110th Congress (2007 - 2008)
January 3 - October 30, 2008
Senate Committee Meetings by Date
Compiled from the Congressional Record's Daily Digests via Thomas at
thomas.loc.gov
You may search all Digest meeting records, from 1985 to the present, using
NCSU's U.S. Congressional Committee Meetings Index.
This database of committee hearings from the "Daily Digest" is not exhaustive, particularly so for field hearings.
2008/01/03
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 3, 2008; pages D1 - D2
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D2]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/07
Daily Digest - Monday, January 7, 2008; pages D3 - D4
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/09
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 9, 2008; pages D5 - D6
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/11
Daily Digest - Friday, January 11, 2008; pages D7 - D8
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/15
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 15, 2008; pages D9 - D12
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/16
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 16, 2008; pages D14 - D18
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
Joint Meetings
RECESSION AVOIDANCE
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine potential
efforts by the federal government to avoid a recession, after receiving
testimony from Lawrence H. Summers, Harvard University, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; and Lawrence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute, and William W.
Beach, Heritage Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.
2008/01/17
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 17, 2008; pages D20 - D24
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/18
Daily Digest - Friday, January 18, 2008; pages D25 - D26
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/22
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 22, 2008; pages D27 - D32
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S ECONOMY
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine legislative
action aimed at providing stimulus relating to strengthening America's
economy, after receiving testimony from Peter R. Orszag, Director,
Congressional Budget Office.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Kevin J. O'Connor, of Connecticut, to be Associate Attorney
General, who was introduced by Representative Larson, and Gregory G. Katsas,
of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Attorney General, both of the Department
of Justice, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/23
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 23, 2008; pages D33 - D38
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
JUSTICE FOR ALL ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Justice for All Act (Public Law 108-405), focusing on the
administration of the Bloodsworth and Coverdell DNA Grant Programs by the
Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from Glenn A. Fine, Inspector
General, and John Morgan, Deputy Director, National Institute of Justice,
Office of Justice Programs, both of the Department of Justice; Peter M.
Marone, Virginia Department of Forensic Science, Richmond, on behalf of the
Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations; Larry A. Hammond, Osborn
Maledon, Phoenix, Arizona; and Peter Neufeld, Cardozo School of Law Innocence
Project, New York, New York.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/24
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 24, 2008; pages D39 - D42
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nomination of Ed Schafer, of North Dakota, to be
Secretary of Agriculture, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senators
Conrad and Dorgan, and Representative Pomeroy, testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Congressional Budget Office budget and economic outlook, focusing on fiscal
years 2008 to 2018, after receiving testimony from Peter R. Orszag, Director,
Congressional Budget Office.
MINING LAW OF 1872 REFORM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine ways to reform the Mining Law of 1872, after receiving
testimony from Henri Bisson, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management, and
Deborah Gibbs Tschudy, Deputy Associate Director, Minerals Revenue Management,
Minerals Management Service, both of the Department of the Interior; Mayor
Alan Bernholtz, Crested Butte, Colorado; William E. Cobb, Freeport McMoran
Mining Company, Phoenix, Arizona, on behalf of the National Mining
Association; Randy Wanamaker, BBC Human Resource Development Corporation,
Juneau, Alaska; Michael P. Dombeck, University of Wisconsin College of Natural
Resources, Stevens Point, on behalf of Trout Unlimited, and sundry
organizations; James F. Cress, Holme Roberts and Owen LLP, Denver, Colorado;
Ryan Alexander, Taxpayers for Common Sense, Washington, D.C.; and James M.
Otto, Boulder, Colorado.
CALIFORNIA WAVIER
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to deny a
wavier to the state of California, after receiving testimony from Stephen L.
Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Maryland
Governor Martin O'Malley, Annapolis; Vermont Governor James Douglas,
Montpelier; Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, Harrisburg; Michigan
Attorney General Mike Cox, Lansing; Douglas Haaland, Assembly Republican
Caucus, Sacramento, California; David Doniger, Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC), New York, New York; and Jeffrey R. Holmstead, Bracewell and
Giuliani, Washington, D.C.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S ECONOMY
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine legislative
options aimed at stimulus relating to strengthening America's economy, after
receiving testimony from Martin Feldstein, Harvard University Department of
Economics, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Jason Furman, Brookings Institution,
Washington, D.C.
CLIMATE TREATY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
international climate change negotiation, focusing on Bali and the path toward
a post-2012 climate treaty, after receiving testimony from James L.
Connaughton, Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of
the President; James R. Lyons, Oxfam America, Glenn T. Prickett, Conservation
International, and John J. Castellani, Business Roundtable, all of Washington,
D.C.; and Elliot Diringer, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Arlington,
Virginia.
NORTH KOREA UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine the United
Nations Development Program in North Korea, including management reform
efforts at the United Nations (UN) Secretariat since 2006, oversight and
accountability in selected UN organizations, and UN and other international
organization activities in Burma, after receiving testimony from Zalmay
Khalilzad, Ambassador to the United Nations, and Mark D. Wallace, Ambassador
for United Nations Management and Reform, both of the Department of State;
Thomas Melito, Director, International Affairs and Trade, Government
Accountability Office; and Frederick Tipson, Washington, D.C., and David
Lockwood, David Morrison, and Robert Benson, all of New York, New York, all of
the United Nations.
CONTRACTING IN HOSTILE ZONES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and
International Security concluded a joint hearing with the Subcommittee on
Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia to examine management and oversight of contingency contracting in
hostile zones, after receiving testimony from Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special
Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, William M. Solis, Director, Carole
F. Coffey, Assistant Director, both of the Defense Capabilities and Management
Team, Government Accountability Office; P. Jackson Bell, Deputy Under
Secretary for Logistics and Materiel Readiness, and General David M. Maddox,
USA (Ret.), Member, Commission on Army Acquisition and Program, Management in
Expeditionary Operations, both of the Department of Defense; John E. Herbst,
Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, and William H. Moser, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Logistics Management, both of the Department of State;
James R. Kunder, Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator, United States Agency
for International Development; First Sergeant Perry Jefferies, USA (Ret.),
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Waco, Texas; and Dina L. Rasor and
Robert H. Bauman, both of San Jose, California.
[Page: D41]
FAIR PAY RESTORATION ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine S. 1843, to amend title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to clarify that an
unlawful practice occurs each time compensation is paid pursuant to a
discriminatory compensation decision or other practice, after receiving
testimony from Margot Dorfman, United States Women's Chamber of Commerce, and
Eric Dreiband, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, both of Washington, D.C.;
Samuel R. Bagenstos, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Law, Saint
Louis, Missouri; and Lilly Ledbetter, Jacksonville, Alabama.
VETERANS DISABILITY COMPENSATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
report of the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, focusing on veterans
disability compensation, after receiving testimony from Todd Bowers, Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America, New York, New York; Gerald T. Manar, Veterans
of Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington, D.C.; and Steve Smithson,
American Legion, Indianapolis, Indiana.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/25
Daily Digest - Friday, January 25, 2008; pages D44 - D48
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: On Thursday, January 24, 2008, Committee
announced the following membership:
Senators Akaka (Chair), Rockefeller, Murray, Obama, Sanders, Brown, Webb,
Tester, Burr, Specter, Craig, Isakson, Graham, Hutchison, and Wicker.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/28
Daily Digest - Monday, January 28, 2008; pages D50 - D54
[Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/29
Daily Digest - Tuesday, January 29, 2008; pages D55 - D62
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 federal budget outlook, focusing on action that is needed to avoid
the possibility of a serious economic disruption in the future, after
receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller General, Government
Accountability Office.
[Page: D56]
NOMINATION
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination
of Douglas H. Shulman, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of
Internal Revenue, Department of the Treasury, after the nominee testified and
answered questions in his own behalf.
Joint Meetings
COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded a
hearing to examine anti-Semitism in the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) region, focusing on initiatives, lessons learned,
and the way forward in monitoring and combating anti-Semitism, after receiving
testimony from Gert Weisskirchen, Personal Representative on Combating
Anti-Semitism, and Kathrin Meyer, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights, both of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
Vienna, Austria.
