[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 96 (Thursday, July 20, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D812-D814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE CONVENTIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing on H.R. 3849, PIC and POPs 
Conventions and the LRTAP POPs Protocol Implementation Act. Testimony 
was heard from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, EPA.
TRIBAL LABOR RELATION RESTORATION ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Employer-
Employee Relations held a hearing on H.R. 16, Tribal Labor Relations 
Restoration Act of 2005. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Hayworth; Joe Garcia, Governor, Pueblo of San Juan, San Juan Pueblo, 
State of New Mexico; and public witnesses.

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WARNING, ALERT, AND RESPONSE NETWORK ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet held a hearing on H.R. 5785, Warning, Alert, and 
Response Network Act. Testimony was heard from Julius Knapp, Acting 
Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC; and public witnesses.
MONETARY POLICY AND THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on monetary policy and 
the state of the economy. Testimony was heard from Ben S. Bernanke, 
Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; COMMITTEE REPORT; CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Government Reform: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.R. 5664, To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 110 Cooper Street, Babylon, New York, as the 
``Jacob Fletcher Post Office Building;'' H. Res. 605, Recognizing the 
life of Preston Robert Tisch and his outstanding contributions to New 
York City, the New York Giants Football Club, the National Football 
League, and the United States; H. Res. 901, Honoring former President 
William Jefferson Clinton on the occasion of his 60th birthday; H.R. 
3282, Abolishment of Obsolete Agencies and Federal Sunset Act of 2005; 
H.R. 5766, amended, Government Efficiency Act of 2006; H.R. 4087, 
District of Columbia Court, Offender Supervision, Parole, and Public 
Defender Employees Equity Act of 2005; H.R. 4846, To authorize a grant 
for contributions toward the establishment of the Woodrow Wilson 
Presidential Library; and H. Res. 912, Supporting the goals and ideals 
of National Life Insurance Awareness Month.
  The Committee also approved a Committee Report entitled 
``Brownfields: What Will It Take to Turn Lost Opportunities Into 
America's Gain?''
  The Committee also held a hearing entitled ``Climate Change: 
Understanding the Degree of the Problem.'' Testimony was heard from Jim 
Connaughton, Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality; Thomas Karl, 
Director, National Climate Data Center, NOAA, Department of Commerce; 
and public witnesses.
FENCING THE BORDER
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug 
Policy and Human Resources and the Subcommittee on Economic Security, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Cyber-Security of the Committee on 
Homeland Security joint hearing entitled ``Fencing the Border: 
Construction Options and Strategic Placement.'' Testimony was heard 
from Representatives Hunter, Reyes, Pearce, and King of Iowa; the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Kevin 
Stevens, Senior Associate Chief, Customs and Border Protection; and 
Carlton Mann, Chief Inspector, Office of Inspections and Special 
Reviews, Office of Inspector General; and public witnesses.
HYBRID CARS/OIL DEPENDENCE REDUCTION
Committee on Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy and Resources 
held a hearing entitled ``Hybrid Cars: Increasing Fuel Efficiency and 
Reducing Oil Dependence.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
BRIEFING--NATIONAL ASSET DATABASE
Committee on Homeland Security: Met in executive session to receive a 
briefing on the National Asset Database by the Department of Homeland 
Security Office of Infrastructure Protection. The Committee was briefed 
by a departmental witness.
ASIAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on Asian Free 
Trade Agreements: Are They Good for the USA? Testimony was heard from 
Karan K. Bhatia, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative.
AIRCRAFT/WEAPONS SALE TO PAKISTAN
Committee on International Relations: Held a hearing on the Sale of F-
16 Aircraft and Weapons Systems to Pakistan. Testimony was heard from 
John Hillen, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, 
Department of State.
ANGOLA'S LONG DELAYED ELECTION
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Africa, Global 
Human Rights and International Operations held a hearing on Angola's 
Long Delayed Election. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of State: Dan Mozena, Director, Office of Southern 
African Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs; and Paul Bonicelli, Deputy 
Assistant Administrator, Democracy and Governance, U.S. Agency for 
International Development; and public witnesses.
U.S. NONPROLIFERATION STRATEGY
Committee on International Relations: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on U.S. Nonproliferation Strategy: 
Policies and Technical Capabilities. Testimony was heard Francis C. 
Record, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Security 
and Nonproliferation, Department of State; and public witnesses.

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REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 682, Regulatory Flexibility 
Improvements Act. Testimony was heard from Thomas M. Sullivan, Chief 
Counsel for Advocacy, SBA; J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director-
Strategic Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--ENERGY EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Border 
Security, and Claims held an oversight hearing entitled ``Energy 
Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act: Are We 
Fulfilling the Promise We Made to Cold War Veterans When We Created the 
Program? Part 3 in a Series.'' Testimony was heard from Austin Smythe, 
Acting Deputy Director, OMB; Lewis Wade, Special Assistant to the 
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and a public witness.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM
Committee on Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans held an 
oversight hearing on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Growing 
Operations Crisis Within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Testimony 
was heard from Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
CHINESE BARRIERS TO TRADE
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Rural Enterprises, 
Agriculture, and Technology and the Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and 
Exports held a joint hearing entitled ``Chinese Barriers to Trade: Does 
China Play Fair?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--USCG LICENSING AND DOCUMENTATION OF MERCHANT MARINERS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held an oversight hearing on U.S. 
Coast Guard Licensing and Documentation of Merchant Mariners. Testimony 
was heard from RADM, Craig E. Bone, USCG, Assistant Commandant for 
Prevention, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.R. 5835, amended, Veterans Identify and Security Credit 
Security Act of 2006; H.R. 5815, amended, Department of Veterans 
Affairs Medical Facility Authorization Act of 2006; H. Con. Res. 125, 
Expressing the support for the designation and goals of ``Hire a 
Veteran Week'' and encouraging the President to issue a proclamation 
supporting those goals; and H. Con. Res. 347, Honoring the National 
Association of State Veterans Homes and the 119 State veterans homes 
providing long-term care to veterans that are represented by that 
association for their contributions to the health care of veterans and 
the health care system of the Nation.
U.S-PERU TRADE PROMOTION AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Approved the draft implementing proposal 
on the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act.
FBI CONFIDENTIAL HUMAN SOURCE OPERATIONS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to hold hearing on FBI Confidential Human Source Operations. 
Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT
  Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences 
between the Senate and House passed versions of S. 250, to amend the 
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 to 
improve the Act.