[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 6, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D298-D301]
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 Natural Resources and Environment. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the USDA: Mark E. Rey, Under Secretary, 
Natural Resources and Environment; Bruce I. Knight, Chief, Natural 
Resources Conservation Service; Wade Daniel Runnels, Director, Budget 
Planning and Analysis Division; and Dennis Kaplan, Budget Office.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on Army Acquisition. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of the Army: Claude M. 
Bolton, Jr., Assistant Secretary; and LTG Joseph Yakovac, Jr., Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, both with Acquisitions and Logistics.
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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Testimony 
was heard from Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., Director, Center for Disease 
Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on the Kennedy Center. Testimony was 
heard from Michael M. Kaiser, President, Kennedy Center and Keith 
Cuttingham and Mark Goldstein, both with GAO.
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 Defense 
Health Program, the United States Court of Appeals for

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Veterans Claims, the American Battle Monuments Commission, the 
Arlington National Cemetery, and on the Armed Forces Retirement Home. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: William Winkenwerder, Jr., M.D., Assistant Secretary, Health 
Affairs; LTG Kevin C. Kiley, M.D., U.S. Army Surgeon General Commander, 
U.S. Army Medical Command; LTG George Peach Taylor, Jr., M.D., Surgeon 
General, U.S. Air Force; and VADM Donald C. Arthur, Medical Corps 
Surgeon General Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; Donald Ivers, 
Chief Judge; and William Greene, Judge, both with the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for Veterans Claims; GEN Fredrick M. Franks, Jr., U.S. Army 
(ret.), Chairman; and BG John W. Nicholson, U.S. Army (ret.), 
Secretary, American Battle Monuments Commission; John Paul Woodley, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, (Civil Works) and 
Timothy C. Cox, Chief Operating Officer, Armed Forces Retirement Home.
IRAQ'S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Iraq's past, present and 
future. Testimony was heard from the following former officials of the 
Department of Defense: GEN Wesley Clark, USA (ret.), Combatant 
Commander, European Command; and Richard Perle, Assistant Secretary, 
International Security Policy.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense Authorization budget request--
Military Service's Requirement on Reconstitution of Equipment. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: LTG Claude V. Christianson, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, 
U.S. Army; RADM Mark A. Hugel, USN, Deputy Director, Fleet Readiness 
(OPNAV N43B), Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy; LTG 
Jan C. Huly, USMC, Deputy Commandant, Plans, Policies, and Operations, 
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps; and LTG Donald J. Wetekam, USAF, 
Deputy Chief of Staff, Installations and Logistics, U.S. Air Force; and 
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, CBO.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2006 
National Defense Authorization budget request--Destruction of the U.S. 
Chemical Weapons Stockpile--Program Status and Issues. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Dale 
Klein, Assistant to the Secretary (Nuclear, Chemical and Biological 
Defense Programs); Claude Bolton, Assistant Secretary, Army 
(Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology); Pat Wakefield, Deputy 
Assistant to the Secretary (Chemical Demilitarization and 
Counterproliferation); and Mike Parker, Director, U.S. Army Chemical 
Materiel Agency; Craig Conklin, Chief, Nuclear and Chemical Hazards 
Branch Preparedness Division, Emergency Preparedness and Response 
Directorate, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; and Thomas Sinks, 
Acting Director, National Center, Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic 
Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services.
SINGLE-EMPLOYER PENSION PLANS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported unfavorably 
H. Res. 134, Requesting the President to transmit to the House of 
Representatives certain information relating to plan assets and 
liabilities of single-employer pension plans.
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Began markup of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005.
  Will continue April 12.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BUDGET
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled 
``Strengthening America's Communities: A Review of the Administration's 
FY 2006 Budget Initiative.'' Testimony was heard from Carlos M. 
Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce; Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development; and Clay Johnson III, Deputy Director, 
Management, OMB.
FANNIE MAE--OFHEO's EFFORTS TO ENSURE SAFE AND SOUND OPERATIONS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled 
``Additional Accounting and Management Failures at Fannie Mae--OFHEO's 
Efforts to Ensure Safe and Sound Operations.'' Testimony was heard from 
Armando Falcon, Director, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise 
Oversight, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
ENERGY SECURITY POLICY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy and Resources 
held a hearing entitled ``America's Energy Needs as Our National 
Security Policy.'' Testimony was heard from Jeffrey Clay Sell, Deputy 
Secretary, Department of Energy; R. James Woolsey, former Director, 
CIA; and public witnesses.

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OVERSIGHT--CHINA'S ANTI-SECESSION LAW
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held an oversight hearing on China's Anti-Secession Law and 
Developments across the Taiwan Strait. Testimony was heard from Randall 
G. Schriver, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, Department of State; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe and 
Emerging Threats held an oversight hearing on Bosnia-Herzegovina: 
Unfinished Business. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--CHINA'S WESTERN HEMISPHERE INFLUENCE
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Western 
Hemisphere held an oversight hearing on China's Influence in the 
Western Hemisphere. Testimony was heard from Roger F. Noriega, 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department 
of State; Rogelio Pardo-Maurer, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of Defense; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--USA PATRIOT ACT--REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing on the USA 
PATRIOT Act: A Review for the Purpose of its Reauthorization. Testimony 
was heard from Alberto R. Gonzales, the Attorney General, Department of 
Justice.
OVERSIGHT--DIGITAL MUSIC
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held an oversight hearing on Digital Music 
Interoperability and Availability. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CONCESSIONS ACT OF 1998 IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks held an 
oversight hearing on the Implementation of the National Park Service 
Concessions Act of 1998. Testimony was heard from Steve Martin, 
Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service, Department of 
the Interior; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; EXPORT-IMPORT BANK PROGRAMS
Committee on Small Business: Ordered reported the following 
resolutions: H. Res. 130, Recognizing the contributions of 
environmental systems and the technicians who install and maintain them 
to the quality of life of all Americans and supporting the goals and 
ideals of National Indoor Comfort Week; and H. Res. 22, as amended, 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that American 
small businesses are entitled to a Small Business Bill of Rights.
  The Committee also held a hearing on the commitment of the Export-
Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im) to assist small business 
exporters. Testimony was heard from Philip Merrill, President and 
Chairman, Export-Import Bank of the United States; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--PANDEMIC THREAT/AIR TRAVEL
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held an oversight hearing on Efforts to Prevent Pandemics by 
Air Travel. Testimony was heard from Jon L. Jordan, M.D., Federal Air 
Surgeon, Office of Aerospace Medicine, FAA, Department of 
Transportation; CAPT Anne Schuchat, M.D., Acting Director, National 
Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; and public 
witnesses.
BRIEFING--WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
SCHNEERSON COLLECTION
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Commission concluded a hearing to examine the efforts of the Chabad 
community and the U.S. Government to recover the ``Schneerson 
Collection'' of sacred and irreplaceable Jewish books and manuscripts 
from the Russian Government, after receiving testimony from Ambassador 
Edward B. O'Donnell, Jr., Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, 
Department of State; Boruch Shlomo Cunin, Los Angeles, California, 
Isaac Kogan, Moscow, Russia, and Sholom Ber Levinson, and Yehuda 
Krinsky, both of Brooklyn, New York, all of Agudas Chasidel Chabad-
Lubavitch; Marshall B. Grossman, Alschuler Grossman Stein and Kahan, 
LLP, Santa Monica, California; Yosef Aronoc, Chabad, Ksar Chabad,

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Israel; Leon Fuerth, The George Washington University, Washington, 
D.C.; Jon Voight, Los Angeles, California; and Joseph Wineberg, Miami, 
Florida.