[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 43 (Thursday, April 6, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D357-D361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Department of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on NIH. Testimony was heard from Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., 
Director, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services.
DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, AND HUD, THE JUDICIARY, 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Departments of 
Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the 
Judiciary, District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies held a 
hearing on the District of Columbia. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the District of Columbia: Anthony Williams, 
Mayor; Natwar Gamdi, Chief Financial Officer; and Linda Cropp, 
Chairman, Council.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Oversight of DOE's 
Waste Treatment Plant at Hanford. Testimony was heard from Gene Aloise, 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, GAO; Kim Callan, Chief of 
the Cost of Engineering Directory of Expertise and the Project Manager 
of the Independent Review Team, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; James A. 
Rispoli, Assistant Secretary, Environmental Management; Department of 
Energy; A.J. Eggenberger, Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety 
Board; and a public witness.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Secure Border Initiative/Immigrations Custom Enforcement/
Customs Border Protection. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Gregg Giddens, 
Director, Secure Border Initiative Office; Deborah Spero, Acting 
Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection Commission; and Julie 
Myers, Assistant Secretary, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE, AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life, 
and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Veterans 
Affairs. Testimony was heard from R. James Nicholson, Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs.
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 
DEA. Testimony was heard from Karen P. Tandy, Administrator, DEA, 
Department of Justice.
  The Subcommittee also continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from Members of Congress.
MILITARY, COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on policy, compensation, and benefits overview. Testimony was 
heard

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from the following officials of the Department of Defense: David S.C. 
Chu, Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; LTG Franklin L. 
Hagenbeck, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, G1, Department of the 
Army; VADM John C. Harvey, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel, Department of 
the Navy; LTG Roger A. Brady, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, 
A1, Department of the Air Force; and LTG H.P. Osman, USMC, Deputy 
Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps.
NAVY'S ENERGY-EFFICIENT PROPULSION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Projection Forces held a 
hearing on Integration of Energy-Efficient Propulsion Systems for 
Future U.S. Navy Vessels. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Navy: RADM Bernard J. McCullough, 
USN, Director, Surface Warfare (N86); RADM Joseph A. Walsh, USN, 
Director, Submarine Warfare Division (N87); RADM William E. Landay, 
III, USN, Chief of Naval Research; and RADM Kevin McCoy, USN, Deputy 
Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, Ship Design, Integration and 
Engineering; Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in National Defense, 
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and a public 
witness.
NAVY TRANSFORMATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on Navy Transformation. Testimony was heard from John Jamian, Acting 
Administrator, Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation; 
and VADM Justin D. McCarthy, USN, Director, Material Readiness and 
Logistics, Department of the Navy.
DEFENSE UAVS/SURVEILLANCE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense 
Authorization budget request--Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and 
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Capabilities. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the GAO: Sharon 
Pickup, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management; and Michael J. 
Sullivan, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management; and the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Lolita Long, Deputy 
Under Secretary, (Policy, Requirements, and Resources); BG Stephen 
Mundt, USA, Army Director of Aviation, Office of the Deputy Chief of 
Staff for Operations; RADM Bruce Clingan, USN, Deputy Director, Naval 
Air Warfare Division; LTG John G. Castellaw, USMC, Deputy Commandant, 
Aviation, U.S. Marine Corps; and MG Stanley Gorenc, USAF, Director, 
Operational Capability Requirements, U.S. Air Force.
DEFENSE IT/TRANSFORMATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on information technology 
issues and defense transformation. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: John J. Grimes, 
Assistant Secretary (Networks and Information Integration); LTG Charlie 
Croom, USAF, Director, Defense Information Systems Agency; LTG Steven 
W. Boutelle, USA, Chief Information Officer, Department of the Army; 
Dave Wennergren, Chief Information Officer, Department of the Navy; BG 
George J. Allen, USMC, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Marine Corps; 
LTG Michael Petersen, USAF, Chief Information Officer, Department of 
the Air Force; Paul Brinkley, Deputy Under Secretary, Business 
Transformation; and Thomas Modly, Deputy Under Secretary, Financial 
Management, both with the Business Transformation Agency.
U.S. COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Held a hearing entitled 
``Building America's Competitiveness: Examining What Is Needed To 
Compete in a Global Economy.'' Testimony was heard from Elaine L. Chao, 
Secretary of Labor; Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education; and 
public witnesses.
PROJECT BIOSHIELD REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Project Bioshield Reauthorization Issues.'' Testimony was 
heard from Alex M. Azar, Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and Jean D. Reed, Special Assistant, Chemical and 
Biological Defense and Chemical Demilitarization Programs, Office of 
the Assistant to the Secretary, Nuclear and Chemical Biological 
Defense, Department of Defense, and public witnesses.
