[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 32 (Wednesday, March 16, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D253-D256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
U.S. AGRICULTURAL TRADE WITH CUBA
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to Review United States 
Agricultural Trade with Cuba. Testimony was heard from Robert W. 
Werner, Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.

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AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agricultural, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. 
Testimony was heard from William T. Hawks, Under Secretary, Marketing 
and Regulatory Programs, USDA.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department of 
Energy--Nuclear Waste Disposal and Environmental Management. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Energy: 
Theodore J. Garrish, Deputy Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive 
Waste Management; and Paul Golan, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of 
Environmental Management.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Department of Energy--
Fossil Energy. Testimony was heard from Mark Maddox, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Office of Fossil Energy, Department of Energy.
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 
the DEA. Testimony was heard from Karen P. Tandy, Administrator, DEA, 
Department of Justice.
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 Air Force: Pete Teets, 
Acting Secretary; and GEN John P. Jumper, USAF, Chief of Staff.
MILITARY RECRUITING/PERSONNEL NEEDS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on Recruiting, Retention and Military Personnel Policy, and 
Benefits and Compensation Overview. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Charles S. Abell, 
Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; LTG F. L. 
Hagenbeck, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, G-1, Department of 
the Army; VADM Gerald Hoewing, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel, 
Department of the Navy; LTG Roger A. Brady, USAF, Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Personnel, Department of the Air Force; LTG H. P. Osman, USMC, 
Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Marine Corps.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense 
Authorization budget request--Future Combat Systems, Modularity, and 
Force Protection Initiatives. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the GAO: Paul L. Francis, Director, Acquisition and 
Sourcing Management; Sharon Pickup, Director, Defense Capabilities and 
Management; and Janet St. Laurent, Director, Defense Capabilities and 
Management; and the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Claude M. Bolton, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Acquisition, Logistics and 
Technology, Department of the Army; LTG David F. Melcher, USA, Deputy 
Chief of Staff, Army G8 (Programming, Materiel Integration, and 
Management) LTG James J. Lovelace, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, Army G3 
(Operations and Requirements); and LTG James N. Mattis, USMC, Deputy 
Commandant, Combat Development, U.S. Marine Corps.
SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH FAIRNESS ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported H.R. 525, 
Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005.
E-RATE PROBLEMS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Problems with the E-rate Program: GAO 
Review of FCC Management and Oversight. Testimony was heard from Mark 
L. Goldstein, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and the 
following officials of the FCC: Jeffrey Carlisle, Chief, Wireline 
Competition Bureau; and Thomas Bennett, Assistant Inspector General for 
USF Oversight.
INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``How Internet Protocol-
Enabled Services Are Changing the Face of Communications: A Look at the 
Voice Marketplace.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.R. 458, Military Personnel

