[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 19, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D363-D365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/GAO
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year 2006, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their 
respective activities from James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, 
and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Open World Leadership Center, 
and David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, 
Government Accountability Office, who were both accompanied by several 
of their associates.

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NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Gordon England, of Texas, to be Deputy Secretary of 
Defense, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and 
Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, for reappointment, to the grade of 
admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations, after the nominees 
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on SeaPower concluded a 
hearing to examine the United States Marine Corps ground and rotary 
wing programs and seabasing in review of the Defense Authorization 
Request for Fiscal Year 2006, after receiving testimony from John J. 
Young, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, 
and Acquisition; Vice Admiral Joseph A. Sestak, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief 
of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs, United 
States Navy; and Lieutenant General Robert Magnus, USMC, Deputy 
Commandant for Programs and Resources, and Lieutenant General James N. 
Mattis, USMC, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development 
Command, both of the U.S. Marine Corps.
HOUSING GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine proposals to improve the regulation of the Housing 
Government Sponsored Enterprises, after receiving testimony from David 
E. Hayes, Security Bank, Dyersburg, Tennessee, on behalf of the 
Independent Community Bankers of America; Al Mansell, Coldwell Banker 
Residential Brokerage, Midvale, Utah, on behalf of the National 
Association of Realtors; William A. Longbrake, The Financial Services 
Roundtable, and David F. Wilson, National Association of Home Builders, 
both of Washington, D.C.; Marc Savitt, The Mortgage Center, McLean, 
Virginia, on behalf of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers; 
Harry P. Doherty, Independence Community Bank Corporation, Brooklyn, 
New York, on behalf of America's Community Bankers; Michael F. Petrie, 
P/R Mortgage and Investment Corporation, Carmel, Indiana, on behalf of 
the Mortgage Bankers Association; and Nancy O. Andrews, Low Income 
Investment Fund, San Francisco, California.
OFFSHORE ENERGY PRODUCTION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine offshore hydrocarbon production and the future of 
alternate energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf, focusing on 
recent technological advancements made in the offshore exploration and 
production of traditional forms of energy, and the future of deep shelf 
and deepwater production; enhancements in worker safety, and steps 
taken by the offshore oil and gas industry to meet environmental 
challenges, after receiving testimony from Admiral James D. Watkins, 
USN (Ret.), Chairman, United States Commission on Ocean Policy; R.M. 
``Johnnie'' Burton, Director, Minerals Management Service, Department 
of the Interior; Robert W. Thresher, Director, National Wind Technology 
Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Department of Energy; 
Virginia State Senator Frank W. Wagner, Virginia Beach; Scott A. 
Angelle, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge; 
Charles D. Davidson, Noble Energy, Inc., Houston, Texas, on behalf of 
the Domestic Petroleum Council, and the Independent Petroleum 
Association of America; and Debbie Boger, Sierra Club, Washington, D.C.
WATER AND POWER BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and 
Power concluded a hearing to examine S. 166, to amend the Oregon 
Resource Conservation Act of 1996 to reauthorize the participation of 
the Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes River Conservancy, S. 251, 
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau 
of Reclamation, to conduct a water resource feasibility study for the 
Little Butte/Bear Creek Sub-basins in Oregon, S. 310, to direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to convey the Newlands Project Headquarters 
and Maintenance Yard Facility to the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District 
in the State of Nevada, S. 519, to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley 
Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize 
additional projects and activities under that Act, and S. 592, to 
extend the contract for the Glendo Unit of the Missouri River Basin 
Project in the State of Wyoming, after receiving testimony from Bill 
Rinne, Deputy Commissioner, Director of Operations, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Wayne Halbert, Harlingen 
Irrigation District, Harlingen, Texas; Tod Heisler, Deschutes River 
Conservancy, Bend, Oregon; Jim Hill, City of Medford Water Reclamation 
Division, Medford, Oregon; and Ernie Schank, Truckee-Carson Irrigation 
District, Fallon, Nevada.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following bills:
  An original bill, entitled Highway Reauthorization and Excise Tax 
Simplification Act of 2005; and

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  S. 661, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the 
modernization of the United States Tax Court, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.
MIDDLE EAST EDUCATIONAL REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the Near East and South Asian experience relating to combating 
terrorism through education, focusing on education reform in the Middle 
East, after receiving testimony from Elizabeth L. Cheney, Principal 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs; James 
Kunder, Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near East, U.S. Agency 
for International Development; Bassem Awadallah, Minister of Finance, 
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Amman; Shahid Javed Burki, Nathan 
Associates, Potomac, Maryland; Samina Ahmed, International Crisis 
Group, Islamabad, Pakistan; and Frank J. Method, Research Triangle 
Institute International, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met and began consideration 
of the nominations of John Robert Bolton, of Maryland, to be U.S. 
Representative to United Nations, with the rank and status of 
Ambassador and U.S. Representative in the Security Council of the 
United Nations, and Representative to the Sessions of the General 
Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as 
Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, 
but did not take final action thereon, and recessed subject to the 
call.
DRUG IMPORTATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee held a 
hearing to examine S. 334, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act with respect to the importation of prescription drugs, 
receiving testimony from Senators Snowe, Vitter, Dorgan and Stabenow; 
Graham Satchwell, Proco Solutions, London, United Kingdom; Todd Cecil, 
United States Pharmacopeia, Rockville, Maryland; Thomas C. Arthur, 
Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia; and David A. Kessler, 
University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San 
Francisco.
  Hearings recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY MERGERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine the 
SBC/ATT and Verizon/MCI mergers relating to remaking the 
telecommunications industry, focusing on ramifications effecting 
competition for local, long-distance, and wireless telephone services, 
and internet-based services, receiving testimony from Carl Grivner, XO 
Communications, Inc., Reston, Virginia; Jeffrey Citron, Vonage Holdings 
Corporation, Edison, New Jersey; and Scott Cleland, Precursor Group, 
and Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, both of Washington, D.C.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
CIVILIAN LIFE TRANSITION
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
``Back from the Battlefield, Part II: Seamless Transition to Civilian 
Life'', focusing on outreach to military service men and woman, 
including Reserve and National Guard members during their induction 
into service, during service, and when preparing to separate or retire 
from the military, after receiving testimony from Daniel L. Cooper, 
Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits; John M. Molino, 
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family 
Policy; Frederico Juarbe, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Veterans Employment and Training, Veterans Employment and Training 
Service; Lieutenant John Fernandez, USA (Ret.), Rocky Point, New York; 
and Tristan Wyatt, Washington, D.C.
PATRIOT ACT
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56), after receiving 
testimony from Gregory T. Nojeim, American Civil Liberties Union, and 
James X. Dempsey, Center for Democracy and Technology, both of 
Washington, D.C.; and Heather MacDonald, Manhattan Institute for Policy 
Research, New York, New York.