Today’s Events In Washington

White House:

PRESIDENT BUSH – Meets with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Oval Office; remarks on No Child Left Behind Act, Rose Garden; meets with the President of Uganda, Oval Office.

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY – No public schedule. US Senate: 9:30 a.m. ARMED SERVICES _ Full Committee. Closed. Hearing on intelligence programs. Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets; Stephen A. Cambone, undersecretary of Defense for intelligence; Charles E. Allen, assistant director for collection, CIA; others. Location: Room S-407, Capitol.

9:30 a.m. COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION _ Full Committee. Hearing on the reauthorization of the Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Acting Administrator Annette Sandberg, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; President Douglas Duncan, FedEx Freight; LaMont Byrd, International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen; Peter Huyrst, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance; Joseph Harrison, American Moving and Storage Association. Location: Room 253, Russell.

10 a.m. BANKING, HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS _ Full Committee. Hearing on reauthorization of the public transportation assistance program. Transportation Secretary Mineta; William Millar, president, American Public Transportation Association; John Horsley, executive director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Robert Molofsky, general counsel, Amalgamated Transit Union; Jim Seal, consultant, Federal Transit Administration; Woody Blunt, American Bus Association. Location: Room 538, Dirksen.

10 a.m. ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS _ Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee. Hearing on the status of federal jurisdiction of navigable waters under the Clean Water Act. George Dunlop, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for civil works; G. Tracy Mehan, assistant administrator for water, EPA; Thomas L. Sansonetti, assistant attorney general for environment and natural resources; Robert J. Pierce, president, Wetlands Science Applications; L. Michael Bogert, counsel to the governor of Idaho; Richard Hayman, law associate, University of Florida; Scott Yaich, director of conservation programs, Ducks Unlimited. Location: Room 406, Dirksen.

2:30 p.m. ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES _ National Parks Subcommittee. Hearing on pending legislation. D. Thomas Ross, National Park Service; Elizabeth Estill, Forest Service; Christopher Kearney, Interior Department. Location: Room 366, Dirksen. US House: FLOOR SCHEDULE _ 10:30 a.m. _ Meets for morning hour and at noon for legislative business. Highlights: Suspensions (5 bills): 1) S.J.Res. 8 – Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to raising awareness and encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month; 2) H.R. 1529 – Involuntary Bankruptcy Improvement Act of 2003; 3) H.R. 1086 – Standards Development Organization Advancement Act of 2003; 4) H.Res. 252 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting the United States in its efforts within the World Trade Organization (WTO) to end the European Union’s protectionist and discriminatory trade practices of the past five years regarding agriculture biotechnology; 5) H.Con.Res. 110 – Recognizing the sequencing of the human genome as one of the most significant scientific accomplishments of the past 100 years and expressing support for the goals and ideals of Human Genome Month and DNA Day; 6) H.R. 2030 – Patsy Takemoto Mink Post Office Building Designation Act; 7) H.R. 925 – Cesar Chavez Post Office Redesignation Act. H.R. 2143 – Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act.

10 a.m. FINANCIAL SERVICES _ Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee. Hearing on Section 8 housing programs.Terri Ceaser, Tenant, Hopewell, Va.; Telissa Dowling, President, Resident Advisory Board, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Guttenberg, N.J.; Craig A. Garrelts, Executive Director, Hocking Metropolitan Housing Authority, Hocking, Ohio; Andrew Showe, Vice President, Showe Management Corporation; Barbara J. Thompson, Executive Director, National Council of State Housing Agencies; R.E. “Tuck” Duncan, Chairman, Topeka Housing Authority, Topeka, Kan.; Sandra Henriquez, Administrator, Boston Housing Authority; Tino Hernandez, Chairman, New York City Housing Authority; James M. Inglis, Executive Director, Livonia Housing Commission, Livonia, Mich.; Kevin Marchman, Executive Director, National Organization of African Americans in Housing; Neil Molloy, Executive Director, St. Louis County Housing Authority. Location: Room 2128, Rayburn.

10 a.m. GOVERNMENT REFORM _ Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census Subcommittee. Oversight hearing on improving map-related data infrastructure. Mark Forman, OMB; Scott Cameron, Interior Dept.; Susan Kalweit, FEMA; Gene Trobia, President, National States Geographic Information Council; Jack Dangermond, President, ESRI, Inc.; C. Michael Ritchie, President, Managment Association for Private Photogrammet5ric Surveyors. Location: Room 2247, Rayburn.

