[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 28, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D981-D983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture 
held a hearing to review the development of a private sector-based 
National Animal Identification System (NAIS). Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Department of Defense (Hurricane Katrina). Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: LTG H. Steven Blum, 
USAF, Chief, National Guard Bureau; and Paul McHale, Assistant 
Secretary, Homeland Defense.
CORPS OF ENGINEERS--HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Corps of Engineers 
(Hurricane Katrina). Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of the Army: LTG. Carl Strock, USA. Chief Engineers, 
U.S. Corps of Engineers; and John Paul Woodley, Jr., Office of the 
Assistant Secretary, Civil Works; and Anu Mittal, Director, Natural 
Resources and Environment, GAO.
THREATS IN MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Committee on Armed Services: Committee Defense Review Threat Panel held 
a hearing on threats in Middle East and Africa. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
GASOLINE FOR AMERICA'S SECURITY ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
3893, Gasoline for America's Security Act of 2005.
POST-KATRINA RELIEF AND RECOVERY--GUARD AGAINST WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Guarding Against Waste, Fraud, 
and Abuse in Post-Katrina Relief and Recovery: The Plans of Inspectors 
General.'' Testimony was heard from Norman J. Rabkin, Managing 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, GAO; Gregory H. 
Friedman, Inspector General, Department of Energy; Richard L. Skinner, 
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security; Thomas F. Gimble, 
Acting Inspector General, Department of Defense; the following 
officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: Joseph 
Vengren, Deputy Inspector General, Audits; and Michael Little, Deputy 
Inspector General, Investigations; Nikki L. Tinsley, Inspector General, 
EPA; Johnnie E. Frazier, Inspector General, Department of Commerce; and 
H. Walker Feaster, III, Inspector General, FCC.
PRIVATE SECTOR/BASEL
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a

[[Page D982]]

hearing entitled ``Private Sector Priorities for Basel Reform.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
IMPACT OF REGULATION ON U.S. MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT ON EPA
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs held 
a hearing entitled ``The Impact of Regulation on U.S. Manufacturing: 
Spotlight on the Environmental Protection Agency.'' Testimony was heard 
from Brian Mannix, Associate Administrator, Policy, Economics, and 
Innovation, EPA; Tom Sullivan, Chief Counsel, Office of Advocacy, SBA; 
and public witnesses.
SOLVING THE OTM UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN PROBLEM
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity held a hearing entitled 
``Solving the OTM Undocumented Alien Problem: Expedited Removal for 
Apprehensions along the U.S. Border.'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Chief David 
V. Aguilar, Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and John 
Torres, Acting Director, Office of Detention and Removal Operations, 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Daniel W. Fisk, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department 
of State.
HOMELAND SECURITY--USE OF DOGS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, 
Integration, and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``Sniffing Out 
Terrorism: The Use of Dogs in Homeland Security.'' Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: 
Lee Titus, Director, Canine Programs, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection; and David Kontny, Director, National Explosives Detection 
Canine Team Program, Transportation Security Administration; Special 
Agent Terry Bohan, Chief, National Canine Training and Operations 
Support Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 
Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
U.N. RHETORIC OR REFORM
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on United Nations 
Rhetoric or Reform: Outcome of the High-Level Event. Testimony was 
heard from John R. Bolton, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United 
Nations, Department of State.
  The Committee also held a briefing on this subject. The Committee was 
briefed by Mark Malloch Brown, Chief of Staff to the Secretary-General, 
United Nations.
RESOLUTION--SUPPORTING DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL AND SOCIAL FORCES IN 
NICARAGUA; HOT SPOTS IN LATIN AMERICA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Western 
Hemisphere approved for full Committee action H. Con. Res. 252, 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the United 
States should actively support the aspirations of the democratic 
political and social forces in the Republic of Nicaragua toward an 
immediate and full restoration of functioning democracy in that 
country.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Keeping Democracy on Track: 
Hotspots in Latin America. Testimony was heard from Senator Coleman; 
the following officials of the Department of State: Charles A. Shapiro, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere 
Affairs; and Adolfo A. Franco, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for 
Latin America and the Caribbean, U.S. Agency for International 
Development; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL ENERGY SUPPLY DIVERSIFICATION AND DISRUPTION PREVENTION ACT
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported, as amended, the National 
Energy Supply Diversification and Disruption Prevention Act.
MAKING CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2006, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a closed rule providing one 
hour of debate in the House on H.J. Res. 68, joint resolution making 
continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2006, and for other 
purposes, 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 joint resolution. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit the joint resolution. The rule provides 
that suspensions will be in order at any time on the legislative day of 
Thursday, October 6, 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. The rule provides that a motion 
to proceed pursuant to section 2908 of the Defense Base Closure and 
Realignment Act of 1990 shall be in order only if offered by the 
Majority Leader or his designee. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Lewis of California.
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY ACT OF 2005
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
90 minutes of general debate

[[Page D983]]

on H.R. 3824, to amend and reauthorize the Endangered Species Act of 
1973 to provide greater results conserving and recovering listed 
species, and for other purposes, equally divided and controlled by the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources. The 
rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The 
rule provides that in lieu of the amendment recommended by the 
Committee on Resources now printed in the bill, the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of the Resources 
Committee Print dated September 26, 2005 shall be considered as an 
original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be considered as 
read. The rule waives all points of order against that committee 
amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule makes in order only 
those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the 
resolution. The rule provides that the amendments printed in the report 
may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered 
only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided 
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject 
to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for a division of 
the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. The rule 
waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the 
report. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Pombo and 
Representatives Saxton, Gilchrest, Calvert, Flake, Boehlert, Kirk and 
George Miller of California.
WAIVING A REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 6(a) OF RULE XIII WITH RESPECT TO THE 
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 resolution reported on the legislative day of September 
29, 2005, providing for consideration or disposition of a conference 
report to accompany the bill (H.R. 2360) making appropriations for the 
Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 2006, and for other purposes.
OVERSIGHT--COMMERCIAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held an oversight hearing on Current Situation and Future 
Outlook of the U.S. Commercial Airline Industry. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--STATUS OF TRANSITION BETWEEN DEFENSE AND VETERANS AFFAIRS 
DEPARTMENTS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held an oversight hearing regarding the 
status of seamless transition between the Department of Defense and the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the GAO: Cynthia Bascetta, Director, Veterans Health and 
Benefits Issues; and Linda Koontz, Director, Information Management 
Issues; Gordon H. Mansfield, Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; the following officials of the Department of Defense: Stephen 
L. Jones, Principal Deputy Assistant, Office of Health Affairs, Office 
of Personnel and Readiness; MG Ronald G. Young, Director, National 
Guard Bureau Joint Staff, National Guard Bureau; and COL Sheila Hobbs, 
USA, Senior Patient Administrator, Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. 
Army; Susan McAndrew, Senior Health Information Privacy Policy 
Specialist, Office of Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
U.S.-JAPAN ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on United States-Japan 
Economic and Trade Relations. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Moran of Kansas; Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, 
Japan, Korea and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Affairs; David 
Loevinger, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Africa, Middle East, and Asia, 
Department of the Treasury; A. Ellen Terpstra, Administrator, Foreign 
Agricultural Service, USDA; A. G. Kawamura, Secretary of Agriculture, 
Department of Food and Agriculture, State of California; and public 
witnesses.