2008/01/30
Daily Digest - Wednesday, January 30, 2008; pages D64 - D68
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the economic
stimulus options, focusing on budget policy for a strong economy over the
short- and long-term future, after receiving testimony from Alan S. Blinder,
Princeton University Department of Economics Center for Economic Policy
Studies, Princeton, New Jersey; Mark Zandi, Moody's Economy.com, Inc., West
Chester, Pennsylvania; and Daniel Mitchell, Cato Institute, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the following:
S. 86, to designate segments of Fossil Creek, a tributary to the Verde River
in the State of Arizona, as wild and scenic rivers, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute;
S. 127, to amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000
to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National
Wildlife Refuge, with an amendment;
S. 128, to amend the Cache La Poudre River Corridor Act to designate a new
management entity, make certain technical and conforming amendments, enhance
private property protections, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 189, to decrease the matching funds requirements and authorize additional
appropriations for Keweenaw National Historical Park in the State of Michigan;
S. 327, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and
the farm labor movement;
[Page: D65]
S. 1039, to extend the authorization for the Coastal Heritage Trail in the
State of New Jersey, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1143, to designate the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the surrounding Federal
land in the State of Florida as an Outstanding Natural Area and as a unit of
the National Landscape System, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1247, to amend the Weir Farm National Historic Site Establishment Act of
1990 to limit the development of any property acquired by the Secretary of the
Interior for the development of visitor and administrative facilities for the
Weir Farm National Historic Site, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1304, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Arizona
National Scenic Trail, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1329, to extend the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, to provide
improved visitor services at the park, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1341, to provide for the exchange of certain Bureau of Land Management land
in Pima County, Arizona, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1365, to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements
with any of the management partners of the Boston Harbor Islands National
Recreation Area, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1377, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the City of
Henderson, Nevada, certain Federal land located in the City;
S. 1433, to amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to
provide competitive status to certain Federal employees in the State of
Alaska, with an amendment;
S. 1476, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resources study of the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Modoc County,
California, to determine suitability and feasibility of establishing a unit of
the National Park System, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1522, to amend the Bonneville Power Administration portions of the
Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000 to authorize
appropriations for fiscal years 2008 through 2014, with amendments;
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;
S. 1740, to amend the Act of February 22, 1889, and the Act of July 2, 1862,
to provide for the management of public land trust funds in the State of North
Dakota;
S. 1802, to adjust the boundaries of the Frank Church River of No Return
Wilderness in the State of Idaho, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1921, to amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to extend
the authorization for that Act, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1939, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in the Santa Fe
National Forest, New Mexico, with amendments;
S. 1940, to reauthorize the Rio Puerco Watershed Management Program, with an
amendment;
S. 1941, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and
feasibility of designating the Wolf House, located in Norfolk, Arkansas, as a
unit of the National Park System, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 1961, to expand the boundaries of the Little River Canyon National Preserve
in the State of Alabama, with an amendment;
S. 1969, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating
Estate Grange and other sites related to Alexander Hamilton's life on the
island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands as a unit of the
National Park System, with amendments;
S. 1991, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to
determine the suitability and feasibility of extending the Lewis and Clark
National Historic Trail to include additional sites associated with the
preparation and return phases of the expedition, with amendments;
S. 2034, to amend the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 to designate the Copper
Salmon Wilderness and to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate
segments of the North and South Forks of the Elk River in the State of Oregon
as wild or scenic rivers, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 2098, to establish the Northern Plains Heritage Area in the State of North
Dakota, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 2220, to amend the Outdoor Recreation Act of 1963 to authorize certain
appropriations, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 30, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and
Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in
the Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water System Pressurization and
Expansion Project;
H.R. 299, to adjust the boundary of Lowell National Historical Park;
[Page: D66]
H.R. 759, to redesignate the Ellis Island Library on the third floor of the
Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor,
as the "Bob Hope Memorial Library";
H.R. 807, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study to determine the feasibility and suitability of establishing a
memorial to the Space Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texas and for its
inclusion as a unit of the National Park System;
H.R. 815, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in Clark County,
Nevada, for use by the Nevada National Guard, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute;
H.R. 830, to authorize the exchange of certain interests in land in Denali
National Park in the State of Alaska;
H.R. 1021, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating
certain historic buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of
the National Park System;
H.R. 1025, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to
determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation
project to improve water supply reliability, increase the capacity of water
storage, and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin
between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas;
H.R. 1191, to authorize the National Park Service to pay for services rendered
by subcontractors under a General Services Administration Indefinite Deliver
Indefinite Quantity Contract issued for work to be completed at the Grand
Canyon National Park;
H.R. 1239, to amend the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act
of 1998 to authorize additional funding to carry out the Act;
H.R. 1462, 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, with amendments;
H.R. 1526, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and
Facilities Act to authorize the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program; and
H.R. 1662, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to seek limited
reimbursement for site security activities.
POLAR BEAR THREATS AND PROTECTIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the threats and protections for the polar bear, focusing on the status
of and legal protections for the polar bear, including the Endangered Species
Act, and the status of listing the species under that Act, after receiving
testimony from H. Dale Hall, Director, United States Fish and Wildlife
Service, Department of the Interior; Margaret Williams, World Wildlife Fund,
Anchorage, Alaska; Andrew E. Wetzler, Natural Resources Defense Council,
Worthington, Ohio; Brendan P. Kelly, University of Alaska, Juneau; J. Scott
Armstrong, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Philadelphia; and
Richard Glenn, Barrow, Alaska.
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine private
fee-for-service plans in the Medicare Advantage program, after receiving
testimony from Mark E. Miller, Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory
Commission (MEDPAC); Elyse Politi, New River Valley Agency on Aging, Pulaski,
Virginia; Albert Fisk, Everett Clinic, Everett, Washington; David R. Fillman,
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME),
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Daryl Weaver, National Rural Health Association,
Yazoo City, Mississippi.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill
entitled, "The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008".
Also, committee rules of procedures for the 110th Congress were amended.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of James K. Glassman, of Connecticut, to be Under Secretary for
Public Diplomacy with the rank of Ambassador, Goli Ameri, of Oregon, to be
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, and David J. Kramer,
of Massachusetts, to be Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor, all of the Department of State, after the nominees testified and
answered questions in their own behalf.
AFGHANISTAN UPDATE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing to examine the current conditions and circumstances in Afghanistan
from members of the intelligence community.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from Michael B.
Mukasey, Attorney General, Department of Justice.
[Page: D67]
WOMEN'S CONTRACTING AND LENDER OVERSIGHT
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the Small Business Administration's accountability,
focusing on the efficacy of women-owned small business contracting and lender
oversight, after receiving testimony from Steven C. Preston, Administrator,
Small Business Administration.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/01/31
Daily Digest - Thursday, January 31, 2008; pages D70 - D76
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MILITARY RECRUITING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded an oversight
hearing to examine military recruiting, after receiving testimony from Major
General Thomas P. Bostick, USA, Commanding General, U.S. Army Recruiting
Command, Rear Admiral Joseph F. Kilkenny, USN, Commander, Navy Recruiting
Command, Brigadier General Suzanne M. Vautrinot, USAF, Commander, Air Force
Recruiting Service, Major General Richard T. Tryon, USMC, Commanding General,
Marine Corps Recruiting Command, and Sergeant First Class Ricky Lee Webb, USA,
Master Chief Petty Officer Travis P. Brummer, USN, Master Sergeant David B.
White, USAF, and Staff Sergeant James M. Britton, USMC, all Active Duty
Recruiters, all of the Department of Defense.
FORECLOSURE PREVENTION AND NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine strengthening our economy, focusing on foreclosure
prevention and neighborhood preservation, after receiving testimony from
Sheila C. Bair, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Robert K.
Steel, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance; Michael S. Barr,
Center for American Progress, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Alex J. Pollock, American
Enterprise Institute, and Wade Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights, both of Washington, D.C.; and Doris W. Koo, Enterprise Community
Partners, Inc., Seattle, Washington.
HEALTH CARE SPENDING
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
long-term federal budget outlook and sources of growth in health care
spending, after receiving testimony from Peter R. Orszag, Director,
Congressional Budget Office.
PIPELINES AND CARBON CAPTURE
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 2323, to provide for the conduct of carbon capture and storage
technology research, development, and demonstration projects, and S. 2144, to
require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study of feasibility relating to
the construction and operation of pipelines and carbon dioxide sequestration
facilities, after receiving testimony from Senators Kerry and Coleman; Joseph
T. Kelliher, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Benjamin H.
Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency;
James Slutz, Acting Prinicipal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil
Energy; Krista L. Edwards, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; C. Stephen
Allred, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management;
Lawrence E. Bengal, Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, Little Rock, on behalf of
the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission Task Force on Carbon Capture and
Geologic Storage; Ronald T. Evans, Denbury Resources, Inc., Plano, Texas; and
Scott Anderson, Environmental Defense, Austin, Texas.
[Page: D72]
NATIONAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND REVENUE STUDY COMMISSION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine a report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue
Study Commission, after receiving testimony from Frank Busalacchi, Wisconsin
Department of Transportation, Madison; Jack L. Schenendorf, Covington and
Burling LLP, Washington, D.C.; Matthew K. Rose, BNSF Railway Company, Fort
Worth, Texas; and Tom Skancke, Skancke Company, Las Vegas, Nevada.
AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
counternarcotics strategy and police training for Afghanistan, after receiving
testimony from Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary for South and Central
Asian Affairs, David T. Johnson, Assistant Secretary for International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Thomas R. Pickering, former Under
Secretary for Political Affairs, and Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. Permanent
Representative to the United Nations, all of the Department of State; and
General James L. Jones, Jr., USMC (Ret.), former Commander, European Command
and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Department of Defense.
ELIMINATING AGENCY PAYMENT ERRORS
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 agency
payment errors, after receiving testimony from McCoy Williams, Managing
Director, Financial Management and Assurance, Government Accountability
Office; Daniel I. Werfel, Acting Controller, Office of Management and Budget;
Charles R. Christopherson, Jr., Chief Financial Officer, Department of
Agriculture; Anthony J. Dale, Managing Director, Federal Communications
Commission; Charles E. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human
Services for Resources and Technology and Chief Financial Officer; and David
A. Rust, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security
Programs, Social Security Administration.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 1638, to adjust the salaries of Federal justices and judges, with
amendments;
S. 2450, to amend the Federal Rules of Evidence to address the waiver of the
attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine; and
The nominations of Mark R. Filip, of Illinois, to be Deputy Attorney General,
Ondray T. Harris, of Virginia, to be Director, Community Relations Service,
and David W. Hagy, of Texas, to be Director of the National Institute of
Justice, all of the Department of Justice.