INTERNET CHILD PREDATORS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations continued hearings entitled ``Sexual Exploitation of 
Children Over the Internet: What Parents, Kids, and Congress Need To 
Know About Child Predators.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Justice: William W. Mercer, Principal 
Associate Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Attorney for the District of 
Montana; Frank Kardasz, Sgt Phoenix Police Department, Project 
Director, Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; and 
Flint Waters, Lead Special Agent, Wyoming Division of Criminal 
Investigation, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Technology 
Center; and Chris

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Swecker, Acting Assistant Executive Director, FBI; James Plitt, 
Director, Cyber Crimes Center, Office of Investigations; and John P. 
Clark, Deputy Assistant Secretary, both with the U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; and the following 
officials of the Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Postal Service: 
William E. Kezer, Deputy Chief Inspector; and Raymond C. Smith, 
Assistant Inspector in Charge, Child Pornography and Adult Obscenity; 
and a public witness.
FOREIGN COUNTER-TERRORISM ASSISTANCE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Counter-Terrorism Financing 
Foreign Training and Assistance: Progress since 9/11.'' Testimony was 
heard from David M. Walker, Comptroller, GAO; Gerald M. Feierstein, 
Deputy Coordinator, Programs and Plans, Department of State; William 
Larry McDonald, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Technical Assistance 
Policy, Department of the Treasury; and Barry M. Sabin, Deputy 
Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS
Committee on Government Reform: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 4975, amended, Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 
2006; and H.R. 5112, Executive Branch Reform Act of 2006.
  The Committee also approved the following Investigative Reports: 
``Strengthening Disease Surveillance'' and ``Updating Nuclear Security 
Standards: How Long Can the Department of Energy Afford To Wait?''
INTERNATIONAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Looking a 
Gift Horse in the Mouth: A Post-Katrina Review of International 
Disaster Assistance.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of Defense: Scott Rowell, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Defense for Homeland Security (Strategy, Plans, and Resources); and 
Davi M. D'Agostino, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management; the 
following officials of the Department of State: Deborah McCarthy, 
Director, Hurricane Katrina Task Force Working Group; and Gregory C. 
Gottlieb, Acting Director, Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, 
U.S. Agency for International Development; Casey Long, Acting Director, 
Office of International Affairs, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; 
and Hudson LaForce, Senior Counsel to the Secretary, Department of 
Education.
HOMELAND SECURITY AND PERSONAL PRIVACY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Protection of Privacy in the DHS Intelligence Enterprise.'' 
Testimony was heard from Maureen Cooney, Acting Chief Privacy Officer, 
Department of Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear 
and Biological Attack and the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, 
Science, and Technology met in executive session to receive a briefing 
on the implementation plan for the President's National Strategy for 
Pandemic Influenza. The Subcommittees were briefed by departmental 
witnesses.
LOBBYING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY ACT
Committee on House Administration: Ordered reported H.R. 4975, Lobbying 
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006.
PALESTINIAN ANTI-TERRORISM ACT; RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING SUCCESSFUL 
COMPLETION OF THE WINTER OLYMPICS
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported, as amended, 
H.R. 4681, Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006.
  The Committee also approved a motion urging the chairman to request 
that the following resolution be considered on the Suspension Calendar: 
H. Res. 697, Congratulating the people and Government of Italy, the 
Torino Olympic Organizing Committee, the International Olympic 
Committee, the United States Olympic Committee, the 2006 United States 
Olympic Team, and all international athletes upon the successful 
completion of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
ARCHBISHOP OCAMPO KILLING; MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights and International Operations approved for full Committee 
action, as amended, the following measures: H.R. 4423, Ethiopia 
Consolidation Act of 2005; and H. Res. 608, Condemning the escalating 
levels of religious persecution in the People's Republic of China.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on An End to Impunity: 
Investigating the 1993 Killing of

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Mexican Archbishop Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
TERRORISM AND BORDER SECURITY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Terrorism and Nonproliferation held a hearing on Checking Terrorism at 
the Border. Testimony was heard from Michael J. Maxwell, former 
Director, Office of Security and Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security; and a public 
witness.
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S DOCUMENTS
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on the Iraqi Documents: A Glimpse Into 
the Regime of Saddam Hussein. Testimony was heard from Daniel Butler, 
Senior Advisor to the Deputy Director of National Intelligence Open 
Source, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and the 
following officials of the Joint Forces Command, Department of Defense: 
BG Anthony A. Cucolo, III, USA, Director, Joint Center for Operational 
Analysis; and LTC Kevin M. Woods, USA (Ret.), Project Leader and 
Principal Author of Iraqi Perspective Project; and a public witness.
OVERSIGHT--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing entitled ``The 
United States Department of Justice.'' Testimony was heard from Alberto 
Gonzales, the Attorney General, Department of Justice.
