[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 34 (Thursday, March 16, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D263-D265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FOR U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2007 
National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the U.S. Southern 
Command. Testimony was heard from GEN Bantz J. Craddock, USA, 
Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Department of Defense.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST--SPACE ACTIVITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense Authorization Budget 
Request for space activities. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Ronald M. Sega, Under 
Secretary; and LTG Frank G. Klotz, USAF, both with the Department of 
the Air Force; and Donald M. Kerr, Director, National Reconnaissance 
Office.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST NAVY AND AIR FORCE 
ACQUISITION PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces held a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense 
Authorization Budget Request for the Department of the Navy and the 
Department of the Air Force Aviation Acquisition Programs. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the GAO: Michael J. Sullivan, 
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management; and Michael J. Hazard, 
Assistant Director, Acquisition Sourcing Management Team; and the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Kenneth J. Krieg, 
Under Secretary, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; VADM Lewis W. 
Crenshaw, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Resources, 
Requirements and Assessments; LTG John G. Castellaw, USMC, Deputy 
Commandant for Aviation, U.S. Marine Corps; and LTG Carrol H. Chandler, 
USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air, Space and Information Operations, 
Plans and Requirements, U.S. Air Force.
KEY BUDGET PROCESS REFORMS
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Key Budget Process Reforms. 
Testimony was heard from former Senator Don Nickles of Oklahoma; and 
from the following former Representatives: William E. Frenzel of 
Minnesota and Charles W. Stenholm of Texas.
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing entitled ``Mine Safety and Health: A 
Congressional Perspective.'' Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Capito, Murphy, Rahall, Davis of Alabama, Holt, Mollohan and Chandler.
ELECTRIC HEALTH RECORDS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Legislative Proposals To Promote Electronic Health Records 
and a Smarter Health Information System.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 3997, Financial Data Protection Act 2005; and 
H.R. 4973, Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2006.
LEAVE NO COMPUTER SYSTEM BEHIND
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Leave No 
Computer System Behind: A Review of the 2006 Federal Computer Security 
Scorecards.'' Testimony was heard from Gregory C. Wilshusen, Director, 
Information Security Issues, GAO; Karen S. Evans, Administrator, Office 
of E-Government and Information Technology, OMB; Thomas P. Hughes, 
Chief Information Officer, SSA; Thomas Wiesner, Deputy Chief 
Information Officer, Department of Labor; Robert F. Lentz, Director, 
Information Assurance, Department of Defense; and Scott Charbo, Chief 
Information Officer, Department of Homeland Security.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION REORGANIZATION ACT OF 2006
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity approved for full 
Committee action, as amended, H.R. 4439, Transportation Security 
Administration Reorganization Act of 2005.
SAFE PORT ACT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity held a hearing on H.R. 
4954, Security and Accountability for Every Port Act. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Homeland 
Security: Jayson Ahern, Assistant

[[Page D264]]

Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border 
Protection; and CAPT. Brian Salerno, USCG, Deputy Director, Inspections 
and Compliance, U.S. Coast Guard; and public witnesses.
GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights and International Operations held a hearing on Monitoring 
Respect for Human Rights Around the World: A Review of the Country 
Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2005. Testimony was heard from 
Barry Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Democracy, Human 
Rights and Labor, Department of State; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--FEDERAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and 
Homeland Security held an oversight hearing on United States v. Booker: 
One Year Later--Chaos or Status Quo? Testimony was heard from William 
Mercer, Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney 
General for the District of Montana, Department of Justice; Ricardo H. 
Hinojosa, Chairman, United States Sentencing Commission; Paul G. 
Cassell, Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Utah; and a 
public witness.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT COMPLIANCE COSTS
Committee on Resources: Held a hearing on H.R. 4857, To better inform 
consumers regarding costs associated with compliance for protecting 
endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 
1973. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Energy: Greg Delwiche, Vice President, Environment, Fish 
and Wildlife, Bonneville Power Administration; and Michael S. 
Hacskaylo, Administrator, Western Area Power Administration; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--IMPACT OF HURRICANES ON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans held an 
oversight hearing on the Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the 
National Wildlife Refuge System. Testimony was heard from H. Dale Hall, 
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; 
W. Parke Moore III, Assistant Secretary, Department of Wildlife and 
Fisheries, State of Louisiana; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BUSINESS STRATEGIES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``National Park Service business strategies, 
including the development and implementation of National Park Service 
business plans.'' Testimony was heard from Bruce Sheaffer, Comptroller, 
National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and a public 
witness.
EPA'S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BUDGET PROPOSAL
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and 
Standards held a hearing on EPA's Fiscal Year 2007 Science and 
Technology Budget Proposal. Testimony was heard from George Gray, 
Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development and Science 
Advisor, EPA; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS CYBER SECURITY
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Oversight held a hearing on the State of Small Business Security in a 
Cyber Economy. Testimony was heard from Cita M. Furlani, Acting 
Director, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce; Larry D. Johnson, 
Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Investigative Division, United States 
Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security; Lydia Parnes, 
Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC; Steven M. Martinez, 
Deputy Assistant Director, Cyber Division, FBI, Department of Justice; 
and public witnesses.
PIPELINE SAFETY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit and Pipelines held an oversight hearing on Pipeline 
Safety. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Transportation: Brigham McCown, Acting Administrator, 
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration; and Todd J. Zinser, 
Acting Inspector General; Kate Siggerud, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues, GAO; Robert J. Chipkevich, Director, Office of 
Railroad, Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety, National 
Transportation Safety Board; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--VA COMPENSATION/PENSION BENEFITS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held an oversight hearing on the accuracy of 
benefits information provided to, and the quality of service received 
by, individuals calling into the Veterans Benefits Administration. 
Testimony was heard from Jack McCoy, Associate Deputy Under Secretary, 
Policy and Management, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and representatives of veterans organizations.

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USE OF TAX-PREFERRED BOND FINANCING
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures 
held a hearing on the Use of Tax-Preferred Bond Financing. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Shaw and Brady of Texas; Eric Solomon, 
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Tax Policy, Department of the 
Treasury; Donald Marron, Acting Director, CBO; and public witnesses.
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 SSA: Patrick P. O'Carroll, 
Inspector General; and Frederick G. Streckewald, Assistant Deputy 
Commissioner, Disability and Income Security Programs; and public 
witnesses.
BRIEFING--GLOBAL/UPDATES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Global/Updates. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT AND DOCUMENT ANNEX
Select Bipartisan Committee To Investigate the Preparation for and 
Response to Hurricane Katrina: Ordered reported the Select Committee's 
Supplementary Report and Document Annex.