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Financial Services Protection Act; H.R. 749, amended, Expanded Access 
to Financial Services Act of 2005; H.R 280, Brownfields Redevelopment 
Enhancement Act; H.R. 804, to exclude from consideration as income 
certain payments under the national flood insurance program; H.R. 1057, 
amended, True American Heroes Act; and H.R. 902, amended, Presidential 
$1 Coin Act.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; OVERSIGHT PLAN; GSA STREAMLINING
Committee on Government Reform: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H. Res 142, Supporting the goals and ideals of a ``Rotary 
International Day'' and celebrating and honoring Rotary International 
on the occasion of its centennial anniversary; and H. Res. 148, 
Supporting the goals and ideals of Financial Literacy Month.
  The Committee also approved an Oversight Plan for the 109th Congress.
  The Committee also held a hearing entitled ``Service Oriented 
Streamlining: Rethinking the Way GSA Does Business.'' Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the GSA: Stephen A. Perry, 
Administrator; and Eugene Waszily, Assistant Inspector General, 
Auditing; Deidre Lee, Director, Defense Procurement and Acquisition 
Policy, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--ENERGY DEMANDS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy and Resources 
held an oversight hearing entitled ``Energy Demands in the 21st 
Century: Are Congress and the Executive Branch Meeting the Challenge?'' 
Testimony was heard from Jim Wells, Director, Natural Resources and 
Environment, GAO; Guy Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information 
Administration, Department of Energy; and a public witness.
ARMY NATIONAL GUARD TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURES
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Finance, and Accountability held a hearing entitled ``Strengthening 
Travel Reimbursement Procedures for Army National Guard Soldiers.'' 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Patrick T. Shine, Director, Military and Civilian Pay 
Services, Defense Finance and Accounting Service; Roy Wallace, 
Director, Plans and Resources, Department of the Army; and John 
Argodale, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Financial Operations, Office of 
the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Financial Management and 
Comptroller; and Gregory D. Kutz, Director, Financial Management and 
Assurance, GAO.
COMMITTEE FUNDING
Committee on House Administration: Met to consider funding requests for 
the following Committees: Transportation and Infrastructure; Science; 
Veterans Affairs; Government Reform; House Administration; Homeland 
Security, Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Standards 
of Official Conduct; Ways and Means; Resources; and the Select 
Committee on Intelligence.
U.S. LIBYAN RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Libya: Progress 
on the Path Toward Cautious Reengagement. Testimony was heard from 
William J. Burns, Acting Under Secretary, Political Affairs, Department 
of State.
OVERSIGHT--NORTHERN IRELAND HUMAN RIGHTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights and International Operations held an oversight hearing on 
Northern Ireland Human Rights: Update on the Cory Collusion Inquiry 
Reports. Testimony was heard from Mitchell Reiss, Special Envoy of the 
President and The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Department 
of State; and public witnesses.
BANKRUPTCY REFORM; JEFF GANNON INVESTIGATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported S. 256, Bankruptcy Abuse 
Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.
  The Committee adversely reported H. Res. 136, Directing the Attorney 
General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to transmit to the House 
of Representatives not later than 14 days after the date of the 
adoption of this resolution documents in the possession of those 
officials relating to the security investigations and background checks 
relating to granting access to the White House of James D. Guckert 
(also known as Jeff Gannon).
OVERSIGHT--U.S. ENERGY AND MINERAL NEEDS SECURITY AND POLICY
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held an oversight hearing on U.S. Energy and Mineral Needs Security and 
Policy: Impacts of Sustained Increases in Global Energy and Mineral 
Consumption by Emerging Economics Such as China and India. Testimony 
was heard from Guy F. Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information 
Administration, Department of Energy; Dave Menzie, Chief, International 
Minerals Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior; 
Jeffrey Logan, China Program Manager, International Energy Agency; and 
public witnesses.

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MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 410, Northern Arizona Land 
Exchange and Verde River Basin Partnership act of 2005; H.R. 599, 
Federal Lands Restoration Enhancement, Public Education, and 
Information Resources Act of 2005, and H.R. 975, Trail Responsibility 
and Accountability for the Improvement of Lands Act. Testimony was 
heard from Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest 
Service, USDA; Kim Thorsen, Assistant Director, Office of Law 
Enforcement and Security, Department of the Interior; Joe Donandson, 
Mayor, Flagstaff, Arizona; and public witnesses.
PROTECTION OF INCAPACITATED PERSONS ACT OF 2005
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule providing one 
hour of debate in the House on H.R. 1334, Protection of Incapacitated 
Persons Act of 2005, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. Finally, 
the rule provides one motion to recommit.
SAME DAY CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED BY THE RULES 
COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: 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 March 17, 
2005, providing for consideration of a bill relating to the rights of 
an incapacitated person or persons.
FUTURE OF AERONAUTICS AT NASA
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a 
hearing on the Future of Aeronautics at NASA. Testimony was heard from 
J. Victor LeBacqz, Associate Administrator, Aeronautics Research 
Mission Directorate, NASA; and public witnesses.
REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS ACT
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``The RFA at 25: 
Needed Improvements for Small Business Regulatory Relief.'' Testimony 
was heard from Thomas Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy, SBA; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--MEMBER PROJECTS REQUESTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing on Member Project 
Requests for the Water Resources Development Act of 2005. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Kanjorski, Shays, Pallone, Rohrabacher, 
Castle, Foley, McGovern, Hinojosa, Allen, Wilson of New Mexico, Holt, 
Miller of Michigan, Carnahan, Westmoreland, Jindal and Stupak.
PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2006 BUDGET FOR DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on the President's Fiscal 
Year 2006 Budget for the Department of Labor. Testimony was heard from 
Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor.
BUDGET HEARING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
continue hearings on the Budget. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.