[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 26 (Tuesday, March 8, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D197-D199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL YEAR 2005
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations for the Fiscal Year ending September 30, 
2005.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Department of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on the Administration for Children and Families/National 
Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Health and Human 
Services: Wade J. Horn, Assistant Secretary, Administration for 
Children and Families; and Duane Alexandria, Director, National 
Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
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 the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Testimony was heard from R. James 
Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

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SCIENCE, THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, AND COMMERCE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Science, The Departments 
of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies held a hearing on 
Director of the FBI. Testimony was heard from Robert S. Mueller, III, 
Director, FBI, Department of Justice.
BURDEN OF UNFUNDED MANDATES ON STATE, COUNTY, AND CITY GOVERNMENTS
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Is Uncle Sam 
Still Passing the Buck? The Burden of Unfunded Mandates on State, 
County, and City Governments.'' Testimony was heard from John D. 
Graham, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
OMB; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, CBO; Gerry Connolly, Chairman, 
Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County, Virginia; Mick Cornett, Mayor, 
Oklahoma City, OK; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe and 
Emerging Threats approved for full Committee action, as amended, the 
following resolutions: H. Res. 101, Urging the European Union to add 
Hezbollah to the European Union's wide-ranging list of terrorist 
organizations; and H. Res. 99, Expressing the condolences of the House 
of Representatives to the families of the victims of the terrorist 
attacks in Madrid that occurred one year ago, on March 11, 2004, and 
expressing deepest sympathy to the individuals injured in those attacks 
and to the people of the Kingdom of Spain.
DIGITAL MUSIC LICENSING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held a hearing entitled ``Digital Music Licensing 
and Section 115 of the Copyright Act.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
for consideration of H.R. 3, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 
Users. The rule provides two hours and twenty minutes of general 
debate, with two hours and 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by 
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, including a final period of 10 
minutes following consideration of the bill for amendment, and 10 
minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule waives all 
points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule provides 
that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill, 
modified by the amendment printed in part A of the Rules Committee 
report accompanying the resolution, shall be considered as adopted in 
the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The rule provides that the 
bill, as amended, shall be considered as the original bill for the 
purpose of further amendment and shall be considered as read. The rule 
waives all points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended. 
The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in part B of the 
Rules Committee report which may be offered only in the order printed 
in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the 
report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time 
specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent 
and an opponent, and shall not be subject to amendment or demand for 
division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. 
The rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed in 
part B. After disposition of the amendments printed in part B, the 
Committee shall rise without motion. No further consideration of the 
bill shall be in order except pursuant to a subsequent order of the 
House. Testimony was heard from Chairman Young (AK), Representatives 
Petri, Graves, LaTourette, Kennedy (MN), Boozman, Osborne, Tom Davis 
(VA), Pitts, Flake, Burgess, Conaway, DeFazio, Menendez and Pascrell.
SMALL BUSINESS PRIORITIES
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on Small Business 
Priorities for the 109th Congress, with discussion of H. Res. 22, 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that American 
small businesses are entitled to a Small Business Bill of Rights. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
PHYSICIAN-OWNED SPECIALTY HOSPITALS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Physician-Owned Specialty Hospitals. Testimony was heard from Glenn M. 
Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; Tom 
Gustafson, Deputy Director, Center for Medicare Management, Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL FOR SINGLE-EMPLOYER PENSION FUNDING REFORM
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures 
held a hearing on the President's Proposal for Single-Employer Pension 
Funding

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Reform. Testimony was heard from Bradley Belt, Executive Director, 
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; Mark Warshawsky, Assistant 
Secretary, Economic Policy, Department of the Treasury; Ann L. Combs, 
Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration, 
Department of Labor; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
HUMAN RIGHTS IN EUROPE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the challenges facing the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2005, focusing 
on security and human rights, after receiving testimony from Dimitrij 
Rupel, Chairman, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and 
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia.