[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 30 (Thursday, March 9, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D210-D212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS ACT
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the Department of Agriculture's management and 
oversight of the Packers and Stockyards Act, focusing on 
competitiveness in livestock and poultry markets, and developing and 
sharing information on competitive conditions with key stakeholders, 
after receiving testimony from James E. Link, Administrator, Grain 
Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, and Phyllis K. Fong, 
Inspector General, both of the Department of Agriculture; and Daniel 
Bertoni, Acting Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government 
Accountability Office.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the Department of 
Agriculture, after receiving testimony from Mike Johanns, Secretary, 
Charles Connor, Deputy Secretary, Keith Collins, Chief Economist, and 
W. Scott Steele, Budget Officer, all of the Department of Agriculture.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the proposed supplemental funding request for additional resources to 
assist in ongoing military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations in 
the Global War on Terror; stabilization and counter-insurgency 
activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other humanitarian assistance, 
after receiving testimony from Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of 
Defense; Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State; General Peter Pace, 
USMC, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and General John Abizaid, USA, 
Commander, U.S. Central Command.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed 
hearings to examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 
2007 and the future years defense program, focusing on the naval 
workforce, and projection of naval power in the global war on terror, 
after receiving testimony from Donald C. Winter, Secretary of the Navy; 
Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; and General 
Michael W. Hagee, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps.
SECURITIES MARKETS SELF-REGULATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee held a 
hearing to examine self-regulatory organizations in the securities 
markets, focusing on strengths and weaknesses of the current system, 
conflicts of interest, and eliminating excessive market data fees, 
receiving testimony from John A. Thain, New York Stock Exchange, Inc., 
Robert Glauber, National Association of Securities Dealers, both of New 
York, New York; Marc E. Lackritz, Securities Industry Association, Ann 
Yerger, Council of Institutional Investors, and Richard Ferlauto, 
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, 
all of Washington, D.C.; and Henry T.C. Hu, University of Texas at 
Austin School of Law.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
2007 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported an 
original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget 
for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007 and including the

[[Page D211]]

appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2006 and 2008 through 
2011.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the nominations of Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen, of 
Maryland, to be Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Admiral, 
Department of Homeland Security, who was introduced by Senator McCain, 
and Robert M. McDowell, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal 
Communications Commission, who was introduced by Senator Allen, after 
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the nominations of Raymond L. Orbach, of California, 
to be Under Secretary for Science, Alexander A. Karsner, of Virginia, 
to be Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 
who was introduced by Senator Allen, and Dennis R. Spurgeon, of 
Florida, to be Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, all of the 
Department of Energy, and David Longly Bernhardt, of Colorado, to be 
Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, after each nominee 
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, 
Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety concluded an oversight hearing to 
examine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, focusing on activities to 
implement the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 initiatives 
to meet challenges posed by today's nuclear arena, and current and 
anticipated new reactor licensing activities and human capital 
initiatives, after receiving testimony from Nils J. Diaz, Chairman, and 
Edward McGaffigan, Jr., Jeffrey S. Merrifield, Gregory B. Jaczko, and 
Peter B. Lyons, each a Commissioner, all of the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission.
FEDERAL PAYMENTS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
International Security concluded a hearing to examine Federal agencies' 
progress relating to reporting improper payments, focusing on the 
success or failure of agencies to report and/or reduce improper 
payments in fiscal year 2005 performance and accountability reports, 
and to discuss whether or not the various ways in which agencies 
measure improper payments is accurately depicting the magnitude of the 
problem, after receiving testimony from Linda M. Combs, Controller, 
Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and 
Budget; McCoy Williams, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, 
Government Accountability Office; Mark Everson, Commissioner, Internal 
Revenue Service; James B. Lockhart, Deputy Commissioner, Social 
Security Administration; Charles Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Health 
and Human Services for Budget, Technology and Finance; and Samuel T. 
Mok, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Labor.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of Donald J. DeGabrielle, Jr., of Texas, to be United 
States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, John Charles 
Richter, of Oklahoma, to be United States Attorney for the Western 
District of Oklahoma, Amul R. Thapar, of Kentucky, to be United States 
Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Mauricio J. Tamargo, 
of Florida, to be Chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission 
of the United States, all of the Department of Justice.
  Also, Committee continued markup of proposed legislation providing 
for comprehensive immigration reform, but did not complete action 
thereon, and recessed subject to the call.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUDGET
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal 
year 2007 for the Small Business Administration, after receiving 
testimony from Hector V. Barreto, Administrator, Small Business 
Administration.
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the legislative presentations of certain veteran's organizations, after 
receiving testimony from Randy L. Pleva, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of 
America, Larry Belote, Blinded Veterans Association, and David L. 
Magidson, Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, all of 
Washington, D.C.; Richard C. Schneider, Non Commissioned Officers 
Association of the United States of America, Alexandria, Virginia; and 
James D. Randles, Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., 
Inc., Springfield, Virginia.
LONG-TERM CARE FINANCING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
how to prepare Americans for long-term care financing, focusing on 
awareness and incentives to encourage people to take responsibility for 
long term care needs, after receiving testimony

[[Page D212]]

from Robert F. Danbeck, Associate Director, Human Resources Products 
and Services, Office of Personnel Management; Eileen J. Tell, Long Term 
Care Group, Inc., Natick, Massachusetts; Malcolm Cheung, Long-Term Care 
Prudential Financial, Livingston, New Jersey, on behalf of American 
Council of Life Insurers; Joanne Vidinsky, Alzheimer's Association, San 
Francisco, California; and Robert B. Friedland, Center on an Aging 
Society, Washington, D.C.