[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 68 (Friday, May 20, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D521-D525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                      CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM AHEAD

                  Week of May 23 through May 28, 2005

                             Senate Chamber

  On Monday, at 11:30 a.m., Senate will resume consideration of the 
nomination of Priscilla Richman Owen, of Texas, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit. Also, at 5:30 p.m., Senate will 
vote on a motion to instruct the Sergeant at Arms to request the 
attendance of absent Senators.
  On Tuesday, Senate will continue consideration of the nomination of 
Priscilla Richman Owen, of Texas,

[[Page D522]]

to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, with a vote on 
the motion to invoke cloture to occur thereon.
  During the balance of the week, Senate will consider any other 
cleared legislative and executive business.


                           Senate Committees

        (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)
  Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: May 25, to hold 
hearings to examine the U.S. Grain Standards Act, 10 a.m., SR-328A.
  Committee on Appropriations: May 24, Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Justice, State, and the Judiciary, to hold hearings to examine 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of 
Justice, 10 a.m., SD-192.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the 
Judiciary, to hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for 
fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Commerce, 2 p.m., S-146, 
Capitol.
  May 26, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related 
Programs, to hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for 
fiscal year 2006 for the U.S. Agency for International Development, 
2:30 p.m., SD-138.
  Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: May 24, to hold 
hearings to examine money laundering and terror financing issues in 
the Middle East, 3 p.m., SD-538.
  May 25, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the 
nominations of Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the 
Council of Economic Advisers, and Brian D. Montgomery, of Texas, to 
be Assistant Secretary of Housing, Federal Housing Commissioner, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 10 a.m., SD-538.
  May 26, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the report to 
Congress on international economic and exchange rate policies, 10 
a.m., SH-216.
  Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: May 24, to 
hold hearings to examine S. 529, to designate a United States Anti-
Doping Agency and to examine the competitive pressures that lead 
amateur athletes to use drugs, the sources of such drugs, and the 
science of doping, 10 a.m., SR-253.
  May 25, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine S. 360, to 
amend the Coastal Zone Management Act, 10 a.m., SR-253.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Aviation, to hold hearings to examine 
aviation capacity and congestion challenges regarding summer 2005 
and future demand, 10 a.m., SR-253.
  Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: May 24, business 
meeting to consider comprehensive energy legislation, 9:30 a.m., SD-
366.
  May 25, Full Committee, business meeting to consider comprehensive 
energy legislation, 9:30 a.m., SD-366.
  May 26, Full Committee, business meeting to consider comprehensive 
energy legislation, 9:30 a.m., SD-366.
  Committee on Environment and Public Works: May 25, to hold an 
oversight hearing to examine permitting of energy projects, 9:30 
a.m., SD-406.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear 
Safety, to hold an oversight hearing to examine the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, 9:30 a.m., SD-406.
  Committee on Finance: May 23, Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS 
Oversight, to hold hearings to examine exposing the individual 
alternative minimum tax (AMT), 2 p.m., SD-628.
  May 24, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the 
nominations of Alex Azar II, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, Timothy D. Adams, of Virginia, to be 
Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, Shara L. 
Aranoff, of Maryland, to be a Member of the United States 
International Trade Commission, Suzanne C. DeFrancis, of Maryland, 
to be Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Public 
Affairs, and Charles E. Johnson, of Utah, to be Assistant Secretary 
of Health and Human Services for Budget, Technology, and Finance, 10 
a.m., SD-628.
  Committee on Foreign Relations: May 24, to hold hearings to 
examine the nominations of Eduardo Aguirre, Jr., of Texas, to be 
Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Julie Finley, of the District of 
Columbia, to be U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security 
and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of Ambassador, Victoria 
Nuland, of Connecticut, to be Permanent Representative of the United 
States of America on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador, and John F. 
Tefft, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Georgia, 9:30 a.m., SD-419.
  May 25, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the 
nominations of David Horton Wilkins, of South Carolina, to be 
Ambassador to Canada, William Alan Eaton, of Virginia, to be 
Ambassador to Panama, James M. Derham, of Virginia, to be Ambassador 
to Guatemala, and Robert Johann Dieter, of Colorado, to be 
Ambassador to Belize, 9:30 a.m., SD-419.
  May 26, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the 
nominations of Sean Ian McCormack, of the District of Columbia, to 
be an Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and Dina 
Habib Powell, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of State for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs, 10:30 a.m., SD-419.
  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: May 24, 
Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development, to hold 
hearings to examine issues relating to American history, 2:30 p.m., 
SD-430.
  May 25, Full Committee, business meeting to consider proposed Head 
Start Improvements for School Readiness Act, S. 518, to provide for 
the establishment of a controlled substance monitoring program in 
each State, and pending nominations, 9:50 a.m., SD-430.
  May 26, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine issues 
relating to the 21st century workplace, 10 a.m., SD-430.
  Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: May 24, 
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the 
District of Columbia, to hold an

