[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 11, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D468-D470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Programs held a hearing on the Treasury 
Department. Testimony was heard from Randal Quarles, Acting Under 
Secretary, International Affairs, Department of the Treasury.
DEPARTMENTS 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 
Testimony was heard from Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D., Administrator, 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, Department of 
Transportation.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel 
approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 1815, National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Projection Forces approved 
for full Committee action H.R. 1815, National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2006.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities approved for full Committee action H.R. 1815, 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.
SCHOOL READINESS ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Education 
Reform approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 2123, 
School Readiness Act of 2005.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
1817, Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2006.
SECURITY CONSUMER DATA
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled ``Security Consumers' Data: 
Options Following Security Breaches.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.

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ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations approved a motion authorizing the issuance of subpoenas 
in connection with the Committee's investigation into the marketing, 
distribution, and sale of masking agents and/or other substances 
designed to subvert drug test results.
STATE AND LOCAL HOUSING FLEXIBILITY ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on H.R. 1999, State and 
Local Housing Flexibility Act of 2005. Testimony was heard from 
Alphonso R. Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
BASEL II: BANKING SYSTEM CHANGES
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit and the Subcommittee on Domestic and International 
Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology held a joint hearing entitled 
``Basel II: Capital Changes in the U.S. Banking System and the Results 
of the Impact Study.'' Testimony was heard from Susan Schmidt Bies, 
Governor, Federal Reserve Board, Federal Reserve System; the following 
officials of the Department of the Treasury: Richard M. Riccobono, 
Acting Director, Office of Thrift Supervision; and Julie Williams, 
Acting Director, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; Thomas J. 
Curry, Director, FDIC; and public witnesses.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Finance, and Accountability held a hearing entitled ``Information 
Policy in the 21st Century--A Review of the Freedom of Information Act. 
Testimony was heard from Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United 
States, National Archives and Records Administration; Carl Nichols, 
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Federal Programs Branch, Civil 
Division, Department of Justice; Linda Koontz, Director, Information 
Management, GAO; and public witnesses.
PLAN COLOMBIA
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing entitled ``Plan 
Colombia: Major Successes and New Challenges.'' Testimony was heard 
from Speaker Hastert; John P. Walters, Director, Office of National 
Drug Control Policy; Adolfo A. Franco, Assistant Administrator, Bureau 
for Latin America and the Caribbean, U.S. Agency for International 
Development; the following officials of the Department of State: Roger 
F. Noriega, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs; 
and Jonathan D. Farrar, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; Ralph D. Utley, 
Acting Counternarcotics Officer and Interdiction Coordinator, 
Department of Homeland Security.
U.S.-TURKISH RELATIONS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing entitled ``The State of U.S.-Turkish 
Relations.'' Testimony was heard from Mark Parris, former U.S. 
Ambassador to Turkey; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--PUBLIC PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and 
Intellectual Property held an oversight hearing on Oversight of Public 
Performance Rights Organizations. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held 
a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 38, Upper White Salmon Wild and 
Scenic Rivers Act; H.R. 517, Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
Determination Reauthorization Act of 2005; H.R. 539, Caribbean National 
Forest Act of 2005; and H.R. 1905, To amend the Small Tracts Act to 
facilitate the exchange of small tracts of land. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Baird; Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest 
System, Forest Service, USDA; the following officials of Puerto Rico: 
Jose L. Rivera Guerra, member, House of Representatives; and Jose 
Garriga Pico, member, Senate; and public witnesses.
INTERNATIONAL USE OF TECHNICAL STANDARDS AS TRADE BARRIERS
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and 
Standards held a hearing on Europe, China and the Use of Technical 
Standards as Trade Barriers: How should the U.S. Respond? Testimony was 
heard from Hratch Semerjian, Acting Director, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ENDORSEMENT BACKGROUND CHECKS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit, and Pipelines held an oversight hearing on Hazardous 
Materials Endorsement Background Checks. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of

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Transportation: Annette M. Sandberg, Administrator, Federal Motor 
Carriers Safety Administration; and Todd J. Zinser; Deputy Inspector 
General; Tom Blank, Chief Support Systems Officer for the 
Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland 
Security; D. B. Smit, Commissioner, Department of Motor Vehicles, State 
of Virginia; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--GETTING ACELA BACK ON TRACK
Committee on Transportation: Subcommittee on Railroads held an 
oversight hearing on Getting Acela Back on Track. Testimony was heard 
from Robert D. Jamison, Acting Administrator, Federal Railroad 
Administration, Department of Transportation; the following officials 
of AMTRAK: Fred E. Weiderhold, Jr., Inspector General; and William 
Crosbie, Director, Operations; JayEtta Z. Hecker, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues Director, GAO; and public witnesses.
SERVICEMEMBERS' HEALTH INSURANCE PROTECTION ACT OF 2005
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
2046, Servicemembers' Health Insurance Protection Act of 2005.
PATRIOT ACT
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Held a hearing on the 
PATRIOT Act. Testimony was heard from James B. Comey, Jr., Deputy 
Attorney General, Department of Justice.