[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 132 (Tuesday, October 18, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1046-D1048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch resumed 
hearings to examine the progress of Capitol Visitor Center 
construction, focusing on the Architect of the Capitol's progress in 
managing the project's schedule since the Subcommittee's last hearing, 
the status of an integrated schedule, fire protection, and cost, 
receiving testimony from Alan Hartman, Architect, and Bob Hickson, 
Capitol Visitor Center Project Manager, both of the Office of the 
Architect of the Capitol; Bernard L. Ungar, Director, and Terrell Dorn, 
Assistant Director, both of Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government 
Accountability Office.
  Hearings continue on Tuesday, November 15.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered 
favorably the following bills:
  S. 1562, to provide for the merger of the bank and savings 
association deposit insurance funds, to modernize and improve the 
safety and fairness of the Federal deposit insurance system, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  An original bill to require the use of appropriated funds when the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development disposes of certain 
properties or loans in a discount transaction.
  Also, Committee completed its review of certain spending reductions 
and revenue increases to meet reconciliation expenditures as imposed by 
H. Con. Res. 95, establishing the congressional budget for the United 
States Government for fiscal year 2006, revising appropriate budgetary 
levels for fiscal year 2005, and setting forth appropriate budgetary 
levels for fiscal years 2007 through 2010, and agreed on 
recommendations which it will make to the Committee on the Budget 
thereon.
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the future of the National Flood Insurance Program, 
focusing on reducing losses to the Program resulting from policy 
subsidies and repetitive loss properties, and developing accurate 
digital flood maps, after receiving testimony from David I. Maurstad, 
Acting Director, Federal Insurance Administrator, Mitigation Division, 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Preparedness and 
Response Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; William O. 
Jenkins, Jr., Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; Chris Landsea, Tropical Prediction 
Center, National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; J. 
Robert Hunter, Consumer Federation of America, and Douglas J. Elliott, 
Center on Federal Financial Institutions, both of Washington, D.C.; 
Robert P. Hartwig, Insurance Information Institute, New York, New York; 
and Chad Berginnis, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc., and 
Mark J. Browne, University of Wisconsin--Madison School of Business, 
both of Madison, Wisconsin.
DERIVATIVES MARKET
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
International Trade and Finance concluded a hearing to examine growth 
and development of the derivatives market, focusing on the role of 
derivatives as a part of risk management for corporations and financial 
entities, after receiving testimony from James Newsome, New York 
Mercantile Exchange, Inc., Joseph P. Bauman, JB Risk Consulting, LLC, 
on behalf of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., 
Paul Bennett, New York Stock Exchange, Inc., and Charles Smithson, 
Rutter Associates, LLC, all of New York, New York.
WINTER FUELS OUTLOOK
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the winter fuels outlook and the effect of high 
prices this coming winter, focusing on the Energy Information 
Administration Short-Term Energy Outlook and Winter Fuels Outlook which 
provides energy supply, demand and price projections and winter fuel 
expenditure expectations, after receiving testimony from Guy Caruso, 
Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy; 
Tom Kuhn, Edison Electric Institute, Washington, D.C.; Laurence M. 
Downes, New Jersey Resources, Wall, on behalf of the American Gas 
Association; Peter R. Smith, New York State Energy Research and 
Development Authority, Albany, on behalf of the National Association of 
State Energy Officials; and Jack Sullivan, New England Fuel Institute, 
Watertown, Massachusetts.
ENERGY POLICY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the national capacity for producing innovation in 
energy technologies and the importance of this innovation to our global 
economic competitiveness, including the results of a recent related 
National Academy of Sciences report,

[[Page D1047]]

after receiving testimony from Ralph Cicerone, National Academy of 
Sciences and National Research Council, Washington, D.C.; and Norman R. 
Augustine, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, Maryland.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably 
reported a bill to amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, to make technical 
corrections.
GAS PETROLEUM REFINER IMPROVEMENT AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine S. 1772, to streamline the refinery permitting 
process, after receiving testimony from Brian Mannix, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation, 
Environmental Protection Agency; Colorado State Senator Shawn Mitchell, 
Broomfield; Eric Shaeffer, Environmental Integrity Project, Washington, 
D.C.; and Jonathan H. Adler, Case Western Reserve University School of 
Law, Cleveland, Ohio.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
nominations of James S. Halpern, of the District of Columbia, to be a 
Judge of the United States Tax Court, Susan C. Schwab, of Maryland, who 
was introduced by Representative Hoyer, and Karan K. Bhatia, of 
Maryland, each to be Deputy United States Trade Representative, with 
the Rank of Ambassador, Franklin L. Lavin, of Ohio, to be Under 
Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, who was introduced by 
Senator DeWine, and Clay Lowery, of Virginia, to be a Deputy Under 
Secretary of the Treasury, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
UNITED NATIONS REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a briefing and 
hearing to examine prospects for United Nations reform, focusing on 
improving the management structure and oversight capacity of the United 
Nations, and challenges and opportunities in moving ahead on United 
Nations reform, after receiving testimony from Paul A. Volcker, 
Chairman, Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-
For-Food Program, United Nations; and John R. Bolton, U.S. Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations, Department of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the business items:
  S. 1873, to prepare and strengthen the biodefenses of the United 
States against deliberate, accidental, and natural outbreaks of 
illness, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Mark Hofflund, of Idaho, to be a Member of the 
National Council on the Arts, Naomi Churchill Earp, of Virginia, and 
Christine M. Griffin, of Massachusetts, each to be a Member of the 
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Jan Cellucci, of 
Massachusetts, Sandra Frances Ashworth, of Idaho, and Diane Rivers, of 
Arkansas, each to be a Member of the National Commission on Libraries 
and Information Science, Bertha K. Madras, of Massachusetts, to be 
Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, Office of National Drug Control 
Policy, Mark S. Schneider, of the District of Columbia, to be 
Commissioner of Education Statistics, Department of Education, Bruce 
Cole, of Indiana, to be Chairperson of the National Endowment for the 
Humanities, and John O. Agwunobi, of Florida, to be Assistant Secretary 
of Health and Human Services for Health.
  Also, Committee completed its review of certain spending reductions 
and revenue increases to meet reconciliation expenditures as imposed by 
H. Con. Res. 95, establishing the congressional budget for the United 
States Government for fiscal year 2006, revising appropriate budgetary 
levels for fiscal year 2005, and setting forth appropriate budgetary 
levels for fiscal years 2007 through 2010, and agreed on 
recommendations which it will make to the Committee on the Budget 
thereon.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
comprehensive immigration reform, focusing on border security, interior 
enforcement and immigration reform, after receiving testimony from 
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security; Elaine L. Chao, 
Secretary of Labor; Frank Sharry, National Immigration Forum, and Mark 
Krikorian, Center for Immigration Studies, both of Washington, D.C.; 
and Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of James F.X. O'Gara, of Pennsylvania, to be Deputy 
Director for Supply Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy, 
and Julie L. Myers, of Kansas, to be Assistant Secretary for 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement,

[[Page D1048]]

and Emilio T. Gonzalez, of Florida, to be Director of the Bureau of 
Citizenship and Immigration Services, who was introduced by Senator 
Martinez and Representative Ros-Lehtinen, both of the Department of 
Homeland Security, after the nominees testified and answered questions 
in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nominations of William F. Tuerk, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary 
for Memorial Affairs, Robert Joseph Henke, of Virginia, to be an 
Assistant Secretary for Management, John M. Molino, of Virginia, to be 
an Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning, Lisette M. Mondello, of 
Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental 
Affairs, and George J. Opfer, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, all 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs.