[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 25 (Thursday, March 2, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D154-D157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Rural Development. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the USDA: Thomas C. Dorr, Under Secretary, Rural 
Development; and W. Scott Steele, Budget Officer; and public witnesses.

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ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
the Army; LTG Carl A. Strock, USA, Chief of Engineers, Corps of 
Engineers; and John Paul Woodley, Jr., Office of the Assistant 
Secretary (Civil Works).
FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Programs held a hearing on Avian Influenza-
International Response. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the NIH: Department of Health and Human Services: Anthony 
Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases; and Julie Gerberding, M.D., Director, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention; and the following officials of the Department 
of State: Ambassador Nancy Power, Senior Coordinator, Avian Influenza 
and Infectious Diseases; and Kent Hill, M.D., Assistant Administrator, 
Bureau of Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Administrator of EPA. Testimony was 
heard from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, EPA.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing on American 
Competitiveness Initiative. Testimony was heard from Tom Luce, 
Assistant Secretary, Department of Education; and public witnesses.
MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life, 
and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on U.S. Court 
of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the American Battle Monuments 
Commission, the Arlington National Cemetery, and the Armed Forces 
Retirement Home. Testimony was heard from William Greene, Chief Judge, 
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; the following officials of 
the American Battle Monuments Commission: GEN Frederick M. Franks, Jr., 
USA, (Ret), Chairman; and BG John W. Nicholson, USA, (Ret), Secretary; 
John Paul Woodley, Jr., Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army 
(Civil Works); and Timothy C. Cox, Armed Forces Retirement Home.
SCIENCE, THE DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, AND COMMERCE, AND RELATED 
AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Science, the Departments 
of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies held a hearing on 
the NSF. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the NSF: 
Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director; and Warren Washington, Chairman, 
National Science Board.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2007 
National Defense Authorization budget request for the U.S. 
Transportation Command and Component Commands. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: GEN Norton A. 
Schwartz, USAF, Commander, United States Transportation Command; GEN 
Duncan J. McNabb, Commander, Air Mobility Command; VADM David L. 
Brewer, III, USN, Commander, Military Sealift Command; and MG Charles 
W. Fletcher, USA, Commander, Military Surface Deployment and 
Distribution Command.
DUBAI PORTS WORLD DEAL--NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the National Security 
Implications of the Dubai Ports World Deal to Take Over Management of 
U.S. Ports. Testimony was heard from Ambassador Eric S. Edelman, Under 
Secretary, Policy, Department of Defense; the following officials of 
the Department of Homeland Security: Stewart Baker, Assistant 
Secretary, Policy, Planning and International Affairs; and RADM Thomas 
Gilmour, USCG, Assistant Commandant, Marine Safety, Security and 
Environmental Protection, U.S. Coast Guard; Alan Misenheimer, Director, 
Office of Arabian Peninsula and Iran Affairs, Department of State; Clay 
Lowery, Assistant Secretary, International Affairs, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.
GLOBAL POLLUTION AGREEMENTS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials held a hearing entitled ``Legislation to Implement 
the POPs, PIC, and LRTAP POPs Agreements.'' Testimony was heard from 
Claudia A. McMurray, Deputy Assistant