ELDERLY VOTERS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine elderly
voters, focusing on opportunities and challenges for the 2008 election, after
receiving testimony from Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce,
and Income Security, Government Accountability Office; Deb Markowitz, Vermont
Secretary of State, Montpelier; Michael E. Waterstone, Loyola Law School, Los
Angeles, California; Jason Karlawish, University of Pennsylvania Department of
Medicine, Philadelphia; and Wendy R. Weiser, New York University School of Law
Brennan Center for Justice, New York.
[Page: 73]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/04
Daily Digest - Monday, February 4, 2008; pages D77 - D82
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: On January 24, 2008,
Committee announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security: Senators
Rockefeller (Chairman), Kerry, Dorgan, Boxer, Nelson (FL), Cantwell,
Lautenberg, Pryor, Carper, McCaskill, Klobuchar, Hutchison, McCain, Snowe,
Smith, Ensign, Sununu, DeMint, Vitter, Thune, and Wicker;
Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Agencies: Senators Nelson (FL)
(Chairman), Kerry, Dorgan, Pryor, Vitter, Sununu, and Wicker;
Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard: Senators
Cantwell (Chairman), Kerry, Boxer, Nelson (FL), Lautenberg, Carper, Klobuchar,
Snowe, Smith, Sununu, DeMint, Vitter, and Wicker;
Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure,
Safety and Security: Senators Lautenberg (Chairman), Rockefeller, Kerry,
Dorgan, Cantwell, Pryor, Carper, McCaskill, Klobuchar, Smith, McCain,
Hutchison, Snowe, DeMint, Vitter, Thune, and Wicker;
Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety: Senators
Pryor (Chairman), Rockefeller, Nelson (FL), Cantwell, Lautenberg, Carper,
McCaskill, Klobuchar, Sununu, McCain, Snowe, Smith, Vitter, Thune, and Wicker.
Senators Inouye and Stevens are ex-officio members of each of the
Subcommittees.
[Page: D79]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/05
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 5, 2008; pages D84 - D88
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee announced the following subcommittee
assignments:
Subcommittee on Airland: Senators Lieberman (Chairman), Akaka, Bayh, Clinton,
Pryor, Webb, McCaskill, Cornyn, Warner, Inhofe, Sessions, Chambliss, and
Wicker;
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities: Senators Reed (Chairman),
Kennedy, Byrd, Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Bayh, Clinton, Dole, Warner, Collins,
Graham, Cornyn, and Martinez;
Subcommittee on Personnel: Senators Nelson (NE) (Chairman), Kennedy,
Lieberman, Webb, McCaskill, Graham, Collins, Chambliss, and Dole;
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support: Senators Akaka (Chairman),
Byrd, Bayh, Clinton, Pryor, McCaskill, Thune, Inhofe, Chambliss, Dole, and
Wicker;
Subcommittee on Seapower: Senators Kennedy (Chairman), Lieberman, Reed, Akaka,
Nelson (FL), Webb, Martinez, Warner, Sessions, Collins, and Cornyn;
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces: Senators 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.
2009: BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2009, after receiving testimony
from Jim Nussle, Director, Office of Management and Budget.
2009: BUDGET
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget for fiscal year 2009, after receiving testimony from Henry M.
Paulson, Jr., Secretary, Department of the Treasury.
[Page: D86]
VETERANS' DISABILITY COMPENSATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine veterans' disability compensation, after receiving testimony from Ruth
A. Fanning, Director, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service,
Veterans Benefits Administration, and Kristin Day, LCSW, Chief Consultant,
Care Management and Social Work, Veterans Health Administration, both of the
Department of Veterans Affairs; James Rothrock, Virginia Department of
Rehabilitative Services, and Linda Winslow, National Rehabilitation
Association, both of Richmond, Virginia; Dorcas R. Hardy, DRHardy and
Associates, Spotsylvania, Virginia; and John Lancaster, National Council on
Independent Living, Douglas B. Carmon, Easter Seals, Inc., and Richard Daley,
Paralyzed Veterans of America, all of Washington, D.C.
WORLD THREATS
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current and projected national security threats, after receiving testimony
from Mike McConnell, Director, National Intelligence; Michael Hayden,
Director, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Robert S. Mueller, III, Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Justice; Randall M. Fort,
Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research; and Lieutenant
General Michael D. Maples, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, Department
of Defense.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence
community.
[Page: D87]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/06
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 6, 2008; pages D89 - D96
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 782
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009, the future years defense
program, and for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, after receiving testimony
from Robert M. Gates, Secretary, Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Tina W. Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller), all
of the Department of Defense.
2009: BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's fiscal year 2009 budget and revenue proposals, after receiving
testimony from Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary, Department of the Treasury.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the
Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Samuel W. Bodman,
Secretary of Energy.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION REPORT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine perspectives on the Surface Transportation Commission report, focusing
on current and future transportation needs of the United States, after
receiving testimony from Mary E. Peters, Secretary of Transportation; JayEtta
Z. Hecker, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability
Office; Debra L. Miller, Kansas Department of Transportation, Topeka, on
behalf of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials; and Janet F. Kavinoky, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Gregory M.
Cohen, American Highway Users Alliance, both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D91]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably
reported S. 2146, to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency to accept, as part of a settlement, diesel emission
reduction Supplemental Environmental Projects.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Health and
Human Services, after receiving testimony from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary,
Department of Health and Human Services.
KOREAN PENINSULA DENUCLEARIZATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Six-Party Talks for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, after
receiving testimony from Christopher R. Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for
East Asia and Pacific Affairs.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Margaret Scobey, of Tennessee, to be Ambassador to the Arab
Republic of Egypt, James Francis Moriarty, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador
to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, and Deborah K. Jones, of New Mexico,
to be Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, all of the Department of State, after
the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
SUDAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on Sudan from Richard Williamson, President's Special Envoy to Sudan,
Department of State.
No Joint meetings noted.
2008/02/07
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 7, 2008; pages D97 - D108
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
final report of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, after
receiving testimony from Major General Arnold L. Punaro, USMCR (Ret.),
Chairman, and William L. Ball, III, Patricia L. Lewis, and Major General E.
Gordon Stump, USAF (Ret.), all Commissioners, all of the Commission on the
National Guard and Reserves.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
concluded a hearing to examine business transformation and financial
management at the Department of Defense, after receiving testimony from David
M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability
Office; and Paul A. Brinkley, Deputy Under Secretary for Business
Transformation, Peter E. Kunkel, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Financial Management and Comptroller, Douglas A. Brook, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller, and John H.
Gibson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and
Comptroller, all of the Department of Defense.
[Page: D99]
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED ENTERPRISES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine ways to reform the regulation of government-sponsored
enterprises, after receiving testimony from David G. Nason, Assistant
Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions; James B. Lockhart, III,
Director, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight; Ronald A. Rosenfeld,
Chairman, Federal Housing Finance Board; Richard F. Syron, Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corporation, McLean, Virginia; and Daniel H. Mudd, Federal National
Mortgage Association, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Robert A. Sturgell, of Maryland, to be
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, and Simon Charles Gros,
of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs, who was
introduced by Representative LoBiondo, both of the Department of
Transportation, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their
own behalf.
RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the energy market effects of the recently-passed renewable
fuel standard enacted as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act
(Public Law 110-140), after receiving testimony from Alexander Karsner,
Assistant of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Robert
J. Meyers, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and
Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency; Carol Werner, Environmental and
Energy Study Institute, Charles T. Drevna, National Petrochemical and Refiners
Association, Michael J. McAdams, Advanced Biofuels Coalition, and Bob Dinneen,
Renewable Fuels Association, all of Washington, D.C.; and Brian Jennings,
American Coalition for Ethanol, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
MEDICARE PRIVATE PLANS
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine
selling to seniors, focusing on the need for accountability and oversight of
marketing and sales by Medicare private plans, after receiving testimony from
Michael McRaith, Illinois Division of Insurance, Springfield, on behalf of the
National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Peter C. Hebertson, Salt Lake
County Aging Services, Salt Lake City, Utah; Patrick O'Toole, Humana Inc.,
Louisville, Kentucky; and George Harper, Mayflower, Arkansas.
KENYA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs concluded a
hearing to examine the immediate and underlying causes and consequences of
Kenya's flawed election, after receiving testimony from Jendayi Frazer,
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Katherine J. Almquist,
Assistant Administrator for Africa, United States Agency for International
Development (USAID); and Chris Albin-Lackey, Human Rights Watch, Joel D.
Barkan, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and David Mozersky,
International Crisis Group, all of Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nominations of Hector E. Morales, of Texas, to be Permanent Representative of
the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the
rank of Ambassador, who was introduced by Senator Hutchison, Larry Woodrow
Walther, of Arkansas, to be Director of the Trade and Development Agency, who
was introduced by Senator Lincoln, Ana M. Guevara, of Florida, to be United
States Alternate Executive Director of the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, and Jeffrey J. Grieco, of Virginia, to be an
Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
NOMINATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Robert G. McSwain, of Maryland, to be Director of the Indian
Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, after the nominee
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
FOUNDING FATHERS PROJECT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Founding Fathers Project, focusing on ensuring public access to the complete
annotated writings of the six founding fathers of the United States, after
receiving testimony from Deanna B. Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library
Services, Library of Congress; Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United
States, National Archives and Records Administration; Stanley Katz, Princeton
University Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton, New Jersey; Rebecca W. Rimel, Pew
Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Ralph Ketcham, Syracuse
University Maxwell School, Syracuse, New York; and David G. McCullough,
Camden, Maine.
[Page: D100]
Joint Meetings
COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM (PART II)
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded
hearings to examine anti-Semitism in the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) region, after receiving testimony from Gregg
Rickman, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti Semitism, Department of
State; Felice D. Gaer, Commissioner, United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom; Andrew Baker, American Jewish Committee, Mark Levin,
National Conference on Soviet Jewry, and Stacy Burdett, Anti-Defamation
League, all of Washington, D.C.; and Marvin Hier, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los
Angeles, California.
2008/02/08
Daily Digest - Friday, February 8, 2008; pages D109 - D116
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/11
Daily Digest - Monday, February 11, 2008; pages D117 - D120
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/12
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 12, 2008; pages D122 - D130
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AIR FORCE NUCLEAR SECURITY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded open and closed hearings to
examine Air Force nuclear security, focusing on the August 2007
weapons-transfer incident, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General
Daniel J. Darnell, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air, Space and Information
Operations, Plans and Requirements, Major General Douglas L. Raaberg, USAF,
Director, Air and Space Operations, Air Combat Command, Major General Polly A.
Peyer, USAF, Director, Resource Integration, Office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff, Logistics, Installation, and Mission Support, all of the Department of
Defense; and General Larry D. Welch, USAF (Ret.), Institute for Defense
Analysis, Alexandria, Virginia.
DEFENSE AND WAR COSTS BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of
Defense and war costs, after receiving testimony from Gordon England, Deputy
Secretary, General James Cartwright, USMC, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of
Staff, and Tina Jonas, Under Secretary (Comptroller), all of the Department of
Defense.
HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE ISSUES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine ways to address healthcare workforce issues for the future,
focusing on primary care professionals, after receiving testimony from A.
Bruce Steinwald, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office;
Kevin Grumbach, University of California Department of Family and Community
Medicine, San Francisco; Roderick S. Hooker, Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Edward Salsberg, Association of American
Medical Colleges (AAMC), Washington, D.C.; James Q. Swift, American Dental
Education Association (ADEA), Minneapolis, Minnesota; Bruce Auerbach,
Massachusetts Medical Society, Waltham; Beth Landon, Alaska Center for Rural
Health, Anchorage, on behalf of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA);
Jennifer S. Laurent, Vermont Nurse and Practitioner Association, Burlington;
and John E. Maupin, Jr., Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, on
behalf of the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools.
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.
2008/02/13
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 13, 2008; pages D131 - D142
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
WOUNDED AND ILL SERVICE MEMBERS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
improvements implemented and planned by the Department of Defense and the
Department of Veterans Affairs for the care, management, and transition of
wounded and ill military service members, after receiving testimony from
Preston M. Geren, III, Secretary of the Army, David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary
for Personnel and Readiness, and Lieutenant General Eric B. Schoomaker, USA,
Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, all of the Department of Defense; and Gordon
H. Mansfield, Deputy Secretary, and Rear Admiral Patrick W. Dunne, USN (Ret.),
Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning, both of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered favorably
reported an original bill entitled "Industrial Bank Holding Company Act of
2008".
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the Department
of the Interior, after receiving testimony from former Senator Dirk
Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior.
MEDICARE PRIVATE PLANS (PART II)
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded hearings to examine selling to
seniors, focusing on the need for accountability and oversight of marketing
and sales by Medicare private plans, after receiving testimony from Kerry
Weems, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),
Department of Health and Human Services.
[Page: D133]
FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's budget request for fiscal year 2009 for foreign affairs, after
receiving testimony from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
H.R. 1469, to establish the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation under
the authorities of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961,
with amendments;
H.R. 2798, to reauthorize the programs of the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1418, to provide assistance to improve the health of newborns, children,
and mothers in developing countries, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute;
S. 2433, to require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive
strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting
the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty,
and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half
the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less
than $1 per day, with amendments;
S. Res. 439, expressing the strong support of the Senate for the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization to enter into a Membership Action Plan with
Georgia and Ukraine; and
The nominations of James K. Glassman, of Connecticut, to be Under Secretary of
State for Public Diplomacy with the rank of Ambassador, Goli Ameri, of Oregon,
to be Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, David
J. Kramer, of Massachusetts, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy,
Human Rights, and Labor, James Francis Moriarty, of Massachusetts, to be
Ambassador to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Margaret Scobey, of
Tennessee, to be Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Deborah K. Jones,
of New Mexico, to be Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, Hector E. Morales, of
Texas, to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the
Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador, Larry Woodrow
Walther, of Arkansas, to be Director of the Trade and Development Agency,
Jeffrey J. Grieco, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development, John E. Osborn, of Delaware, to
be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy,
Elizabeth F. Bagley, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the United
States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, William J. Hybl, of Colorado,
to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy,
Mark McKinnon, of Texas, Joaquin F. Blaya, of Florida, Edward E. Kaufman, of
Delaware, Susan M. McCue, of Virginia, Dennis M. Mulhaupt, of California, and
Steven J. Simmons, of Connecticut, each to be a Member of the Broadcasting
Board of Governors, and Ana M. Guevara, of Florida, to be United States
Alternate Executive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HOMELAND SECURITY ROLE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the role of the Department of Defense in homeland security,
focusing on ways the military can and will contribute, after receiving
testimony from Major General Arnold L. Punaro, USMCR (Ret.), Chairman, and
Lieutenant General James E. Sherrard III, USAFR (Ret.), and Major General E.
Gordon Stump, ANG (Ret.), both Commissioners, all of the Commission on the
National Guard and Reserves.
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Children
and Families concluded a hearing to examine the Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA)(P.L. 103-3), focusing on a fifteen year history of support for workers,
after receiving testimony from Victoria A. Lipnic, Assistant Secretary of
Labor for the Employment Standards Administration; Debra Ness, National
Partnership for Women and Families, Marcel Reid, Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), and Kristen Grimm, Spitfire Strategies,
all of Washington, D.C.; and Katheryn Elliott, Central Michigan University
Employee Relations, Mount Pleasant, on behalf of the Society for Human
Resource Management (SPHR).
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: On Tuesday, February 12, committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of James Randal Hall, to be United States
District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia, who was introduced by
Senators Chambliss and Isakson, Richard H. Honaker, to be United States
District Judge for the District of Wyoming, who was introduced by Senators
Enzi and Barrasso, Gustavus Adolphus Puryear IV, to be United States District
Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee, who was introduced by Senators
Alexander and Corker, and Brian Stacy Miller, to be United States District
Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas, who was introduced by Senators
Lincoln and Pryor, after the nominees testified and answered questions in
their own behalf.
[Page: D134]
FEDERAL COCAINE SENTENCING LAWS
Committee on the Judiciary: On Tuesday, February 12, Subcommittee on Crime and
Drugs concluded a hearing to examine federal cocaine sentencing laws, focusing
on reforming the 100-to-1 crack/powder disparity, including S. 1383, to reduce
the disparity in punishment between crack and powder cocaine offenses, to more
broadly focus the punishment for drug offenders on the seriousness of the
offense and the culpability of the offender, S. 1685, to reduce the sentencing
disparity between powder and crack cocaine violations, and to provide
increased emphasis on aggravating factors relating to the seriousness of the
offense and the culpability of the offender, and S. 1711, to target cocaine
kingpins and address sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine,
after receiving testimony from Gretchen C. Shappert, United States Attorney,
Western District of North Carolina, Department of Justice; Ricardo H.
Hinojosa, Chair, United States Sentencing Commission; Nora D. Volkow,
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human Services; Reggie B. Walton, Judge, United
States District Court for the District of Columbia, on behalf of the Judicial
Conference of the United States; and James E. Felman, American Bar
Association, Washington, D.C.
STATE SECRETS PRIVILEGE
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the state
secrets privilege, focusing on protecting national security while preserving
accountability, including S. 2533, to enact a safe, fair, and responsible
state secrets privilege Act, after receiving testimony from Carl J. Nichols,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, Department of Justice;
Patricia M. Wald, former Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit, Washington, D.C.; Louis Fisher, Specialist in
Constitutional Law, Law Library, Library of Congress; Robert M. Chesney, Wake
Forest University School of Law, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Michael A.
Vatis, Steptoe and Johnson LLP, New York, New York.
VETERANS PROGRAMS BUDGET
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for veterans
programs, after receiving testimony from James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans
Affairs; Carl Blake, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), Fredericksburg,
Virginia; Raymond C. Kelley, American Veterans (AMVETS), Lanham, Maryland;
John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Middle Village, New York; and
Kerry Baker, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Christopher Needham, Veterans
of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), and Peter S. Gaytan, American
Legion, all of Washington, D.C.
FORECLOSURE AFTERMATH
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
housing foreclosure aftermath, focusing on concerns for elderly homeowners,
after receiving testimony from Peggy Twohig, Associate Director, Division of
Financial Practices, Federal Trade Commission; Thomas E. Perez, Maryland
Department of Labor, Licensing, and Registration, Baltimore; Walter Malone,
Malone and Malone Construction, Washington, D.C.; Catherine M. Doyle, Legal
Aid Society of Milwaukee, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin; John W. Anderson, Twin
Oaks Realty, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on behalf of the National Association of
Realtors; and Rachel M. Dollar, Smith Dollar, PC, Santa Rosa, California, on
behalf of the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Joint Meetings
SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
efficacy of sovereign wealth funds, government investment funds, funded by
foreign currency reserves, but managed separately from official currency
reserves, focusing on the U.S. economy and national security risks, after
receiving testimony from David H. McCormick, Under Secretary of the Treasury
for International Affairs; and Stuart E. Eizenstat, Covington and Burling LLP,
and Douglas Rediker, New America Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.