10 a.m. SCIENCE _ Energy Subcommittee. Hearing on university nuclear science and engineering programs. Dr. Gail H. Marcus, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, Department of Energy; Dr. Daniel M. Kammen, Professor in the Energy and Resources Group, the Goldman School of Public Policy; Angelina Howard, executive vice president of Policy, Planning and External Affairs, Nuclear Energy Institute; James F. Stubbins, head of the Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Location: Room 2318, Rayburn.

10 a.m. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE _ Railroads Subcommittee. Hearing on railroad safety technologies. Location: Room 2167, Rayburn.

10 a.m. VETERANS AFFAIRS _ Full Committee. Hearing on programs to eliminate fraud and waste in VA programs. Location: Room 334, Cannon.

10:30 a.m. EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE _ Full Committee. Markup of H.R. 2211 – Ready to Teach Act, and H.R. 438 – Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act. Location: Room 2175, Rayburn.

10:30 a.m. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS _ Full Committee. Hearing on the Overseas Private Investment Corp. Peter S. Wilson, president and CEO, Overseas Private Investment Corporation; Edmund B. Rice, president, Coalition for Employment through Exports; Bruce M. Rich, project manager, International Program, Environmental Defense; Theodore Moran, director, Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Location: Room 2172, Rayburn.

1 p.m. WAYS AND MEANS _ Subcommittee on Trade. Hearing on implementation of U.S. bilateral free trade agreements with Chile and Singapore. Location: Room 1100, Longworth.

1:30 p.m. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS _ Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee. Hearing on the situation in Southeast Asia. Location: Room 2172, Rayburn.

2 p.m. ENERGY AND COMMERCE _ Full Committee. Hearing on the problems with natural gas supply and demand. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan. Location: Room 2123, Rayburn.

2 p.m. FINANCIAL SERVICES _ Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee. Hearing on employee ownership programs. Location: Room 2128, Rayburn.

2 p.m. GOVERNMENT REFORM _ Government Efficiency and Financial Management Subcommittee. Hearing on the financial information of the Agriculture and Education departments. Location: Room 2154, Rayburn.

5 p.m. RULES _ Full Committee. Hearing on rules for floor debate. Location: Room H-313, Capitol. Other: INDIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTERL.K. ADVANI _ Highlights: 11:30 a.m. Meets with Vice President Cheney. 3 p.m. Holds news conference. Indian Embassy, 2107 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

PRIME MINISTER OF THAILAND THAKSIN SHINAWATRA _ Highlights: 10 a.m. Meets with President Bush. Oval Office. 11:30 a.m. Photo op with House Speaker Dennis Hastert. H-232, Capitol, balcony area. 7 p.m. Makes keynote address at a dinner organized by the US- ASEAN Business Council. Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

STEM CELL RESEARCH _ The International Society for Stem Cell Research holds its first annual meeting. Highlights: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. General Motors Cancer Research Foundation Annual Scientific Conference, Stem Cells Meeting at NIH, with Samuel Wells, Jr., MD, president, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation; Irving Weissman, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine; sessions on regulation of stem cell self-renewal vs differentiation in the male germ line; embryology of stem cells; stem cells and developmental pathways; pluripotency and lineage restriction of ES cells; nuclear closing, stem cells, and the reprogramming of the genome; organ stem cells; nuclear transfer and embryonic stem cells; adult neural stem cells; how do intestinal stem cells protect their DNA from genotoxic damage. National Institutes of Health. 6:30 p.m. – 10:15 p.m. Sessions at Marriott Wardman Park on ES cells and novel stem cell niches. 10:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Leonard Zon, Children’s Hospital Boston, ISSCR president. Location: Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road, NW.; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.

PENTECOST 2003 _ Call to Renewal holds Pentecost 2003, a national three-day mobilization to put the needs of poor people on the national agenda. Highlights: 1:30 p.m. “A Candid Conversation with Faith Leaders,” with attendees of Monday’s White House meeting briefing the press in Room 325, Russell Senate Office Building.

