Wednesday, January 18, 2006 [[Page D4]] Daily Digest HIGHLIGHTS Senator Robert Menendez of the State of New Jersey was administered the oath of office. Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S3-S17 Measures Introduced: Three bills and one resolution were introduced, as follows: S. 2177-2179, and S. Res. 348. Page S14 Measures Passed: Minority Committee Appointments: Senate agreed to S. Res. 348, making minority party appointments to certain Senate committees for the 109th Congress. Page S4 Swearing in of Senator Menendez: The Chair laid before the Senate the certificate of appointment of Senator-designate Robert Menendez of the State of New Jersey, and the oath of office was then administered as required by the U.S. Constitution and prescribed by law. Page S4 Committee Authority--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that committees be authorized to file legislative and executive reports from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Tuesday, January 24, 2006. Pages S3-4 Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations: Gale A. Buchanan, of Georgia, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics. Preston M. Geren, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of the Army. James S. Simpson, of New York, to be Federal Transit Administrator. Robert M. Couch, of Alabama, to be President, Government National Mortgage Association. Roger Shane Karr, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation. Tyler D. Duvall, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation. David C. Sanborn, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration. Nicole R. Nason, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. James B. Gulliford, of Missouri, to be Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances of the Environmental Protection Agency. Richard A. Boucher, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs. Mark D. Wallace, of Florida, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador. Mark D. Wallace, of Florida, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform. Jackie Wolcott Sanders, of Virginia, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador. Jackie Wolcott Sanders, of Virginia, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during her tenure of service as Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations. Patricia A. Butenis, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Donald T. Bliss, of Maryland, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Ben S. Bernanke, of New Jersey, to be United States Alternate Governor of the International Monetary Fund for a term of five years. [[Page D5]] John A. Simon, of Maryland, to be Executive Vice President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. David L. Norquist, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Homeland Security. Page S17 Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the following nomination: Eugene Hickok, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for the remainder of the term expiring January 26, 2008, which was sent to the Senate on October 17, 2005. Page S17 Messages From the House: Page S10 Enrolled Bills Presented: Pages S10-11 Executive Communications: Pages S11-14 Additional Cosponsors: Pages S14-15 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Pages S15-16 Additional Statements: Pages S6-10 Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m., and adjourned at 10:52 a.m., until 10 a.m., on Friday, January 20, 2006 for a pro forma session. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S17.) Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) NOMINATION Committee on the Judiciary: On Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 13, committee held hearings on the nomination of Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of New Jersey, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, where the nominee, on Monday, was introduced by Senator Lautenberg and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and presented a statement in his own behalf. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf. On Thursday, testimony was received from Stephen L. Tober, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Marna Tucker and John Payton, both of Washington, DC, all on behalf of the American Bar Association; Judge Edward R. Becker, Chief Judge Anthony J. Scirica, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, Judge Ruggero J. Aldisert, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Judge Leonard I. Garth, Chicago, Illinois, all of the United States Court of Appeals; John J. Gibbons, Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, Newark, New Jersey, former United States Court of Appeals Judge (Ret.); Timothy K. Lewis, Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, Washington, DC, former United States Court of Appeals Judge (Ret.); Edna Ball Alexrod, Law Offices of Edna Ball Alexrod, South Orange, New Jersey; Michael J. Gerhardt, University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill; Peter Kirsanow, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, Cleveland, Ohio, and Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; Samuel Issacharoff, New York University School of Law, New York, New York; Carter Phillips, Sidley Austin, Washington, DC; and Goodwin Liu, University of California, Berkeley; and on Friday, testimony was received from Representatives Gonzalez and Wasserman Schultz; Nora Demleitner, Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York; Erwin Chemerinsky, Duke University Law School, Durham, North Carolina; Anthony Kronman, Yale Law School, and Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr., both of New Haven, Connecticut; Beth Nolan, Crowell & Moring, former Counsel to the President (1999-2001), Kate Michelman, on behalf of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL), Amanda Frost, American University Washington College of Law, Reginald M. Turner, Jr., National Bar Association, and Theodore Shaw, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, all of Washington, DC; Charles Fried, former Solicitor General of the United States, and