FINLAND'S LEADERSHIP OF THE OSCE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded a
hearing to examine Finland's leadership of the Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), focusing on plans, priorities, and challenges
that face the region, after receiving testimony from Ilkka Kanerva, Finland
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helsinki.
2008/02/14
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 14, 2008; pages D143 - D152
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded hearings to examine the
strategy in Afghanistan, focusing on reports by the Afghanistan Study Group
and the Atlantic Council of the United States, after receiving testimony from
James J. Shinn, Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs,
Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Lieutenant General John F.
Sattler, USMC, Director for Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff, both
of the Department of Defense; Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State
for South and Central Asian Affairs; General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret.),
Atlantic Council of the United States, and Karl F. Inderfurth, George
Washington University, both of Washington, D.C.
CURRENT U.S. ECONOMY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the current state of the United States economy and
financial matters, after receiving testimony from Henry M. Paulson, Jr.,
Secretary of the Treasury; former Representative Christopher Cox, Chairman,
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; and Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH CARE REFORM
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine health care
and the federal budget, focusing on information technology and health care
reform, after receiving testimony from Valerie C. Melvin, Director, Human
Capital and Management, Information Systems Issues, Government Accountability
Office; Laura L. Adams, Rhode Island Quality Institute, Providence; and Mary
R. Grealy, Healthcare Leadership Council, Washington, D.C.
USDA FOREST SERVICE BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA), after receiving
testimony from Mark Rey, Under Secretary, and Abigail Kimbell, Chief, USDA
Forest Service, both of the Department of Agriculture.
MARINE VESSEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine S. 1499, to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution from
marine vessels, after receiving testimony from Bryan Wood-Thomas, Associate
Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Office of Air and
Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Barry R. Wallerstein, South
Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, California; Lisa P.
Jackson, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton; Jennifer
J. Mouton, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Air Quality
Assessment Division, Baton Rouge; John G. Miller, American College of
Emergency Physicians (ACEP), San Pedro, California; Richard Kassel, Natural
Resources Defense Council (NRDC), New York, New York; Joe Accardo, Jr., Ports
Association of Louisiana (PAL), and Joel T. Chaisson, Port of South Louisiana,
both of LaPlace; Ken Wells, Offshore Marine Service Association, Harahan,
Louisiana; and Jonah Ramirez, San Bernardino, California.
INTERNATIONAL CARBON CAP AND TRADE PROGRAM
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine international
aspects of a carbon cap and trade program, focusing on experiences and
implications for a United States cap-and-trade program, after receiving
testimony from Senator Specter; Jennifer Haverkamp, Enviromental Defense Fund,
and Kjell Olav Kristiansen, Point Carbon, both of Washington, D.C.; Abraham F.
Breehey, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders,
Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (AFL-CIO), Fairfax, Virginia; and Ruksana
Mirza, Holcim (US), Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts.
FEDERAL ACQUISITION WORKFORCE
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 ways to build and strengthen the
Federal acquisition workforce, after receiving testimony from Paul A. Denett,
Administrator, Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget;
Frank J. Anderson, Jr., President, Defense Acquisition University, Office of
the Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Department of
Defense; and Karen A. Pica, Director, Federal Acquisition Institute, General
Services Administration.
[Page: D148]
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BUDGET
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2009 for the Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
DNI AUTHORITIES
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
authorities given to the Director of National Intelligence and personnel
issues, after receiving testimony from J. Michael McConnell, Director of
National Intelligence.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/15
Daily Digest - Friday, February 15, 2008; pages D153 - D154
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/19
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 19, 2008; pages D155 - D156
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/21
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 21, 2008; pages D157 - D158
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/22
Daily Digest - Friday, February 22, 2008; pages D159 - D160
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/25
Daily Digest - Monday, February 25, 2008; pages D161 - D172
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: On January 24, committee
announced the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment: Senators Reed (RI)
(Chairman), Menendez, Johnson, Schumer, Bayh, Casey, Akaka, Tester, Allard,
Enzi, Bennett, Hagel, Bunning, Crapo, and Corker;
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions: Senators Johnson (Chairman), Tester,
Menendez, Akaka, Reed (RI), Schumer, Bayh, Carper, Hagel, Bennett, Allard,
Bunning Crapo, Dole, and Corker;
Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development: Senators
Schumer (Chairman), Akaka, Casey, Reed (RI), Carper, Brown, Tester, Crapo,
Dole, Martinez, Allard, Enzi, and Hagel;
Subcommittee on Economic Policy: Senators Carper (Chairman), Brown, and
Bunning;
Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance: Senators Bayh
(Chairman), Brown, Johnson, Casey, Dodd, Martinez, Enzi, Dole, and Bennett.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: On Thursday, February 21, committee concluded a
hearing to examine the nominations of Catharina Haynes, of Texas, to be United
States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, John A. Mendez, to be United
States District Judge for the Eastern District of California, and Stanley
Thomas Anderson, to be United States District Judge for the Western District
of Tennessee, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own
behalf.
[Page: D164]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/26
Daily Digest - Tuesday, February 26, 2008; pages D174 - D184
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PROGRAMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies concluded an oversight hearing to examine the oil, gas, and
mineral revenue programs managed by the Department of the Interior, after
receiving testimony from C. Stephen Allred, Assistant Secretary for Lands and
Minerals Management, and Randall Luthi, Director, Minerals Management Service,
both of the Department of the Interior.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of the
Army, and the future years defense program, after receiving testimony from
Preston M. Geren III, Secretary, and General George W. Casey, Jr., USA, Chief
of Staff, both of the Army, Department of Defense.
U.S. OIL INVENTORY POLICIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine United States oil inventory policies, focusing on the
Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Management Office
policies, after receiving testimony from Katharine Fredriksen, Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Policy and International Affairs;
Frank Rusco, Acting Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government
Accountability Office; Frank A. Verrastro, Center for Strategic and
International Studies, Washington, D.C.; and Melanie A. Kenderdine,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative, Cambridge.
ECONOMIC AND FISCAL CONDITIONS OF THE STATES
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the economic
and fiscal conditions of the states, focusing on the national economic
outlook, after receiving testimony from Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano,
Phoenix.
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: D176]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/27
Daily Digest - Wednesday, February 27, 2008; pages D185 - D194
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: U.S. ARMY
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the U.S. Army, Department of
Defense, after receiving testimony from Preston M. Geren III, Secretary, and
General George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff, both of the United States Army,
Department of Defense.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
current and future worldwide threats to the national security of the United
States, after receiving testimony from John M. McConnell, Director, Tim
Langford, Cuba-Venezuela Mission Manager, Benjamin Powell, General Counsel,
Alan Pino, National Intelligence Officer for the Middle East, and Tom Fingar,
Deputy Director for Analysis, all of National Intelligence; and Lieutenant
General Michael D. Maples, USA, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency.
[Page: D186]
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for the Active
component, Reserve component, civilian personnel programs, and the future
years defense program, after receiving testimony from David S. C. Chu, Under
Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, Lieutenant General Michael D. Rochelle,
USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G1, United States Army, Vice Admiral John C.
Harvey, Jr., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel,
Training and Education, United States Navy, Lieutenant General Roland S.
Coleman, USMC, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, United
States Marine Corps, and Lieutenant General Richard Y. Newton III, USAF,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel, United States Air Force, all
of the Department of Defense.
NASA BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Space,
Aeronautics, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine the
President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the National
Space and Aeronautics Administration (NASA), after receiving testimony from
Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
NOMINATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the nomination of J. Gregory Copeland, of Texas, to be General Counsel
of the Department of Energy, after the nominee testified and answered
questions in his own behalf.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and
Forests concluded a hearing to examine S. 2229, to withdraw certain Federal
land in the Wyoming Range from leasing and provide an opportunity to retire
certain leases in the Wyoming Range, S. 2379, to authorize the Secretary of
the Interior to cancel certain grazing leases on land in Cascade-Siskiyou
National Monument that are voluntarily waived by the lessees, to provide for
the exchange of certain Monument land in exchange for private land, to
designate certain Monument land as wilderness, S. 832, to provide for the sale
of approximately 25 acres of public land to the Turnabout Ranch, Escalante,
Utah, at fair market value, S. 2508 and H.R. 903, bills to provide for a study
of options for protecting the open space characteristics of certain lands in
and adjacent to the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, S.
2601 and H.R. 1285, bills to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to
King and Kittitas Counties Fire District No. 51 a certain parcel of real
property for use as a site for a new Snoqualmie Pass fire and rescue station,
H.R. 523, to require the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public
land located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the Wells
Hydroelectric Project of Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County,
Washington, to the utility district, and S. 532 and H.R. 838, bills to provide
for the conveyance of the Bureau of Land Management parcels known as the White
Acre and Gambel Oak properties and related real property to Park City, Utah,
after receiving testimony from Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, Cheyenne;
Melissa Simpson, Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources
and Environment; Luke Johnson, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management,
Department of the Interior; Andy Kerr, Soda Mountain Wilderness Council, and
Mike Dauenhauer, both of Ashland, Oregon; Claire Moseley, Public Lands
Advocacy, Denver, Colorado; Gary Amerine, Citizens Protecting the Wyoming
Range, Daniel; and Chris Caviezel, Snoqualmie Pass Fire Station, Snoqualmie
Pass, Washington.