OUTDOOR ADVERTISING _ The Outdoor Advertising Association of America holds its annual convention. Highlights: 11:50 a.m. Homeland Security Secretary Ridge speaks. Location: Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1000 H St. NW/

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS _ 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. The American Association of Retired Persons holds a panel discussion on Canadian, Australian and EU prescription drug programs, with Panos Kanavos, London School of Economics; Deborah Freund. Syracuse University; Bob Nakagawa, Fraser Health Authority in British Columbia; Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis AG. Location: Hyatt Regency- Washington on Captiol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW.

COPYRIGHT IN THE INTERNET AGE _ 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. The Progress & Freedom Foundation and George Mason University’s Tech Center hold a conference, “Promoting Markets for Creativity: Copyright in the Internet Age,” with a keynote luncheon speech by U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Subcommittee. Presenters at the conference include Richard Epstein, University of Chicago; Scott Kieff, Washington University at St. Louis; Edmund Kitch, University of Virginia; and Stan Liebowitz, University of Texas. Commenting are Katherine Lawrence, University of Michigan Business School; Michael Einhorn, InteCap Inc.; Harold Furchgott-Roth, Furchgott-Roth Economic Enterprises; and others. Location: JW Marriott Hotel, 14th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

DOJ-FTC HEARINGS _ 9:15 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission hold sessions of their joint hearings on health care and competition law and policy. Highlights: 9:15 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sessions on Quality and Consumer Protection: Market Entry. Location: FTC Conference Center, 601 New Jersey Ave. NW.

MEDICARE-RURAL CONCERNS _ 8:30 a.m. Reps. John Peterson, Tom Osborne, Jo Ann Emerson, Jerry Moran, others, hold a pen and pad only briefing on the concerns of rural legislators about the Medicare bill. Location: Room 122, Cannon.

SAFETY AND HEALTH _ 9 a.m. The National Press Club hosts a morning newsmaker news conference with Alan McMillan, president, National Safety Council, and Michael Brown, Undersecretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Department of Homeland Security. Thye will address the state of the nation in safety and health as they recognize National Safety Month and discuss the most significant safety issues confronting America today such as motor vehicle safety, elderly falls, workplace safety, and emergency preparedness. Location: National Press Club, Zenger Room.

MANUFACTURING BASE _ 9:30 a.m. The National Association of Manufacturers holds a news conference to release a study by economist Joel Popkin that sees the U.S. standard of living threatened by the continuing loss of manufacturing jobs. Location: National Press Club.

SECOND GULF WAR-AFTERMATH _ 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The Cato Institute holds two panel discussions on “Getting Out and Moving On: The Second Gulf War and Its Aftermath.” Highlights: 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Getting Out: Competing Visions for Post-War Iraq, with Christopher Preble, Cato; John Hulsman, Heritage Foundation; Joshua Muravchik, American Enterprise Institute; Charles Pena, Cato. 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Moving On: The Middle East after Saddam, with Doug Bandow, Cato; Leon Hadar, Cato; Michael O’Hanlon, Brookings Institution; John Zogby, CEO, Zogby International; Alan Tonelson, U.S. Business and Industrial Council Educational Foundation. Location: Cato Institute, F.A. Hayek Auditorium, 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

ABORTION RIGHTS _ 10 a.m. Feminist Majority, National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro Choice America and Planned Parenthood Federation of America hold a news conference to announce an event to save reproductive freedom. Location: National Press Club.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS _ 10:15 a.m. The Health Strategies Consultancy and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association hold a seminar on the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in major Medicare prescription drug proposals, with Dan Mendelson, president, Health Strategies Consultancy; Tim Trysla, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Joel White, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health; and Lisa Layman, office of Sen. Bob Graham. Location: Grand Hyatt Washington at Washington Center, 1000 H St. NW.

INSURANCE COVERAGE _ 10:30 a.m. Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Steven LaTourette, and American College of Physicians President Munsey Wheby hold a news conference to introduce a bill to help the uninsured gain health coverage. Location: Room 2456, Rayburn.

PENTAGON-SECURITY PERSONNEL _ 10:30 a.m. USD Personnel & Readiness Durector David S.C. Chu holds a briefing on the National Security Personnel System. Location: DOD Briefing Room, Pentagon, 2E781.

FIREARMS _ 11 a.m. Sen. Jon Corzine and Rep. Patrick Kennedy and gun industry whistleblower Robert Ricker, others, hold a news conference to introduce a bill to require the gun industry to comply with the same health and safety standards as other industries. Location: Room 188, Russell.

