[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 7, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D190-D191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee held a hearing to examine the 
proposed supplemental funding request for additional resources to 
assist the Gulf Coast region in its recovery from hurricanes in the 
Gulf of Mexico in 2005, after receiving testimony from Alabama Governor 
Bob Riley, Montgomery; Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, Baton Rouge; 
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Jackson; and Texas Governor Rick 
Perry, Austin.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a 
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for 
the Department of Defense, after receiving testimony from Tina W. 
Jonas, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller); and Vice Admiral
  Evan M. Chanik, USN, Director, Force Structure, Resources and 
Assessments (J8).
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee continued open and closed 
hearings to examine military strategy and operational requirements in 
review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and 
the future years defense program, receiving testimony from Admiral 
William J. Fallon, USN, Commander, United States Pacific Command; 
General Burwell B. Bell, III, USA, Commander, United Nations Command 
and Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command, Commander, 
United States Forces Korea; and General James L. Jones, USMC, 
Commander, United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, 
Europe.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded 
open and closed hearings to examine the nuclear weapons and defense 
environmental cleanup activities of the Department of Energy in review 
of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the 
future years nuclear security program, after receiving testimony from 
Linton F. Brooks, Administrator, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, and James A. Rispoli, Assistant Secretary for 
Environmental Management, both of the Department of Energy.
CREDIT RATING AGENCIES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the current oversight and operation of credit rating 
agencies, after receiving testimony from Paul Schott Stevens, 
Investment Company Institute, Damon A. Silvers, AFL-CIO, and Alex J. 
Pollock, American Enterprise Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; 
Colleen S. Cunningham, Financial Executives International, Florham 
Park, New Jersey; Glenn L. Reynolds, CreditSights, Inc., and Vickie A. 
Tillman, Standard and Poor's Credit Market Services, both of New York, 
New York; Frank Partnoy, University of San Diego School of Law, San 
Diego, California; and Jeffrey J. Diermeier, CFA Institute, 
Charlottesville, Virginia.
RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine rural telecommunications, including telephony, 
data transmission, video transmission and mobility, after receiving 
testimony from Thomas Dorr, Under Secretary, and James M. Andrew, 
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, both of the Department of 
Agriculture; Mark Goldstein, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; Mark K. Johnson, Regulatory 
Commission of Alaska, Anchorage; Ray Baum, Commissioner, Public Utility 
Commissioner of Oregon, Salem; William Squires, Blackfoot 
Telecommunications Group, Missoula, Montana; Larry Sarjeant, Qwest 
Communications, and Joe Garcia, National Congress of American Indians, 
both of Washington, D.C.; and Craig Mundie, Microsoft, Redmond, 
Washington.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the goal of U.S. energy independence, focusing on 
how the United States can facilitate the advancement of technologies to 
create new sources of energy, how to make more

[[Page D191]]

efficient use of existing energy resources, and how to increase access 
to domestic resources in an environmentally safe way, after receiving 
testimony from R. James Woolsey, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, 
former Director of Central Intelligence Agency; Susan M. Cischke, Ford 
Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan; Frank A. Verrastro, Center for 
Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.; and Amory B. 
Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute, Snowmass, Colorado.
U.S.-OMAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Committee on Finance: On Monday, March 6, Subcommittee on International 
Trade held a hearing to examine the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement, 
receiving testimony from Susan C. Schwab, Deputy U.S. Trade 
Representative; Edward S. Walker, Jr., Middle East Institute, David 
Hamod, National U.S. Arab Chamber of Commerce, and Thea M. Lee, AFL-
CIO, all of Washington, D.C.; and Robert Hemphill, AES Corporation, 
Arlington, Virginia.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nomination of Randall L. Tobias, of Indiana, to be 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Bayh, 
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
2005 GULF COAST HURRICANES RESPONSE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee met to 
discuss the response of community-based organizations to the 2005 Gulf 
Coast hurricanes, receiving testimony from Cynthia Fagnoni, Managing 
Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; Kay Wilkins, American Red Cross, Metairie, 
Louisiana; Jayne Wright, Louisiana State Voluntary Organizations Active 
in Disaster and Food Bank of Central Louisiana, Alexandria; Todd Hawks, 
Salvation Army, Arlington, Virginia; Craig Nemitz, America's Second 
Harvest, and Heather Feltman, Lutheran Disaster Response, both of 
Chicago, Illinois; Mostafa Mahbood, Islamic Relief USA, Burbank, 
California; Almetra Franklin, St. Mary Community Action Agency, 
Franklin, Louisiana; Tanya Harris, Association of Community 
Organizations for Reform Now, New Orleans, Louisiana; Lorna Bourg, 
Southern Mutual Help Association, New Iberia, Louisiana; Thomas E. 
Green, Office of Community Services, Little Rock, Arkansas; and Ande 
Miller, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, Tom 
Hazelwood, United Methodist Committee on Relief, William Daroff, United 
Jewish Communities, and Welton Gaddy, Interfaith Alliance, all of 
Washington, D.C.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the legislative presentation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after 
receiving testimony from James R. Mueller, Robert E. Wallace, and 
Dennis Cullinan, all of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United 
States, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
consider pending intelligence matters.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.