[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 139 (Thursday, October 27, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1107-D1108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FOREST AND RANGELAND RESEARCH PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Subcommittee on 
Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization concluded an oversight 
hearing to examine the Forest and Rangeland Research Program of the 
USDA Forest Service, after receiving testimony from Ann Bartuska, 
Deputy Chief, Research and Development, Forest Service, Department of 
Agriculture; Steven Daley-Laursen, University of Idaho College of 
Natural Resources, Moscow; David Canavera, MeadWestvaco Corporation, 
Summerville, South Carolina, on behalf of the American Forest and Paper 
Association; Bob Schowalter, State Forester of South Carolina, 
Columbia, on behalf of the National Association of States Foresters; 
Robert A. Daniels, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, 
Mississippi, on behalf of the Society of American Foresters; and Scott 
Simon, The Nature Conservancy, Little Rock, Arkansas.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 1803, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for 
intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States 
Government, the Intelligence Community Management Account, and the 
Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, with 
amendments; and
  The nominations of Michael W. Wynne, of Florida, to be Secretary of 
the Air Force, Donald C. Winter, of Virginia, to be Secretary of the 
Navy, John G. Grimes, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of Defense 
for Networks and Information Integration, William Anderson, of 
Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for 
Installations and Environment, John J. Young, Jr., of Virginia, to be 
Director of Defense Research and Engineering, Delores M. Etter, of 
Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, 
Development, and Acquisition, A. J. Eggenberger, of Montana, to be a 
Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, General Burwell 
B. Bell, III, U.S. Army, for reappointment as a general and assignment 
as Commander, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. 
Forces Korea; and Lieutenant General Lance L. Smith, U.S. Air Force, 
for appointment as general and assignment as Commander, U.S. Joint 
Forces Command, and Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, and 
785 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
HURRICANE RESPONSE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine Administration's response to hurricane recovery 
efforts related to energy and to discuss energy policy, after receiving 
testimony from Gale A. Norton, Secretary of the Interior; and Samuel W. 
Bodman, Secretary of Energy.
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on International Trade held a 
hearing to examine the status and direction of the Doha Round of World 
Trade Organization negotiations, receiving testimony from Peter 
Allgeier, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; Jim Jarrett, Intel 
Corporation, Santa Monica, California, on behalf of the National 
Association of Manufacturers; Craig Lang, Iowa Farm Bureau, West Des 
Moines, on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Jeffrey R. 
Shafer, Citigroup, New York, New York, on behalf of the Coalition of 
Service Industries; and Edward Gresser, Progressive Policy Institute, 
Washington, D.C.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following bills:
  S. 1057, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise 
and extend that Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1003, to amend the Act of December 22, 1974;
  S. 1892, to amend Public Law 107-153 to modify a certain date; and
  S. 1219, to authorize certain tribes in the State of Montana to enter 
into a lease or other temporary conveyance of water rights to meet the 
water needs of the Dry Prairie Rural Water Association, Inc.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee resumed markup of S. 1789, to 
prevent and mitigate identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide 
notice of security breaches, and to enhance criminal penalties, law 
enforcement assistance, and other protections against security 
breaches, fraudulent access, and misuse of

[[Page D1108]]

personally identifiable information, but did not complete action 
thereon, and recessed subject to call.
VA'S UNEMPLOYABILITY BENEFIT
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the rising number of disabled veterans deemed unemployable relating to 
the VA's individual unemployment benefit, focusing on individual 
unemployability, its history, the criteria used to determine 
eligibility, and the number of veterans receiving individual 
unemployability benefits, after receiving testimony from Daniel L. 
Cooper, Under Secretary for Benefits, and Judith Caden, Director, 
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service Director, both of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Cynthia Bascetta, Director, Education, 
Workforce, and Income Security Issues, Government Accountability 
Office; and Rick Surratt, Disabled American Veterans, Washington, D.C.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of 
the intelligence community.