Friday, September 22, 2006 [[Page D1015]] Daily Digest Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S10011-S10050 Measures Introduced: Three bills were introduced, as follows: S. 3929- 3931. Page S10017 Measures Passed: Credit Rating Agency Reform Act: Senate passed S. 3850, to improve ratings quality for the protection of investors and in the public interest by fostering accountability, transparency, and competition in the credit rating agency industry, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: Pages S10011-16 McConnell (for Shelby/Sarbanes) Amendment No. 5035, to amend the bill. Pages S10012-13 Bill Introduction--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that notwithstanding the order of September 21, 2006, it be reflected that the Majority Leader, or his designee, offer 3 bills under the provisions of Rule 14, that all other provisions under the order be in effect; further, that the Record remain open today until 11 a.m., for submitted statements. Page S10016 Messages From the House: Page S10016 Measures Read First Time: Pages S10016-17 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Pages S10017-50 Amendments Submitted: Page S10050 Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 9:40 a.m., until 2 p.m., on Monday, September 25, 2006. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in the next issue of the Record.) Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) NOMINATION Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded hearings on the nomination of Clyde Bishop, of Delaware, to be Ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf. House of Representatives Chamber Action The House was not in session today. The House is scheduled to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, September 25, 2006. Committee Meetings D.C. CRIME LAB? Committee on Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled ``CSI Washington: Does the District Need Its Own Crime Lab?'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Justice: Ken Wainstein, U.S. Attorney, District of Columbia; and Joseph A. DiZinno, D.D.S., Director, FBI Laboratory; the following officials of the District of Columbia: Charles H. Ramsey, Chief of Police, Metropolitan Police Department; and Edward D. Reiskin, Deputy Mayor, Public Safety and Justice; and a public witness. Joint Meetings APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Conferees: on Thursday, September 21, 2006, agreed to file a conference report on the differences between the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 5631, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007. [[Page D1016]] CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM AHEAD Week of September 25 through September 30, 2006 Senate Chamber On Monday, at 5:20 p.m., Senate will consider the nomination of Francisco Augusto Besosa, of Puerto Rico, to be United States District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico, with a vote on confirmation of the nomination to occur at 5:30 p.m. During the balance of the week, Senate may consider any cleared legislative and executive business, including appropriation bills and conference reports, when available. Senate Committees (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Committee on Armed Services: September 28, to hold hearings to examine issues relating to military voting and the Federal Voting Assistance Program, 9:30 a.m., SH-216. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: September 26, to hold hearings to examine implications of the New Basel Capital Accord designed to bring order to international capital markets, 10 a.m., SD-538. September 27, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Christopher A. Padilla, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and Bijan Rafiekian, of California, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Export- Import Bank of the United States, 10 a.m., SD-538. September 28, Full Committee, business meeting to mark up an original bill to reauthorize the ``Iran Libya Sanctions Act'', 10 a.m., SD-538. Committee on the Budget: September 28, to hold hearings to examine the state of the economy, 10 a.m., SD-608. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: September 26, with the Committee on Foreign Relations, to hold joint hearings to examine International Polar Year, 3:15 p.m., SR-253. September 27, Full Committee, business meeting to consider pending calendar business, 10 a.m., SR-253. September 28, Subcommittee on Aviation, to hold hearings to examine new aircraft in the National Airspace System, 10 a.m., SR- 253. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: September 27, Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, to hold hearings to examine S. 3599, to establish the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument in the State of New Mexico, S. 3794, to provide for the implementation of the Owyhee Initiative Agreement, S. 3854, to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as wilderness, H.R. 3603, to promote the economic development and recreational use of National Forest System lands and other public lands in central Idaho, to designate the Boulder-White Cloud Management Area to ensure the continued management of certain National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands for recreational and grazing use and conservation and resource protection, to add certain National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands in central Idaho to the National Wilderness Preservation System, and H.R. 5025, to protect for future generations the recreational