[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 44 (Thursday, April 14, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D343-D345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Recruiting and Retention. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Charles S. Abell, Principal 
Deputy Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; LTG Franklin 
Hagenbeck, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; LTG Roger Schultz, Director, Army 
National Guard; and LTG James R. Helmly, USAR, Chief of Army Reserve.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on The Department of Homeland 
Security held a hearing on Science and Technology. Testimony was heard 
from Charles McQueary, Under Secretary, Science and Technology, 
Department of Homeland Security.
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 continued 
appropriation hearings. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, AND HUD, THE JUDICIARY, 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Departments of 
Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the 
Judiciary, District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies held a 
hearing on the Election Assistance Commission, and the Consumer Product 
Safety Commission. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Election Assistance Commission: Cracia Hillman, Chairman, Paul 
DeGregorio, Vice Chairman; Mel Martinez and DeForest Soaries, both 
Commissioners; and the following officials of the Consumer Product 
Safety Commission: Hal Stratton, Chairman; and Thomas H. Moore, Vice 
Chairman.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Agencies continued appropriation hearings. 
Testimony was heard from Members of Congress and public witnesses.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies continued appropriations hearings. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
EUROPEAN UNION--WEAPONS TRADE TO CHINA
Committee on Armed Services: and the Committee on International 
Relations held a joint hearing regarding U.S. national security and 
foreign policy implications of arms exports to the People's Republic of 
China by member states of the European Union. Testimony was heard from 
R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary, Political Affairs, Department of 
State; Peter Rodman, Assistant Secretary, International Affairs, 
Department of Defense; and Peter Lichtenbaum, Acting Under Secretary, 
Industry and Security, Department of Commerce.
DOD ROTORCRAFT PROGRAMS
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 the Department of Defense's major 
rotorcraft programs. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of Defense: William Balderson, Deputy Secretary of 
the Navy (Air Programs), Department of the Navy; BG Martin Post, USMC, 
Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation; David Duma, Acting Director, 
Operational Test and Evaluation, Office of the Secretary; MG Robert 
Bishop, Jr., USMC, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Air and Space 
Operations; and BG Jeff Schloesser, USA, Director, Army Aviation Task 
Force.
HEAD START
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Education 
Reform held a hearing on The Best of Head Start: Learning from Model 
Programs. Testimony was heard frompublic witnesses.
SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS PRIVATIZING
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet held a hearing

[[Page D344]]

entitled ``The ORBIT Act: An Examination of Progress Made in 
Privatizing the Satellite Communications Marketplace.'' Testimony was 
heard from Donald Abelson, Chief, International Bureau, FCC; JayEtta Z. 
Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure, Office of Congressional 
Relations, GAO; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Review and Oversight of the 
National Flood Insurance Program.'' Testimony was heard from David 
Maurstad, Mitigation Division Director and Flood Insurance 
Administrator, Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, 
Department of Homeland Security; William O. Jenkins, Jr., Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice, GAO; Alfred W. Redmer, Jr., 
Commissioner, Insurance Administration, State of Maryland; and public 
witnesses.
FIRST RESPONDER FUNDING
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``Grant Reform: 
The Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005.'' 
Testimony was heard from Lee H. Hamilton, Vice Chair, National 
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States; and public 
witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY--STRENGTHEN INFORMATION SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, 
Integration, and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``The Need to 
Strengthen Information Security at the Department of Homeland 
Security.'' Testimony was heard from Steven I. Cooper, Chief 
Information Officer, Department of Homeland Security; Gregory C. 
Wilshusen, Director, Information Security Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
STATE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES FUNDING
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights, and International Operations held a hearing on Foreign 
Relations Authorization for FY 2005-2006: Department of State 
Management Initiatives. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of State: Christopher B. Burnham, Acting 
Under Secretary, Management; and Louise Crane, Vice President, American 
Foreign Service Association.
AVERTING NUCLEAR TERRORISM
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Terrorism and Nonproliferation held a hearing on Averting Nuclear 
Terrorism. Testimony was heard from R. James Woolsey, former Director, 
CIA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--FISHERIES CONSERVATION
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans held an 
oversight hearing on the Relationship between the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the National Environmental 
Policy Act. Testimony was heard from Dinah Bear, General Counsel, 
Council on Environmental Quality; William T. Hogarth, Director, 
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Department of Commerce; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 432, Betty Dick Residence Protection Act; 
H.R. 481, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Trust Act of 2005; 
and H.R. 1492, To provide for the preservation of the historic 
confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during Work 
War II. Testimony was heard fromRepresentatives Thomas, Udall of 
Colorado and Honda; Michael Snyder, Acting Deputy Director, National 
Park Service, Department of the Interior.
MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHING AWARDS
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on the 2004 Presidential Awardees 
for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
ESTATE TAX AND THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX--SMALL BUSINESSES INEQUITY
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports 
held a hearing entitled ``The Estate Tax and the Alternative Minimum 
Tax--Inequity for America's Small Businesses.'' Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
FAA TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held an oversight hearing on Transforming the Federal Aviation 
Administration: a Review of the Air Traffic Organization and the Joint 
Program Development Office. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Transportation: Jeffrey N. Shane, Under 
Secretary, Policy; and Kenneth Mead, Inspector General; Gerald L. 
Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and a public 
witness.

[[Page D345]]


OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS SYSTEM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management held an 
oversight hearing on The National Preparedness System: What are we 
preparing for? Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Corey D. Gruber, Associate Director, 
Office for Domestic Preparedness; and Gil Jamieson, Director, NIMS 
Integration Center; and public witnesses.
U.S. CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on United States-China 
Economic Relations and China's Role in the World Economy. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Sanders; Kristin J. Forbes, member, Council 
of Economic Advisers; Charles W. Freeman, III, Assistant U.S. Trade 
Representative, China Affairs; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, CBO; and 
public witnesses.
TAX SEASON/IRS BUDGET
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on 2005 Tax Return Filing Season and the IRS Budget for Fiscal Year 
2006. Testimony was heard from Mark W. Everson, Commissioner, IRS, 
Department of the Treasury; James R. White, Director, Tax Issues, GAO; 
and public witnesses.
GLOBAL UPDATES BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Global Updates. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
ENERAL DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM BUDGET
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on General Defense Intelligence Program (GDIP) Budget. 
Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.



Joint Meetings
VETERANS' LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATIONS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint 
hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine 
legislative presentations of certain veterans' organizations, after 
receiving testimony from William A. Boettcher, AMVETS, Lanham, 
Maryland; James Cooper, American Ex-Prisoners of War, Arlington, Texas; 
Thomas H. Corey, Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver Spring, Maryland; 
Colonel Robert F. Norton, USA (Ret.), and John Class, USN (Ret.), both 
of Military Officers Association of America, Alexandria, Virginia; and 
Brigadier General Leslie E. Beavers, USA (Ret.), National Association 
of State Directors of Veterans' Affairs, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the 
current economic outlook for April 2005, after receiving testimony from 
Harvey S. Rosen, Chairman, and Kristen J. Forbes, Member, both of the 
Council of Economic Advisers.
RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN RUSSIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Commission concluded a hearing to examine problems experienced by 
unregistered religious communities operating within the Russian 
Federation, after receiving testimony from John V. Hanford, III, 
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Department of 
State; Lawrence A. Uzzell, International Religious Freedom Watch, 
Fishersville, Virginia; Paul Goble, University of Tartu, Estonia; Boris 
Perchatkin, American-Russian Relief Committee, Washington; Andrew 
Okhotin, Independent Christian Baptists, Massachusetts; Sergei 
Cherpanov, Jehovah's Witnesses, Russia.