Laurence H. Tribe, both of Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Fred Gray, Gray, Langford, Sapp, McGowan, Gray & Nathanson, Tuskegee, Alabama; John G. S. Flym, Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts; Kate Pringle, Friedman, Kaplan, Seiler & Adelman, New York, New York; and Jack White, Kirkland & Ellis, San Francisco, California. [[Page D6]] House of Representatives Chamber Action The House was not in session today. The House is scheduled to meet at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 31, 2006. Committee Meetings No committee meetings were held. NEW PUBLIC LAWS (For last listing of Public Laws, see Daily Digest, p. D 1339-1340) H.R. 2863, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-148) H.R. 3010, making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-149) H.R. 4525, to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109- 150) H.R. 4579, to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend by one year provisions requiring parity in the application of certain limits to mental health benefits. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-151) S. 205, to authorize the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish in the State of Louisiana a memorial to honor the Buffalo Soldiers. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-152) S. 652, to provide financial assistance for the rehabilitation of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the development of an exhibit to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-153) S. 1238, to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that protect forests. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-154) S. 1281, to authorize appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for science, aeronautics, exploration, exploration capabilities, and the Inspector General, and for other purposes, for fiscal years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-155) S. 1310, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow the Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation to increase the diameter of a natural gas pipeline located in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, to allow certain commercial vehicles to continue to use Route 209 within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and to extend the termination date of the National Park System Advisory Board to January 1, 2007. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109- 156) S. 1481, to amend the Indian Land Consolidation Act to provide for probate reform. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-157) S. 1892, to amend Public Law 107-153 to modify a certain date. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-158) S. 1988, to authorize the transfer of items in the War Reserves Stockpile for Allies, Korea. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-159) S. 2167, to amend the USA PATRIOT Act to extend the sunset of certain provisions of that Act and the lone wolf provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to July 1, 2006. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-160) H.R. 4635, to reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant program through March 31, 2006. Signed on December 30, 2005. (Public Law 109-161) H.R. 3402, to authorize appropriations for the Department of Justice for fiscal years 2006 through 2009. Signed on January 5, 2006. (Public Law 109-162) H.R. 1815, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year. Signed on January 6, 2006. (Public Law 109-163) H.R. 972, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 for the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Signed on January 10, 2006. (Public Law 109-164) H.R. 2017, to amend the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations to provide assistance for domestic and foreign programs and centers for the treatment of victims of torture. Signed on January 10, 2006. (Public Law 109-165) H.R. 3179, to reauthorize and amend the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act [[Page D7]] of 1994. Signed on January 10, 2006. (Public Law 109-166) H.R. 4501, to amend the Passport Act of June 4, 1920, to authorize the Secretary of State to establish and collect a surcharge to cover the costs of meeting the increased demand for passports as a result of actions taken to comply with section 7209(b) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Signed on January 10, 2006. (Public Law 109-167) H.R. 4637, to make certain technical corrections in amendments made by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Signed on January 10, 2006. (Public Law 109-168) H.R. 4340, to implement the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. Signed on January 11, 2006. (Public Law 109-169) COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2006 (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: to hold hearings to examine decency, 10 a.m., SD-562. Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine protecting children on the Internet, 2:30 p.m., SD-562. Committee on Foreign Relations: to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Claudia A. McMurray, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and Bradford R. Higgins, of Connecticut, to be Chief Financial Officer, and to be an Assistant Secretary for Resource Management, both of the Department of State, 2:30 p.m., SD-419. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security, to hold hearings to examine bilateral malaria assistance, focusing on progress on president's malaria initiative, malaria program reforms at USAID, lessons on malaria control from the field, and what the experts say about indoor residual spraying, 2:30 p.m., SD-342. House No committee meetings are scheduled. 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 D8]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 10 a.m., Friday, January 20 Senate Chamber Program for Friday: Senate will meet for a pro forma session. (Senators will be permitted to introduce bills until 11 a.m.) Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 12 noon, Tuesday, January 31 House Chamber Program for Tuesday: To be announced.