[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 44 (Thursday, April 14, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D340-D342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HUD
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, 
the Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year 2006 for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, after 
receiving testimony from Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development.
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 
William T. Hawks, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory 
Programs, Eric M. Bost, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and 
Consumer Services, and Merle D. Pearson, Acting Under Secretary for 
Food Safety and Inspection, all of the Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water, and 
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 2006, after receiving testimony in behalf of 
funds for his respective activities from Linton F. Brooks, Under 
Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator, National Nuclear 
Security Administration, Department of Energy.
NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
implementation by the Department of Defense of the National Security 
Personnel System, focusing on pay, performance, accountability, 
staffing flexibilities, and labor relations, after receiving testimony 
from Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy; Dan G. Blair, Acting 
Director, Office of Personnel Management; Derek B. Stewart, Director, 
Military and Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; and John Gage, American Federation of 
Government Employees, and Hannah S. Sistare, National Academy of Public 
Administration, both of Washington, D.C.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a 
hearing to examine Air Force acquisition oversight in review of the 
Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2006, after receiving 
testimony from Paul J. McNulty, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District 
of Virginia, Department of Justice; Joseph E. Schmitz, Inspector 
General, Michael L. Dominguez, Acting Secretary of the Air Force, and 
Sallie Flavin, Deputy Director, Defense Contract Management Agency, all 
of the Department of Defense; and Daniel I. Gordon, Managing Associate 
General Counsel for Procurement Law, Government Accountability Office.
TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the implementation of the Terrorism Risk Insurance 
Program, focusing on the role of the Federal government in ensuring 
that insurance to protect against losses from acts of terrorism remains 
available to Americans, after receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-
Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office; Howard Mills, New York 
State Department of Insurance, Albany, on behalf of the National 
Association of Insurance Commissioners; and Ernst Csiszar, Property 
Casualty Insurers Association of America, J. Robert Hunter, Consumer 
Federation of America, Brian Duperreault, ACE Limited, on behalf of the 
American Insurance Association, Franklin W. Nutter, Reinsurance 
Association of America, and Robert J. Lowe, Lowe Enterprises, on behalf 
of the Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 364, to establish a program within the National Oceanic 
Atmospheric Administration to integrate Federal coastal and ocean 
mapping activities, with amendments;
  S. 714, to amend section 227 of the Communications Act of 1934 
relating to the prohibition on junk fax transmissions, with amendments;
  S. 432, to establish a digital and wireless network technology 
program;
  An original bill, to reauthorize and improve surface transportation 
safety programs; and
  The nominations of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
Promotion List, and 2 Coast Guard Promotion Lists.

[[Page D341]]


TAX GAP
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine issues 
relating to the amount of taxes, including individual income, corporate 
income, employment, estate, and excise, owed by taxpayers and the 
amount voluntarily paid on time (the so-called ``tax gap''), focusing 
on tax laws and enforcement, pensions and employee benefits, and fraud, 
receiving testimony from George K. Yin, Chief of Staff, Joint Committee 
on Taxation; Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney General, Tax 
Division, Department of Justice; David M. Walker, Comptroller General 
of the United States, Government Accountability Office; Mark Everson, 
Commissioner, Kevin M. Brown, Commissioner, Small Business/Self-
Employed Division, and Nancy J. Jardini, Chief, Criminal Investigation, 
all of the Internal Revenue Service, and J. Russell George, Inspector 
General for Tax Administration, all of the Department of the Treasury; 
and Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Washington, D.C.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the 
District of Columbia concluded an oversight hearing to examine a review 
of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, focusing on the impact the 
Act has had on Federal, state, and local governments and explore if 
changes are necessary to strengthen the law's procedures, definitions, 
and exclusions, after receiving testimony from Orice M. Williams, 
Director, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office; John D. 
Graham, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget; Elizabeth Robinson, Deputy Director, 
Congressional Budget Office; Maryland Delegate John Hurson, Annapolis, 
on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislatures; Colleen 
Landkamer, Blue Earth County, Mankato, Minnesota, on behalf of the 
National Association of Counties; and Nick Licata, City of Seattle, 
Washington, on behalf of the National League of Cities.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the ongoing need for comprehensive 
postal reform, focusing on United States Postal Service reform that 
includes self-financing, transparency, flexibility, accountability and 
corporate best practices, after receiving testimony from Timothy S. 
Bitsberger, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Markets; 
Dan G. Blair, Acting Director, Office of Personnel Management; John E. 
Potter, Postmaster General, U.S. Postal Service; and David M. Walker, 
Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability 
Office.
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine lifelong education opportunities, 
focusing on S. 694, to amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to 
provide for a job training grant pilot program, after receiving 
testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor; Margaret Spellings, 
Secretary of Education; Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher, Frankfort, 
and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Topeka, both on behalf of the 
National Governors Association; Steve Gunderson, The Greystone Group, 
Arlington, Virginia; Brian K. Fitzgerald, The Business-Higher Education 
Forum, Washington, D.C.; and Pamela Boisvert, Colleges of Worcester 
Consortium, Worcester, Massachusetts.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 119, to provide for the protection of unaccompanied alien 
children, with an amendment;
  S. 555, to amend the Sherman Act to make oil-producing and exporting 
cartels illegal, and
  The nominations of Thomas B. Griffith, of Utah, to be a United States 
Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, Robert J. Conrad, 
Jr., to be United States District Judge for the Western District of 
North Carolina, and James C. Dever III, to be United States District 
Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security and Citizenship and Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and 
Homeland Security concluded joint hearings to examine immigration 
reform issues, focusing on deportation and related issues relating to 
strengthening interior enforcement, after receiving testimony from 
Jonathan Cohn, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, 
Department of Justice; Victor X. Cerda, Acting Director of Detention 
and Removal Operations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and David 
Venturella, former Acting Director of the Office of Detention and 
Removal Operations, both of the Department of Homeland Security; and 
Lee Gelernt, American Civil Liberties Union Immigrant's Rights Project, 
Washington, D.C.

[[Page D342]]


NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nomination of Lieutenant General Michael V. Hayden, United 
States Air Force, to be Principal Deputy Director of National 
Intelligence, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Mikulski 
and Representative Murtha, testified and answered questions in his own 
behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session and 
ordered favorably reported the nominations of John D. Negroponte, of 
New York, to be Director of National Intelligence, and Lieutenant 
General Michael V. Hayden, United States Air Force, to be Principal 
Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.