[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 27 (Wednesday, March 9, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D208-D212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CFTC REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management continued hearings on Reauthorization of the Commodity 
Futures Trading Commission. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on the National Intelligence Program Budget. 
Testimony

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was heard from Larry Kindsvater, Deputy Director, Central Intelligence 
Community Management, CIA.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on The Department of Homeland 
Security held a hearing on FEMA. Testimony was heard from Mike Brown, 
Under Secretary, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Department of 
Homeland Security.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Department of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on NIH. Testimony was heard from Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. 
Director, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Secretary of 
Energy. Testimony was heard from Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of Energy.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on the Fish and Wildlife Service. 
Testimony was heard from Steven A. Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Department 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 Air Force 
Budget. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Air Force: GEN John P. Jumper, Chief of Staff; and 
Fred Kuhn, Acting Assistant Secretary, Installations, Environment and 
Logistics.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Navy/Marine Corps Budget. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
the Navy: ADM Vern Clark, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; Gen. Michael 
W. Hagee, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps; and B.J. Penn, 
Assistant Secretary, Installations and Environment.
SCIENCE, THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, AND COMMERCE, AND RELATED 
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice, 
and Commerce, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Secretary of 
State. Testimony was heard from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Continued hearings on the Fiscal Year 
National Defense Authorization budget request. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: GEN James Jones, 
USMC, Combatant Commander, U.S. European Command; ADM William J. 
Fallon, USN, Combatant Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; and GEN Bantz 
J. Craddock, USA, Combatant Commander, U.S. Southern Command.
  Will continue tomorrow.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2006--SPACE 
ACTIVITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on the Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense Authorization budget 
request for space activities. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Peter B. Teets, Under 
Secretary, Air Force, Space; GEN Lance W. Lord, USAF, Commander, U.S. 
Air Force Command; LTG Larry Dodgen, USA, Commander, U.S. Army Space 
and Missile Defense Command; VADM Joseph Sestak, USN, Deputy Chief of 
Naval Operations, Warfare Requirements and Programs; and BG Thomas 
Benes, USMC, Director, Strategy and Plans Division, U.S. Marine Corps.
DOD--UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE AND JOINT UNMANNED COMBAT AIR SYSTEM 
INVESTMENT PROGRAMS BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense 
Authorization budget request on Department of Defense unmanned aerial 
vehicle and Joint Unmanned Combat Air System investment programs. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the GAO: Sharon 
Pickup, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management; and Mike 
Sullivan, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management; and the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Glen Lamartin, 
Director, Defense Systems, Office of the Secretary; LTG Ronald E. Keys, 
USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air and Space Operations; BG Jeff 
Schloesser, USA, Director, Army Aviation Task Force; RADM Andy Winns, 
USN,

