Veterans Benefits and Pensions Protection Act of 2003

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 10:00 a.m., in open session to consider the nominations of Thomas W. O'Connell to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for special operations and low intensity conflict; and Paul M. Longsworth to be Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security Administration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 10:00 a.m., to conduct a hearing on ``The Accuracy of Credit Report Information and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.''

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 Thursday, July 10 at 10 a.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to discuss the reasons behind the high price of natural gas, its affect on the economy and to consider potential solutions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet in open Executive Session during the session on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 2 p.m., to review and make recommendations on proposed legislation implementing the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judicary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. in SDG 226.

I. Continuation of S. 1125, Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2003 (``The FAIR Act'') markup.

II. Nominations: William H. Pryor, Jr., to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit; Allyson K. Duncan to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit; Robert C. Brack to be United States District Judge for the District of New Mexico; Samuel Der- Yeghiayan to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Louise W. Flanagan to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina; Lonny R. Suko to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington; Earl Leroy Yeakel III to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas; Karen P. Tandy to be Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Department of Justice; Christopher A. Wray to be Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice; Michael J. Garcia to be Assistant Secretary, United States Department of Homeland Security; and Jack Landman Goldsmith III to be Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, United States Department of Justice.

III. Bills: S.J. Res. 1, A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution of the United States to protect the rights of crime victims [Kyl, Chambliss, Cornyn, Craig, DeWine, Feinstein, Graham, Grassley]; S. 1280, A bill to amend the Protect Act to clarify the liability of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [Hatch, Biden]; S. Res. 140, A resolution designating the week of August 10, 2003, as ``National Health Center Week'' [Campbell, Biden, Durbin, Grassley]; S. 764, The Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2003; Proposed Free Trade Agreement with Chile; Proposed Free Trade Agreements with Singapore.

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 Markup of the SBA Reauthorization Bill on Thursday, July 10, 2003, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 10, 2003, for a hearing to consider pending legislation regarding VA-provided benefits programs. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 2:30 p.m.

Bills Relating to Veterans' Disability Compensation Benefits: S. 257, the proposed ``Veterans Benefits and Pensions

Protection Act of 2003''; S. 517, the proposed ``Francis W. Agnes Prisoner of War Benefits Act of 2003''; S. 1131, the proposed ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2003''. S. 1133, the proposed ``Veterans Programs Improvement Act of 2003''; S. 1188, the proposed ``Veterans' Survivor Benefits Act of 2003''; S. 1213, the proposed ``Filipino Veterans' Benefits Act of 2003''; S. 1239, the proposed ``Former Prisoners of War Special Compensation Act of 2003''; and S. 1281, the proposed ``Veterans Information and Benefits Enhancement Act of 2003''.

Bills Relating to Veterans' Benefits: S. 249, to provide that remarriage of the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran after age 55 shall not result in termination of dependency and indemnity compensation otherwise payable to that surviving spouse; S. 938, to provide for the payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who died on or before September 30, 1999, under the same eligibility conditions as apply to payment of dependency and indemnity compensation to the survivors of former prisoners of war who die after that date; and S. 1132, the proposed ``Veterans' Survivors Benefits Enhancements Act of 2003''.

Bill Proposing to Amend The Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act; S. 792, the proposed ``Servicemembers Civil Relief Act''; S. 806, the proposed ``Deployed Service Members Financial Security and Education Act of 2003''; and S. 1136, the proposed ``Servicemembers Civil Relief Act''.

Bills Relating to Other Matters: S. 978, the proposed ``Veterans Housing Fairness Act of 2003''; S. 1124, the proposed ``Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act of 2003''; S. 1199, the proposed ``Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2003''; S. 1282, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish national cemeteries for geographically underserved populations of veterans; and S. 1630, to amend section 7105 of title 38, United States Code, to clarify the requirements for notices of disagreement for appellate review of Department of Veterans Affairs activities.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a closed hearing.

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 CSBG Reauthorization during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 3 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 2:30 p.m., in open session, to receive testimony regarding investigations into allegations of sexual assault at the United States Air Force Academy.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 30, 2003, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``The State of the Securities Industry.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and

Transportation be authorized to meet on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. on Do-Not-Call.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 9 a.m. for a hearing to consider the nominations of Dale Cabaniss to be Chairman, Federal Labor Relations Authority; Craig S. Iscoe to be Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia; and Brian F. Holeman to be Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 10 a.m. in room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a joint hearing with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, on S. 437, the Arizona Water Settlement Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 4 p.m., for a markup on pending legislation. The meeting will be held in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Agenda

1. S. 1131, a bill to increase, effective as of December 1, 2003, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.

2. Committee Print of S. 1132, a bill to improve and enhance certain benefits for survivors of veterans, and for other purposes, as amended, to incorporate, in addition, original provisions and provisions derived from S. 257, S. 517, S. 1133, S. 1156, S. 1188, S. 1213, S. 1239, S. 1281, and S. 1360.

3. Committee Print of S. 1156, a bill to improve and enhance the provision of long-term health care for veterans, to enhance and improve authorities relating to the administration of personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended, to incorporate, in addition, original provisions and provisions derived from S. 548, S. 615, S. 1144, S. 1213, S. 1283, S. 1289, S. 1341, and

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 10 a.m., for a hearing entitled ``Privacy & Piracy: The Paradox of Illegal File Sharing on Peer-to-Peer Networks and the Impact of Technology on the Entertainment Industry.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Product Liability be authorized to meet on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 2:30 p.m., on the Obesity War: Are our Dietary Guidelines Losing?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Visa Issuance: Our First Line of Defense for Homeland Security'' on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 2 p.m. in SD226.

Witness List:

The Honorable Asa Hutchinson, Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security Directorate, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC.

The Honorable Marua Harty, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, Department of State, Washington, DC.

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 Underage Drinking: Research and Recommendations during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet jointly during the session of the Senate on September 30, 2003, at 10 a.m.

The purpose of this hearing is to examine S. 437, the Arizona water settlements acts, which is a bill to provide for adjustments to the Central Arizona Project in Arizona, to authorize the Gila River Indian Community Water Rights Settlement, to reauthorize and amend the Southern Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act of 1982, and for other purposes.