110th Congress (2007 - 2008)
January 4 - December 31, 2007
Senate Committee Meetings by Date
Compiled from the Congressional Record's Daily Digests via Thomas at
thomas.loc.gov
2007/01/04
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 4, 2007; pages D1 - D10
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/05
Daily Digest - Friday, January 5, 2007; pages D12 - D14
[Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/08
Daily Digest - Monday, January 8, 2007; pages D15 - D16
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/09
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 9, 2007; pages D18 - D24
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine issues relating to Iraq from members of the intelligence
community.
9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine ensuring full implementation of the 9/11 Commission's
recommendations, after receiving testimony from former Senator Slade Gorton,
former Representatives Lee H. Hamilton and Timothy J. Roemer, all former
Commissioners, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United
States; Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and Carie Lemack, Families of September
11, both of New York, New York; James M. Thomas, Connecticut Department of
Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Hartford; Joseph C. Carter,
International Association of Chiefs of Police, Alexandria, Virginia; and Mary
A. Fetchet, and Carol Ashley, both of the Voices of September 11th, New
Canaan, Connecticut.
[Page: D22]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/10
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 10, 2007; pages D25 - D30
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine agriculture and rural America's role in enhancing national
energy security, after receiving testimony from Keith Collins, Chief
Economist, Department of Agriculture; Philip Sharp, Resources for the Future,
Washington, D.C.; J. Read Smith, 25x'25 Renewable Energy Alliance, St. John,
Washington; Michael Pacheco, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden,
Colorado; Ron Miller, Aventine Renewable Energy, LLC, Pekin, Illinois, on
behalf of the Renewable Fuels Association; Roger P. Webb, Georgia Institute of
Technology, Atlanta; Gene Gourley, on behalf of the National Pork Producers
Council and the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Webster City; Loni Kemp,
Minnesota Project, Canton; and John Sellers, Iowa State Soil Conservation
Committee, Corydon.
SOMALIA
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding United States military action in Somalia from Theresa
Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; Janila Howard, Analyst, East
Africa Counter-Terrorism, Defense Intelligence Agency; and Brigadier General
Otis G. Mannon, USAF, Deputy Director for Special Operations, J-3 Operations
Directorate, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
GEOPOLITICS OF OIL
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held a hearing to examine
global oil supplies and what it means for United States economic and national
security, focusing on U.S. dependence on imported oil, the rapid growth in oil
consumption in emerging economies such as China and India and the impact on
U.S. energy security, how political stability in the Middle East could affect
future oil supplies, and the implications of recent developments in the
Russian energy sector for U.S. and global energy security, receiving testimony
from General Charles F. Wald, USAF (Ret.), former Deputy Commander, United
States European Command, Member, Energy Security Leadership Council, Linda G.
Stuntz, Stuntz, Davis, and Staffier, on behalf of the Council on Foreign
Relations Independent Task Force, Flynt Leverett, New America Foundation, all
of Washington, D.C.; Robert D. Hormats, Goldman Sachs (International), New
York, New York; and Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency, Paris, France.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS TAX INCENTIVES
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine tax incentives
for businesses in response to a minimum wage increase, after receiving
testimony from Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.;
Joseph J. Sabia, University of Georgia Department of Housing and Consumer
Economics, Athens; Matthew F. Kadish, Small Business Council of America,
Cleveland, Ohio; Dave Ratner, Dave's Soda and Pet City, Agawam, Massachusetts,
on behalf of the National Retail Federation; and Bruce G. Obenour, Akwen, LTD,
Akron, Ohio.
[Page: D27]
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
securing America's interests and the current situation in Iraq, after
receiving testimony from Michael O'Hanlon, Brookings Institution, Paul R.
Pillar, Georgetown University, and Phebe Marr, all of Washington, D.C.; and
Yahia Khairi Said, London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom.
HEALTH CARE COVERAGE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine challenges and opportunities relating to health care for
all Americans, after receiving testimony from Peter Meade, Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Massachusetts, and John McDonough, Health Care for All, both of
Boston, Massachusetts; Karen Davis, Commonwealth Fund, New York, New York;
Debra Ness, National Partnership for Women and Families, Andy Stern, Service
Employees International Union, Larry Burton, Business Roundtable, Peter
Harbage, New America Foundation, Joseph R. Antos, American Enterprise
Institute, and John C. Goodman, National Center for Policy Analysis, all of
Washington, D.C.; and Pat Vredevoogd Combs, National Association of Realtors,
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
GOVERNMENT DATA MINING PROGRAMS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine balancing
privacy and security, focusing on the privacy implications of government data
mining programs, including proposed legislation to prevent and mitigate
identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide notice of security breaches, and
to enhance criminal penalties, law enforcement assistance, and other
protections against security breaches, fraudulent access, and misuse of
personally identifiable information, after receiving testimony from former
Representative Barr; Jim Harper, CATO Institute, Leslie Harris, Center for
Democracy and Technology, and James Jay Carafano, Heritage Foundation, all of
Washington, DC; and Kim A. Taipale, Center for Advanced Studies in Science and
Technology Policy, New York, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/11
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 11, 2007; pages D32 - D36
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
LONG-TERM BUDGET OUTLOOK
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
long-term budget outlook and the challenges it presents, after receiving
testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General, Government Accountability
Office.
MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine an overview and
economic perspectives for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, focusing on
prescription drug pricing and negotiation by governments and other countries,
by U.S. private payers, such as employer-based health plans, and by Federal
programs other than Medicare Part D, after receiving testimony from John E.
Dicken, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office; Gerard F.
Anderson, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,
Baltimore, Maryland; Edmund F. Haislmaier, Heritage Foundation, Washington,
DC; Richard G. Frank, Harvard University Department of Health Care Policy,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Fiona M. Scott Morton, Yale University School of
Management, New Haven, Connecticut.
[Page: D34]
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held hearings to examine the
remaining options relating to securing America's interests in Iraq, focusing
on troop surge, partition, withdrawal, or strengthening the center, receiving
testimony from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State; and Peter W. Galbraith,
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Frederick W. Kagan, American
Enterprise Institute, and Ted Galen Carpenter, CATO Institute, all of
Washington, DC.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
ANNUAL THREAT ASSESSMENT
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
current and projected national security threats, after receiving testimony
from John D. Negroponte, Director of National Intelligence, General Michael V.
Hayden, Director, Central Intelligence Agency; Lieutenant General Michael D.
Maples, U.S. Army, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of
Defense; Robert S. Mueller, III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Department of Justice; and Randall M. Fort, Assistant Secretary of State,
Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/12
Daily Digest - Friday, January 12, 2007; pages D37 - D42
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current situation in Iraq, after receiving testimony from Robert M. Gates,
Secretary of Defense; and General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/16
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 16, 2007; pages D44 - D50
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
WORKING FAMILIES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine economic opportunity and security for working families and
America's middle-class, after receiving testimony from Eileen Appelbaum,
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey Center for Women and Work, New
Brunswick; Jacob S. Hacker, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; James A.
Forbes, Jr., Riverside Church, New York, New York; and Anna R. Cablik, Anatek,
Inc., Marietta, Georgia.
IRAQI REFUGEES
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
plight of Iraqi refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and non-Iraqi
refugees inside Iraq, after receiving testimony from Ellen Sauerbrey,
Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration;
Captain Zachary J. Iscol, USMC, Foreign Military Training Unit, Marine Forces
Special Operations Command; Lisa Ramaci-Vincent, Steven Vincent Foundation,
New York, New York; Kenneth H. Bacon, Refugees International, and Michel
Gabaudan, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, both of
Washington, D.C.; and certain protected witnesses.
[Page: D47]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/17
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 17, 2007; pages D52 - D58
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
LAND CONSERVATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Conservation Security Program and Environmental Quality
Incentives Program relating to working land conservation, focusing on the
Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) process for allocating
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds to the states to
optimize environmental benefits, NRCS's measures to monitor EQIP's
performance, and the legislative and regulatory measures available to prevent
duplication between CSP and other conservation programs, such as EQIP, after
receiving testimony from Arlen Lancaster, Chief, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture; Lisa Shames, Acting Director,
Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; Craig
Cox, Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, Iowa; Kathleen A. Merrigan,
Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Winchester,
Massachusetts; Duane Hovorka, National Wildlife Federation, Elmwood, Nebraska,
on behalf of the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the Izaak Walton League
of America; and James Ham, Monroe County Commission, Smarr, Georgia, on behalf
of the National Association of Conservation Districts and Georgia Association
of Conservation District Supervisors.
DOD CONTRACTING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine practices in Department of Defense contracting
for services and inter-agency contracting, focusing on increasing reliance on
contractors, failure to follow business practices when acquiring services, and
opportunities for DOD to improve its management of services, after receiving
testimony from Thomas F. Gimble, Acting Inspector General, Department of
Defense; and Katherine V. Schinasi, Managing Director, Acquisition and
Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office.
AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the progress of the Department of Homeland Security
regarding the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission related to aviation
security, after receiving testimony from Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee adopted its rules of
procedure for the 110th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
entitled "Small Business and Work Opportunity Act".
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
Also, Committee appointed the following Members to the Joint Committee on
Taxation, the Congressional Trade Advisors on Trade Policy and Negotiations,
and the Congressional Oversight Group: Senators Baucus, Rockefeller, Conrad,
Grassley, and Hatch.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
remaining options and regional diplomatic strategy relating to securing
America's interests in Iraq, focusing on sectarian violence, its expansion
within the region, and the challenges facing U.S. policy in the Middle East,
after receiving testimony from Vali R. Nasr, Professor Naval Postgraduate
School, and Richard N. Haass, New York, New York, both of the Council on
Foreign Relations; and Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
Washington, DC.
[Page: D55]
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine paying
off generics to prevent competition with brand name drugs, including S. 316,
to prohibit brand name drug companies from compensating generic drug companies
to delay the entry of a generic drug into the market, after receiving
testimony from former Representative Billy Tauzin, on behalf of the
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Merril Hirsh, Ross,
Dixon and Bell, LLP, and Bruce L. Downey, Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., all of
Washington, DC.; Jon Leibowitz, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission; and
Michael Wroblewski, Consumers Union, Yonkers, New York.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/18
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 18, 2007; pages D59 - D66
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on intelligence assessments on the situation in Iraq from David F.
Gordon, Vice Chairman, National Intelligence Council; Lieutenant General
Michael D. Maples, USA, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of
Defense; Randall M. Fort, Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and
Research; and Peter A. Clement, Deputy Director of Intelligence for Strategic
Plans, Central Intelligence Agency.
TRANSIT SECURITY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the state of transit security, focusing on safeguarding
America's bus, rail, and ferry systems, after receiving testimony from Mayor
Dannel P. Malloy, Stamford, Connecticut, on behalf of the U.S. Conference of
Mayors; William W. Millar, American Public Transportation Association, and
Warren S. George, Amalgamated Transit Union, both of Washington, D.C.;
Auerilio Rojo Garrido, Metro Madrid and Secretary General, Madrid, Spain, on
behalf of the Association of Latin American Metros and Subways; and Tim
O'Toole, London Underground, London, United Kingdom.
FEDERAL BUDGET CHALLENGES
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine long-term
economic and federal budget challenges, focusing on entitlement spending,
after receiving testimony from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System.
[Page: D62]
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine Federal efforts for rail and surface
transportation security, focusing on prioritizing and guiding security
measures, after receiving testimony from Edmund Hawley, Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration; Joseph H. Boardman,
Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, John H. Hill, Administrator,
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Vice Admiral Thomas J.
Barrett, USCG (Ret.), Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration, all of the Department of Transportation; Cathleen A. Berrick,
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability
Office; and Richard L. Canas, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and
Preparedness, Trenton.
OIL AND GAS ROYALTY MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held an oversight hearing
to examine issues relating to oil and gas royalty management at the Department
of the Interior, focusing on the Minerals Management Service (MMS), receiving
testimony from Earl E. Devaney, Inspector General, and C. Stephen Allred,
Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, both of the Department
of the Interior; and Mark E. Gaffigan, Acting Director, Natural Resources and
Environment, Government Accountability Office.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
military and security strategy relating to securing America's interests in
Iraq, after receiving testimony from General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.),
United States Military Academy, Arlington, Virginia; General Jack Keane, USA
(Ret.), former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and Lieutenant
General William E. Odom, USA (Ret.), former Director, National Security
Agency, Hudson Institute, both of Washington, D.C.; and General Joseph P.
Hoar, USMC (Ret.), former Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command,
Del Mar, California.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee met and elected Senator Dorgan as
Chairman and Senator Thomas as Vice Chairman.
Also, Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Department of Justice, focusing on immigration reform, combating
terrorism, violent crime and drugs, Internet crime, and preventing identity
theft, fraud, and intellectual property crimes, after receiving testimony from
Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General, Department of Justice.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 32) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/19
Daily Digest - Friday, January 19, 2007; pages D67 - D70
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded joint
hearings with the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health
and Human Services, Education, and Related Services to examine stem cell
research, focusing on ongoing Federal support of both embryonic and
non-embryonic stem cell research and scientific progress, including recent
findings on amniotic fluid stem cells, after receiving testimony from Story C.
Landis, Director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; George
Q. Daley, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; John E. Wagner,
University of Minnesota Stem Cell Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and
Lauren Stanford, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/22
Daily Digest - Monday, January 22, 2007; pages D71 - D74
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/23
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 23, 2007; pages D75 - D80
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Lieutenant General David H. Petraeus, USA, to be General and
Commander, Multi-National Forces--Iraq, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
TAX GAP
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the growing
tax gap--the difference between the tax amounts taxpayers pay voluntarily and
on time and what they should pay under the law, and strategies for reducing
it, after receiving testimony from Michael Brostek, Director, Tax Issues,
Strategic Issues Team, Government Accountability Office; and Robert S.
McIntyre, Citizens for Tax Justice; and John S. Satagaj, Small Business
Legislative Council, on behalf of the Coalition for Fairness in Tax Compliance
(CFTC), both of Washington, DC.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held a hearing to examine the
remaining options relating to securing America's interests in Iraq, focusing
on Federalism, strategic redeployment or negotiation, receiving testimony from
Leslie H. Gelb, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York; and Edward
N. Luttwak, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lawrence J. Korb,
Center for American Progress; and Robert Malley, International Crisis Group,
all of Washington, DC.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
IRAQ: ALTERNATIVE PLANS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee held a hearing to examine the
remaining options relating to securing America's interests in Iraq, receiving
testimony from Representative Murtha; and former Representative Newt Gingrich,
American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
SERVICE MEMBERS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs collaboration and
cooperation to meet the needs of returning military service members, focusing
on the delivery of health care and benefits to veterans, after receiving
testimony from Gordon H. Mansfield, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
INTELLIGENCE REFORM
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
intelligence reform, focusing on the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act (Public Law 108-458), including structural changes within the
intelligence community, the collection and analysis of intelligence, science
and technology, and information sharing and enterprise architecture in the
intelligence community, after receiving testimony from Mary Margaret Graham,
Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Collection; Thomas Fingar, Deputy
Director of National Intelligence for Analysis; Patrick Kennedy, Deputy
Director of National Intelligence for Management; Dale Meyerrose, Chief
Information Officer; Mark Ewing, Deputy to the Deputy Director of National
Intelligence for Requirements, and Susan Reingold, Deputy Program Manager,
Information Sharing Environment, all of the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence.
[Page: D77]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/24
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 24, 2007; pages D81 - D86
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PANDEMIC FLU
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine progress made
and challenges ahead relating to pandemic flu, focusing on vaccines, antiviral
therapies, and diagnostics, after receiving testimony from Anthony S. Fauci,
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health, Julie L. Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and Gerald W. Parker, Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response,
all of the Department of Health and Human Services.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Lieutenant General David H. Petraeus, USA, to be General and
Commander, Multi-National Forces--Iraq, and 1,125 military nominations in the
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
[Page: D83]
AIRLINE INDUSTRY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the potential impact of airline mergers and industry
consolidation relating to the state of the airline industry, focusing on the
role of the Federal government in the industry's ongoing restructuring, and
the prospect of consolidation, after receiving testimony from Senator Isakson;
Andrew B. Steinberg, Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and
International Affairs; Gerald Grinstein, Delta Air Lines, Atlanta, Georgia; W.
Douglas Parker, US Airways Group, Phoenix, Arizona; Robert Roach, Jr.,
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Upper Marlboro,
Maryland; and Mark Cooper, Consumer Federation of America, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee adopted its
rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
CAP AND TRADE SYSTEM PROPOSAL
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held a hearing to examine
an analysis completed by the Energy Information Administration entitled
"Energy Market and Economic Impacts of a Proposal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas
Intensity with a Cap and Trade System", receiving testimony from Howard
Gruenspecht, Deputy Administrator, Energy Information Administration,
Department of Energy; Jason S. Grumet, National Commission on Energy Policy,
Daniel A. Lashof, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Anne E. Smith, CRA
International, all of Washington, D.C.; and Jeffry E. Sterba, PNM Resources,
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original (S. Res. 38) resolution authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Energy: Senators Dorgan (Chairman), Akaka, Wyden, Johnson,
Landrieu, Cantwell, Menendez, Sanders, Tester, Murkowski, Craig, Burr, DeMint,
Corker, Sessions, Bunning, and Martinez.
Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests: Senators Wyden (Chairman), Akaka,
Johnson, Landrieu, Cantwell, Salazar, Menendez, Lincoln, Sanders, Burr, Craig,
Thomas, Murkowski, DeMint, Sessions, Smith, and Bunning.
Subcommittee on National Parks: Senators Akaka (Chairman), Dorgan, Landrieu,
Salazar, Menendez, Lincoln, Sanders, Tester, Thomas, Murkowski, Burr, Corker,
Sessions, Smith, and Martinez.
Subcommittee on Water and Power: Senators Johnson (Chairman), Dorgan, Wyden,
Cantwell, Salazar, Lincoln, Tester, Corker, Craig, Thomas, DeMint, Smith, and
Bunning.
Senators Bingaman and Domenici are ex officio members of each of the
Subcommittees.
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Michael J. Astrue, of Massachusetts, to be Commissioner of Social Security,
after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Kerry, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported S. Con.
Res. 2, expressing the bipartisan resolution on Iraq.
Also, Senate committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on African Affairs: Senators Feingold (Chair), Nelson (FL),
Obama, Cardin, Webb, Sununu, Coleman, Vitter, and Hagel.
Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs: Senators Boxer (Chair), Kerry,
Feingold, Obama, Webb, Murkowski, Isakson, Vitter, and Hagel.
Subcommittee on European Affairs: Senators Obama (Chair), Dodd, Menendez,
Cardin, Casey, DeMint, Voinovich, Corker, and Murkowski.
Subcommittee on Near East and South and Central Asian Affairs: Senators Kerry
(Chair), Dodd, Feingold, Boxer, Cardin, Coleman, Hagel, Sununu, and Voinovich.
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs:
Senators Dodd (Chair), Kerry, Nelson (FL), Menendez, Webb, Corker, Isakson,
Coleman, and Sununu.
Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic
Affairs and International Environmental Protection: Senators Menendez (Chair),
Kerry, Boxer, Obama, Casey, Hagel, Corker, Murkowski, and DeMint.
Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Democracy and
Human Rights: Senators Nelson (FL) (Chair), Feingold, Menendez, Casey, Webb,
Vitter, Voinovich, DeMint, and Isakson.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported an original resolution authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
[Page: D84]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/25
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 25, 2007; pages D87 - D92
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current situation in Iraq and on the Administration's recently announced
strategy for continued United States assistance to the Iraqi government and
for an increased United States military presence in Iraq, after receiving
testimony from William J. Perry, former Secretary of Defense, Hoover
Institution, Stanford, California; General John M. Keane, former Vice Chief of
Staff, United States Army; and Dennis B. Ross, Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, Washington, D.C.
CREDIT CARD INDUSTRY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the billing, marketing, and disclosure practices of the
credit card industry, and the impact of those practices on consumers, after
receiving testimony from Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law School, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; Robert D. Manning, Rochester Institute of Technology E. Philip
Saunders College of Business, Rochester, New York; Michael D. Donovan, Donovan
Searles, LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on behalf of the National Consumer
Law Center and the National Association of Consumer Advocates; John G.
Finneran, Jr., Capital One Financial Corporation, McLean, Virginia; Richard
Vague, Barclays Bank Delaware, and Carter Franke, Chase Bank U.S.A., N.A.,
both of Wilmington, Delaware; Tamara Draut, Demos, London, United Kingdom; and
Travis B. Plunkett, Consumer Federation of America, Washington, D.C., on
behalf of Consumer Action.
BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Congressional Budget Office budget and economic outlook for fiscal years 2008
through 2017, focusing on the projected growth of the economy of the United
States and federal spending for major mandatory programs, after receiving
testimony from Peter R. Orszag, Director, Congressional Budget Office.
[Page: D90]
OIL AND GAS RESOURCES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine oil and gas resources on the Outer Continental Shelf and
areas available for leasing in the Gulf of Mexico, after receiving testimony
from C. Stephen Allred, Assistant Secretary of the Interior; Marjorie A.
McKeithen, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Office of Mineral
Resources, Baton Rouge; Lisa P. Jackson, New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection, Trenton; J. Larry Nichols, Devon Energy Corporation,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Athan Manuel, Sierra Club, Washington, D.C.; and Paul
K. Siegele, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, California.
IRAQ: RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee continued hearings to examine the
remaining options relating to securing America's interests in Iraq, focusing
on reconstruction strategy, receiving testimony from David M. Satterfield,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq, Department
of State; and Brigadier General Michael D. Jones, USA, J-5 Deputy Director for
Political-Military Affairs-Middle East, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Hearings to continue.
IRAQ: POLITICAL STRATEGY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee continued hearings to examine the
remaining options relating to securing America's interests in Iraq focusing on
political strategy, receiving testimony from Laith Kubba, National Endowment
for Democracy, Qubad Talabani, Kurdistan Regional Government, and Rend
Al-Rahim, all of Washington, D.C.; and Toby Dodge, International Institute for
Strategic Studies, London, United Kingdom.
Hearings to continue.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE STRATEGY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the Federal government's efforts to
develop a foreign language strategy, focusing on the government's efforts to
increase foreign language education to meet the Federal workforce, national
security, and economic competitiveness needs, after receiving testimony from
Michael L. Dominguez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness; Holly Kuzmich, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and
Programs, Department of Education; Everette E. Jordan, Director, National
Virtual Translation Center, on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Department of Justice; Rita Oleksak, American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages, Alexandria, Virginia; Michael Petro, Committee for Economic
Development, Washington, D.C.; and Diane W. Birckbichler, The Ohio State
University, Columbus.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 40) authorizing expenditures by the Committee and adopted
its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. Res. 21, recognizing the uncommon valor of Wesley Autrey of New York, New
York;
S. Res. 24, designating January 2007 as "National Stalking Awareness Month";
S. Res. 29, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day and the many lessons still to be learned from Dr. King's example of
nonviolence, courage, compassion, dignity, and public service; and
The nominations of Lisa Godbey Wood, to be United States District Judge for
the Southern District of Georgia, Philip S. Gutierrez, and Valerie L. Baker,
each to be United States District Judge for the Central District of
California, Lawrence Joseph O'Neill, to be United States District Judge for
the Eastern District of California, and Gregory Kent Frizzell, to be United
States District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Committee ordered favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 42)
authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts: Senators Schumer
(Chair), Feinstein, Feingold, Whitehouse, Sessions, Grassley, and Graham.
Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights: Senators
Kohl (Chair), Leahy, Biden, Feingold, Schumer, Cardin, Hatch, Specter,
Grassley, Brownback, and Coburn.
Subcommittee on the Constitution: Senators Feingold (Chair), Kennedy,
Feinstein, Durbin, Cardin, Brownback, Specter, Graham, and Cornyn.
[Page: D91]
Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs: Senators Biden (Chair), Kennedy, Kohl,
Feinstein, Feingold, Schumer, Durbin, Graham, Specter, Hatch, Grassley,
Sessions, and Coburn.
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law: Senators Durbin (Chair), Kennedy,
Biden, Feingold, Cardin, Whitehouse, Coburn, Kyl, Graham, Cornyn, and
Brownback.
Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Refugees: Senators Kennedy
(Chair), Biden, Feinstein, Schumer, Durbin, Cornyn, Grassley, Kyl, and
Sessions.
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security: Senators
Feinstein (Chair), Kennedy, Biden, Kohl, Schumer, Durbin, Cardin, Kyl, Hatch,
Sessions, Cornyn, Brownback, and Coburn.
INTELLIGENCE REFORM
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
intelligence reform, focusing on strengthened intelligence capabilities, the
national intelligence workforce, and budget authority, after receiving
testimony from John S. Pistole, Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Department of Justice; Charles E. Allen, Assistant Secretary of
Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis, Chief Intelligence Officer;
James W. Spears, West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public
Safety, Charleston; Cathy L. Lanier, Metropolitan Police Department,
Washington, D.C.; and John C. Gannon, former Staff Director, House of
Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, Alexandria, Virginia.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/26
Daily Digest - Friday, January 26, 2007; pages D94 - D100
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ANTI-SATELLITE TESTING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces met in closed
session to receive a briefing regarding recent Chinese anti-satellite testing,
from Ronald M. Sega, Under Secretary of the Air Force; Robert G. Joseph, Under
Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; Mary Margaret
Graham, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Collection; Brian R.
Green, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategic Capabilities; and
General James E. Cartwright, Commander, United States Strategic Command.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/29
Daily Digest - Monday, January 29, 2007; pages D102 - D106
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/30
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 30, 2007; pages D108 - D116
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, for reappointment to the grade
of admiral and to be Commander, United States Central Command, after the
nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 48) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Airland: Senators Lieberman, (Chairman), Akaka, Bayh, Clinton,
Pryor, Webb, McCaskill, Cornyn, Warner, Inhofe, Sessions, Ensign, and
Chambliss.
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities: Reed (Chairman), Kennedy,
Byrd, Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Bayh, Clinton, Dole, Warner, Collins, Graham,
Cornyn, and Martinez.
Subcommittee on Personnel: Nelson (NE) (Chairman), Kennedy, Lieberman, Webb,
McCaskill, Graham, Collins, Chambliss, and Dole.
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support: Akaka (Chairman), Byrd,
Bayh, Clinton, Pryor, McCaskill, Ensign, Inhofe, Sessions, Chambliss, and
Dole.
Subcommittee on Seapower: Kennedy (Chairman), Lieberman, Reed, Akaka, Nelson
(FL), Webb, Thune, Warner, Collins, Ensign, and Martinez.
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces: Nelson (FL) (Chairman), Byrd, Reed, Nelson
(NE), Pryor, Sessions, Inhofe, Graham, and Thune.
Senators Levin and McCain are ex officio members of each of the Subcommittees.
FISCAL CHALLENGES
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine long-term
fiscal challenges, focusing on the current budget situation and outlook, and
long-run imbalance and related solutions, after receiving testimony from
Robert D. Reischauer, and C. Eugene Steuerle, both of the Urban Institute, and
Robert Greenstein, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, all of Washington,
D.C.
WILDLIFE SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES COSTS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held a hearing to examine
the status of Federal land management agencies' efforts to contain the costs
of their wildlife suppression activities and to consider recent independent
reviews of and recommendations for those efforts, receiving testimony from
Mark Rey, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, and
Phyllis K. Fong, Inspector General, both of the Department of Agriculture;
Nina Rose Hatfield, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Business
Management and Wildland Fire; Robin M. Nazzaro, Director, Natural Resources
and Environment, Government Accountability Office; James Caswell, Idaho Office
of Species Conservation, Boise, on behalf of the Strategic Issues Panel on
Fire Suppression Costs of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council; Kirk
Rowdabaugh, Arizona State Forester, Phoenix, on behalf of sundry
organizations; and Bruce D. McDowell, National Academy of Public
Administration, Washington, D.C.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
FUEL EFFICIENCY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held a hearing to examine
transportation sector fuel efficiency, focusing on challenges to and
incentives for increased oil savings through technological innovation
including plug-in hybrid vehicles, receiving testimony from Senator Stabenow;
Elizabeth Lowery, General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Michigan; John German,
American Honda Motor Company, Inc., and Walter S. McManus, University of
Michigan Transportation Research Institute, both of Ann Arbor; Menahem
Anderman, Advanced Automotive Batteries, Oregon House, California; William J.
Logue, FedEx Express, Memphis, Tennessee; and David L. Greene, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 46) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
GLOBAL WARMING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine Senators' perspectives on global warming, focusing on Senators' views
on global warming and what each Senator believes the Nation's response should
be to the issue, after receiving testimony from Senators Bingaman, Feinstein,
Kerry, McCain, Obama, Levin, Murkowski, Akaka, Lincoln, Durbin, and Nelson
(FL).
[Page: D111]
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of John D. Negroponte, of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of
State, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Lieberman and
Stevens, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee resumed hearings to examine securing
America's interests in Iraq, focusing on the remaining options, alternative
plans and the Iraq Study Group, receiving testimony from James A. Baker, III,
and Lee H. Hamilton, both a Co-Chair, Iraq Study Group.
Hearings to continue on Wednesday, January 31.
CONSTITUTIONAL POWER
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
exercising Congress' constitutional power to end a war, after receiving
testimony from Louis Fisher, Specialist in Constitutional Law, Library of
Congress Law Library; David J. Barron, Harvard Law School, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; Robert F. Turner, University of Virginia School of Law Center
for National Security Law, Charlottesville; Bradford A. Berenson, Sidley
Austin LLP, Washington, D.C.; and Walter Dellinger, Duke University School of
Law, Durham, North Carolina, former Acting Solicitor General of the United
States.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters and ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. Res. 50, an original resolution amending Senate Resolution 400 (94th
Congress) to make amendments arising from the enactment of the Intelligence
Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and to make other amendments; and
S. Res. 51, an original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
Prior to this action, Committee held closed hearings on intelligence matters,
receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Special Committee on Aging: On Monday, January 29, 2007, Committee approved
for reporting an original resolution (S. Res. 45) authorizing expenditures by
the Committee and adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/01/31
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 31, 2007; pages D117 - D126
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FEDERAL FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the roles of Federal food assistance programs in family
economic security and nutrition, focusing on payment errors and trafficking
that have declined despite increased program participation, after receiving
testimony from Sigurd R. Nilsen, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income
Security Issues, Government Accountability Office; Robert Greenstein, Center
on Budget and Policy Priorities, Washington, D.C.; Robert Dostis, Vermont
Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, Burlington; Bill Bolling, Atlanta Community
Food Bank, Atlanta, Georgia; Luanne Francis, Kingsley House, New Orleans,
Louisiana; Melinda Newport, Chickasaw Nation, Ada, Oklahoma; Frank Kubik,
Focus: Hope, Detroit, Michigan; and Rhonda Stewart, Hamilton, Ohio.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 57) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee and adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
[Page: D120]
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding the Iraq "surge" plan from Eric S. Edelman, Under Secretary
of Defense for Policy; Barbara J. Stephenson, Deputy Senior Advisor to the
Secretary and Deputy Coordinator for Iraq, Department of State; and Lieutenant
General Douglas E. Lute, USA, Director for Operations, J-3, and Rear Admiral
David J. Dorsett, USN, Director for Intelligence, J-2, both of The Joint
Staff.
CONTRACTING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded hearings to examine abusive practices in Department of Defense
contracting for services and inter-agency contracting, after receiving
testimony from Marcia G. Madsen, Chair, Jonathan L. Etherton, and James A.
(Ty) Hughes, both a Member, all of the Acquisition Advisory Panel; Paul A.
Denett, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Office of
Management and Budget; and Shay Assad, Director, Defense Procurement and
Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics.
U.S.-CHINA
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Department of the Treasury's report to Congress on
International Economic and Exchange Rate Policy (IEERP) and the U.S.-China
strategic economic dialogue, after receiving testimony from Henry M. Paulson,
Secretary of the Treasury; and Richard L. Trumka, American Federation of Labor
and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), Michael Campbell, Arch
Chemicals, Inc., National Association of Manufacturers, Albert Keidel,
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and C. Fred Bergsten, Peterson
Institute for International Economics, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 56) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions: Senators Johnson (Chairman), Tester,
Menendez, Akaka, Reed, Schumer, Bayh, Carper, Hagel, Bennett, Allard, Sununu,
Bunning, Crapo, and Dole.
Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development: Senators
Schumer (Chairman), Akaka, Casey, Reed, Carper, Brown, Tester, Menendez,
Crapo, Dole, Martinez, Allard, Enzi, Hagel, and Sununu.
Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment: Senators Reed
(Chairman), Menendez, Johnson, Schumer, Bayh, Casey, Akaka, Tester, Allard,
Enzi, Sununu, Bennett, Hagel, Bunning, and Crapo.
Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance: Senators Bayh
(Chairman), Brown, Johnson, Casey, Dodd, Martinez, Enzi, Dole, and Bennett.
Subcommittee on Economic Policy: Senators Carper (Chairman), Brown, and
Bunning.
FISCAL CHALLENGES
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine solutions to
long-term fiscal challenges, after receiving testimony from Robert L. Bixby,
The Concord Coalition, Arlington, Virginia; and Joseph J. Minarik, The
Committee for Economic Development, Jason Furman, The Brookings Institution,
and Stuart M. Butler, The Heritage Foundation, all of Washington, D.C.
PROMOTING TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine economic and security concerns relating to promoting travel
to America, after receiving testimony from Stevan Porter, InterContinental
Hotels Group, Atlanta, Georgia, on behalf of the Discover America Partnership;
Jay Rasulo, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Burbank, California, on behalf of
the Travel Industry Association and the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory
Board; Jonathan M. Tisch, Loews Hotels, New York, New York, on behalf of the
Travel Business Roundtable and the Travel Industry Association; and James C.
May, Air Transport Association, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following bills:
S. 202, to provide for the conveyance of certain Forest Service land to the
city of Coffman Cove, Alaska;
S. 216, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal land in the Santa Fe
National Forest and certain non-Federal land in the Pecos National Historical
Park in the State of New Mexico;
S. 220, to authorize early repayment of obligations to the Bureau of
Reclamation within the A & B Irrigation District in the State of Idaho;
S. 232, to make permanent the authorization for watershed restoration and
enhancement agreements;
S. 235, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain buildings
and lands of the Yakima Project, Washington, to the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation
District;
[Page: D121]
S. 240, to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992;
S. 241, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative
agreements to protect natural resources of units of the National Park System
through collaborative efforts on land inside and outside of units of the
National Park System;
S. 245, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to designate the President
William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home in Hope, Arkansas, as a National
Historic Site and unit of the National Park System;
S. 255, to provide assistance to the State of New Mexico for the development
of comprehensive State water plans;
S. 260, to establish the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation
Area, with an amendment;
S. 262, to rename the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in
the State of Idaho as the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area in honor of the late Morley Nelson, an international
authority on birds of prey, who was instrumental in the establishment of this
National Conservation Area;
S. 263, to amend the Oregon Resource Conservation Act of 1996 to reauthorize
the participation of the Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes River
Conservancy;
S. 264, to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to participate in the
rehabilitation of the Wallowa Lake Dam in Oregon, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 265, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau
of Reclamation, to conduct a water resource feasibility study for the Little
Butte/Bear Creek Subbasins in Oregon;
S. 266, to provide for the modification of an amendatory repayment contract
between the Secretary of the Interior and the North Unit Irrigation District;
S. 268, to designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail;
S. 275, to establish the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument in the State
of New Mexico, with amendments;
S. 277, to modify the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park to include
certain land within the GT Park Subdivision;
S. 283, to amend the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003;
S. 320, to provide for the protection of paleontological resources on Federal
lands;
H.R. 57, to repeal certain sections of the Act of May 26, 1936, pertaining to
the Virgin Islands; and
S. 200, to require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of
Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study on
groundwater resources in the State of Alaska.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: On January 17, 2007, Committee
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and
Children's Health Protection: Senators Boxer (Chairman), Lieberman, Carper,
Klobuchar, Whitehouse, Alexander, Craig, Bond, and Thomas.
Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Senators Baucus (Chairman),
Carper, Clinton, Cardin, Sanders, Isakson, Warner, Voinovich, and Vitter.
Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and
Wildlife Protection: Senators Lieberman (Chairman), Baucus, Lautenberg,
Sanders, Warner, Thomas, and Isakson.
Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety: Senators Carpers (Chairman),
Lieberman, Clinton, Sanders, Voinovich, Isakson, and Alexander.
Subcommittee on Superfund and Environmental Health: Senators Clinton
(Chairman), Baucus, Lautenberg, Cardin, Craig, Vitter, and Bond.
Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water
Quality: Senators Lautenberg (Chairman), Cardin, Klobuchar, Whitehouse,
Vitter, Bond, and Voinovich.
Senators Boxer and Inhofe are ex officio members of each of the Subcommittees.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
resolution (S. Res. 59) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
Also, committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of Michael J.
Astrue, of Massachusetts, to be Commissioner of Social Security, and Dean A.
Pinkert, of Virginia, and Irving A. Williamson, of New York, each to be a
Member of the United States International Trade Commission.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee continued hearings to examine
securing America's interests in Iraq, focusing on the remaining options in
Iraq in the strategic context, receiving testimony from Henry A. Kissinger,
Kissinger McLarty Associates, New York, New York, and Madeleine K. Albright,
The Albright Group LLC, Washington, D.C., both a former Secretary of State.
Hearings to continue on Thursday, February 1.
[Page: D122]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 358, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with
respect to health insurance and employment, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute; and
An original resolution (S. Res. 54) authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress and
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Children and Families: Senators Dodd (Chairman), Bingaman,
Murray, Reed, Clinton, Obama, Sanders, Alexander, Gregg, Murkowski, Hatch,
Roberts, and Allard.
Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety: Senators Murray (Chairman),
Dodd, Harkin, Mikulski, Clinton, Obama, Brown, Isakson, Burr, Murkowski,
Roberts, Allard, and Coburn.
Subcommittee on Retirement and Aging: Mikulski (Chairman), Harkin, Bingaman,
Reed, Sanders, Brown, Burr, Gregg, Alexander, Isakson, and Hatch.
Senators Kennedy and Enzi are ex officio members of each of the Subcommittees.
IRAQ STUDY GROUP REPORT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Iraq
Study Group report, focusing on recommendations for improvements to Iraq's
police and criminal justice system, including S. 119, to prohibit profiteering
and fraud relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction efforts,
after receiving testimony from former Representative Lee H. Hamilton,
Co-Chair, and Edwin Meese III, Member, both of the Iraq Study Group.
US-VISIT PROGRAM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded a hearing to examine challenges and strategies for securing
the border of the United States, focusing on the United States Visitor and
Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program, and strategic,
operational, and technological challenges at land ports of entry, after
receiving testimony from Richard C. Barth, Assistant Secretary for Policy
Development, and Robert A. Mocny, Acting Director, US-VISIT, both of the
Department of Homeland Security; Richard M. Stana, Director, Homeland Security
and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office; Phillip J. Bond,
Information Technology Association of America, Arlington, Virginia; and C.
Stewart Verdery, Jr., Monument Policy Group, LLC, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution (S. Res. 63) authorizing expenditures by the Committee and
adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
SERVICE-DISABLED VETERANS FEDERAL PROCUREMENT AND ASSISTANCE
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine Federal small business assistance programs for
veterans and reservists, after receiving testimony from Linda Bithell Oliver,
Acting Director, Office of Small Business Programs, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics; Scott F.
Denniston, Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
and the Center for Veterans Enterprise, Department of Veterans Affairs;
William D. Elmore, Associate Administrator for Veterans Business Development,
U.S. Small Business Administration; Louis J. Celli, Jr., Northeast Veteran's
Business Resource Center, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts; Captain Ann S. Yahner,
USN (Ret.), Penobscot Bay Media, LLC, Camden, Maine; Bob Hesser, HI Tech
Services, Inc., and Allied Technical Services Group, LLC, Herndon, Virginia;
and Ted Daywalt, VetJobs, Marietta, Georgia.
MEDICARE PART D
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine if
Medicare Part D is working for Low Income Subsidy (LIS) eligible
beneficiaries, after receiving testimony from S. Lawrence Kocot, Senior
Advisor to the Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services; Beatrice Disman, New York Regional
Commissioner of Social Security, Social Security Administration; and Howard
Bedlin, National Council on Aging, and Ellen Leitzer, Health Assistance
Partnership, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D123]
Joint Meetings
MIDDLE-CLASS PROSPERITY
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine ensuring
the economic future by promoting middle-class prosperity, after receiving
testimony from Robert E. Rubin, Citigroup, New York, New York, and Lawrence H.
Summers, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, both a former Secretary
of the Treasury; Alan S. Blinder, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey;
and Richard Vedder, Ohio University, Athens, American Enterprise Institute.
2007/02/01
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 1, 2007; pages D127 - D134
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Gen. George W. Casey Jr., USA, for reappointment to the grade of
general and to be Chief of Staff, United States Army, after the nominee
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
DEFICIT AND FOREIGN DEBT
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the current
account deficit and the foreign debt of the United States, after receiving
testimony from C. Fred Bergsten, and William R. Cline, both of Peterson
Institute for International Economics, Washington, D.C.; and David R. Malpass,
New York, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Budget: On January 31, 2007, Committee ordered favorably
reported an original resolution (S. Res. 52) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee and adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
COMMUNICATIONS MARKETPLACE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine a view from the Federal Communications Commission relating
to assessing the communications marketplace, focusing on telecommunications,
media, consumer protection, and enhancing public safety, after receiving
testimony from Kevin J. Martin, Chairman, and Michael J. Copps, Jonathan S.
Adelstein, Deborah Taylor Tate, and Robert M. McDowell, each a Commissioner,
all of the Federal Communications Commission.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: On January 31, 2007,
Committee ordered favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 58)
authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
TRANSPORTATION BIOFUELS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine accelerated biofuels diversity, focusing on ways home-grown
biologically derived fuels can blend into the nation's transportation fuel
mix, after receiving testimony from sundry public witnesses.
[Page: D129]
CHIP
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine improving the
health of America's children relating to the future of the Children's Health
Insurance Program (CHIP), focusing on State experiences in implementing CHIP
and issues to consider before its reauthorization, after receiving testimony
from Kathryn G. Allen, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability
Office; Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, Atlanta, on behalf of the Southern
Governors' Association; Anita Smith, Iowa Department of Human Services, Des
Moines; Cindy Mann, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for
Children and Families, Washington, D.C.; and Craig Bedford, Kim Lee Bedford,
and Job Timothy Bedford, all of Baltimore, Maryland.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution (S. Res. 64) authorizing expenditures by the Committee
during the 110th Congress.
IRAQ: STRATEGIC CONTEXT
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
securing America's interests in Iraq, focusing on the remaining options in
Iraq in the strategic context, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant
General Brent Scowcroft, USAF (Ret.), Scowcroft Group, and Zbigniew
Brzezinski, Center for Strategic and International Studies, both of
Washington, D.C., both a former National Security Advisor.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: On January 31, 2007,
Committee ordered favorably reported an original resolution (S. Res. 60)
authorizing expenditures by the Committee.
PRIVATE HEALTH RECORDS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded an oversight hearing to examine privacy implications of the
Federal government's health information technology initiative relating to
private health records, focusing on the efforts of Department of Health and
Human Services to integrate privacy into the Health Information Technology
national infrastructure and Office of Personnel Management's efforts to expand
the use of Health Information Technology through the Federal Employees Health
Benefits Program and the impact such actions have on Federal employees' health
information privacy, after receiving testimony from Robert Kolodner, Interim
National Coordinator, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT,
Department of Health and Human Services; Daniel A. Green, Deputy Associate
Director, Center for Employee and Family Support Policy, Office of Personnel
Management; David A. Powner, Director, Information Technology Management
Issues, Government Accountability Office; Mark A. Rothstein, University of
Louisville School of Medicine Institute for Bioethics, Health Policy and Law,
Louisville, Kentucky; and Carol C. Diamond, Markle Foundation, New York, New
York.
NOMINATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Carl Joseph Artman, of Colorado, to be Assistant Secretary of
the Interior for Indian Affairs.
Prior to this action, committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Carl Joseph Artman, of Colorado, to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior
for Indian Affairs, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his
own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans Affairs: On January 31, 2007, Committee approved for
reporting an original resolution (S. Res. 55) authorizing expenditures by the
Committee and adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of J. Michael McConnell, of Virginia, to be Director of National
Intelligence, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Warner,
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/05
Daily Digest - Monday, February 5, 2007; pages D136 - D140
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
GENOCIDE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law concluded
a hearing to examine genocide and the rule of law, focusing on ongoing efforts
against the perpetrators of genocide and other human rights violators, after
receiving testimony from Sigal P. Mandelker, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice; Lieutenant General Romeo A.
Dallaire, Parliament of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; Diane F. Orentlicher,
American University Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C.; and Don
Cheadle, Los Angeles, California.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/06
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 6, 2007; pages D141 - D146
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 and the fiscal years
2007 and 2008 war supplemental requests in review of the Defense Authorization
Request for Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, after
receiving testimony from Robert M. Gates, Secretary, and Tina W. Jonas, Under
Secretary (Comptroller), both of the Department of Defense; and General Peter
Pace, USMC, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of General George W. Casey Jr., USA, for reappointment to the
grade of general and to be Chief of Staff, United States Army; Admiral William
J. Fallon, USN, for reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be Commander,
United States Central Command; and 37 nominations in the Army and Air Force.
WAR COSTS
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine war costs,
focusing on the costs of operations in the Iraq theater and issues associated
with estimating those costs, while considering the costs of the continuing
global war on terror, after receiving testimony from J. Michael Gilmore,
Assistant Director for National Security, Congressional Budget Office; and
Steven M. Kosiak, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, and Gordon
Adams, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, both of Washington,
D.C.
EPA DECISIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decisions,
focusing on EPA actions and documents, including monitoring regulations
related to perchlorate, the process for setting National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS), the lead NAAQS process, air toxics control (the "once in,
always in" policy), the Toxic Release Inventory, and EPA library closures,
after receiving testimony from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency; John B. Stephenson, Director, Natural
Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; Thomas M.
Sullivan, Chief Counsel for Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration; John
R. Balmes, University of California, San Francisco at San Francisco General
Hospital, on behalf of the American Lung Association and the American Thoracic
Society, and Gina M. Solomon, Natural Resources Defense Council, both of San
Francisco, California; Leslie Burger, Princeton Public Library, Princeton, New
Jersey, on behalf of the American Library Association; Robert T. Connery,
Holland and Hart, Denver, Colorado; and Nancy Klinefelter, Baltimore Glassware
Decorators, Baltimore, Maryland.
[Page: D142]
BUDGET PROPOSAL
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the President's
Fiscal Year 2008 budget proposal, after receiving testimony from Henry M.
Paulson, Secretary of the Treasury.
SOMALIA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine a comprehensive stabilization, reconstruction and
counter-terrorism strategy for Somalia, after receiving testimony from Jendayi
E. Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Michael E. Hess,
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian
Assistance, United States Agency for International Development; David H.
Shinn, George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs,
former Ambassador to Ethiopia, and J. Stephen Morrison, Center for Strategic
and International Studies, both of Washington, D.C.; and Ken Menkhaus,
Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina.
U.S. ATTORNEYS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine if the
Department of Justice is politicizing the hiring and firing of U.S. attorneys
relating to preserving prosecutorial independence, including S. 214, to amend
chapter 35 of title 28, United States Code, to preserve the independence of
United States attorneys, after receiving testimony from Senator Pryor; Paul J.
McNulty, Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice; Mary Jo White,
Debevoise and Plimpton, LLP, New York, New York, former United States
Attorney; Laurie L. Levenson, Loyola Law School Center for Ethical Advocacy,
Los Angeles, California; and Stuart M. Gerson, Epstein, Becker and Green,
Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of John Preston Bailey, to be United States District Judge for the
Northern District of West Virginia, who was introduced by Senator Byrd and
Representative Capito, and Otis D. Wright II, and George H. Wu, each to be
United States District Judge for the Central District of California, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of J. Michael McConnell, of Virginia, to be Director of National
Intelligence.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/07
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 7, 2007; pages D148 - D154
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FARM BILL PROPOSAL
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Department of Agriculture farm bill proposal, after
receiving testimony from Michael Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture.
LENDING PRACTICES AND HOME FORECLOSURES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine predatory lending practices and home foreclosures, after
receiving testimony from Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and
Delores King, both of Chicago, Illinois; Harry Dinham, National Association of
Mortgage Brokers, McLean, Virginia; Jean Constantine-Davis, AARP Foundation,
Hilary Shelton, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP), and Douglas G. Duncan, Mortgage Bankers Association, all of
Washington, D.C.; Martin Eakes, Center for Responsible Lending and Center for
Community Self-Help, Durham, North Carolina; and Amy Womble, Pittsboro, North
Carolina.
[Page: D149]
BUDGET: FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's Fiscal Year 2008 budget proposal, after receiving testimony from
Robert J. Portman, Director, Office of Management and Budget.
CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine climate change research and scientific integrity, after
receiving testimony from William Brennan, Acting Director, U.S. Climate Change
Science Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department
of Commerce; Richard A. Anthes, University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research, Boulder, Colorado, on behalf of the National Academies; Rick Piltz,
Government Accountability Project, Washington, D.C.; F. Sherwood Rowland,
University of California, Irvine, Departments of Chemistry and Earth System
Science; Thomas R. Knutson, Princeton, New Jersey; and James R. Mahoney,
Ashburn, Virginia.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the
Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Samuel W. Bodman,
Secretary of Energy.
GLOBAL WARMING AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Private Sector and
Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection concluded a
hearing to examine global warming and wildlife, focusing on informing the
Committee and the United States Senate on issues related to these issues,
after receiving testimony from Roger Mann, College of William and Mary
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point; David H. Stalling,
Trout Unlimited, Missoula, Montana; A. Lee Foote, University of Alberta,
Alberta, Canada; Brendan P. Kelly, University of Alaska, Fairbanks; Thomas E.
Lovejoy, H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment,
Washington, D.C.
BUDGET
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the President's
Fiscal Year 2008 budget proposal for the Department of Health and Human
Services, after receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of
Health and Human Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: On January 24, 2007,
Committee announced the following subcommittee assignments for the 110th
Congress:
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations: Senators Levin (Chairman), Carper,
Pryor, Obama, McCaskill, Tester, Coleman, Coburn, Domenici, Warner, and
Sununu.
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and
the District of Columbia: Senators Akaka (Chairman), Levin, Carper, Pryor,
Landrieu, Voinovich, Stevens, Coburn, and Warner.
Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal
Services, and International Security: Senators Carper (Chairman), Levin,
Akaka, Obama, McCaskill, Tester, Coburn, Stevens, Voinovich, Domenici, and
Sununu.
Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and
Integration: Senators Pryor (Chairman), Akaka, Landrieu, Obama, McCaskill,
Tester, Sununu, Voinovich, Coleman, Domenici, and Warner.
Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery: Senators Landrieu (Chairman),
Carper, Pryor, Stevens, and Domenici.
Senators Lieberman and Collins are ex officio members of each of the
Subcommittees.
ELECTRONIC VOTING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the hazards of electronic voting systems, focusing on the accuracy,
reliability, and security of voting machines and technology, including
proposals for a voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), after receiving
testimony from Senator Nelson (FL); Representative Holt; Conny B. McCormack,
Los Angeles County, Norwalk, California; David J. Becker, People for the
American Way, and Warren Stewart, VoteTrustUSA, both of Washington, D.C.;
Britain J. Williams, Kennesaw State University, Tucker, Georgia; Dan S.
Wallach, Rice University, Houston, Texas; Connie Schmidt, Election Consulting
Services, Spring Hill, Kansas; and Michael Waldman, New York University School
of Law Brennan Center for Justice, New York, New York.
[Page: D150]
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/08
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 8, 2007; pages D156 - D166
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the
Judiciary, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2008 for the Department of Transportation, after receiving testimony from Mary
E. Peters, Secretary of Transportation.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 372, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for the intelligence and
intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the
Intelligence Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency
Retirement and Disability System.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill to provide the resources to protect public
transportation from terrorism.
BUDGET: FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's budget and revenue proposals for fiscal year 2008, after receiving
testimony from Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury.
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the present and future of public safety communications,
focusing on a need for broadband technology for America's fire and emergency
services, after receiving testimony from Charles L. Werner, Charlottesville
Fire Department, Fairfax, Virginia, on behalf of International Association of
Fire Chiefs; Harlin R. McEwen, International Association of Chiefs of Police,
Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of Major Cities Chiefs Association, National
Sheriffs' Association, and Major County Sheriffs' Association; Morgan O'Brien,
Cyren Call Communications, McLean, Virginia; Steve Largent, CTIA--The Wireless
Association, Washington, D.C.; David Billstrom, National Interop, Inc.,
Seattle, Washington; and Matthew J. Desch, Iridium Satellite LLC, Bethesda,
Maryland.
OIL AND GAS ROYALTY MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine issues relating to labor, immigration, law enforcement, and economic
conditions in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, after
receiving testimony from David B. Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Insular Affairs, and James Benedetto, Labor Ombudsman, both of the Department
of the Interior; Jeanette Franzel, Director, Financial Management and
Assurance, Government Accountability Office; Lieutenant Government Timothy P.
Villagomez, Lauri Bennett Ogumoro, Karidat, and Juan T. Guerrero, Saipan
Chamber of Commerce, Mary Stella Mangona, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, and
Kayleen Entena, all of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
Pedro A. Tenorio, Resident Representative to the United States, Washington,
D.C.; and F. Haydn Williams, San Francisco, California.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for foreign affairs,
including the Department of State and the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), after receiving testimony from Condoleezza
Rice, Secretary of State.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of John D. Negroponte, of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of
State.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the No Child Left Behind Act reauthorization, focusing on
strategies that promote school improvement, after receiving testimony from
Michael P. Flanagan, Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lansing;
Alana Dale Turner, Easton High School, Easton, Maryland; Richard Coleman, Sr.,
An Achievable Dream Academy, Newport News, Virginia; Kimberly Johnson, Briggs
Chaney Middle School, Silver Spring, Maryland; Yvonne W. Brandon, Richmond
Public Schools, Richmond, Virginia; Martha S. Barber, Alabama Reading
Initiative Regional Principal Coach, Birmingham, Alabama; Hosanna
Mahaley-Johnson, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois; and Paul Reville,
Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
[Page: D158]
SPECIAL DIABETES PROGRAM
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing on
diabetes in Indian Country, focusing on the Special Diabetes Program for
Indians, after receiving testimony from Charles W. Grim, Director, and Kelly
Moore, Clinical Specialty Consultant, Division of Diabetes Treatment and
Prevention, both of the Indian Health Service, William C. Knowler, Chief,
Diabetes Epidemiology and Clinical Research Section, Division of Intramural
Research, and Judith Fradkin, Director, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology,
and Metabolic Diseases, both of the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, all of the
Department of Health and Human Services; Buford Rolin, Poarch Band of Creek
Indians, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee,
and the National Indian Health Board; James D. Brosseau, Altru Health System,
Grand Forks, North Dakota; Biron Baker, Medcenter One, Bismarck, North Dakota;
Sam McCracken, Nike, Beaverton, Oregon; and Donna Vandall, Winnebago Tribal
Whirling Thunder Wellness Programs, Winnebago, Nebraska.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
S. 322, to establish an Indian youth telemental health demonstration project;
S. 375, to waive application of the Indian Self-Determination and Education
Assistance Act to a specific parcel of real property transferred by the United
States to 2 Indian tribes in the State of Oregon;
S. 398, to amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention
Act to identify and remove barriers to reducing child abuse, to provide for
examinations of certain children; and
S. 481, to recruit and retain more qualified individuals to teach in Tribal
Colleges or Universities.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 188, to revise the short title of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and
Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of
2006, with amendments;
S. 214, to amend chapter 35 of title 28, United States Code, to preserve the
independence of United States attorneys, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. Res. 36, honoring women's health advocate Cynthia Boles Dailard;
S. Res. 37, designating March 26, 2007 as "National Support the Troops Day"
and encouraging the people of the United States to participate in a moment of
silence to reflect upon the service and sacrifice of members of the Armed
Forces both at home and abroad; and
The nominations of Marcia Morales Howard, to be United States District Judge
for the Middle District of Florida, Nora Barry Fischer, to be United States
District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Norman Randy Smith,
of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, John Alfred
Jarvey, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Iowa,
and Sara Elizabeth Lioi, to be United States District Judge for the Northern
District of Ohio.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/09
Daily Digest - Friday, February 9, 2007; pages D168 - D170
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in open and closed session to
receive a briefing on the Department of Defense Inspector General's report on
the activities of the Office of Special Plans prior to the war in Iraq from
Thomas F. Gimble, Acting Inspector General, Department of Defense; and
Commander Tamara Herstad, United States Navy.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/12
Daily Digest - Monday, February 12, 2007; pages D172 - D178
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee approved for
reporting the following subcommittee assignments for the 110th Congress:
Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security: Senators
Rockefeller (Chair), Kerry, Dorgan, Boxer, Nelson (FL), Cantwell, Lautenberg,
Pryor, Carper, McCaskill, Klobuchar, Lott, McCain, Hutchison, Snowe, Smith,
Ensign, Sununu, DeMint, Vitter, and Thune.
Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation: Senators Kerry (Chair),
Rockefeller, Dorgan, Boxer, Cantwell, Pryor, McCaskill, Klobuchar, Ensign,
McCain, Hutchison, Smith, Sununu, DeMint, and Thune.
Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism: Senators Dorgan
(Chair), Rockefeller, Kerry, Boxer, Cantwell, Pryor, McCaskill, DeMint,
McCain, Snowe, Smith, Ensign, and Sununu.
Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Science: Senators Nelson (FL)
(Chair), Kerry, Dorgan, Pryor, Hutchison, Lott, and Sununu.
Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard: Senators
Cantwell (Chair), Kerry, Boxer, Nelson (FL), Lautenberg, Carper, Klobuchar,
Snowe, Lott, Smith, Sununu, DeMint, and Vitter.
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure,
Safety, and Security: Senators Lautenberg (Chair), Rockefeller, Kerry, Dorgan,
Cantwell, Pryor, Carper, McCaskill, Klobuchar, Smith, McCain, Lott, Hutchison,
Snowe, DeMint, Vitter, and Thune.
Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety: Senators
Pryor (Chair), Rockefeller, Nelson (FL), Cantwell, Lautenberg, Carper,
McCaskill, Klobuchar, Sununu, McCain, Lott, Snowe, Smith, Vitter, and Thune.
Senators Inouye and Stevens are ex officio members of each of the
Subcommittees.
[Page: D174]
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy concluded a
hearing to examine recommendations on policies and programs to improve the
energy efficiency of buildings and to expand the role of electric and gas
utilities in energy efficiency programs, after receiving testimony from Kim
Christianson, North Dakota Department of Commerce, Bismarck, on behalf of the
National Association of State Energy Officials; R. K. Stewart, American
Institute of Architects, and Kateri Callahan, Alliance to Save Energy, both of
Washington, D.C.; Charles R. Zimmerman, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville,
Arkansas; Jack Hebert, Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks,
Alaska; and James E. Rogers, Duke Energy, Charlotte, North Carolina, on behalf
of the Edison Electric Institute.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/13
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 13, 2007; pages D179 - D186
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine challenges and opportunities relating to rural development,
after receiving testimony from Charles W. Fluharty, University of
Missouri-Columbia Truman School of Public Affairs, and Rural Policy Research
Institute; Chuck Hassebrook, Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, Nebraska; Vernon
R. Kelley, Three Rivers Planning and Development District, Pontotoc,
Mississippi; Mary Holz-Clause, Iowa State University Agriculture Marketing
Resource Center, Ames; and Joseph M. Sertich, Jr., Northeast Minnesota Higher
Education District, Chisholm, on behalf of the Rural Community College
Alliance.
[Page: D180]
OIL AND NATURAL GAS ROYALTY MANAGEMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
concluded an oversight hearing to examine Outer Continental Shelf oil and
natural gas royalty management by the Department of the Interior, focusing on
energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf and revenue from Federal and
Indian mineral leases, after receiving testimony from C. Stephen Allred,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of
Health and Human Services, after receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt,
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 184, to provide improved rail and surface transportation security, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 509, to provide improved aviation security, with amendments;
S. 385, to improve the interoperability of emergency communications equipment,
with amendments;
S. 93, to authorize NTIA to borrow against anticipated receipts of the Digital
Television and Public Safety Fund to initiate migration to a national
IP-enabled emergency network capable of receiving and responding to all
citizen activated emergency communications;
S. 84, to establish a United States Boxing Commission to administer the Act;
S. 39, to establish a coordinated national ocean exploration program within
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute; and
A promotion list in the United States Coast Guard.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held a hearing to examine
"Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change" which analyzes the economic
impacts of climate change and stabilizing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
receiving testimony from Nicholas Stern, Adviser to Her Majesty's Government
on the Economics of Climate Change, London, United Kingdom; Henry D. Jacoby,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; and Gary W. Yohe, Wesleyan
University, Middletown, Connecticut.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
review and report the recommendations of the United States Climate Action
Partnership Report, after receiving testimony from Chad Holliday, E.I. DuPont
de Nemours and Company, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware; Fred L. Smith, Jr.,
Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Jonathan Lash, World Resources
Institute, both of Washington, DC; Peter A. Darbee, PG&E Corporation, San
Francisco, California, on behalf of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership;
Harold G. Hamm, Continental Resources, Inc., Enid, Oklahoma; Stephen A.
Elbert, BP America Inc., Warrenville, Illinois; and Kevin Book, Arlington,
Virginia.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND BUDGET
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2008 for the Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
HEALTHY FAMILIES ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine The Healthy Families Act, focusing on safeguarding
Americans' livelihood, families and health with paid sick days, after
receiving testimony from Rajiv Bhatia, University of California at San
Francisco, and San Francisco Department of Public Health; Debra L. Ness,
National Partnership for Women and Families, and Heidi I. Hartmann, George
Washington University Institute for Women's Policy Research, both of
Washington, D.C.; Jody Heymann, McGill University Institute for Health and
Social Policy, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; and G. Roger King, Jones Day,
Columbus, Ohio.
SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH CARE
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine alternatives for easing small business health care costs,
after receiving testimony from Jon M. Kingsdale, Commonwealth of
Massachusetts' Health Insurance Connector Authority, Boston; Mary Beth
Senkewicz, MBS Consulting, Ann Sullivan, Women Impacting Public Policy, and
William F. Sweetnam, Jr., Groom Law Group, former Benefits Tax Counsel, Office
of Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury, all of Washington, D.C.; and Tarren
Bragdon, Maine Heritage Policy Center, Portland.
[Page: D181]
VETERANS PROGRAMS BUDGET
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for veterans
programs, after receiving testimony from R. James Nicholson, Secretary of
Veterans Affairs; Carl Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Dennis M.
Cullinan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and Steve Robertson,
American Legion, all of Washington, D.C.; Joseph A. Violante, Disabled
American Veterans, Cold Spring, Kentucky; David G. Greineder, AMVETS, Lanham,
Maryland; and John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver Spring,
Maryland.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/14
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 14, 2007; pages D188 - D194
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRANIAN ACTIVITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing regarding Iranian activities in Iraq from Eric S. Edelman, Under
Secretary of Defense for Policy; Lieutenant General Douglas E. Lute, USA,
Director for Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff; Lieutenant General Michael D.
Maples, USA, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; and David Satterfield,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State, Coordinator for Iraq, Department of
State.
[Page: D189]
MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,
after receiving testimony from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System.
TAX COMPLIANCE
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's fiscal year 2008 budget proposals on tax compliance, after
receiving testimony from Mark W. Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue
Service, Department of the Treasury.
OVERSEAS SWEATSHOP ABUSES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Interstate
Commerce, Trade, and Tourism concluded a hearing to examine overseas sweatshop
abuses, focusing on their impact on U.S. workers and the need for
anti-sweatshop legislation, including S. 367, to amend the Tariff Act of 1930
to prohibit the import, export, and sale of goods made with sweatshop labor,
after receiving testimony from David J. Socolow, New Jersey Department of
Labor and Workforce Development, Trenton; Betty Fuentes, International Labor
Rights Fund, and Daniel T. Griswold, Cato Institute, both of Washington, D.C.;
Sheikh Nazma, and Charles Kernaghan, both of the National Labor Committee, New
York, New York; James D. English, United Steelworkers, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; and Steven A. Jesseph, Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production,
Arlington, Virginia.
DEEPWATER PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard concluded an oversight hearing to
examine recent setbacks to the Coast Guard Deepwater Program, focusing on
efforts to improve management and address certain operations challenges, after
receiving testimony from Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, and Captain Kevin
P. Jarvis, (Ret.), both of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Richard L. Skinner,
Inspector General, all of the Department of Homeland Security; Stephen L.
Caldwell, Acting Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government
Accountability Office; Leo S. Mackay, Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and
Sensors, Arlington, Virginia; and Philip A. Teel, Northrop Grumman Ship
Systems, Pascagoula, Mississippi.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following business items:
S. 558, to provide parity between health insurance coverage of mental health
benefits and benefits for medical and surgical services, with an amendment;
S. 556, to reauthorize the Head Start Act; and
The nomination of Leon R. Sequeira, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of
Labor.
JUDICIAL SECURITY AND INDEPENDENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine judicial
security and independence, including S. 378, to amend title 18, United States
Code, to protect judges, prosecutors, witnesses, victims, and their family
members, S. 197, to authorize salary adjustments for justices and judges of
the United States for fiscal year 2007, S. 344, to permit the televising of
Supreme Court proceedings, and S. 352, to provide for media coverage of
Federal court proceedings, after receiving testimony from Associate Justice
Anthony M. Kennedy, United States Supreme Court.
COMMITTEE FUNDING RESOLUTIONS
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing on
proposed legislation authorizing expenditures by the Select Committee on
Intelligence, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on
Finance, after receiving testimony from Senators Rockefeller, Bond, Lugar, and
Grassley.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D190]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/15
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 15, 2007; pages D195 - D202
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FUTURE READINESS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine the current and future readiness of the Army and Marine Corps, after
receiving testimony from General Peter J. Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, and
Lieutenant General Stephen M. Speakes, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, both
of the United States Army; and General James T. Conway, USMC, Commandant,
United States Marine Corps.
FAA REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
Operations, Safety, and Security concluded a hearing to examine the
Administration's proposal to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration
(Part 1), after receiving testimony from Marion C. Blakey, Administrator,
Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the
Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from Dirk Kempthorne,
Secretary of the Interior.
TRADE AGENDA
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Administration's trade agenda for 2007, after receiving testimony from Susan
C. Schwab, United States Trade Representative.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Ryan C. Crocker, of Washington, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Iraq, and William B. Wood, of New York, to be Ambassador to the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D197]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following bills:
S. 4, to make the United States more secure by implementing unfinished
recommendations of the 9/11 Commission to fight the war on terror more
effectively, to improve homeland security, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute;
S. 343, to extend the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999;
S. 457, to extend the date on which the National Security Personnel System
will first apply to certain defense laboratories, a proposed bill to preserve
existing judgeships on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia;
S. 550, to preserve existing judgeships on the Superior Court of the District
of Columbia,
S. 171, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 301 Commerce Street in Commerce, Oklahoma, as the "Mickey Mantle Post
Office Building";
S. 194 and H.R. 49, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1300 North Frontage Road West in Vail, Colorado, as
the "Gerald R. Ford, Jr. Post Office Building";
S. 219 and H.R. 335, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 152 North 5th Street in Laramie, Wyoming, as the
"Gale W. McGee Post Office";
S. 412 and H.R. 521, bills to designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2633 11th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, as the
"Lane Evans Post Office Building";
H.R. 433, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 1700 Main Street in Little Rock, Arkansas, as the "Scipio A. Jones
Post Office Building";
H.R. 514, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 16150 Aviation Loop Drive in Brooksville, Florida, as the "Sergeant
Lea Robert Mills Brooksville Aviation Branch Post Office"; and
H.R. 577, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 3903 South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, as the "Sergeant Henry
Ybarra III Post Office Building".
TRIBAL PROGRAMS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the President's budget request for fiscal year 2008 for tribal
programs, after receiving testimony from James Cason, Associate Deputy
Secretary of the Department of the Interior; Charles W. Grim, Assistant
Surgeon General, Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and
Human Services; Catherine Freeman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary
and Secondary Education, and Thomas M. Corwin, Director, Division of
Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Analysis, Budget Service, both of the
Department of Education; Orlando J. Cabrera, Assistant Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development for Public and Indian Housing; Regina B. Schofield,
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice;
Ivan D. Posey, Eastern Shoshone Business Council, Fort Washakie, Wyoming;
Jefferson Keel, Chickasaw Nation, Ada, Oklahoma, on behalf of the National
Congress of American Indians; and H. Sally Smith, National Indian Health
Board, Verlie Ann Malina Wright, National Indian Education Association, and
Marty Shuravloff, National American Indian Housing Council, all of Washington,
D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. Res. 41, honoring and the life and recognizing the accomplishments of Tom
Mooney, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers;
S. Res. 47, honoring the life and achievements of George C. Springer, Sr., the
Northeast regional director and a former vice president of the American
Federation of Teachers;
S. Res. 49, recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the entry of
Alaska into the Union as the 49th State;
S. Res. 69, recognizing the African-American spiritual as a national treasure;
and
The nominations of Beryl A. Howell, of the District of Columbia, and Dabney
Langhorne Friedrich, of Virginia, both to be a Member of the United States
Sentencing Commission.
Also, Committee approved for reporting S. 316, to prohibit brand name drug
companies from compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a
generic drug into the market.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
BABY BOOMERS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
retirement of those Americans born between 1946 and 1964 (baby boomers),
focusing on the federal budget and senior citizens, and Social Security
benefits, after receiving testimony from Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner,
Social Security Administration; Leslie V. Norwalk, Acting Administrator,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Josefina Carbonell, Assistant
Secretary for Aging, both of the Department of Health and Human Services; and
Brian D. Montgomery, Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for
Housing.
[Page: D198]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/16
Daily Digest - Friday, February 16, 2007; pages D204 - D208
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
PAYING FOR COLLEGE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine college affordability, focusing on higher education, higher
costs and higher student debt, and the Higher Education Act and its
amendments, after receiving testimony from Jon H. Oberg, former researcher,
Department of Education, Rockville, Maryland; Suze Orman, CNBC, and Tamara
Draut, Demos Institute, both of New York, New York; and Sandy Baum, Skidmore
College, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the College Board.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/17
Daily Digest - Friday, February 17, 2007; pages D209 - D212
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/26
Daily Digest - Monday, February 26, 2007; pages D214 - D218
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/02/27
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 27, 2007; pages D219 - D226
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: On Tuesday, February 13,
2007 committee approved for reporting the following subcommittee assignments
for the 110th Congress:
Subcommittee on Nutrition and Food Assistance, Sustainable and Organic
Agriculture, and General Legislation: Senators Leahy (Chairman), Lincoln,
Stabenow, Brown, Casey, Klobuchar, Coleman, Lugar, Cochran, McConnell, and
Crapo.
Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology: Senators Conrad (Chairman),
Nelson (NE), Salazar, Brown, Casey, Klobuchar, Thune, Lugar, Graham, Coleman,
and Grassley.
Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and
Animal Health: Senators Baucus (Chairman), Conrad, Stabenow, Nelson (NE),
Salazar, Casey, Graham, McConnell, Roberts, Crapo, and Thune.
[Page: D220]
Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support: Senators
Lincoln (Chairman), Leahy, Conrad, Baucus, Brown, Klobuchar, Roberts, Cochran,
Coleman, Thune, and Grassley.
Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit:
Senators Stabenow (Chairman), Leahy, Baucus, Lincoln, Nelson (NE), Salazar,
Crapo, Lugar, Cochran, McConnell, and Graham.
AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine the President's proposed
budget request for fiscal year 2008 for agriculture programs, after receiving
testimony from Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture; and Andrew von
Eschenbach, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health
and Human Services.
SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Supplemental Request for fiscal year 2007, after receiving testimony from
Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State; Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense; and
General Peter Pace, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
WORLDWIDE THREATS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine the current and future worldwide threats to the national security of
the United States, after receiving testimony from General Michael D. Maples,
USA, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency; Thomas Fingar, Deputy Director of
National Intelligence for Analysis, and Chairman, and Joseph DeTrani, North
Korea Mission Manager, both of the National Intelligence Council; and Vice
Admiral John M. McConnell, USN (Ret.), Director, National Intelligence.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 1,281
military nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
PASSENGER RAIL INVESTMENT AND IMPROVEMENT ACT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
concluded a hearing to examine S. 294, to reauthorize Amtrak, after receiving
testimony from Senator Casey; Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell,
Harrisburg; Joseph H. Boardman, Administrator, Federal Railroad
Administration, Department of Transportation; Frank J. Busalacchi, Wisconsin
Department of Transportation, Madison, on behalf of the States for Passenger
Rail Coalition; Kelly Taylor, Oregon Department of Transportation Rail
Division, Salem; and Alex Kummant, Amtrak, Washington, D.C.
ENERGY
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine America's
energy future, focusing on bold ideas and practical solutions, including the
Air Force Energy Strategy for the 21st Century, after receiving testimony from
Michael A. Aimone, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics,
Installations, and Mission Support, United States Air Force; Montana Governor,
Brian Schweitzer, Helena; Dan E. Arvizu, National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
Golden, Colorado; Robert Socolow, Princeton University Carbon Mitigation
Initiative, Princeton, New Jersey; and Dan W. Reicher, Google Corporation
Energy and Climate Initiatives, Mountain View, California.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations Stanley Davis Phillips, of North Carolina, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Estonia, who was introduced by Senators Dole, Burr, and Lieberman,
and Sam Fox, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to Belgium, who was introduced by
former Senator Danforth and Senators Bond, McCaskill, and Specter, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
TOBACCO REGULATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 625, to protect the public health by providing the Food
and Drug Administration with certain authority to regulate tobacco products,
after receiving testimony from Lisa Shames, Acting Director, Natural Resources
and Environment, Government Accountability Office; Matthew Myers, Campaign for
Tobacco-Free Kids, and Elmer Huerta, American Cancer Society, both of
Washington, D.C.; Richard Land, Southern Baptist Convention, Nashville,
Tennessee; Jack E. Henningfield, Pinney and Associates, and Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Gregory N. Connolly,
Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Alan Blum,
University of Alabama Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society, Tuscaloosa.
PROSECUTORS AND DEFENDERS INCENTIVE ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 442,
to provide for loan repayment for prosecutors and public defenders, after
receiving testimony from Paul A. Logli, Winnebago County State's Attorney,
Rockford, Illinois, on behalf of the National District Attorneys Association;
Jessica A. Bergeman, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney, Chicago,
Illinois; and George B. Shepherd, Emory University School of Law, Atlanta,
Georgia.
[Page: D221]
Joint Meetings
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded joint hearings with the
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation
of the Disabled American Veterans, after receiving testimony from Bradley S.
Barton, Disabled American Veterans, Cold Spring, Kentucky.
2007/02/28
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 28, 2007; pages D228 - D238
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
provide an overview of the President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2008
for defense-related matters, after receiving testimony from Gordon England,
Deputy Secretary, and Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller) and Chief
Financial Officer, both of the Department of Defense; and Admiral Edmund P.
Giambastiani, Jr., Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
AMTRAK: 2008
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine Amtrak 2008,
after receiving testimony from Joseph H. Boardman, Administrator, Federal
Railroad Administration, and David Tornquist, Assistant Inspector General,
Competition and Economic Analysis, both of the Department of Transportation;
Alex Kummant, National Railroad Passenger Corporation-Amtrak, and Edward
Wytkind, AFL-CIO, both of Washington, D.C.; and Robert Serlin, RIM Services,
LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
MINE SAFETY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine improving mine
safety, one year after the Sago and Alma coalmining disasters, after receiving
testimony from Richard E. Stickler, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine
Safety and Health; John Howard, Director, and Jeffery L. Kohler, Director,
Office of Mine Safety and Health, both of the National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Health and Human Services; J.
Davitt McAteer, Wheeling Jesuit University, Shepherdstown, West Virginia;
Chris R. Hamilton, West Virginia Coal Association, Charleston; Cecil Roberts,
United Mine Workers of America, Fairfax, Virginia; and Bruce Watzman, National
Mining Association, Washington, D.C.
SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Committee on Appropriations: On Monday, February 26, 2007, Committee adopted
it rules of procedure and approved for reporting the following subcommittee
assignments for the 110th Congress:
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies: Senators Kohl (Chairman), Harkin, Dorgan, Feinstein,
Durbin, Johnson, Nelson (NE), Reed, Bennett, Cochran, Specter, Bond,
McConnell, Craig, and Brownback.
[Page: D230]
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: Senators
Mikulski (Chairman), Inouye, Leahy, Kohl, Harkin, Dorgan, Feinstein, Reed,
Lautenberg, Shelby, Gregg, Stevens, Domenici, McConnell, Hutchison, Brownback,
and Alexander.
Subcommittee on Defense: Senators Inouye (Chairman), Byrd, Leahy, Harkin,
Dorgan, Durbin, Feinstein, Mikulski, Kohl, Murray, Stevens, Cochran, Specter,
Domenici, Bond, McConnell, Shelby, Gregg, and Hutchison.
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development: Senators Dorgan (Chairman),
Byrd, Murray, Feinstein, Johnson, Landrieu, Inouye, Reed, Lautenberg,
Domenici, Cochran, McConnell, Bennett, Craig, Bond, Hutchison, and Allard.
Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government: Senators Durbin
(Chairman), Murray, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Nelson (NE), Brownback, Bond,
Shelby, and Allard.
Subcommittee on Homeland Security: Senators Byrd (Chairman), Inouye, Leahy,
Mikulski, Kohl, Murray, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Nelson (NE), Cochran, Gregg,
Stevens, Specter, Domenici, Shelby, Craig, and Alexander.
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Senators
Feinstein (Chairman), Byrd, Leahy, Dorgan, Mikulski, Kohl, Johnson, Reed,
Nelson (NE), Craig, Stevens, Cochran, Domenici, Bennett, Gregg, Allard, and
Alexander.
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related
Agencies: Senators Harkin (Chairman), Inouye, Kohl, Murray, Landrieu, Durbin,
Reed, Lautenberg, Specter, Cochran, Gregg, Craig, Hutchison, Stevens, and
Shelby.
Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch: Senators Landrieu (Chairman), Durbin,
Nelson (NE), Allard, and Alexander.
Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans' Affairs, and Related
Agencies: Senators Johnson (Chairman), Inouye, Landrieu, Byrd, Murray, Reed,
Nelson (NE), Hutchison, Craig, Brownback, Allard, McConnell, and Bennett.
Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: Senators
Leahy (Chairman), Inouye, Harkin, Mikulski, Durbin, Johnson, Landrieu, Reed,
Gregg, McConnell, Specter, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, and Alexander.
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related
Agencies: Senators Murray (Chairman), Byrd, Mikulski, Kohl, Durbin, Dorgan,
Leahy, Harkin, Feinstein, Johnson, Lautenberg, Bond, Shelby, Specter, Bennett,
Hutchison, Brownback, Stevens, Domenici, Alexander, and Allard.
Senators Byrd and Cochran are ex officio members of each of the subcommittees.
TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program, after receiving
testimony from Michael McRaith, Illinois Department of Financial and
Professional Regulation, Chicago, on behalf of National Association of
Insurance Commissioners; Charles Clarke, The Travelers Companies, Inc.,
Hartford, Connecticut, on behalf of American Insurance Association; Thomas
Minkler, Clark-Mortenson Agency, Keane, New Hampshire, on behalf of
Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America; Michael J. Peninger,
Assurant Employee Benefits, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri, on behalf of American
Council of Life Insurers; James H. Veghte, XL Reinsurance America, Inc.,
Stamford, Connecticut, on behalf of Reinsurance Association of America; Arthur
M. Coppola, Macerich Company, Santa Monica, California, on behalf of Coalition
to Insure Against Terrorism; Janno N. Lieber, World Trade Center Properties,
on behalf of Silverstein Properties, and Don Bailey, Willis North America, on
behalf of Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, both of New York, New York;
and Travis B. Plunkett, Consumer Federation of America, Washington, D.C.
VEHICLE SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety concluded a hearing to examine
vehicle safety for children, after receiving testimony from Ronald Medford,
Senior Associate Administrator for Vehicle Safety, National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; former New Hampshire
State Representative W. Packy Campbell, Farmington; David McCurdy, Alliance of
Automobile Manufacturers, and Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Greg Gulbransen, Syosset, New York.
NASA BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Space,
Aeronautics, and Related Sciences concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), after receiving testimony from
Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
USDA FOREST SERVICE BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the Forest
Service Department of Agriculture, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey,
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, and Gail Kimbell,
Chief, Forest Service, both of the Department of Agriculture.
[Page: D231]
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
comprehensive immigration reform, focusing on gaining effective control of the
border, building a robust interior enforcement program, establishing a
Temporary Worker Program, and promoting assimilation of new immigrants into
society, after receiving testimony from Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of
Commerce; and Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original resolution (S. Res. 89) authorizing expenditures by committees of the
Senate for the periods March 1, 2007, through September 30, 2007, October 1,
2007, through September 30, 2008, and October 1, 2008, through February 28,
2009.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUDGET
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2008 for the
Small Business Administration, after receiving testimony from Steven C.
Preston, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration.
AGING WORKFORCE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the aging
workforce, focusing on its meaning for businesses and the economy and engaging
and retaining older workers, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker,
Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office;
Donald L. Kohn, Vice Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System; Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Center on Aging and Work/Workplace Flexibility
at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; Javon R. Bea, Mercy Health
System, Janesville, Wisconsin; and Preston Pulliams, Portland Community
College, Portland, Oregon.
Joint Meetings
INCOME INSTABILITY
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine meeting the
challenge of income instability, after receiving testimony from Peter Orszag,
Director, Congressional Budget Office; Lael Brainard, Brookings Institution,
and Bradley R. Schiller, American University, both of Washington, D.C.;
Maurice Emsellem, National Employment Law Project, Oakland, California; and
Lily Batchelder, New York University School of Law, New York, New York.
2007/03/01
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 1, 2007; pages D239 - D247
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Commerce, after receiving testimony
from Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary, William Jeffrey, Director, National
Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Administration, and Jon W.
Dudas, Director, Patent and Trademark Office, all of the Department of
Commerce.
[Page: D241]
AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
Afghanistan, after receiving testimony from Eric S. Edelman, Under Secretary
of Defense for Policy; Lieutenant General Douglas E. Lute, USA, Director for
Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff; General James L. Jones, Jr., USMC (Ret.),
Former Commander, United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander,
Europe; and Barnett R. Rubin, New York University Center on International
Cooperation, New York, New York.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2008 for defense and war costs,
after receiving testimony from Gordon England, Deputy Secretary, and Tina W.
Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer, both of the
Department of Defense; and Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., Vice Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the present and future of the universal service fund, after
receiving testimony from Deborah Taylor Tate, and Michael J. Copps, both a
Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, Larry S. Landis, Indiana
Utility Regulatory Commission, Indianapolis, John Downes Burke, Vermont Public
Service Board, Montpelier, and Billy Jack Gregg, Public Service Commission of
West Virginia, Charleston, all of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal
Service; David Crothers, North Dakota Association of Telephone Cooperatives,
Mandan, on behalf of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association;
Brian K. Staihr, Embarq Corporation, Overland Park, Kansas; Richard Massey,
Alltel Corporation, Little Rock, Arkansas; Tom Tauke, Verizon, Washington,
D.C.; and Tom Simmons, Midcontinent Communications, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
ANNUAL ENERGY OUTLOOK
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook 2007,
after receiving testimony from Guy Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information
Administration, Department of Energy.
SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 380, to reauthorize the Secure Rural
Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, after receiving
testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources
and Environment; Julie Jacobson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior
for Land and Minerals Management; John Douglas Robertson, Douglas County Board
of Commissioners, Roseburg, Oregon; Jonathan Kusel, Sierra Institute for
Community and Environment, Taylorsville, California; and Michael A. Francis,
Wilderness Society, Washington, D.C.
GLOBAL WARMING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee held a hearing to examine
state, local, and regional government approaches to address global warming,
receiving testimony from New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, Trenton;
California State Assembly Representative Fabian Nunez, and California State
Senator Don Perata, both of Sacramento; Oklahoma State Representative Dennis
Adkins, Oklahoma City; Colorado State Senator Ted Harvey, Denver; Mayor Greg
Nickels, Seattle, Washington; Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines, Iowa; and Mayor
Richard P. Homrighausen, Dover, Ohio.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
MEDICARE PAYMENTS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine Medicare
payments for physician services, focusing on new approaches to the sustainable
growth rate (SGR) system used in Medicare's physician payment system, after
receiving testimony from Peter R. Orszag, Director, Congressional Budget
Office; Glenn M. Hackbarth, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Washington,
D.C.; and Cecil B. Wilson, Winter Park, Florida, on behalf of the American
Medical Association, and Byron Thames, both of AARP, Orlando, Florida.
FEDERAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International
Security concluded a hearing to examine improving federal financial
management, focusing on the progress that has been made and the challenges
ahead, after receiving testimony from Linda M. Combs, Controller, Office of
Management and Budget; and David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United
States, Government Accountability Office.
ASBESTOS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment and Workplace Safety concluded a hearing to examine asbestos,
focusing on efforts to better protect the health of American workers and their
families, after receiving testimony from John Thayer, Supervisor, Capitol
Power Plant Tunnel Crew, Office of the Architect of the Capitol; Harvey I.
Pass, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York; Richard
Wilson, Harvard University Department of Physics and Center for Risk Analysis,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; Barry Castleman, Garrett Park, Maryland; and Susan
Vento, Maplewood, Minnesota.
[Page: D242]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 378, to amend title 18, United States Code, to protect judges, prosecutors,
witnesses, victims, and their family members, with an amendment;
S. 442, to provide for loan repayment for prosecutors and public defenders,
with amendments;
S. Con. Res. 10, honoring and praising the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its 98th anniversary;
H. Con. Res. 44, honoring and praising the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of its 98th anniversary;
S. Res. 78, designating April 2007 as "National Autism Awareness Month" and
supporting efforts to increase funding for research into the causes and
treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals with
autism and those who care for individuals with autism;
S. Res. 84, observing February 23, 2007, as the 200th anniversary of the
abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire, honoring the distinguished
life and legacy of William Wilberforce, and encouraging the people of the
United States to follow the example of William Wilberforce by selflessly
pursuing respect for human rights around the world; and
The nominations of John Preston Bailey, to be United States District Judge for
the Northern District of West Virginia, Otis D. Wright II, to be United States
District Judge for the Central District of California, and George H. Wu, to be
United States District Judge for the Central District of California.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters and adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th
Congress.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/02
Daily Digest - Friday, March 2, 2007; pages D249 - D256
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch concluded
a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the
Office of the Architect of the Capitol, after receiving testimony from Stephen
T. Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capitol.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/05
Daily Digest - Monday, March 5, 2007; pages D257 - D262
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL SYSTEM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Transportation Security
Administration Personnel System, focusing on proposed legislation relating to
the personnel system, after receiving testimony from Kip Hawley, Assistant
Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration;
and John Gage, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO,
Washington, D.C.
No Joint meetings noted.
2007/03/06
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 6, 2007; pages D264 - D274
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CHILD NUTRITION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine child nutrition and the school setting, focusing on
nutrition standards, and breakfast commodities, after receiving testimony from
Janey Thornton, Hardin County School District, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on
behalf of the School Nutrition Association; Teresa Nece, Des Moines Public
Schools, Des Moines, Iowa; Susan K. Neely, American Beverage Association,
Washington, D.C.; Mary Lou Hennrich, Community Health Partnership, Portland,
Oregon; and Kelly D. Brownell, Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy and
Obesity, New Haven, Connecticut.
WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
care, living conditions, and administration of outpatients at the Walter Reed
Army Medical Center, after receiving testimony from David S.C. Chu, Under
Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, and William Winkenwerder, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, both of the Department of Defense; and
General Peter J. Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, and Lieutenant General Kevin
C. Kiley, USA, Surgeon General, both of the United States Army.
CAFE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)
Program, which includes mile per gallon standards for light trucks and cars
that manufacturers must meet for vehicles sold in the United States, after
receiving testimony from Nicole R. Nason, Administrator, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; Katherine
Siggerud, Director, Physical Infrastructure, Government Accountability Office;
David L. Greene, Corporate Fellow, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, National
Transportation Research Center, Department of Energy; and David Friedman,
Union of Concerned Scientists, Elizabeth A. Lowery, General Motors, Alan
Reuther, International Union, United Automobile Aerospace and Agricultural
Implement Workers of America, and Tom Stricker, Toyota Motor North America,
all of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D267]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. 377, to establish a United States-Poland parliamentary youth exchange
program;
S. 494, to endorse further enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) and to facilitate the timely admission of new members to
NATO;
S. 676, to provide that the Executive Director of the Inter-American
Development Bank or the Alternate Executive Director of the Inter-American
Development Bank may serve on the Board of Directors of the Inter-American
Foundation; and
The nominations of Ryan C. Crocker, of Washington, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Iraq, William B. Wood, of New York, to be Ambassador to the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Stanley Davis Phillips, of North
Carolina, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia.
Also, Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th Congress.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine strategies for attracting, supporting, and retaining high
quality educators relating to No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, after
receiving testimony from Pamela Burtnett, Lake County Education Association,
Leesburg, Florida; Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University, Stanford,
California; Kati Haycock, Education Trust, Washington, D.C.; Barbara Maguire,
Park Elementary School, Casper, Wyoming; William L. Sanders, SAS Institute,
Inc., Cary, North Carolina; Jon Schnur, New Leaders for New Schools, New York,
New York; Jesse Solomon, Boston Public Schools, Boston, Massachusetts; Wanda
J. Watkins, Richardson Independent School District, Dallas, Texas; and Beverly
Young, California State University System, Long Beach.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine if the
Department of Justice is politicizing the hiring and firing of United States
attorneys, including S. 214, to amend chapter 35 of title 28, United States
Code, to preserve the independence of United States attorneys, after receiving
testimony from Carol C. Lam, Southern District of California, San Diego, David
C. Iglesias, District of New Mexico, Albuquerque, John McKay, Western District
of Washington, Seattle, and H.E. Bud Cummins, III, Eastern District of
Arkansas, Little Rock, each a former United States Attorney.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
Joint Meetings
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded joint hearings with the
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after receiving testimony from Gary Kurpius,
Robert Wallace, William Bradshaw, Robert Crfat, and Dennis Cullinan, all of
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington, D.C.
2007/03/07
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 7, 2007; pages D275 - D286
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine investing in our nation's future through agricultural
research, focusing the Agricultural Bioenergy and Biobased Products Research
Initiative, specialty crops, and Foreign Animal Disease Research, after
receiving testimony from Gale Buchanan, Under Secretary of Agriculture for
Research, Education, and Economics; Alan I. Leshner, American Association for
the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C.; Jeffrey D. Armstrong, Michigan
State University, East Lansing; William H. Danforth, Washington University in
St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri; and Francis Thicke, Radiance Dairy Farm,
Fairfield, Iowa.
MEDICAL READINESS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine Department of Defense medical programs, focusing on combat casualty
care, and recruitment and retention efforts of medical department personnel,
after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General James G. Roudebush, Surgeon
General, and Major General Melissa A. Rank, Assistant Surgeon General for
Nursing Services, both of the United States Air Force; Vice Admiral Donald C.
Arthur, Surgeon General, and Rear Admiral Christine M. Bruzek-Kohler, Director
of Nurse Corps, both of the United States Navy; and Lieutenant General Kevin
C. Kiley, Surgeon General, and Major General Gale Pollock, Chief of the Nurse
Corps, both of the United States Army.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2008 for the Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from James A.
Rispoli, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, and Edward F.
Sproat, III, Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, both
of the Department of Energy.
PHARMACEUTICAL IMPORTATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Trade,
Tourism, and Economic Development concluded a hearing to examine policy
implications of pharmaceutical importation for U.S. consumers, including S.
242, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the
importation of prescription drugs, after receiving testimony from Randall W.
Lutter, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Food and Drug Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services; former Representative Billy Tauzin,
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, William B. Schultz,
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, and Nelda Barnett, AARP, all of Washington, D.C.;
Stephen W. Schondelmeyer, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy,
Minneapolis; and John A. Vernon, University of Connecticut Department of
Finance School of Business, Storrs.
EARTH SCIENCE RESEARCH
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science
and Space concluded a hearing to examine national imperatives for Earth
Science research, after receiving testimony from Michael H. Freilich,
Director, Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration; Berrien Moore, III, University of New
Hampshire Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Durham, and
Otis B. Brown, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science, Key Biscayne, Florida, both on behalf of the National Academies;
Nancy Colleton, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Arlington,
Virginia, on behalf of the Alliance for Earth Observations.
ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine market constraints on large investments in advanced energy
technologies and investigate ways to stimulate additional private-sector
investment in the deployment of these technologies, after receiving testimony
from Dan W. Reicher, Google.org, Mountain View, California; Elon Musk, Tesla
Motors, El Segundo, California; Jerome P. Peters, Jr., TD Banknorth, N.A.,
Westport, Connecticut; John Denniston, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers,
Menlo Park, California; and Michael Liebreich, New Energy Finance, London,
United Kingdom.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY BUDGET
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the
Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from Stephen L.
Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
CREDIT CARD PRACTICES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine fees, interests
rates and grace periods relating to credit card practices, focusing on high
fees charged for late payments, over-the-limit charges, including how those
fees are assessed, how they add to interest costs, and how they contribute to
consumer debt, and an industry practice requiring consumer payments to be
applied first to balances with the lowest interest rates instead of to
balances with the highest interest rates, after receiving testimony from Alys
Cohen, National Consumer Law Center, Washington, D.C., on behalf of National
Association of Consumer Advocates; Bruce L. Hammonds, Bank of America, and
Richard J. Srednicki, Chase Card Services, both of Wilmington, Delaware;
Vikram A. Atal, Citigroup Inc., New York, New York; and Wesley Wannemacher,
Lima, Ohio.
AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine strengthening American competitiveness for the 21st
Century, after receiving testimony from William H. Gates, Microsoft
Corporation, Seattle, Washington.
MCCARRAN-FERGUSON ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
McCarran-Ferguson Act and Antitrust Immunity, including S. 618, to further
competition in the insurance industry, after receiving testimony from Senators
Lott and Landrieu; Susan E. Voss, Iowa Department of Commerce, Des Moines, on
behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; J. Robert
Hunter, Consumer Federation of America, and Marc Racicot, American Insurance
Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and Michael M. Homan, New Orleans,
Louisiana.
ANTITRUST LAWS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and
Consumer Rights concluded an oversight hearing to examine the enforcement of
antitrust laws, including S. 316, to prohibit brand name drug companies from
compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a generic drug into
the market, and S. 772, to amend the Federal antitrust laws to provide
expanded coverage and to eliminate exemptions from such laws that are contrary
to the public interest with respect to railroads, after receiving testimony
from Thomas O. Barnett, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division,
Department of Justice; and Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman, Federal Trade
Commission.
VA CLAIMS ADJUDICATION PROCESS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Veterans' Administration disability benefits adjudication process,
focusing on the timeliness and accuracy of decisions on claims and appeals,
and efforts to reduce backlogs, and concerns about decisional consistency,
after receiving testimony from Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary for Benefits,
and James P. Terry, Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals, both of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; Daniel Bertoni, Acting Director, Education,
Workforce and Income Security, Government Accountability Office; John Rowan,
Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver Spring, Maryland; and Rick Surratt,
Disabled American Veterans, Cold Spring, Kentucky.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/08
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 8, 2007; pages D288 - D298
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CROSS-BORDER TRUCKING
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine cross-border
trucking with Mexico, after receiving testimony from Mary E. Peters,
Secretary, and Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General, both of the Department
of Transportation; Jayson P. Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field
Operations, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security;
James P. Worthington, Con-way Freight-Southern, Fort Worth, Texas, on behalf
of the American Trucking Associations; James P. Hoffa, International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen, both of
Washington, D.C.; John B. Ficker, National Industrial Transportation League,
Arlington, Virginia; and Charles Parfrey, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association, Grain Valley, Missouri.
[Page: D291]
APPROPRIATIONS: NOAA/NSF
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their
respective activities from Arden L. Bement, Jr., National Science Foundation;
and Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., (Ret.), United States Navy, Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Administrator, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the
Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from Michael
Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Admiral Timothy J. Keating, USN, for reappointment to the grade
of admiral and to be Commander, United States Pacific Command, Lieutenant
General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., USAF, for appointment to be general and to be
Commander, United States Northern Command/Commander, North American Aerospace
Defense Command, and Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp, USA, for
reappointment to the grade of lieutenant general and to be Chief of
Engineers/Commanding General, United States Army Corps of Engineers, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
Operations, Safety and Security concluded a hearing to examine the
Administration's proposal to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration,
Part II, after receiving testimony from Senator Inhofe; Stephen A. Alterman,
Cargo Airline Association, Edward Bolen, National Business Aviation
Association, Patrick Forrey, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and
James C. May, Air Transport Association of America, Inc., all of Washington,
D.C.; and Charles M. Barclay, American Association of Airport Executives,
Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of the Airport Legislative Alliance.
TRADE AGENDA
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine perspectives on
the 2007 trade agenda, after receiving testimony from Lawrence H. Summers,
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Frederick W. Smith, FedEx
Corporation, and Robert Baugh, AFL-CIO, both of Washington, D.C.; Craig Lang,
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Des Moines; Anderson Warlick, Parkdale Mills,
Inc., Gastonia, North Carolina, on behalf of the National Council of Textile
Organizations; and Steven L. Holland, Montana State University College of
Engineering Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, Bozeman.
AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
efforts to create a new strategy relating to Afghanistan, focusing on threats
that impact United States national security and the resurgence of the Taliban
and Al-Qaeda, after receiving testimony from Richard A. Boucher, Assistant
Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs; James L. Jones, Jr.,
United States Marine Corps (Ret.), Former Commander European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe, McLean, Virginia; and James Dobbins, RAND
Corporation, Arlington, Virginia.
FOLLOW-ON BIOLOGICS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Food and Drug Administration follow-on biologics, generally
referred to as a biotechnology-derived protein drug (or biologic) that is
comparable to a novel, previously approved biologic and that is approved with
less supporting data than the innovator biologic, after receiving testimony
from Senator Schumer; Sid Banwart, Caterpillar, Inc., Peoria, Illinois;
Nicolas Rossignol, European Commission Pharmaceuticals Unit, Brussels,
Belgium; Jay P. Siegel, Johnson and Johnson, Radnor, Pennsylvania; and Ajaz S.
Hussain, Sandoz, Princeton, New Jersey, on behalf of the Novartis Group of
Companies.
INDIAN HEALTH CARE IMPROVEMENT ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2007, after receiving
testimony from John O. Agwunobi, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human
Services for Health; C. Frederick Beckner III, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Civil Division, Department of Justice; Richard Brannan, Northern
Arapaho Business Council, Fort Washakie, Wyoming; Rachel A. Joseph, National
Steering Committee for the Reauthorization of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act, Lone Pine, California; Edward P. Lazarus, Akin, Gump,
Strauss, Hauer, and Feld, LLP, Los Angeles, California; and Steve Gage,
SouthEast Alaska Tribal Health Consortium, Sitka, on behalf of the Alaska
Association of CHAP Directors.
[Page: D292]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported:
S. 655, to amend the Congressional Charter of The American National Red Cross
to modernize its governance structure, to enhance the ability of the board of
governors of The American National Red Cross to support the critical mission
of The American Red Cross in the 21st century, with an amendment; and
The nominations of Thomas M. Hardiman, of Pennsylvania, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, and Vanessa Lynne Bryant, to be United
States District Judge for the District of Connecticut.
Also, committee began consideration of S. 261, to amend title 18, United
States Code, to strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting, but did not
complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine small business solutions for combating climate change,
after receiving testimony from Senator Boxer; Daniel Horowitz, Assistant
Administrator for Policy and Planning, U.S. Small Business Administration;
William L. Wehrum, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and
Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency; Byron Kennard, Center for Small
Business and the Environment, Washington, D.C.; James J. Barber, Metabolix,
Cambridge, Massachusetts; David B. Goldstein, Natural Resources Defense
Council, and Scott G. Hauge, Small Business California, on behalf of the
National Small Business Association, both of San Francisco, California; and
Christopher J. Lynch, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School Pennsylvania
Small Business Development Centers Environmental Management Assistance
Program, Philadelphia.
Joint Meetings
LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATIONS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine legislative
presentations of certain veterans organizations, after receiving testimony
from Norman Rosenshein, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Randy L.
Pleva, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Larry Belote, Blinded Veterans
Association, all of Washington, D.C.; John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America,
Silver Spring, Maryland; Master Sergeant Morgan D. Brown (Ret.), United States
Air Force, Air Force Sergeants Association, Suitland, Maryland; and Sergeant
Major H. Gene Overstreet (Ret.), United States Marine Corps, Non Commissioned
Officers Association, San Antonio, Texas.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE UNEMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the problem
of African-American male unemployment, after receiving testimony from Ronald
B. Mincy, Columbia University, and Robert Carmona, STRIVE, both of New York,
New York.
2007/03/09
Daily Digest - Friday, March 9, 2007; pages D300 - D310
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION/SBA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2008, after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective
activities from Reuben Jeffery III, Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading
Commission; and Steven C. Preston, Administrator, Small Business
Administration.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/12
Daily Digest - Monday, March 12, 2007; pages D311 - D316
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/13
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 13, 2007; pages D317 - D326
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving
testimony from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, William Wehrum, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, and Susan Bodine, Assistant
Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, all of the
Environmental Protection Agency.
[Page: D320]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of James R. Kunder, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator,
Douglas Menarchik, of Texas, to be an Assistant Administrator, Paul J.
Bonicelli, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator, and Katherine
Almquist, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator, all of the United
States Agency for International Development, Margrethe Lundsager, of Virginia,
to be United States Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, Eli
Whitney Debevoise II, of Maryland, to be United States Executive Director of
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Curtis S. Chin,
of New York, to be United States Director of the Asian Development Bank, with
the rank of Ambassador, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
RADIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia to examine international action by the United States to secure
radiological materials, focusing on Department of Energy and Nuclear
Regulatory Commission efforts through the International Atomic Energy Agency
and the other multilateral organizations, after receiving testimony from
Richard J.K. Stratford, Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, Safety and
Security, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Department of
State; Andrew Bieniawski, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Office of Global
Threat Reduction, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of
Energy; Janice Dunn Lee, Director, Office of International Programs, United
States Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Gene Aloise, Director, Natural Resources
and Environment, Government Accountability Office; Brian Dodd, Health Physics
Society, McLean, Virginia; Charles D. Ferguson, Council on Foreign Relations,
New York, New York; and Joel O. Lubenau, Lititz, Pennsylvania.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Halil Suleyman Ozerden, to be United States District Judge for
the Southern District of Mississippi, who was introduced by Senators Cochran
and Lott, Benjamin Hale Settle, to be United States District Judge for the
Western District of Washington, and Frederick J. Kapala, to be United States
District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, who were both introduced
by Senator Durbin, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
Joint Meetings
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
concluded a joint hearing with the House Committee on Education and Labor to
examine improving No Child Left Behind to close the achievement gap, relating
to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization, after receiving
testimony from Georgia Governor Roy E. Barnes, Co-Chair, Commission on No
Child Left Behind, Marietta; Elizabeth Burmaster, Wisconsin State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Madison, on behalf of the Council of
Chief State School Officers; and Mike Casserly, Council of the Great City
Schools, Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Edward J.
McElroy, American Federation of Teachers, Arthur J. Rothkopf, U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, on behalf of the Business Coalition for Student Achievement, Reg
Weaver, National Education Association, and Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B.
Fordham Foundation, all of Washington, D.C.
2007/03/14
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 14, 200; pages D328 - D336
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: ARMY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the United States
Army, after receiving testimony from Pete Geren, Acting Secretary, and General
Peter Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, both of the United States Army.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine federal
funding for the No Child Left Behind Act, after receiving testimony from
Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education; Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Richmond
Public Schools, Richmond, Virginia; Jane Babcock, Keokuk Community School
District, Keokuk, Iowa; John F. Jennings, Center on Education Policy, and Gene
Wilhoit, Council of Chief State School Officers, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Robert E. Slavin, Johns Hopkins University Center for Data-Driven Reform in
Education, Baltimore, Maryland.
2008: BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee met to mark up a proposed concurrent
resolution setting forth the fiscal year 2008 budget for the Federal
Government, but did not complete consideration thereon, and will meet again
tomorrow.
[Page: D329]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine charting a
course for health care moving toward universal coverage, after receiving
testimony from James J. Mongan, Partners HealthCare, and Richard G. Frank,
Citizens' Health Care Working Group, both of Boston, Massachusetts; Stuart H.
Altman, Brandeis University Heller School for Social Policy and Management,
Waltham, Massachusetts; and John F. Sheils, Lewin Group, Falls Church,
Virginia.
EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS IN THE PHILLIPPINES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
concluded a hearing to examine strategies to end the violence relating to
extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, after receiving testimony from Eric
G. John, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and
Jonathan D. Farrar, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
Rights and Labor Bureau, both of the Department of State; T. Kumar, Amnesty
International, USA, and G. Eugene Martin, United States Institute of Peace,
both of Washington, D.C.; Elizer M. Pascua, United Church of Christ in the
Philippines, Manila; and Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Alliance for the Advancement of
People's Rights in the Philippines, Quezon City.
ISLAMIC RADICALISM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the threat of Islamic radicalism to the homeland, focusing
on preventing and countering radicalization, after receiving testimony from
Michael Chertoff, Secretary, Charles E. Allen, Assistant Secretary for
Intelligence and Analysis, Chief Intelligence Officer, and Daniel W.
Sutherland, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, all of the
Department of Homeland Security.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG USER FEES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine enhancing patient access and drug safety relating to
Prescription Drug User Fees, including S. 484, to amend the Public Health
Service Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve drug
safety and oversight, after receiving testimony from Andrew C. Von Eschenbach,
Commissioner, Food and Drugs, Food and Drug Administration, Department of
Health and Human Services; Kim Witczak, Woodymatters, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Mark McClellan, American Enterprise Institute-Brookings Joint Center for
Regulatory Studies, and Diane Edquist Dorman, National Organization for Rare
Disorders, both of Washington, D.C.; and D. Bruce Burlington, Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals, Collegeville, Pennsylvania.
OPEN GOVERNMENT ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
reinvigorating the Freedom of Information Act relating to open government,
focusing on S. 849, to promote accessibility, accountability, and openness in
Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code
(commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act), after receiving
testimony from Katherine M. Cary, Texas Office of the Attorney General,
Austin; Tom Curley, Associated Press, New York, New York, on behalf of the
Sunshine in Government Initiative; Meredith Fuchs, George Washington
University National Security Archive, Washington, D.C.; and Sabina Haskell,
Brattleboro Reformer, Brattleboro, Vermont.
SENATE CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE PARITY ACT
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 223, to require Senate candidates to file designations, statements,
and reports in electronic form, after receiving testimony from Senators
Feingold and Cochran; Nancy Erickson, Secretary of the United States Senate;
Patrina M. Clark, Staff Director, Federal Election Commission; and Thomas E.
Mann, Brookings Institute, and Stephen R. Weissman, Campaign Finance
Institute, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D330]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/15
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 15, 2007; pages D338 - D350
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FHA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and
Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine
solvency and reform proposals for the Federal Housing Administration, after
receiving testimony from Brian D. Montgomery, Assistant Secretary for Housing,
Federal Housing Commissioner, and Kenneth M. Donohue, Inspector General, both
of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; William B. Shear,
Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government
Accountability Office; and JoAnne Poole, National Association of Realtors, and
John M. Robbins, Mortgage Bankers Association, both of Washington, D.C.
INTERNATIONAL FOOD ASSISTANCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to
examine international food assistance, after receiving testimony from Mark
Keenum, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural
Services; James Kunder, Deputy Administrator, United States Agency for
International Development; James Morris, United Nations World Food Programme,
Rome, Italy; Walter Middleton, World Vision International, Federal Way,
Washington; Cindy Brown, Chippewa Valley Bean Company, Inc., Menomonie,
Wisconsin; Daniel Kuot, Chicago, Illinois; and Abass Mohamed, Princeton, New
Jersey.
APPROPRIATIONS: NASA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, after
receiving testimony from Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
APPROPRIATIONS: ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER/DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008,
after receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities
from John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works,
and Lieutenant General Carl Strock, Chief of Engineers, both of the Army Corps
of Engineers; Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, and Mark
Limbaugh, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, both of the Department of
the Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: INTELLIGENCE SUPPLEMENTAL
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a closed
hearing to examine the fiscal year 2007 Intelligence community supplemental
request, after receiving testimony from Patrick Kennedy, Deputy Director for
Management, Mary Margaret Graham, Deputy Director for Collection, and Tom
Fingar, Deputy Director for Analysis, all of the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
posture of the United States Army in review of the Defense Authorization
Request for fiscal year 2008 and the future years Defense Program, after
receiving testimony from Preston M. Geren, III, Acting Secretary, General
Peter J. Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General James J.
Lovelace, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Lieutenant General Jack C. Stultz,
Commanding General, United States Army Reserve Command, all of the United
States Army; and Lieutenant Colonel Coll S. Haddon, Deputy Director,
Operations Program Manager, Future Combat Systems, Brigade Combat Team.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp, USA, for
reappointment to the grade of lieutenant general and to be Chief of
Engineers/Commanding General, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Admiral
Timothy J. Keating, USN, for reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be
Commander, United States Pacific Command, Lieutenant General Victor E.
Renuart, Jr., USAF, for appointment to be general and to be Commander, United
States Northern Command/Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command,
and Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli, USA, for appointment to be
lieutenant general and Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
2008: BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United
States Government for fiscal year 2008 and including the appropriate budgetary
levels for fiscal years 2007 and 2009 through 2012.
[Page: D341]
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUDGET
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Transportation
Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality concluded a hearing to
examine water resources needs and the President's proposed budget request for
fiscal year 2008 for the Army Corps of Engineers, after receiving testimony
from Senator Feingold; John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army
for Civil Works; Pamela Mayer Pogue, Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency,
Cranston, on behalf of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc.;
James Williams, Nature Conservancy of Montana, Helena; and Doug J. Marchand,
Georgia Ports Authority, Savannah, on behalf of the American Association of
Port Authorities.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Nominations of Zalmay Khalilzad to be a Representative to the United Nations,
with the rank and status of Ambassador, and the Representative in the Security
Council of the United Nations, and to be a Representative to the Sessions of
the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as
Representative to the United Nations, after the nominee, who was introduced by
Senators Lieberman and Hagel, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Gregory B. Cade, of Virginia, to be
Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, Department of Homeland
Security, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Warner, testified
and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported:
S. 624, to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide waivers relating to
grants for preventive health measures with respect to breast and cervical
cancers, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 657, to amend the Public Health Service Act to add requirements regarding
trauma care, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 845, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand and
intensify programs with respect to research and related activities concerning
elder falls, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nomination of W. Craig Vanderwagen, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary
for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
business items:
S. 261, to amend title 18, United States Code, to strengthen prohibitions
against animal fighting, with an amendment;
S. 231, to authorize the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant
Program at fiscal year 2006 levels through 2012;
S. 368, to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
enhance the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program;
S. 627, to amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974
to improve the health and well-being of maltreated infants and toddlers
through the creation of a National Court Teams Resource Center, to assist
local Court Teams;
S. 863, to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to fraud in
connection with major disaster or emergency funds;
S. Con. Res. 14, commemorating the 85th anniversary of the founding of the
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, a leading association
for the 1,300,000 United States citizens of Greek ancestry and Philhellenes in
the United States;
S.J. Res. 5, proclaiming Casimir Pulaski to be an honorary citizen of the
United States posthumously;
S. Res. 95, designating March 25, 2007, as "Greek Independence Day: A National
Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy";
S. Res. 96, expressing the sense of the Senate that Harriett Woods will be
remembered as a pioneer in women's politics; and
The nomination of John Wood, of Missouri, to be United States Attorney for the
Western District of Missouri
Also, committee began consideration of S. 236, to require reports to Congress
on Federal agency use of data mining, and S. 376, to amend title 18, United
States Code, to improve the provisions relating to the carrying of concealed
weapons by law enforcement officers, but did not complete action thereon, and
recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D342]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/16
Daily Digest - Friday, March 16, 2007; pages D351 - D352
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: GAO/GPO/CBO/OOC
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008, after
receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from
David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government
Accountability Office; William H. Turri, Acting Public Printer, Government
Printing Office; Peter R. Orszag, Director, Congressional Budget Office; and
Tamara E. Chrisler, Acting Executive Director, Peter Eveleth, General Counsel,
and Barbara L. Camens, Member, Board of Directors, all of the Office of
Compliance.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/19
Daily Digest - Monday, March 19, 2007; pages D353 - D358
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the National Institutes of Health,
after receiving testimony from Elias A. Zerhouni, Director, National
Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Joan S. Brugge,
Harvard Medical School Department of Cell Biology, Boston, Massachusetts;
Brent Iverson, University of Texas at Austin; Robert Siliciano, Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore,
Maryland; and Stephen M. Strittmatter, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/20
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 20, 2007; pages D360 - D370
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony
from Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary, and Tom Weimer, Assistant Secretary, both of
the Department of the Interior.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Air
Force in review of the proposed Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year
2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from
Michael W. Wynne, Secretary, and General T. Michael Moseley, USAF, Chief of
Staff, both of the United States Air Force.
PROMOTING TRAVEL
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Interstate
Commerce, Trade, and Tourism continued hearings to examine economic and safety
concerns relating to promoting travel to America (Part II), after receiving
testimony from Jamie Estrada, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Manufacturing; Robert M. Jacksta, Executive Director, Traveler Security and
Facilitation, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
and Alfonso Martinez-Fonts, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Private Sector Office,
Policy Directorate, both of the Department of Homeland Security; Tony Edson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services; Chad Prosser, South
Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, Columbia; Rex Johnson,
Hawai`i Tourism Authority, Honolulu, on behalf of the Western States Tourism
Policy Council; Ron Peck, Alaska Travel Industry Association, Anchorage; and
David Borlaug, Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation, Washburn, North Dakota.
ENERGY INNOVATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Innovation concluded a hearing to examine energy innovation,
after receiving testimony from William Prindle, American Council for
Energy-Efficient Economy, and Michael T. Eckhart, American Council On
Renewable Energy, both of Washington, D.C.; Francis R. Preli, Jr., UTC Power,
South Windsor, Connecticut; K.R. Sridhar, Bloom Energy, Sunnyvale, California;
and James R. Katzer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for
Energy and the Environment, Cambridge.
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nomination of Stephen Jeffrey Isakowitz, of Virginia, to be Chief
Financial Officer of the Department of Energy, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 126, to modify the boundary of Mesa Verde
National Park, S. 257, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
study to determine the feasibility of establishing the Columbia-Pacific
National Heritage Area in the States of Washington and Oregon, S. 289, to
establish the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, S. 443,
to establish the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area in the State of
Colorado, S. 444, to establish the South Park National Heritage Area in the
State of Colorado, S. 500 and H.R. 512, bills to establish the Commission to
Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino to
develop a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National
Museum of the American Latino in Washington, DC, S. 637, to direct the
Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of
establishing the Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor in Alabama and
Georgia, and S. 817, to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management
Act of 1996 to provide additional authorizations for certain National Heritage
Areas, after receiving testimony from Daniel N. Wenk, Deputy Director,
National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Dan Sakura, Conservation
Fund, Arlington, Virginia; Jerry Ostermiller, Columbia River Maritime Museum,
Astoria, Oregon; August R. Carlino, Steel Industry Heritage Corporation,
Homestead, Pennsylvania; Dennis J. Lopez, Sangre de Cristo National Heritage
Area, Alamosa, Colorado; Gary E. Nichols, Park County Tourism and Community
Development Office, Fairplay, Colorado, on behalf of the South Park Heritage
Area Partnership; and Moctesuma Esparza, Los Angeles, California.
[Page: D362]
COMPETITIVE EDUCATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine identifying
needs, partnerships, and resources relating to a competitive education, after
receiving testimony from former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, Alliance for
Excellent Education, Washington, D.C.; Steven L. Paine, West Virginia
Department of Education, Charleston; Jane Karas, Flathead Valley Community
College, Kalispell, Montana, on behalf of the American Association of
Community Colleges; William D. Green, Accenture, Boston, Massachusetts;
Gregory B. Taylor, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Battle Creek, Michigan; and Patty
Myers, Great Falls, Montana.
DARFUR CRISIS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine Chad and the Central African Republic, focusing on the
regional impact of the Darfur crisis, after receiving testimony from James
Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; and Kenneth H.
Bacon, Refugees International, and John Prendergast, International Crisis
Group, both of Washington, D.C.
MEDICARE DOCTORS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations resumed hearings to examine Medicare doctors
who cheat on their taxes and efforts to address the problem, focusing on
determining the magnitude of such debts, identifying examples of Medicare
physicians and suppliers that have engaged in abusive, or potentially criminal
activities, and assessing Health and Human Services efforts to prevent
delinquent taxpayers from enrolling in Medicare and levying payments to pay
delinquent federal taxes, after receiving testimony from Gregory D. Kutz,
Managing Director, and John J. Ryan, Assistant Director, both of Forensic
Audits and Special Investigations, and Steven J. Sebastian, Director,
Financial Management and Assurance, all of the Government Accountability
Office; Mark Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, and Kenneth R.
Papaj, Commissioner, Financial Management Service, both of the Department of
the Treasury; and Leslie V. Norwalk, Acting Administrator, and Timothy B.
Hill, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Office of Financial Management,
both of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health
and Human Services.
ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement and Aging concluded a hearing to examine the state of Alzheimer's
disease research 100 years later, after receiving testimony from Senator
Collins; Harry Johns, Chicago, Illinois, and Sam Gandy, Thomas Jefferson
University Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
both of the Alzheimer's Association; Marilyn Albert, Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine Department of Neurology, Baltimore, Maryland; Robert Egge,
Center for Health Transformation, Washington, D.C.; and Marilyn Blum, Owings
Mills, Maryland.
WAR PROFITEERING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine combating
war profiteering, focusing on investigating and prosecuting contracting fraud
and abuse in Iraq, including S. 119, to prohibit profiteering and fraud
relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction efforts, after
receiving testimony from Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for
Iraq Reconstruction; Thomas F. Gimble, Acting Inspector General, Department of
Defense; and Barry M. Sabin, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal
Division, Department of Justice.
XM-SIRIUS MERGER
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and
Consumer Rights concluded a hearing to examine issues of monopoly and
competition from new technologies relating to the XM-Sirius merger, after
receiving testimony Mel Karmazin, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, New York, New York;
Mary Quass, NRG Media, LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on behalf of the National
Association of Broadcasters; and Gigi B. Sohn, Public Knowledge, and David A.
Balto, Law Office of David Balto, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D363]
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/21
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 21, 2007; pages D371 - D380
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
2007 FARM BILL
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the performance of the United States trade and food aid
programs for the 2007 Farm Bill, after receiving testimony from Michael W.
Yost, Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, Department of
Agriculture; William Hammink, Director, Office of Food for Peace, United
States Agency for International Development; Thomas Melito, Director,
International Affairs and Trade, Governmental Accountability Office; Charles
Sandefur, Alliance for Food Aid, Washington, D.C.; Tim Hamilton, Food Export
Association of the Midwest USA, McLean, Virginia, on behalf of the Coalition
to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports; David Kauck, CARE USA, Richmond,
Vermont; and Joel Nelsen, California Citrus Mutual, Exeter.
APPROPRIATIONS: AIR FORCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for Air Force, after
receiving testimony from Michael W. Wynne, Secretary, and General T. Michael
Moseley, Chief of Staff, USAF, both of the United States Air Force.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008
for the Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Raymond L.
Orbach, Under Secretary of Energy for Science.
APPROPRIATIONS: THE JUDICIARY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2008 for the federal judiciary, after receiving testimony from Julia S.
Gibbons, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit Chair of the Budget
Committee of the Judicial Conference; and James C. Duff, Director,
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
POLICY OPTIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine nuclear and strategic policy options, after receiving
testimony from Robert L. Gallucci, Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh
School of Foreign Service, Washington, D.C.; Sidney B. Drell, Stanford
University, Palo Alto, California; and Keith B. Payne, Missouri State
University Graduate Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, Fairfax,
Virginia.
IRAN SANCTIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine assessing the effectiveness of the current United States'
sanctions on Iran relating to minimizing potential threats from Iran, after
receiving testimony from R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs; Stuart Levey, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism
and Financial Intelligence; and Mark Foulon, Acting Under Secretary of
Commerce for Industry and Security.
[Page: D373]
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Consumer Product Safety Commission, after receiving testimony from
Nancy A. Nord, Acting Chairman, and Thomas H. Moore, Commissioner, both of the
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission; Sally Greenberg, Consumers
Union, Rachel Weintraub, Consumer Federation of America, and John C. Dean,
National Association of State Fire Marshals, all of Washington, D.C.; and
Frederick Locker, Toy Industry Association and Juvenile Products Manufacturers
Association, New York, New York, on behalf of the Consumer Product Safety
Commission Coalition of the National Association of Manufacturers.
GLOBAL WARMING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee held a hearing to examine
a perspective on global warming--an increase in the average temperature of the
earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause
climatic change, receiving testimony from former Vice President of the United
States Al Gore.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine an overview of Government Accountability Office assistance
to Congressional oversight, focusing on past work, and future challenges and
opportunities, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller
General of the United States, Government Accountability Office.
LONG-TERM HEALTH IMPACTS OF 9/11
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine a review of treatment, diagnosis, and monitoring efforts,
focusing on the long-term health impacts from September 11, after receiving
testimony from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Edward Skyler, Deputy Mayor for
Administration, Robin Herbert, World Trade Center (WTC) Medical Monitoring
Program Data and Coordination Center at Mount Sinai, Kerry J. Kelly, New York
City Fire Department Bureau of Health Services, Joan Reibman, Bellevue
Hospital WTC Environmental Health Center, and Jeanne Mager Stellman, Columbia
University Mailman School of Public Health, all of New York, New York; James
Melius, New York State Laborers' Health and Safety Trust Fund, Albany; and
Jeffrey L. Endean, Morris County Sheriff's Office, Succasunna, New Jersey.
NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
findings of the Inspector General of the improper use of the National Security
Letters by the Federal Bureau of Investigation relating to the misuse of the
Patriot Act powers, after receiving testimony from Glenn A. Fine, Inspector
General, Department of Justice.
IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded a hearing to examine recent developments involving the
security of sensitive consumer information relating to identity theft and
solutions for an evolving problem, including S. 238, to amend title 18, United
States Code, to limit the misuse of Social Security numbers, to establish
criminal penalties for such misuse, after receiving testimony from Ronald J.
Tenpas, Associate Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice; Lydia B.
Parnes, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission;
Joanne McNabb, California Office of Privacy Protection, Sacramento; Jim Davis,
University of California, Los Angeles; and Chris Jay Hoofnagle, University of
California, Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/22
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 22, 2007; pages D382 - D390
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for Air Force military
construction, housing, and base realignment and closure, after receiving
testimony from Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller), and Philip W.
Grone, Deputy Under Secretary for Installations and Environment, both of the
Department of Defense; William C. Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air
Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics; Major General Charles V.
Ickes, II, Deputy Director, Air National Guard; and Brigadier General Charles
D. Ethredge, Deputy to the Chief of Air Force Reserve.
[Page: D384]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
bill (S. 965) making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
United States Southern Command, Northern Command, and Joint Forces Command in
review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2008 and the
future years defense program, after receiving testimony from Admiral James G.
Stavridis, USN, Commander, United States Southern Command, and Admiral Timothy
J. Keating, USN, Commander, United States Northern Command/Commander, North
American Aerospace Defense Command; and General Lance L. Smith, USAF,
Commander, United States Joint Forces Command/North Atlantic Treaty
Organization Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation.
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine detention and judicial capacity in Iraq from Joseph
Benkert, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Security Affairs,
Office of the Under Secretary for Policy, and Lieutenant General John F.
Sattler, USMC, Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, The Joint Staff,
both of the Department of Defense; and James McAtamney, Counsel to Deputy
Attorney General for National Security Affairs, Department of Justice.
MORTGAGE MARKET
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine causes and consequences relating to mortgage market
turmoil, after receiving testimony from Sandra L. Thompson, Director, Division
of Supervision and Consumer Protection, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;
Emory W. Rushton, Senior Deputy Comptroller, Chief National Bank Examiner,
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Scott M. Polakoff, Deputy
Director, Office of Thrift Supervision, both of the Department of the
Treasury; Roger T. Cole, Director, Division of Banking Supervision and
Regulation, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Joseph A. Smith,
Jr., North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, Raleigh, on behalf of the
Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Laurent Bossard, WMC Mortgage, Burbank,
California; Sandor E. Samuels, Countrywide Financial Corporation, Calabasas,
California; Brendan McDonagh, HSBC-North America, Prospect Heights, Illinois;
Janis Bowdler, National Council of La Raza, Washington, D.C.; L. Andrew
Pollock, First Franklin Financial Corporation, San Jose, California; Irv
Ackelsberg, Langer and Grogan, P.C., and Jennie Haliburton, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; and Al Ynigues, Apple Valley, Minnesota.
FAA MODERNIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
Operations, Safety, and Security concluded a hearing to examine the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) modernization, focusing on developing and
deploying the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) while
providing operational and safety enhancements, after receiving testimony from
Robert Sturgell, Deputy Administrator, and Charles Leader, Director, Joint
Planning and Development Office, both of the Federal Aviation Administration;
Susan Fleming, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government
Accountability Office; and Karen Lee, UPS Airlines, Louisville, Kentucky.
THE FUTURE OF COAL REPORT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee held a hearing to examine
the "Future of Coal" report recently published by the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, receiving testimony from John M. Deutch and Ernest J. Moniz,
both of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Bryan Hannegan,
Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California; and Daniel A.
Lashof, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, New York.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
NATIVE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE AND CHILD WELFARE SERVICES
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine "Keeping
America's Promise" relating to health care and child welfare services for
Native Americans, after receiving testimony from Carl E. Venne, Crow Tribe of
Indians, Crow Agency, Montana, on behalf of the Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders
Council and Council of Large Land Based Tribes; Valerie Davidson, Alaska
Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage; and Linda Holt, Suquamish Tribal
Council, on behalf of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, and
Connie Bear King, National Indian Child Welfare, both of Portland, Oregon.
[Page: D385]
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Ford M. Fraker, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after the nominee testified and answered questions in
his own behalf.
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine deconstructing reconstruction, focusing on problems,
challenges, and the way forward in Iraq and Afghanistan, after receiving
testimony from Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq
Reconstruction; David M. Satterfield, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State
and Coordinator for Iraq; Major General Ronald L. Johnson, Deputy Chief of
Engineers/Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Corps of Engineers;
and Mark S. Ward, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near
East, United States Agency for International Development.
MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD/OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to review the Merit Systems Protection Board and
the Office of the Special Counsel, focusing on the safeguarding of the merit
systems principles in preparation for the consideration of the reauthorization
of the two agencies, after receiving testimony from Neil McPhie, Chairman,
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board; and Scott J. Bloch, Special Counsel, U.S.
Office of Special Counsel.
INDIAN COUNTRY HOUSING ISSUES
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Indian housing, including loan guarantee and community development
programs, after receiving testimony from Orlando J. Cabrera, Assistant
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public and Indian Housing; Jon
Perez, Behavioral Health Consultant, Office of Clinical and Preventive
Services, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services; John
Yellow Bird Steele, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, South Dakota; George
Rivera, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Paul Lumley, National
American Indian Housing Council, Washington, D.C.; and Juel Burnette, Wells
Fargo Native American Housing Initiatives, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee approved the issuance of subpoenas to
Karl Rove, Harriet E. Miers, and William Kelley pursuant to the investigation
into the replacement of U.S. Attorneys.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/23
Daily Digest - Friday, March 23, 2007; pages D391 - D402
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/26
Daily Digest - Monday, March 26, 2007; pages D404 - D410
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for mind, brain and behavioral research
at the National Institutes of Health, after receiving testimony from Thomas R.
Insel, Director, National Institute of Mental Health, Nora D. Volkow,
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Ting-Kai Li, Director, National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, James F. Battey, Jr., Director,
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, and Story C.
Landis, Director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, all
of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY REORGANIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee Emerging Threats and Capabilities
met to receive a briefing on the reorganization of the Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Policy from Christopher R. Henry, Principal Deputy
Under Secretary for Policy, and Thomas W. O'Connell, Assistant Secretary for
Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, both of the Department of
Defense.
MARKET-BASED CARBON DIOXIDE TRADING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the progress of the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme and to
receive information on lessons learned from the Scheme for policymakers who
want to better understand how a market-based trading program could operate
efficiently and effectively in the United States, after receiving testimony
from Jos Delbeke, European Union Commission, Brussels, Belgium; Per-Otto Wold,
Point Carbon, Oslo, Norway; Garth Edward, Shell Oil, London, England;
Jean-Yves Caneill, Electricte de France, Paris; Bruno Vanderborght, Holcim
Cement, Zurich, Switzerland; and Denny Ellerman, The Massachusetts Institute
of Technology Sloan School of Management, Cambridge.
REAL ID ACT
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the Real ID Act of 2005 and the
proposed regulations released by the Department of Homeland Security on March
1, 2006, implementing Act, focusing on efforts to secure drivers' licenses and
identification cards, after receiving testimony from Richard C. Barth,
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Policy Development; Texas State
Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Austin, on behalf of the National Conference of
State Legislatures; Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Honolulu, Hawaii; and David Quam,
National Governors Association, Timothy D. Sparapani, American Civil Liberties
Union, and Jim Harper, Cato Institute, all of Washington, D.C.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law concluded
a hearing to examine the problem of human trafficking and the legal options to
stop the problem, after receiving testimony from Grace Chung Becker, Deputy
Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice;
Katherine Kaufka, National Immigrant Justice Center, Chicago, Illinois; and
Martina E. Vandenberg, Jenner and Block LLP, and Holly J. Burkhalter,
International Justice Mission, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D406]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/27
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 27, 2007; pages D411 - D422
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of James R. Clapper, Jr., of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of
Defense for Intelligence, who was introduced by Senator Warner, Claude M.
Kicklighter, of Georgia, to be Inspector General, Department of Defense, who
was introduced by Senator Akaka, S. Ward Casscells, of Texas, to be an
Assistant Secretary of Defense, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and
Cornyn and William Charles Ostendorff, of Virginia, to be Principal Deputy
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, who was introduced by
Representative Everett, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
EXCLUSIVE SPORTS PROGRAMMING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine competition and consumer choice relating to exclusive
sports programming, after receiving testimony from Robert D. Jacobson, iN
DEMAND LLC, and Robert A. Dupuy, Major League Baseball, both of New York, New
York; Stephen F. Ross, The Pennsylvania State University Institute for Sports
Law, Policy and Research, University Park; Carl Vogel, Echostar Satellite LLC,
Englewood, Colorado; and Chase Carey, DIRECTV, Inc., Washington, D.C.
[Page: D413]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee announced the following subcommittee
assignments for the 110th Congress:
Subcommittee on Health Care: Senators Rockefeller (Chairman), Kerry, Bingaman,
Lincoln, Wyden, Stabenow, Cantwell, Salazar, Hatch, Grassley, Snowe, Kyl,
Thomas, Roberts, and Bunning.
Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-term Growth: Senators Conrad
(Chairman), Baucus, Wyden, Cantwell, Schumer, Stabenow, Salazar, Kyl, Lott,
Roberts, Snowe, Crapo, and Hatch.
Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure: Senators
Bingaman (Chairman), Conrad, Kerry, Lincoln, Wyden, Cantwell, Salazar, Thomas,
Smith, Hatch, Bunning, Lott, and Crapo.
Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy: Senators Kerry
(Chairman), Rockefeller, Conrad, Schumer, Bunning, Lott, and Kyl.
Subcommittee on International Trade and Global Competitiveness: Senators
Lincoln (Chairman), Baucus, Rockefeller, Bingaman, Schumer, Stabenow, Smith,
Crapo, Snowe, Thomas, and Roberts.
Senators Baucus and Grassley are ex officio members of each of the
Subcommittees.
U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine opportunities
and challenges in the United States-China economic relationship, after
receiving testimony from Senator Dorgan; Jagdish Bhagwati, Columbia
University, New York, New York; Daniel DiMicco, NUCOR Corporation, Charlotte,
North Carolina; Norman R. Sorensen, the Principal International, Inc., Des
Moines, Iowa, on behalf of Principal Financial Group; and Steven Chu, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California.
THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Employee Free Choice Act, focusing on restoring
economic opportunity for working families, after receiving testimony from
Cynthia L. Estlund, New York University School of Law, New York, New York;
Laurence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; Peter J.
Hurtgen, Morgan, Lewis and Bockius LLP, Irvine, California, former Member and
Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board; and Errol Hohrein, Greely,
Colorado.
SAFE MEDICINE AND MEDICAL DEVICES FOR CHILDREN
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine ensuring safe medicines and medical devices for children,
after receiving testimony from Susan Belfiore, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey; Richard L. Gorman, American Academy of
Pediatrics, Baltimore, Maryland; Samuel D. Maldonado, Johnson and Johnson
Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Raritan, New Jersey; Robert M.
Campbell, Jr., University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; and
Ed Rozynski, Stryker Corporation, Washington, D.C.
FBI OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Federal Bureau of Investigation, focusing on the review by the
Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, after receiving
testimony from Robert S. Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Department of Justice.
DOD/VA COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense cooperation
and collaboration, focusing on health care issues, and challenges encountered
by injured servicemembers during their recovery process, after receiving
testimony from Michael J. Kussman, Executive-In-Charge, Veterans Health
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Ellen Embrey, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs/Force Health Protection and Readiness;
Major Ladda Tammy Duckworth, Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs,
Springfield; Denise Mettie, Wounded Warrior Project, Jacksonville, Florida;
Bruce M. Gans, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange, New Jersey;
and Jonathan D. Pruden, Gainesville, Florida.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
[Page: D414]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/03/28
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 28, 2007; pages D423 - D434
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Labor, after
receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor.
APPROPRIATIONS: FOREIGN AID
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the United States Agency for International Development
and foreign assistance programs, after receiving testimony from Randall L.
Tobias, United States Director of Foreign Assistance, and Administrator,
United States Agency for International Development.
APPROPRIATIONS: NAVY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the United States
Navy, after receiving testimony from Donald C. Winter, Secretary, and Admiral
Michael G. Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations, both of the United States Navy;
and General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2008 for the Department of the Treasury, after receiving testimony from
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury.
U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: On Tuesday, March 27, 2007, Subcommittee on
Emerging Threats and Capabilities met in closed session to receive a briefing
on Special Operations Command's global operations from Major General David J.
Scott, USAF, Deputy Director, Center for Special Operations, United States
Special Operations Command and sundry members thereof.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine the Strategic Forces Program in review of the Defense
Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the future years Defense
Program, after receiving testimony from General James E. Cartwright, United
States Marine Corps, Commander, United States Strategic Command, Major General
Roger W. Burg, Director of Strategic Security, Office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff, Air, Space and Information Operations, Plans and Requirements,
Headquarters, United States Air Force, Rear Admiral Stephen E. Johnson, United
States Navy, Director, Strategic Systems Programs, Naval Systems Command, and
Brian R. Green, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Capabilities, all of
the Department of Defense; and Thomas P. D'Agostino, Acting Administrator,
National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine active component, reserve component, and civilian personnel programs
in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the
future years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from David S.C. Chu,
Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, Thomas F. Hall, Assistant
Secretary for Reserve Affairs, and Stephen L. Jones, DHA, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, all of the Department of Defense;
Lieutenant General Michael D. Rochelle, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff G-1, United
States Army; Vice Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr., USN, Chief of Naval Personnel;
Lieutenant General Ronald S. Colman, USMC, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and
Reserve Affairs; and Lieutenant General Roger A. Brady, USAF, Deputy Chief of
Staff, Manpower and Personnel.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nominations of James R. Clapper, Jr., of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of
Defense for Intelligence, Claude M. Kicklighter, of Georgia, to be Inspector
General, Department of Defense, S. Ward Casscells, of Texas, to be an
Assistant Secretary of Defense, and William Charles Ostendorff, of Virginia,
to be Principal Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security
Administration, and 2,600 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine
Corps.
COAST GUARD DIVE PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the future of the Coast Guard Dive Program, focusing on lessons
learned from the accident on board CGC HEALY, and the steps taken to prevent
future diving accidents, after receiving testimony from Rear Admiral Wayne
Justice, Assistant Commandant for Response, and Real Admiral Paul Higgins,
Director, Health and Safety Directorate, both of the United States Coast
Guard, Department of Homeland Security; and Rear Admiral Michael P. Tillotson,
Deputy Director, Standing Joint Force Headquarters North American Aerospace
Defense Command, United States Navy.
[Page: D426]
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT SYSTEM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Space,
Aeronautics, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine transitioning
from the Space Shuttle to a next generation Human Space Flight System, after
receiving testimony from William H. Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator,
Space Operations, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Allen Li,
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Government Accountability
Office; Ron Dittemore, ATK Launch Systems Group, Brigham City, Utah; John
Karas, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, Colorado; Johnny
Walker, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Cape
Canaveral, Florida; and Michael J. McCulley, United Space Alliance, Arlington,
Virginia.
GOVERNMENT BUILDING OPERATIONAL COSTS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine reducing government building operational costs through innovation and
efficiency, focusing on legislative solutions, after receiving testimony from
David L. Winstead, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services
Administration; Kateri Callahan, Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, D.C.;
and Melanie Townshend, Gilbane Building Company, Arlington, Virginia, on
behalf of the Associated General Contractors of America.
U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine risks and
reform, focusing on the role of currency in the United States-China
relationship, after receiving testimony from Senators Schumer and Graham;
Stephen S. Roach, Morgan Stanley, New York, New York; Eswar S. Prasad, Cornell
University, Ithaca, New York; and Morris Goldstein, Peterson Institute for
International Economics, and John H. Makin, American Enterprise Institute,
both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported:
S. 193, to increase cooperation on energy issues between the United States
Government and foreign governments and entities in order to secure the
strategic and economic interests of the United States;
S. 613, to enhance the overseas stabilization and reconstruction capabilities
of the United States Government;
H.R. 1003, to amend the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998
to reauthorize the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy;
S. Res. 30, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the
United States to address global climate change through the negotiation of fair
and effective international commitments;
S. Res. 65, condemning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist and human
rights advocate Hrant Dink and urging the people of Turkey to honor his legacy
of tolerance, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 76, calling on the United States Government and the international
community to promptly develop, fund, and implement a comprehensive regional
strategy in Africa to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian operations,
contain and reduce violence, and contribute to conditions for sustainable
peace in eastern Chad, and Central African Republic, and Darfur, Sudan; and
The nominations of Paul J. Bonicelli, of Virginia, to be an Assistant
Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development,
Curtis S. Chin, of New York, to be United States Director of the Asian
Development Bank, with the rank of Ambassador, Eli Whitney Debevoise II, of
Maryland, to be United States Executive Director of the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, Zalmay Khalilzad, of Maryland, to be the
Representative to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador
and the Representative to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United
Nations during his tenure of service as Representative to the United Nations,
Margrethe Lundsager, of Virginia, to be United States Executive Director of
the International Monetary Fund, Katherine Almquist, of Virginia, to be an
Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, Douglas Menarchik, of Texas, to be an Assistant Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development. (Reappointment), Ford
M. Fraker, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
and a promotion list in the Foreign Service.
[Page: D427]
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, focusing on effective
strategies for engaging parents and communities to be involved in schools,
after receiving testimony from Anne T. Henderson, Annenberg Institute for
School Reform, and Wendy Puriefoy, Public Education Network, both of
Washington, D.C.; Daniel J. Cardinali, Communities In Schools, Inc.,
Alexandria, Virginia; Kathy Patenaude, Rhode Island Parent Teachers
Association, Coventry; and Philip J. Ritter, Texas Instruments Incorporated,
Dallas.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee ordered favorably reported S.
223, to require Senate candidates to file designations, statements, and
reports in electronic form, with an amendment.
AFFORDABLE DRUG COVERAGE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
affordable drug coverage that works for the state of Wisconsin, focusing on
preserving Wisconsin's SeniorCare Program, after receiving testimony from
Leslie V. Norwalk, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, Department of Health and Human Services; and Wisconsin Governor Jim
Doyle, Tom Frazier, Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups, Patricia
Finder-Stone, AARP Wisconsin, and Bette Linton, all of Madison, Wisconsin.
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the current
economic outlook, focusing on economic activity, inflation, and the housing
market, after receiving testimony from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
2007/03/29
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 29, 2007; pages D435 - D472
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for
fiscal year 2008 and the future years Defense Program, after receiving
testimony from Donald C. Winter, Secretary, and Admiral Michael G. Mullen,
Chief of Naval Operations, both of the United States Navy; and General James
T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
NOMINATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of David James Gribbin IV, of Virginia, to
be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation, after the nominee
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported:
S. 521, to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse and
customhouse located at 515 West First Street in Duluth, Minnesota, as the
"Gerald W. Heany Federal Building and United States Courthouse and
Customhouse";
S. 801, to designate a United States courthouse located in Fresno, California,
as the "Robert E. Coyle United States Courthouse";
S. 992, to achieve emission reductions and cost savings through accelerated
use of cost-effective lighting technologies in public buildings, with
amendments;
S. 496, to reauthorize and improve the program authorized by the Appalachian
Regional Development Act of 1965;
A bill entitled "The Water Resources Development Act of 2007"; and
The nominations of Roger Romulus Martella, Jr., of Virginia, to be Assistant
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Bradley Udall, of
Colorado, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall
Scholarship and Excellence In National Environmental Policy Foundation.
CLEAN ENERGY
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine clean energy
from the margins to the mainstream, focusing on promoting the widespread use
of clean renewable power and the Production Tax Credit which was to spur its
development, after receiving testimony from John Bruton, European Commission,
Washington, D.C.; John Krenicki, Jr., General Electric Energy, Atlanta,
Georgia; Todd Raba, MidAmerican Energy Company, Des Moines, Iowa; Johan van't
Hof, Tonbridge Corporation, Ontario, Canada; and Ryan H. Wiser, Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California.
IRAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine an
update on United States policy towards Iran, after receiving testimony from R.
Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
[Page: D439]
AGENCIES' IMPROPER PAYMENTS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and
International Security concluded a hearing to examine eliminating and
recovering improper payments, focusing on the Office of Management and Budget
report entitled "Improving the Accuracy and Integrity of Improper Payments",
including trends in agencies' reporting under the Improper Payments
Information Act of 2002, from fiscal years 2004 through 2006, challenges in
reporting improper payment information and improving internal control, and
agencies' reporting of recovery auditing efforts, after receiving testimony
from Linda M. Combs, Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management,
Office of Management and Budget; McCoy Williams, Director, Financial
Management and Assurance, Government Accountability Office; John W. Cox, Chief
Financial Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development; David M.
Norquist, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Homeland Security; Timothy B.
Hill, Director, Office of Financial Management, Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Terry Bowie,
Deputy Chief Financial Officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
and Lee White, PRG-Schultz International, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia.
INDIAN TRUST FUND LITIGATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Indian trust fund litigation, focusing on settlement legislation
relative to pending and potential claims by individual Indians and tribes,
after receiving testimony from Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior;
William W. Mercer, Acting Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice;
John Bickerman, Bickerman Dispute Resolution, PLLC, Washington, D.C.; John E.
Echohawk, Native American Rights Fund, Boulder, Colorado; William Martin,
Intertribal Monitoring Association on Indian Trust Funds, Albuquerque, New
Mexico; and Elouise C. Cobell, Browning, Montana.
UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee held a hearing to examine Department of
Justice hiring and firing of United States Attorneys, focusing on preserving
prosecutorial independence, receiving testimony from D. Kyle Sampson, former
Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of the United States, Department of
Justice.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 163, to improve the disaster loan program of the Small Business
Administration, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
Joint Meetings
LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATIONS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine legislative
presentations of certain veterans organizations, after receiving testimony
from John Garcia, New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services, Santa Fe, on
behalf of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs;
Thomas C. McGriff, AMVETS, Lanham, Maryland; Tom Poulter, Military Order of
the Purple Heart, Springfield, Virginia; Jerry L. Sweeney, Fleet Reserve
Association, and Colonel Ana R. Smythe, USMC (Ret.), Military Officers
Association of America, both of Alexandria, Virginia; Gunnery Sergeant Patrick
Corbett, USMC (Ret.), the Retired Enlisted Association, Aurora, Colorado; Rose
Elizabeth Lee, Gold Star Wives of America, Arlington, Virginia; and sundry
public witnesses.
2007/03/30
Daily Digest - Friday, March 30, 2007; pages D473 - D474
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: SAA/U.S. CAPITOL POLICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008, after
receiving testimony on behalf of funds for their respective activities from
Terrance W. Gainer, U.S. Senate Sergeant At Arms and Doorkeeper; and Phillip
D. Morse, Sr., Chief, Daniel Nichols, Deputy Chief, and Carl Hoecker,
Inspector General, all of the United States Capitol Police.
2007/04/10
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 10, 2007; pages D475 - D480
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
OVERSEAS BASING PLANS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a closed hearing to examine overseas basing plans in review of the
Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future Years
Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Philip W. Grone, Deputy Under
Secretary for Installations and Environment, and Joseph A. Benkert, Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Security Affairs, both of the Department
of Defense; Major General Michael J. Diamond, USAR, Deputy Director, J-4/7,
Headquarters United States Central Command; and Rear Admiral Frank Craig
Pandolfe, Deputy Director for Strategy and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff.
[Page: D477]
BASE CLOSURE PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing on military installation, environmental, and base closure
programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008
and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Philip W.
Grone, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment;
Keith E. Eastin, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and
Environment; B.J. Penn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and
Environment; and William C. Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for
Installations, Environment and Logistics.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), after
receiving testimony from Deborah Platt Majoras, Chairman, and Pamela Jones
Harbour, Jonathan Leibowitz, William Kovacic, and J. Thomas Rosch, each a
Commissioner, all of the Federal Trade Commission.
VOIP
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine voice over internet protocol (VOIP) and the future of 9-1-1
services, focusing on how E-9-1-1 policy should be responsive to a changed
telecommunications landscape, including S. 428, to amend the Wireless
Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999, after receiving testimony from
Dale N. Hatfield, University of Colorado at Boulder, former Chief of the
Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal Communications Commission; Wanda
S. McCarley, Tarrant County 9-1-1 District, Fort Worth, Texas, on behalf of
the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International; Jason
Barbour, National Emergency Number Association, Arlington, Virginia; Sharon
O'Leary, Vonage Holdings Corp., Holmdel, New Jersey; and Stephen Meer,
Intrado, Inc., Longmont, Colorado.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/11
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 11, 2007; pages D481 - D486
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008, after receiving
testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from Lieutenant
General Jack Stultz, Chief, Army Reserve; Vice Admiral John G. Cotton, Chief,
Naval Reserve; Lieutenant General John W. Bergman, Commander, Marine Forces
Reserve; Lieutenant General John A. Bradley, Chief, Air Force Reserve;
Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau; Lieutenant
General Clyde Vaughn, Vice Chief, Army National Guard; and Lieutenant General
Craig McKinley, Vice Chief, Air National Guard.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008
for the Department of Energy, and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law
109-58), after receiving testimony from Kevin Kolevar, Director, Office of
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Alexander Karsner, Assistant
Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Dennis R.
Spurgeon, Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, and Thomas D. Shope,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Fossil Energy, all of the Department of Energy.
APPROPRIATIONS: OMB
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2008 for the Office of Management and Budget, after receiving testimony
from Robert J. Portman, Director, and Robert Shea, Associate Director for
Management, both of the Office of Management and Budget.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded a hearing to examine nonproliferation programs at the National
Nuclear Security Administration and the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program
and the Proliferation Security Initiative at the Department of Defense in the
review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the
Future Years Defense Programs, after receiving testimony from Senator Lugar
and former Senator Nunn; William H. Tobey, Deputy Administrator for Defense
Nuclear Nonproliferation, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department
of Energy; and Joseph A. Benkert, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Global Security Affairs.
[Page: D483]
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine Ballistic Missile Defense Programs in review of the Defense
Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future Years Defense
Program, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Henry A. Obering
III, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency, Lieutenant General Kevin T.
Campbell, USA, Commanding General, United States Army Space and Missile
Defense Command, Charles E. McQueary, Director, Operational Test and
Evaluation, and Brian R. Green, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic
Capabilities, all of the Department of Defense; and Paul L. Francis, Director,
Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office.
PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the availability and affordability of property and casualty
insurance in the Gulf Coast and other coastal regions, after receiving
testimony from Senator Nelson (FL); Edward P. Lazear, Chairman, Council of
Economic Advisers; Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Tallahassee; Walter A.
Bell, Alabama Insurance Commissioner, Montgomery; Marc Racicot, American
Insurance Association, Franklin W. Nutter, Reinsurance Association of America,
Charles Chamness, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, and
James M. Loy, ProtectingAmerica.org, all of Washington, D.C.; Robert P.
Hartwig, Insurance Information Institute, New York, New York; David Guidry,
Guico Machine Works, on behalf of Greater New Orleans, Inc., New Orleans,
Louisiana; and Harold Polsky, Bedford, Virginia.
PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine the property and casualty insurance industry,
after receiving testimony from Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, Jackson;
Julie Benafield Bowman, Arkansas Insurance Commissioner, Little Rock, on
behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; and J. Robert
Hunter, Consumer Federation of America, and David W. Regan, National
Automobile Dealers Association, both of Washington, D.C.
AIRLINE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine airline service improvements, including S. 678, to amend
title 49, United States Code, to ensure air passengers have access to
necessary services while on a grounded air carrier and are not unnecessarily
held on a grounded air carrier before or after a flight, after receiving
testimony from Michael Reynolds, Deputy Assistant Secretary, and Calvin L.
Scovel III, Inspector General, both of the Department of Transportation;
Edmund Mierzwinksi, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Paul Hudson, Aviation
Consumer Action Project, and James C. May, Air Transport Association of
America, Inc., all of Washington, D.C.; Kevin P. Mitchell, Business Travel
Coalition, Radnor, Pennsylvania; Kate Hanni, Coalition for Airline Passengers'
Bill of Rights, Napa, California; and Rahul Chandran, Center on International
Cooperation, New York, New York.
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Medicare
Advantage Program, after receiving testimony from Peter R. Orszag, Director,
Congressional Budget Office; Glenn M. Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare Payment
Advisory Commission; Debra A. Draper, Center for Studying Health System
Change, Washington, D.C.; and I. Steven Udvarhelyi, Independence Blue Cross,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
DARFUR
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine an
alternative plan to stop genocide relating to Darfur, after receiving
testimony from Andrew S. Natsios, President's Special Envoy to Sudan,
Department of State; and Susan E. Rice, The Brookings Institution, Lawrence G.
Rossin, Save Darfur Coalition, and J. Stephen Morrison, Center for Strategic
and International Studies, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Debra Ann Livingston, of New York, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Second Circuit, Roslynn Renee Mauskopf, to be United States
District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, Richard Sullivan, to be
United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York, who were
each introduced by Senator Feingold, and Joseph S. Van Bokkelen, to be United
States District Judge for the Northern District of Indiana, who was introduced
by Senator Lugar, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
[Page: D484]
IMPROPER USE OF NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution concluded a
hearing to examine the Inspector General's findings of improper use of
National Security Letters by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after
receiving testimony from former Representative Barr; George Christian, Library
Connection, Inc., Windsor, Connecticut, on behalf of the American Library
Association; and Suzanne E. Spaulding, Bingham Consulting Group, and Peter P.
Swire, Center for American Progress, both of Washington, D.C.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the operations and governance of the Smithsonian
Institution, focusing on the condition of the Smithsonian's facilities and
whether the Smithsonian has taken steps to maximize facility resources,
including the current estimated costs of the needed facilities projects, and
the extent to which the Smithsonian developed and implemented strategies to
fund these projects, after receiving testimony from Mark L. Goldstein,
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office;
and Roger W. Sant, Patricia Q. Stonesifer, Cristian Samper, and Anne
Sprightley Ryan, all of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/12
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 12, 2007; pages D488 - D494
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, after receiving
testimony from R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
PET FOOD RECALL
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to
examine the current pet food recall, after receiving testimony from Stephen F.
Sundlof, Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine, and Steve Solomon, Deputy
Director, Office of Regional Operations, both of the Food and Drug
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Elizabeth Hodgkins,
All About Cats Health and Wellness Center, Yorba Linda, California; Claudia A.
Kirk, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville; Duane
Ekedahl, Pet Food Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Eric Nelson, Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Madison, on behalf
of the American Association of Feed Control Officers.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the issue of piracy, focusing on intellectual property
theft's impact on America's place in the global economy and strategies for
improving enforcement, after receiving testimony from Senator Voinovich; Loren
Yager, Director, International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability
Office; Moises Naim, Foreign Policy, and Brad Hunter, U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, both of Washington, D.C.; and Timothy E. Demarais, ABRO Industries,
Inc., South Bend, Indiana.
TRANSPORTATION WORKER IDENTIFICATION CREDENTIAL
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine Transportation Workers Identification Credentials (TWIC)
implementation, after receiving testimony from Kip Hawley, Assistant
Secretary, Transportation Security Administration, and Rear Admiral Brian
Salerno, Director, Inspections and Compliance, United States Coast Guard, both
of the Department of Homeland Security; Norman J. Rabkin, Managing Director,
Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office; Lisa
B. Himber, Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; Paul Kaipo Pomaikai, Sr., Sause Bros., Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii;
and Michael Rodriguez, International Organization of Masters, Mates and
Pilots, Linthicum Heights, Maryland.
BIOFUELS FOR ENERGY SECURITY AND TRANSPORTATION ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 987, to enhance the energy security of the United States by
promoting biofuels, after receiving testimony from Alexander Karsner,
Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Bob
Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association, Daniel A. Lashof, Natural Resources
Defense Council Climate Center, and Red Cavaney, American Petroleum Institute,
all of Washington, D.C.; and Brian Foody, Iogen Corporation, Ontario, Canada.
FEDERAL TAX RETURNS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Internal
Revenue Service's (IRS) tax filing season performance as an indicator of how
well the IRS serves taxpayers, after receiving testimony from Mark W. Everson,
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, and Michael R. Phillips, Deputy
Inspector General for Audit, Inspector General for Tax Administration, both of
the Department of the Treasury; James R. White, Director, Strategic Issues,
Government Accountability Office; Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney
General for the Tax Division, Department of Justice; and Evangelos Dimitrios
Soukas, Victorville, California.
[Page: D490]
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY POLICY
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and
Infrastructure concluded a hearing to examine international perspectives on a
policy on alternative energy sources, focusing on incentives and mandates and
their impacts, after receiving testimony from Charles Boortz, Advent Solar,
Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico; Jonathan Johns, Ernst and Young LLP, Exeter,
United Kingdom; and John Krenicki, Jr., GE Energy, Atlanta, Georgia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 3, to amend part
D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for fair prescription
drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
GULF COAST RECOVERY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc Subcommittee
on Disaster Recovery concluded a hearing to examine ways to remove obstacles
to the recovery effort, focusing on the Government Accountability Office's
analysis of the Gulf Coast rebuilding, after receiving testimony from Stanley
J. Czerwinski, Director, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office;
Donald E. Powell, Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, Department of
Homeland Security; Donna E. Fraiche, Louisiana Recovery Authority, and Edward
J. Blakely, City of New Orleans Recovery Management, both of New Orleans,
Louisiana; Mayor John Thomas Longo, Waveland, Mississippi; and Ernest
Broussard, Jr., Cameron Parish Planning and Development, Lake Charles,
Louisiana.
EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN WORKERS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine closing the gap relating to equal pay for women workers,
after receiving testimony from Evelyn F. Murphy, The WAGE Project, Inc.,
Boston, Massachusetts; Jocelyn Samuels, National Women's Law Center,
Washington, D.C.; Philip N. Cohen, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill; and Barbara Berish Brown, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker LLP,
Baltimore, Maryland.
TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Tribal Colleges and Universities, after receiving testimony from Carl
J. Artman, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Department of the Interior; David Gipp, United Tribes Technical College,
Bismarck, North Dakota, and Elmer J. Guy, Navajo Technical College,
Crownpoint, New Mexico, both on behalf of the American Indian Higher Education
Consortium; and Jamie P. Merisotis, Institute for Higher Education Policy, and
Bette Keltner, Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies,
both of Washington D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 236, to require reports to Congress on Federal agency use of data mining,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 849, to promote accessibility, accountability, and openness in Government
by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred
to as the Freedom of Information Act);
S. 621, to establish commissions to review the facts and circumstances
surrounding injustices suffered by European Americans, European Latin
Americans, and Jewish refugees during World War II;
S. 735, to amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the terrorist hoax
statute;
S. Res. 112, designating April 6, 2007, as "National Missing Persons Day"; and
The nomination of Halil Suleyman Ozerden, to be United States District Judge
for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Committee agreed to two motions to give the Committee authority to issue
subpoenas in connection with the investigation into the replacement of United
States Attorneys.
Also, Committee began consideration of S. 376, to amend title 18, United
States Code, to improve the provisions relating to the carrying of concealed
weapons by law enforcement officers, but did not complete action thereon.
FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY ACT
Committee on Veterans Affairs: On Wednesday, April 11, Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 57, to amend title 38, United States Code, to deem
certain service in the organized military forces of the Government of the
Commonwealth of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active
service for purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs, after receiving testimony from Ronald R. Aument, Deputy
Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits; Sidath Viranga Panangala,
Analyst in Social Legislation, Congressional Research Service, Library of
Congress; H.E. Willy C. Gaa, Philippine Ambassador to the United States,
Washington, D.C.; Maria Luisa Antonio, Veterans Equity Center, and Jenah
Yangwas, Student Action for Veterans Equity, both of San Francisco,
California; Manuel B. Braga, Filipino WWII Veterans Federation of San Diego
County, San Diego, California; Art A. Caleda, WWII Filipino American Veterans
and Auxiliary of Hawaii, Honolulu; Patrick G. Ganio Sr., American Coalition
for Filipino Veterans Inc., Arlington, Virginia; Benito Valdez, Filipino
Community of Seattle, Seattle, Washington; Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Ramsey,
(Ret.) United States Army, Los Angeles, California.
[Page: D491]
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
Joint Meetings
DISABILITY RATING SYSTEMS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a joint hearing with the
Committee on Veterans Affairs to examine the Departments of Defense and
Veterans Affairs disability rating systems and the transition of service
members from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans Affairs,
after receiving testimony from Gordon R. England, Deputy Secretary, David S.C.
Chu, Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, and Preston M. Geren III,
Acting Secretary of the Army, all of the Department of Defense; and Daniel L.
Cooper, Under Secretary for Benefits, and Gerald Cross, Acting Principal
Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, both of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; and Lieutenant General James Terry Scott,
(Ret.) USA, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, Washington, D.C.