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Secretary, Environment, Bureau of Oceans and International 
Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State; Susan B. 
Hazen, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, 
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, EPA; Claudia Polsky, Deputy Attorney 
General, Environment Section, Department of Justice, State of 
California; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--TERRORIST INTENTIONS TOWARD U.S. AIRCRAFT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and the Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment met in executive 
session to receive a joint briefing on terrorist intentions toward U.S. 
aircraft. The Subcommittees were briefed by departmental witnesses.
U.S. POLICY TOWARD PALESTINIANS--AFTERMATH OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on United States 
Policy Toward the Palestinians in the Aftermath of Parliamentary 
Elections. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of State: C. David Welch, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
Near Eastern Affairs; James R. Kunder, Assistant Administrator, Bureau 
for Asia and the Near East, U.S. Agency for International Development; 
and Keith W. Dayton, U.S. Security Coordinator.
OVERSIGHT--RIGHTS UNDER NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Terrorism and Nonproliferation held an oversight hearing on Assessing 
Rights under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--WESTERN HEMISPHERE ENERGY SECURITY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Western 
Hemisphere held an oversight hearing on Western Hemisphere Energy 
Security. Testimony was heard from Karen A. Harbert, Assistant 
Secretary, Office of Policy and International Affairs, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
2829, amended, Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization 
Act of 2005; H.R. 4709, Law Enforcement and Phone Privacy Protection 
Act of 2006; H.R. 4356, Emergency and Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty 
Enhancement Act of 2005; H.R. 1871, amended, Volunteer Pilot 
Organization Protection Act of 2005; H.R. 1176, Nonprofit Athletic 
Organization Protection Act of 2005; and H.R. 2955, amended, 
Intellectual Property Jurisdiction Clarification Act of 2005.
OVERSIGHT--SCOPE AND MYTHS OF ROE V. WADE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``The Scope and Myths of Roe v. Wade.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SOUTHERN BORDER--LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CONFRONTS VIOLENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security, and Claims and the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security held a joint oversight hearing entitled ``Outgunned 
and Outmanned: Local Law Enforcement Confronts Violence Along the 
Southern Border.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE'S FISCAL YEAR 2007 BUDGET
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks held an 
oversight hearing on the National Park Service's Fiscal Year 2007 
Budget. Testimony was heard from Fran Mainella, Director, National Park 
Service, Department of the Interior.
OVERSIGHT--BUREAU OF RECLAMATION/WATER PROGRAMS BUDGET
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``The President's Fiscal Year 2007 Budget 
Requests for the Bureau of Reclamation and the Water Division of the 
U.S. Geological Survey.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Interior: John Keys, III, 
Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation; and Matthew Larsen, Chief 
Scientist for Hydrology, U.S. Geological Survey.
LOBBYING REFORM--ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH TRANSPARENCY
Committee on Rules: Held a hearing entitled ``Lobbying Reform: 
Accountability through Transparency.'' Testimony was heard from Karen 
Haas, Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives; former Representative James 
Bacchus of Florida; James Thurber, Director, Center for Congressional 
and Presidential Studies, American University; Thomas Mann, Senior 
Fellow, The Brookings Institution; Paul Miller, President, American 
League of Lobbyists; Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American 
Enterprise Institute; and Fred Wertheimer, President, Democracy 21.

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  Hearings continue March 9.
NASA SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE--IMPACT OF FISCAL YEAR BUDGET PROPOSAL
Committee on Science: Held a hearing on NASA Science Mission 
Directorate: Impacts of the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Proposal. Testimony 
was heard from Mary Cleave, Associate Administrator, Science Mission 
Directorate, NASA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--SBA'S ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment and 
Government Programs held an oversight hearing on the SBA's 
Entrepreneurial Development Programs. Testimony was heard from Cheryl 
Mills, Associate Deputy Administrator, Entrepreneurial Development, 
SBA; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--CURBSIDE OPERATIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit and Pipelines held an oversight hearing on Curbside 
Operations: Bus Safety and ADA Regulatory Compliance. Testimony was 
heard from Annette Sandberg, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--VA'S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BUDGET
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held an oversight hearing regarding the Department of 
Veterans Affairs' Fiscal Year 2007 information technology budget. 
Testimony was heard from Gordon Mansfield, Deputy Secretary, Department 
of Veterans Affairs.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER HIGH-RISK ISSUES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security continued 
hearings on Social Security Number High-Risk Issues. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the SSA: Patrick P. O'Carroll, 
Inspector General; and Martin H. Gerry, Deputy Commissioner, Disability 
and Income Security Programs; and Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO.
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.
RESOLUTION OF INQUIRY
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session 
and ordered reported, without recommendation, H. Res. 641, Requesting 
the President to provide to the House of Representatives certain 
documents in his possession relating to electronic surveillance without 
search warrants on individuals in the United States.