[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 14, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D603-D605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
BORDERS--TRAFFICKING IMPACT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources held a hearing entitled ``Threat Convergence 
Along the Border: Will Drug Trafficking Techniques Provide Some 
Answers?'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Ralph Utley, Acting Director, Office 
of Counternarcotics Enforcement; Gregory Passic, Director, Office of 
Drug Interdiction, Customs and Border Protection; and John P. Torres, 
Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Investigations, Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement; and Anthony Placido, Assistant Administrator, 
Intelligence, DEA; Department of Justice.
QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT PROGRAM; FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS--GETTING 
FEDERAL HELP NEEDED
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federalism and the 
Census approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 2385, to 
make permanent the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to conduct 
the quarterly financial report program.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing entitled ``Revitalizing 
Communities: Are Faith-Based Organizations Getting the Federal Help 
They Need?'' Testimony was heard from Ryan Streeter, Director, Office 
of Faith-Based Initiatives, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; and public witnesses.
ELUSIVE ANTIDOTES
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Emerging Threats and International Relations held a hearing entitled 
``Elusive Antidotes: Progress Developing Chemical, Biological, and 
Nuclear (CBRN) Countermeasures.'' Testimony was heard from Dale Klein, 
Assistant Secretary, Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense 
Programs, Department of Defense; the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., 
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH; 
and Stewart Simonson, Assistant Secretary, Public Health Emergency 
Preparedness; John Vitko, Jr., Director, Biological Countermeasures 
Portfolio, Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland 
Security; and public witnesses.
REDUCING PAPERWORK BURDEN
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs held 
a hearing entitled ``Reducing the Paperwork Burden on the Public: Are 
Agencies Doing All They Can?'' Testimony was heard from Linda D. 
Koontz, Director, Information Management Issues, GAO; Kimberly T. 
Nelson, Assistant Administrator and Chief Information Officer, EPA; 
Patrick Pizzella, Assistant Secretary, Administration and Management, 
Department of Labor; Daniel P. Matthews, Chief Information Officer, 
Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--CHEMICAL PLANT SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment met in executive 
session to receive a briefing on Chemical Plant Security. The 
Subcommittee was briefed by departmental witnesses.
UNITED STATES AND SOUTH ASIA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on the United States and South Asia. Testimony 
was heard from Christina B. Rocca, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South 
Asian Affairs, Department of State; and public witnesses.
UNITED NATIONS REFORM ACT
Committee on Rules: Testimony was heard from Chairman Hyde and 
Representatives McCotter, Poe, Shays, Cannon, Kline and Lantos, but 
action was deferred on H.R. 2745, United Nations Reform Act of 2005.

[[Page D604]]


DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS, FY 2006
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by voice vote, an open rule 
providing 1 hour of general debate on H.R. 2863, making appropriations 
for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2006, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all 
points of order against consideration of the bill. Under the rules of 
the House the bill shall be read for amendment by paragraph. The rule 
waives all points of order against provisions in the bill for failure 
to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized 
appropriations or legislative provisions in an appropriations bill). 
The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to 
Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space held a hearing on Live from 
Space: The International Space Station. Testimony was heard from John 
Phillips, NASA Astronaut, International Space Station; and the 
following former members of the International Space Station crew: Peggy 
Whitson and LTC Michael Finsk, USAF, both NASA Astronauts.
MEDICAL LIABILITY PREMIUMS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Are Skyrocketing 
Medical Liability Premiums Driving Doctors Away from Underserved 
Areas?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment continued oversight hearings on Financing 
Water Infrastructure Projects. Testimony was heard from Donald W. Hill, 
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem, Dallas, Texas; Jag Khuman, Director, Water 
Quality Financing Administration, State of Maryland; and public 
witnesses.
STATE UNEMPLOYMENT TAX ACT DUMPING PREVENTION ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a 
hearing on the implementation of the State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) 
Dumping Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-295), Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Labor: Mason 
Bishop, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training 
Administration; and Elliot Lewis, Assistant Inspector General, Audit; 
and David Cleg, Deputy Chairman, Communications and Chief Legal 
Counsel, Employment Security Commission, State of North Carolina; and 
public witnesses.
SOCIAL SECURITY--PROTECTING AND STRENGTHENING
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security continued 
hearings on Protecting and Strengthening Social Security. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
  Hearings continue June 16.


