of Congo Peace Accords: One Year Later. Testimony was heard from 
Constance Berry Newman, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 822, Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 
2003; H.R. 4806, Pine Springs Land Exchange Act; and H.R. 4838, Health 
Forest Youth Conservation Corps Act of 2004. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Larsen of Washington and Neugebauer; Mark Rey, Under 
Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, USDA; and public 
witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS LIABILITY REFORM
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Oversight held a hearing on Small Business Liability Reform. Testimony 
was heard from Representative Chabot; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing on Comprehensive 
Everglades Restoration Plan--The First Major Projects. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Foley; COL Robert M. Carpenter, Commander, 
Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the 
Army; Ernest Barnett, Director, Ecosystem Projects, Department of 
Environmental Protection, State of Florida; and public witnesses.
VA-DoD COLLABORATION--CARE OF VETERANS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on the evolution of VA-
DoD collaboration in research and amputee care for veterans of current 
and past conflicts, and needed reforms in VA blind rehabilitation 
services. Testimony was heard from Cynthia A. Bascetta, Director, 
Veterans' Health and Benefits Issues, GAO; the following officials of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs; Michael J. Kussman, M.D., Acting 
Deputy Under Secretary, Health; Mindy L. Aisen, M.D., Deputy Chief, 
Research and Development Officer; and Frederick Downs, Jr., Chief 
Consultant, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service Strategic Healthcare 
Group; the following officials of the Department of Defense: Brett P. 
Giroir, M.D., Deputy Director, Defense Sciences Office, Defense 
Advanced Research Projects Agency; LTC Paul Pasquina, M.D., USA, Chief, 
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Chuck Scoville, Program 
Manager, U.S. Amputee Patient Care, both with the Walter Reed Army 
Medical Center; representatives of veterans organizations; and public 
witnesses.
ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Electronic Prescribing. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
BRIEFING: INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGICAL SUPERIORITY
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Technical 
and Tactical Intelligence met in executive session to receive a 
Briefing: Technological Superiority in the Intelligence Community. The 
Subcommittee was briefed by departmental witnesses.
BRIEFING: NATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND OLYMPICS THREATS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism 
and Homeland Security met in executive session to receive a Briefing: 
Threats to the National Conventions and the Olympics. The Subcommittee 
was briefed by departmental witnesses.
BRIEFING: PORT SECURITY
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism 
and Homeland Security met in executive session to receive a Briefing: 
Port Security. The Subcommittee was briefed by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
POSTPONEMENT OF ILLNESS
  Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
long-term trends in the health status and health spending levels of 
elderly Americans, focusing on evidence regarding declining rates of 
chronic disability and assess the best opportunities for further 
health promotion, after receiving testimony from James Lubitz, 
Acting Chief, Aging and Chronic Diseases, Statistics Branch, 
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; Kenneth G. 
Manton, Duke University Center for Demographic Studies, Durham, 
North Carolina; James F. Fries, Stanford University School of 
Medicine, Stanford, California; and Judith Feder, Georgetown 
University Public Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.