[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 56 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D466-D468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS FY 2007--MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE, AND VETERANS AFFAIRS; AND 
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported, as amended, the following 
appropriations for Fiscal Year 2007: the Military Quality of Life, and 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and the Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies.
SENIOR INDEPENDENCE ACT OF 2006
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Select Education 
approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 5293, Senior 
Independence Act of 2006.
FUEL ECONOMY STANDARDS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported, as amend, a measure to 
amend the automobile fuel economy provisions of title 49, United States 
Code, to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to set fuel economy 
standards for passenger automobiles based on one or more vehicle attributes.
GASOLINE SUPPLY AND PRICE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Held a hearing entitled ``Gasoline Supply, 
Price and Specifications.'' Testimony was heard from Howard K. Gruenspecht, 
Deputy Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of 
Energy; William Wehrum, Acting-Assistant Administrator, Air and Radiation, 
EPA; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
PUBLIC HOUSING MANAGEMENT
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census 
held a hearing entitled ``Public Housing Management: Do the Public Housing 
Authorities Have the Flexibility They Need to Meet the Changing Demands of 
the 21st Century?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
PREVENTING KATRINA FRAUD
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Management, 
Finance and Accountability held a hearing entitled ``After Katrina: The Role 
of the Department of Justice Katrina Fraud Task Force and Agency Inspectors 
General in Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.'' Testimony was heard from 
Alice Fisher, Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of 
Justice, and Chair, Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force; Matt Jadacki,

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Special Inspector General, Gulf Hurricane Recovery, Department of Homeland 
Security; Ken Donohue, Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; Eric Thorson, Inspector General, SBA; and Thomas Gimble, 
Principal Deputy Inspector General, Department of Defense.
INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION SHARING
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information 
Sharing, and Risk Assessment held a hearing entitled ``Building the 
Information Sharing Environment: Addressing the Challenges of 
Implementation.'' Testimony was heard from Ambassador Ted McNamara, 
Information Sharing Program Manager, Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence.
DHS INTELLIGENCE ENTERPRISE--PROTECTION OF PRIVACY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information 
Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment continued hearings entitled 
``Protection of Privacy in the DHS Intelligence Enterprise.'' Testimony was 
heard from a public witness.
CHINA'S RESURGENCE
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on A Resurgent China: 
Responsible Stakeholder or Robust Rival? Testimony was heard from Robert B. 
Zoellick, Deputy Secretary, Department of State.
U.S. REFUGEE PROTECTION AND RESETTLEMENT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Human Rights 
and International Operations held a hearing on Current Issues in U.S. 
Refugee Protection and Resettlement. Testimony was heard from Ellen R. 
Sauerbrey, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees and 
Migration, Department of State; Rachel Brand, Assistant Attorney General, 
Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice; Paul; Rosenzweig, Acting 
Assistant Secretary, Policy Development, Department of Homeland Security; 
and public witnesses.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT REAUTHORIZATION; PALESTINIAN ANTI-TERRORISM ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, the following 
bills: H.R. 9, Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Correta Scott King Voting 
Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006; and H.R. 4681, 
Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006.
WILD REFUGE MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 4947, Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge 
Expansion Act; H.R. 5094, Lake Mattamuskeet Lodge Preservation Act; and H.R. 
5232, Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Bachus; William Hartwig, Chief, National Wildlife Refuge 
System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on 
the following bills: H.R. 4588, Water Resources Research Act Amendments of 
2005; H.R. 5079, North Unit Irrigation District Act of 2006; and S. 214 / 
H.R. 469, United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of the 
Interior: William E. Rinne, Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation; and 
P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director, U.S. Geological Survey; and public 
witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 9 to 4, a structured rule 
providing for further consideration of H.R. 5122, National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. The rule makes in order only those 
amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution 
and amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the resolution. The rule 
provides that amendments printed in the report shall be considered only in 
the order printed in the report (except as specified in section 4 of the 
resolution), may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, and 
shall be considered as may be offered only by a Member designated in the 
report, and shall be considered as read. The rule provides that each 
amendment printed in the report shall be debatable for the time specified in 
the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, 
shall not be subject to amendment (except that the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Armed Services each may offer one pro 
forma amendment for the purpose of further debate on any pending amendment), 
and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the 
House or in the Committee of the Whole.
  The rule waives all points of order against amendments printed in the 
report and those amendments en bloc as described in Section 3 of the 
resolution. The rule authorizes the Chairman of the Committee on Armed 
Services, or his designee, to offer amendments en bloc consisting of 
amendments printed in the Rules Committee report not earlier disposed of, 
which shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally 
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Armed Services or their designees, and shall not be subject to 
amendment or demand for a division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. The rule provides that the original proponent of an 
amendment included in such amendments en bloc may insert a statement in the 
Congressional Record immediately before the disposition of the amendments en 
bloc. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to

[[Page D468]]

recognize for consideration of any amendment printed in the report, out of 
the order printed, but not sooner than 30 minutes after the chairman of the 
Armed Services Committee or his designee announces from the floor a request 
to that effect. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions.
WAIVING A REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 6(a) OF RULE XIII WITH RESPECT TO THE SAME 
DAY CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED BY THE RULES COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule waiving clause 6(a) of 
rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it 
is reported from the Rules Committee) against certain resolutions reported 
from the Rules Committee. The rule applies the waiver to any special rule 
reported on the legislative day of May 11, 2006, providing for consideration 
of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 376) establishing the 
congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2007 
and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2008 through 
2011.
ENTREPRENEURS CAPITAL ACCESS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Bridging the Equity 
Gap: Examining the Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs Act of 2006.'' 
Testimony was heard from Lorrie Keating-Heinemann, Secretary, Department of 
Financial Institutions, State of Wisconsin; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--HIGHWAY CAPACITY AND FREIGHT MOBILITY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Highways, 
Transit and Pipelines held an oversight hearing on Highway Capacity and 
Freight Mobility: The Current Status and Future Challenges. Testimony was 
heard from Jeffrey Shane, Under Secretary, Transportation Policy, Department 
of Transportation; and Tim Martin, Secretary of Transportation, State of 
Illinois; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--RAILROAD RETIREMENT REFORM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Railroads 
held an oversight hearing on Operational Experience Under the 2001 Railroad 
Retirement Reform Law. Testimony was heard from Michael S. Schwartz, 
Chairman, Railroad Retirement Board; and public witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
approved for full Committee action, as amended, the following bills: H.R. 
3082, Veteran-Owned Small Business Promotion Act of 2005; and H.R. 5220, 
Veterans Certification and Licensure Act of 2006.
DRAFT IMPLEMENTING PROPOSAL--U.S.-OMAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION 
ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Approved the draft implementing proposal on the 
United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.
Joint Meetings
HEALTH INFORMATION TOOLS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the next 
generation of health information tools for consumers, focusing on healthcare 
delivery system reform, medical treatment decisions, and the affordability 
and quality of medicare care, after receiving testimony from Carolyn M. 
Clancy, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of 
Health and Human Services; Arnold Milstein, Pacific Business Group on 
Health, San Francisco, California; Michael D. Parkinson, Lumenos, Inc., 
Alexandria, Virginia; Paul B. Ginsburg, Center for Studying Health System 
Change, Washington, D.C.; Douglas G. Cave, Cave Consulting Group, Foster 
City, California; Donald W. Kemper, Healthwise, Inc., Boise, Idaho; and 
Walton Francis, Fairfax, Virginia.
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