[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 34 (Thursday, March 16, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D258-D260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related 
Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for 
fiscal year 2007 for the Forest Service, after receiving testimony from 
Dale Bosworth, Chief, United States Forest Service, and Mark Rey, Under 
Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, both of the Department 
of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, 
the Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year 2007 for the Department of Transportation and Amtrak, after 
receiving testimony from Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary, Joseph H. 
Boardman, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, and Mark 
Dayton, Senior Economist, Office of the Inspector General, all of the 
Department of Transportation; and David Hughes, President and Chief 
Executive Officer, and David M. Laney, Chairman of the Board, both of 
Amtrak.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the proposed defense authorization request for fiscal year 2007 and the 
future years defense program, focusing on military strategy and 
operational requirements, after receiving testimony from General John 
P. Abizaid, USA, Commander, United States Central Command; and General 
Bryan D. Brown, USA, Commander, United States Special Operations 
Command.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 2,239 
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
VOLCANIC HAZARDS IMPACTS ON AVIATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Disaster Prevention and Prediction concluded a hearing to examine the 
natural hazard threat that volcanoes pose to international aviation, 
after receiving testimony from James E. Quick, Program Coordinator, 
Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the 
Interior; Terry McVenes, Air Line Pilots Association, International, 
Washington, D.C.; and John C. Eichelberger, University of Alaska, 
Fairbanks.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:

[[Page D259]]


  S. 1215, to authorize the acquisition of interests in underdeveloped 
coastal areas in order to better ensure their protection from 
development, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Roger Shane Karr, of the District of Columbia, to 
be an Assistant Secretary, Tyler D. Duvall, of Virginia, to be an 
Assistant Secretary, Nicole R. Nason, of Virginia, to be Administrator 
of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Thomas J. 
Barrett, of Alaska, to be Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous 
Materials Safety Administration, all of the Department of 
Transportation, Robert C. Cresanti, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Technology, Robert M. McDowell, of Virginia, to be a 
Member of the Federal Communications Commission, and sundry promotion 
lists in the Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.
GREAT LAKES PROTECTION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration's strategy to 
restore and protect the Great Lakes, after receiving testimony from 
Senators DeWine, Levin, and Stabenow; Stephen L. Johnson, 
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Ohio Governor Bob Taft, 
Columbus, on behalf of the Council of Great Lakes Governors; Frank 
Ettawageshik, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Harbor 
Springs, Michigan; David Ullrich, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities 
Initiative, Chicago, Illinois; George Kuper, Council of Great Lakes 
Industries, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Andy Buchsbaum, National Wildlife 
Foundation, Reston, Virginia, on behalf of the Healing Our Waters--
Great Lakes Coalition; Diane Katz, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 
Midland, Michigan; and William G. Howland, Lake Champlain Basin 
Program, Grand Isle, Vermont.
CUNO AND COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on International Trade held a 
hearing to examine the decision in the case of Cuno v. DaimlerChrysler 
(relating to an agreement between DaimlerChrysler with Toledo, Ohio, 
and two school districts to construct a new vehicle assembly plant in 
exchange for approximately $280 million in tax incentives), and its 
impact on domestic and international competitiveness, and a related 
measure, S. 1066, to authorize the States (and subdivisions thereof), 
the District of Columbia, territories, and possessions of the United 
States to provide certain tax incentives to any person for economic 
development purposes, receiving testimony from Senator Voinovich; Peter 
D. Enrich, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, 
Massachusetts; Harley T. Duncan, Federation of Tax Administrators, 
Washington, D.C.; Walter Hellerstein, University of Georgia School of 
Law, Athens; Peter Fisher, University of Iowa, Iowa City; and James H. 
Renzas, Location Management Services, Mission Viejo, California.
  Hearings recessed subject to the call.
APPROPRIATIONS EARMARK REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
International Security concluded a hearing to examine S. 1495, and 
related provisions of H.R. 1642, bills to prohibit Federal agencies 
from obligating funds for appropriations earmarks included only in 
congressional reports, focusing on the need for earmark reform and 
legislation that would be an important step toward achieving such 
reform, after receiving testimony from Senator McCain; Representative 
Flake; Thomas A. Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste, Steve 
Ellis, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action, and Scott Lilly, Center for 
American Progress, all of Washington, D.C.
PUBLIC HEALTH SECURITY AND BIOTERRORISM PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the proposed reauthorization of Public 
Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act relating 
to enhancing public health and medical preparedness, after receiving 
testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human 
Services; Leah Devlin, North Carolina Division of Public Health, 
Raleigh, on behalf of the Association of State and Territorial Health 
Officials; A. Richard Melton, Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake 
City; and Richard A. Falkenrath, Brookings Institution, Washington, 
D.C.; and Dan Hanfling, Inova Health System, Falls Church, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of John F. Clark, of Virginia, to be Director of the United 
States Marshals Service, and David F. Kustoff, to be United States 
Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, both of the Department 
of Justice.
  Also, Committee continued markup of proposed legislation providing 
for comprehensive immigration reform, but did not complete action 
thereon, and will meet again on Monday, March 27.

[[Page D260]]


HOMELESS VETERANS PROGRAMS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the homeless programs and services administered by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, after receiving testimony from Peter H. 
Dougherty, Director, Homeless Veterans Programs, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; Charles S. Ciccolella, Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
Veterans' Employment and Training; Philip F. Mangano, Executive 
Director, United States Interagency Council on Homelessness; Michael 
Blecker, Swords to Plowshares, San Francisco, California, on behalf of 
the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans; Alan Belcher, Transitional 
Living Services, Woodstock, Illinois; and Thomas R. Cantwell, Jr., 
Cloudbreak Development, LLC, Inglewood, California, on behalf of U.S. 
VETS.