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 2009 for the
Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony from Stephen L.
Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
PRIVATE SECURITY FIRMS RELIANCE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine U.S. reliance on private security firms in overseas
operations, after receiving testimony from Patrick F. Kennedy, Under Secretary
of State for Management; P. Jackson Bell, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
for Logistics and Material Readiness; James D. Schmitt, ArmorGroup North
America, Inc., McLean, Virginia; and Laura A. Dickinson, University of
Connecticut School of Law, Hartford.
FOREIGN AID LESSONS FOR DOMESTIC ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 2232,
to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a demonstration program to
adapt the lessons of providing foreign aid to underdeveloped economies to the
provision of Federal economic development assistance to certain similarly
situated individuals, after receiving testimony from Senator Stevens; Matthew
Crow, Deputy Assistant Secretary for External Affairs and Communications of
Commerce for Economic Development Administration; Julie Kitka, Alaska
Federation of Natives, Anchorage; Byron Mallott, Sealaska Corporation, Juneau,
Alaska; Ralph Andersen, Bristol Bay Native Association, Dillingham, Alaska;
Zach Brink, Association of Village Council Presidents, Bethel, Alaska; and
Paul V. Applegarth, Value Enhancement International, Greenwich, Connecticut.
[Page: D187]
FALSE CLAIMS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 2041,
to amend the False Claims Act, focusing on strengthening the government's most
effective tool against fraud for the 21st century, after receiving testimony
from Michael F. Hertz, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division,
Department of Justice; John E. Clark, Goode, Casseb, Jones, Riklin, Choate,
and Watson, PC, San Antonio, Texas; John T. Boese, Fried, Frank, Harris,
Shriver and Jacobson, LLP, Washington, DC; Pamela H. Bucy, University of
Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa; and Tina Marie Gonter, Jacksonville,
Florida.
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs concluded a
hearing to examine supporting the front line in the fight against crime,
focusing on restoring federal funding for state and local law enforcement,
after receiving testimony from Senators Harkin and Chambliss; Mark Epley,
Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice; Jeffrey
Horvath, Dover Police Department, Dover, Delaware; Anthony F. Wieners, New
Jersey Police Department, Belleville, on behalf of the National Association of
Police Organizations (NAPO); and Charles H. Ramsey, Philadelphia Police
Department, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
VOTE CAGING PRACTICES
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine protecting voters in the United States at the polls, focusing on
limiting abusive robocalls and vote caging practices, including S. 2305, to
prevent voter caging, after receiving testimony from Senator Whitehouse; Roy
Cooper, North Carolina Attorney General, Raleigh; J. Bradley King, Indiana
Election Division, Indianapolis; James Bopp, Jr., James Madison Center for
Free Speech, Terre Haute, Indiana; Shaun Dakin, National Political Do Not
Contact Registry, and Judith A. Browne-Dianis, Advancement Project, both of
Washington, DC; and Chandler Davidson, Rice University, Houston, Texas.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUDGET
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2009 for the Small Business Administration, including The Military Reservist
and Veteran Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act (Public Law
110-186), The CLEAN Energy Act (Public Law 110-140), and S. 1256, to amend the
Small Business Act to reauthorize loan programs under that Act, after
receiving testimony from Steven Preston, Administrator, Small Business
Administration.
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
veterans' disability compensation, focusing on expert work on post-traumatic
stress disorder and other issues, after receiving testimony from Joyce
McMahon, CNA Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia; Lonnie R. Bristow, National
Academies, Washington, DC; Dean G. Kilpatrick, Medical University of South
Carolina National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Charleston; and
Scott L. Zeger, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore,
Maryland.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider
pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
MEDICAL DEVICE INDUSTRY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine issues
relative to surgeons, focusing on conflicts and consultant payments in the
medical device industry, after receiving testimony from Gregory E. Demske,
Assistant Inspector General for Legal Affairs, Department of Health and Human
Services; Charles D. Rosen, University of California School of Medicine,
Irvine, on behalf of the Association for Ethics in Spine Surgery; Said Hilal,
Applied Medical Resources Corporation, Ranch Santa, Margarita, California;
Edward B. Lipes, Stryker Corporation, Mahwah, New Jersey; Chad F. Phipps,
Zimmer Holdings, Inc., Warsaw, Indiana; and Christopher L. White, Advanced
Medical Technology Association, Washington, DC.
[Page: D188]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/02/28
Daily Digest - Thursday, February 28, 2008; pages D196 - D204
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
HALLMARK/WESTLAND MEAT RECALL
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to
examine the recent Hallmark/Westland Meat Company meat recall, after receiving
testimony from Ed Schafer, Secretary of Agriculture; and Wayne Pacelle, Humane
Society of the United States, and J. Patrick Boyle, American Meat Institute,
both of Washington, D.C.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for Department of the Navy,
and the future years defense program, after receiving testimony from Donald C.
Winter, Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Gary Roughead, USN, Chief of Naval
Operations, and General James T. Conway, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps,
all of the Department of Defense.
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.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for
fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Transportation, after receiving
testimony from Mary E. Peters, Secretary, and Robert Sturgell, Acting
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, both of the Department of
Transportation.
AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS ECONOMIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the impact of increased minimum wages on the economies of American
Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, after receiving
testimony from Representative Faleomavaega; Jay Berman, Senior Economist,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Department of Labor; Nikolao I.
Pula, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs;
American Samoa Governor Togiola T.A. Tulafono, Pago Pago; and Governor Benigno
R. Fitial, and Resident Representative Pedro A. Tenorio, both of Saipan, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
LAND BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power
concluded a hearing to examine S. 177 and H.R. 2085, bills to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to convey to the McGee Creek Authority certain
facilities of the McGee Creek Project, Oklahoma, S. 1473 and H.R. 1855, bills
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of
Reclamation, to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Madera Irrigation
District for purposes of supporting the Madera Water Supply Enhancement
Project, S. 1474 and H.R. 1139, bills to authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to plan, design and construct facilities to provide water for
irrigation, municipal, domestic, and other uses from the Bunker Hill
Groundwater Basin, Santa Ana River, California, S. 1929, to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to
conduct a feasibility study of water augmentation alternatives in the Sierra
Vista Subwatershed, S. 2370, to clear title to certain real property in New
Mexico associated with the Middle Rio Grande Project, and H.R. 2381, to
promote Department of the Interior efforts to provide a scientific basis for
the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River
Basin, after receiving testimony from Representative Radanovich; Robert J.
Quint, Director of Operations, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the
Interior; Mayor Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; John Rossi, Western
Municipal Water District, Riverside, California; Carl Janzen, Madera
Irrigation District, Madera, California; and Charles Potucek, Upper San Pedro
Partnership, Sierra Vista, Arizona.
[Page: D198]
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 security of the nuclear power plants in
the United States, after receiving testimony from Senators Specter and Casey;
Dale E. Klein, Chairman, and Gregory B. Jaczko, and Peter B. Lyons, both
Commissioners, all of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Christopher
Crane, Exelon Corporation, Warrenville, Illinois; Eric F. Wilson, G4S
Regulated Security Solutions, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; David A. Lochbaum,
Nuclear Safety Project, on behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS),
and Marvin Fertel, Nuclear Energy Institute, both of Washington, D.C.
REAL ESTATE MARKET
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the real estate
market, focusing on building a strong economy, after receiving testimony from
Lawrence B. Lindsey, Lindsey Group, and David Seiders, National Association of
Home Builders (NAHB), both of Washington, D.C.; Timothy H. Callahan, Callahan
Capital Partners, Denver, Colorado, on behalf of the Real Estate Roundtable;
and Jeffrey H. Schwartz, ProLogis, Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of the
National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.
POST-ELECTION PAKISTAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
policy options of the United States in post-election Pakistan, after receiving
testimony from John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State.
VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland
Security concluded a hearing to examine weaknesses in the visa waiver program,
focusing on possible safeguards needed to protect the United States of
America, including the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act
of 2007 (Public Law 110-53), after receiving testimony from Paul Rosenzweig,
Acting Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Policy, Department of Homeland Security; Stephen A. Tony Edson,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services; Jess T. Ford, Director,
International Affairs and Trade, Government Accountability Office; Susan
Ginsburg, Migration Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Jessica M.
Vaughan, Center for Immigration Studies, Franklin, Massachusetts.
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: D199]
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC COSTS OF THE WAR
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the total
economic costs of the Iraq war beyond the federal budget, after receiving
testimony from Joesph E. Stiglitz, Columbia University, and Robert D. Hormats,
Goldman Sachs (International), both of New York, New York; and Rand Beers,
National Security Network, and Scott Wallsten, iGrowthGlobal, both of
Washington, D.C.
2008/02/29
Daily Digest - Friday, February 29, 2008; pages D206 - D212
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT REFORMS
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 government-wide intelligence community
management reforms, including S. 82, to reaffirm the authority of the
Comptroller General to audit and evaluate the programs, activities, and
financial transactions of the intelligence community, focusing on ensuring
effective Congressional oversight and the role of the Government
Accountability Office, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker,
Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office; Frederick M. Kaiser,
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Marvin C. Ott, National
Defense University National War College National Security Policy; and Steven
Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists, and Ronald Anthony Marks, Oxford
Analytica, Inc., both of Washington, D.C.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/03/03
Daily Digest - Monday, March 3, 2008; pages D214 - D218
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
No Joint hearings noted.
