[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 27, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D710-D712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
VETERANS AFFAIRS DATA SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life, 
and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, held a hearing on Veterans 
Affairs Data Security. Testimony was heard from R. James Nicholson, 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and public witnesses.
GROUND EQUIPMENT/ROTORCRAFT RESET STRATEGIES
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Army and Marine Corps 
reset strategies for ground equipment and rotorcraft. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: GEN 
Peter J. Schoomaker, USA., Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; and GEN Michael 
W. Hagee, USMC, Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps.
MAKING INTERNET SAFE FOR CHILDREN
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Making the Internet Safe for 
Kids: The Role of ISPs and Social Networking Sites.'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
HI-TECH INFORMATION/CONTENT PROTECTION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``The Audio and Video Flags: 
Can Content Protection and Technological Innovation Coexist?'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CLINICAL LAB QUALITY
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy, and Human Resources held a hearing entitled ``Clinical Lab 
Quality: Oversight Weaknesses Undermine Federal Standards.'' Testimony 
was heard from Leslie Aronovitz, Director, Health Division, GAO; Thomas 
Hamilton, Director, Survey and Certification Group, Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federalism and the 
Census held a hearing entitled ``Moving the CDBG Program Forward: A 
Look at the Administration's Reform Proposal. Where Do We Go From 
Here?'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development: Pamela Hughes Patenaude, 
Assistant Secretary, Office of Community Planning and Development; and 
Todd M. Richardson, Senior Analyst, Office of Policy Development and 
Research; and the following officials of GAO: Stanley J. Czerwinski, 
Director, Intergovernmental Relations, Strategic Issues; and Michael 
Springer, Assistant Director, Strategic Issues.

[[Page D711]]


SEXUAL ASSAULT AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN THE MILITARY AND AT THE 
ACADEMIES
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Emerging Threats, and International Relations held as hearing entitled 
``Sexual Assault and Violence Against Women in the Military and at the 
Academies.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Kaye Whitley, Acting Director, Sexual Assault 
Prevention and Response Office; VADM Rodney P. Rempt, USN, 
Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy; BG Robert L. Caslen, Jr., USA, 
Commandant, U.S. Military Academy; and BG Susan Y. Desjardins, USAF, 
Commandant, U.S. Air Force Academy; RADM Paul J. Higgins, USCG, 
Director, Health and Safety, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland 
Security; Beth Davis, former U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on International Relations: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 5682, To exempt from certain requirements of the 
Atomic Energy Act of 1954 a proposed nuclear agreement for cooperation 
with India; H.R. 4014, Millennium Challenge Reauthorization Act of 
2005.
  The Committee also favorably considered the following measures and 
adopted a motion urging the Chairman to request that they be placed on 
the Suspension calendar: H.R. 5680, Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy, and 
Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006; H. Res. 700, amended, Supporting 
an upgrade in Israel's relationship with NATO to that of a leading 
member of NATO's Individual Cooperation Program, as a first step toward 
Israel's inclusion in NATO as a full member with all corresponding 
rights, privileges, and responsibilities; H. Res. 844, amended, 
Congratulating the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative on 10 years of 
significant achievement in the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine; H. Res. 
860, amended, Calling on the Government of Germany to take immediate 
action to combat sex trafficking in connection with the 2006 FIFA World 
Cup; and H. Con. Res. 435, amended, Congratulating Israel's David Adom 
Society for achieving full membership in the International Red Cross 
and Red Crescent Movement.
AFRICA MAKING SAFE BLOOD AVAILABLE
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights and International Operations held a hearing on Making Safe 
Blood Available in Africa. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Fattah; the following officials of the Department of State: Caroline 
Ryan, M.D., Senior Technical Advisor, Deputy Director, Programs 
Services, Office of the Global Aids Coordinator; and Robert E. Ferris, 
M.D., Medical Officer, Bureau for Global Health, U.S. Agency for 
International Development; Jerry A. Holmberg, Senior Advisor for Blood 
Policy, Office of Public Health and Science, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a briefing on this subject. The 
Subcommittee was briefed by Neelam Dhingra, M.D., Coordinator, Blood 
Transfusion Safety, Essential Health Technologies, World Health 
Organization.
OVERSIGHT--FEDERAL LANDS ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power and the 
Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health held a joint oversight 
hearing on Meeting Electricity Demand in the West through Responsible 
Development of Energy Rights-of-Way on Federal lands. Testimony was 
heard from David H. Meyer, Deputy Director, Office of Electricity 
Delivery and Energy Reliability, Department of Energy; Laura Nelson, 
Energy Policy Advisor, Office of Governor Jon Huntsman, State of Utah; 
and public witnesses.
ENERGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATION 
ACT OF 2006
Committee on Science: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 5656, Energy 
Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application Act of 
2006.
S CORPORATIONS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform and 
Oversight held a hearing entitled ``S Corporations--Their History and 
Challenges.'' Testimony was heard from Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief 
Counsel for Advocacy, SBA; and public witnesses.
IMMIGRANT EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, 
and Government Programs held a hearing entitled ``Immigrant Employment 
Verification and Small Business.'' Testimony was heard from 
Representative Calvert; Robert Divine, Acting Deputy Director, U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security; 
and public witnesses.
EISENHOWER INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM CELEBRATING ANNIVERSARY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways, Transit and Pipelines,

[[Page D712]]

hearing Celebrating 59 Years: The Eisenhower Interstate Highway System. 
Testimony was heard from Richard Capka, Administrator, Federal Highway 
Administration, Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
RAIL SAFETY INITIATIVES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads held a hearing on current FRA Rail Safety Initiatives. 
Testimony was heard from Joseph Boardman, Administrator, Federal 
Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--VA RURAL HEALTH CARE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held an 
oversight hearing to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs efforts 
to provide high quality health care to veterans in rural communities. 
Testimony was heard from Jonathan B. Perline, M.D., Under Secretary, 
Health, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC EXPANSION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
prospects for economic expansion in the United States, after receiving 
testimony from Edward P. Lazear, Chairman, Council of Economic 
Advisers; and Mickey D. Levy, Bank of America, and Brad Setser, Roubini 
Global Economics, LLC, both of New York, New York.