[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 22 (Wednesday, March 2, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D166-D168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Under Secretary for Food and Safety. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the USDA: Merle Pierson, Acting Under 
Secretary, Food Safety; Barbara J. Masters, Acting Administrator, Food 
Safety and Inspection Service; and Dennis Kaplan, Budget Officer.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Army Posture. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Army: Francis J. Harvey, Secretary; and GEN. J. 
Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Agencies held a hearing on HIV/AIDS Budget. 
Testimony was heard from Ambassador Randall L. Tobias, U.S. Global AIDS 
Coordinator.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on The Department of Homeland 
Security held a hearing on Secretary of Homeland Security. Testimony 
was heard from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Secretary of the Interior. Testimony 
was heard from Gale A. Norton, Secretary of the Interior.
MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE, AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life, 
and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department 
of Defense Privatization Issues. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: William A. Armbruster, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Privatization and Partnerships, Department of the 
Army; Wayne Arny, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Installations and 
Facilities, Department of the Navy; Fred Kuhn, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Installations, Department of the Air Force; and Phil Grone, 
Deputy Under Secretary, Installations and Environment.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Department of Defense Budget 
Overview. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary, Comptroller; and 
Phil Grone, Deputy Under Secretary, Installations and Environment.
SCIENCE, THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, AND COMMERCE, AND RELATED 
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Science, the Departments 
of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies held a hearing on 
Secretary of Commerce. Testimony was heard from Carlos M. Gutierrez, 
Secretary of Commerce.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Continued hearings on the Fiscal Year 2006 
National Defense Authorization budget request. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of the Army: GEN John 
Abizaid, USA, Combatant Commander, U.S. Central Command and GEN Bryan 
D. Brown, USA, Combatant Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Projection Forces held a 
hearing on the Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense Authorization budget 
request--Navy Research and Development: Programs in Support of the War 
on Terrorism, Naval Transformation, and Future Naval Capabilities. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
the Navy: John J. Young, Assistant Secretary, Research, Development and 
Acquisition; VADM Joseph A. Sestrak, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval 
Operations, Warfare Requirements and Programs; VADM Lewis W. Crenshaw, 
USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Resources, Requirements and 
Assessments; RADM Jay M. Cohen, USN, Chief of Naval Research; LTG 
Robert Magnus, USMC, Deputy Commandant, Programs and Resources; and LTG 
James N. Mattis, USMC, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat 
Development Command.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on the National Defense Authorization budget request. Testimony 
was heard

[[Page D167]]

from the following officials of the Department of Energy: Ambassador 
Linton F. Brooks, Administrator, National Nuclear Security 
Administration; and Paul M. Golan, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Environmental Management.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AND CURRENT FISCAL ISSUES
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on the Economic Outlook and 
Current Fiscal Issues. Testimony was heard from Alan Greenspan, 
Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
RETIREMENT SECURITY CRISIS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing entitled ``The 
Retirement Security Crisis: The Administration's Proposal for Pension 
Reform and its Implications for Workers and Taxpayers.'' Testimony was 
heard from Ann Combs, Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security 
Administration; Mark Warshawsky, Assistant Secretary, Economic Policy, 
Department of the Treasury; Bradley Belt, Executive Director, Pension 
Benefit Guaranty Corporation; and public witnesses.
COMMUNICATIONS MARKETPLACE COMPETITION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Held a hearing entitled ``Competition 
in the Communications Marketplace: How Technology is Changing the 
Structure of the Industry.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS--CONFORMITY PROVISIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``Clean Air Act Transportation 
Conformity Provisions Contained in H.R. 3, Transportation Equity Act: A 
Legacy for Users.'' Testimony was heard from Jeffrey R. Holmstead, 
Assistant Administrator, Air and Radiation, EPA; Charles D. Nottingham, 
Associate Administrator, Policy, Federal Highway Administration, 
Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--HUD AND THE BUDGET REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Financial Services: Held an oversight hearing on the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, including the Department's 
budget request for fiscal year 2006. Testimony was heard from Alphonso 
Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and 
Agency Organization held a hearing entitled ``The Countdown to 
Completion: Implementing the New Department of Homeland Security 
Personnel System.'' Testimony was heard from David M. Walker, 
Comptroller General, GAO; Neil A. G. McPhie, Chairman, Merit Systems 
Protection Board; Ronald Sanders, Associate Director, Strategic Human 
Resources Policy, OPM; Ronald James, Chief Human Capital Officer, 
Department of Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
PROTECTING PENSIONS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Finance, and Accountability held a hearing entitled ``Protecting 
Pensions and Ensuring the Solvency of PBGC.'' Testimony was heard from 
David M. Walker, Comptroller General, GAO; Bradley Belt, Executive 
Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; and a public witness.
EMERGING THREATS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Emergency Threats and International Relations, hearing entitled 
``Emerging Threats: Overclassification and Psuedo-classification.'' 
Testimony was heard from J. William Leonard, Director, Information 
Security Oversight Office, National Archives and Records 
Administration; RADM Christopher A. McMahon, USMS, Acting Director, 
Departmental Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response, 
Department of Transportation; Harold Rlyea, Specialist in American 
National Government, CRS, Library of Congress; Richard Ben-Veniste, 
Commissioner, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United 
States; and public witness.
``PROPOSED FY 2006 BUDGET: INTEGRATING HOMELAND SECURITY SCREENING 
OPERATIONS''
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity held a hearing entitled 
``Proposed FY 2006 Budget: Integrating Homeland Security Screening 
Operations.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Jim Williams, Director, US-VISIT 
Program, Border and Transportation Security Directorate; Carol 
DiBattiste, Deputy Administrator, Transportation Security 
Administration; and Deborah J. Spero, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

[[Page D168]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Middle East 
and Central Asia approved for full Committee action, as amended, the 
following resolutions: H. Con. Res. 18, Expressing the grave concern of 
Congress regarding the continuing gross violations of human rights and 
civil liberties of the Syrian and Lebanese people by the Government of 
the Syrian Arab Republic; and H. Con. Res. 32, Expressing the grave 
concern of Congress regarding the occupation of the Republic of Lebanon 
by the Syrian Arab Republic.
CRISIS IN NEPAL
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on the Crisis in Nepal. Testimony was heard from 
Donald Camp, Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary, South Asia Bureau, 
Department of State.
UN OPERATIONS: INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on United Nations Operations: Integrity 
and Accountability. Testimony was heard from Patrick F. Kennedy, 
Ambassador to the United Nations, Management and Reform, U.S. Mission 
to the United Nations, Department of State and Joseph A. Christoff, 
Director, International Affairs and Trade Teams, GAO.
PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HEALTH CARE SOLUTIONS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Prescriptions 
for Health Care Solutions.'' Testimony was heard from Representative 
King of (IA.) Mike O'Grady, Assistant Secretary, Planning and 
Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services; and public 
witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported, as 
amended, H.R. 3, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
BUDGET
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on the Budget. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnessers.