[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 17, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D502-D504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
HOMELAND SECURITY; ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS FY 2007
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following appropriations for Fiscal Year 2007: Homeland Security; and 
Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies.
SENIOR INDEPENDENCE ACT OF 2006
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Ordered reported, as amended, 
H.R. 5293, Senior Independence Act of 2006.
MOTOR VEHICLE OWNERS' RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT OF 2005
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on H.R. 2048, Motor Vehicle Owners' 
Right to Repair Act of 2005. Testimony was heard from Deborah Platt 
Majoras, Chairman, FTC; and public witnesses.
PLANNING FOR LONG-TERM CARE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on Planning for Long-Term Care. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on the State of the 
International Financial System. Testimony was heard from John W. Snow, 
Secretary of the Treasury.
REFORM OF NATIONAL SECURITY REVIEWS OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic and 
International Policy, Trade, and Technology held a hearing on H.R. 
5337, Reform of National Security Reviews of Foreign Direct Investments 
Act. Testimony was heard from Clay Lowery, Assistant Secretary, 
International Affairs, Department of the Treasury; Stewart A. Baker, 
Assistant Secretary, Policy, Planning, and International Affairs, 
Department of Homeland Security; Alice Fisher, Assistant Attorney 
General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice; Peter C.W. Flory, 
Assistant Secretary, International Security Policy, Department of 
Defense; and public witnesses.
DOD PRIVATE SECTOR CLEARANCES
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Low 
Clearance: Why Did DOD Suddenly Stop Processing Private Sector Security 
Clearances?'' Testimony was heard from Clay Johnson, III, Acting 
Director, OMB; the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Robert Andrews, Deputy Under Secretary, Counterintelligence and 
Security; Robert W. Rogalski, Special Assistant, Under Secretary 
(Intelligence); and Thomas F. Gimble, Principal Deputy Inspector 
General; and Kathy L. Dillaman, Associate Director, Federal 
Investigative Services Division, OPM.
RU-486 SAFETY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy, and Human Resources held a hearing entitled ``RU-486--
Demonstrating a Low Standard for Women's Health?'' Testimony was heard 
from Janet Woodcock, M.D., Deputy Commissioner, Operations, FDA, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REFORM AND ENHANCEMENT ACT
Committee on Homeland Security: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
5451, National Emergency Management Reform and Enhancement Act of 2006.
U.S. AND SOUTH ASIA AGENDA
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Asia and the 
Pacific held a hearing on the United States and South Asia: An 
Expanding Agenda. Testimony was heard from Richard Boucher, Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Department of 
State.
U.S. ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO EGYPT
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on the Middle East 
and Central Asia held a hearing to review U.S. Assistance Programs to 
Egypt. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of State: David C. Welch, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
Near Eastern Affairs; James Kunder, Assistant Administrator, Asia and 
the Near East, U.S. Agency for International Development; and Michael 
W. Coulter, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military 
Affairs; and public witnesses.

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FEDERAL AGENCY PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT; OVERSIGHT--HOMELAND SECURITY 
AND PERSONAL PRIVACY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law approved for full Committee action H.R. 2840, 
Federal Agency Protection of Privacy Act of 2005.
  The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing on Privacy in the 
Hands of the Government: The Privacy Officer for the Department of 
Homeland Security and the Privacy Officer for the Department of 
Justice. Testimony was heard from Maureen Cooney, Acting Chief Privacy 
Officer, Department of Homeland Security; Jane C. Horvath, Chief 
Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer, Department of Justice; Linda D. 
Koontz, Director, Information Management Issues, GAO; and a public 
witness.
AMERICAN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND MARINE LIFE ENHANCEMENT ACT
Committee on Resources: Ordered reported, amended, H.R. 5018, American 
Fisheries Management and Marine Life Enhancement Act.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES; APPROPRIATIONS FY 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule proving 1 hour 
of debate on H.R. 5386, making appropriations for the Department of the 
Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2007, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. Under the 
rules of the House the bill shall be read for amendment by paragraph. 
The rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill for 
failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI (prohibiting unauthorized 
appropriations or legislative provisions in an appropriations bill), 
except as specified in the resolution. The rule authorizes the Chair to 
accord priority in recognition to Members who have pre-printed their 
amendments in the Congressional Record. The rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Section 2 provides that upon 
adoption of H. Con. Res. 376, and until a concurrent resolution on the 
budget for fiscal year 2007 has been adopted by the Congress, the 
provisions of H. Con. Res. 376 and its accompanying report shall have 
force and effect in the House for all purposes of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 as though adopted by the Congress. The rule provides 
that nothing in section 2 may be construed to engage rule XXVII. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Dicks.
MILITARY QUALITY OF LIFE, AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED 
APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY 2007
Committee on Rules: Testimony was heard from Representative Walsh, but 
action was deferred on H.R. 5385, making appropriations for the 
military quality of life functions of the Department of Defense, 
military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related 
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FY 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote of 6 to 4, a structured rule 
providing for further consideration of 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. The rule provides that the amendments printed 
in part A of the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution 
shall be considered as adopted. The rule provides that the concurrent 
resolution, as amended, shall be considered as read. The rule makes in 
order only those further amendments printed in part B of the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the resolution.
  The rule provides that the amendments printed in part B of the report 
accompanying the resolution may be offered only in the order printed in 
the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, 
shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 40 minutes equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not 
be subject to amendment. The rule waives all points of order against 
the amendments printed in part B of the report, except that the 
adoption of an amendment in the nature of a substitute shall constitute 
the conclusion of consideration of the concurrent resolution for 
amendment.
  The rule provides that upon the conclusion of consideration of the 
concurrent resolution for amendment there shall be a final period of 
general debate, not to exceed 20 minutes equally divided and controlled 
by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the 
Budget. The rule permits the chairman of the Committee on the Budget to 
offer amendments in the House to achieve mathematical consistency. The 
rule provides that the concurrent resolution shall not be subject to a 
demand for division of the question of its adoption.
  The rule provides that after adoption of H. Con. Res. 376, it shall 
be in order to consider in the House S. Con. Res. 83, to move to strike 
all after the resolving clause of S. Con. Res. 83, and to insert the 
provisions of H. Con. Res. 376 as adopted by

[[Page D504]]

the House. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
S. Con. Res. 83 and against the motion to strike and insert. Finally, 
the rule provides that if the motion is adopted and the Senate 
concurrent resolution, as amended, is adopted, then it shall be in 
order to move that the House insist on its amendment to the Senate 
concurrent resolution and request a conference with the Senate thereon.
PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES OF 2006
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on Plug-in 
Hybrid Electric Vehicles of 2006. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following bills: H.R. 5013, Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act 
of 2006; H.R. 5187, To amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to 
authorize additional appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for 
the Performing Arts for fiscal year 2007; and as amended, H.R. 5316, 
RESPOND Act of 2006.
  The Committee also approved additional lease resolutions from the GSA 
FY 2007 Capital Investment and Leasing Program.

Joint Meetings
HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY PROGRAMS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Committee concluded a hearing to examine the role of the Office for 
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights relating to advancing the 
human dimension in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe (OSCE), focusing on the Office for Democratic Institutions and 
Human Rights and its role in monitoring elections in OSCE countries, 
after receiving testimony from Kurt Volker, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; Christian 
Strohal, Director, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, 
OSCE, Austria; and Carl Gershman, National Endowment for Democracy, 
Jeff Fischer, International Foundation for Election Systems, Patrick 
Merloe, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and 
Lorne Craner, International Republican Institute, all of Washington, 
D.C.