Johnstown Flood National Memorial Boundary Adjustment Act of 2004

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 28, 2004, at 11 a.m., in closed session, to receive a briefing regarding the performance of force protection equipment for ground forces in Iraq, including the up-armored HMMWV, and potential alternatives to meet force protection needs of the combatant commander.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., on Telecommunications Policy Review: A Look Ahead, in SR-253.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on Wednesday, April 28 at 11:30 a.m. to consider pending calendar business.

Agenda Item 1: S. 203--A bill to open certain withdrawn land in Big Horn County, WY to locatable mineral development for bentonite mining.

Agenda Item 5: S. 1071--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct a feasibility study on a water conservation project within the Arch Hurley Conservancy District in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 6: S. 1097--A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to implement the Calfed Bay-Delta Program.

Agenda Item 9: S. 1467--A bill to establish the Rio Grande Outstanding Natural Area in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 10: S. 1582--A bill to amend the Valles Preservation Act to improve the preservation of the Valles Caldera, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 11: S. 1649--A bill to designate the Ojito Wilderness Study Area as wilderness, to take certain land into trust for the Pueblo of Zia, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 12: S. 1687--A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the preservation and interpretation of the historic sites of the Manhattan Project for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

Agenda Item 13: S. 1778--A bill to authorize a land conveyance between the United States and the City of Craig, AK, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 14: S. 1791--A bill to amend the Lease Lot Conveyance Act of 2002 to provide that the amounts received by the United States under that Act shall be deposited in the reclamation fund, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 15: S. 2180--A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange certain lands in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in the State of Colorado.

Agenda Item 16: S. Res. 321--A resolution recognizing the loyal service and outstanding contributions of J. Robert Oppenheimer to the United States and calling on the Secretary of Energy to observe the 100th anniversary of Dr. Oppenheimer's birth with appropriate programs at the Department of Energy and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Agenda Item 20: H.R. 1521--To provide for additional lands to be included within the boundary of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in the State of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.

Agenda Item 21: H.R. 3249--To extend the term of the Forest Counties Payments Committee.

In addition, the Committee may turn to any other measures that are ready for consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on Wednesday, April 28th at 9:30 a.m. to conduct a hearing to receive testimony on the reauthorization of the Economic Development Administration.

The hearing will be held in SD 406, hearing room.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``Taking the Taxpayers for a Ride: Fraud and Abuse in the Power Wheelchair Program.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 at 10 a.m. to hold a Nomination hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 at 3 p.m. to hold a Nomination hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, at 10 a.m. for a hearing titled ``Government Purchase Cards: Smarter Use Can Save Taxpayers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, at 10 a.m. in room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on S. 2172, Tribal Contract Support Cost Technical Amendments of 2004.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 at 2 p.m. on ``The Playwrights Licensing Antitrust Initiative Act: Safeguarding the Future of American Live Theater'' in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 226

Witness List

Arthur Miller, Playwright (Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, All My Sons); Roxbury, CT.

Stephen Sondheim, Lyricist (West Side Story, Gypsy, Sweeney Tood); New York, NY.

Wendy Wasserstein, Playwright (Uncommon Women and Others, Isn't It Romantic, The Heidi Chronicles); New York, NY.

Gerald Schoenfeld, Chairman, League of American Theaters and Producers; Chairman, The Shubert Organization; New York, NY.

Roger Berlind, Producer, Berlind Productions (Kiss Me Kate, City of Angels, Wonderful Town, Caroline or Change); New York, NY.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a hearing entitled, ``Impact of Stock Option Expensing on Small Businesses'' on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, beginning at 10 a.m. in Room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Joint Economic Committee be authorized to conduct a hearing in Room 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Wednesday, April 28, 2004, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on April 28, 2004, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed hearing on Intelligence Matters.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Children and Families, be authorized to meet for a hearing on Healthy Marriage: What is it and why should we promote it? During the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, at 2 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services be authorized to meet for a hearing on Mental Health in Children and Youth: Issues Throughout the Development Process during the session of the Senate on Wednesday April 28, 2004, at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., in open and closed session to receive testimony on current and future worldwide threats to the national security of the United States.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Tuesday, March 9, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., on pending Committee business.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 9, 2004, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony regarding water supply issues in the arid west.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Tuesday, March 9, 2004, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``The Administration's International Trade Agenda.''

Mr. President I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 9, 2004, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a Members Briefing on Iraq Post Conflict Reconstruction.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Tuesday, March 9, 2004, at 10 a.m. for a hearing titled ``Postal Reform: Sustaining the 9 Million Jobs in the $900 Billion Mailing Industry (Day One).''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet for a hearing on A Year Round College Calendar: Advantages and Impediments during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 9:30 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 9, 2004, for a hearing on S. 1509, the ``Eric and Brian Simon Act of 2003'', to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a gratuity to veterans, their spouses, and children who contract HIV or AIDS as a result of a blood transfusion relating to a service-connected disability, and for other purposes.

