[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 100 (Thursday, July 21, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D796-D798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered 
favorably reported an original bill entitled ``Commodity Exchange 
Reauthorization Act of 2005.''
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following bills:
  H.R. 3058, making appropriations for the Departments of 
Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the 
Judiciary, District of Columbia, and independent agencies for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute;
  H.R. 2528, making appropriations for military quality of life 
functions of the Department of Defense, military construction, the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2006, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute; and
  An original bill (S. 1446), making appropriations for the government 
of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2006, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded 
an oversight hearing to examine the Semi-Annual Monetary Policy Report 
of the Federal Reserve, after receiving testimony from Alan Greenspan, 
Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following bills:
  An original bill to amend and enhance certain maritime programs of 
the Department of Transportation;
  S. 1390, to reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, with 
amendments;
  S. 363, to amend the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and 
Control Act of 1990 to establish vessel ballast water management 
requirements, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 360, to amend the Coastal Zone Management Act, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1392, to reauthorize the Federal Trade Commission, with 
amendments; and
  The nominations of Rebecca F. Dye, of North Carolina, to be a Federal 
Maritime Commissioner, and certain Coast Guard officer nomination 
lists.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the current state of climate change scientific 
research and the economics of strategies to manage climate change, 
focusing on the relationship between energy consumption and

[[Page D797]]

climate change, new developments in climate change research and the 
potential effects on the U.S. economy of climate change and strategies 
to control greenhouse gas emissions, after receiving testimony from 
Ralph J. Cicerone, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.; 
Mario Molina, University of California, San Diego; James W. Hurrell, 
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado; and John 
Houghton, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, London, England.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the nominations of Jill L. Sigal, of Wyoming, to be Assistant 
Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, David R. 
Hill, of Missouri, to be General Counsel, and James A. Rispoli, of 
Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, all 
of the Department of Energy; and R. Thomas Weimer, of Colorado, to be 
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management, and Budget, and Mark A. 
Limbaugh, of Idaho, to be Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, 
both of the Department of the Interior.
TAX CODE'S DEPRECIATION SYSTEM
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Long-term Growth and Debt 
Reduction held a hearing to examine the Federal Tax Code's depreciation 
system focusing on how to amend the current depreciation system to 
provide simplification and updated guidance for areas such as emerging 
industries and technologies, and the role that depreciation should play 
in providing fiscal stimulus or encouraging economic growth for 
particular industries of the U.S. economy at large, receiving testimony 
from Jane G. Gravelle, Senior Specialist in Economic Policy, 
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Joseph M. Mikrut, 
Capitol Tax Partners, and Thomas S. Neubig, Ernst & Young, LLP, both of 
Washington, D.C.; Kenneth D. Simonson, The Associated General 
Contractors of America, Alexandria, Virginia; and Christopher R. 
Anderson, Massachusetts High Technology Council, Inc., Waltham.
  Hearings recessed subject to the call.
UNITED NATIONS REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine reforms at the United Nations, focusing on expansion of the 
Security Council, the U.N. Human Rights Commission, and budget and 
management reform recommendations and proposed performance measures, 
after receiving testimony from former Senator George Mitchell, and 
former Representative Newt Gingrich, both on behalf of the Task Force 
on the United Nations, United States Institute of Peace; and R. 
Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Michael Retzer, of Mississippi, to be 
Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, who was introduced by 
Senators Cochran and Lott, Katherine Hubay Peterson, of California, to 
be Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana, and Alan W. Eastham, Jr., of 
Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi, after the 
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the nominations of Richard L. Skinner, of 
Virginia, to be Inspector General, and Edmund S. Hawley, of California, 
to be Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of Homeland Security, 
and Brian David Miller, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, General 
Services Administration.
UNITED NATIONS RENOVATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
International Security concluded a hearing to examine United States 
financial involvement relative to the United Nations' Capital Master 
Plan to renovate the United Nations headquarters in New York City, 
after receiving testimony from Senators Inhofe and Sessions; Anne W. 
Patterson, Deputy Permanent United States Representative to the United 
Nations, Department of State; New York State Senator Martin J. Golden, 
Albany; and Christopher B. Burnham, United Nations Department of 
Management, and Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, both of New 
York, New York.
BIOSHIELD II
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on 
Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness met to discuss S. 975, to 
provide incentives to increase research by private sector entities to 
develop medical countermeasures to prevent, detect, identify, contain, 
and treat illnesses, including those associated with biological, 
chemical, nuclear, or radiological weapons attack or an infectious 
disease outbreak, with Senators Lieberman, Schumer, and Hatch.
NAVAJO-HOPI LAND SETTLEMENT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
S. 1003, to amend the Act of

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December 22, 1974, relating to Navajo-Hopi land settlement, after 
receiving testimony from William P. Ragsdale, Director, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Christopher J. Bavasi and Paul Tessler, both of the 
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, all of the Department of 
the Interior; Wayne Taylor, Jr., The Hopi Tribe, Kykotsmovi, Arizona; 
and Joe Shirley, Jr., Louis Denetsosie, and Roman Bitsuie, all of The 
Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 
1389, to reauthorize and improve the USA PATRIOT Act, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nomination of John S. Redd, of Georgia, to be Director of 
the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of 
National Intelligence, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator 
Chambliss and former Senator Robb, testified and answered questions in 
his own behalf.