opportunities, forests, timber, clean water, wilderness and scenic values, and diverse habitat of Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon, 10 a.m., SD-628. Committee on Environment and Public Works: September 26, business meeting to consider H.R. 1463, to designate a portion of the Federal building located at 2100 Jamieson Avenue, in Alexandria, Virginia, as the ``Justin W. Williams United States Attorney's Building'', and the nominations of Roger Romulus Martella, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator, and Alex A. Beehler, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, both of the Environmental Protection Agency, William H. Graves, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and Brigadier General Bruce Arlan Berwick, United States Army, Colonel Gregg F. Martin, United States Army, Brigadier General Robert Crear, United States Army, and Rear Admiral Samuel P. De Bow, Jr., NOAA, each to be a Member of the Mississippi River Commission, and other pending committee business, 9:30 a.m., SD-406. September 28, Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management, to hold hearings to examine S. 3871, to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a hazardous waste electronic manifest system, 9:30 a.m., SD-406. Committee on Finance: September 26, Subcommittee on Health Care, to hold hearings to examine health savings accounts, 2:30 p.m., SD- 215. September 28, Subcommittee on Long-term Growth and Debt Reduction, to hold hearings to examine America's public debt, 2:30 p.m., SD- 215. Committee on Foreign Relations: September 26, to hold hearings to examine a new initiative to combat child hunger, 9:30 a.m., SD-419. September 26, Full Committee, business meeting to consider the nominations of James R. Kunder, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, and Donald Y. Yamamoto, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 2:15 p.m., S-116, Capitol. September 26, Full Committee, with the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to hold joint hearings to examine International Polar Year, 3:15 p.m., SR-253. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: September 27, Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness, to hold hearings to examine measures to improve emergency medical care, 2:30 p.m., SD-430. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: September 26, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, to hold hearings to examine the Federal government's implementation of pay for performance systems for its senior executives, focusing on the regulatory structure for the systems, the agency certification [[Page D1017]] process, and the effectiveness of the role of the Office of Personnel Management in evaluating and monitoring these systems, 10:45 a.m., SD-342. September 26, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security, to hold hearings to examine uncollected taxes and issues of transparency relating to deconstructing the tax code, focusing on the 2006 updated estimate of the tax gap by the IRS, examine IRS efforts to close the tax gap as well as legislative solutions to increase tax payer compliance, and explore the transparency of the tax code, 2:30 p.m., SD-342. September 27, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine new technologies to improve care for people with diabetes and reduce the burden on the health care system, focusing on the development of an artificial pancreas, 10 a.m., SD-342. September 28, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, to resume hearings to examine the National Capital Region's strategic security plan, focusing on the ability of the responsible Federal, state and local government agencies of the National Capital Region to respond to a terrorist attack or natural disaster, including the coordination efforts within the region, 10 a.m., SD-342. Committee on the Judiciary: September 25, to hold hearings to examine proposals to limit Guantanamo detainees' access to habeas corpus review, 10:30 a.m., SD-226. September 26, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine how widespread is the problem and is there adequate criminal enforcement relating to illegal insider trading, 9:30 a.m., SD-226. September 26, Full Committee, business meeting to consider the nominations of Terrence W. Boyle, of North Carolina, and William James Haynes II, of Virginia, each to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, Kent A. Jordan, of Delaware, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, Peter D. Keisler, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, William Gerry Myers III, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, Nora Barry Fischer, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Gregory Kent Frizzell, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Marcia Morales Howard, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida, John Alfred Jarvey, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa, Sara Elizabeth Lioi, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, and Lisa Godbey Wood, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia, 2:30 p.m., SD-226. September 26, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine judicial nominations, 3:30 p.m., SD-226. September 27, Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship, to hold an oversight hearing to examine United States refugee admissions and policy, 3 p.m., SD-226. Committee on Veterans' Affairs: September 26, to hold hearings to examine the nomination of Robert T. Howard, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Information and Technology); to be followed by a business meeting off the floor after the first roll call vote, to consider the nomination of Mr. Howard, 10 a.m., SR-418. Select Committee on Intelligence: September 27, to receive a closed briefing regarding intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., SH-219. September 28, Full Committee, to hold closed hearings to examine intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., SH-219. House Committees Committee on Agriculture, September 26, Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture, hearing to review federal farm policy affecting the specialty crop industry, 9:30 a.m., 1300 Longworth. September 28, Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research, hearing to review the EPA pesticide program, 10 a.m., 1300 Longworth. Committee on Armed Services, September 26, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities and the Subcommittee on Readiness, joint hearing on Alternative Energy and Energy Efficiency Programs of the Department of Defense, 2 p.m., 2118 Rayburn. September 27, Subcommittee on Military Personnel and the Subcommittee Economic Opportunity of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, joint hearing on the Montgomery G.I. Bill for Members of the Selected Reserve, 10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn. September 27, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, hearing on the Irregular Warfare Roadmap, 2:30 p.m., 2118 Rayburn. Committee on Education and the Workforce, September 26, Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, hearing entitled ``The Internet and the College Campus: How the Entertainment Industry and Higher Education Are Working To Combat Illegal Piracy,'' 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn. September 27, Subcommittee on Education Reform, hearing on ``Perspectives on Early Home Visitation Programs, 10:30 a.m., 2175 Rayburn. September 28, Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations, hearing entitled ``Examining Whether Combining Guards and Other Employees in Bargaining Units Would Weaken National Security,'' 10:30 a.m., 2175 Rayburn. Committee on Energy and Commerce, September 26, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing entitled ``Sexual Exploitation of Children Over the Internet: The Face of a Child Predator and Other Issues,'' 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn. September 27, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing entitled ``Sexual Exploitation of Children Over the Internet: Follow-up Issues to the Masha Allen Adoption,'' 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn. September 28, Subcommittee on Health, hearing entitled ``Medicare Physician Payments: 2007 and Beyond,'' 2 p.m., 2322 Rayburn. September 28, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing entitled ``Hewlett-Packard's Pretexting Scandal,'' 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn. [[Page D1018]] September 29, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing entitled ``Internet Data Brokers and Pretexting: Who Has Access to Your Private Records?'' 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn. Committee on Financial Services, September 27, Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, joint hearing entitled ``Protecting Americans From Catastrophic Terrorism Risk,'' 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn. September 28, Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, hearing entitled ``Improving Financial Literacy: Working Together To Develop Private Sector Coordination and Solutions,'' 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn. Committee on Government Reform, September 26, hearing entitled ``Medical Device Safety: How FDA Regulates the Reprocessing of Supposedly Single-Use Devices, `` 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn. September 26, Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, hearing entitled ``Weapons of Mass Destruction: Reviving Disarmament,'' 2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn. September 26, Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, hearing entitled `` H.R. 5242, Small Business Paperwork Amnesty Act,'' 2 p.m., 2203 Rayburn. September 27, Subcommittee on Energy and Resources, hearing entitled ``Rebalancing the Carbon Cycle,'' 2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn. September 27, Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance and Accountability, hearing entitled ``Banks in Real Estate: A Review of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's December 2005 Rulings,'' 2 p.m., 2203 Rayburn. September 28, full Committee, hearing entitled `` Acquisition Under Duress: Reconstruction Contracting in Iraq,'' 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn. Committee on Homeland Security, September 26, hearing entitled ``The Department of Homeland Security: Major Initiatives for 2007 and Beyond,'' 10 a.m., 311 Cannon. September 28, Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity, hearing entitled ``Front-Line Defense: Security Training for Mass Transit and Rail Employees,'' 10 a.m., 311 Cannon. Committee on House Administration, September 27, hearing on the IT Assessment: A Ten-Year Vision for Information Technology in the House, 10 a.m., 1310 Longworth. September 28, hearing on Electronic Voting Machines: Verification, Security, and Paper Trails, 10 a.m., 1310 Longworth. Committee on International Relations, September 26, briefing and hearing on Enhancing the Global Fight to End Human Trafficking, 10 a.m., 2172 Rayburn. September 27, hearing on the United States-Republic of Korea Relations: An Alliance at Risk? 2:30 p.m., 2172 Rayburn. September 28, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations, hearing on The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in United States Programming in Africa, 2 p.m., 2200 Rayburn. September 28, Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation and the Subcommittee on Middle East and Central Asia, joint hearing on Hezbollah's Global Reach, 10:30 a.m., 2172 Rayburn. September 28, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, hearing on Moving Forward in Haiti: How the U.S. and the International Community Can Help, 2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn. September 29, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing on Falun Gong: Organ Harvesting and China's Ongoing War on Human Rights, 10:30 a.m., 2172 Rayburn. Committee on the Judiciary, September 26, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, hearing on H.R. 6101, Legal Services Corporation Improvement Act, 2 p.m., 2141 Rayburn. Committee on Resources, September 26, Subcommittee on Water and Power, hearing on the following bills: H.R. 5110, More Water and More Energy Act of 2006; H.R. 5786, South Orange County Recycled Water Enhancement Act; and H.R. 5987, to provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District, 1 p.m., 1324 Longworth. September 28, Subcommittee on National Parks, hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1344, Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Study Act; H.R. 4529, Kalaupapa Memorial Act of 2005; H.R. 5195, Journey Through Hollowed Ground National Heritage Area Designation Act of 2006; H.R. 5466, Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Designation Act; H.R. 5665, American Falls Reservoir District Number 2 Conveyance Act; and H.R. 5817, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Monument Act of 2006, 10 a.m., 1324 Longworth. Committee on Rules, September 25, to consider the following bills: H.R. 2679, Public Expressions of Religion Act of 2006; and S. 403, Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, 5 p.m., H-313 Capitol. September 26, to consider H.R. 6054, Military Commissions Act of 2006, 3 p.m., H-313 Capitol. Committee on Science, September 26, Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, to continue hearings on The National Academy of Sciences' Decadal Plan for Aeronautics: A Blueprint for NASA? 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn. September 28, full Committee, hearing on Implementing the Vision for Space Exploration: Development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle, 2 p.m., 2318 Rayburn. September 29, hearing on GAO Report on NOAA's Weather Satellite Program, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn. Committee on Small Business, September 27, hearing entitled ``Advancing Security and Commerce at Our Nation's Ports: The Goals Are Not Mutually Exclusive,'' 2 p.m., 2360 Rayburn. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, September 26, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, oversight hearing on the National Academy of Science Icebreaker Report, 1 p.m., 2167 Rayburn. September 27, Subcommittee on Aviation, oversight hearing on Next Generation Air Transportation System Financing Options, 2 p.m., 2167 Rayburn. [[Page D1019]] September 28, Subcommittee on Railroads, oversight hearing on New Hands on the Amtrak Throttle, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn. Committee on Veterans' Affairs, September 27, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, oversight hearing on the administration of the VA Pension Program, 10:30 a.m., 334 Cannon. September 28, Subcommittee on Health, oversight hearing on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Emerging trends in force and veteran health, 10 a.m., 334 Cannon. Committee on Ways and Means, September 26, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, hearing on Member Proposals on Tax Issues Introduced in the 109th Congress, 10 a.m., B-318 Rayburn. Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, September 26, executive, hearing on the DNI's Intelligence Collection Architecture, 1:45 p.m., H-405 Capitol. September 27, executive, hearing on the DNI's Perspective on State of Intelligence Reform, 10:15 a.m., H-405 Capitol. September 28, executive, briefing on Global Updates/Hotspots, 9 a.m., H-405 Capitol. Joint Meetings Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: September 26, to hold hearings to examine the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its impact on United States interests in Central Asia, 3 p.m., SD- 538. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (USPS 087ÿ09390). The Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, D.C. 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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Record, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, Along with the entire mailing label from the last issue received. [[Page D1020]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 2 p.m., Monday, September 25 Senate Chamber Program for Monday: Senate will be in a period of morning business. At 5:20 p.m., Senate will consider the nomination of Francisco Augusto Besosa, to be United States District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico, with a vote on confirmation of the nomination to occur at 5:30 p.m. Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 12:30 p.m., Monday, September 25 House Chamber Program for Monday: To be announced.