[[Page D523]]

oversight hearing to examine a review of the U.S. Office of Special 
Counsel, focusing on safeguarding the merit system by protecting 
federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel 
practices, especially reprisal for whistleblowing, 10 a.m., SD-562.
  May 24, Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
International Security, to hold an oversight hearing to examine the 
competitive effects of specialty hospitals, 2 p.m., SD-562.
  May 25, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine how 
counterfeit goods provide easy cash for criminals and terrorists, 
9:30 a.m., SD-562.
  May 25, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the nomination 
of Linda Morrison Combs, of North Carolina, to be Controller, Office 
of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget, 
2:30 p.m., SD-562.
  May 26, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, to hold hearings 
to examine the container security initiative and the customs-trade 
partnership against terrorism, focusing on how Customs utilizes 
container security initiative and customs trade partnership against 
terrorism in connection with its other enforcement programs and 
review the requirements for and challenges involved in transitioning 
these from promising risk management concepts to effective and 
sustained enforcement operations, 9:30 a.m., SD-562.
  May 26, Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
International Security, to hold hearings to examine federal funding 
for private research and development, focusing on effectiveness of 
federal financing of private research and development, and whether 
some of these programs result in the development of new technologies 
or displace private investment, 2:30 p.m., SD-562.
  Committee on Indian Affairs: May 25, to hold hearings to examine 
S.J. Res. 15, to acknowledge a long history of official depredations 
and ill-conceived policies by the United States Government regarding 
Indian tribes and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf 
of the United States, 10 a.m., SR-485.
  Committee on the Judiciary: May 24, business meeting to consider 
pending calendar business, 9:30 a.m., SD-226.
  May 25, Full Committee, business meeting to consider pending 
calendar business, 9:30 a.m., SD-226.
  May 25, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, to hold hearings to 
examine piracy of intellectual property, 2:30 p.m., SD-226.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and 
Citizenship, to hold hearings to examine the need for comprehensive 
immigration reform relating to the national economy, 2:30 p.m., SD-
226.
  Committee on Veterans' Affairs: May 26, to hold hearings to 
examine challenges facing the VA claims adjudication and appeal 
process, 2 p.m., SR-418.
  Select Committee on Intelligence: May 24, to resume hearings to 
examine the USA Patriot Act (P.L. 107-56), 9:30 a.m., SD-106.
  May 25, Full Committee, to hold closed hearings to examine certain 
intelligence matters, 9:30 a.m., SH-219.
  May 26, Full Committee, closed business meeting to consider 
certain intelligence matters, 9 a.m., SH-219.