2007/04/16
Daily Digest - Monday, April 16, 2007; pages D496 - D502
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CARBON DIOXIDE STORAGE AND RESEARCH
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 731, to develop a methodology for, and complete, a national
assessment of geological storage capacity for carbon dioxide, and S. 962, to
amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize and improve the carbon
capture and storage research, development, and demonstration program of the
Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Mark D. Myers, Director,
United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior; Thomas D. Shope,
Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy; George Guthrie,
Program Director, Fossil Energy and Environment Programs, Los Alamos National
Laboratory; and David G. Hawkins, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Kipp
Coddington, Alston and Bird LLP, both of Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/17
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 17, 2007; pages D503 - D512
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COMBATING AUTISM
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education and Related Agencies held a hearing to examine the status of
autism and autism research, receiving testimony from Julie L. Gerberding,
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Thomas R. Insel,
Director, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health,
both of the Department of Health and Human Services; Judith E. Favell, Celeste
Foundation, Mount Dora, Florida; Robert C. Wright and Bradley Whitford, both
of Autism Speaks, New York, New York; Marguerite Kirst Colston, Autism Society
of America, Bethesda, Maryland; and Josh Cobbs, Sioux City, Iowa.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
COMBAT READINESS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine whether
the Army and Marine Corps are properly sized, organized, and equipped to
respond to the most likely missions over the next two decades while retaining
adequate capability to respond to all contingencies along the spectrum of
combat, after receiving testimony from Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., Center for
Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, and Lawrence J. Korb, Center for American
Progress, both of Washington, D.C.; General Barry R. McCaffrey (Ret.) USA, BR
McCaffrey Associates LLC, Arlington, Virginia; and Major General Robert H.
Scales, Jr. (Ret.) USA, Colgen, Inc., Dayton, Maryland.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine the current readiness of United States ground forces in
review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the
Future Years Defense Program, from Lieutenant General James J. Lovelace, Jr.,
USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, Headquarters, Department of the Army, and
Lieutenant General Richard F. Natonski, USMC, Deputy Commandant for Plans,
Policies, and Operations, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps, both of
the Department of Defense.
[Page: D505]
MORTGAGE MARKET SECURITIZATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Securities,
Insurance and Investment concluded a hearing to examine the role of
securitization relating to subprime mortgage market turmoil, including the
mechanics of the nonprime mortgage securitization process, the impact of
recent increases in defaults and delinquencies on the nonprime securitization
market, characteristics of the securitization process that present challenges
in mitigating potential foreclosures, and factors taken into consideration in
the securitization process when assessing credit risk for mortgage-backed
securities and monitoring assigned ratings, after receiving testimony from
Gyan Sinha, Bear, Stearns and Co. Inc, David Sherr, Lehman Brothers Inc.,
Susan Barnes, Standard and Poor's Ratings Services, and Warren Kornfeld,
Moody's Investors Service, all of New York, New York; Kurt Eggert, Chapman
University School of Law, Orange, California; and Christopher L. Peterson,
University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville.
XM-SIRIUS RADIO
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the proposed merger between XM and Sirius satellite radio
services, after receiving testimony from Mel Karmazin, Sirius Satellite Radio,
and David Bank, RBC Capital Markets, both of New York, New York; W. Russell
Withers, Jr., Withers Broadcasting Companies, Mount Vernon, Illinois, on
behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters; and Gene Kimmelman,
Consumers Union, on behalf of Common Cause, Consumer Federation of America,
Free Press, and Media Access Project, and Gigi B. Sohn, Public Knowledge, both
of Washington, D.C.
WORKPLACE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment and Workplace Safety concluded a hearing to examine domestic
violence in the workplace, after receiving testimony from Laura A. Fortman,
Maine Department of Labor, Augusta; Kathy Rodgers, Legal Momentum, New York,
New York; Sue K. Willman, Spencer Fane Britt and Browne LLP, Kansas City,
Missouri, on behalf of the Society for Human Resource Management; and Yvette
Cade, Temple Hills, Maryland.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/18
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 18, 2007; pages D514 - D524
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine economic challenges and opportunities facing American
agricultural producers today, focusing on livestock, poultry and competition
issues relating to the reenactment of the Farm Bill, after receiving testimony
from Peter C. Carstensen, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison; Lynn A.
Hayes, Farmers' Legal Action Group, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota; Mary K. Muth,
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Eric Nelson, R-CALF
USA, Moville, Iowa; John Queen, National Cattlemen's Beef Association,
Waynesville, North Carolina; Joy Philippi, National Pork Producers Council,
Bruning, Nebraska; Ron Truex, Creighton Brothers, LLC, Warsaw, Indiana, on
behalf of the United Egg Producers; Burdell Johnson, American Sheep Industry
Association, Tuttle, North Dakota; William P. Roenigk, National Chicken
Council, Washington, D.C. Tim Schmidt, Hawarden, Iowa; and Scott Hamilton,
Phil Campbell, Alabama.
[Page: D516]
APPROPRIATIONS: HEALTH PROGRAMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for maternal and child health, and family planning and
reproductive health after receiving testimony from Kent Hill, Assistant
Administrator for Global Health, United States Agency International
Development (USAID); Nils Daulaire, Global Health Council, and Laurie Garrett,
Council on Foreign Relations, both of Washington, D.C.; and Helene Gayle,
Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), Atlanta, Georgia.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008
for the Department of Energy after receiving testimony from Thomas P.
D'Agostino, Acting Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator,
National Nuclear Security Administration, United States Department of Energy.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel with the Subcommittee
on Readiness and Management Support concluded a joint hearing to examine the
readiness impact of quality of life and family support programs to assist
families of Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve military personnel in
review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2008 and the
Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Senator
Chambliss; Michael L. Dominguez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
for Personnel and Readiness; Lynda C. Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Navy for Military Personnel Policy; John McLaurin, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of the Army for Human Resources; Lieutenant General Roger A. Brady, USAF,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel, Headquarters, United States
Air Force; Joyce Wessel Raezer, National Military Family Association,
Alexandria, Virginia; and certain other public witnesses.
FREE TRADE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Interstate
Commerce, Trade, and Tourism concluded a hearing to examine the impacts of
current United States trade policy, after receiving testimony from Leo
Hindery, Jr., InterMedia Partners, New York, New York; Lori Wallach, Public
Citizen, Christopher Wenk, United States Chamber of Commerce, and Edward
Gresser, all of Washington, D.C.; and John Johnston, Modern Metal Cutting,
LLC, Akron, Ohio.
COAST GUARD: BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the United States
Coast Guard, after receiving testimony from Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant,
United States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security.
NOMINATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nomination of Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp, Jr. to be
Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the United States Army Corps of
Engineers, after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
TAX GAP
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the Administration's
plan for addressing the issue of taxpayers' compliance with their federal tax
obligations and the extent to which taxpayers do not file their tax returns
and pay the correct tax on time, focusing on goals, benchmarks, and timetables
for reducing noncompliance, receiving testimony from Henry M. Paulson, Jr.,
Secretary of the Treasury.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of R. Niels Marquardt, of California, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Madagascar, and to serve concurrently and without additional
compensation as Ambassador to the Union of Comoros, Janet E. Garvey, of
Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon, and Phillip
Carter III, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the nomination of Gregory B. Cade, of Virginia, to be
Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, Department of Homeland
Security.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following:
[Page: D517]
S.1082, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize and
amend the prescription drug user fee provisions, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Douglas G. Myers, of California, Jeffrey Patchen, of
Indiana, Lotsee Patterson, of Oklahoma, all to be Members of the National
Museum and Library Services Board, Stephen W. Porter, of the District of
Columbia, to be a Member of the National Council on the Arts, and Cynthia
Allen Wainscott, of Georgia, to be a Member of the National Council on
Disability, and promotion lists for the Public Health Service.
ELECTION EXPENDITURES
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 1091, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to repeal
the limitation on party expenditures on behalf of candidates in general
elections, after receiving testimony from John Samples, Cato Institute, Marc
E. Elias, Perkins Coie LLP, Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 21, Thomas E. Mann,
Brookings Institution, Gary Kalman, United States Public Interest Research
Group, and Michael J. Malbin, Campaign Finance Institute, all of Washington,
D.C.
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT AND SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Public Law 107-204) and its impact
on small public companies, after receiving testimony from Christopher Cox,
Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Mark W. Olson, Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board, Washington, D.C.; Thomas R. Venables,
Benjamin Franklin Bank, on behalf of the American Bankers Association, and
Joseph Piche, Eikos, Inc., both of Franklin, Massachusetts; and Richard
Wasielewski, Nortech Systems, Inc., Wayzata, Minnesota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Thomas E. Harvey, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of
Veterans Affairs (Congressional Affairs).
Joint Meetings
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Committee on the Library: Committee adopted its rules of procedure for
the 110th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Committee on Printing: Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the
110th Congress.
2007/04/19
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 19, 2007; pages D526 - D534
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
RISING HIGHWAY FATALITIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and
Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine rising
highway fatalities, after receiving testimony from Nicole R. Nason,
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, John H. Hill,
Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, both of the United
States Department of Transportation; and Mark V. Rosenker, Chairman, National
Transportation Safety Board.
[Page: D527]
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from
John F. Clark, Director, United States Marshals Service, Karen P. Tandy,
Administrator, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and Michael J.
Sullivan, Acting Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives, all of the Department of Justice.
APPROPRIATIONS: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2008 for military construction for the Army, Navy,
and Marine Corps, after receiving testimony from Keith E. Eastin, Assistant
Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment; Lieutenant General
Robert Wilson, USA, Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management and
Commanding General, Installation Management Command; Major General David P.
Burford, Assistant to the Director of the Army National Guard; Brigadier
General Richard J. Sherlock, Deputy Chief, Army Reserve and Deputy Commander
for Management, Resources, and Support, U.S. Army Reserve Command; B.J. Penn,
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment; Major
General James F. Flock, Assistant Deputy Commandant for Installations and
Logistics (Facilities); and Rear Admiral Mark A. Handley, Navy Director of
Ashore Readiness.
LOGCAP
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Department of Defense's management of costs under the Logistics Civil
Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) contract in Iraq, after receiving testimony from
Senator Dorgan; and Claude M. Bolton, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, William H. Reed, Director, Defense
Contract Audit Agency, Keith D. Ernst, Acting Director, Defense Contract
Management Agency, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Auditor General Department of the
Army, and Major General Jerome Johnson, USA, Commanding General, United States
Army Sustainment Command, all of the Department of Defense.
BUDGET: MILITARY SPACE PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Committee
concluded open and closed hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the military space programs in review of the Defense
Authorization Request and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving
testimony from Ronald M. Sega, Under Secretary of Air Force, General Kevin P.
Chilton, USAF, Commander, Air Force Space Command, Major General William L.
Shelton, USAF, Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, United
States Strategic Command, Vice Admiral James D. McArthur, Jr., USN, Commander,
Naval Network Warfare Command, all of the Department of Defense; and Christina
T. Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Government
Accountability Office.
U.S. COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Innovation concluded a hearing to examine United States
competitiveness through basic research, after receiving testimony John
Marburger III, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy; Arden L.
Bement, Jr., Director, National Science Foundation; and William A. Jeffrey,
Director, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of
Commerce.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND VEHICLES TAX INCENTIVES
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine grains, cane,
and automobiles relating to tax incentives for alternative fuels and vehicles,
after receiving testimony from Robert Farrington, Manager and Principal
Researcher, Advance Vehicle Systems Group, National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, Department of Energy; R. James Woolsey, National Commission on
Energy Policy, former Director of Central Intelligence; Vinod Khosla, Khosla
Ventures, Menlo Park, California; Bruce E. Dale, Michigan State University
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, East Lansing; and
Jay D. Debertin, CHS Inc., Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
GLOBAL WARMING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the impact of global warming on private and federal
insurance, focusing on financial risks to federal and private insurers in
coming decades for damages caused by weather-related events in the United
States, after receiving testimony from John B. Stephenson, Director, Natural
Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; Eldon Gould,
Administrator, Risk Management Agency, Department of Agriculture; Michael
Buckley, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security; and Andrew Castaldi, Swiss
Reinsurance America Corporation, Wilton, Connecticut.
[Page: D528]
IMPLEMENTING POSTAL REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and
International Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine the current
state of the Postal Service along with the efforts underway to implement the
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (Public Law 109-435), including the
Postal Service's financial condition in fiscal year 2007, the opportunities
and challenges facing the Service, and major issues and areas for
Congressional oversight, after receiving testimony from John E. Potter,
Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, United States Postal Service;
Dan G. Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission; and Katherine Siggerud,
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from Alberto R.
Gonzales, Attorney General, Department of Justice.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
BIODENTICAL HORMONES
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
bioidentical hormones, focusing on menopausal hormone therapy using conjugated
equine estrogens and other forms of estrogen therapy, after receiving
testimony from Jacques Rossouw, Chief, Women's Health Initiative Branch,
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, and
Steven K. Galson, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and
Drug Administration, both of the Department of Health and Human Services;
Eileen Harrington, Deputy Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal
Trade Commission; JoAnn E. Manson, Harvard Medical School, Boston,
Massachusetts; Leonard Wartofsky, Endocrine Society, Chevy Chase, Maryland;
Loyd V. Allen, Jr., International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Sugar
Land, Texas; T. S. Wiley, Santa Barbara, California.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/20
Daily Digest - Friday, April 20, 2007; pages D536 - D544
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Committee concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the National Institutes of Health,
focusing on the burden of chronic diseases, after receiving testimony from
Richard J. Hodes, Director, National Institute on Aging, Stephen I. Katz,
Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases, Elizabeth G. Nabel, Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute, and Griffin P. Rodgers, Director, National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, all of the National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human Services.
[Page: D537]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/23
Daily Digest - Monday, April 23, 2007; pages D545 - D550
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HEIGHTEN GAS EFFICIENCY STANDARDS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 1115, to promote the efficient use of oil, natural gas, and
electricity, reduce oil consumption, and heighten energy efficiency standards
for consumer products and industrial equipment, after receiving testimony from
Secretary John Mizroch, Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy; Mayor
Martin J. Chavez, Albuquerque, New Mexico, on behalf of the United States
Conference of Mayors; Robert E. Schjerven, Lennox International, Inc.,
Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association
(GAMA); William Prindle, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
(ACEEE), and Jim Y. Kerr II, National Association of Regulatory Utility
Commissioners (NARUC), Alicia Collier, Federal Performance Contracting
Coalition (FPCC), all of Washington, D.C.; and Kyle Pitsor, National Electric
Manufacturers Association, Rosslyn, Virginia.
[Page: D546]
COLLEGE CAMPUS SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine security and emergency preparedness on America's college
campuses, after receiving testimony from David Ward, American Council on
Education, Washington, D.C; W. Roger Webb, University of Central Oklahoma,
Edmond; Steven J. Healy, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, on
behalf of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement
Administrators; Russ Federman, University of Virginia Department of Student
Health, Charlottesville; and Irwin Redlener, Columbia University Mailman
School of Public Health, New York, New York.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/24
Daily Digest - Tuesday, April 24, 2007; pages D551 - D562
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine challenges and opportunities facing American agriculture
producers, focusing on specialty crops, dairy, sugar, organic production and
marketing, and honey, after receiving testimony from Tom Buis, National
Farmers Union, David Beckmann, Bread for the World, and Larry Mitchell,
American Corn Growers Association, all of Washington, D.C.; Bob Stallman,
American Farm Bureau Federation, Columbus, Texas; Bill Flory, American
Farmland Trust, Winchester, Idaho; John Hoffman, American Soybean Association,
Waterloo, Iowa; John Pucheu, National Cotton Council, Tranquility, California;
Ken McCauley, National Corn Growers Association, White Cloud, Kansas; Everett
Tallman, National Association of Wheat Growers, Brandon, Colorado; Paul T.
Combs, USA Rice Federation, Kennett, Missouri, on behalf of the U.S. Rice
Producers Association; Evan Hayes, National Barley Growers Association,
American Falls, Idaho; Dale Murden, National Sorghum Producers, Monte Alto,
Texas; Armond Morris, Georgia Peanut Commission, Ocilla, on behalf of the
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation; Lynn Rundle, 21st Century Grain Processing
Cooperative, Manhattan, Kansas, on behalf of the North American Millers'
Association; John Swanson, National Sunflower Association, Mentor, Minnesota,
on behalf of the U.S. Canola Association; and Jim Evans, USA Dry Pea and
Lentil Council, Genessee, Idaho.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine United
States Pacific Command, United States Forces Korea, and United States Special
Operations Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal
year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from
Admiral Timothy J. Keating, USN, Commander, United States Pacific Command,
Vice Admiral Eric T. Olson, USN, Deputy Commander, United States Special
Operations Command, and General Burwell B. Bell, III, USA, Commander, United
States Nations Command and Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces
Command, Commander, United States Forces Korea, all of the Department of
Defense.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine the readiness of United States ground forces in
review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the
Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Colonel Michael
F. Beech, USA, Commander, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort
Hood, Texas, Colonel Lewis A. Craparotta, USMC, Commander, 1st Marine
Regiment, Camp Pendleton, California, and Colonel Timothy E. Orr, USARNG,
Commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa National
Guard, all of the Department of Defense.
[Page: D553]
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine communications, broadband and competitiveness relating to
the telecommunications industry in the United States, after receiving
testimony from Brian R. Mefford, ConnectKentucky and Connected Nation, Inc.,
Ben Scott, Free Press, on behalf of Consumers Union and the Consumer
Federation of America, Jeffrey A. Eisenach, George Mason University School of
Law, and Scott Wallsten, Progress and Freedom Foundation, all of Washington,
D.C.; Adam T. Drobat, Telcordia Techonologies, Arlington, Virginia, on behalf
of the Telecommunications Industry Association; and Jack Keil Wolf, University
of California at San Diego.
CLEAN AIR ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the implications of the Supreme Court's decision regarding the
Environmental Protection Agency authorities with respect to greenhouse gases
under the Clean Air Act, after receiving testimony from Stephen L. Johnson,
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Carol M. Browner, Albright
Group, LLC, William K. Reilly, Aqua International Partners, Ann R. Klee,
Crowell and Moring, David Doniger, Natural Resources Defense Council Climate
Center, and Peter Glaser, Troutman Sanders LLP, all of Washington, D.C.
FEDERAL DISASTER HOUSING PROGRAM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc Subcommittee
on Disaster Recovery concluded a hearing to examine trailers, focusing on
creating a more flexible, efficient, and cost-effective Federal Disaster
Housing Program, after receiving testimony from David E. Garratt, Acting
Assistant Administrator, Disaster Assistance Directorate, Gil H. Jamieson,
Associate Deputy Administrator for Gulf Coast Recovery, and Major General John
R. D'Araujo, (Ret.) United States Army, former Primary Selecting Official,
Alternative Housing Pilot Program, all of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, and Matt A. Jadacki, Deputy Inspector General for Disaster Assistance
Oversight, all of the Department of Homeland Security; Robert P. Hebert,
Charlotte County Administration, Port Charlotte, Florida; Sheila Crowley,
National Low Income Housing Coalition, Washington, D.C.; William J. Croft,
Shaw Group, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Andres Duany, Duany Plater-Zyberk
and Company, Charlotte, North Carolina; John Badman, III, RE: Formed Systems,
Greenwich, Connecticut.
TRANSIT BENEFITS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine the Federal
Transit Benefit Program, focusing on determining if benefits are being
misused, program rules are being violated, and whether agency oversight
requires strengthening, after receiving testimony from Gregory D. Kutz,
Managing Director, and John J. Ryan, Assistant Director, both of Forensic
Audits and Special Investigations, Government Accountability Office; Calvin L.
Scovel III, Inspector General, and Linda J. Washington, Acting Assistant
Secretary for Administration, both of the Department of Transportation; Thomas
F. Gimble, Acting Inspector General, and Michael L. Rhodes, Director,
Washington Headquarters Services, both of the Department of Defense.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, focusing on
modernizing middle and high schools for the twenty-first century, after
receiving testimony from Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins University Center for
Social Organization of Schools, Baltimore, Maryland; former West Virginia
Governor Bob Wise, Alliance for Excellent Education, and John Podesta, Center
for American Progress, both of Washington, D.C.; Tony Habit, North Carolina
New Schools Project, Raleigh; and Edna E. Varner, Hamilton County Public
Education Foundation, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
CASUALTIES OF WAR
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law concluded
a hearing to examine the casualties of war focusing on child soldiers and the
law, including S. 1175, to end the use of child soldiers in hostilities around
the world, after receiving testimony from Joseph Mettimano, World Vision,
Washington, D.C.; Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch, Anwen Hughes, Human Rights
First, and Ishmael Beah, all of New York, New York.
[Page: D554]
NATIONAL GUARD
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Insurrection Act rider and the state control of the National Guard, including
the proposed John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2007, S. 513, to amend title 10, United States Code, to revive previous
authority on the use of the Armed Forces and the militia to address
interference with State or Federal law, H.R. 1591, making emergency
supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and
S. 430, to amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the national defense
through empowerment of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and the
enhancement of the functions of the National Guard Bureau, after receiving
testimony from North Carolina Governor Michael F. Easley, Raleigh, on behalf
of the National Governors Association; Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, USA,
Chief, National Guard Bureau; Major General Timothy J. Lowenberg, USAF,
Adjutant General, Washington National Guard; and Sheriff Ted G. Kamatchus,
Marshall County, Marshalltown, Iowa, on behalf of the National Sheriffs'
Association.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/25
Daily Digest - Wednesday, April 25, 2007; pages D564 - D574
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded
hearings to examine challenges and opportunities facing American agricultural
producers, focusing on farm programs and the commodity title of the farm bill,
after receiving testimony from Tom Buis, National Farmers Union, David
Beckmann, Bread for the World, and Larry Mitchell, American Corn Growers
Association, all of Washington, D.C.; Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau
Federation, Columbus, Texas; Bill Flory, American Farmland Trust, Winchester,
Idaho; John Hoffman, American Soybean Association, Waterloo, Iowa; John
Pucheu, National Cotton Council, Tranquility, California; Ken McCauley,
National Corn Growers Association, White Cloud, Kansas; Everett Tallman,
National Association of Wheat Growers, Brandon, Colorado; Paul T. Combs, USA
Rice Federation, Kennett, Missouri, on behalf of the U.S. Rice Producers
Association; Evan Hayes, National Barley Growers Association, American Falls,
Idaho; Dale Murden, National Sorghum Producers, Monte Alto, Texas; Armond
Morris, Georgia Peanut Commission, Ocilla, on behalf of the Southern Peanut
Farmers Federation; Lynn Rundle, 21st Century Grain Processing Cooperative,
Manhattan, Kansas, on behalf of the North American Millers' Association; John
Swanson, National Sunflower Association, Mentor, Minnesota, on behalf of the
U.S. Canola Association; and Jim Evans, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council,
Genessee, Idaho.
APPROPRIATIONS: MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Missile Defense
Agency, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Henry A. Obering,
III, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency, and Lieutenant General Kevin T.
Campbell, USA, Commanding General, United States Army Space and Missile
Defense Command/United States Army Forces Strategic Command and Joint
Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense, both of the
Department of Defense.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a hearing to
examine whether the Army is properly sized, organized, and equipped to respond
to the most likely missions over the next two decades while retaining adequate
capability to respond to all contingencies along the spectrum of combat in
review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the
Future Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Preston M. Geren,
III, Acting Secretary, General George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff,
Lieutenant Colonel Coll S. Haddon, Deputy Director of Operations, Program
Manager of the Future Combat Systems, Brigade Combat Team, and Sergeant Major
Thomas W. Coleman, Program Executive Officer, all of the United States Army,
Department of Defense.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL AWARENESS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
concluded a hearing to examine language and cultural awareness capabilities
for the Department of Defense, after receiving testimony from Andre Van
Tilborg, Deputy Secretary for Science and Technology, and Gail H. McGinn,
Deputy Under Secretary for Plans, both of the Department of Defense; and Major
General Robert H. Scales, Jr., (Ret.) USA, Colgen, Inc., Dayton, Maryland.
[Page: D567]
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 1,303
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following:
S. 1178, to strengthen data protection and safeguards, require data breach
notification, and further prevent identity theft, with amendments;
S. 294, to reauthorize Amtrak, with amendments;
S. 675, to provide competitive grants for training court reporters and closed
captioners to meet requirements for realtime writers under the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, with amendments;
S. 428, to amend the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 924, to strengthen the United States Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater
Program, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1142, to authorize the acquisition of interests in undeveloped coastal
areas in order better to ensure their protection from development,
S. 311, to amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping,
transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling,
or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human
consumption; and certain nomination lists in the U.S. Coast Guard.
WATER BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine S. 324, to direct the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct a study of water resources in the State of New Mexico, S. 542, to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct feasibility studies to
address certain water shortages within the Snake, Boise, and Payette River
systems in the State of Idaho, S. 752, to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to participate in the implementation of the Platte River Recovery
Implementation Program for Endangered Species in the Central and Lower Platte
River Basin and to modify the Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir, S. 1037, to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assist in the planning, design, and
construction of the Tumalo Irrigation District Water Conservation Project in
Deschutes County, Oregon, S. 1116 and H.R. 902, bills to facilitate the use
for irrigation and other purposes of water produced in connection with
development of energy resources, S. 175, to provide for a feasibility study of
alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master
Conservancy District and cities served by the District, S. 1112 and H.R. 235,
bills to allow for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of contracts
between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water
District, after receiving testimony from Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau
of Reclamation, and Robert M. Hirsch, Associate Director for Water, United
States Geological Survey, both of the Department of the Interior; Mike
Purcell, Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, Cheyenne; David R.
Stewart, Stewart Environmental Consultants, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado; Joe
Glode, Upper North Platte Valley Water Users Association, Saratoga, Wyoming;
and Nicholas R. Tibbetts, Redwood Valley County Water District, Santa Rosa,
California.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air and
Nuclear Safety concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, focusing on the Commission's budget and programs, after
receiving testimony from Dale E. Klein, Chairman, and Ed McGaffigan, Jeff
Merrifield, and Greg Jaczko, each a Commissioner, all of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 119, to prohibit profiteering and fraud relating to military action,
relief, and reconstruction efforts, with an amendment;
S. 735, to amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the terrorist hoax
statute;
H.R. 740, to amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent caller ID
spoofing, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 879, to amend the Sherman Act to make oil-producing and exporting cartels
illegal;
S. Res. 125, designating May 18, 2007, as "Endangered Species Day", and
encouraging the people of the United States to become educated about, and
aware of, threats to species, success stories in species recovery, and the
opportunity to promote species conservation worldwide;
S. Res. 116, designating May 2007 as "National Autoimmune Diseases Awareness
Month" and supporting efforts to increase awareness of autoimmune diseases and
increase funding for autoimmune disease research;
S. Res. 146, designating June 20, 2007, as "American Eagle Day", and
celebrating the recovery and restoration of the American bald eagle, the
national symbol of the United States;
S. Res. 162, commemorating and acknowledging the dedication and sacrifice made
by the men and women who have lost their lives while serving as law
enforcement officers; and
[Page: D568]
The nominations of Robert Gideon Howard, Jr., to be United States Marshal for
the Eastern District of Arkansas, John Roberts Hackman, to be United States
Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Frederick J. Kapala, to be
United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, and
Benjamin Hale Settle, to be United States District Judge for the Western
District of Washington Department of Justice, both of the Department of
Justice.
Also, Committee approved the issuance of subpoenas in connection with the
investigation into replacement of U.S. attorneys.
VETERANS' MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on mental health issues,
including S. 479, to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans, after
receiving testimony from David Oslin, Director, VISN 4, and Jan Kemp,
Associate Director for Education, VISN 19, both of the Mental Illness Research
Education and Clinical Center, and Patricia Resick, Director, Women's
Division, National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, all of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; Patrick Campbell, Iraq and Afghanistan
Veterans of America, New York, New York; Connie Lee Best, Medical University
of South Carolina National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center,
Charleston; Ralph Ibson, Mental Health America, Alexandria, Virginia; Tony
Bailey, Las Vegas, Nevada; and Randall and Ellen Omvig, Grundy Center, Iowa.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/04/26
Daily Digest - Thursday, April 26, 2007; pages D575 - D584
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the USA
PATRIOT Act, after receiving testimony from Robert S. Mueller, III, Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice.
UNLAWFUL ENEMY COMBATANTS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine legal
issues regarding individuals detained by the Department of Defense as unlawful
enemy combatants, after receiving testimony from Senator Leahy; Daniel J.
Dell'Orto, Principle Deputy General Counsel, Department of Defense; Rear
Admiral John D. Hutson, (Ret.) USN, former Judge Advocate General of the Navy,
Concord, New Hampshire; Jeffrey H. Smith, former General Counsel of the Center
Intelligence Agency, Neal K. Katyal, Georgetown University Law Center, and
David B. Rivkin, Jr., Baker Hostetler, all of Washington D.C.; and Mark P.
Denbeaux, Seton Hall Law School, New York, New York.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a hearing to
examine Air Force and aviation programs in review of the Defense Authorization
Request for Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, after
receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Carrol H. Chandler, USAF, Deputy
Chief of Staff for Air, Space and Information Operations, Plans and
Requirements, Vice Chief of Staff, and Lieutenant General Donald J. Hoffman,
USAF, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for
Acquisition, both of the U.S. Air Force, William Balderson, Deputy Assistant
Secretary, Air Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research,
Development and Acquisition, and Rear Admiral Bruce W. Clingan, USN, Director,
Air Warfare, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, both of the U.S. Navy, and
Lieutenant General John G. Castellaw, USMC, Deputy Commandant for Aviation,
all of the Department of Defense.
CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Innovation concluded a hearing to examine clean coal
technology, after receiving testimony from Joseph M. Chaisson, Clean Air Task
Force, Harpswell, Maine; Roberto R. Denis, Sierra Pacific Resources, Las
Vegas, Nevada; Gregory J. McRae, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering, Cambridge; Michael W. Rencheck, American
Electric Power, Columbus, Ohio; and John M. Wilson, Siemens Power Generation,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 169, to amend the National Trails System Act
to clarify Federal authority relating to land acquisition from willing sellers
for the majority of the trails in the System, S. 312 and H.R. 497, bills to
authorize the Marion Park Project and Committee of the Palmetto Conservation
Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District
of Columbia and its environs to honor Brigadier General Francis Marion, S.
580, to amend the National Trails System Act to require the Secretary of the
Interior to update the feasibility and suitability studies of four national
historic trails, S. 686, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate
the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historical Trail, S.
722, to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture
to jointly conduct a study of certain land adjacent to the Walnut Canyon
National Monument in the State of Arizona, S. 783, to adjust the boundary of
the Barataria Preserve Unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and
Preserve in the State of Louisiana, S. 890, to provide for certain
administrative and support services for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
Commission, and H.R. 1047, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating
the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis, Missouri, as a
unit of the National Park System, after receiving testimony from Senator
Allard; Daniel N. Wenk, Deputy Director for Operations, National Park Service,
Department of the Interior; Mayor Timmy Kerner, Lafitte, Louisiana; Brigadier
General Carl W. Reddel, (Ret.) USAF, Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission,
and James P. Brown, City of St. Louis, Missouri Office of the Mayor, both of
Washington, D.C.; Kim Burdick, National Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary
Route Association, Rockland, Delaware; Linda Borkow, Dobbs Ferry Historical
Society, Dobbs Ferry, New York; and Gary Werner, Partnership for the National
Trails System, Madison, Wisconsin.
[Page: D577]
COAL
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and
Infrastructure concluded a hearing to examine coal, focusing on a clean coal
technologies, after receiving testimony from Steve Waddington, Wyoming
Infrastructure Authority, Cheyenne; Nina French, ADA Environmental Solutions,
Napa, California; John Diesch, Rentech Energy Midwest Corporation, East
Dubuque, Illinois; Brian J. McPherson, University of Utah, Salt Lake City; and
William L. Townsend, Blue Source Companies, Holladay, Utah.
OSHA
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment and Workplace Safety concluded a hearing to examine the
effectiveness of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
after receiving testimony from David Michaels, George Washington University
School of Public Health and Health Services, former Assistant Secretary of
Energy for Environment, Safety and Health, and Peg Seminario, AFL-CIO, both of
Washington, D.C.; Konnie Compagna, Service Employees International Union,
Kent, Washington; and Thomas F. Cecich, TFC and Associates, Apex, North
Carolina, on behalf of the American Society of Safety Engineers.
SHOSHONE-PAIUTE TRIBES OF DUCK VALLEY WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 462,
to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Shoshone-Paiute
Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada, to require the
Secretary of the Interior to carry out the settlement, after receiving
testimony from Senator Reid; W. Patrick Ragsdale, Director, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Department of the Interior; Allen Biaggi, Nevada Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, Carson City; and Kyle Prior,
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Owyhee, Nevada.
Joint Meetings
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Joint Economic Committee: On April 5, 2007, Committee adopted its rules of
procedure for the 110th Congress.
2007/04/30
Daily Digest - Monday, April 30, 2007; pages D585 - D588
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAN BUSINESS TIES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Interstate
Commerce, Trade, and Tourism concluded a hearing to examine Halliburton and
United States business ties to Iran, after receiving testimony from William C.
Thompson, Jr., New York City Comptroller, New York, New York; Sherry Williams,
Halliburton Company, Washington, D.C.; and Victor D. Comras, Falls Church,
Virginia.
EMPOWERING AMERICANS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the Federal government's role in
empowering Americans to make informed financial decisions, after receiving
testimony from Sheila C. Bair, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation; Morgan Brown, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for
Innovation and Improvement; Dan Iannicola, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of
the Treasury for Financial Education; Robert F. Danbeck, Associate Director
for Human Resources Products and Services Division, Office of Personnel
Management; Yvonne D. Jones, Director, Financial Markets and Community
Investment Team, Government Accountability Office; Robert F. Duvall, National
Council on Economic Education, New York, New York; and Stephen Brobeck,
Consumer Federation of America, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D586]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/01
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 1, 2007; pages D590 - D600
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FARM BILL RECOMMENDATIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine conservation policy recommendations for the farm bill,
after receiving testimony from Senators Cardin and Menendez; Wisconsin
Governor Jim Doyle, Madison, on behalf of the Midwestern Governors
Association; Olin Sims, National Association of Conservation Districts,
McFadden, Wyoming; Ferd Hoefner, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and Julie
M. Sibbing, National Wildlife Federation, on behalf of the Agriculture and
Wildlife Working Group, both of Washington, D.C.; John Hansen, Nebraska
Farmers Union, Lincoln, on behalf of the National Farmers Union; and Robert
Harrington, Montana State Forester, Missoula, on behalf of the National
Association of State Foresters.
TRUCK DRIVER FATIGUE REDUCTION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
concluded a hearing to examine Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) and truck
driver fatigue reduction, after receiving testimony from John H. Hill,
Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Mark V.
Rosenker, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board, both of the
Department of Transportation; John E. Harrison, Commercial Vehicle Safety
Alliance, Washington, D.C.; Jerry G. Gabbard, Siemens VDO Automotive
Corporation, Issaquah, Washington; Anne T. McCartt, Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety, Arlington, Virginia; Richard S. Reiser, Werner Enterprises,
Inc., Omaha, Nebraska, on behalf of the American Trucking Associations, Inc.;
and Richard G. Olson, Fil-Mor Express, Inc., Cannon Falls, Minnesota.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and
Infrastructure concluded a hearing to examine advanced technology vehicles,
focusing on the transportation system of the future, after receiving testimony
from Mark M. Chernoby, DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Auburn Hills, Michigan;
David Vieau, A123Systems, Watertown, Massachusetts; Martin Eberhard, Tesla
Motors Inc., San Carlos, California; Walter McManus, University of Michigan
Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor; and Phillip Baxley, Shell
Hydrogen LLC, Houston, Texas.
NOMINATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Howard Charles Weizmann, of Maryland, to
be Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management, after the nominee
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
[Page: D592]
PROCESS PATENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine process
patents, including S. 1145, to amend title 35, United States Code, to provide
for patent reform, after receiving testimony from Wayne W. Herrington,
Assistant General Counsel, United States International Trade Commission; John
R. Thomas, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C.; Michael K.
Kirk, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Arlington, Virginia; and
Christopher A. Cotropia, University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond,
Virginia.
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE ACT MODERNIZATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
modernizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Public Law 95-511),
after receiving testimony from Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney
General, National Security Division, Department of Justice; J. Michael
McConnell, Director of National Intelligence; and Lieutenant General Keith B.
Alexander, Director, National Security Agency.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/02
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 2, 2007; pages D601 - D610
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: GLOBAL HEALTH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2008 for global health, after receiving testimony
from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary, Stephen B. Blount, Director, Coordinating
Office of Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Roger
I. Glass, Director, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of
Health, all of the Department of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a closed
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for defense
intelligence, after receiving testimony from Mike McConnell, Director of
National Intelligence; James R. Clapper, Under Secretary of Defense for
Intelligence.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine the Department of Energy atomic energy defense programs in
review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2008, after
receiving testimony from James A. Rispoli, Assistant Secretary for Environment
Management, Glenn S. Podonsky, Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer, both
of the Department of Energy.
SCIENCE NOBEL LAUREATES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Innovation concluded a hearing to examine the 2006 Nobel
Laureates, after receiving testimony from John C. Mather, Chief Scientist,
Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
George F. Smoot III, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Department of
Energy; Andrew Fire, and Roger Kornberg, both of Stanford University School of
Medicine, Stanford, California; and Craig C. Mello, University of
Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following:
An original bill to enhance the energy security of the United States by
promoting biofuels; and
The nomination of Steven Jeffrey Isakowitz, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial
Officer, Department of Energy.
MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Medicare
prescription drug benefit, focusing on monitoring early experiences, after
receiving testimony from Kris Gross, Iowa Insurance Division, Des Moines;
Vicki Gottlich, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc., and Timothy L. Tucker,
American Pharmacists Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and Tobey T.
Schule, Sykes Pharmacy, Kalispell, Montana.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded a hearing to examine strengthening the security of
international travel documents, focusing on interrupting terrorist travel
activities, and S. 276, to strengthen the consequences of the fraudulent use
of United States or foreign passports, after receiving testimony from Andrew
T. Simkin, Director, Office of Fraud Prevention Programs, Bureau of Consular
Affairs, and Patrick D. Donovan, Assistant Director for Diplomatic Security,
Director of Domestic Operations, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, both of the
Department of State; Michael P. Everitt, Unit Chief, Forensic Document
Laboratory, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Paul Morris,
Executive Director, Admissibility Requirements and Migration Control, Office
of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, both of the
Department of Homeland Security; Ronald K. Noble, Interpol, Lyon, France; and
Clark Kent Ervin, Aspen Institute, and Brian Zimmer, Kelly, Anderson, and
Associates, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D603]
NURSING HOME REFORM ACT
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Nursing Home Reform Act (Public Law 100-203), focusing on accomplishments of
the Act and the challenges that remain, after receiving testimony from Kathryn
G. Allen, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office; James
Randolph Farris, Dallas Regional Administrator, Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Orlene Christie,
Michigan Department of Community Health, Lansing; Charlene Harrington,
University of California San Francisco; Alice H. Hedt, National Citizen's
Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, Washington, D.C.; and Mary Ousley, Ousley
and Associates, Richmond, Kentucky, on behalf of the American Health Care
Association.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/03
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 3, 2007; pages D612 - D620
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS
Committee on Appropriations: On Wednesday, May 2, 2007, Subcommittee on
Financial Services and General Government concluded a hearing to examine
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2006 for the government of the
District of Columbia, focusing on federally-funded entities, after receiving
testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from Eric T.
Washington, Chief Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals; Rufus G. King
III, Chief Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia; Paul A. Quander,
Jr., Director, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District
of Columbia; Avis E. Buchanan, Director, Public Defender Service for the
District of Columbia; and Deborah A. Gist, State Education Officer, Government
of the District of Columbia.
[Page: D614]
APPROPRIATIONS: SECRETARY OF THE SENATE/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008, after
receiving testimony in behalf of funds for their respective activities from
Nancy Erickson, Secretary of the Senate; and James H. Billington, Librarian of
Congress.
