[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 77 (Thursday, June 15, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D641-D643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing to review Efforts to Eliminate Waste, 
Fraud and Abuse in the Crop Insurance Program. Testimony was heard from 
Eldon Gould, Administrator, Risk Management Agency, USDA; Daniel 
Bertoni, Acting Director, Natural Resources and Environment Division, 
GAO; and public witnesses.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PUBLIC LANDS EFFECTS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Effects of Illegal Immigration on 
Public and Tribal Lands. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Tancredo and Grijalva; the following officials of the Department of the 
Interior: William T. Civish, District Manager, Dila District, Bureau of 
Land Management; and Selanhongva McDonald, Southwestern Regional 
Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs; and public witnesses.
COMBAT EQUIPMENT--IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces, hearing to receive an update on the use of combat helmets, 
vehicle armor, and body armor by ground forces in Operation Iraq

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Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: MG Stephen M. 
Speakes, USA, Director, Force Development, Army G8; MG William D. 
Catto, USMC, Commanding General, Marine Corps Systems Command; Roger M. 
Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Littoral and Mine 
Warfare; and MG (sel) Gary McCoy, USAF, Director, Logistics Readiness, 
Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Installations and 
Mission Support.
HEALTH MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported the following 
measures: S. 655, amended, A bill to amend the Public Health Service 
Act with respect to the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention; H.R. 5573, Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006; 
H.R. 5574, amended, Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act 
of 2006; H. Con. Res. 426, Recognizing the Food and Drug Administration 
of the Department of Health and Human Services on the occasion of the 
100th anniversary of the passage of the Food and Drugs Act for the 
important service it provides to the Nation; and H.R. 4157, amended, 
Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005.
SILICOSIS INVESTIGATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations approved a motion authorizing the issuance of subpoenas 
in connection with the Committee's investigation on silicosis.
NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA'S HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING
Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``Regional 
Insecurity: DHS Grants to the National Capital Area.'' Testimony was 
heard from George W. Foresman, Under Secretary, Preparedness, 
Department of Homeland Security; Edward D. Reiskin, Deputy Mayor, 
Public Safety and Justice, District of Columbia; Robert Crouch, 
Assistant to the Governor for Preparedness, State of Virginia; Dennis 
Schrader, Director, Office of Homeland Security, State of Maryland; and 
David Robertson, Executive Director, Metropolitan Washington Council of 
Governments.
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT--SHIRLINGTON LIMO CASE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, 
Integration, and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``An Examination of 
the Department of Homeland Security's Procurement Process Regarding 
Shirlington Limousine and Transportation, Inc.'' Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: 
Elaine C. Duke, Chief Procurement Officer; and Kevin Boshears, 
Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization; and 
Calvin Jenkins, Deputy to the Associate Deputy Administrator, SBA
NATURAL GAS PIPELINE PROPERTY--PREVENT DISCRIMINATORY TAXATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law approved for full Committee action H.R. 1369, To 
prevent discriminatory taxation of natural gas pipeline property.
OVERSIGHT--PATENT TROLLS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held an oversight hearing on Patent Trolls: Fact 
or Fiction? Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FISHERIES/HATCHERY MEASURES
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans held a 
hearing on the following bills: H.R. 4957, Tylersville Fish Hatchery 
Conveyance Act; H.R. 5061, Paint Bank and Wytheville National Fish 
Hatcheries Conveyance Act; and H.R. 5381, National Fish Hatchery System 
Volunteer Act. Testimony was heard from Representative Boucher; Mamie 
Parker, Assistant Director, Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Douglas Austen, 
Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, State of Pennsylvania; 
Gary Martel, Director, Fisheries, Department of Game and Inland 
Fisheries, State of Virginia; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE LINE ITEM VETO ACT
Committee on Rules: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 4890, 
Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006.
OVERSIGHT--INTERMODALISM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit and Pipelines held an oversight hearing on 
Intermodalism. Testimony was heard from Jeffrey Shane, Under Secretary, 
Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; Katherine 
Siggerud, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; J. Robert 
Bray, Executive Director, Port Authority, State of Virginia; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--RECENT PATIENT SAFETY ISSUES
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held an oversight hearing on recent patient safety 
issues. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs: James P. Bagian, M.D., VHA Chief

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Patient Safety Officer and Director, VA National Center for Patient 
Safety; and John D. Daigh, Jr., M.D., Assistant Inspector General, 
Healthcare Inspections; Daniel Schultz, M.D., Director, Center for 
Devices and Radiological Health, FDA, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and Laurie Ekstrand, Director, Health Care, GAO.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROMOTION ACT OF 2006
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 4157, 
Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006.
SSA's IMPROVED DISABILITY DETERMINATION PROCESS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on the Social Security Administration's Improved Disability 
Determination Process. Testimony was heard from Jo Anne B. Barnhart, 
Commissioner, SSA; Robert E. Robertson, Director, Education, Workforce, 
and Income Security Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
SOUTH CENTRAL EUROPE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission): 
Commission concluded a hearing to examine human rights challenges that 
countries in South Central Europe face as they seek integration into 
the European Union and/or North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 
focusing on legal restrictions on religions activities and other 
attacks on religious freedom, lagging efforts to combat trafficking in 
persons, discrimination and violence against Roma, and the prevalence 
of official corruption and organized crime, after receiving testimony 
from Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for 
European and Eurasia Affairs; Daniel Serwer, United States Institute of 
Peace, Janusz Bugajski, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 
Joseph K. Grieboski, Institute on Religion and Public Policy, all of 
Washington, D.C.; and Nicolae Gheorghe, Organization for Security and 
Co-operation in Europe, Warsaw, Poland.