                            House Committees

  Committee on Agriculture, May 24, Subcommittee on General Farm 
Commodities and Risk Management, hearing to Review the U.S. Grain 
Standards Act, 10 a.m., 1300 Longworth.
  May 25, full Committee, hearing to Review National Forest Land 
Management Planning, 2 p.m., 1300 Longworth.
  Committee on Appropriations, May 23, on the House of 
Representatives, GAO, GPO, Library of Congress and Open World 
Leadership Program, 1 p.m., 2359 Rayburn.
  Committee on Education and the Workforce, May 24, Subcommittee on 
Select Education, hearing entitled ``An Examination of the Older 
Americans Act,'' 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, hearing on the 
following measures: the Improving Access to Workers' Compensation 
for Injured Federal Workers Act; and H.R. 697, Federal Firefighters 
Fairness Act of 2005, 10:30 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.
  Committee on Energy and Commerce, May 26, Subcommittee on Energy 
and Air Quality, hearing on the Administration's Clear Skies 
Initiative, 2 p.m., 2123 Rayburn.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Health, hearing entitled ``The Threat of 
and Planning for Pandemic Flu,'' 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn.
  Committee on Financial Services, May 24, Subcommittee on Housing 
and Community Opportunity and the Subcommittee on Financial 
Institutions and Consumer Credit, joint hearing entitled 
``Legislative Solutions to Abusive Mortgage Lending Practices,'' 10 
a.m., 2128 Rayburn.
  May 25, full Committee, to consider H.R. 1461, Federal Housing 
Finance Reform Act of 2005, 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing 
entitled ``The First Line of Defense: The Role of Financial 
Institutions in Detecting Financial Crimes,'' 9:30 a.m., 2128 
Rayburn.
  Committee on Government Reform, May 24, Subcommittee on Federalism 
and the Census, hearing entitled ``Bringing Community Development 
Block Grant Program (CDBG) Spending into the 21st Century: 
Introducing Accountability and Meaningful Performance Measures into 
the Decades-Old CDBG Program,'' 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
  May 25, Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, hearing entitled 
``Less is More: The Increasing Burden of Taxpayer Paperwork,'' 2 
p.m., 2154 Rayburn.
  May 26, full Committee, hearing entitled ``Federal Student Loan 
Program: Are They Meeting the Needs of Students and Schools?'' 10 
a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
  Committee on Homeland Security, May 24, Subcommittee on 
Management, Integration, and Oversight, hearing entitled ``Training 
More Border Patrol Agents: How the Department of Homeland Security 
Can Increase Training Capacity Most Effectively,'' 2 p.m., 210 
Cannon.
  May 25, Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and 
Terrorism Risk Assessment, hearing entitled

[[Page D524]]