[Page: D215]
2008/03/04
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 4, 2008; pages D219 - D226
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security concluded a
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the
Department of Homeland Security, after receiving testimony from Michael
Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
APPROPRIATIONS: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for
fiscal year 2009 for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving
testimony from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection
Agency.
APPROPRIATIONS: U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and
Related Programs to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for
the U.S. Agency for International Development, after receiving testimony from
Henrietta H. Fore, Director, Foreign Assistance, and Administrator, U.S.
Agency for International Development.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for the United States
Central Command and the United States Special Operations Command, and the
future years defense program, after receiving testimony from Admiral William
J. Fallon, USN, Commander, United States Central Command, and Admiral Eric T.
Olson, USN, Commander, United States Special Operations Command, both of the
Department of Defense.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded a
hearing to examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for
the military space programs, and the future years defense program, after
receiving testimony from Gary E. Payton, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air
Force for Space Programs, General C. Robert Kehler, USAF, Commander, Air Force
Space Command, Lieutenant General William L. Shelton, USAF, Commander, Joint
Functional Component Command for Space, United States Strategic Command, and
Rear Admiral Kenneth W. Deutsch, USN, Director, Warfare Integration, Office of
the Chief of Naval Operations, Department of the Navy, all of the Department
of Defense; and Cristina T. Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing
Management, Government Accountability Office.
BANKING INDUSTRY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the state of the banking industry, after receiving
testimony from Sheila C. Bair, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation; John C. Dugan, Comptroller of the Currency, and John M. Reich,
Director, Office of Thrift Supervision, both of the Department of the
Treasury; Donald L. Kohn, Vice Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System; JoAnn M. Johnson, Chairman, National Credit Union
Administration; and Thomas B. Gronstal, Iowa Division of Banking, Des Moines,
on behalf of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.
[Page: D221]
PROTECTING OUR SHORES FROM OIL SPILLS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
concluded a hearing to examine protecting seashores from oil spills, focusing
on operational procedures and ship designs, after receiving testimony from
Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Department of
Homeland Security; Paul G. Kirchner, American Pilots' Association (APA),
Washington, D.C.; Captain Edward Page, Marine Exchange of Alaska, Juneau; and
Kirsi Tikka, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Paramus, New Jersey.
ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the Energy Information Administration's revised "Annual
Energy Outlook", after receiving testimony from Guy Caruso, Administrator,
Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.
BALKANS REGION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
Kosovo, focusing on the Balkans region, after receiving testimony from Daniel
Fried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs; and
Janusz Bugajski, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Daniel
Serwer, United States Institute of Peace, and Ivan Vejvoda, German Marshall
Fund of the United States, all of Washington, D.C.
FEMA DISASTER HOUSING STRATEGY
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc Subcommittee
on Disaster Recovery concluded a joint hearing with the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on
State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration to examine the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster housing strategy, after
receiving testimony from Harvey E. Johnson, Jr., Deputy Administrator and
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of
Homeland Security; Howard Frumkin, Director, National Center for Environmental
Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; and Milan
Ozdinec, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for
Public Housing and Voucher Programs.
NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY INITIATIVE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
closed hearing to examine National Security Presidential Directive-54 and
Homeland Security Presidential Directive-23 (NSPD-54/HSPD-23) and the
comprehensive national cyber security initiative, after receiving testimony
from Robert D. Jamison, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National
Protection and Programs Directorate; Melissa E. Hathaway, Cyber Coordination
Executive, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; G. Dennis Bartko,
Special Assistant to the Director for Cyber, National Security Agency; and
Scott O'Neal, Section Chief, Cyber Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Department of Justice.
LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a joint hearing with the
House Veterans Affairs Committee to examine the legislative presentation of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, after receiving testimony
from Senator Menendez; and George Lisicki, and Robert E. Wallace, both of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Washington, D.C.
LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a joint hearing with the
House Veterans Affairs Committee to examine the legislative presentation of
the Disabled American Veterans, after receiving testimony from Senator Webb;
and Robert T. Reynolds, Disabled American Veterans, Washington, D.C.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a
briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence
community.
[Page: D222]
Joint Meetings
NATO ENLARGEMENT
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded a
hearing to examine enlargement issues facing the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) prior to the summit in Bucharest, Romania, focusing on
democratic development, after receiving testimony from Michael Haltzel, Johns
Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
Center for Transatlantic Relations, and Steven Pifer, former U.S. Ambassador
to Ukraine, and Janusz Bugajski, both of the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, all of Washington, D.C.
2008/03/05
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 5, 2008; pages D228 - D238
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009
for the Department of Energy, after receiving testimony from Kevin M. Kolevar,
Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Dennis R.
Spurgeon, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, and James Slutz, Acting
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, all of the Department
of Energy.
[Page: D230]
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of
the Navy, after receiving testimony from Donald C. Winter, Secretary, Admiral
Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, both of the United States Navy, and
General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, all of
the Department of Defense.
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 2009 for the Department of the Treasury, after receiving testimony from
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of the
Air Force, and the future years defense program, after receiving testimony
from Michael W. Wynne, Secretary, and T. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, both
of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SERVICE-WIDE IMPROVEMENTS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to
examine the findings and recommendations of the Department of Defense Task
Force on Mental Health, the Army's Mental Health Advisory Team reports, and
Department of Defense and service-wide improvements in mental health
resources, including suicide prevention, for servicemembers and their
families, after receiving testimony from Senator Boxer; Vice Admiral Donald C.
Arthur, USN (Ret.), and Shelley M. MacDermid, both Co-Chair, Task Force on
Mental Health, Colonel Charles W. Hoge, USA, Director, Division of Psychiatry
and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Colonel Carl A.
Castro, USA, Research Area Director, Military Operational Medicine Research
Program, Lieutenant General Eric B. Schoomaker, USA, Surgeon General of the
United States Army and Commanding General, United States Army Medical Command,
Vice Admiral Adam M. Robinson, Jr., USN, Surgeon General of the United States
Navy and Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Department of the Navy,
Lieutenant General James G. Roudebush, USAF, Surgeon General of the United
States Air Force, and Colonel Loree K. Sutton, USA, Special Assistant to the
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) Psychological Health and
Traumatic Brain Injury, all of the Department of Defense.
2009: BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee met to mark up a proposed concurrent
resolution setting forth the fiscal year 2009 budget for the Federal
Government, but did not complete consideration thereon, and will meet again
tomorrow.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably
reported the nomination of J. Gregory Copeland, of Texas, to be General
Counsel of the Department of Energy.
ANTIDUMPING INVESTIGATION ON URANIUM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an oversight
hearing to examine the initial amendment between the United States and the
Russian Federation on the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation
on Uranium from the Russian Federation, after receiving testimony from David
M. Spooner, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Import Administration; William
H. Tobey, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, National
Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy; Marvin Fertel, Nuclear
Energy Institute, Washington, D.C.; John K. Welch, USEC Inc., Bethesda,
Maryland; James P. Malone, Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Warrenville,
Illinois; Robert C. Ervin, Jr., United Steelworkers Local 550 (USW), West
Paducah, Kentucky; and Reinhard Hinterreither, Louisiana Energy Services,
Eunice, New Mexico.
NATIONAL SECURITY THROUGH SMART POWER
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
strengthening national security, focusing on smart power from a military
perspective, after receiving testimony from General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC
(Ret.), former Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command, and Admiral Leighton
W. Smith, Jr., USN (Ret.), former Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces
Europe, both of the Department of Defense.
CENSUS IN PERIL
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the 2010 Decennial Census, focusing on automation and
information technology in order to improve census coverage, accuracy, and
efficiency, after receiving testimony from Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary, and
Steve H. Murdock, Director, U.S. Census Bureau, both of the Department of
Commerce; and Mathew J. Scire, Director, Strategic Issues, and David A.
Powner, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, both of the
Government Accountability Office.
[Page: D231]
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on
Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and
International Security concluded a hearing to examine the state of the United
States Postal Service one year after reform, after receiving testimony from
John E. Potter, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, United States
Postal Service; and Dan G. Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission.
CLIMBING COSTS OF HEATING HOMES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Subcommittee on Children
and Families concluded a hearing to examine the rising costs of heating homes,
focusing on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), after
receiving testimony from Regina Surber, Tennessee Department of Human
Services, Nashville; Meg Power, National Community Action Foundation,
Washington, D.C.; Deborah A. Frank, Boston University School of Medicine,
Boston, Massachusetts; and Robin Hussain, Hartford, Connecticut.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to
examine the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), focusing on the FBI's
current and future priorities, changes made to its mission, and challenges
that are being addressed, after receiving testimony from Robert S. Mueller,
III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice.
ELDERLY HUNGER
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine elderly
hunger in America, focusing on the steps needed to prevent this now and in the
future, after receiving testimony from Edwin L. Walker, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Policy and Programs, Administration on Aging, Department of
Health and Human Services; Kate Houston, Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture
for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services; Marcus Lampros, Lampros Steel,
Inc., Portland, Oregon; James P. Ziliak, University of Kentucky Center for
Poverty Research, Lexington; and James Weill, Food Research and Action Center,
and Bob Blancato, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services
Programs, both of Washington, D.C.; and Jan L. Jones, Harrah's Entertainment,
Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada.
