[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 156 (Wednesday, December 7, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1261-D1262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CFTC REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005; FOREST EMERGENCY RECOVERY AND 
RESEARCH ACT
Committee on Agriculture: Approved, as amended, the Commodity Futures 
Trading Commission (CFTC) Reauthorization Act of 2005.
  The Committee also held a hearing on H.R. 4200, Forest Emergency 
Recovery and Research Act. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Walden of Oregon and Baird; Dale Bosworth, Chief, Forest Service, USDA; 
and public witnesses.
BCS/COLLEGE FOOTBALL POST-SEASON
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled ``Determining a Champion on 
the Field: A Comprehensive Review of the BCS and Postseason College 
Football.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
UNDERSTANDING THE PEAK OIL THEORY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``Understanding the Peak Oil Theory,'' 
focusing on H. Res. 507, Expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that the United States, in collaboration with other 
international allies, should establish an energy project with the 
magnitude, creativity, and sense of urgency that was incorporated in 
the ``Man on the Moon'' project to address the inevitable challenges of 
``Peak Oil.'' Testimony was heard from Representatives Bartlett of 
Maryland and Udall of New Mexico; Murray Smith, Minister--Counsellor 
Government, Canadian Embassy; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--ROLL OF IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AND FORENSIC 
DOCUMENT LABORATORY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment and the Subcommittee 
on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity met 
in executive session to receive a joint briefing on the overview and 
roll of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Forensic Document 
Laboratory (FDL). The Subcommittees were briefed by departmental 
witnesses.
AVIAN FLU PANDEMIC
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Avian Flu: 
Addressing the Global Threat. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of State: Anthony F. Rock, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and 
Scientific Affairs; and Kent R. Hill, Assistant Administrator, Global 
Health, U. S. Agency for International Development; the following 
officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: Anthony S. 
Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases, NIH; and Anne Schuchat, M.D., Acting Director, National 
Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention; Margaret Chan, M.D., representative of the Director-General 
for Pandemic Influenza, WHO; and a public witness.
U.N. OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAM REPORT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations approved a Subcommittee report entitled ``The Oil-for-
Food Program: The Systematic Failure of the United Nations.''
OVERSIGHT--INTERNATIONAL IPR REPORT CARD
Committee on the Judiciary:, Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held an oversight hearing on International IPR 
Report Card--Assessing U.S. Government and Industry Efforts to Enhance 
Chinese and Russian Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights. 
Testimony was heard from Chris Israel, Coordinator, International 
Intellectual Property Enforcement, Department of Commerce; Victoria 
Espinel, Acting Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, Intellectual 
Property; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 862, To redesignate the Rio Grande 
American Canal in El Paso, Texas, as the ``Travis C. Johnson Canal''; 
H.R. 2334, City of Oxnard Water Recycling and Desalination Act of 2005; 
H.R. 2978, To allow the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck 
Indian Reservation to enter into a lease or other temporary conveyance 
of water rights recognized under the Fort Peck--Montana Compact for the 
purpose of meeting the water needs of the Dry Prairie Rural Water 
Association, Incorporated; H.R. 4000, To authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to revise certain repayment contracts with the Bostwick 
Irrigation District in Nebraska, the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation 
District No. 2, the Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District, and the 
Webster Irrigation District No 4, all a part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri 
Basin Program; and S. 101, To convey to the town of Frannie, Wyoming,

[[Page D1262]]

certain land withdrawn by the Commissioner of Reclamation. Testimony 
was heard from Representative Moran of Kansas; William Rinne, Deputy 
Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Carlos 
Marin, Acting U.S. Commissioner, International Boundary and Water 
Commission, Department of State; Andres Herrera, Mayor Pro Tem, City of 
Oxnard, California; John Morles, Chairman, Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes 
of the For Peck Reservation; and a public witness.
TAX RELIEF EXTENSION RECONCILIATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
one hour of debate in the House on H.R. 4297, to provide for 
reconcilitation pursuant to section 201(b) of the concurrent resolution 
on the budget for fiscal year 2006, equally divided and controlled by 
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and 
Means. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the 
bill. The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means now printed 
in the bill shall be considered as adopted. The rule makes in order the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the Rules Committee 
report accompanying the resolution, if offered by Representative Rangel 
of New York or his designee, which shall be considered as read, and 
shall be separately debatable for one hour equally divided and 
controlled by the proponent and an opponent. The rule waives all points 
of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in 
the Rules Committee report. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Camp and Neal.
GULF COAST RECOVERY ACT; FEDERAL AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT 
REAL PROPERTY ACT; ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS SURVEY RESOLUTIONS; GSA 
RESOLUTION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following bills: H.R. 4438, Gulf Coast Recovery Act of 2005; and H.R. 
3699, amended, Federal and District of Columbia Government Real 
Property Act of 2005.
  The Committee also approved the following: U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers Survey resolutions; and a GSA 3314(b) resolution.
OVERSIGHT--VETERANS AFFAIRS DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held an oversight hearing on the 
challenges and opportunities facing disability claims process at the 
Veterans Benefits Administration. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Ronald R. 
Aument, Deputy Under Secretary, Benefits, Veterans Benefits 
Administration; and James P. Terry, Chairman, Board of Veterans' 
Appeals; representatives of veterans organizations; and a public 
witness.
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--MUSLIM EXTREMISM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence and the 
Subcommittee on Intelligence Policy met in executive session to receive 
a joint briefing on Muslim Extremism. The Subcommittees were briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
HURRICANE KATRINA: PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE BY STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and 
Response to Hurricane Katrina: Held a hearing entitled ``Hurricane 
Katrina: Preparedness and Response by the State of Mississippi.'' 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the State of 
Mississippi: Haley Barbour, Governor; Brian W. Amy, M.D., State Health 
Officer; Robert Latham, Director, Emergency Management Agency; Brent 
Warr, Mayor, Gulfport; Tommy Longo, Mayor, Waveland; Benjamin 
Spraggins, Director, Harrison County Emergency Management Agency; and 
Bobby Strahan, Director, Pearl River County Emergency Management 
Agency; and William Carwile, former FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer, 
State of Mississippi.