[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 62 (Thursday, May 18, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D510-D511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 2,086 
nominations in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following bills:
  S. 1881, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in 
commemoration of the Old Mint at San Francisco, otherwise known as the 
``Granite Lady'';
  S. 633, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in 
commemoration of veterans who became disabled for life while serving in 
the Armed Forces of the United States; and
  S. 2784, to award a congressional gold medal to Tenzin Gyatso, the 
Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring and 
outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights, and 
religious understanding.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND EXCHANGE RATE POLICIES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the report to Congress on International Economic and 
Exchange Rate Policies, after receiving testimony from John W. Snow, 
Secretary of the Treasury.
COMMUNICATIONS CONSUMER'S CHOICE AND BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee held a 
hearing to examine S. 2686, to amend the Communications Act of 1934, 
receiving testimony from former Representative Steve Largent, on behalf 
of the CTIA--The Wireless Association; Mayor Michael A. Guido, 
Dearborn, Michigan, on behalf of the United States Conference of Mayors 
and sundry organizations; Philip McClelland, Pennsylvania Office of 
Consumer Advocate, Harrisburg, on behalf of the National Association of 
State Utility Consumer Advocates; Kyle McSlarrow, National Cable and 
Telecommunications Association, Walter B. McCormick, Jr., United States 
Telecom Association (USTelecom), Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union, on 
behalf of the Consumer Federation of America, and Free Press, and 
Joslyn Read, Satellite Industry Association, all of Washington, DC; 
Julia L. Johnson, Video Access Alliance, Tallahassee, Florida; and 
Shirley A. Bloomfield, National Telecommunications Cooperative 
Association, Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of the Coalition to Keep 
America Connected.
  Hearing continues on Thursday, May 25.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported S. 2802, to improve American innovation and 
competitiveness in the global economy, with amendments.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nomination of W. Ralph Basham, of Virginia, to be Commissioner of 
Customs, Department of Homeland Security.
  Also, Committee approved recommendations relative to proposed 
legislation implementing the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement.
IRAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings to examine 
Iran's political and nuclear ambitions and the enrichment of uranium, 
focusing on the United Nations Security Council, and the prospect of 
direct talks with the government of Iran, after receiving testimony 
from Frank G. Wisner, American International Group, Inc., New York, New 
York; Vali R. Nasr, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California; 
and Julia Nanay, PFC Energy, and James A. Phillips, Heritage 
Foundation, Washington, D.C.
NEPAL
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South 
Asian Affairs concluded a hearing to examine recent political 
developments in Nepal, focusing on the role of the United States to 
support democracy, security and prosperity in Nepal, after receiving 
testimony from Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for 
South and Central Asian Affairs; Deepak Thapa, Columbia University, and 
Sam Zarifi, Human Rights Watch, both of New York, New York; and John 
Norris, International Crisis Group, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of Robert Irwin Cusick, 
Jr., of Kentucky, to be Director of the Office of Government Ethics, 
Office of Personnel Management, after the nominee, who was introduced 
by Senator McConnell, testified and answered questions in his own 
behalf.
UNOBLIGATED BALANCES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and 
International

[[Page D511]]

Security concluded a hearing to examine unobligated balances, focusing 
on their treatment by Federal agencies and how they impact their 
budgeting and programming process, including what happens to these 
accounts when they expire, and how the Office of Management and Budget, 
Department of the Treasury, and the agencies treat them, after 
receiving testimony from Phyllis F. Scheinberg, Assistant Secretary of 
Transportation for Budget and Programs, and Chief Financial Officer; 
Lee J. Lofthus, Deputy Assistant Attorney General/Controller, 
Department of Justice; John P. Roth, Deputy Comptroller for Program 
Budget, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), 
Department of Defense; Charles E. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of 
Health and Human Services for Budget, Technology and Finance; and 
Robert J. Henke, Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
Management.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S.J. 
Res. 1, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States 
relating to marriage.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nomination of General Michael V. Hayden, United States Air 
Force, to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, after the 
nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR SENIORS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
caring for seniors during a national emergency, including issues that 
surfaced as a result of the 2005 hurricanes, focusing on challenges 
faced by hospital and nursing home administrators that are related to 
hurricane evacuations, the Federal program that supports the evacuation 
of patients needing hospital care and nursing home residents, and 
challenges States and localities face in preparing for and carrying out 
the evacuation of transportation-disadvantaged populations and efforts 
to address evacuation needs, after receiving testimony from Daniel W. 
Sutherland, Officer, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Chair, 
Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and 
Individuals with Disabilities, Department of Homeland Security; Cynthia 
Bascetta, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office; Amy 
B. Aiken, Miami-Dade Office of Emergency Management, Miami, Florida; 
Carmel Bitondo Dyer, Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Program at 
the Harris County Hospital District, Houston, Texas, on behalf of the 
American Geriatrics Society; Maurice Frisella, New Orleans, Louisiana; 
and Jean Cefalu, Slidell, Louisiana.