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR _ 12 p.m. The Israel Policy Forum hosts Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Daniel Ayalon, who will discuss “Perspectives from the Middle East: Bush-Sharon-Mazen–The Road Map and Prospects for Peace.” Location: Israel Policy Forum, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 1030 15th St. NW. (corner of 15th and L).

TAX REFORM _ 12 p.m. Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation holds a panel discussion on “What Next? The State of Fundamental Tax Reform: The Impact of the 2003 Tax Cut and a Look Ahead,” with Wayne Brough, chief economist, Citizens for a Sound Economy; John Berthoud, president, National Taxpayers Union; and Daniel Mitchell, Heritage Foundation. Location: Room 2325, Rayburn House Office Building.

DEMOCRATS _ 12:30 p.m. The Democratic Policy Committee holds a closed meeting. Location: Room S-211, Capitol.

PAIGE-NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND _ 12:30 p.m. Secretary of Education Rod Paige will host the next “Ask the White House” online discussion at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask. Location: Park Ballroom, Park Hyatt, 24th & M Streets NW. Notes: Visitors can submit questions beginning at 8 a.m. Actual press conference is at 12:30 p.m. Questions and corresponding answers can then be viewed on the White House website beginning at 2:45 p.m.

REPUBLICANS _ 12:30 p.m.The Republican Policy Committee holds a closed meeting. Location: Room S-207, Capitol.

ASHCROFT-ROMANIA _ 12:45 p.m. Attorney General John Aschroft and the General Prosecutor of Romania, Tanase Joita, hold a photo-op. Location: Attorney General’s Conference Room – Room 5107 – Department of Justice, 951 Constitution Ave. NW.

DELAY _ 1:25 p.m. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, House Majority Leader, hosts a Republican pen and pad briefing. Location: Room H-107, Capitol.

PRYOR OPPOSITION _ 1:30 p.m. Civil rights, civil liberties, and other groups announce opposition to the nomination of Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Location: Room 1, United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Ave. NE.

COLUMBIA-MOUNTAIN PEAK _ 2 p.m. Interior Secretary Norton and NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe hold a news conference to announce the location and name of a mountain peak in Colorado in memory of the space shuttle Columbia astronauts. Also participating will be Judge Paul Brown, father of astronaut David Brown of Arlington. Location: Room 5160, main Interior.

HOYER _ 2 p.m. House Democratic Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer holds a pen and pad only briefing. Location: Room H-306, Capitol.

SMALL BUSINESSES-HEALTH _ 2 p.m. Congressmen Andrews of New Jersey and Pomeroy of North Dakota host a press conference to oppose H.R. 660, “Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003. The bill would exempt Association Health Plans (AHPs), which serve as insurance companies for small employers, from state consumer protections and oversight. Location: Cannon Building Terrace. Rain location is Room 304, Cannon House Office Building.

POSTWAR IRAQ _ 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. The American Enterprise Institute holds a discussion on “Progress and Peril in Postwar Iraq,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Panelists are Feisal Istrabadi, lawyer, Iraqi activist; Kenneth Katzman, Congressional Research Service; Hassan Mneimneh, Harvard University; and moderator Danielle Pletka, AEI. Location: AEI, Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th Floor, 1150 17th St. NW.

ABERNATHY _ 4 p.m. Assistant Treasury Secretary Wayne Abernathy speaks at a Risk and Insurance Management Society event. Location: Four Points Sheraton, 1201 K St. NW.

PEW SURVEY-GLOBALIZATION _ 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. The Global Attitudes Project of Pew Research Center holds a news conference to release results of its latest survey on public attitudes around the world toward globalization, with Andy Kohut, director, Pew Research Center; Bruce Stokes, National Journal; Ed Sarpolus, EPIC-MRA, a polling firm; and Scott Miller, Procter & Gamble. Location: Institute for International Economics, 1750 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

RELIGION AFTER SEPT. 11 _ 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The National Press Club Forums Committee holds a panel discussion on “Religion After Sept. 11–A Dialogue Among Followers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism,” with Akbar Ahmed, American University, author; Rabbi Bruce Lustig, Washington Hebrew Congregation; Bishop John Bryson Chane, 8th Bishop of Washington, Washington Cathedral; Rev. Ted Haggard, president, National Association of Evangelicals; and moderator Joyce Davis, Knight Ridder Newspapers. Location: National Press Club.