FUELING RENEWABLE AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IN AMERICA--ROLE OF THE 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FEDERAL LANDS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held an oversight hearing on the Role of the Federal Government and 
Federal Lands in Fueling Renewable and Alternative Energy in America. 
Testimony was heard from Wayne Arny, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Installations and Facilities, Department of the Navy; Leland Roy Mink, 
Manager, Office of Geothermal Technology, Department of Energy; Marcia 
Patton-Mallory, National Biomass and Bio-Energy Coordinator, Forest 
Service, USDA; and Brenda Aird, Ombudsman for Renewable Energy, 
Department of the Interior.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans held a 
hearing on the following bills: H.R. 138, to revise the boundaries of 
John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Jekyll Island Unit GA-
06P; H.R. 479, To replace a Coastal Barrier Resources System map 
relating to Coastal Barrier Resources System Grayton Beach Unit FL-95P 
in Walton County, Florida; H.R. 1656, To correct maps depicting Unit T-
10 of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System; H.R. 3280, 
To exempt certain coastal barrier areas in Florida from Limitations on 
Federal expenditures and financial assistance under the Coastal 
Barriers Resources Act, and limitations on flood insurance coverage 
under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968; and H.R. 4165, to 
clarify the boundaries of Coastal Barrier Resources System Clam Pass 
Unit FL-64P. Testimony was heard from Representatives Kingston and 
Mack; Mamie Parker, Assistant Director, Fisheries and Habitat 
Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the 
Interior; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE VISITATION TRENDS
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks held an 
oversight hearing on Visitation Trends in the National Park System. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the National Park 
Service, Department of the Interior: Marcia Blaszak, Regional Director, 
Alaska Region; and Pat Hooks, Regional Director, Southeast Region; Mike 
Cerletti, Secretary of Tourism, State of New Mexico; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--CALIFORNIA WATER SUPPLIES
Commitee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held an 
oversight hearing entitled ``Protecting Sacramento/San Joaquin Bay-
Delta Water Supplies and Responding to Catastrophic Failures in 
California Water Deliveries.'' Testimony was head from BG Joseph 
Schroedel, USA, Commander and Division Engineer, South Pacific 
Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; William Lokey, Operations 
Branch Chief, Response Division, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; 
Kirk Rodgers, Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Lester Snow, Director, 
Department of Water Resources, State of California; and public 
witnesses.
GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on 
Assessing the Goals, Schedule, and Costs of the Global Nuclear Energy 
Partnership. Testimony was heard from Shane Johnson, Deputy Director, 
Technology, Office of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, Department 
of Energy; and public witnesses.

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SMALL HEALTHCARE GROUPS/ELECTRONIC RECORDS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Oversight held a hearing entitled ``Can Small Healthcare Groups 
Feasibly Adopt Electronic Medical Records Technology?'' Testimony was 
heard from Representative Gingrey; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL LEVEE SAFETY PROGRAM ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held an oversight hearing on H.R. 4650, 
National Levee Safety Program Act of 2005. Testimony was heard from MG 
Don T. Riley, USA Director, Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; 
and public witnesses
VETERANS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on the following measures: H.R. 23, 
Belated Thank You to the Merchant Marines of World War II Act of 2005; 
H.R. 601, Native American Veterans Cemetery Act of 2005; H.R. 2188, To 
amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the placement in a 
national cemetery of memorial markers for the purpose of commemorating 
service members or other persons whose remains are interred in an 
American Battle Monuments Commission cemetery; H.R. 2963, Dr. James 
Allen Disabled Veterans Equity Act; H.R. 4843, Veterans' Compensation 
Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2006; H.R. 5037, Respect for America's 
Fallen Heroes Act; and H.R. 5038, To amend title 38, United States 
Code, to extend and expand the application of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs benefit for Government markers for marked graves of 
veterans buried in private cemeteries and to provide Government markers 
or memorial headstones for deceased dependent children of veterans 
whose remains are unavailable for burial. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Rogers of Michigan, Chabot, Reyes, Filner, Baldwin, 
Langevin, and Udall of New Mexico; William F. Tuerk, Under Secretary, 
Memorial Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; John C. Metzler, Jr., Superintendent, Arlington 
National Cemetery, Department of the Army; and representatives of 
veterans organizations.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
health information technology (IT). Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: 
David Brailer, M.D., Technology Coordinator; and Lewis Morris, Chief 
Counsel to the Inspector General; and public witnesses.
TAX SEASON/IRS BUDGET
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the 2006 tax return filing season, the Internal Revenue Service 
budget for fiscal year 2007, and other issues in tax administration. 
Testimony was heard from of the Department of the Treasury: Mark W. 
Everson, Commissioner, IRS; and J. Russell George, Inspector General, 
Tax Administration; Raymond T. Wagner, Chairman, Internal Revenue 
Service Oversight Board; James R. White, Director, Tax Issues, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
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.