Monday, September 19
8:30-10:00 a.m.

The Honorable Byron L. Dorgan, U.S. Senator (D-North Dakota)
Senator Dorgan was reelected to the U.S. Senate in November 2004 by an overwhelming majority after serving two terms in the U.S. Senate and six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Throughout his career in both the House and Senate, Dorgan has fought for the interests of rural America. Dorgan has also been a leader in the fight to protect our most important priorities: Social Security, Medicare, education, and the environment. He serves as Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, is a ranking member of the Appropriations; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Energy and Natural Resources Committees, and is Vice Chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee.

William Wehrum, Principal Deputy Administrator and Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
As Principal Deputy Administrator and Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), William Wehrum is in charge of programs addressing industrial and vehicle pollution, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, radiation protection, indoor air quality, and global climate change. Mr. Wehrum has extensive experience with the Clean Air Act and EPA air programs as well as a variety of air issues, including New Source Review reform, the Clean Air Interstate Rule, and the Clean Air Mercury Rule.

Monday, September 19
12:00 p.m.

Carl O. Bauer, Acting Director, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
As Acting Director of NETL, Carl Bauer oversees the implementation of major science and technology development programs to resolve the environmental, supply, and reliability constraints of producing and using fossil resources. This involves technologies for advanced coal-fueled power generation and hydrogen production, carbon sequestration, environmental control for the existing fleet of fossil steam plants, and improving the efficiency and environmental quality of domestic oil and natural gas exploration, production, and processing. Mr. Bauer has more than 30 years of experience in technical and business management in both the public and private sectors.

Tuesday, September 20
12:05 p.m.

The Honorable Kent Conrad, U.S. Senator (D-North Dakota)
Senator Conrad is ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and an expert on the b budget process who has earned a national reputation as a deficit hawk for his efforts to impose discipline on the federal budget and safeguard Social Security and Medicare. A longtime member of the Agriculture Committee, he is known as an outspoken advocate for family farms and the rural communities that rely on U.S. agriculture. As a senior member of the Finance Committee, he is known for his special expertise on tax issues and his advocacy for rural health care through the Medicare program. A Bismarck native, Senator Conrad has served North Dakota in the Senate since his election in 1986.

Tuesday, September 20
5:45 p.m.

Congressman Earl Pomeroy
The Honorable Earl Pomeroy, Representative in Congress (D-North Dakota) Congressman Earl Pomeroy was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992. He serves on the Ways and Means Committee and the House Agriculture Committee, the only member of Congress with an assignment on both. At the beginning of the 108th Congress, he was elected Cochair of the bipartisan Rural Health Care Coalition, and he also serves as Cochair of the House Democratic Social Security Task Force.