[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D992-D995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FEDERAL AGRICULTURE POLICY
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing to review the current state of the farm 
economy and the economic impact of Federal policy on agriculture. 
Testimony was heard from Keith Collins, Chief Economist, USDA, and 
Chairman, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation; Howard Gruenspecht, 
Deputy Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.

[[Page D993]]


OPERATIONS IN IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on operations in Iraq. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary; GEN Richard B. Myers, USAF, 
Chairman. Joint Chiefs of Staff; GEN John Abizaid, USA, Commander, U.S. 
Central Command; and GEN George W. Casey, Jr., USA, Commanding General, 
Multi-National Force--Iraq.
UNDERSTANDING THE IRAN THREAT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on understanding the Iran 
threat. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CLOSING THE GAP IN AMERICA'S SCHOOLS: THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing entitled 
``Closing the Achievement Gap in America's Schools: The No Child Left 
Behind Act.'' Testimony was heard from Margaret Spellings, Secretary of 
Education; Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Superintendent, Richmond Public 
Schools, Richmond, Virginia; and a public witness.
HURRICANE KATRINA--ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS
Committee on Energy and Commerce:. Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials held a hearing entitled ``Hurricane Katrina: 
Assessing the Present Environmental Status.'' Testimony was heard from 
Marcus C. Peacock, Deputy Administrator, EPA; LTG Carl A. Strock, USA, 
Chief of Engineers, and Commander, U.S. Corps of Engineers; Henry Falk, 
M.D., Director, National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; Karen Gautreaux, 
Deputy Secretary, Department of Environmental Quality, State of 
Louisiana; and public witnesses.
DISASTER PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Public Safety Communications 
from 9/11 to Katrina: Critical Public Policy Lessons.'' Testimony was 
heard from Kevin J. Martin, Chairman, FCC; David G. Boyd, Director, 
SAFECOM Program Office, Science and Technology Directorate, Department 
of Homeland Security; Vance Hitch, Chief Information Officer, 
Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
MORTGAGE INDUSTRY LICENSING/REGISTRATION
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Licensing and Registration in the 
Mortgage Industry.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
  Committee on Government Reform: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.R. 1317, amended, Federal Employee Protection of 
Disclosures Act; H.R. 3699, amended, Federal and District of 
Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2005; H. Res. 15, 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Campus Safety Awareness 
Month; H. Res. 276, Supporting the goals and ideals of Pancreatic 
Cancer Awareness Month; H.R. 3549, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 210 West 3rd Avenue in 
Warren, Pennsylvania, as the ``William F. Clinger, Jr. Post Office 
Building;'' H.R. 3830, To designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 130 Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda, 
Florida, as the ``U.S. Cleveland Post Office Building;'' H.R. 3853, 
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 208 South Main Street in Parkdale, Arkansas, as the 
``Willie Vaughn Post Office;'' H.R. 923, amended, Mailing Support to 
Troops Act of 2005; and H. Res. 389, Supporting the goals of The 
Year of the Museum.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/HEALTH CARE
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``The Last 
Frontier: Bringing the IT revolution in Healthcare.'' Testimony was 
heard from David J. Brailer, M.D., National Coordinator, Health 
Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services; Robert 
M. Kolodner, M.D., Chief Health Informatics Officer, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; David Powner, Director, 
Information Technology Management Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS/COORDINATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, 
Science, and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Incident Command, 
Control, and Communications during Catastrophic Events.'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
EVOLVING COUNTERTERRORISM STRATEGY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Terrorism and Nonproliferation held a hearing on Evolving 
Counterterrorism Strategy. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D994]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
3648, amended, To impose additional fees with respect to immigration 
services for intracompany transferees; H.R. 1065, as amended, without 
recommendation, United States Boxing Commission Act; H.R. 3647, 
amended, To render nationals of Denmark eligible to enter the United 
States as nonimmigrant traders and investors; and H.R. 1400, amended, 
Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2005.
FOREIGN INFLUENCE/U.S. CONSTITUTION
Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution approved 
for full Committee action 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, of 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.
DUAL/BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security, and Claims held an oversight hearing entitled ``Dual 
Citizenship, Birthright Citizenship, and the Meaning of Sovereignty.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MARINE DEBRIS RESEARCH, PREVENTION, AND REDUCTION ACT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans and the 
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a joint hearing on 
S. 362, Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act. 
Testimony was heard from Timothy R. E. Keeney, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA, Department of Commerce; RADM 
Tom Gilmour, USCG, Assistant Commandant, Marine Safety and 
Environmental Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland 
Security; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 326, To amend the Yuma Crossing National 
Heritage Area Act of 2000 to adjust the boundary of the Yuma Crossing 
National Heritage Area and to extend the authority of the Secretary of 
the Interior to provide assistance under that Act; H.R. 1436, To remove 
certain use restrictions on property located in Navajo County, Arizona; 
and H.R. 1972, Franklin National Battlefield Study Act. Testimony was 
heard from Representative Blackburn; Sue Masica, Associate Director, 
Park Planning, Facilities and Lands, National Park Service, Department 
of the Interior; and public witnesses.
CONFERENCE REPORT--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving all points 
of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 2360, making 
appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security 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.
ENTREPRENEUR SOLDIERS EMPOWERMENT ACT
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Oversight held a hearing to discuss the Entrepreneur Soldiers 
Empowerment Act (ESEA). Testimony was heard from Bill Elmore, Office of 
Veterans Affairs, SBA; John Winkler, Manpower and Personnel, Office of 
the Secretary, Department of Defense; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, 
CBO.
PEST MANAGEMENT AND FIRE SUPPRESSION FLEXIBILITY ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on H.R. 1749, Pest Management 
and Fire Suppression Flexibility Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Otter and Cardoza; Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant 
Administrator, Water, EPA; and public witnesses.
U.S.-BAHRAIN FREE TRADE
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on the Implementation of 
the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. Testimony was heard 
from Shaun Donnelly, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Europe and 
the Mediterranean; and public witnesses.
MEDICARE VALUE-BASED PURCHASING FOR PHYSICIANS' SERVICES ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
H.R. 3617, Medicare Value-Based Purchasing for Physicians' Services Act 
of 2005. Testimony was heard from Mark McClellan, M.D., Administrator, 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and public witnesses.

[[Page D995]]



Joint Meetings
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 2360, making 
appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2006.