[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D328-D330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective 
activities from Emily Reynolds, Secretary of the Senate; and Alan 
Hantman, Architect of the Capitol.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006, after receiving 
testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from Keith 
Collins, Chief Economist, J.B. Penn, Under Secretary for Farm and 
Foreign Agricultural Services, Mark Rey, Under Secretary for Natural 
Resources and Environment, Gilbert Gonzalez, Acting Under Secretary for 
Rural Development, and Joseph Jen, Under Secretary for Research, 
Education, and Economics, all of the Department of Agriculture.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management 
Support concluded a hearing to examine high risk areas in the 
management of the Department of Defense in review of the Defense 
Authorization Request for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony 
from David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, 
Government Accountability Office; Michael W. Wynne, Acting Under 
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics; and 
Robert J. Henke, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of 
Defense(Comptroller).
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a 
hearing to examine active and Reserve military and civilian personnel 
programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 
2006, after receiving testimony from Thomas F. Hall, Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs; Lieutenant General H. Steven 
Blum, ARNG, Chief, National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General Roger C. 
Schultz, ARNG, Director, Army National Guard; Lieutenant General Daniel 
James, III, ANG, Director, Air National Guard; Lieutenant General James 
R. Helmly, USAR, Chief, Army Reserve; Vice Admiral John G. Cotton, 
USNR, Chief, Naval Reserve; Lieutenant General Dennis M. McCarthy, 
USMCR, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Lieutenant General John A. 
Bradley, USAFR, Chief, Air Force Reserve.
FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK SYSTEM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the Federal Home Loan Bank System, focusing on 
changes and current issues affecting the system, including the 
promotion of housing and community development generally by making 
loans, also known as advances, to member financial institutions, after 
receiving testimony from Thomas J. McCool, Managing Director, Financial 
Markets and Community Investment, Government Accountability Office; 
George L. Engelke, Jr., Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association, 
Lake Success, New York, on behalf of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New 
York; Paul Clabuesch, Thumb National Bank and Trust Company, Pigeon, 
Michigan, on behalf of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis; John 
Edward Norris, III, Plantation Federal Bank, Pawleys Island, South 
Carolina; Alex J. Pollock, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, 
D.C.; and Martin Eakes, Self-Help Credit Union and Center for 
Responsible Lending, Durham, North Carolina.
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee announced 
the following subcommittee assignments:
  Subcommittee on Aviation: Senators Burns (Chair), Stevens, McCain, 
Lott, Hutchison, Snowe, Smith, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, DeMint, 
Rockefeller, Inouye, Dorgan, Boxer, Cantwell, Lautenberg, Nelson (FL), 
Nelson (NE), and Pryor.
  Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine: Senators 
Lott (Chair), Stevens, McCain, Burns, Hutchison, Snowe, Smith, Allen, 
Sununu, Vitter, Inouye, Rockefeller, Dorgan, Boxer, Cantwell, 
Lautenberg, Nelson (NE), and Pryor.
  Subcommittee on Science and Space: Senators Hutchison (Chair), 
Stevens, Burns, Lott, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, Nelson (FL), Rockefeller, 
Dorgan, Nelson (NE), and Pryor.
  Subcommittee on Fisheries and the Coast Guard: Senators Snowe 
(Chair), Stevens, Lott, Smith, Sununu, Vitter, Cantwell, Inouye, Kerry, 
and Lautenberg.
  Subcommittee on Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development: Senators 
Smith (Chair), Stevens, McCain, Burns, Ensign, Allen, Sununu, DeMint, 
Vitter, Dorgan, Inouye, Rockefeller, Kerry, Cantwell, Lautenberg, 
Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), and Pryor.
  Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness: Senators 
Ensign (Chair), Stevens, Burns, Lott, Hutchison, Allen, Sununu, DeMint, 
Kerry, Inouye, Rockefeller, Dorgan, Nelson (FL), and Pryor.

[[Page D329]]


  Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Product Safety, and Insurance: 
Senators Allen (Chair), Stevens, Burns, DeMint, Vitter, Pryor, Inouye, 
and Boxer.
  Subcommittee on Global Climate Change and Impacts: Senators Vitter 
(Chair), Stevens, McCain, Snowe, Lautenberg, and Kerry.
  Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction: Senators DeMint 
(Chair), Stevens, Smith, Vitter, Nelson (NE), Cantwell, and Nelson 
(FL).
  National Ocean Policy Study: Senators Sununu (Chair), Stevens, Lott, 
Hutchison, Snowe, Smith, DeMint, Vitter, Boxer, Inouye, Kerry, 
Cantwell, and Lautenberg.
JUNK FAX TRANSMISSIONS PROHIBITION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development concluded a hearing to examine 
S. 714, to amend section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 relating 
to the prohibition on junk fax transmissions, after receiving testimony 
from Steven T. Kirsch, Propel Software Corporation, San Jose, 
California.
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the nomination of David Garman, of Virginia, to be Under 
Secretary of Energy.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  S. 728, to provide for the consideration and development of water and 
related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct 
various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of the United 
States, with amendments; and
  The nominations of Stephen L. Johnson, of Maryland, to be 
Administrator, and Luis Luna, of Maryland, to be Assistant 
Administrator for Administration and Resource Management, both of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, John Paul Woodley, Jr., of Virginia, 
to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Major General 
Don T. Riley, United States Army, to be a Member and President of the 
Mississippi River Commission, Brigadier General William T. Grisoli, 
United States Army, to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission, 
and D. Michael Rappoport, of Arizona, and Michael Butler, of Tennessee, 
each to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall 
Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation.
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the U.S.-
Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, focusing on 
textiles, rice, sugar, worker rights and labor standards, environmental 
provisions, and the World Trade Organization (WTO), receiving testimony 
from Peter F. Allgeier, Acting U.S. Trade Representative; Lochiel 
Edwards, Montana Grain Growers Association, Big Sandy, on behalf of 
sundry organizations; Terry Harris, Stuttgart, Arkansas, on behalf of 
the USA Rice Federation and the U.S. Rice Producers Association; Jack 
Roney, American Sugar Alliance, Arlington, Virginia; Mark Berlind, 
Kraft Foods, Inc., Northfield, Illinois; John J. Castellani, Business 
Roundtable, Washington, DC.; J. Keith Crisco, Asheboro Elastics 
Corporation, Asheboro, North Carolina; Patricia A. Forkan, Humane 
Society International, Gaithersburg, Maryland; and Mark Levinson, UNITE 
HERE!,New York, New York.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS:
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Daniel Fried, of the District of Columbia, 
to be an Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, and Robert 
Joseph, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control 
and International Security, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 21, to provide for homeland security grant coordination and 
simplification, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 335, to reauthorize the Congressional Award Act;
  S. 494, to amend chapter 23 of title 5, United States Code, to 
clarify the disclosures of information protected from prohibited 
personnel practices, require a statement in nondisclosure policies, 
forms, and agreements that such policies, forms, and agreements conform 
with certain disclosure protections, provide certain authority for the 
Special Counsel; and
  S. 501, to provide a site for the National Women's History Museum in 
the District of Columbia.
INDIAN HEALTH
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee held an oversight hearing to 
examine the status of Indian health care issues, focusing on health 
disparities, access to health care, Community Health Aide Program

[[Page D330]]

(CHAP), Urban Indian health, Indian self-determination, mental health 
and substance abuse services, and related provisions of the Medicare 
Modernization Act, receiving testimony from Charles W. Grim, Director, 
Gary J. Hartz, Director, Office of Environmental Health and 
Engineering, W. Craig Vanderwagen, Acting Chief Medical Officer, all of 
the Indian Health Service, and A. Kathryn Power, Director, Center for 
Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration, all of the Department of Health and Human Services; H. 
Sally Smith, National Indian Health Board, and Georgiana Ignace, 
National Council on Urban Indian Health, both of Washington, D.C.; 
Rachel A. Joseph, Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Reservation, Lone Pine, 
California; and Anslem Roanhorse, Jr., The Navajo Nation Division of 
Health, Window Rock, Arizona.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
SECURING ELECTRONIC PERSONAL DATA
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
securing electronic personal data, focusing on striking a balance 
between privacy and commercial and governmental use, focusing on laws 
currently applicable to resellers of consumer information, commonly 
known as ``data brokers'', after receiving testimony from Deborah Platt 
Majoras, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission; Chris Swecker, Assistant 
Director, Criminal Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, Department of Justice; Larry D. Johnson, Special Agent 
in Charge, Criminal Investigative Division, Secret Service, Department 
of Homeland Security; Vermont Attorney General William H. Sorrell, 
Montpelier, on behalf of the National Association of Attorneys General; 
Douglas C. Curling, ChoicePoint Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia; Kurt P. 
Sanford, LexisNexis Group, Miamisburg, Ohio; Jennifer T. Barrett, 
Acxiom Corporation, Little Rock, Arkansas; James X. Dempsey, Center for 
Democracy and Technology, Washington, D.C.; and Robert Douglas, 
PrivacyToday.com, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
FEDERAL AND STATE MARRIAGE INITIATIVES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil 
Rights and Property Rights concluded a hearing to examine judicial 
activism regarding federal and state marriage protection initiatives, 
focusing on the Defense of Marriage Act, after receiving testimony from 
Lynn D. Wardle, Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, 
Provo, Utah; Gerard V. Bradley, University of Notre Dame Law School, 
Notre Dame, Indiana; and Kathleen Moltz, Wayne State University School 
of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of 
the intelligence community.