[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D555-D557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the Department of Commerce, after 
receiving testimony from Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce.
APPROPRIATIONS: USAID
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the United States Agency for 
International Development (USAID), after receiving testimony from 
Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator, United States Agency for 
International Development.

[[Page D556]]

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the report to Congress on international economic and 
exchange rate policies, focusing on imbalances in the global economy, 
and China's currency regime, after receiving testimony from John W. 
Snow, Secretary of the Treasury.
AVIATION CAPACITY AND CONGESTION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Aviation concluded a hearing to examine aviation capacity and 
congestion challenges regarding summer 2005 and future demand, focusing 
on traffic and delay trends, factors contributing to the increased 
system complexity, how the aviation community is responding, and the 
specific actions that must be pursued in order to meet the forecasted 
demand and maintain global leadership in aviation safety, capacity, and 
efficiency, after receiving testimony from Marion C. Blakey, 
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, and Kenneth M. Mead, 
Inspector General, both of the Department of Transportation; Gerald 
Dillingham, Director, Civil Aviation Issues, Government Accountability 
Office; and Amr A. ElSawy, MITRE Corporation, McLean, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported an original bill to enhance the energy security of the United 
States.
NRC OVERSIGHT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, 
Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded an oversight hearing to 
examine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), focusing on challenges 
facing the NRC in effectively carrying out its mission, especially in 
overseeing the security and safety of nuclear power plants in the 
United States, after receiving testimony from Nils J. Diaz, Chairman, 
Edward McGaffigan, Jr., Commissioner, and Gregory B. Jaczko, 
Commissioner, all of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Jim Wells, 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability 
Office; Marilyn C. Kray, Exelon Nuclear, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, 
on behalf of NuStart Energy Development; and Edwin S. Lyman, Union of 
Concerned Scientists, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Dina Habib Powell, of Texas, to be Assistant 
Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, who was 
introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn; and Sean Ian McCormack, of 
the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Public 
Affairs, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their 
own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Rodolphe M. Vallee, of Vermont, to be 
Ambassador to the Slovak Republic, who was introduced by Senators Leahy 
and Jeffords; Molly Hering Bordonaro, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Malta, who was introduced by Senators Smith and Wyden; 
and Ann Louise Wagner, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to Luxembourg, who 
was introduced by Senators Bond and Talent, after the nominees 
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
CONTAINER SECURITY INITIATIVE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing 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, after receiving testimony from Robert C. 
Bonner, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and C. 
Stewart Verdery, Jr., Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, Inc., Washington, 
D.C., former Assistant Secretary of Border and Transportation Security 
Policy, both of the Department of Homeland Security; Richard M. Stana, 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Team, Government Accountability 
Office; and Commander Stephen E. Flynn, USCG (Ret.), Council on Foreign 
Relations, New York, New York.
PRIVATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
International Security concluded a hearing to examine the 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, after receiving testimony from Robin M. 
Nazzaro, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government 
Accountability Office; Brian Riedl, The Heritage Foundation, and 
Charles W. Wessner, National Research Council, The National Academies, 
both of Washington, D.C.

[[Page D557]]

EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine issues relating to the 21st century 
workplace, focusing on preparing for tomorrow's employment trends 
today, after receiving testimony from Tamara J. Erickson, The Concours 
Group, Watertown, Massachusetts; and Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Hudson 
Institute, and Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute, both of 
Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 852, to create a fair and efficient system to resolve claims of 
victims for bodily injury caused by asbestos exposure, with amendments; 
and
  The nominations of Richard A. Griffin, of Michigan, to be United 
States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, David W. McKeague, of 
Michigan, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, and 
Paul D. Clement, of Virginia, to be Solicitor General of the United 
States, Anthony Jerome Jenkins, of Virgin Islands, to be United States 
Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, Stephen Joseph Murphy 
III, of Michigan, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District 
of Michigan, Gretchen C.F. Shappert, of North Carolina, to be United 
States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, and Regina 
B. Schofield, of Virginia, to be Assistant Attorney General for the 
Office of Justice Programs, all of the Department of Justice.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security and Citizenship concluded a hearing to examine the need for 
comprehensive immigration reform relating to the national economy, 
focusing on the proposed Temporary Worker Program recognizing that the 
economy relies on temporary foreign workers to fill workforce shortages 
when there are insufficient numbers of willing or able domestic 
workers, after receiving testimony Steven J. Law, Deputy Secretary of 
Labor; Thomas J. Donahue, United States Chamber of Commerce, and Daniel 
Griswold, Cato Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; and Douglas S. 
Massey, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
VA DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine challenges facing the VA claims adjudication and appeal 
process, focusing on the current state of VA's disability claims 
process and factors that may impede VA's ability to improve 
performance, after receiving testimony from Daniel L. Cooper, Under 
Secretary for Benefits, Ronald Garvin, Acting Chairman of the Board of 
Veterans' Appeals, and Robert H. Epley, Associate Deputy Under 
Secretary for Policy and Program Management, Veterans Benefits 
Administration, all of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Cynthia A. 
Bascetta, Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security, 
Government Accountability Office; Kenneth B. Kramer, former Chief Judge 
of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; Robert 
Chisholm, National Organization of Veterans Advocates, Providence, 
Rhode Island; and Rick Surratt, Disabled American Veterans, Washington, 
D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
consider pending intelligence matters.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.