[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D932-D934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REPAIRING THE 21ST CENTURY CAR
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled ``Repairing the 21st 
Century Car: Is Technology Locking the Consumer Out?'' Testimony was 
heard from 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 the following 
officials of the FCC: H. Walker Feaster, III, Inspector General; and 
Jeffrey Carlisle, Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau; and public 
witnesses.
  In refusing to give testimony at the hearing, the following 
individuals: Judy Green, former E-rate Consultant and Salesperson, 
Video Network Communications, Inc., and Quentin R. Lawson, National 
Alliance of Black School Educators, invoked Fifth Amendments 
privileges.
9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Legislative 
Proposals to Implement the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.'' 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
the Treasury: Stuart A. Levey, Under Secretary, Office of Terrorism and 
Financial Intelligence; and Brian C. Roseboro, Under Secretary, 
Domestic Finance.
DRUG TREATMENT ACCESS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources held a hearing entitled ``Access to 
Recovery: Improving Participation and Access in Drug Treatment.''

[[Page D933]]

Testimony was heard from Charles G. Curie, Administrator, Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health 
and Human Services; Michael Passi, Associate Director, Department of 
Family and Community Services, City of Albuquerque, NM; and a public 
witness.
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Human Rights and 
Wellness held a hearing entitled ``Dietary Supplements: Nature's Answer 
to Cost Effective Preventative Medicine.'' Testimony was heard from 
Paul Coates, Director, Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH, Department 
of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
COMBATING TERRORISM: 9/11 RECOMMENDATIONS AND NATIONAL STRATEGIES
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Emerging Threats and International Relations held a hearing entitled 
``Combating Terrorism: The 9/11 Commission Recommendations and the 
National Strategies.'' Testimony was heard from the following members 
of the 9/11 Commission: Slade Gorton; and Richard Ben-Veniste; Norman 
Rabkin, Managing Director, Homeland Security and Justice Team, GAO; 
Raphael Perl, Senior Policy Analyst, CRS, Library of Congress; and a 
public witness.
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Technology, Information 
Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census held an oversight 
hearing entitled ``Identity Theft: The Causes, Costs, Consequences, and 
Potential Solutions?'' Testimony was heard from Orson Swindle, 
Commissioner, FTC; Steven Martinez, Deputy Assistant Director, Cyber 
Division, FBI, Department of Justice; Larry Johnson, Special Agent in 
Charge, Criminal Investigative Division, U.S. Secret Service, 
Department of Homeland Security; Patrick O'Carroll, Acting Inspector 
General, SSA; and public witnesses.
ASIA'S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on Asia's Environmental Challenges. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
LIBYA'S WMD DISARMAMENT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights held a hearing on 
Disarmament of Libya's Weapons of Mass Destruction. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Weldon (PA); and the following officials of the 
Department of State: Paula A. DeSutter, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
Verification and Compliance; Philo Dibble, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; and Kurt Kessler, Acting Deputy 
Director, Bureau of Nonproliferation.
JUSTICE FOR ALL ACT; BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported H.R. 5107, Justice For All 
Act of 2004.
  The Committee began consideration of H. J. Res. 22, Proposing a 
balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION SUBPOENA
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution approved a 
motion to authorize the issuance of a subpoena to Custodian of Records, 
United States Commission on Civil Rights.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported the following measures: H.J. 
Res. 102, Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Peleliu and 
the end of Imperial Japanese control of Palau during World War II and 
urging the Secretary of the Interior to work to protect the historic 
sites of the Peleliu Battlefield National Historic Landmark and to 
establish commemorative programs honoring the Americans who fought 
there; H. Res. 737, Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Liberation 
of Guam during World War II; H. Res. 752, Expressing continued support 
for the construction of the Victims of Communism Memorial; H.R. 2440, 
amended, Indian Health Care Improvement Act; H.R. 3176, amended, Ojito 
Wilderness Act; H.R. 3283, amended, Federal Lands Recreation 
Enhancement Act; H.R. 3391, amended, Provo River Project Transfer Act; 
H.R. 4593, amended, Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and 
Development Act; H.R. 4650, Wichita Project Equus Beds Division 
Authorization Act of 2004; H.R. 4683, amended, Gullah/Geechee Cultural 
Heritage Act; H.R. 4887, amended, Cumberland Island Wilderness Boundary 
Adjustment Act of 2003; H.R. 4908, amended, Pechanga Band of Luiseno 
Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2004; H.R. 5016, To extend the 
water service contract for the Ainsworth Unit, Sandhills Division, 
Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Nebraska; H.R. 5104, To amend the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize appropriations for 
the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program; and 
S. 347, amended, Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act.

[[Page D934]]


WATER LEGISLATION
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 2603, To impose limitations on the 
authority of the Secretary of the Interior to claim title or other 
rights to water absent specific direction of law or to abrogate, 
injure, or otherwise impair any right to the use of any quantity of 
water; H.R. 4580, To remove certain restrictions on the Mammoth 
Community Water District's ability to use certain property acquired by 
that District from the United States; and H.R. 4623, Eastern New Mexico 
Rural Water System Act of 2004. Testimony was heard from Mark Limbaugh, 
Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; 
and public witnesses.
SAME-DAY CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED BY THE RULES 
COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: Committee 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 
September 23, 2004, providing for 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.
NATURAL GAS PRICES IMPACT
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Rural Enterprise, 
Agriculture and Technology held a hearing entitled ``The Impact of High 
Natural Gas Prices on Small Farmers and Manufacturers.'' Testimony was 
heard from Representatives King (IA), and Peterson (PA); and public 
witnesses.
HAITI TRADE PREFERENCES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on 
Trade Preferences for Haiti. Testimony was heard from Senators Dewine 
and Graham (FL); and public witnesses.
CYBER ISSUES BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Cyber Issues. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEMS
Select Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Preparedness and Response held a hearing entitled ``Emergency Warning 
Systems: Ways to Notify the Public in the New Era of Homeland 
Security.'' Testimony was heard from Reynold N. Hoover, Director, 
National Security Coordination, Department of Homeland Security; James 
Dailey, Director, Homeland Security, FCC; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
HEALTH INSURANCE
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
consumer choice and addressing ``adverse selection'' concerns with 
regard to health care and health insurance, focusing on ways insurance 
markets might use pooling and pricing of risks to resolve coverage 
issues, after receiving testimony from Mark V. Pauly, University of 
Pennsylvania Wharton School, Philadelphia; James H. Cardon, Brigham 
Young University Department of Economics, Provo, Utah; Jeffrey M. 
Closs, BENU, Inc., San Mateo, California; and Linda J. Blumberg, Urban 
Institute, Washington, D.C.