[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 15, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D101-D104]
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, receiving testimony from Alan M. Hantman, Architect, and 
Robert C. Hixon, Jr., Capitol Visitor Center Project Manager, both of 
the Office of the Architect of the Capitol; and Bernard L. Ungar, 
Director,

[[Page D102]]

and Terrell Dorn, Assistant Director, both of Physical Infrastructure 
Issues, Government Accountability Office.
  Hearings will continue on Wednesday, April 26, 2006.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Preston M. Geren, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of 
the Army, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, Michael 
L. Dominguez, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for 
Personnel and Readiness, who was introduced by Senator Allard, James I. 
Finley, of Minnesota, to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Technology, who was introduced by Senator Dayton, and 
Thomas P. D'Agostino, of Maryland, to be Deputy Administrator for 
Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration, after the 
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
HURRICANE KATRINA REBUILDING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine rebuilding needs in Hurricane Katrina-impacted 
areas, focusing on the Federal response to the hurricanes in the Gulf 
of Mexico, including ongoing efforts to assist affected families and 
individuals in finding both short-term and permanent housing, and the 
overall progress of the recovery efforts in the five affected states, 
after receiving testimony from Senators Landrieu and Vitter; 
Representative Baker; Alphonso R. Jackson, Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development; Donald E. Powell, Federal Coordinator, Office for 
Gulf Coast Rebuilding, and David Garratt, Acting Director of Recovery, 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the Department of Homeland 
Security; Martin J. Gruenberg, Acting Chairman, Federal Deposit 
Insurance Corporation; and Herbert Mitchell, Associate Administrator 
for Disaster Assistance, Small Business Administration.
FEDERAL TAX GAP
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
causes and solutions to addressing the Federal tax gap, focusing on 
making significant progress in improving tax compliance which rests on 
enhancing current Internal Revenue Service techniques and adopting new 
legislative actions, after receiving testimony from Mark W. Everson, 
Commissioner, and Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Taxpayer 
Advocate Service, both of the Internal Revenue Service, Department of 
the Treasury; and David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United 
States, Government Accountability Office.
VIDEO FRANCHISING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine issues relating to video franchising, and 
competition in the video marketplace, after receiving testimony from 
Representative Blackburn; Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon, New York, New York; 
Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., AT&T, Anthony T. Riddle, Alliance For 
Community Media, Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, on behalf of Consumer 
Federation of America and Free Press, and Gigi B. Sohn, Public 
Knowledge, all of Washington, D.C.; Thomas M. Rutledge, Cablevision 
Systems Corporation, Bethpage, New York; Lori Panzino-Tillery, National 
Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, San 
Bernardino, California, on behalf of National League of Cities, United 
States Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties, 
Government Finance Officers Association and Telecommunity; and Brad A. 
Evans, Cavalier Telephone, Richmond, Virginia.
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine developments in nanotechnology, the science and 
technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single 
atoms and molecules, focusing on national priorities and agency 
missions, and moving closer to achieving societal goals in areas such 
as healthcare, energy, security, and quality of life, after receiving 
testimony from E. Clayton Teague, Director, National Nanotechnology 
Coordination Office; Richard O. Buckius, Acting Assistant Director for 
Engineering, National Science Foundation; Jeffery Schloss, Division of 
Extramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, and Co-
Chair, National Institutes of Health Nanomedicine Roadmap Initiative, 
Department of Health and Human Services; Mark E. Davis, California 
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, on behalf of City of Hope; J. 
Clarence Davies, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 
Washington, D.C.; Timothy Swager, Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, Cambridge; Alan Gotcher, Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc., 
Reno, Nevada; Todd L. Hylton, Science Applications International 
Corporation, McLean, Virginia; and Bryant R. Linares, Apollo Diamond, 
Inc., Ashland, Massachusetts.
PACE-ENERGY ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine S. 2197, to improve the global competitiveness of 
the United States in science and energy technology, to strengthen basic 
research programs at the Department of Energy, and