                         COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR

                        WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2005

        (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)


                                 Senate

  Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on District of Columbia, 
to hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year 2006 for the government of the District of Columbia, 10 a.m., 
SD-138.
  Committee on the Budget: to hold hearings to examine current 
financial condition and potential risks relating to solvency of the 
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 10 a.m., SD-608.
  Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee 
on National Ocean Policy Study, to hold hearings to examine coral 
reef ballast water, 9:30 a.m., SR-253.
  Committee on Finance: to hold hearings to examine strategies for 
strengthening Medicaid, 10 a.m., SD-628.
  Committee on Foreign Relations: business meeting to consider the 
nominations of Zalmay Khalilzad, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to 
Iraq, 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, Craig Roberts Stapleton, of 
Connecticut, to be Ambassador to France, Robert Johann Dieter, of 
Colorado, to be Ambassador to Belize, Dina Habib Powell, of Texas, 
to be Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural 
Affairs, Rodolphe M. Vallee, of Vermont, to be Ambassador to the 
Slovak Republic, Molly Hering Bordonaro, of Oregon, to be Ambassador 
to the Republic of Malta, Ann Louise Wagner, of Missouri, to be 
Ambassador to Luxembourg, Donald E. Booth, of Virginia, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia, Pamela E. Bridgewater, of 
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana, Terence Patrick 
McCulley, of Oregon, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mali, Roger 
Dwayne Pierce, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Republic of Cape 
Verde, Christopher J. Hanley, of Maryland, to be a Member of the 
Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, 
Jorge A. Plasencia, of Florida, to be a Member of the Advisory Board 
for Cuba Broadcasting, Jay T. Snyder, of New York, to be a Member of 
the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and 
promotion lists in

[[Page D605]]

the foreign service, Time to be announced, S-116, Capitol.
  Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the nominations of 
Ronald E. Neumann, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Islamic 
Republic of Afghanistan, Gregory L. Schulte, of Virginia, to be 
Representative of the United States of America to the International 
Atomic Energy Agency, with the rank of Ambassador, and 
Representative of the United States of America to the Vienna Office 
of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and Michael E. 
Hess, of New York, to be Assistant Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development in the Bureau of 
Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, 9:30 a.m., SD-419.
  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: business 
meeting to consider the nomination of Lester M. Crawford, of 
Maryland, to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health 
and Human Services, 9:30 a.m., SD-430.
  Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: to hold 
hearings to examine if the Federal government is doing enough to 
secure chemical facilities, 10 a.m., SD-562.
  Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the nominations of 
Linda M. Springer, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of the Office of 
Personnel Management, Laura A. Cordero, to be Associate Judge of the 
Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and A. Noel Anketell 
Kramer, to be Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of 
Appeals, 2:30 p.m., SD-562.
  Committee on Indian Affairs: to hold an oversight hearing to 
examine youth suicide prevention, 9:30 a.m., SR-485.
  Committee on the Judiciary: to hold hearings to examine issues 
relating detainees, 9:30 a.m., SD-226.
  Select Committee on Intelligence: closed briefing regarding 
intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., SH-219.
  Special Committee on Aging: to hold hearings to examine the 
effects of rising energy prices and their effect on America's senior 
citizens, 3 p.m., SH-216.


                                 House

  Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on The Departments of 
Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the 
Judiciary, District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies, to mark 
up Fiscal Year 2006 appropriations, 9 a.m., 2358 Rayburn.
  Committee on Education and the Workforce, hearing on H.R. 2830, 
Pension Protection Act of 2005, 10:30 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.
  Committee on Energy and Commerce, hearing entitled ``Medicaid 
Reform: The National Governor's Association's Bipartisan Roadmap, 11 
a.m., 2123 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, hearing 
on Product Counterfeiting: How Fakes Are Undermining U.S. Jobs, 
Innovation, and Consumer Safety, 2 p.m., 2123 Rayburn.
  Committee on Financial Services, hearing entitled ``Protecting 
Consumers and Promoting Competition in Real Estate Services,'' 10 
a.m., 2128 Rayburn.
  Committee on Government Reform, hearing entitled ``Eradicating 
Steroids Use, Part IV: Examining the Use of Steroids by Young Women 
to Enhance Athletic Performance and Body Image,'' 10 a.m., 2154 
Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, 
hearing on Reauthorization of the Office of National Drug Control 
Policy, 2 p.m., 2247 Rayburn.
  Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity, hearing entitled 
``Preventing Terrorist Attacks on America's Chemical Plants,'' 2 
p.m., 2118 Rayburn.
  Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security, and Claims, oversight hearing on The Diversity Visa 
Program, 4 p.m., 2141 Rayburn.
  Committee on Resources, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, 
oversight hearing on the Impacts of Federal Land Ownership on 
Communities and Local Governments, 3:30 p.m., 1324 Longworth.
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on 
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, oversight hearing on Coast 
Guard Law Enforcement, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.
  Committee on Ways and Means, to consider the draft implementing 
proposal on the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States 
Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 10:30 a.m., 1100 Longworth.