APPROPRIATIONS: EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, after
receiving testimony from Naomi Churchill Earp, Chair, Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, after receiving testimony from Alphonso Jackson, Secretary,
Kenneth M. Donohue, Inspector General, and Orlando J. Cabrera, Assistant
Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, all of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
United States Central Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request
for Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving
testimony from Admiral William J. Fallon, United States Navy, Commander,
United States Central Command.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower concluded open and
closed hearings to examine Navy force structure requirements and programs to
meet those requirements in review of the Defense Authorization Request for
Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving
testimony from Donald C. Winter, Secretary, and Admiral Michael G. Mullen,
Chief of Naval Operations, both of the United States Navy, Department of
Defense.
CORPORATE AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY (CAFE)
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine pending Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) legislation,
after receiving testimony from Senators Levin, Feinstein, Stabenow; Alan
Reuther, United Auto Workers, David Friedman, Union of Concerned Scientists,
and David McCurdy, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, all of Washington,
D.C.; Admiral Dennis Blair, (Ret.) USN, Army War College and Dickinson
College, Alexandria, Virginia, on behalf of the Energy Security Leadership
Council; Michael J. Stanton, Association of International Automobile
Manufacturers, Inc., Arlington, Virginia; and Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn,
(Ret.) USN, Columbus, Ohio.
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RESTORATION SETTLEMENT ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
held a hearing to examine S. 27, to authorize the implementation of the San
Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, receiving testimony from Senators
Feinstein and Boxer; Mark Limbaugh, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for
Water and Science; P. Joseph Grindstaff, California Resources Agency,
Sacramento; Steve Chedester, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water
Authority, Los Banos, California; Kenneth M. Robbins, Merced Irrigation
District, Merced, California; Allen Ishida, Tulare County Board of
Supervisors, Visalia, California; Daniel M. Dooley, Dooley Herr and Peltzer,
LLP, Lindsay, California, on behalf of the Friant Water Users Authority; and
Hamilton Candee, Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco, California.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 390, to direct the exchange of
certain land in Grand, San Juan, and Uintah Counties, Utah, S. 647, to
designate certain land in the State of Oregon as wilderness, S. 1139, to
establish the National Landscape Conservation System, H.R. 276, to designate
the Piedras Blancas Light Station and the surrounding public land as an
Outstanding Natural Area to be administered as a part of the National
Landscape Conservation System, H.R. 356, to remove certain restrictions on the
Mammoth Community Water District's ability to use certain property acquired by
that District from the United States, S. 205 and H.R. 865, bills to grant
rights-of-way for electric transmission lines over certain Native allotments
in the State of Alaska, after receiving testimony from Senator Bennett; Mark
Rey, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment; Jim
Hughes, Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the
Interior; Martha Schrader, Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners,
Oregon City, Oregon; Kevin S. Carter, Utah School and Institutional Trust
Lands Administration, Salt Lake City; Richard Moe, National Trust for Historic
Preservation, Washington, D.C.; Ron Suppah, Confederated Tribes of the Warm
Springs Reservation of Oregon, Warm Springs; John Sterling, The Conservation
Alliance, Bend, Oregon; and Ty Cobb, Grand Canyon Trust, Flagstaff, Arizona.
[Page: D615]
OFFSHORE TAX EVASION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine offshore tax
evasion, focusing on challenges in ensuring offshore tax compliance, after
receiving testimony from John Harrington, Acting International Tax Counsel,
Department of the Treasury; Michael Brostek, Director, Strategic Issues,
Government Accountability Office; Jeffrey Owens, Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development, Paris, France; and Reuven S. Avi-Yonah,
University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor.
ISLAMIST EXTREMISM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded
open and closed hearings to examine the internet as a portal to violent
Islamist extremism, after receiving testimony from Michael S. Doran, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Support to Public Diplomacy; Lieutenant
Colonel Joseph H. Felter, USA, Director, Combating Terrorism Center, United
States Military Academy at West Point; and Frank J. Cilluffo, George
Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 310,
a bill to express the policy of the United States regarding the United States
relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the
recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity,
after receiving testimony from Gregory G. Katsas, Principal Deputy Associate
Attorney General, Department of Justice; Mark J. Bennett, Hawaii Attorney
General, Micah Kane, Hawaiian Homes Commission, Haunani Apoliona, and William
Meheula, both of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and H. William Burgess, Aloha
for All, all of Honolulu, Hawaii; and Viet D. Dinh, Georgetown University Law
Center, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 495, to prevent and mitigate identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide
notice of security breaches, and to enhance criminal penalties, law
enforcement assistance, and other protections against security breaches,
fraudulent access, and misuse of personally identifiable information, with
amendments;
S. 239, to require Federal agencies, and persons engaged in interstate
commerce, in possession of data containing sensitive personally identifiable
information, to disclose any breach of such information, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Debra Ann Livingston, of New York, to be United States
Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit, Richard Sullivan, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of New York, and Joseph S. Van
Bokkelen, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of
Indiana.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D616]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/04
Daily Digest - Friday, May 4, 2007; pages D622 - D626
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/07
Daily Digest - Monday, May 7, 2007; pages D627 - D632
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the National Institutes of Health:
Frontiers of Science, after receiving testimony from Jeremy Mark Berg,
Director, National Institute of General Medicine Sciences, Francis S. Collins,
Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, Donald A.B. Lindberg,
Director, National Library of Medicine, and Roderic I. Pettigrew, Director,
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, all of the
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/08
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 8, 2007; pages D634 - D642
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
U.S. OIL DEPENDENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine the policies and funding necessary for reducing
United States oil dependence relating to the results of an analysis conducted
to assess the economic impact of implementing the Energy Security Leadership
Council's recommendations to the Nation, including S. 875, to improve energy
security of the United States through a 50 percent reduction in the oil
intensity of the economy of the United States by 2030 and the prudent
expansion of secure oil supplies, to be achieved by raising the fuel
efficiency of the vehicular transportation fleet, increasing the availability
of alternative fuel sources, fostering responsible oil exploration and
production, and improving international arrangements to secure the global oil
supply, after receiving testimony from Senators Dorgan and Craig; Alexander
Karsner, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy; R.M. Burton, Director, Minerals Management Service, Department of the
Interior; and Admiral Gregory G. Johnson, (Ret.) USN, former Commander, United
States Naval Forces, Europe, and Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corporation, both
on behalf of the Energy Security Leadership Council, and Robert F. Wescott,
Keybridge Research LLC, all of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D636]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported S. 357, to improve passenger automobile fuel economy and
safety, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce dependence on foreign oil,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine the
Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D), focusing on enrolling new
dual-eligible beneficiaries in prescription drug plans, after receiving
testimony from Kathleen M. King, Director, Health Care, and Barbara Bovbjerg,
Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, both of the
Government Accountability Office; Abby L. Block, Director, Center for
Beneficiary Choices, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services; and Beatrice M. Disman, New York Regional
Commissioner of Social Security, Social Security Administration.
MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT SYSTEMS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine community integration and recovery, focusing on
transforming mental health and substance abuse systems of care, after
receiving testimony from Representative Kennedy; Terry L. Cline,
Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
Department of Health and Human Services; Rodger McDaniel, Wyoming Department
of Health, Cheyenne; Lisa Halpern, National Alliance on Mental Illness,
Dorchester, Massachusetts; and Terry Lee Allebaugh, Housing for New Hope,
Durham, North Carolina.
REAL ID ACT: PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES CONCERNS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine privacy
and civil liberties concerns, focusing on the REAL ID Act (Public Law 109-13),
after receiving testimony from Allen Gilbert, American Civil Liberties Union
of Vermont, Montpelier; Jim Harper, CATO Institute, and James Jay Carafano,
Heritage Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.; Bruce Schneier, BT Counterpane,
Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Janice L. Kephart, 9/11 Security Solutions, LLC,
Alexandria, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/09
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 9, 2007; pages D644 - D654
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine farm bill policy proposals relating to farm and energy
issues and rural development, after receiving testimony from Glenn English,
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Arlington, Virginia; Jimmy
Matthews, Georgia Rural Water Association, Barnesville, on behalf of the
National Rural Water Association; Robert Grabarski, National Council of Farmer
Cooperatives, Arkdale, Wisconsin; Steven A. Slack, Ohio State University Ohio
Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster; Lee R. Lynd, Dartmouth
College Thayer School of Engineering, Hanover, New Hampshire; Daniel G. De La
Torre Ugarte, University of Tennessee Department of Agricultural Economics,
Knoxville; Howard A. Learner, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Chicago,
Illinois; and Neil Rich, Riksch Biofuels, Crawfordsville, Iowa.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from Robert M. Gates, Secretary, and
General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, both of the
Department of Defense.
APPROPRIATIONS: IRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2008 for the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, after
receiving testimony from Kevin Brown, Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue,
J. Russell George, Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Nina E.
Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, all of the Department of the Treasury; and
James R. White, Director, Strategic Issues, and David A. Powner, Director,
Information Technology Management Issues, both of the Government
Accountability Office.
ATV SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Consumer
Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety concluded a hearing to examine
All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) safety, after receiving testimony from Rachel
Weintraub, Consumer Federation of America, and David P. Murray, Willkie Farr
and Gallagher LLP, both of Washington, D.C.
REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Private Sector and
Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection concluded a
hearing to examine emerging technologies and practices for reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, after receiving testimony from Yet-Ming Chiang, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Watertown; Mark M. Little, GE Global Research, Niskayuna, New York; James W.
Stanway, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, Arkansas; Michael W. Rencheck,
American Electric Power, Columbus, Ohio; and John A. Fees, Babcock and Wilcox
Companies, Lynchburg, Virginia.
[Page: D646]
NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
climate change relative to national security threats, focusing on the report
entitled "National Security and the Threat of Climate Change", after receiving
testimony from Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, (Ret.) USN, former
Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Command, General Charles F. Wald,
(Ret.) USAF, former Deputy Commander, United States European Command, and Vice
Admiral Richard H. Truly, (Ret.) USN, former Administrator, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, all of the CNA Corporation Military
Advisory Board, Alexandria, Virginia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Dell L. Dailey, of South Dakota, to be Coordinator for
Counterterrorism, with the rank and status of Ambassador at Large, and Mark P.
Lagon, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat
Trafficking, with the rank of Ambassador at Large, after the nominees, who
were introduced by Senator Reed, testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
VETERANS BENEFITS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
benefits legislation, after receiving testimony from Senator Cantwell; Daniel
L. Cooper, Under Secretary for Benefits, and John H. Thompson, Deputy General
Counsel, both of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Meredith Beck, Wounded
Warrior Project, New York, New York; Carl Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of
America, Eric A. Hilleman, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and
Brian E. Lawrence, Disabled American Veterans, all of Washington, D.C.; Kimo
S. Hollingsworth, American Veterans (AMVETS), Lanham, Maryland; Colonel Robert
F. Norton (Ret.) USA, Military Officers Association of America, Alexandria,
Virginia; and Alec S. Petkoff, American Legion, Indianapolis, Indiana.
THE FUTURE OF MEDICARE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
future of Medicare, focusing on recognizing the need for chronic care
coordination, after receiving testimony from Todd P. Semla, Clinical Pharmacy
Specialist, Pharmacy Benefits Management and Strategic Health Group,
Department of Veterans Affairs, on behalf of the American Geriatrics Society;
Gerard F. Anderson, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Health
Policy and Management, Baltimore, Maryland; David A. Dorr, Oregon Health and
Science University, Portland; Stuart Guterman, Commonwealth Fund, and Stephen
McConnell, Alzheimer's Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and Ann Bowers,
Fort Smith, Arkansas.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/10
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 10, 2007; pages D656 - D664
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND FOREIGN OPERATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the Department of State and foreign operations, after
receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
APPROPRIATIONS: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Federal Aviation Administration,
after receiving testimony from Marion C. Blakely, Administrator, Federal
Aviation Administration, and Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General, both of
the Department of Transportation.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of David George Nason, of Rhode Island, to
be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Mario Mancuso, of New York, to be
Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, Michael W. Tankersley,
of Texas, to be Inspector General, Export-Import Bank, Robert M. Couch, of
Alabama, to be General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, and Janis Herschkowitz, of Pennsylvania, who was introduced by
Senator Casey and Representative Holden, David George Nason, of Rhode Island,
and Nguyen Van Hanh, of California, each to be a Member of the Board of
Directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded a hearing to examine the
effects of climate change and ocean acidification on living marine resources,
after receiving testimony from Richard A. Feely, Supervisory Chemical
Oceanographer, Pacific Environmental Laboratory, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Scott C. Doney, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts; David O. Conover, Stony
Brook University Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook, New York; Lara
J. Hansen, World Wildlife Fund, and Admiral James D. Watkins, (Ret.) U.S.
Navy, United States Commission on Ocean Policy, both of Washington, D.C.; and
Gordon H. Kruse, University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean
Sciences, Juneau.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Joseph Timothy Kelliher, of the District of
Columbia, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and R.
Lyle Laverty, of Colorado, to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife,
who was introduced by Senators Allard and Salazar, after each nominee
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
ECONOMIC ISSUES FOR AMERICA'S WORKING FAMILIES
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine economic issues
for America's working families and middle class, after receiving testimony
from Gary Burtless, Brookings Institution, and Scott A. Hodge, Tax Foundation,
both of Washington, D.C.; Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law School, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; and Sarah Blackburn, Billings Clinic, Billings, Montana.
[Page: D658]
MANAGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia, concluded a hearing to examine a status report on reform efforts by
the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management, after receiving
testimony from Paul A. Schneider, Under Secretary of Homeland Security; and
David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government
Accountability Office.
VIOLENT EXTREMISM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine government efforts to defeat violent Islamist extremism,
after receiving testimony from Jeremy F. Curtin, Coordinator, Bureau of
International Information Programs, Department of State; Chip Poncy, Director,
Office of Strategic Policy, Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes,
Department of the Treasury; John J. Miller, Assistant Director, Office of
Public Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; and
Jeffrey J. Grieco, Acting Assistant Administrator for Legislative and Public
Affairs, United States Agency for International Development.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following items:
S. 1200, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and extend
the Act;
S. 310, to express the policy of the United States regarding the United States
relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the
recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity;
H.R. 835, to reauthorize the programs of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development for housing assistance for Native Hawaiians; and
S.J. Res. 4, to acknowledge a long history of official depredations and
ill-conceived policies by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes
and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Leslie Southwick, of Mississippi, to be United States Circuit
Judge for the Fifth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Cochran and Lott,
Janet T. Neff, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of
Michigan, who was introduced by Senators Levin and Stabenow, and Liam O'Grady,
to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, who
was introduced by Senator Warner, after each nominee testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
Joint Meetings
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET RESOLUTION
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House versions
of S. Con. Res. 21, setting forth the congressional budget for the United
States Government for fiscal year 2008 and including the appropriate budgetary
levels for fiscal years 2007 and 2009 through 2012, but did not complete
action thereon, and recessed subject to the call.
2007/05/11
Daily Digest - Friday, May 11, 2007; pages D665 - D670
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D666]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/14
Daily Digest - Monday, May 14, 2007; pages D672 - D676
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/15
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 15, 2007; pages D677 - D686
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SHORT-TERM ENERGY OUTLOOK FOR SUMMER 2007
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the short-term energy outlook for the summer of 2007, focusing on oil
and gasoline, after receiving testimony from Guy Caruso, Administrator, Energy
Information Administration, Department of Energy; Kevin J. Lindemer, Global
Insight, Lexington, Massachusetts; Paul Sankey, Deutsche Bank, New York, New
York; and Geoff Sundstrom, AAA, Heathrow, Florida.
WATER AND LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 553, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
to designate certain segments of the Eightmile River in the State of
Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, S.
800, to establish the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in the State of New
York, S. 916, to modify the boundary of the Minidoka Internment National
Monument, to establish the Minidoka National Historic Site, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land and improvements of the
Gooding Division of the Minidoka Project, Idaho, S. 1057, to amend the Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the New River in the
States of North Carolina and Virginia as a component of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, S. 1209, to provide for the continued administration of
Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, in accordance with the laws
(including regulations) and policies of the National Park Service, S. 1281, to
amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain rivers and streams
of the headwaters of the Snake River System as additions to the National Wild
and Scenic River System, H.R. 161, to adjust the boundary of the Minidoka
Internment National Monument to include the Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial in
Bainbridge Island, Washington, H.R. 247, to designate a Forest Service trail
at Waldo Lake in the Willamette National Forest in the State of Oregon as a
national recreation trail in honor of Jim Weaver, a former Member of the House
of Representatives, and H.R. 376, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and
feasibility of including the battlefields and related sites of the First and
Second Battles of Newtonia, Missouri, during the Civil War as part of Wilson's
Creek National Battlefield or designating the battlefields and related sites
as a separate unit of the National Park System, after receiving testimony from
Senators Feinstein and Schumer; Daniel N. Wenk, Deputy Director, National Park
Service, Department of the Interior; Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National
Forest System, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; Jack Dennis,
Campaign for the Snake Headwaters, Jackson, Wyoming; Tom Ikeda, Densho: The
Japanese American Legacy Project, Seattle, Washington; George Santucci,
National Committee for the New River, West Jefferson, North Carolina; and
Timothy D. Vail, Vail and Vickers Company, Santa Rosa Island, California.
[Page: D680]
GREEN BUILDINGS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine energy savings, water and air quality, economic, and other benefits of
green buildings, after receiving testimony from Robert F. Fox, Jr., Cook and
Fox Architects, New York, New York; Peter Templeton, United States Green
Building Council, Washington, D.C.; Claire L. Barnett, Healthy Schools
Network, Inc., Albany, New York; Ray Tonjes, Ray Tonjes Builder, Inc., Austin,
Texas, on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders; and Ward
Hubbell, Green Building Initiative, Portland, Oregon.
EQUAL REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine equal representation in Congress, focusing on providing
voting rights to the District of Columbia, including S. 1257, to provide the
District of Columbia a voting seat and the State of Utah an additional seat in
the House of Representatives, after receiving testimony from Senator Hatch,
Representatives Tom Davis and Norton; Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Jack Kemp, Kemp
Partners, Wade J. Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Viet D.
Dinh, Georgetown University Law Center, and Jonathan R. Turley, George
Washington University Law School, all of Washington, D.C.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: CURRENT AND FUTURE BREAKTHROUGH RESEARCH
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement and Aging concluded a hearing to examine Alzheimer's disease,
focusing on current and future breakthrough research, after receiving
testimony from Paul S. Aisen, Georgetown University Medical Center,
Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study;
Arthur F. Kramer, University of Illinois, Urbana; Robert Essner, Wyeth,
Madison, New Jersey; and J. Donald deBethizy, Targacept, Inc., Winston-Salem,
North Carolina.
PRESERVING PROSECUTORIAL INDEPENDENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Department of Justice and its handling of the hiring and firing of United
States Attorneys, focusing on preserving prosecutorial independence, after
receiving testimony from James B. Comey, Lockheed Martin Corporation, McLean,
Virginia.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/16
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 16, 2007; pages D688 - D698
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2008 for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, after
receiving testimony from Christopher Cox, Chairman, United States Securities
and Exchange Commission.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense received testimony from
sundry public witnesses requesting funding for programs in the Department of
Defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following business items:
An original bill to ensure national security while promoting foreign
investment and the creation and maintenance of jobs, to reform the process by
which such investments are examined for any effect they may have on national
security, to establish the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United
States;
An original bill to make technical corrections to SAFETEA-LU and other related
laws relating to transit;
An original bill to amend the penalty provisions in the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act;
H.R. 1675, to suspend the requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development regarding electronic filing of previous participation certificates
and regarding filing of such certificates with respect to certain low-income
housing investors;
H.R. 1676, to reauthorize the program of the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development for loan guarantees for Indian housing;
S. 254, to award posthumously a Congressional gold medal to Constantino
Brumidi; and
The nominations of David George Nason, of Rhode Island, to be an Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions, Mario Mancuso, of New
York, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, Michael W.
Tankersley, of Texas, to be Inspector General, Export-Import Bank, Robert M.
Couch, of Alabama, to be General Counsel of the Department of Housing and
Urban Development, and Janis Herschkowitz, of Pennsylvania, and Nguyen Van
Hanh, of California, and David George Nason, of Rhode Island, each to be a
Member of the Board of Directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following items:
S. 1300, to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations
for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2008 through 2011, to
improve aviation safety and capacity, to modernize the air traffic control
system, with amendments;
S. 694, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations to
reduce the incidence of child injury and death occurring inside or outside of
light motor vehicles, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nomination of David James Gribbin, IV, of Virginia, to be General Counsel
of the Department of Transportation and a promotion list in the United States
Coast Guard.
MERCURY
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air and
Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine the state of mercury regulation,
science, and technology, after receiving testimony from Douglas P. Scott,
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Springfield; Alissa Wolfe, New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton; David C. Schanbacher,
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Austin; Martha Hastay Keating, Duke
University Children's Environmental Health Initiative, Durham, North Carolina;
Guy L. Pipitone, FirstEnergy Corporation, Akron, Ohio; David C. Foerter,
Institute of Clean Air Companies, Washington, DC; and Leonard Levin, Electric
Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California.
[Page: D691]
U.S. TRADE PREFERENCE PROGRAMS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the efficacy of
United States trade preference programs, after receiving testimony from
Meredith Broadbent, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Industry,
Market Access, and Telecommunications; Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank, Dhaka,
Bangladesh; Eric Reinhardt, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; Marcos
Iberkleid, Ametex, La Paz, Bolivia; and Katrin Kuhlmann, Women's Edge
Coalition, Washington, DC.
INTERNET DRUG TRAFFICKING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine rogue
online pharmacies, focusing on the growing problem of internet drug
trafficking, including S. 980, to amend the Controlled Substances Act to
address online pharmacies, and S. 399, to amend title XIX of the Social
Security Act to include podiatrists as physicians for purposes of covering
physicians services under the Medicaid program, after receiving testimony from
Joseph T. Rannazzisi, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Diversion
Control, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice; Francine Hahn
Haight, Ryan's Cause, Laguna Niguel, California; Joseph A. Califano, Jr.,
Columbia University, New York, New York; Philip B. Heymann, Harvard Law
School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and A. Thomas McLellan, Treatment Research
Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 1256, to amend the Small Business Act to reauthorize loan programs
under that Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
NOMINATION
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing on the nomination
of Michael J. Kussman, of Massachusetts, to be Under Secretary of Veterans
Affairs for Health, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Akaka,
testified and answered questions in his own behalf, and after receiving
testimony from Darrell G. Kirch, Association of American Medical Colleges, and
Robert E. Wallace, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, both of
Washington, D.C.; Frederick J. Frese III, National Alliance on Mental Illness,
Arlington, Virginia; and Douglas H. Mitchell, Jr., Association of VA Social
Workers, Mesa, Arizona.
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the sales and marketing by Medicare health plans, including Medicare
Advantage organizations and Medicare Part D prescription drug plan sponsors,
after receiving testimony from Abby L. Block, Director, Center for Beneficiary
Choices, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and
Human Services; Sean Dilweg, Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner, Madison; Kim
Holland, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, and Albert Sochor, Old Surety Life
Insurance Company, both of Oklahoma City; Sherry Mowell, Georgia Office of the
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, Atlanta; Karen Ignagni, America's
Health Insurance Plans, Washington, D.C.; Heidi Margulis, Humana Inc.,
Louisville, Kentucky; Peter J. Clarkson, UnitedHealth Group, Minnetonka,
Minnesota; and Gary Bailey, WellCare Health Plans, Inc., Tampa, Florida.
Joint Meetings
ELDER CARE COSTS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
economic impact of elder care costs and determine if they are hurting family
finances and business competition, after receiving testimony from Richard W.
Johnson, Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.; Scott A. Weisberg, General Mills,
Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota; Leni Wilcox, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation's
Community Services for the Elderly, Saint Paul, Minnesota, on behalf of
Eldercare Partners; and Virginia Morris, Sag Harbor, New York.
2007/05/17
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 17, 2007; pages D700 - D712
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
United States European Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request
for Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving
testimony from General Bantz J. Craddock, USA, Commander, United States
European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, Department of Defense.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee began consideration of certain military
nominations, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the
call.
[Page: D702]
CONSOLIDATION OF SECURITIES MARKETS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Securities,
Insurance and Investment concluded a hearing to examine the proposal of the
National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE) to consolidate their member firm regulatory functions into a
single self-regulatory organization, focusing on working towards improved
regulation, after receiving testimony from Erik R. Sirri, Director, Division
of Market Regulation, United States Securities and Exchange Commission; Joseph
P. Borg, Alabama Securities Commission, Montgomery, on behalf of the North
American Securities Administrators Association, Inc.; Mary L. Schapiro, NASD,
Richard G. Ketchum, NYSE Regulation, Inc., and John C. Coffee, Jr., Columbia
University Law School, all of New York, New York; and Marc E. Lackritz,
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Washington, D.C.
IMPROVING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the federal government's security
clearance process, focusing on evaluating progress and identifying obstacles
to improvement, after receiving testimony from Clay Johnson III, Deputy
Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget; Robert Andrews,
Deputy Under Secretary for Counterintelligence and Security, and Kathleen
Watson, Director, Defense Security Services, both of the Department of
Defense; Kathy L. Dillaman, Associate Director, Federal Investigative Services
Division, Office of Personnel Management; Derek B. Stewart, Director, Defense
Capabilities and Management, Government Accountability Office; Timothy R.
Sample, Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and Doug Wagoner,
Sentrillion, on behalf of the Security Clearance Reform Coalition, both of
Arlington, Virginia.
LAW ENFORCEMENT IN INDIAN COUNTRY
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine law enforcement in Indian Country, after receiving testimony from W.
Patrick Ragsdale, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Christopher B.
Chaney, Deputy Bureau Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice
Services, both of the Department of the Interior; Regina B. Schofield,
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, and Matthew H. Mead,
United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming, both of the Department of
Justice; and Scott Burns, Deputy Director for State, Local and Tribal Affairs,
Office of National Drug Control Policy.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
bills:
S. 1027, to prevent tobacco smuggling, to ensure the collection of all tobacco
taxes;
S. 221, to amend title 9, United States Code, to provide for greater fairness
in the arbitration process relating to livestock and poultry contracts;
S. 376, to amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the provisions
relating to the carrying of concealed weapons by law enforcement officers;
S. 1079, to establish the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial
Commission, with an amendment;
S. Res. 138, honoring the accomplishments and legacy of Cesar Estrada Chavez;
S. Res. 132, recognizing the Civil Air Patrol for 65 years of service to the
United States; and
S. Res. 130, designating July 28, 2007, as "National Day of the American
Cowboy".
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee began consideration of an original
bill authorizing funds for fiscal year 2008 for the intelligence community,
but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D703]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/21
Daily Digest - Monday, May 21, 2007; pages D713 - D718
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (PART II)
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded hearings to examine proposed budget
estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the National Institutes of Health: A New
Vision for Medical Research, after receiving testimony from Anthony S. Fauci,
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, John E.
Niederhuber, Director, National Cancer Institute, Barbra M. Alving, Director,
National Center for Research Resources, Patricia A. Grady, Director, National
Institute of Nursing Research, and John Ruffin, Director, National Center on
Minority Health and Health Disparities, all of the National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
INCREASED HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: On Friday, May 18,
2007, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal
Workforce, and the District of Columbia concluded a hearing to examine growth
trends in health care premiums for active and retired federal employees, after
receiving testimony from Nancy H. Kichak, Associate Director for Strategic
Human Resources Policy Division and Chief Actuary, Office of Personnel
Management; John E. Dicken, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability
Office; Stephen W. Gammarino, BlueCross BlueShield Association, Washington,
D.C.; and Alan G. Lopatin, National Active and Retired Federal Employees
Association, Alexandria, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported:
S. 1352, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located
at 127 East Locust Street in Fairbury, Illinois, as the "Dr. Francis Townsend
Post Office Building";
H.R. 1402, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 320 South Lecanto Highway in Lecanto, Florida, as the "Sergeant
Dennis J. Flanagan Lecanto Post Office Building";
H.R. 625, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 4230 Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park, California, as the "Atanacio
Haro-Marin Post Office";
H.R. 988, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 5757
Tilton Avenue in Riverside, California, as the "Lieutenant Todd Jason Bryant
Post Office";
H.R. 437, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 500 West Eisenhower Street in Rio Grande City, Texas, as the "Lino
Perez, Jr. Post Office";
H.R. 414, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service
located at 60 Calle McKinley, West in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, as the "Miguel
Angel Garcia Mendez Post Office Building"; and
The nomination of Howard Charles Weizmann, of Maryland, to be Deputy Director
of the Office of Personnel Management.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/05/22
Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 22, 2007; pages D720 - D730
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: U.S. FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2008 for the United States Forest Service, after receiving
testimony from Mark E. Rey, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and
Environment, and Lenise Lago, Director, Forest Service Budget, both of the
Department of Agriculture.
AUTHORIZATION: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower met in a closed session
and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which fall
within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of the proposed National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.
AUTHORIZATION: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel met in a closed session
and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which fall
within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of the proposed National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.
AUTHORIZATION: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland met in a closed session
and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which fall
within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of the proposed National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.
AUTHORIZATION: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
met in a closed session and approved for full committee consideration, those
provisions which fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of the
proposed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.
AUTHORIZATION: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
met in a closed session and approved for full committee consideration, those
provisions which fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of the
proposed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.
RAIL SAFETY AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
concluded a hearing to examine rail safety authorization, after receiving
testimony from Senators Schumer and Clinton; Jo Strang, Associate
Administrator for Safety, Federal Railroad Administration, and Kurt W. Hyde,
Assistant Inspector General for Surface and Maritime Programs, both of the
Department of Transportation; Robert L. Sumwalt, Vice-Chairman, National
Transportation Safety Board; Katherine Siggerud, Director, Physical
Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office; and Edward R.
Hamberger, Association of American Railroads, Edward Wytkind, AFL-CIO, and
Richard F. Timmons, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, all
of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D722]
ENERGY BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy concluded a
hearing to examine S. 645, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to provide
an alternate sulfur dioxide removal measurement for certain coal gasification
project goals, S. 838, to authorize funding for eligible joint ventures
between United States and Israeli businesses and academic persons, to
establish the International Energy Advisory Board, S. 1089, to amend the
Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act to allow the Federal Coordinator for Alaska
Natural Gas Transportation Projects to hire employees more efficiently, S.
1203, to enhance the management of electricity programs at the Department of
Energy, H.R. 85, to provide for the establishment of centers to encourage
demonstration and commercial application of advanced energy methods and
technologies, and H.R. 1126, to reauthorize the Steel and Aluminum Energy
Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988, after receiving
testimony from Drue Pearce, Federal Coordinator, Office of the Federal
Coordinator for Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, Department of the
Interior; and David R. Hill, General Counsel, Department of Energy.
CALIFORNIA WAIVER
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the case for the California waiver, focusing on California's pending
request that the Environmental Protection Agency waive federal preemption for
the state's greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles, after
receiving testimony from California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr.,
Sacramento; Pete Grannis, New York Department of Environmental Conservation,
Albany; and Jonathan H. Adler, Case Western Reserve University School of Law,
Cleveland, Ohio.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of James R. Keith, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Malaysia,
Miriam K. Hughes, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Federated States of
Micronesia, Hans G. Klemm, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the Democratic
Republic of Timor-Leste, Cameron R. Hume, of New York, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Indonesia, and Ravic Rolf Huso, of Hawaii, to be Ambassador to the
Lao People's Democratic Republic, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
FEMA REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine implementing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
reform, focusing on preparation for the 2007 hurricane season, after receiving
testimony from Michael P. Jackson, Deputy Secretary, and R. David Paulison,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the Department of
Homeland Security.
MINE IMPROVEMENT AND NEW EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Employment and Workplace Safety concluded a hearing to examine the progress of
the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, after receiving testimony
from Jeffery L. Kohler, Associate Director for Mining and Construction Safety
and Health Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human
Services; Dennis O' Dell, United Mine Workers of America, Fairfax, Virginia;
S.L. Bessinger, BHP Billiton, Waterflow, New Mexico; and Bruce Watzman,
National Mining Association, Washington, D.C.
RESTORING HABEAS CORPUS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine restoring
habeas corpus, focusing on protecting American values and the Great Writ,
including the Military Commissions Act (Public Law 109-366), S. 185, to
restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States, the
Administrative Procedures Act, and the Detainee Treatment Act, after receiving
testimony from Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, (Ret.) USN, Duquesne University
School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, Stanford
Law School, Stanford, California; and David B. Rivkin, Jr., Baker and
Hostetler LLP, Orin S. Kerr, George Washington University Law School, and
William Howard Taft, IV, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson LLP, all
of Washington, D.C.
MINORITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine minority entrepreneurship, focusing on the effectiveness of
Small Business Administration programs for the minority business community,
after receiving testimony from Calvin Jenkins Deputy Associate Administrator
for Government Contracting and Business Development, Small Business
Administration; Jon S. Wainwright, National Economic Research Associates,
Inc., Austin, Texas; Anthony W. Robinson, Minority Business Legal Defense and
Educational Fund, Largo, Maryland; Bill M. Miera, Fiore Industries, Inc.,
Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Fernando V. Galaviz, Small Businesses Association
in Technology, Alexandria, Virginia.
[Page: D723]
NOMINATION
Committee on Veteran's Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
nomination of Michael K. Kussman, of Massachusetts, to be Under Secretary for
Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Joint Meetings
GAO REFORMS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a joint hearing with the House Subcommittee on the Federal
Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia to examine Government
Accountability Office Personnel reforms, focusing on expectations, after
receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General, Ann Wagner,
General Counsel, Personnel Appeals Board, Ronald Stroman, Managing Director,
Office of Opportunity and Inclusiveness, Office of the General Counsel, Barry
J. Seltser, former Director, Center for Design, Newton, Massachusetts, and
Janice M. Reece, former General Council, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, all of the
Government Accountability Office; Curtis Copeland, and Jon Shimabukuro, both
of the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Jane K. Weizmann,
Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Arlington, Virginia; Charles H. Fay, Rutgers
University School of Management and Labor Relations, Piscataway, New Jersey;
Max Stier, Partnership for Public Service, Washington, D.C.; and Greg
Junemann, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers,
Silver Spring, Maryland.
2007/05/23
Daily Digest - Wednesday, May 23, 2007; pages D731 - D742
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces met in a closed
session and approved for full committee consideration, those provisions which
fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee, of the proposed National
Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008.
AUTHORIZATION--DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to make up
proposed legislation authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for
military activities of the Department of Defense, but did not complete action
thereon, and will meet again on tomorrow.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 142
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
U.S. ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Security and
International Trade and Finance concluded a hearing to examine United States
economic relations with China, focusing on strategies and options on exchange
rates and market access, after receiving testimony from Morris Goldstein,
Peterson Institute for International Economics, Fairfax, Virginia; Robert S.
Nichols, Financial Services Forum, and David A. Hartquist, China Currency
Coalition, both of Washington, D.C.; Patrick A. Mulloy, George Mason
University School of Law, Alexandria, Virginia, former Member, U.S China
Economic and Security Review Commission; and John W. Nolan, Steel Dynamics,
Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana.
COMMUNICATIONS, TAXATION AND FEDERALISM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine communications, taxation and federalism, focusing on the
internet access tax moratorium and its impact on state and local government
revenues, after receiving testimony from Senators Wyden and Enzi;
Representative Eshoo; James R. White, Director, Tax Issues, Strategic Issues,
Government Accountability Office; David C. Quam, National Governors
Association, and Harley T. Duncan, Federation of Tax Administrators, both of
Washington, D.C.; Annabelle Canning, Verizon Communications, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania; and Jeff Dircksen, National Taxpayers Union, Alexandria,
Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following items:
S. Con. Res. 6, expressing the sense of Congress that the National Museum of
Wildlife Art, located in Jackson, Wyoming, should be designated as the
"National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States";
S. 126, to modify the boundary of Mesa Verde National Park, with an amendment;
S. 175, to provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the
water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities
served by the District, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 324, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of water
resources in the State of New Mexico;
S. 542, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct feasibility
studies to address certain water shortages within the Snake, Boise, and
Payette River systems in the State of Idaho;
S. 553, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments
of the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut as components of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System;
S. 580, to amend the National Trails System Act to require the Secretary of
the Interior to update the feasibility and suitability studies of four
national historic trails;
S. 686, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historical Trail;
S. 797, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Star-Spangled
Banner Trail in the States of Maryland and Virginia and the District of
Columbia as a National Historic Trail, with amendments;
S. 890, to provide for certain administrative and support services for the
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, with amendments;
S. 1037, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assist in the planning,
design, and construction of the Tumalo Irrigation District Water Conservation
Project in Deschutes County, Oregon;
S. 1110, to amend the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of
1992 to provide for the conjunctive use of surface and ground water in Juab
County, Utah;
S. 1139, to establish the National Landscape Conservation System, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
[Page: D734]
S. 1152, to promote wildland firefighter safety, with an amendment;
H.R. 161, to adjust the boundary of the Minidoka Internment National Monument
to include the Nidoto Nai Yoni Memorial in Bainbridge Island, Washington, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 235, to allow for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of contracts
between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water
District;
H.R. 247, to designate a Forest Service trail at Waldo Lake in the Willamette
National Forest in the State of Oregon as a national recreation trail in honor
of Jim Weaver, a former Member of the House of Representatives;
H.R. 276, to designate the Piedras Blancas Light Station and the surrounding
public land as an Outstanding Natural Area to be administered as a part of the
National Landscape Conservation System;
H.R. 376, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of including the
battlefields and related sites of the First and Second Battles of Newtonia,
Missouri, during the Civil War as part of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
or designating the battlefields and related sites as a separate unit of the
National Park System;
H.R. 482, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to transfer ownership of the
American River Pump Station Project;
H.R. 497, to authorize the Marion Park Project, a committee of the Palmetto
Conservation Foundation, to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in
the District of Columbia, and its environs to honor Brigadier General Francis
Marion;
H.R. 512, to establish the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the
National Museum of the American Latino to develop a plan of action for the
establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of the American Latino in
Washington, DC;
H.R. 658, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative
agreements to protect natural resources of units of the National Park System
through collaborative efforts on land inside and outside of units of the
National Park System;
H.R. 839, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility
of enlarging the Arthur V. Watkins Dam Weber Basin Project, Utah, to provide
additional water for the Weber Basin Project to fulfill the purposes for which
that project was authorized;
H.R. 866, to enhance ecosystem protection and the range of outdoor
opportunities protected by statute in the Skykomish River valley of the State
of Washington by designating certain lower-elevation Federal lands as
wilderness;
H.R. 902, to facilitate the use for irrigation and other purposes of water
produced in connection with development of energy resources, with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 1047, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to
determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Soldiers'
Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the
National Park System; and
The nominations of Joseph Timothy Kelliher, of the District of Columbia, to be
a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and R. Lyle Laverty, of
Colorado, to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife.
FUNDING SOCIAL SECURITY'S ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine funding Social
Security's administrative costs, focusing on disability benefits and the
claims process, after receiving testimony from Michael J. Astrue,
Commissioner, Social Security Administration; Nancy G. Shor, National
Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR), Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey; Richard E. Warsinskey, National Council of Social Security
Management Associations, Inc., Washington, DC; and Chuck Schimmels, National
Association of Disability Examiners, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
VIOLENT CRIME
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs concluded a
hearing to examine rising crime in the United States, focusing on the federal
role in helping communities prevent and respond to violent crime, including S.
368, to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
enhance the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program, after receiving testimony from
Mark Epley, Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, Department of
Justice; Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Trenton, New Jersey, on behalf of the United
States Conference of Mayors; Ted Kamatchus, Marshall County, Marshalltown,
Iowa, on behalf of the National Sheriffs' Association; Thomas J. Nee, National
Association of Police Organizations, and James Alan Fox, Northeastern
University, both of Boston, Massachusetts; Rick S. Gregory, New Castle County
Police Department, New Castle, Delaware; and Russell B. Laine, Algonquin
Police Department, Algonquin, Illinois, on behalf of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police.
