[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D843-D846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Agriculture: Ordered favorably reported the following 
bills: H.R. 3421, To reauthorize the United States Grain Standards Act, 
to facilitate the official inspection at export locations of grain 
required or authorized to be inspected under such Act; and H.R. 3408, 
To reauthorize the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999 and to 
amend the swine reporting provisions of that Act.
CHINESE MILITARY POWER
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Chinese military power. 
Testimony was heard from Franklin Kramer, former Assistant Secretary, 
International Security Affairs, Department of Defense; and public 
witnesses.
TERRORISM INSURANCE FUTURE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing on the 
Future of Terrorism Insurance. Testimony was heard from Howard Mills, 
Superintendent, New York Insurance Department; Lawrence H. Mirel, 
Commissioner, Department of Insurance and Securities, District of 
Columbia; and public witnesses.
BRAC AND BEYOND
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``BRAC and 
Beyond: An Examination of the Rationale Behind Federal Security 
Standards for Leased Space.'' Testimony was heard from Representative 
Moran of Virginia; Dwight M. Williams, Chief Security Officer, 
Department of Homeland Security; F. Joseph Moravec, Commissioner, 
Public Buildings Service, GSA; John Jester; and the following officials 
of the Department of Defense: John Jester, Director, Pentagon Force 
Protection Agency; and Get Moy, Director, Installation Requirements and 
Management.
HYDROGEN ECONOMY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy and Resources 
held a hearing entitled ``The Hydrogen Economy: Is it Attainable? 
When?'' Testimony was heard from Douglas L. Faulkner, Acting Secretary, 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy; Richard 
M. Russell, Associate Director, Technology, Office of Science and 
Technology Policy; Alan Lloyd, Secretary, Environmental Protection 
Agency, State of California; and public witnesses.
IMPROVE HEALTHCARE USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and 
Agency Organization held a hearing entitled ``Is There a Doctor in the 
Mouse?: Using Information Technology to Improve Healthcare.'' Testimony 
was heard from Representative Kennedy of Rhode Island; Linda M. 
Springer, Director, OPM; the following officials of the Department of 
Health and Human Services: David Brailer, M.D., National Health 
Information Technology Coordinator; and Caroline Clancy, M.D., 
Director, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality; and public 
witnesses.

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DHS IN TRANSITION
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Finance, and Accountability held a hearing entitled ``DHS in 
Transition--Are Financial Management Problems Hindering Mission 
Effectiveness?'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Homeland Security: Janet Hale, Under Secretary, 
Management; Andrew Maner, Chief Financial Officer; and Richard Skinner, 
Acting Inspector General; and Linda Combs, Controller, Office of 
Federal Financial Management, OMB.
REGULATORY REFORM
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs held 
a hearing entitled ``Regulatory Reform: Are Regulations Hindering Our 
Competitiveness?'' Testimony was heard from Representatives Hayworth, 
Kelly, Ney, Miller of Michigan, Lynch and Westmoreland; J. Christopher 
Mihm, Managing Director, Strategic Issues, GAO; Curtis W. Copeland, 
Specialist in American National Government, CRS, Library of Congress; 
and public witnesses.
BORDER SECURITY SYSTEM'S INTEGRITY--FEDERAL-STATE PARTNERSHIPS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, 
Integration, and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``The 287(g) 
Program: Ensuring the Integrity of America's Border Security System 
through Federal-State Partnerships.'' Testimony was heard from Paul M. 
Kilcoyne, Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Investigations, U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; 
Mark F. Dubina, Special Agent Supervisor, Tampa Bay Regional Operations 
Center, Department of Law Enforcement, State of Florida; Charles E. 
Andrews, Chief, Administrative Division, Department of Public Safety, 
State of Alabama; and public witnesses.
UKRAINE
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Europe and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing on Ukraine: Developments in the 
Aftermath of the Orange Revolution. Testimony was heard from Daniel 
Fried, Assistant Secretary, Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.
ENERGY SECURITY--TERRORIST THREATS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Terrorism and Nonproliferation held a hearing on Terrorist Threats to 
Energy Security. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SYRIA AND THE UN OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAM
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigation and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia 
held a joint hearing on Syria and the United Nations Oil-for-Food 
Program. Testimony was heard from Elizabeth L. Dibble, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State; Dwight 
Sparlin, Director, Operations, Policy, and Support, Criminal 
Investigation Division, IRS, Department of the Treasury; and a public 
witness.
U.S. DIPLOMACY IN LATIN AMERICA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Western 
Hemisphere held a hearing on U.S. Diplomacy in Latin America. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of State: 
Roger Noriega, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere 
Affairs, Department of State; John Maisto, U.S. Representative on the 
Council of the OAS, Department of State; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered favorably reported the following 
measures: H.R. 3132, Children's Safety Act of 2005; H.R. 3402, 
Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 
2006 through 2009; H. Res. 336, Requesting that the President focus 
appropriate attention on neighborhood crime prevention and community 
policing, and coordinate certain Federal efforts to participate in 
``National Night Out,'' which occurs the first Tuesday of August each 
year, including by supporting local efforts and community watch groups 
and by supporting local officials, to promote community safety and help 
provide homeland security; H. Res. 378, Recognizing and honoring the 
15th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act 
of 1990; H. Con. Res. 216, Expressing the sense of the Congress that, 
as Congress observes the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 
1965 and encourages all Americans to do the same, it will advance the 
legacy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by ensuring the continued 
effectiveness of the Act to protect the voting rights of all Americans; 
and H. Con. Res. 208, Recognizing the 50th anniversary of Rosa Louise 
Parks' refusal to give up her seat on the bus and the subsequent 
desegregation of American society.
CONFERENCE REPORT--ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 6, Energy 
Policy Act of

