[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 134 (Thursday, October 20, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1068-D1071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
VA HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life, 
and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on VA Capital 
Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Testimony was heard 
from Jonathan B. Perlin, Under Secretary, Health, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

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ARMY'S UP-ARMOR HIGH MOBILITY MULTIPURPOSE WHEELED VEHICLE
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Army's M1114 Up-
Armor High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (UAH) distribution 
strategy. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Army: Francis J. Harvey, Secretary; and GEN Richard 
A. Cody, USA, Vice Chief of Staff.
AERIAL COMMON SENSOR PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces and the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence of 
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a joint hearing on 
the Aerial Common Sensor Program. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: John R. Landon, 
Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Command, Control, 
Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance & IT 
Acquisition Programs); Claude Bolton, Assistant Secretary of the Army 
(Acquisition, Logistics and Technology); MG Barbara Fast, USA, 
Commanding General/Commandant U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort 
Huachuca; Tom Laux, Program Executive Officer for Air Anti-Submarine 
Warfare Assault, and Special Mission Programs and RADM Bruce Clingan, 
USN, Deputy Director, Air Warfare, both with the Department of the 
Navy.
BUDGET RECONCILIATION; PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. WORK, AND FAMILY 
PROMOTION ACT; RESOLUTION REQUESTING PRESIDENT TO TRANSMIT TO THE HOUSE 
INFORMATION RELATING TO CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES OR CONSTRUCTION RELATING 
TO HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported, as amended, 
to the Committee on the Budget amendments to the Social Security Act, 
Welfare Reform regarding the Committee's Instructions pursuant to the 
Conference Report on 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.
  The Committee also ordered reported the following: H.R. 240, amended, 
Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2005; and 
ordered unfavorably reported H. Res. 467, Requesting that the President 
transmit to the House of Representatives information in his possession 
relating to contracts for services or construction related to Hurricane 
Katrina recovery that relate to wages and benefits to be paid to 
workers.
COMBATING METHAMPHETAMINES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health and the 
Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials held a joint 
hearing entitled ``Comprehensively Combating Methamphetamines: Impacts 
on Health and the Environment.'' Testimony was heard from Stephen L. 
Johnson, Administrator, EPA; Stephanie Colston, Senior Advisor to the 
Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Joseph T. 
Rannazzisi, Deputy Chief, Office of Enforcement Operations, DEA, 
Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM--MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Management and Oversight of the 
National Flood Insurance Program.'' Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Baker and Taylor of Mississippi; David I. Maurstad, 
Acting Director and Federal Insurance Administrator, Mitigation 
Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Preparedness 
and Response Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; and William 
O. Jenkins, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, GAO.
NATIONAL GUARD AT HOME AND ABROAD--CRITICAL RULE
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``The Critical 
Role of the National Guard at Home and Abroad.'' Testimony was heard 
from the following Governors: Edward Rendell, Pennsylvania; and Dirk 
Kempthorne, Idaho; David M. Walker, Comptroller General, GAO; the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Thomas F. Hall, 
Assistant Secretary, Reserve Affairs; and LTG David F. Melcher, Deputy 
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; LTG H. Steven Blum, USA, Chief, National 
Guard Bureau; MG Allen Tackett, USA, State Adjutant General, West 
Virginia; and MG Raymond Rees, USA, State Adjutant General, Oregon.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Government Reform: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 3256, To designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post 
Office Building;'' H.R. 3368, To designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at