[Page: D735]
WASHINGTON, DC: VOTER REPRESENTATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1257,
to provide the District of Columbia a voting seat and the State of Utah an
additional seat in the House of Representatives, and H.R. 1905, to provide for
the treatment of the District of Columbia as a Congressional district for
purposes of representation in the House of Representatives, focusing on ending
taxation without representation, after receiving testimony from
Representatives Cannon and Norton; John P. Elwood, Deputy Assistant Attorney
General, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice; Patricia Wald, former
Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit; Kenneth R. Thomas, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division,
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Utah Attorney General
Mark L. Shurtleff, Salt Lake City; Jonathan Turley, George Washington
University Law School, and Richard B. Bress, Latham and Watkins LLP, both of
Washington, DC9y008; and Charles J. Ogletree, Jr., Harvard Law School,
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
health care legislation, after receiving testimony from Gerald M. Cross,
Acting Principal Deputy, Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health; Carl
Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Jerry Reed, Suicide Prevention Action
Network USA, and Dennis M. Cullinan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States, all of Washington, D.C.; Joy J. Ilem, Disabled American Veterans, Cold
Spring, Kentucky; Shannon Middleton, American Legion, Indianapolis, Indiana;
Bernard Edelman, Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver Spring, Maryland;
Meredith Beck, Wounded Warrior Project, New York, New York; and John Booss,
American Academy of Neurology, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported an
original bill authorizing funds for fiscal year 2008 for the intelligence
community.
Joint Meetings
U.S. PETROLEUM INDUSTRY
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded hearings to examine the United
States petroleum industry, focusing on corporate mergers and other factors
that influence gasoline prices, after receiving testimony from Thomas McCool,
Director, Applied Research and Methods, Government Accountability Office;
Michael A. Salinger, Director, Bureau of Economics, Federal Trade Commission;
Diana L. Moss, American Antitrust Institute, Samantha Slater, Renewable Fuels
Association, and Red Cavaney, American Petroleum Institute, all of Washington,
D.C.; Dennis C. DeCota, California Service Station and Automotive Repair
Association (CSSARA), Novato, California; and James L. Smith, Southern
Methodist University, Department of Finance, Dallas, Texas.
2007/05/24
Daily Digest - Thursday, May 24, 2007; pages D743 - D752
Committee Meeting
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AUTHORIZATION--NATIONAL DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following bills:
An original bill entitled "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008";
[Page: D746]
An original bill entitled "Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008";
An original bill entitled "Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008"; and
An original bill entitled "Department of Energy National Security Act for
Fiscal Year 2008".
Also, committee received a report from the Select Committee on Intelligence on
the proposed Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.
NOMINATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Charles Darwin Snelling, of Pennsylvania,
to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington
Airports Authority, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Specter,
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
COAL GASIFICATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine opportunities and challenges associated with coal
gasification, including coal-to-liquids and industrial gasification, after
receiving testimony from Antonia Herzog, Natural Resources Defense Council,
Washington, D.C.; William Fulkerson, University of Tennessee Institute for a
Secure and Sustainable Environment, Knoxville; James T. Bartis, RAND
Corporation, Arlington, Virginia; David L. Denton, Eastman Gasification
Services Company, Kingsport, Tennessee; and Jay A. Ratafia-Brown, Science
Applications International Corporation, McLean, Virginia.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine potential impacts of global warming on recreation and the recreation
industry, after receiving testimony from Daniel Scott, University of Waterloo
Department of Geography, Ontario, Canada; Tom Campion, Zumiez, Inc., Seattle,
Washington; Michael Berry, National Ski Areas Association, Lakewood, Colorado;
Bryant M. Watson, Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, Inc., Barre Vermont;
Betty Huskins, Southeast Tourism Policy Council, Fletcher, North Carolina;
Derrick A. Crandall, American Recreation Coalition (ARC), and Barry W.
McCahill, SUV Owners of America, both of Washington, D.C.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY TAX INCENTIVES
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and
Infrastructure concluded a hearing to examine energy efficiency, focusing on
tax incentives for reducing consumption, after receiving testimony from Kateri
Callahan, Alliance to Save Energy, Dan Delurey, Demand Response and Advanced
Metering Coalition, and Chris Edwards, Cato Institute, all of Washington,
D.C.; Stuart Thorn, Southwire Company, Carrolton, Georgia, on behalf of the
National Electrical Manufacturers Association; Sean Casten, Recycled Energy
Development, Westmont, Illinois; and Douglas Smith, NanoPore Incorporated,
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following business items:
S. Con. Res. 25, condemning the recent violent actions of the Government of
Zimbabwe against peaceful opposition party activists and members of civil
society;
S. Res. 110, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the 30th anniversary
of ASEAN-United States dialogue and relationship;
S. Res. 211, expressing the profound concerns of the Senate regarding the
transgression against freedom of thought and expression that is being carried
out in Venezuela; and
The nominations of Phillip Carter, III, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Guinea, R. Niels Marquardt, of California, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Madagascar, and to serve concurrently and without additional
compensation as Ambassador to the Union of Comoros, Janet E. Garvey, of
Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon, Dell L. Dailey,
of South Dakota, to be Coordinator for Counterterrorism, with the rank and
status of Ambassador at Large, Mark P. Lagon, of Virginia, to be Director of
the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, with the rank of Ambassador at
Large, James K. Glassman, of Connecticut, to be a Member of the Broadcasting
Board of Governors, Cameron R. Hume, of New York, to be Ambassador of
Indonesia, James R. Keith, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Malaysia, Miriam
K. Hughes, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia,
Ravic Rolf Huso, of Hawaii, to be Ambassador to the Lao People's Democratic
Republic, and Hans G. Klemm, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the Democratic
Republic of Timor-Leste, and promotion lists in the Foreign Service.
FEDERAL REAL PROPERTY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and
International Security concluded a hearing to examine federal real property,
focusing on the property management problems highlighted in a recent
Government Accountability Office report, after receiving testimony from Clay
Johnson, III, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget;
Mark L. Goldstein, Director, Physical Infrastructure, Government
Accountability Office; Boyd K. Rutherford, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
for Administration; David L. Winstead, Commissioner, Public Buildings Service,
General Services Administration; Phillip W. Grone, Deputy Under Secretary of
Defense (Installations and Environment); and Robert J. Henke, Assistant
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Management.
[Page: D747]
LOUISIANA'S ROAD HOME PROGRAM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc Subcommittee
on Disaster Recovery concluded a hearing to examine issues relative to
residents of Louisiana affected by Hurricane Katrina or Rita, focusing on the
goals, costs, management and impediments facing Louisiana's Road Home Program,
after receiving testimony from Donald E. Powell, Federal Coordinator for Gulf
Coast Rebuilding, and David I. Maurstad, Assistant Administrator, Mitigation,
Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the Department of Homeland
Security; Nelson R. Bregon, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development for Disaster Policy and Response; Andrew D. Kopplin, Louisiana
Recovery Authority, and Susan Elkins, Louisiana Office of Community
Development, both of Baton Rouge; Isabel Reiff, ICF International, Inc.,
Fairfax, Virginia, on behalf of the Louisiana Road Home Program; Connie Uddo,
St. Paul's Homecoming Center/Beacon of Hope Resource Center, Lakeview,
Louisiana; and Debbie DeGruy-Gordon, Chimney Wood Homeowners Association,
Frank Silvestri, Citizens' Road Home Action Team, Frank A. Trapani, New
Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors, and Walter Thomas, all of New
Orleans, Louisiana.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following
items:
S. 1327, to create and extend certain temporary district court judgeships;
H. Con. Res. 76, honoring the 50th anniversary of the International
Geophysical Year and its past contributions to space research, and looking
forward to future accomplishments; and
The nominations of Janet T. Neff and Paul Lewis Maloney, each to be a United
States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan, and Liam O'Grady,
to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D748]
Joint Meetings
REEMERGENCE OF RUSSIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded a
hearing to examine Russia, focusing on the reemergence of Russia as a major
political and economic power, after receiving testimony from Daniel Fried,
Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs;
Sarah E. Mendelson, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and E.
Wayne Merry, American Foreign Policy Council, both of Washington, D.C.; Lilia
Shevtsova, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Igor Zevelev,
Russian News and Information Agency, both of Moscow, Russia; Moscow; Jeffrey
W. Hahn, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania; and Rajan Menon,
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
2007/05/25
Daily Digest - Friday, May 25, 2007; pages D753 - D756
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/04
Daily Digest - Monday, June 4, 2007; pages D758 - D764
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/05
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
EXECUTIVE STOCK OPTIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine executive stock
options, focusing on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and stockholders
information, after receiving testimony from Kevin M. Brown, Acting
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; John W.
White, Director, Division of Corporation Finance, and Lynn E. Turner, former
Chief Accountant, Broomfield, Colorado, both of the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission; Stephen F. Bollenbach, KB Homes, and John S. Chalsty,
Occidental Petroleum Corporation, both of Los Angeles, California; William Y.
Tauscher, Safeway Inc., Pleasanton, California; Jeffrey P. Mahoney, Council of
Institutional Investors, Washington, D.C.; and Mihir A. Desai, Harvard
University Business School, Boston, Massachusetts.
GANG ABATEMENT AND PREVENTION ACT OF 2007
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
federal role to work with communities to prevent and respond to gang violence,
focusing on S. 456, to increase and enhance law enforcement resources
committed to investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and
punish violent gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities
from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent
crimes, to expand and improve gang prevention programs, after receiving
testimony from Senator Boxer; Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, and William J.
Bratton, Los Angeles Police Department, both of Los Angeles, California; Boni
Gayle Driskill, Wings of Protection, Modesto, California; District Attorney
James P. Fox, Redwood City, California, on behalf of the National District
Attorneys Association; Claude A. Robinson Jr., Uhlich Children's Advantage
Network, Chicago, Illinois; Gregg Croteau, United Teen Equality Center,
Lowell, Massachusetts; and Patrick Word, Gaithersburg City Police Department,
Gaithersburg, Maryland, on behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Gang
Investigators Network.
PRESERVING PROSECUTORIAL INDEPENDENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Department of Justice and politicizing the hiring and firing of United States
Attorneys, focusing on preserving prosecutorial independence, after receiving
testimony from Bradley J. Schlozman, Associate Counsel to the Director,
Executive Office for United States Attorneys, Department of Justice; and Todd
P. Graves, Graves Bartle and Marcus LLC, Kansas City, Missouri.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
[Page: D768]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/06
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 6, 2007; pages D774 - D784
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TUBERCULOSIS PATIENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine failures in the
health care and border control systems, focusing on one tuberculosis patient's
international public health threat, after receiving testimony from Julie L.
Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Anthony
S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, both of the Department of Health and Human
Services; Deborah J. Spero, Deputy Commissioner, United States Customs and
Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Steven R. Katkowsky,
Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, and Andrew Speaker, both of
Atlanta, Georgia; and Nils Daulaire, Global Health Council, Washington, D.C.
THE ROLE OF PRIVATE STUDENT LENDING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine paying for a college education, focusing on the role of
private student lending, after receiving testimony from New York Attorney
General Andrew M. Cuomo, Tracy Grooms, Bank of America Corporation, and Peter
B. Tarr, First Marblehead Corporation, all of New York, New York; Sevester
Bell, Howard University, Jennifer Pae, United States Student Association,
Barry W. Goulding, Sallie Mae, and Luke Swarthout, United States Public
Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), all of Washington, D.C.; and Jonathan
Avidan, Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
[Page: D777]
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER SUPPLY
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine the impact of climate change on water supply
and availability in the United States, focusing on related issues from a
water-use perspective, after receiving testimony from Christopher Milly,
Research Hydrologist, United States Geological Survey, and Terry Fulp, Area
Manager, Boulder Canyon Operations Office, Bureau of Reclamation, both of the
Department of the Interior; Bradley H. Udall, Director, National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration-University of Colorado Western Water Assessment,
Boulder; Timothy F. Brick, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California,
Los Angeles; Philip W. Mote, University of Washington Climate Impacts Group,
Seattle; Patrick O'Toole, Family Farm Alliance, Savery, Wyoming; Jack
Williams, Trout Unlimited, Arlington, Virginia; and Timothy Culbertson,
National Hydropower Association, Ephrata, Washington.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following:
S. 506, to improve efficiency in the Federal Government through the use of
high-performance green buildings, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
H.R. 1195, to amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to make technical corrections, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 798, to direct the Administrator of General Services to install a
photovoltaic system for the headquarters building of the Department of Energy;
S. 635, to provide for a research program for remediation of closed
methamphetamine production laboratories; and
S. 1523, to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from
the Capitol power plant.
TRADE AND GLOBALIZATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine international
trade and globalization, focusing on adjustments for a 21st century workforce,
after receiving testimony from Lael Brainard, Brookings Institution Global
Economy and Development Program, Jane McDonald-Pines, AFL-CIO, and Howard
Rosen, Trade Adjustment Assistance Coalition, all of Washington, D.C.;
Kimberly M. Didier, Newton Development Corporation, Newton, Iowa; and Jerry
Ann Ross, Eureka, Montana.
THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN INNOVATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1145,
to amend title 35, United States Code, to provide for patent reform, focusing
on the future of American innovation, after receiving testimony from Jon W.
Dudas, Under Secretary for Intellectual Property, and Director, United States
Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; Bruce G. Bernstein,
InterDigital Communications Cooperation, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; Mary
E. Doyle, Palm, Inc., Sunnyvale, California; John A. Squires, Goldman, Sachs
and Company, New York, New York; and Kathryn L. Biberstein, Alkermes, Inc.,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, on behalf of the Biotechnology Industry Organization
(BIO).
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/07
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 7, 2007; pages D786 - D796
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Lieutenant General Douglas E. Lute, USA, to be Assistant to the
President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan, after
the nominee, testified and answer questions on his on behalf.
CONTINENTAL SHELF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY-RELATED USES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine alternative energy-related uses on the outer continental shelf,
focusing on opportunities, issues, and implementation of Section 388 of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58), after receiving testimony from
C. Stephen Allred, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals
Management; J. Mark Robinson, Director, Office of Energy Projects, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission; Michael W. Grainey, Oregon Department of Energy,
Salem; Jason Bak, Finavera Renewables, British Columbia, Canada; and Jaime
Steve, American Wind Energy Association, Washington, D.C.
[Page: D788]
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND GLOBAL WARMING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the views of religious organizations regarding global warming, after
receiving testimony from Katharine Jefferts Schori, Episcopal Church, New
York, New York; Jim Ball, Evangelical Climate Initiative, Suwanee, Georgia;
Russell D. Moore, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary School of Theology,
Louisville, Kentucky; James Tonkowich, Institute on Religion and Democracy,
John L. Carr, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and David
Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, all of Washington D.C.;
and David Barton, Aledo, Texas.
DHS ORGANIZATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia to examine the acquisition organization of the Department of Homeland
Security, including challenges to creating an integrated acquisition function,
investment review process, and reliance on contracting for critical needs,
after receiving testimony from Paul A. Schneider, Under Secretary for
Management, and Rear Admiral John P. Currier, Assistant Commandant for
Acquisition, United States Coast Guard, both of the Department of Homeland
Security; and John P. Hutton, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management,
Government Accountability Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 185, to restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States;
S. 720, to amend title 4, United States Code, to authorize the Governor of a
State, territory, or possession of the United States to order that the
National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession
in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that State,
territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty;
H.R. 692, to amend title 4, United States Code, to authorize the Governor of a
State, territory, or possession of the United States to order that the
National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession
in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that State,
territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty;
S. Res. 171, memorializing fallen firefighters by lowering the United States
flag to half-staff on the day of the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial
Service in Emmitsburg, Maryland;
S. Res. 82, designating August 16, 2007 as "National Airborne Day";
S. Res. 173, designating August 11, 2007, as "National Marina Day"; and
The nomination of Robert James Jonker, to be United States District Judge for
the Western District of Michigan.
Also, Committee approved the issuance of subpoenas in the connection with
investigation into replacement of U.S. attorneys.
DECEPTIVE PRACTICES IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 453,
to prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections, after receiving
testimony from Senators Schumer and Obama; Peter N. Kirsanow, Commissioner,
United States Commission on Civil Rights; Maryland Attorney General Douglas F.
Gansler, Baltimore; Jack B. Johnson, Prince George's County, Upper Marlboro,
Maryland; Hilary O. Shelton, National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP), William B. Canfield, Williams and Jensen, PLLC, both
of Washington, D.C.; John Trasvina, Mexican American Legal Defense and
Education Fund (MALDEF), Los Angles, California; Richard Briffault, Columbia
Law School, New York, New York.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
[Page: D789]
Joint Meetings
NASA INSPECTOR GENERAL
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Space,
Aeronautics, and Related Agencies concluded a joint hearing with the House
Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and
Oversight to examine the investigation of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) Inspector General, after receiving testimony from Debra
Herzog, former Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Lance G.
Carrington, former Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, and Robert
W. Cobb, Inspector General, all of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration; Kevin J. Carson, Assistant Inspector General for Audits,
Office of the Inspector General, Government Printing Office; Danielle Brian,
Project on Government Oversight, Washington, D.C.; and Paul C. Light, New York
University Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, New York, New York.
2007/06/08
Daily Digest - Friday, June 8, 2007; pages D797 - D798
[Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.]
2007/06/11
Daily Digest - Monday, June 11, 2007; page D799 - D804
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/12
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 12, 2007; pages D806 - D814
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Vice Admiral Eric T. Olson, USN, for appointment to the grade
of Admiral and to be Commander, United States Special Operations Command,
Thomas P. D'Agostino, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear
Security, and Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, and
Michael G. Vickers, of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, after the nominees testified
and answered questions in their own behalf.
[Page: D807]
UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Universal Service Fund, focusing on assessing the
recommendations of the Federal-State Joint Board, after receiving testimony
from Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission;
Everett B. Flannery, Jr., Kennebec County Sheriff's Office, Augusta, Maine, on
behalf of the Maine Sheriffs' Association; John E. Rooney, U.S. Cellular,
Chicago, Illinois; Roger Nishi, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom,
Waitsfield, Vermont, on behalf of sundry organizations; Jonathan D. Foxman,
Chinook Wireless, Great Falls, Montana; and Joel E. Lubin, AT&T Services,
Inc., Washington, D.C.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF ASBESTOS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the health affects of asbestos, focusing on methods of mitigating such
impacts, after receiving testimony from Senator Murray; David N. Weissman,
Director, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Department of Health and Human Services; Captain Aubrey Miller, United States
Public Health Service, Region 8, United States Environmental Protection
Agency; Melanie Marty, California Environmental Protection Agency Office of
Environment Health Hazard Assessment, Oakland; Ann G. Wylie, University of
Maryland Department of Geology, College Park; David Weill, Stanford University
Medical Center Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Stanford, California;
Richard A. Lemen, Assistant Surgeon General, United States Public Health
Service, (Ret.), Canton, Georgia; Linda Reinstein, Asbestos Disease Awareness
Organization, Redondo Beach, California; Barry Castleman, Garrett Park,
Maryland
TRADE ENFORCEMENT
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine trade agreement
enforcement for a 21st century economy, after receiving testimony from former
Representative Dan Glickman, Motion Picture Association of America, Jennifer
A. Hillman, Georgetown University Law Center Institute of International
Economic Law, Robert E. Lighthizer, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom
LLP, and Erik O. Autor, National Retail Federation, all of Washington, D.C.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE REFORM
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Development and
Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental
Protection concluded a hearing to examine the efficacy of the Foreign
Assistance Reform, focusing on successes, failures, and the future of foreign
aid programs, after receiving testimony from Henrietta H. Fore, Acting U.S.
Director of Foreign Assistance, and Acting Administrator, United States Agency
for International Development; and Lael Brainard, Brookings Institution,
Samuel A. Worthington, InterAction, and Steven Radelet, Center for Global
Development, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of the Reuben Jeffery, III, to be Under Secretary of State for
Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Chambliss, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
ASSESSING TELEWORK POLICIES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine assessing telework policies and
initiatives in the federal government, after receiving testimony Daniel A.
Green, Deputy Associate Director for Employee and Family Support Policy,
Strategic Human Resources Policy Division, Office of Personnel Management; Jon
W. Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, Director,
United States Patent and Trademark Office; Stanley Kaczmarczyk, Deputy
Associate Administrator, Office of Governmentwide Policy, United States
General Services Administration; Bernice Steinhardt, Director of Strategic
Issues, Government Accountability Office; Tom Davison, Federal Managers
Association, and Stephen W.T. O'Keeffe, Telework Exchange, both of Alexandria,
Virginia; and David Isaacs, Hewlett-Packard Company, Washington, D.C.
TERRORIST IDEOLOGY
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
terrorist ideology, after receiving testimony from Stephen Ulph, Jamestown
Foundation, and Daniel Kimmage, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Rebekah Cragin, RAND Corporation, Arlington, Virginia.
[Page: D808]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/13
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 13, 2007; pages D816 - D822
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: MILITARY CONSTRUCTION/VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans'
Affairs, and Related Agencies approved for full committee consideration an
original bill making appropriations for Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved for
full committee consideration an original bill making appropriations for the
Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following:
S. 1257, to provide the District of Columbia a voting seat and the State of
Utah an additional seat in the House of Representatives, with amendments;
S. 274, to amend chapter 23 of title 5, United States Code, to clarify the
disclosures of information protected from prohibited personnel practices,
require a statement in nondisclosure policies, forms, and agreements that such
policies, forms, and agreements conform with certain disclosure protections,
provide certain authority for the Special Counsel, with an amendment;
S. Res. 22, reaffirming the constitutional and statutory protections accorded
sealed domestic mail;
S. 967, to amend chapter 41 of title 5, United States Code, to provide for the
establishment and authorization of funding for certain training programs for
supervisors of Federal employees, with an amendment;
S. 1046, to modify pay provisions relating to certain senior-level positions
in the Federal Government;
S. 1099, to amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to make
individuals employed by the Roosevelt Campobello International Park Commission
eligible to obtain Federal health insurance;
H.R. 1255 and S. 886, bills to amend chapter 22 of title 44, United States
Code, popularly known as the Presidential Records Act, to establish procedures
for the consideration of claims of constitutionally based privilege against
disclosure of Presidential records; and
[Page: D818]
S. 381, to establish a fact-finding Commission to extend the study of a prior
Commission to investigate and determine facts and circumstances surrounding
the relocation, internment, and deportation to Axis countries of Latin
Americans of Japanese descent from December 1941 through February 1948, and
the impact of those actions by the United States, and to recommend appropriate
remedies.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing on the
nominations of Steven T. Walther, of Nevada, who was introduced by Senator
Ensign, Hans von Spakovsky, of Georgia, who was introduced by Senator Isakson,
David M. Mason, of Virginia, who was introduced by Senator Warner, and Robert
D. Lenhard, of Maryland, who was introduced by Senator Reid, all to be Members
of the Federal Election Commission, after each nominee testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
DOL/DOD/VA COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and Department
of Labor collaboration and cooperation to meet the employment needs of
returning military service members, after receiving testimony from Charles S.
Ciccolella, Assistant Secretary of Labor, Veterans Employment and Training
Service; Michael L. Dominguez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness; Judith A. Caden, Director of Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, and
Corey McGee, Public Affairs Specialist, both of the Department of Veterans
Affairs; William O. Warren, DirectEmployers Association, Indianapolis,
Indiana; Shaun Bradley, and Sandra Morris, both of Bradley-Morris, Inc.,
Kennesaw, Georgia; Don Osterberg, Schneider National, Inc., Green Bay,
Wisconsin; and Monique Rizer, Alexandria, Virginia.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/14
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 14, 2007; pages D823 - D830
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
An original bill making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008; and
An original bill making appropriations for Military Construction and Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
Also, completed its review of 302(b) subcommittee allocations of budget
outlays and new budget authority allocated to the committee in S. Con. Res.
21, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government
for fiscal year 2008 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal
years 2007 and 2009 through 2012.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 1606, to
provide for the establishment of a comprehensive policy on the care and
management of wounded warriors in order to facilitate and enhance their care,
rehabilitation, physical evaluation, transition from care by the Department of
Defense to care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and transition from
military service to civilian life, with amendments.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMPETITION ISSUES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine public safety and competition issues, focusing on the
700MHz auction of wireless communications licenses for radio spectrum, after
receiving testimony from Wanda S. McCarley, Tarrant County 9-1-1 District,
Fort Worth, Texas, on behalf of the Association of Public-Safety
Communications Officials International and the National Public Safety
Telecommunications Council; Paul J. Cosgrave, City of New York Department of
Information Technology and Telecommunications, and Amol R. Sarva, Txtbl, on
behalf of the Wireless Founders Coalition for Innovation, both of New York,
New York; James L. Barksdale, Frontline Wireless, LLC, Washington, D.C.;
Philip J. Weiser, University of Colorado Silicon Flatirons Program, Boulder;
Richard J. Lynch, Verizon Wireless, Basking Ridge, New Jersey; and Michael J.
Small, Centennial Communications Corporation, Wall, New Jersey, on behalf of
the Wireless Association.
[Page: D825]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 535, to establish an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights Division
of the Department of Justice, and an Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Investigative
Office in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 456, to increase and enhance law enforcement resources committed to
investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and punish violent
gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities from violent
criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent crimes, to
expand and improve gang prevention programs, with amendments;
S. Res. 105, designating September 2007 as "Campus Fire Safety Month"; and
S. Res. 215, designating September 25, 2007, as "National First Responder
Appreciation Day".
GAS PRICES
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the impact of rising gasoline prices on America's small
businesses, after receiving testimony from Guy F. Caruso, Administrator,
Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy; Frederick W. Smith,
FedEx Corporation, Memphis, Tennessee; Salvatore Lupoli, Sal's Pizza Inc.,
Lawrence, Massachusetts; Janet Myhre, Chuckals Office Products, Tacoma,
Washington; and Timothy P. Lynch, American Trucking Associations, Washington,
D.C.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence : Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
Joint Meetings
WOMEN AND LOW-SKILLED WORKERS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine work-family
policies in other countries that make economic sense for the United States,
including practices implemented in other developed nations that may help women
and low-wage/low-skilled workers enter and remain in the labor force, the
change in the targeted groups' employment following the implementation of the
policies and practices, and identifying the factors that affect employees' use
of workplace benefits and the resulting workplace implications, after
receiving testimony from Kay E. Brown, Acting Director, Education, Workforce,
and Income Security Issues, Government Accountability Office; Janet Gornick,
City University of New York Baruch College, New York, New York; Laura Kellison
Wallace, SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina; Tim Kane, Heritage Foundation,
Washington, D.C.; and Ellen Bravo, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
2007/06/15
Daily Digest - Friday, June 15, 2007; pages D831 - D840
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
2007/06/18
Daily Digest - Monday, June 18, 2007; pages D842 - D848
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D844]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/19
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 19, 2007; pages D850 - D858
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies approved for full committee consideration an original bill
making appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
APPROPRIATIONS: LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED
AGENICES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies approved for full committee consideration an
original bill making appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing on the nomination
of Preston M. Green, of Texas, to be Secretary of the Army, after the nominee,
who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, testified and answer
questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
entitled, "Energy Advancement and Investment Act of 2007", with amendments.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of June Carter Perry, of the District of Columbia, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mark Green, of Wisconsin, to be
Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, Wanda L. Nesbitt, of
Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Frederick B.
Cook, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Robert B.
Nolan, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho, Maurice S.
Parker, of California, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland, and
William John Garvelink, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
PASSPORT BACKLOG
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International Operations and
Organizations, Democracy and Human Rights concluded a hearing to examine the
passport backlog and the Department of State's response to the Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative, after receiving testimony from Maura Harty,
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.
JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the federal
government, focusing on a model public-private partnership accelerating
research toward a cure, after receiving testimony from Griffin P. Rodgers,
Director, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Mary
Tyler Moore, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, New York, New York;
Caroline McEnery, Fairfield, Connecticut, Caitlin Crawford, Yarmouth, Maine,
Tre' Hawkins, Detroit, Michigan, and Ann, Abraham, and Curtis Strader,
Lakeville, Minnesota, all on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation Children's Congress; and Adam Morrison, Charlotte, North Carolina.
NOMINATION
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded open and closed hearings
to examine the nomination of John A. Rizzo, of the District of Columbia, to be
General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency, after the nominee, who was
introduced by Senator Warner, testified and answered questions in his own
behalf.
[Page: D853]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/20
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 20, 2007; pages D860 - D870
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
REAUTHORIZATION OF THE HOPE VI PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine reauthorization of the Hope VI Program, after receiving
testimony from Senator Mikulski; Orlando J. Cabrera, Assistant Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development for Public and Indian Housing; David G. Wood,
Director of Financial Markets and Community Investments, Government
Accountability Office; Sandra B. Henriquez, Boston Housing Authority, Boston,
Massachusetts; Richard D. Baron, McCormack, Baron, and Salazar, St. Louis,
Missouri; Susan J. Popkin, Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Charles F.
Elsesser, Jr., National Low Income Housing Coalition, Miami, Florida.
[Page: D863]
FOREIGN REPAIR STATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
Operations, Safety, and Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine
foreign aviation repair stations, focusing on air carrier maintenance that is
outsourced, after receiving testimony from Calvin L. Scovel, III, Inspector
General for the Department of Transportation; Margaret Gilligan, Deputy
Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration;
Robert Roach, Jr., International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers, Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Marshall S. Filler, Aeronautical Repair
Station Association (ARSA), Alexandria, Virginia; and Basil J. Barimo, Air
Transport Association of America, Inc., and Tom Brantley, Professional Airways
Systems Specialists (PASS) AFL-CIO, both of Washington, D.C.
EPA'S RESPONSE TO 9-11
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Superfund and
Environmental Health concluded a hearing to examine the Environmental
Protection Agency's response to 9-11, focusing on lessons learned for future
emergency preparedness, after receiving testimony from James L. Connaughton,
Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality; Susan Parker Bodine, Assistant
Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
Environmental Protection Agency; Captain Sven E. Rodenbeck, United States
Public Health Service, Deputy Branch Chief, Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry, Department of Health and Human Services; John B. Stephenson,
Director for Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability
Office; and David M. Newman, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and
Health, and Nina Lavin, both of New York, New York.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of William R. Brownfield, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Colombia, Peter Michael McKinley, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to
the Republic of Peru, and Patrick Dennis Duddy, of Maine, to be Ambassador to
the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, who was introduced by Senator Collins,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Anne Woods Patterson, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Nancy J. Powell, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to
Nepal, Joseph Adam Ereli, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the
Kingdom of Bahrain, Richard Boyce Norland, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Uzbekistan, and Stephen A. Seche, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to
the Republic of Yemen, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee order favorably
reported the following:
An original bill to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 602 of the
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2008 (S. Con. Res. 21);
S. 1642, a bill to extend the authorization of programs under the Higher
Education Act of 1965, with amendments; and
The nominations of Jerome F. Kever, of Illinois, Michael Schwartz, of
Illinois, and Virgil M. Speakman, Jr., of Ohio, all to be Members of the
Railroad Retirement Board, Marylyn Andrea Howe, of Massachusetts, and Lonnie
C. Moore, of Kansas, both to be Members of the National Council on Disability,
and Kerri Layne Briggs, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary
and Secondary Education, Department of Education.
HURRICANE KATRINA AFTERMATH
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine rising
crime in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including S. 368, to amend the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to enhance the COPS ON THE
BEAT grant program, and S. 1547, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2008 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, after receiving
testimony from Senators Landrieu and Vitter; James B. Letten, United States
Attorney, Eastern District of Louisiana, Department of Justice; and David L.
Bell, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court, Anthony W. Cannatella, Sr., New Orleans
Police Department, and Robert A. Stellingworth, New Orleans Police and Justice
Foundation, all of New Orleans, Louisiana.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of William Lindsay Osteen, Jr., to be United States District Judge
for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Martin Karl Reidinger, to be
United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, who
were both introduced by Senators Dole and Burr, Timothy D. DeGiusti, to be
United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, who was
introduced by Senator Inhofe, and Janis Lynn Sammartino, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of California, who was introduced by
Senator Feinstein, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
[Page: D864]
FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 1285, to reform the financing of Senate elections, after receiving
testimony from Senators McConnell, Specter, and Durbin; former Senator Warren
B. Rudman, Americans for Campaign Reform, Nick Nyhart, Public Campaign, and
Scott E. Thomas, Dickstein Shapiro LLP, all of Washington, DC; Stephen M.
Hoersting, Centers for Competitive Politics, Arlington, Virginia; and Arnold
Hiatt, Stride Rite Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/21
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 21, 2007; pages D871 - D882
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: LABOR/HHS/EDUCATION/INTERIOR/ENVIRONMENT/LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
bill making appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies,
and Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
HOMELESSNESS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 1518, to amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act to reauthorize the Act, after receiving testimony from Roy A. Bernardi,
Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Lloyd S. Pendleton, State
of Utah Department of Community and Culture, Salt Lake City; Mayor Shirley
Franklin, Atlanta, Georgia; Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Linda Glassman, National
AIDS Housing Coalition, Nan Roman, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and
Moises Loza, Housing Assistance Council, all of Washington, DC; and Carol
Gundlach, Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Montgomery, on behalf
of the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
HEALTH CARE AND THE BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine health care
and the federal budget, focusing on issues and challenges for reform, after
receiving testimony from Peter R. Orszag, Director, Congressional Budget
Office.
TELEPHONE NUMBER PORTING AND CALLER ID SPOOFING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine telephone number porting and caller-ID spoofing, including
S. 704, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit manipulation of
caller identification information, after receiving testimony from Kris Anne
Monteith, Chief, Enforcement Bureau, Federal Communications Commission; Ron
Jones, Commissioner of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, Nashville, on
behalf of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; and
Jerry Cerasale, Direct Marketing Association, Inc., and Allison Knight,
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D875]
ENERGY EFFICIENCY, TECHNOLOGIES AND PROGRAMS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Innovation concluded a hearing to examine energy efficiency
technologies and programs, after receiving Martha Krebs, California Energy
Commission, Sacramento; Kateri Callahan, Alliance to Save Energy, and Tom
Hicks, U.S. Green Building Council, both of Washington, D.C.; Charles R.
Zimmerman, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, Arkansas; Douglas K. Johnson,
Consumer Electronics Association, Arlington, Virginia; and Jay Birnbaum,
CURRENT Group, LLC, Germantown, Maryland.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine barriers to
work to be overcome for individuals receiving Social Security Disability
Benefits, after receiving testimony from Sue Suter, Associate Commissioner for
Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration; Allen Jensen,
George Washington University Center for Health and Human Services Research and
Policy, and David C. Stapleton, Cornell University Institute for Policy
Research, both of Washington, D.C.; and Jim Brown, Billings, Montana.
U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine a
strategic assessment of United States and Russia relations, after receiving
testimony from Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs; Zbigniew Brzezinksi, Center for Strategic and International
Studies, and Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft, USAF (Ret.), Scowcroft Group,
each a former National Security Advisor, both of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of John L. Withers II, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Albania, Charles Lewis English, of New York, to be Ambassador to
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameron Munter, of California, to be Ambassador to the
Republic of Serbia, Roderick W. Moore, of Rhode Island, to be Ambassador to
the Republic of Montenegro, and J. Christian Kennedy, of Indiana, to be
Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues,
after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
PRIVATE SECTOR PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc Subcommittee
on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration concluded a
hearing to examine the state of public-private collaboration in preparing for
and responding to national catastrophes, after receiving testimony from former
Senator John Breaux, Patton Boggs LLP, Washington, D.C., and F. Duane
Ackerman, Atlanta, Georgia, both on behalf of Business Executives for National
Security; Alfonso Martinez-Fonts, Jr., Assistant Secretary for the Private
Sector, Office of Policy, Office of the Secretary, and Marko Bourne, Director,
Policy and Program Analysis, Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the
Department of Homeland Security; and Richard Andrews, National Center for
Crisis and Continuity Coordination, Redlands, California.
INDIAN COUNTRY
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine law enforcement in Indian country, after receiving testimony from
Marcus Wells, Jr., Three Affiliated Tribes, New Town, North Dakota; Herman
Dillon, Sr., and Larry LaPointe, both of Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Tacoma,
Washington; Bonnie Clairmont, Tribal Law and Policy Institute, Saint Paul,
Minnesota; Joe A. Garcia, National Congress of American Indians, Washington,
D.C.; and Kevin W. Washburn, University of Minnesota Law School, and Thomas B.
Heffelfinger, Best and Flanagan LLP, both of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. Res. 230, designating the month of July 2007, as "National Teen Safe Driver
Month";
S. Res. 235, designating July 1, 2007, as "National Boating Day";
S. Res. 225, designating the month of August 2007 as "National Medicine Abuse
Awareness Month"; and
Committee approved the issuance of various subpoenas in connection with the
investigation of the legal basis for the warrantless wiretap program.
Also, Committee began consideration of S. 1145, to amend title 35, United
States Code, to provide for patent reform, with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed until June 28,
2007.
CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, after
receiving testimony from Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights
Division, Department of Justice; Wade J. Henderson, Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights, and Robert N. Driscoll, Alston and Bird LLP, both of Washington,
D.C.; Brian K. Landsberg, University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law,
Sacramento, California; Helen L. Norton, University of Maryland School of Law,
Baltimore; and Roger Clegg, Center for Equal Opportunity, Falls Church,
Virginia.
[Page: D876]
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to call.
FUTURE OF AMERICA'S AGRICULTURE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine America's
aging farming population, focusing on the threat to the future of American
agriculture as aging farmers are not being replaced by younger generations,
after receiving testimony from Keith Collins, Chief Economist of the
Department of Agriculture; Isaac Kershaw, Ohio State Department of Education,
Columbus, on behalf of Future Farmers of America; Barry Bushue, Oregon Farm
Bureau Federation, and Derek Godwin, Oregon State University Extension
Service, both of Salem; and John Rosenow, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts,
and Letters Future of Farming and Rural Life (FOF) Project, Cochrane,
Wisconsin.
Joint Meetings
GUANTANAMO BAY
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded a
hearing to examine the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, focusing on the
implications for United States human rights leadership, including the
international perspective of Guantanamo, particularly in the 56 participating
States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
after receiving testimony from John B. Bellinger, III, Legal Adviser,
Department of State; Anne-Marie Lizin, Belgium Senate, OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly Special Representative on Guantanamo, Brussels; Tom Malinowski, Human
Rights Watch, Washington, D.C.; and Gabor Rona, Human Rights First, New York,
New York.
2007/06/22
Daily Digest - Friday, June 22, 2007; pages D884 - D892
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine a new vision
for medical research relating to the fiscal year 2008 budget for the National
Institutes of Health, after receiving testimony from Ruth L. Kirschstein,
Acting Director, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
Lawrence A. Tabak, Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research, David Schwartz, Director, National Institute of Environmental Health
and Sciences, Paul A. Sieving, Director, National Eye Institute, and Duane F.
Alexander, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, all of
the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/25
Daily Digest - Monday, June 25, 2007; pages D894 - D900
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
EXCESSIVE SPECULATION IN THE NATURAL GAS MARKET
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing to examine excessive speculation
in the natural gas market, receiving testimony from Arthur Corbin, Municipal
Gas Authority of Georgia, Kennesaw, on behalf of the American Public Gas
Association; Paul Cicio, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, Washington,
D.C.; Sean Cota, New England Fuel Institute, Watertown, Massachusetts; Vincent
Kaminski, Rice University Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management,
Houston, Texas; Michael Greenberger, University of Maryland School of Law,
Baltimore; and Shane Lee, former Natural Gas Trader, Amaranth Advisors LLC,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Committee will continue hearings on July 9, 2007.