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2005, and against its consideration. The rule provides that the 
conference report shall be considered as read. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Barton of Texas and Representative Dingell.
CONFERENCE REPORT--INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 2361, making 
appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and 
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for 
other purposes, and against its consideration. The rule provides that 
the conference report shall be considered as read. Testimony was heard 
from Representatives Taylor of North Carolina and Dicks.
CONFERENCE REPORT--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 2985, making 
appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2006, and for other purposes, and against its 
consideration. The rule provides that the conference report shall be 
considered as read. Testimony was heard from Chairman Lewis of 
California.
INTERNATIONAL MULTI-YEAR BUDGETING COMPARATIVE STUDY
Committee on Rules: Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process held 
a hearing on A Comparative Study of International Multi-Year Budgeting. 
Testimony was heard from Barry Anderson, former Deputy Director, CBO; 
and public witnesses.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule providing that 
suspensions will be in order at any time on the legislative day of 
Thursday, July 28, 2005. The rule provides that the Speaker or his 
designee shall consult with the Minority Leader or her designee on any 
suspension considered under the rule.
SAME DAY CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED BY THE RULES 
COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving clause 6(a) 
of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the 
same day it is reported from the Rules Committee) against certain 
resolutions reported from the Rules Committee. The rule applies the 
waiver to any special rule reported on the legislative day of July 28, 
2005, providing for consideration or disposition of a conference report 
to accompany the bill (H.R. 3) to authorize funds for Federal-aid 
highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other 
purposes.
SBA'S VENTURE CAPITAL PROGRAM
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on the importance of 
amending the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to establish a 
participating debenture program to assist small businesses in gaining 
access to much needed capital. Testimony was heard from Jaime A. 
Guzman-Fournier, Associate Administrator, Investment, SBA; and a public 
witness.
BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IMPORTANCE
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, 
Agriculture and Technology, hearing entitled ``The Importance of the 
Biotechnology Industry and Venture Capital Support in Innovation.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held an oversight hearing on the 
Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs: The 
Continuum of Care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: COL 
Charles W. Hoge, M.D., Chief of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, 
Division of Neurosciences, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research; LTC 
Charles C. Engle, Jr., M.D., Chief, DoD Deployment Health Clinical 
Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, both with the U.S. Army; and 
Michael E. Kilpatrick, M.D. Deputy Director, Deployment Health Support 
Directorate, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary; the following 
officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Matthew J. Friedman, 
M.D., Executive Director, National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress 
Disorder; Alfonso R. Batres, Chief, Office of Readjustment Counseling; 
BG Michael J. Kussman, M.D., Deputy Under Secretary, Health, Veterans 
Health Administration; and Mark Shelhorse, M.D., Deputy Chief Patient 
Care Services Officer for Mental Health and Chief Medical Officer for 
VISN 6; representatives of veterans organizations; and public 
witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 419, Hire 
Veterans Act of 2005; and H.R. 3279, Homeless Veterans Reintegration 
Program Reauthorization Act of 2005.

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VETERANS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans's Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on the following: H.R. 3082, Veteran-Owned Small 
Business Promotion Act of 2005; H.R. 1773, Native American Veteran Home 
Loan Act; a measure to Establish an Office of Disabled Veterans Sports 
and Special Events; a measure to require the Veterans' Employment and 
Training Service to Establish Qualification Standards for Disabled 
Veteran Outreach Specialists and Local Veteran Employment 
Representatives; a measure to increase the Disabled Veteran Adaptive 
Housing Grant; and a measure to Provide for a Disabled Veteran 
Transitional Housing Grant. Testimony was heard from Delegate 
Faleomavaega; John M. McWilliam, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Operations 
and Management, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Department 
of Labor; Keith Pedigo, Director, Loan Guaranty Service, Veterans 
Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
representatives of veterans organizations.
HEALTH CARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Health Care Information Technology (IT). Testimony was heard from David 
Brailer, M.D., National Coordinator, Health Information Technology, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
GLOBAL MISSILE THREATS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Technical 
and Tactical Intelligence met in executive session to hold a hearing on 
Global Missile Threats. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.