The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing on intelligence matters.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet Tuesday, March 9, 2004 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Dirksen 628 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 at 2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: H.R. 1446 and S. 1306, to support the efforts of the California Missions Foundation to restore and repair the Spanish colonial and mission-era missions in the State of California and to preserve the artworks and artifacts of these missions, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1521, to provide for additional lands to be included within the boundary of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in the State of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support of the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on March 9, 2004, at 2:30 p.m., in open session to receive testimony on military readiness programs in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2005.

The PRESIDING OFFICE. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will authorize the expansion of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, a National Park Service site in South Fork, Pennsylvania.

Specifically, the bill will enable the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire adjacent properties and historically significant structures that are an integral part of the story of the Johnstown Flood.

The Great Johnstown Flood, which occurred on May 31, 1889, was the largest news story in the era next to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It swept away an entire city, causing the loss of over 2,209 people. Though members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, which owned the earthen dam and

was situated above it, worked feverishly during the storm to prevent the dam from bursting, their efforts were futile.

The Johnstown Flood Memorial was dedicated in 1964. Today the park consists of 165 acres and receives over 126,000 visitors annually. It preserves the remains of the old South Fork Dam which was breached in the flood, as well as portions of the former Conemaugh Lake bed.

This bill would authorize the purchase or acquisition by NPS, from willing sellers, an additional approximately 14\1/2\ acres. This property holds certain related historic structures such as the ``Moorhead Cottage'' and the ``Clubhouse.'' Both of these are significant to the story of the Johnstown Flood as they represent the life and role of club members both before and after the flood. The property offers a unique opportunity to use tangible resources to interpret the events that led to the Johnstown Flood, and the club members' response to the Flood.

These structures were built near the shore of Conemaugh Lake, by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. In 1889, the Club had 61 members who were wealthy industrialists, bankers and merchants from Pittsburgh, including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and Andrew W. Mellon. The Clubhouse contained 47 rooms, where the majority of members stayed. The cottages did not have kitchens, so the Clubhouse was the focal point of the Club.

The Clubhouse is clearly among the most significant historical structures not only in the Johnstown Flood story but in our entire region. The 1889 South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club National Historical Society has done a tremendous job over the years in preserving this vital piece of history, but these dedicated volunteers can't be expected to finance the cost of needed repairs, maintenance and interpretive features. Our best alternative to preserve this vital history is to add these structures to the National Park Service.

The Johnstown Flood story continues to fascinate people even though the tragedy happened more than 100 years ago. There is such drama in the story of wealthy Pittsburgh industrialists who owned the poorly- maintained dam that collapsed, causing the worst man-made disaster in history by claiming 2,209 lives. Adding the Clubhouse and these other structures to the National Park will greatly enrich the interpretive potential of this site.

I would like to thank my Colleagues for their consideration of this bill. Thank you for your time.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the following hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on National Parks of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:

The hearing will be held on Thursday, February 5, 2004, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: H.R. 1446 and S. 1306, to support the efforts of the California Missions Foundation to restore and repair the Spanish colonial and mission-era missions in the State of California and to preserve the artworks and artifacts of these missions, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1521, to provide for additional lands to be included within the boundary of the Johnstown Flood National memorial in the State of Pennsylvania, and for other purposes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearings, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, SD-364 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-6150.

For further information, please contact Tom Lillie at (202) 224-5161 or Pete Lucero at (202) 224-6293.

permanent subcommittee on investigations

Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs will hold a hearing entitled ``DOD Contractors Who Cheat on Their Taxes and What Should Be Done About It.'' The Subcommittee's hearings will examine Department of Defense (DOD) contractors who are abusing the Federal tax system by either failing to file tax returns or not paying their taxes. A recently completed General Accounting Office review of DOD contractors found that 27,100 contractors owed $3 billion in back taxes. The purpose of the hearing is to identify the corrective actions that can be taken to ensure that DOD contractors pay the taxes they owe the Federal Government.

The hearings will take place on Thursday, February 12, 2004, at 9:30 a.m., in Room 342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Raymond V. Shepherd, III, Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, at 224-3721.

subcommittee on public lands and forests

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the following hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The hearing will be held on Thursday, March 11, 2004, at 10 a.m., in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 2086, a bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to improve the reclamation of abandoned mines; S. 2049, a bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to reauthorize collection of reclamation fees, revise the abandoned mine reclamation program, promote remining, authorize the Office of Surface Mining to collect the black lung excise tax, and make sundry other changes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearings, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send a copy of their testimony electronically to kristin [email protected].

For further information, please contact Karen Billups at (202) 224- 2576 or Kristin Whitman at (202) 224-5305.

committee on energy and natural resources

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the following hearing has been scheduled before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

On Tuesday, February 24, at 10 a.m., in room SD-366, to receive testimony concerning the reliability of the Nation's electricity grid. Specifically, the recommendations in the February 10 ``North American Reliability Council Report'' regarding the August 14 blackout will be reviewed and implementation of the proposed solutions will be discussed.

(Contact: Lisa Epifani at 202-224-5269 or Shane Perkins at 202-224- 7555.)

subcommittee on energy