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6483 Lincoln Street in Gagetown, Michigan, as the ``Gagetown Veterans 
Memorial Post Office;'' H.R. 3548, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located on Franklin Avenue in Pearl River, 
New York, as the ``Heinz Ahlmeyer, Jr., Post Office Building;'' H.R. 
3770, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 205 West Washington Street in Knox, Indiana, as the ``Grant 
W. Green Post Office Building;'' H.R. 3825, To designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 770 Trumbull Drive in 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the ``Clayton J. Smith Memorial Post 
Office Building;'' H.R. 3989, To designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 37598 Goodhue in Dennison, Minnesota, 
as the ``Albert Harold Quie Post Office;'' H.R. 4053, To designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 545 North 
Rimsdale Avenue in Covina, California, as the ``Lillian Kinkella Keil 
Post Office;'' S. 37, To extend the special postage stamp for breast 
cancer research for 2 years; H.R. 1455, To amend titled 45 and title 3, 
United States Code, to include the Department of Homeland Security and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security in the lists of executive 
departments and officers; H.R. 3496, amended, National Capital 
Transportation Amendments Act of 2005; and H.R. 4057, To provide that 
attorneys employed by the Department of Justice shall be eligible for 
compensatory time of for travel under section 5550b of title 5, United 
States Code.
LONDON BOMBINGS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity held a hearing on the 
London Bombings: Protecting Civilian Targets from Terrorist Attacks. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Homeland Security: Robert Jamison, Deputy Administrator, Transportation 
Security Administration; and Robert Stephan, Assistant Secretary, 
Infrastructure Protection Division.
MITIGATING CATASTROPHIC EVENTS--EFFECTIVE MEDICAL RESPONSE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear 
and Biological Attack held a hearing entitled ``Mitigating Catastrophic 
Events through Effective Medical Response.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT--FIVE YEAR ASSESSMENT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights and International Operations held a hearing on African 
Growth and Opportunity Act: A Five-Year Assessment. Testimony was heard 
from Florizelle Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa; 
and public witnesses.
SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKE
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on South Asia Earthquake: Impact and 
Humanitarian Response. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of State: Christina B. Rocca, Assistant Secretary, 
Bureau of South Asian Affairs; and Michael E. Hess, Assistant 
Administrator, Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. 
Agency for International Development; and Peter F. Verga, Principal 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Homeland Defense, Department of Defense.
OVERSIGHT--VOTING RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held an 
oversight hearing entitled `` The Voting Rights Act: An Examination of 
the Scope and Criteria for Coverage under the Special Provisions of the 
Act.'' Testimony was heard from Michael S. Steele, Lieutenant Governor 
of Maryland; J. Gerald Hebert, former Acting Chief, Civil Rights 
Division, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
WATER SUPPLY VULNERABILITIES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``Water Supply Vulnerabilities in the 
Sacramento/San Joaquin River System.'' Testimony was heard from Kirk 
Rodgers, Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Department of the Interior; BG Joseph Schroedel, USA, Commander and 
Division Engineer, South Pacific Division, Corps of Engineers, 
Department of the Army; Mike Chrisman, Secretary, Resources Agency, 
State of California; and public witnesses.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND GLOBAL ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on Science, Technology, and Global 
Economic Competitiveness. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--DISASTER REBUILDING HIGHWAY AND TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE--GULF 
COAST AFTER KATRINA
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit and Pipelines an oversight hearing on Rebuilding 
Highway and Transit Infrastructure on the Gulf Coast following 
Hurricane Katrina. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Transportation: J. Richard Capka, Acting 
Administrator, Federal

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Highway Administration; and Susan E. Schruth, Associate Administrator, 
Federal Transit Administration.
OVERSIGHT--DISASTER PROTECTION GULF COAST RECOVERY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing entitled ``Expert 
Views on Hurricane and Flood Protection and Water Resources Planning 
for a Rebuilt Gulf Coast.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army: John Paul 
Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary (Civil Works); and LTG Carl A. 
Strock, USA, Chief; Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator, 
Water, EPA; and public witnesses.
VETERANS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 3665, amended, Veterans Housing Improvement Act of 2005; H.R. 
1691, To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic 
in Appleton, Wisconsin, as the ``John H. Bradley Department of Veterans 
Affairs Outpatient Clinic;'' and H.R. 4061, Department of Veterans 
Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act of 2005.
OVERSIGHT--VA's DISABILITY COMPENSATION CLAIMS PROCESS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held an oversight hearing on variances in 
disability compensation claims decisions made by the VA Regional 
Offices, the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder claims review; and United 
States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decision Allen v. 
Principi. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs: Jon A. Wooditch, Acting Inspector 
General, Audits; Steven H. Brown, M.D., Director, Compensation and 
Pension Examination Project; and Ronald R. Aument, Deputy Under 
Secretary, Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration; Cynthia A. 
Bascetta, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, 
GAO; and John M. Garcia, Secretary, Department of Veterans' Services, 
State of New Mexico.
BRIEFING--GLOBAL UPDATES/HOTSPOTS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a Briefing on Global Updates/Hotspots. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.
BRIEFING--AERIAL COMMON SENSOR PROGRAM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a Briefing on Aerial Common Sensor Program. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnessers.

Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
current economic outlook, focusing on the effects of the recent Gulf 
Coast hurricanes on the economy of the United States since a 
significant portion of U.S. oil and gas production is concentrated in 
the Gulf area, after receiving testimony from Ben S. Bernanke, 
Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers; David F. Seiders, National 
Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C.; and Mickey D. Levy, 
Bank of America, and Brad Setser, Roubini Global Economics, LLC, both 
of New York, New York.