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to provide support for mathematics and science education at all levels 
through the resources available through the Department of Energy, 
including at the National Laboratories, after receiving testimony from 
Raymond L. Orbach, Director of the Office of Science, Department of 
Energy; Charles M. Vest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 
Cambridge; and Luis M. Proenza, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio.
FIRE RETARDANT AIRCRAFT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands 
and Forests concluded an oversight hearing to review the progress made 
on the development of interim and long-term plans for use of fire 
retardant aircraft in Federal wildfire suppression operations, after 
receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary of Agriculture for 
Natural Resources and Environment; Nina Rose Hatfield, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of the Interior for Policy, Management and Budget; James 
Hall, Hall and Associates LLC, Washington, D.C.; and James B. Hull, 
Texas Forest Service, College Station, Texas, on behalf of the National 
Association of State Foresters.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the nominations of Terrence L. Bracy, of Virginia, to be a 
Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and 
Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation, Dennis 
Bottorff, of Tennessee, Robert M. Duncan, of Kentucky, Susan Richardson 
Williams, of Tennessee, William B. Sansom, of Tennessee, Howard A. 
Thrailkill, of Alabama, and Donald R. DePriest, of Mississippi, all to 
be Members of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
BUDGET: EPA
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal 
year 2007 for the Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving 
testimony from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental 
Protection Agency.
BUDGET: FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2007 
for foreign affairs, after receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice, 
Secretary of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nominations of Claudia A. McMurray, of Virginia, to be Assistant 
Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and 
Scientific Affairs, Bradford R. Higgins, of Connecticut, to be 
Assistant Secretary for Resource Management and Chief Financial 
Officer, Department of State, Jackie Wolcott Sanders, of Virginia, to 
be U.S. Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs in the 
United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and to be U.S. Alternate 
Representative to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United 
Nations during her tenure of service as U.S. Alternate Representative 
for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, Janet Ann 
Sanderson, of Arizona, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti, 
Bernadette Mary Allen, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Niger, Patricia Newton Moller, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Burundi, Steven Alan Browning, of Texas, to be Ambassador 
to the Republic of Uganda, Robert Weisberg, of Maryland, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Michael W. Michalak, of Michigan, 
for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as United 
States Senior Official to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, 
Janice L. Jacobs, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Senegal, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation 
as Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Jeanine E. Jackson, of 
Wyoming, to be Ambassador to Burkina Faso, James D. McGee, of Florida, 
to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador 
to the Union of Comoros; Kristie A. Kenney, of Virginia, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines, Gary A. Grappo, of 
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Patricia A. 
Butenis, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of 
Bangladesh, Donald T. Bliss, of Maryland, for the rank of Ambassador 
during his tenure of service as U.S. Representative on the Council of 
the International Civil Aviation Organization, Ben S. Bernanke, of New 
Jersey, to be United States Alternate Governor of the International 
Monetary Fund; and 2 Foreign Service Officer promotion lists.
HURRICANE KATRINA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee held 
a hearing to examine Hurricane Katrina response issues, focusing on the 
Homeland Security Department's preparation and response, boosting state 
capabilities, the Federal Management Agency (FEMA), debris removal, and 
enhancing communications between Federal and state government agencies, 
receiving testimony from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland 
Security.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.

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MINE SAFETY TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on 
Employment and Workplace Safety met to discuss communication and mine 
safety technology issues, receiving testimony from Starnes Walker, 
Technical Director, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Navy; Bob Campman, 
Grace Industries, Fredonia, Pennsylvania; Pat Droppleman, Ocenco 
Corporation, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin; R. Larry Grayson, University 
of Missouri-Rolla Department of Mining and Nuclear Engineering, Rolla; 
Wes Kenneweg, Draeger Industries, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Roy Nutter, 
West Virginia University College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, 
Morgantown; Dennis O'Dell, UMWA, Fairfax, Virginia; Sam Shearer, CSE 
Corporation, Monroeville, Pennsylvania; Gary Zamel, Mine Site 
Technologies Pty. Ltd, Artarmon, NSW, Australia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Stephen G. Larson, to be United States District 
Judge for the Central District of California, who was introduced by 
Senator Feinstein, Jack Zouhary, to be United States District Judge for 
the Northern District of Ohio, who was introduced by Senator DeWine, 
and John F. Clark, of Virginia, to be Director of the United States 
Marshals Service, Department of Justice, who was introduced by Senators 
Warner and Allen, after the nominees testified and answered questions 
in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of 
the intelligence community.