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Deputy N78 Aviation Requirements Officer, USN; and BG Martin Post, 
USMC, Assistant Deputy Commandant, Aviation.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on the Budget: Ordered reported the Concurrent Resolution on 
the Budget for Fiscal Year 2006.
VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported, as amended, 
H.R. 366, Vocational and Technical Education for the Future Act.
SPY ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
29, Spy Act.
GLOBAL EARTH OBSERVATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Implementation of GEOSS: A 
Review of the All-Hazards Warning System and its Benefits to Public 
Health, Energy and the Environment.'' Testimony was heard from VADM 
Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.), Under Secretary, Oceans and 
Atmosphere and Administrator, NOAA, Department of Commerce; Allen 
Drearry, Associate Director, Division of Research Coordination Planning 
and Translation, National Institute of Environmental Health Science, 
NIH, Department of Health and Human Services; Gary Foley, Director, 
National Exposure Research Laboratory, EPA; Ari Patrinos, Associate 
Director, Biological and Environmental Research, Department of Energy; 
and public witnesses.
GSE REFORM AND THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK SYSTEM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled 
``GSE Reform and the Federal Home Loan Bank System.'' Testimony was 
heard from Ronald A. Rosenfeld, Chairman, Federal Housing Finance 
Board; David H. Hehman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Federal 
Home Loan Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio; and public witnesses.
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION STRUCTURE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee Management, Integration 
and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``CBP and ICE: Does the Current 
Organizational Structure Best Serve U.S. Homeland Security Interests?'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Authorized the Chairman to seek 
consideration under suspension of the rules for the following measures, 
with amendments deemed agreed to, 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; H. Con. Res. 32, Expressing the 
grave concern of Congress regarding the occupation of the Republic of 
Lebanon by the Syrian Arab Republic; H. Con. Res. 34, Honoring the life 
and contributions of Yogi Bhajan, a leader of Sikhs, and expressing 
condolences to the Sikh community on his passing; H. Con. Res. 81, 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the two-
year anniversary of the human rights crackdown in Cuba; H. Con. Res. 
82, Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the arrest of 
Ayman Nour, the leader of the al-Ghad party, by the Government of the 
Arab Republic of Egypt and the support of Congress for continued 
progress toward democracy in Egypt; H. Res. 101, Urging the European 
Union to add Hezbollah to the European Union's wide-ranging list of 
terrorist organizations; H. Res. 120, Commending the outstanding 
efforts by members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the 
Department of State and the United States Agency for International 
Development in response to the earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 
2004; H. Res. 135, Providing for the establishment of a commission in 
the House of Representatives to assist parliaments in emerging 
democracies; H. Con. Res. 83, Urging the appropriate representative of 
the United States to the 61st session of the United Nations Commission 
on Human Rights to introduce a resolution calling upon the Government 
of the People's Republic of China to end its human rights violations in 
China; H. Res. 99, Expressing 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; and H. Res. 108, Commemorating the life 
of the late Zurab Zhvania, Prime Minister of the Republic of Georgia.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights and International Operations held a hearing on Combating 
Human Trafficking: Achieving Zero Tolerance. Testimony was heard from 
John R. Miller, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 
Persons, Department of State; and public witnesses.

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U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing on Developments in U.S.-Russia 
Relations. Testimony was heard from Representative Weldon (PA); and 
public witnesses.
U.S.-PALESTINIAN RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Middle East and 
Central Asia held a hearing on U.S. Policy Toward the Palestinians in 
the Post-Arafat Era Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of State: David M. Satterfield, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; and James Kunder, Assistant 
Administrator, Asia and the Near East, AID.
LATIN AMERICA DEMOCRACY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on The State of Democracy in Latin America. 
Testimony was heard from following officials of the Department of 
State: Roger F. Noriega, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western 
Hemisphere Affairs; and Adolfo Franco, Assistant Administrator, Bureau 
for Latin America and the Caribbean, USIA; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following measures: S. 
167, amended, Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005; H.R. 683, 
amended, Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2005; H.R. 1037, To make 
technical corrections to title 17, United States Code; H.R. 1036, To 
amend title 17, United States Code, to make technical corrections 
relating to copyright royalty judges; H.R. 1038, Multidistrict 
Litigation Restoration Act of 2005; and H. Con. Res. 53, Expressing the 
sense of the Congress regarding the issuance of the 500,000th design 
patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
  The Committee also approved pending Committee business.
OVERSIGHT--BUDGET REQUEST FOR FOREST SERVICE AND BUREAU OF LAND 
MANAGEMENT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
an oversight hearing on FY'06 President's Budget for the Forest Service 
and the Bureau of Land Management. Testimony was heard from Kathleen B. 
Clarke, Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the 
Interior; and Mark Rey, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and 
Environment, USDA.
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
for further consideration of H.R. 3, Transportation Equity Act: A 
Legacy for Users. The rule provides for no further general debate 
(except for the final period of ten minutes contemplated in House 
Resolution 140). The rule makes in order only those amendments printed 
in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution. The rule 
provides that the amendments printed in the report 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, shall not be subject to 
amendment, and shall not be subject to a 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 the report. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. No testimony was heard.
NSF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Research held a hearing on the 
NSF Budget and Management Challenges. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the NSF: Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, Mark S. 
Wrighton, Chairman, Audit and Oversight Committee, National Science 
Board; and Christine C. Boesz, Inspector General.
FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on the Future of Social 
Security. Testimony was heard from David M. Walker, Comptroller 
General, GAO; and the following Public Trustees of the Social Security 
and Medicare Trust Fund: Thomas R. Saving; and John L. Palmer.
BUDGET
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on the Budget. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.

Joint Meetings
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint 
hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the 
legislative recommendations of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after 
receiving testimony from John Furgess, Veterans of

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Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington, D.C.