[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 80 (Thursday, June 16, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D623-D625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW FOOD AID PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Foreign 
Agriculture Programs held a hearing to Review Food Aid Programs. 
Testimony was heard from Kirk Miller, General Sales Manager Foreign 
Agriculture Service, USDA; William Garvelink, Acting Assistant 
Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, Humanitarian Affairs, 
U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of State; and 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION, AND RELATED 
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the following 
appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006: Legislative Branch; and the 
Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related 
Agencies.
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL YEAR 2006
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Programs approved for full Committee action the 
Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 
appropriations for Fiscal Year 2006.
HIGHER EDUCATION MEASURES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Select 
Education approved for full Committee action, as amended, the following 
bills: H.R. 509, International Studies in Higher Education Act of 2005; 
and H.R. 510, Graduate Opportunities in Higher Education Act of 2005.
SMART INSURANCE REFORM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance, and Government Sponsored

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Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``SMART Insurance Reform.'' 
Testimony was heard from J. Michael Pickens, former Commissioner, 
Department of Insurance, State of Arkansas; Gregory V. Serio, former 
Superintendent, Department of Insurance, State of New York; Lee 
Covington, former Director, Department of Insurance, State of Ohio; 
Nathaniel S. Shapo, former Director, Department of Insurance, State of 
Illinois; and public witnesses.
U.S.-EU ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic and 
International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology held a hearing 
entitled ``The US-EU Economic Relationship: What Comes Next?'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Government Reform: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.R. 2829, amended, Office of National Drug Control Policy 
Reauthorization Act of 2005; H.R. 994, To amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay 
health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction 
for TRICARE supplemental premiums; H.R. 1283, amended, To provide that 
transit pass transportation fringe benefits be made available to all 
qualified Federal employees in the National Capital Region; to allow 
passenger carriers which are owned or leased by the Government to be 
used to transport Government employees between their place of 
employment and mass transit facilities; H.R. 1765, Generating 
Opportunity by Forgiving Educational Debt for Service Act of 2005; H.R. 
2385, amended, To make permanent the authority of the Secretary of 
Commerce to conduct the quarterly financial report program; H. Con. 
Res. 71, Expressing the sense of Congress that there should be 
established a Caribbean-American Heritage Month; H. Con. Res. 160, 
Recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day, 
and expressing the sense of Congress that history should be regarded as 
a means for understanding the past and solving the challenges of the 
future; H.R. 2113, To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, Illinois, as 
the ``John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building;'' H.R. 2183, To 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
567 Tompkins Avenue in Staten Island, New York, as the ``Vincent 
Palladino Post Office;'' H.R. 2346; To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 105 NW Railroad Avenue in 
Hammond, Louisiana, as the ``John J. Hainkel Post Office Building;'' 
H.R. 2490, To designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 442 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 
as the ``Mayor Joseph S. Daddona Memorial Post Office;'' and H.R. 2630, 
To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, Illinois, as the ``J.M. 
Dietrich Northeast Annex.''
  The Committee also approved a Report on The National Drug Control 
Strategy for 2005 and the National Drug Control Budget for Fiscal Year 
2006.
REGISTERED TRAVELER IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity continued hearings 
entitled ``The Promise of Registered Traveler, Part II.'' Testimony was 
heard from Thomas Blank, Acting Deputy Director, Transportation 
Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security.
BORDER SURVEILLANCE MISMANAGEMENT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, 
Integration, and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``Mismanagement of 
the Border Surveillance System and Lessons for the New America's Shield 
Initiative.'' Testimony was heard from Joel S. Gallay, Deputy Inspector 
General, GSA; and public witnesses.
WILDLANDS PROJECT--IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS ON ENERGY AND 
MINERAL REGULATIONS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held an oversight hearing entitled ``Impacts of Environmental 
Regulations on Energy and Mineral Development: The Wildlands Project.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
NUCLEAR FUEL REPROCESSING
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on Nuclear 
Fuel Reprocessing. Testimony was heard from R. Shane Johnson, Acting 
Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, Department 
of Energy; Phillip J. Finck, Deputy Associate Laboratory Director, 
Applied Science, Technology, and National Security, Argonne National 
Laboratory; and public witnesses.
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment approved for full Committee action, as 
amended, H.R. 2864, Water Resources Development Act of 2005.
VETERAN'S MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing to consider the following: a 
measure to amend

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the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program; a measure 
regarding the Traumatic Injury Protection provisions of Public Law 109-
13; and H.R. 1618, Wounded Warrior Servicemembers' Group Disability 
Insurance Act of 2005. Testimony was heard from Representative Renzi; 
Thomas Lastowka, Director, Regional Office and Insurance Center, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Steve Jones, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Health Affairs, Department of Defense; representatives of 
veterans organizations; and public witnesses.
POST-ACUTE CARE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Post-Acute Care. Testimony was heard from Glenn M. Hackbarth, Chairman, 
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; Marjorie Kanof, M.D., Managing 
Director, Health, GAO; Herb Kuhn, Director, Center for Medicare 
Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of 
Health and Human Services; 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 Barbara Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income 
Security, GAO; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue June 21.