Joint Meetings
PIPELINE POLITICS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded a
hearing to examine pipeline politics, focusing on conflict prevention and the
security of supply and transit of oil and natural gas, after receiving
testimony from Gregory Manuel, Special Advisor to the Secretary and
International Energy Coordinator, Steven R. Mann, Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, and Matthew Bryza, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for European Affairs, all of the Department of State; Alan
Hegburg, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International
Affairs; Yasar Aliyev, Ambassador to the United States, Republic of
Azerbaijan; Mikhail Khvostov, Ambassador to the United States, Republic of
Belarus; Keith C. Smith, Center for Strategic and International Studies,
Washington, D.C.; and Pierre Noel, University of Cambridge Judge Business
School, Cambridge, England.
2007/06/26
Daily Digest - Tuesday, June 26, 2007; pages D901 - D912
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and
Related Agencies approved for full committee consideration an original bill
making appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
APPRORIATIONS: ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
approved for full committee consideration an original bill making
appropriations for Energy and Water Development for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2008.
JOINT IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DEFEAT ORGANIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to discuss the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization
(JIEDDO) from General Montgomery C. Meigs, USA (Ret.), Director, Joint
Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, United States Army,
Department of Defense.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 1538, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for the intelligence
and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the
Intelligence Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency
Retirement and Disability System, with amendments; and
The nominations of Preston M. Geren, of Texas, to be Secretary of the Army,
Michael G. Vickers, of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense,
Thomas P. D'Agostino, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary for Nuclear Security,
Department of Energy, Vice Adm. Eric T. Olson, USN to be admiral and
Commander, U.S. Special Operations, Douglas E. Lute, USA to be lieutenant
general and Assistant to the President/Deputy National Security Advisor for
Iraq and Afghanistan and 2,834 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marine Corps.
MORTGAGE ABUSE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing,
Transportation and Community Development concluded a hearing to examine ending
mortgage abuse, focusing on safeguarding homebuyers, after receiving testimony
from David Berenbaum, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Anthony M.
Yezer, George Washington University Department of Economics, John M. Robbins,
Mortgage Bankers Association, Pat V. Combs, National Association of Realtors,
and Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, all of Washington,
D.C.; Denise Leonard, Constitution Financial Group Inc., Wakefield,
Massachusetts, on behalf of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers; Alan
E. Hummel, Saint Paul, Minnesota, on behalf of sundry organizations; and
Michael D. Calhoun, Center for Responsible Lending, Durham, North Carolina.
HEALTH CARE AND THE BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine health care
and the federal budget, focusing on the Healthy Americans Act and other
options for reform, after receiving testimony from Senators Wyden and Bennett;
Len Nichols, New America Foundation, Washington, D.C.; Sara R. Collins,
Commonwealth Fund, New York, New York; and Arnold Milstein, Pacific Business
Group on Health (PBGH), San Francisco, California.
MEDIA VIOLENCE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the impact of media violence on children, after receiving
testimony from Timothy F. Winter, Parents Television Council, Alexandria,
Virginia; Peter Liguori, Fox Broadcasting Company, Los Angeles, California;
Dale Kunkel, University of Arizona Department of Communication, Tucson; Jeff
J. McIntyre, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.; and
Laurence H. Tribe, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, on behalf of
the Ad Hoc Media Coalition.
WILDFIRE SEASON AND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the preparedness of the federal land management agencies
for the 2007 wildfire season and efforts to contain the costs of wildfire
management activities, after receiving testimony from Mark Rey, Under
Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment; C. Stephen
Allred, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management;
and Robin M. Nazzaro, Director, Natural Resources and the Environment,
Government Accountability Office.
[Page: D904]
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION GOVERNANCE REFORM
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine Smithsonian Institution governance reform, focusing on a report by the
Smithsonian's Independent Review Committee, after receiving testimony from
Representative Matsui; and Charles Bowsher, Independent Review Committee,
Roger W. Sant, Executive Committee Board of Regents, Cristian Samper, Acting
Secretary, and Diana Aviv, Governance Committee, all of the Smithsonian
Institution.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following:
S. 1662, to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to reauthorize the
venture capital program, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute (as
approved by the committee, the substitute amendment incorporates provisions of
S. 1663); and
S. 1671, to reauthorize and improve the entrepreneurial development programs
of the Small Business Administration, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 1547, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 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, with amendments; and
S. 1548, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military
activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, with amendments.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/27
Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 27, 2007; pages D914 - D924
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Jill E. Sommers, of Kansas, who was
introduced by Senator Roberts, and Bartholomew H. Chilton, of Delaware, each
to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following:
S. 704, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit manipulation of
caller identification information, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 950, to develop and maintain an integrated system of coastal and ocean
observations for the Nation's coasts, oceans, and Great Lakes, to improve
warnings of tsunami, hurricanes, El Nino events, and other natural hazards, to
enhance homeland security, to support maritime operations, to improve
management of coastal and marine resources; with an amendment in the nature of
a substitute;
S. 1650, to establish a digital and wireless network technology program, with
amendments;
S. 1661, to communicate United States travel policies and improve marketing
and other activities designed to increase travel in the United States from
abroad, with amendments; and
Certain promotion lists in the United States Coast Guard.
NORTHWESTERN NEW MEXICO RURAL WATER PROJECTS ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 1171, to amend the Colorado River Storage Project Act and Public
Law 87-483 to authorize the construction and rehabilitation of water
infrastructure in Northwestern New Mexico, to authorize the use of the
reclamation fund to fund the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund, to authorize
the conveyance of certain Reclamation land and infrastructure, to authorize
the Commissioner of Reclamation to provide for the delivery of water, after
receiving testimony from Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation,
and Carl Artman, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, both of the
Department of the Interior; New Mexico State Representative Patricia A.
Lundstrom, Gallup, on behalf of Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments;
John R. D'Antonio, Jr., New Mexico State Engineer, Santa Fe; Herbert R.
Guenther, Arizona Department of Water Resources, Phoenix; Mark Sanchez,
Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, Albuquerque, New
Mexico; and Joe Shirley, Jr., Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona.
WATER QUALITY
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Transportation
Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality to examine protecting water
quality at America's beaches, focusing on the implementation of the BEACH Act
(Public Law 106-284), including the extent to which EPA has implemented the
Act's provisions, EPA's BEACH Act grant allocation formula, and the
experiences of the Great Lakes states in developing and implementing beach
monitoring and notification programs using their grant funds, after receiving
testimony from Representatives Pallone and Bilbray; Benjamin H. Grumbles,
Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency; Anu K.
Mittal, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability
Office; Cindy Zipf, Clean Ocean Action, Sandy Hook, New Jersey; Carlton
Dufrechou, Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, Metairie, Louisiana; and Mara
Dias, Surfrider Foundation, East Hampton, New York.
STEALTH TAX
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Alternative
Minimum TAX (AMT), focusing on middle-class taxpayers and possible reforms of
the AMT, after receiving testimony from Frank Degen, National Association of
Enrolled Agents, Setauket, New York; Leonard E. Burman, Urban Institute Tax
Policy Center, and Kevin A. Hassett, American Enterprise Institute, both of
Washington, D.C.; and Michael J. Graetz, Yale Law School, New Haven,
Connecticut.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 392, to ensure payment of United States assessments for United Nations
peacekeeping operations for the 2005 through 2008 time period;
[Page: D917]
S. 966, to enable the Department of State to respond to a critical shortage of
passport processing personnel, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1138, to enhance nuclear safeguards and to provide assurances of nuclear
fuel supply to countries that forgo certain fuel cycle activities;
S. 1500, to support democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe;
S. 1565, to provide for the transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign
recipients;
S. 1687, to provide for global pathogen surveillance and response;
S. 1698, to provide that no funds appropriated or otherwise made available by
any Act for contributions for international organizations may be made
available to support the United Nations Human Rights Council, with an
amendment;
S. Res. 203, calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to
use its unique influence and economic leverage to stop genocide and violence
in Darfur, Sudan, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 253, expressing the sense of the Senate that the establishment of a
Museum of the History of American Diplomacy through private donations is a
worthy endeavor;
H. Con. Res. 7, calling on the League of Arab States to acknowledge the
genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan and to step up their efforts to stop
the genocide in Darfur, with an amendment; and
The nominations of Reuben Jeffery III, of the District of Columbia, to be
United States Alternate Governor of the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development, James R. Kunder, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator of
the United States Agency for International Development, June Carter Perry, of
the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone,
Wanda L. Nesbitt, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cote
D'Ivoire, Frederick B. Cook, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Central
African Republic, Robert B. Nolan, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the
Kingdom of Lesotho, Maurice S. Parker, of California, to be Ambassador to the
Kingdom of Swaziland, William John Garvelink, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, William R. Brownfield, of Texas, to be
Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia, Peter Michael McKinley, of Virginia,
to be Ambassador to the Republic of Peru, Patrick Dennis Duddy, of Maine, to
be Ambassador to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Anne Woods Patterson,
of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Nancy J.
Powell, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to Nepal, Joseph Adam Ereli, of the District
of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Richard Boyce
Norland, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Stephen A.
Seche, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen, John L. Withers
II, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Albania, Charles Lewis
English, of New York, to be Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameron
Munter, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, Roderick W.
Moore, of Rhode Island, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Montenegro, J.
Christian Kennedy, of Indiana, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of
service as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Hector E. Morales, of Texas, to
be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a
term expiring September 20, 2010, and promotion lists in the Foreign Service
dated May 7, 2007, and May 22, 2007.
VIOLENT ISLAMIST EXTREMISM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded
hearings to examine violent Islamist extremism, focusing on the European
experience, after receiving testimony from Jean-Louis Bruguiere, Investigating
Magistrate, Paris, France; Lidewijde Ongering, Deputy National Coordinator for
Counterterrorism, The Hague, Netherlands; Marc Sageman, Sageman Consulting,
LLC, Rockville, Maryland; and Lynn M. Martin, former Secretary of Labor, and
Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., both of Chicago, Illinois, both
on behalf of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following:
S. 1695, to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a pathway for the
licensure of biosimilar biological products, to promote innovation in the life
sciences, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1693, to enhance the adoption of a nationwide interoperable health
information technology system and to improve the quality and reduce the costs
of health care in the United States, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 793, to provide for the expansion and improvement of traumatic brain injury
programs;
S. 1011, to change the name of the National Institute on Drug Abuse to the
National Institute on Diseases of Addiction and to change the name of the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to the National Institute
on Alcohol Disorders and Health, with an amendment; and
The nominations of Stan Z. Soloway, of the District of Columbia, and Richard
Allan Hill, of Montana, and James Palmer, of California, each to be a Member
of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community
Service.
[Page: D918]
OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL DEATH PENALTY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution concluded an
oversight hearing to examine the Department of Justice's implementation of
federal death penalty statutes, after receiving testimony from Barry M. Sabin,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice;
Roberto J. Sanchez Ramos, Secretary of Justice of the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, San Juan; Paul K. Charlton, former United States Attorney, Phoenix,
Arizona; William Otis, former Chief of the Appellate Division, United States
Attorney's Office, Falls Church, Virginia; David I. Bruck, Washington and Lee
School of Law, Lexington, Virginia; and David B. Muhlhausen, Heritage
Foundation Center for Data Analysis, and Hilary O. Shelton, National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 423, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2007, 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;
S. 1163, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve compensation and
specially adapted housing for veterans in certain cases of impairment of
vision involving both eyes, and to provide for the use of the National
Directory of New Hires for income verification purposes;
S. 479, to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans;
S. 1315, to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance life insurance
benefits for disabled veterans, with amendments;
S. 1233, to provide and enhance intervention, rehabilitative treatment, and
services to veterans with traumatic brain injury, with amendments; and
The nomination of Charles L. Hopkins, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant
Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Operations, Preparedness, Security and Law
Enforcement).
DOCTORS AND THE DRUG INDUSTRY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
relationship between medical doctors and the drug industry, after receiving
testimony from Maine State Representative Sharon Anglin Treat, Hallowell, on
behalf of the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices;
Jerome P. Kassirer, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston,
Massachusetts; J. Gregory Rosenthal, Retinal Service of Vision Associates,
Toledo, Ohio; and Peter Lurie, Public Citizen's Health Research Group, Robert
M. Sade, American Medical Association, and Marjorie E. Powell, Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America, all of Washington, D.C.
Joint Meetings
EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
economic case for early childhood care and education, after receiving
testimony from Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Topeka; Harriet Dichter,
Pennsylvania Departments of Education and Public Welfare Office of Child
Development and Early Learning, Harrisburg; Douglas J. Besharov, American
Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Washington, D.C.; and James
Heckman, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
2007/06/28
Daily Digest - Thursday, June 28, 2007; pages D925 - D934
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
H.R. 2764, making appropriations for Department of States, foreign operations,
and related program, with an amendment;
An original bill making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and
Justice, Science, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2008;
An original bill making appropriations for energy and water development and
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), after receiving
testimony from Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.), Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Administrator, NOAA.
GLOBAL WARMING ISSUES
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine global warming issues in the power plant sector, after receiving
testimony from James E. Rogers, Duke Energy Corporation, Charlotte, North
Carolina; Peter A. Darbee, Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation (PG&E), San
Francisco, California; Lewis Hay, III, Florida Power and Light Company (FLP),
Juno Beach; David G. Hawkins, Natural Resources Defense Council, Jason Grumet,
National Commission on Energy Policy, Thomas J. Donohue, U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, and Marlo Lewis, Competitive Enterprise Institute, all of
Washington, D.C; Robert E. Murray, Murray Energy Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio;
and Thomas J. Borelli, Free Enterprise Action Fund, Eastchester, New York.
[Page: D928]
DHS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS MODERIZATION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and
International Security concluded a hearing to examine financial management
systems modernization at the Department of Homeland Security, focusing on
systems and processes needed to support the Department's mission and
operations, after receiving testimony from McCoy Williams, Director, Financial
Management and Assurance, and Keith Rhodes, Chief Technologist, Applied
Research and Methods, Center for Technology and Engineering, both of the
Government Accountability Office; and David Norquist, Chief Financial Officer,
and Scott Charbo, Chief Information Officer, both of the Department of
Homeland Security.
CLASS III GAMING REGULATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine draft
legislation regarding the regulation of class III gaming, after receiving
testimony from Philip N. Hogen, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission;
Dean Shelton, California Gambling Control Commission, Sacramento, on behalf of
Governor Schwarzenegger; Myra Pearson, Fort Totten, North Dakota, and Kurt
Luger, Bismark, North Dakota, both of the Great Plains Indian Gaming
Association; W. Ron Allen, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Sequim, Washington, on
behalf of the Washington Indian Gaming Association; and Valerie Welsh-Tahbo,
Colorado River Indian Tribes, Parker, Arizona.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: On Wednesday, June 27, 2007, Committee ordered
favorably reported the following:
S. 423, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2007, 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;
S. 1163, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve compensation and
specially adapted housing for veterans in certain cases of impairment of
vision involving both eyes, and to provide for the use of the National
Directory of New Hires for income verification purposes;
S. 479, to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans;
S. 1315, to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance life insurance
benefits for disabled veterans, with amendments; and
S. 1233, to provide and enhance intervention, rehabilitative treatment, and
services to veterans with traumatic brain injury, with amendments.
NOMINATION
Committee on Veterans Affairs: On Wednesday, June 28, 2007, Committee
concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of Charles L. Hopkins, of
Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Operations,
Preparedness, Security and Law Enforcement).
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/06/29
Daily Digest - Friday, June 29, 2007; pages D935 - D938
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/09
Daily Digest - Monday, July 9, 2007; pages D940 - D946
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
THE NATURAL GAS MARKET
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine excessive
speculation in the natural gas market, after receiving testimony from Walter
L. Lukken, Acting Chairman, and Michael Dunn, Commissioner, both of the Office
of External Affairs, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); James
Newsome, New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., New York, New York; and Jeffrey
C. Sprecher, IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), Inc., Atlanta, Georgia.
[Page: D942]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/10
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 10, 2007; pages D947 - D952
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies approved for full Committee consideration an
original bill making appropriations for Transportation and Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2008.
APPROPRIATIONS: FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government approved for full Committee consideration an original bill making
appropriations for Financial Services and General Government for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2008.
CHEMICAL SAFETY
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Transportation
Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality concluded a hearing to
examine lessons learned from Chemical Safety Board investigations including
Texas City, Texas, after receiving testimony from Carolyn W. Merritt, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, United States Chemical Safety Board; Deborah
Dietrich, Director, Office of Emergency Management, Environmental Protection
Agency; Timothy R. Gablehouse, Colorado Local Emergency Planning Committee,
Denver, on behalf of the National Association of State Title III Program
Officials; Kim Nibarger, United Steelworkers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Scott
Berger, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Center for Chemical Process
Safety, New York, New York; Steve Arendt, ABS Consulting Inc., Knoxville,
Tennessee; and Linda Hunnings, Baytown, Texas.
GULF COAST REBUILDING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc Subcommittee
on Disaster Recovery concluded a hearing to examine the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), focusing on addressing a prominent obstacle to Gulf
Coast rebuilding, after receiving testimony from James Walke, Director, Public
Assistance Division, Disaster Assistance Directorate, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security; Bryan McDonald,
Mississippi Governor's Office of Recovery and Renewal, Jackson; Perry Smith,
Jr., Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness, Baton Rouge; Mayor C. Ray Nagin, New Orleans, Louisiana; Kevin
C. Davis, Saint Tammany Parish, Covington, Louisiana; Henry Rodriguez, Saint
Bernard Parish, Chalmette, Louisiana; and Mark C. Merritt, James Lee Witt
Associates, Washington, D.C.
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AT DOD
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded hearings to examine supply chain management at the
Department of Defense, focusing on the availability of spare parts and other
critical items that affect the readiness and capabilities of the United States
military forces, after receiving testimony from P. Jackson Bell, Deputy Under
Secretary for Logistics and Material Readiness, General Norton A. Schwartz,
Commander, United States Transportation Command, and Lieutenant General Robert
T. Dail, Director, Defense Logistics Agency, all of the Department of Defense;
and William M. Solis, Director, Defense Capabilities Management, Government
Accountability Office.
PLANNING ACROSS THE GENERATIONS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine community services and support, focusing on meeting the
long-term care needs of seniors and persons with disabilities, including S.
1758, to amend the Public Health Service Act to help individuals with
functional impairments and their families pay for services and supports that
they need to maximize their functionality and independence and have choices
about community participation, education, and employment, and S. 799, to amend
title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide individuals with disabilities
and older Americans with equal access to community-based attendant services
and supports, after receiving testimony from Susan M. Daniels, Daniels and
Associates, LLC, and Andrew J. Imparato, American Association of People with
Disabilities (AAPD), both of Washington, D.C.; Shawn Griffin, Community Entry
Services, Riverton, Wyoming; Deborah K. Fleming, University of Wyoming College
of Health Sciences, Laramie; Monica Herring, Germantown, Maryland; and Glenda
Faatoafe, Lacey, Washington.
[Page: D949]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/11
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 11, 2007; pages D953 - D962
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Bijan Rafiekian, of California, and
Diane G. Farrell, of Connecticut, both to be Members of the Board of Directors
of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and William Herbert Heyman, of
New York, William S. Jasien, of Virginia, and Mark S. Shelton, of Kansas, all
to be Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, after the
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
UNITED STATES WEATHER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine United States weather and environmental satellites,
focusing on their readiness for the 21st century, after receiving testimony
from Mary Kicza, Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information
Services National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce;
Michael H. Freilich, Director, Earth and Science Division, Science Mission
Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; David Powner,
Director, Information Technology Management Issues, Government Accountability
Office; Antonio J. Busalacchi, Jr., University of Maryland Earth System
Science Interdisciplinary Center, College Park; and Greg J. Holland, National
Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado.
OZONE NAAQS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air and
Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine the Environmental Protection
Agency's proposed revision to the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS), after receiving testimony from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency; James D. Werner, Delaware Department of
Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Dover; Mayor George L. Grace,
Saint Gabriel, Louisiana, on behalf of the National Conference of Black
Mayors; Michelle L. Bell, Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental
Studies, New Haven, Connecticut; Vickie Patton, Environmental Defense,
Boulder, Colorado; and Roger O. McClellan, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[Page: D955]
CARRIED INTERESTS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the federal
income tax treatment of carried interests, the right to receive a percentage
of private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, or similar investment profits
without an obligation to contribute capital to the fund, focusing on current
taxation of carried interests, the use of carried interests by both small and
large partnerships in industries as diverse as real estate and natural
resources, and the similarity of the current tax treatment for carried
interests and other analogous areas, after receiving testimony from Eric
Solomon, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy; Peter R. Orszag,
Director, Congressional Budget Office; Andrew J. Donohue, Director, Division
of Investment Management, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Kate D.
Mitchell, Scale Venture Partners, Foster City, California; and Mark P. Gergen,
University of Texas School of Law, Austin.
INSPECTORS GENERAL
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine ways to strengthen the unique role of the Nation's
Inspectors General, after receiving testimony from Clay Johnson III, Deputy
Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget; Glenn A. Fine,
Inspector General, Department of Justice; Earl E. Devaney, Inspector General,
Department of the Interior; Eleanor Hill, King and Spalding, LLP; and Danielle
Brian, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Washington, D.C.
PRESERVING PROSECUTORIAL INDEPENDENCE (PART VI)
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee continued hearings to examine the
Department of Justice politicizing the hiring and firing of United States
Attorneys, focusing on preserving prosecutorial independence (Part VI),
receiving testimony from Sara M. Taylor, former Deputy Assistant to the
President and Director of Political Affairs for the White House.
Hearing recessed subject to the call.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/12
Daily Digest - Thursday, July 12, 2007; pages D963 - D972
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING:
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
An original bill making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation
and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2008; and
H.R. 2829, making appropriations for financial services and general government
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
CROSS-BORDER EXCHANGE MERGERS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Securities,
Insurance and Investment concluded a hearing to examine cross-border exchange
mergers, focusing on the global view, after receiving testimony from Erik
Sirri, Director, Division of Market Regulation, and Ethiopis Tafara, Director,
Office of International Affairs, both of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission; Noreen Culhane, New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Group, and Adena
Friedman, National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
(NASDAQ) Stock Market, Inc., both of New York, New York; Allen Ferrell,
Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Damon A. Silvers, AFL-CIO,
Washington, D.C.
TELEPHONE NUMBER PORTABILITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine telephone number portability, including S. 1769, to amend
the Communications Act of 1934 to facilitate number portability in order to
increase consumer choice of voice service provider, after receiving testimony
from Tony Clark, North Dakota Public Service Commission, Bismarck, on behalf
of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; Ted Schremp,
Charter Communications, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri; Jonathan Banks, United
States Telecom Association, and Christopher Guttman-McCabe, CTIA-The Wireless
Association, both of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nominations of Clarence H. Albright, of South Carolina, to be
Under Secretary, who was introduced by Senator DeMint, and Lisa E. Epifani, of
Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental
Affairs, both of the Department of Energy, and James L. Caswell, of Idaho, to
be Director of the Bureau of Land Management, who was introduced by Senators
Craig and Crapo, and Brent T. Wahlquist, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of
the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, both of the
Department of the Interior, after the nominees testified and answered
questions in their own behalf.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks
concluded a hearing to examine S. 488 and H.R. 1100, bills to revise the
boundary of the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in the State of
North Carolina, S. 617, to make the National Parks and Federal Recreational
Lands Pass available at a discount to certain veterans, S. 824 and H.R. 995,
bills to amend Public Law 106-348 to extend the authorization for establishing
a memorial in the District of Columbia or its environs to honor veterans who
became disabled while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, S.
955, to establish the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, S. 1148, to
establish the Champlain Quadricentennial Commemoration Commission and the
Hudson-Fulton 400th Commemoration Commission, S. 1380, to designate as
wilderness certain land within the Rocky Mountain National Park and to adjust
the boundaries of the Indian Peaks Wilderness and the Arapaho National
Recreation Area of the Arapaho National Forest in the State of Colorado, and
S. 1182, to amend the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage
Corridor Act of 1994 to increase the authorization of appropriations and
modify the date on which the authority of the Secretary of the Interior
terminates under the Act, and S. 1728, to amend the National Parks and
Recreation Act of 1978 to reauthorize the Na Hoa Pili O Kaloko-Honokohau
Advisory Commission, after receiving testimony from Senators Allard, Dole, and
Thune; Representatives Mark Udall and Musgrave; Katherine H. Stevenson, Acting
Assistant Director, Business Services, National Park Service, Department of
the Interior; Mayor Judy Burke, Grand Lake, Colorado; Dennis Harmon, Water
Supply and Storage Company, Fort Collins, Colorado; Dean Stoline, American
Legion, Washington, D.C.; Heather Baker-Sullivan, Hudson Fulton Champlain
Quadricentennial Commission, Katonah, New York; Tom Martin, Looking for
Lincoln Heritage Coalition, Mt. Pulaski, Illinois; and Charlene Perkins
Cutler, Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc., Putnam, Connecticut.
[Page: D966]
AVIATION FINANCING
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Airport
Airways Trust Fund, focusing on the future of aviation financing, the extent
to which the current funding structure can support the Federal Aviation
Administration's activities, including the Next Generation Air Transportation
System (NextGen), and issues that could affect the overall cost of NextGen,
the implications of selected provisions of proposals to fund aviation
activities, after receiving testimony from Marion C. Blakey, Administrator,
Federal Aviation Administration; Peter R. Orszag, Director, Congressional
Budget Office; Gerald L. Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues,
Government Accountability Office; and Mark M. Hansen, University of California
Institute of Transportation Studies, Berkeley.
DIRTY BOMB VULNERABILITIES (PART 1)
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine certain
vulnerabilities in the government's procedures for licensing radiological
materials, focusing on the effectiveness of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's materials licensing policies and procedures, and the
vulnerability of those licenses to counterfeiting, after receiving testimony
from Gene Aloise, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, and Gregory D.
Kutz, Managing Director, and John W. Cooney, Assistant Director, both of
Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, all of the Government
Accountability Office; and Edward McGaffigan, Jr., Commissioner, United States
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
PRIVATE SECTOR PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc Subcommittee
on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration concluded
hearings to examine the state of public-private collaboration in preparing for
and responding to national catastrophes, after receiving testimony from
Colonel Robert B. Stephan, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the
Office of Infrastructure Protection; Eileen R. Larence, Director, Homeland
Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office; and Kenneth C.
Watson, Cisco Systems, Inc., San Jose, California, on behalf of the
Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Security.
NOMINATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of James W. Holsinger, Jr., of Kentucky, to
be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service, subject
to qualifications therefor as provided by law and regulations, and to be
Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human
Services, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators Bunning and
McConnell, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
TRANSPORTATION ISSUES IN INDIAN COUNTRY
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine transportation issues in Indian country, after receiving testimony
from Jerry Gidner, Deputy Bureau Director, Office of Indian Services,
Department of the Interior; John R. Baxter, Associate Administrator for
Federal Lands, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation;
Don Kashevaroff, Seldovia Village Tribe, Seldovia, Alaska; Pete Red Tomahawk,
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Ft. Yates, North Dakota; Erin S. Forrest, Hualapai
Tribe, Peach Springs, Arizona; and James Garrigan, Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Indians, Red Lake, Minnesota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee began consideration of S. 1145, to amend
title 35, United States Code, to provide for patent reform, but did not
complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the call of the Chair.
[Page: D967]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/13
Daily Digest - Friday, July 13, 2007; pages D974 - D980
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/16
Daily Digest - Monday, July 16, 2007; pages D981 - D986
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/17
Daily Digest - Tuesday, July 17, 2007; pages D987 - D998
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION,
AND RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies approved for full committee
consideration an original bill making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2008.
AIR SERVICES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Aviation
Operations, Safety, and Security concluded a hearing to examine improving air
services to small and rural communities, after receiving testimony from Andrew
B. Steinberg, Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and
International Affairs; John Torgerson, Alaska Department of Transportation,
Anchorage; Karen Miller, Boone County Commission, Columbia, Missouri, on
behalf of the National Association of Counties; Mark F. Courtney, Lynchburg
Regional Airport, Lynchburg, Virginia; and Faye Malarkey, Regional Airline
Association, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing on
the nominations of Robert Boldrey, of Michigan, to be a Member of the Board of
Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National
Environmental Policy Foundation, Kristine L. Svinicki, of Virginia, to be a
Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who was introduced by Senators
Warner and Craig, and R. Lyle Laverty, of Colorado, to be Assistant Secretary
of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife.
DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine the efficacy of democratic developments in Sub-Saharan
Africa, after receiving testimony from Barry F. Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary
of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Michael Hess, Assistant
Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance,
United States Agency for International Development; Princeton N. Lyman,
Council on Foreign Relations, Chris Albin-Lackey, Human Rights Watch, Akwe
Amosu, Open Society Institute, and Dave Peterson, National Endowment for
Democracy, all of Washington, D.C.
TREATIES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
protocol Amending the Convention Between the Government of the United States
of America and the Government of the Republic of Finland for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on
Income and on Capital, signed at Helsinki May 31, 2006 (the "Protocol")
(Treaty Doc. 109-18), protocol Amending the Convention Between the Government
of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark
for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with
Respect to Taxes on Income signed at Copenhagen May 2, 2006 (the "Protocol")
(Treaty Doc. 109-19), protocol Amending the Convention Between the United
States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on
Income and Capital and to Certain Other Taxes, Signed on August 29, 1989,
signed at Berlin June 1, 2006 (the "Protocol"), along with a related Joint
Declaration (Treaty Doc. 109-20), convention Between the Government of the
United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium for the
Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect
to Taxes on Income and accompanying Protocol, signed on November 27, 2006, at
Brussels (the "proposed Treaty") (Treaty Doc. 110-03), patent Law Treaty and
Regulations Under the Patent Law Treaty (the "Treaty"), done at Geneva on June
1, 2000, between the Governments of 53 countries including the United States
of America (Treaty Doc. 109-12), the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement
Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (the
"Agreement"), adopted in Geneva on July 2, 1999, and signed by the United
States on July 6, 1999 (Treaty Doc.109-21), the Singapore Treaty on the Law of
Trademarks (the "Treaty" or "Singapore Treaty") adopted and signed by the
United States at Singapore on March 28, 2006 (Treaty Doc. 110-02), and
protocol to the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation Between the
United States and Denmark of October 1, 1951, signed at Copenhagen on May 2,
2001 (Treaty Doc. 108-08), after receiving testimony from Thomas A. Barthold,
Acting Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on Taxation, United States Congress;
John Harrington, International Tax Counsel, Department of the Treasury; Lois
E. Boland, Director, Office of International Relations, United States Patent
and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; Wesley S. Scholz, Director,
Office of Investment Affairs, Department of State; and William A. Reinsch,
National Foreign Trade Council, and Janice Lucchesi, Organization for
International Investment, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D990]
FEDERAL ACQUISITION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine federal acquisition and contracting, focusing on ways to
strengthen competition and accountability, including S. 680, to ensure proper
oversight and accountability in Federal contracting, after receiving testimony
from David M. Walker, Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office;
Marcia G. Madsen, Mayer Brown Rowe and Maw, LLP, Washington, D.C., on behalf
of the Acquisition Advisory Panel; and Stan Soloway, Professional Services
Council, Arlington, Virginia.
CENSUS BUREAU
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and
International Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine the readiness
of the Census Bureau for the 2010 census, after receiving testimony from
Charles Louis Kincannon, Director, United States Census Bureau; Mathew J.
Scire, Director, Strategic Issues, and David A. Powner, Director, Information
Technology, both of the Government Accountability Office; Andrew Reamer,
Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.; and Maurice P. McTigue, George Mason
University Mercatus Center, Arlington, Virginia.
ALZHEIMER'S
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on
Retirement and Aging concluded a hearing to examine the federal response and
advances being made toward defeating the epidemic of Alzheimer's disease,
after receiving testimony from Elias A. Zerhouni, Director, and Richard J.
Hodes, Director, National Institute on Aging, both of the National Institutes
of Health, Julie L. Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Food and
Drug Administration, all of the Department of Health and Human Services.
PROSECUTION OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
prosecution of Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, after
receiving testimony from Representatives Hunter and Rohrabacher; Luis Barker,
former Chief Patrol Agent, El Paso Border Patrol Sector, and David V. Aguilar,
Chief, both of the Office of Border Patrol, United States Customs and Border
Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Johnny Sutton, United States
Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Department of Justice; T.J.
Bonner, AFL-CIO, Campo, California; and David L. Botsford, Austin, Texas.
On Wednesday, July 18, 2007, the following occurred:
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine increasing government accountability and ensuring fairness
in small business contracting, after receiving testimony from Paul Hsu,
Associate Administrator, Office of Government Contracting and Business
Development, United States Small Business Administration; Anthony Martoccia,
Director, Office of Small Business Programs, Department of Defense; Patricia
Rice, Maine Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Bangor; Todd McCracken,
National Small Business Association, Washington, D.C.; Magdalah Silva, DMS
International, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland; and Ronald Newlan, HUBZone
Contractors National Council, Rockville, Maryland.
ABUSE OF THE ELDERLY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine abuse of
elderly citizens, focusing on prevention methods, after receiving testimony
from Daniel S. Fridman, Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and
Special Counsel for Health Care Fraud, Department of Justice; Gregory E.
Demske, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General, Department of Health and
Human Services; Paul R. Greenwood, San Diego District Attorney's Office, San
Diego, California; Beverley Laubert, National Association of State Long-Term
Care Ombudsman Programs, and Robert Blancato, Elder Justice Coalition, both of
Washington, D.C.; Daniel Reingold, The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale,
Riverdale, New York; and Jennifer Coldren, Rome, New York.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/18
Daily Digest - Wednesday, July 18, 2007; pages D996 - D1006
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held today.
[But see the text at the bottom of the hearing entries for Tuesday, July 17,
where two July 18 meetings are described. Note also the calendar of next day
hearings in the July 17 Digest issue where hearings to be held by Banking,
Commerce, Finance and Judiciary - in addition to those by Small Business and
Aging noted above - are listed. Ed.]
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/19
Daily Digest - Daily Digest - Thursday, July 19, 2007; pages D1007 - D1018
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported an original
bill making appropriations for the Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2008.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following:
The nominations of Bijan Rafiekian, of California, and Diane G. Farrell, of
Connecticut, both to be Members of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import
Bank of the United States, and William Herbert Heyman, of New York, William S.
Jasien, of Virginia, and Mark S. Shelton, of Kansas, all to be Directors of
the Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
SEMIANNUAL MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,
after receiving testimony from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered
favorably reported the following:
S. 1769, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to facilitate number
portability in order to increase consumer choice of voice service provider;
[Page: D1011]
S. 1780, to require the FCC, in enforcing its regulations concerning the
broadcast of indecent programming, to maintain a policy that a single word or
image may be considered indecent;
S. 1582, to reauthorize and amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act,
with amendments;
S. 1771, to increase the safety of swimming pools and spas by requiring the
use of proper anti-entrapment drain covers and pool and spa drainage systems,
to educate the public about pool and spa safety, with amendments;
S. 1778, to authorize certain activities of the Maritime Administration, with
amendments;
S. 1492, to improve the quality of federal and state data regarding the
availability and quality of broadband services and to promote the deployment
of affordable broadband services to all parts of the Nation, with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Jonathan W. Bailey, and Philip M. Kenul, both to be Rear
Admiral, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
MARIANA ISLANDS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 1634, to implement further the Act approving the Covenant to
Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union
with the United States of America, after receiving testimony from David B.
Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs;
Governor Benigno R. Fitial, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and
Juan T. Guerrero, Saipan Chamber of Commerce, both of Saipan; and Pedro A.
Tenorio, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Resident Representative
to the United States, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
entitled, "The Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act".
AVIATION FINANCING
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine aviation
financing, focusing on industry perspectives, after receiving testimony from
James Whitehurst, Delta Air Lines, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, on behalf of the
Air Transport Association of America, Inc.; Frederick W. Smith, FedEx
Corporation, Memphis, Tennessee; Vern Raburn, Eclipse Aviation Corporation,
Albuquerque, New Mexico; David F. Hackett, Gulfstream International Airlines,
Inc.; Richard W. Shine, Manitoba Recycling, Lancaster, New York, on behalf of
the National Business Aviation Association; and Robert P. Olislagers,
Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado.
IRAQ UPDATE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee continued hearings to examine the
war in Iraq, focusing on an update from the field, receiving testimony from
Ryan C. Crocker, Ambassador of the United States to Iraq, Department of State.
Hearings recessed subject to the call.
MILITARY'S ROLE IN DISASTER RESPONSE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the military's role in disaster response, focusing on
progress since Hurricane Katrina, after receiving testimony from Peter F.
Verga, Acting Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security
Affairs, General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., USAF, Commander, North American
Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, and Lieutenant
General H. Steven Blum, Chief, National Guard Bureau, United States Army, all
of the Department of Defense; Vice Admiral Roger T. Rufe, Jr., USCG (Ret.),
Director, Office of Operations Coordination, Department of Homeland Security;
and Major General John W. Libby, USA, Maine National Guard and Maine
Department of Defense, Augusta.
D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the mayoral proposal to reform the
District of Columbia's public school system, focusing on assessments,
assurances, and accountability, after receiving testimony from Mayor Adrian M.
Fenty, Michelle Rhee, Acting Chancellor of Education, Victor Reinoso, Deputy
Mayor for Education, Deborah A. Gist, State Superintendent of Education, Allen
Y. Lew, Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, and Robert C.
Bobb, District of Columbia State Board of Education, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 462, to
approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Shoshone-Paiute
Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada, to require the
Secretary of the Interior to carry out the settlement, with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute.
Also, committee approved Senator Murkowski as Committee Vice Chairman.
[Page: D1012]
NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine draft
legislation to amend and reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance
and Self-Determination Act, after receiving testimony from Rodger J. Boyd,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Native
American Programs, Office of Public and Indian Housing; Teri Nutter, Copper
River Basin Housing Authority, Glennallen, Alaska; David Brien, Turtle
Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Belcourt, North Dakota; Waldo Walker,
Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, Gardnerville, Nevada; Aneva J. Yazzie,
Navajo Housing Authority, Window Rock, Arizona; and Marty Shuravloff, National
American Indian Housing Council, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 1145, to amend title 35, United States Code, to provide for patent reform,
with amendments;
S. Res. 248, honoring the life and achievements of Dame Lois Browne Evans,
Bermuda's first female barrister and Attorney General, and the first female
Opposition Leader in the British Commonwealth;
S. Res. 236, supporting the goals and ideals of the National Anthem Project,
which has worked to restore America's voice by re-teaching Americans to sing
the national anthem;
S. Res. 261, expressing appreciation for the profound public service and
educational contributions of Donald Jeffry Herbert, fondly known as "Mr.
Wizard"; and
The nominations of Roslynn Renee Mauskopf, to be United States District Judge
for the Eastern District of New York, William Lindsay Osteen, Jr., to be
United States District Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina, Martin
Karl Reidinger, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of
North Carolina, Timothy D. DeGiusti, to be United States District Judge for
the Western District of Oklahoma, Janis Lynn Sammartino, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of California, and Joe W. Stecher, to
be United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Sharion Aycock, to be United States District Judge for the
Northern District of Mississippi, who was introduced by Senators Cochran and
Lott, Jennifer Walker Elrod, of Texas, to be United States Circuit Judge for
the Fifth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and
Richard A. Jones, to be United States District Judge for the Western District
of Washington, who was introduced by Senator Murray, after the nominees
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/20
Daily Digest - Friday, July 20, 2007; pages D1019 - D1024
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
YOUTH VIOLENCE AND MENTORING
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine youth violence,
focusing on the efficacy of mentoring children, after receiving testimony from
Martin Lexmond, Milwaukee Public Schools Department of School Innovation,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Andres A. Alonso, Baltimore City Public School System,
Baltimore, Maryland; Thomas M. Brady, School District of Philadelphia,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Bob Collins, Los Angeles Unified School District,
Los Angeles, California; and Carmita Vaughan, Chicago Public Schools Drop-out
Prevention and Recovery, Chicago, Illinois.
No Joint hearings noted.
2007/07/23
Daily Digest - Monday, July 23, 2007; pages D1025 - D1032
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported S.J. Res. 16,
approving the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom
and Democracy Act of 2003.
Joint Meetings
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