``Evaluating the Threat of Agro-Terrorism,'' 2 p.m., 210 Cannon.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological 
Attack, hearing entitled ``Building a Nuclear Bomb: Identifying 
Early Indicators of Terrorist Activities,'' 1 p.m., 210 Cannon.
  Committee on House Administration, March 26, to mark up H.R. 1316, 
527 Fairness Act of 2005, 2 p.m., 1310 Longworth.
  Committee on International Relations, May 25, Subcommittee on 
Europe and Emerging Threats, hearing on Northern Ireland: Prospects 
for the Peace Process, 1 p.m., 2200 Rayburn.
  May 25, Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, hearing 
on U.S. Security Policy in the Middle East, 10 a.m., 2172 Rayburn.
  May 25, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, hearing on 
Transparency and Rule of Law in Latin America, 1:30 p.m., 2172 
Rayburn.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and 
International Operations, to mark up the Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007, 1 p.m., 2172 Rayburn.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, hearing on the 
United States and Northeast Asia, 9:30 a.m., 2172 Rayburn.
  Committee on the Judiciary, May 24, Subcommittee on the 
Constitution and the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative 
Law, joint oversight hearing on Economic Development and the Dormant 
Commerce Clause: The Lessons of Curo v. Daimler Chrysler and Its 
Effect on State Taxation Affecting Interstate Commerce,'' 10 a.m., 
2141 Rayburn.
  May 25, full Committee, to continue mark up of H.R. 800, 
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act;'' and to mark up the 
following measures: H.R. 420, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2005; 
H.R. 554, Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act; and H.J. 
Res. 10, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration 
of the flag of the United States, 10 a.m., 2141 Rayburn.
  May 25, Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, 
oversight hearing on the ``Diversity Visa Program,'' 2:30 p.m., 2141 
Rayburn.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, 
oversight hearing on the Department of Justice: Reauthorization of 
Executive Office for United States Attorneys, Civil Division, 
Environmental and Natural Resources Division, Office of the 
Solicitor General, and Executive Office for United States Trustees, 
11:30 a.m., 2141 Rayburn.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, 
oversight hearing on the Implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act: 
Section 505 and 804. Section 505 of the Act Addresses National 
Security Letters; Section 804 of the Act Addresses Jurisdiction Over 
Crimes Committed at U.S. Facilities Abroad; and Material Witness 
Provisions of the Criminal Code, 9:30 a.m., 2141 Rayburn.
  Committee on Resources, May 24, Subcommittee on Fisheries and 
Oceans, oversight hearing on the Federal Fish Hatchery System, 10 
a.m., 1324 Longworth.
  May 24, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, oversight 
hearing on Current Obstacles in Biomass Utilization: A GAO Report on 
Problems Agencies Face in the utilization of Woody Biomass, and the 
extent to which they are addressing these problems, 3:30 p.m.,1324 
Longworth.
  May 24, Subcommittee on Water and Power, hearing on H.R. 1071, 
Desalination Drought Protection Act of 2005, and a hearing entitled 
``Reducing Power and other Costs of the Desalination Process,'' 10 
a.m., 1334 Longworth..
  May 25, full Committee, and the Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific of the Committee on International Relations, joint oversight 
hearing entitled ``The United States Nuclear Legacy in the Marshall 
Islands: Consideration of Issues Relating to the Changes 
Circumstances Petition,'' 2 p.m., 1324 Longworth.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans, oversight hearing on 
Public Access within the National Wildlife Refuge System, 10 a.m., 
1324 Longworth.
  Committee on Rules, May 23, to consider H.R. 2419, making 
appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2006, 5 p.m., H-313 Capitol.
  May 24, to consider H.R. 1815, National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2006, 2:30 p.m., H-313 Capitol.
  Committee on Small Business, May 24, Subcommittee on Workforce, 
Empowerment, and Government Programs and the Subcommittee on 
Economic Opportunity of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, joint 
hearing on recent legislation enacted into law to assist veterans, 
10 a.m., 311 Cannon.
  May 26, Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, Agriculture and 
Technology and the Subcommittee on Tax, Finance and Exports, joint 
hearing on Does China Enact Barriers to Fair Trade? 10 a.m., 2360 
Rayburn.
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, May 25, 
Subcommittee on Aviation, oversight hearing entitled ``The U.S. Jet 
Transport Industry: Global Market Factors Affecting U.S. 
Producers,'' 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.
  Committee on Veterans' Affairs, May 25, Subcommittee on Economic 
Opportunity, hearing on the following bills: H.R. 717, To amend 
title 38, United States Code, to expand the scope of programs of 
education for which accelerated payments of educational assistance 
under the Montgomery GI Bill may be used; H.R. 745, Veterans Self-
Employment Act of 2005; and H.R. 1207, Department of Veterans 
Affairs Work-Study Act of 2005, 2 p.m., 334 Cannon.
  Committee on Ways and Means, May 24, to mark up H.J. Res. 27, 
Withdrawing the approval of the United States from the Agreement 
establishing the World Trade Organization, 10 a.m., 1100 Longworth.
  May 24, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, hearing on Tax 
Credits for Electricity Production from Renewable Sources, 2 p.m., 
1100 Longworth.

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  May 24 and 26, Subcommittee on Social Security, to continue 
hearings on Protecting and Strengthening Social Security, 2 p.m., B-
318 Rayburn.
  May 26, full Committee, hearing on the Tax-Exempt Hospital Sector, 
10 a.m., 1100 Longworth.
  Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, May 24, executive, to 
mark up the Intelligence Authorization, 12:30 p.m., H-405 Capitol.
  March 25, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence Analysis 
and Counter-Intelligence, executive, Briefing on Iran, 2 p.m., H-405 
Capitol.
  May 25, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence Analysis and 
Counter-Intelligence, executive, Briefing on CIA Humint Training 
Needs, 4 p.m., H-405 Capitol.
  May 26, full Committee, executive, Briefing on Global Updates, 9 
a.m., H-405 Capitol.