[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 19, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D778-D780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MILITARY RECRUITING AND RETENTION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on the Current Status of Military Recruiting and Retention. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; 
Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary, Reserve Affairs; LTG Franklin L. 
Hagenbeck, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Headquarters, Department of 
the Army; VADM Gerald Hoewing, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations 
(Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education), Department of the Navy; 
LTG H.P. Osman, USMC,

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Deputy Commander, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Marine Corps; LTG 
Roger A. Brady, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Headquarters, 
U.S. Air Force; LTG Clyde A. Vaughn, USA, Director, Army National 
Guard; LTG James R. Helmly, USA, Chief, Army Reserve and Commanding 
General, U.S. Army Reserve Command; VADM John G. Cotton, USN, Chief of 
Naval Reserve; LTG John W. Bergman, USMCR, Commander, Marine Forces 
Reserve/Marine Forces North; LTG Daniel James, III, USAF, Director, Air 
National Guard; and LTG John Bradley, USAF, Chief of Air Force Reserve 
and Commander Air Force Reserve Command.
DD(X) SURFACE COMBATANT SHIP
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Projection Forces held a 
hearing on Department of the Navy FY06 Plans and Programs for the DD(X) 
Next-Generation Multi-Mission Surface Combatant Ship. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Kenneth J. Krieg, Under Secretary, Acquisition, Technology and 
Logistics; Adm Vern E. Clark, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; John J. 
Young, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Research, Development and Acquisition; 
and RAD Charles S. Hamilton, II, USN, Program Executive Officer for 
Ships, Naval Sea Systems Command, all with the Department of the Navy; 
Paul L. Francis, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management GAO; 
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in National Defense, CRS, Library of 
Congress; J. Michael Gilmore, Assistant Director and Eric J. Labs, 
Principal Analyst, both with the National Security Division, CBO; and a 
public witness.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
NIH REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Held a hearing entitled ``Legislation 
to Reauthorize the National Institutes of Health.'' Testimony was heard 
from Elias A Zerhouni, M.D., Director, NIH, Department of Health and 
Human Services.
NATIVE AMERICAN LAND TITLE GRANTS
Committee on Financial Services: and the Committee on Resources held a 
joint hearing entitled ``Improving Land Title Grant Procedures for 
Native Americans.'' Testimony was heard from Rodger J. Boyd, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Public and Indian Housing, Office of Native 
American Programs, Department of Housing and Urban Development; and 
William P. Ragsdale, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of 
the Interior.
DEPLOYED FORCES HEALTH SURVEILLANCE
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Emerging Threats and International Relations held a hearing entitled 
``Occupational and Environmental Health Surveillance of Deployed 
Forces: Tracking Toxic Casualties.'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Michael Kilpatrick, 
M.D., Deputy Director, Deployment Health Support Directorate; and 
Company Sergeant Major Brian Scott La Morte, Company Sergeant Major, B 
Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), North 
Carolina Army National Guard; Marcia Crosse, M.D., Director, Health 
Care, GAO; Susan Mather, M.D., Chief Officer, Public Health and 
Environmental Hazards, Veterans Health Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
IMPROVING AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity concluded hearings 
entitled ``Leveraging Technology to Improve Aviation Security, Part 
II.'' Testimony was heard from Clifford A. Wilke, Assistant 
Administrator, and Chief Technology Officer, Transportation Security 
Administration, Department of Homeland Security.
OVERSIGHT--CAN CONGRESS CREATE A RACE-BASED GOVERNMENT/HAWAII
Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution held an 
oversight hearing on Can Congress Create A Race-Based Government?: The 
Constitutionality of H.R. 309, Native Hawaiian Government 
Reorganization Act of 2005, and S. 147, Native Hawaiian Government 
Reorganization Act of 2005. Testimony was heard from Mark Bennett, 
Attorney General, State of Hawaii; and public witnesses.
U.S. GOVERNMENT AND FOREIGN INFLUENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held a 
hearing on the following: H. Res. 97, Expressing the sense of the House 
of Representatives that judicial determinations regarding the meaning 
of the Constitution of the United States should not be based on 
judgments, laws, or pronouncements of foreign institutions unless such 
foreign judgments, laws, or pronouncements inform an understanding of 
the original meaning of the Constitution of the United States; and the 
Appropriate Role of Foreign Judgements in the Interpretation of 
American Law. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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EASTERN OYSTERS/ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Committee on Resources: Held an oversight hearing entitled ``The Status 
of the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and the Petition to List 
the Eastern Oyster as Endangered or Threatened under the Endangered 
Species Act.'' Testimony was heard from Jim Wesson, Department Head of 
Conservation and Replenishment, Marine Resources Commission, State of 
Virginia; William S. Perret, Director, Marine Fisheries, Department of 
Marine Resources, State of Mississippi; Chris Judy, Director, Fisheries 
Service, Shellfish Restoration Program, Department of Natural 
Resources, State of Maryland; and public witnessers.
OVERSIGHT--UPGRADING BUREAU OF RECLAMATION'S FACILITIES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``Maintaining and Upgrading the Bureau of 
Reclamation's Facilities to Improve Power Generation, Enhance Water 
Supply and Keep our Homeland Secure.'' Testimony was heard from John 
Keys III, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the 
Interior; and public witnesses.
NASA AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Testimony was heard from Chairman Boehlert and 
Representatives Calvert, Honda and Jackson-Lee of Texas, but action was 
deferred on H.R. 3070, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
Authorization Act of 2005.

Joint Meetings
ENERGY POLICY ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of H.R. 6, to ensure jobs for our future with secure, 
affordable, and reliable energy, but did not complete action thereon, 
and will meet again on Thursday, July 21, 2005.