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/03/06
Daily Digest - Thursday, March 6, 2008; pages D240 - D248
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 2009 for the Department of Commerce, after receiving testimony
from Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce.
[Page: D242]
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed
budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Transportation,
after receiving testimony from Mary E. Peters, Secretary, and Phyllis F.
Scheinberg, Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs, and Chief Financial
Officer, both of the Department of Transportation.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for the U.S. Southern and
Northern Command, and the future years defense program, after receiving
testimony from General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., USAF, Commander, North American
Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, and Admiral
James G. Stavridis, USN, Commander, United States Southern Command, both of
the Department of Defense.
GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTERPRISES REGULATION REFORM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine reforming the regulation of government sponsored
enterprises, after receiving testimony from William B. Shear, Director,
Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government Accountability Office;
Vincent E. Malta, National Association of Realtors, and Nancy O. Andrews, Low
Income Investment Fund, both of San Francisco, California; Kieran P. Quinn,
Mortgage Bankers Association, Atlanta, Georgia; and Gerald M. Howard, National
Association of Home Builders, McLean, Virginia.
BUSINESS MEETING
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 2009 and including the appropriate budgetary
levels for fiscal year 2008 and for fiscal years 2010 through 2013.
U.S. 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 2009 for the U.S. Coast
Guard and conduct oversight, after receiving testimony from Admiral Thad W.
Allen, Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security;
and Stephen L. Caldwell, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues,
Government Accountability Office.
ADMINISTRATION'S 2008 TRADE AGENDA
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
Administration's 2008 trade agenda, focusing on Trade Adjustment Assistance,
pending free trade agreements, and the Doha Development Round of multilateral
trade negotiations, after receiving testimony from Ambassador Susan C. Schwab,
United States Trade Representative.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of
Douglas H. Shulman, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of
Internal Revenue.
Also, Committee reported 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,
Roberts, Bunning, and Ensign;
Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, And Long-Term Growth: Senators Conrad
(Chairman), Baucus, Wyden, Cantwell, Schumer, Stabenow, Salazar, Kyl, Roberts,
Sununu, Snowe, Crapo, and Hatch;
Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, And Infrastructure: Senators
Bingaman (Chairman), Conrad, Kerry, Lincoln, Wyden, Cantwell, Salazar,
Bunning, Smith, Hatch, Crapo, Ensign, and Sununu;
Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, And Family Policy: Senators Kerry
(Chairman), Rockefeller, Conrad, Schumer, Ensign, Kyl, and Sununu; and
Subcommittee on International Trade And Global Competitiveness: Senators
Lincoln (Chairman), Baucus, Rockefeller, Bingaman, Stabenow, Schumer, Smith,
Crapo, Snowe, Roberts, and Bunning.
(The chairman and ranking minority member are ex officio members of all
subcommittees.)
CURRENT UNEMPLOYMENT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine unemployment in the economy, focusing on ways to secure
families and build opportunities, after receiving testimony from M. Patricia
Smith, New York Department of Labor, Albany; former Senator William E. Brock,
III, Annapolis, Maryland; Alan B. Krueger, Princeton University, Princeton,
New Jersey; and Ronica Jackson, Boston, Massachusetts.
INDIAN COUNTRY FACILITIES
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
state of facilities in Indian country, focusing on jails, schools, and health
facilities, after receiving testimony from Randy Grinnell, Deputy Director for
Management Operations, and Gary Hartz, Director, Office of Environmental
Health and Engineering, both of the Indian Health Services, Department of
Health and Human Services; Jack Rever, Director, Facilities, Environmental,
Safety and Cultural Resources, and Pat Ragsdale, Director, Office of Law
Enforcement Services, both of the Department of the Interior; Domingo Herraiz,
Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Department of Justice; Valerie
Davidson and Rick Boyce, both of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium,
Anchorage; Wendsler Nosie, San Carlos Apache Tribe, San Carlos, Arizona; and
Monty Roessel, Rough Rock Community School, Rough Rock, Arizona.
[Page: D243]
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the
following:
S. 2304, to amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
1968 to provide grants for the improved mental health treatment and services
provided to offenders with mental illnesses, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute;
S. 2449, to amend chapter 111 of title 28, United States Code, relating to
protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in
civil actions, with amendment;
S. 352, to provide for media coverage of Federal court proceedings, with
amendments; and
The nominations of Kevin J. O'Connor, of Connecticut, to be Associate Attorney
General, and Gregory G. Katsas, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Attorney
General, both of the Department of Justice, Brian Stacy Miller, to be United
States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas, James Randal Hall,
to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia,
William Joseph Hawe, to be United States Marshal for the Western District of
Washington, Stanley Thomas Anderson, to be United States District Judge for
the Western District of Tennessee, and John A. Mendez, to be United States
District Judge for the Eastern District of California.
VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a joint hearing with the
House Committee on Veterans Affairs to examine a sundry of associations'
outlook on veterans affairs issues and to receive their legislative
presentations, after receiving testimony from Warren G. King, Sr., American
Ex-Prisoners of War, Randy L. Pleva, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America,
Lawrence Schulman, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Norman Jones,
Jr., Blinded Veterans Association, John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America,
Sergeant Major H. Gene Overstreet, USMC (Ret.), Non Commissioned Officers
Association of the United States of America, and Richard M. Dean, Air Force
Sergeants Association, all of 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
FUTURE OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a joint hearing with the House
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal
Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia to examine investing
in the future of the federal workforce, focusing on paid parental leave to
improve recruitment and retention, after receiving testimony from Daniel P.
Beard, Chief Administrative Officer, United States House of Representatives;
Nancy H. Kichak, Associate Director for Strategic Human Resources Policy,
Office of Personnel Management; Jane Waldfogel, Columbia University, New York,
New York; and Sharyn Tejani, National Partnership for Women and Families,
Vicky Lovell, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Colleen M. Kelley,
National Treasury Employees Union, Mary Jean Burke, American Federation of
Government Employees (AFL-CIO), and Amy S. Costantino, all of Washington, D.C.
2008/03/07
Daily Digest - Friday, March 7, 2008; pages D249 - D256
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D250]
Joint Meetings
EMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
employment situation for February 2008, after receiving testimony from Keith
Hall, Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor; Rebecca
M. Blank, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Christine L. Owens, National
Employment Law Project, Washington, D.C.; and Lowell Gallaway, Ohio
University, Athens.
2008/03/10
Daily Digest - Monday, March 10, 2008; pages D257 - D262
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
[Page: D258]
No Joint hearings noted.
2008/03/11
Daily Digest - Tuesday, March 11, 2008; pages D264 - D276
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
IRAQ
Committee on Appropriations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
effectiveness of the United States efforts to combat corruption, waste, fraud,
and abuse in Iraq, after receiving testimony from David M. Walker, Comptroller
General, Government Accountability Office; Claude M. Kicklighter, Inspector
General, and Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq
Reconstruction, both of the Department of Defense; and Radhi Hamza al-Radhi,
Commission on Public Integrity, Republic of Iraq.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for the United States
Pacific Command and United States Forces in Korea, and the future years
defense program, after receiving testimony from Admiral Timothy J. Keating,
USN, Commander, United States Pacific Command, and General B.B. Bell,
Commander, United Nations Command (UNC), Commander, Republic of Korea--United
States Combined Forces Command (CFC), and Commander, United States Forces
Korea (USFK), both of the Department of Defense.
NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine the condition of the nation's infrastructure, focusing on
proposals for needed improvements, including S. 1926, to establish the
National Infrastructure Bank to provide funding for qualified infrastructure
projects, after receiving testimony from David G. Mongan, American Society of
Civil Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland; Felix G. Rohatyn, Center for Strategic
and International Studies, and Tracy Wolstencroft, Goldman, Sachs, and Co.,
both of New York, New York; and Ron Blackwell, American Federation of Labor
and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), and Janet F. Kavinoky,
United States Chamber of Commerce, both of Washington, D.C.
U.S. BASIC RESEARCH BUDGET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Science,
Technology, and Innovation concluded a hearing to examine the President's
proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 to support basic research in the
United States, after receiving testimony from John Marburger III, Director,
Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President;
James M. Turner, Acting Director, National Institute of Standards and
Technology, Department of Commerce; and Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director,
National Science Foundation.
CROSS-BORDER TRUCK PILOT PROGRAM
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded an
oversight hearing to examine the Department of Transportation's Cross-Border
Truck pilot program, after receiving testimony from Mary E. Peters, Secretary,
and Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General, both of the Department of
Transportation; and Jacqueline S. Gillan, Advocates for Highway and Auto
Safety, and Paul D. Cullen, Sr., Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association, Inc., both of Washington, D.C.
[Page: D266]
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUDGET
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the
United States Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program, and the
implementation of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 (Public
Law 110-114), after receiving testimony from John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant
Secretary of the Army for Civil Works; and Lieutenant General Robert Van
Antwerp, Chief of Engineers, United States Army Corps of Engineers.
HORN OF AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing evaluating
United States policy options on the Horn of Africa, after receiving testimony
from Jendayi Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs;
Katherine J. Almquist, Assistant Administrator for Africa, United States
Agency for International Development; Theresa Whelan, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for African Affairs; David H. Shinn, George Washington
University Elliott School of International Affairs, and Lynn Fredriksson,
Amnesty International USA, both of Washington, D.C.; and Colonel Thomas A.
Dempsey, USA (Ret.), United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks,
Pennsylvania.
NATO
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), focusing on enlargement and
effectiveness, after receiving testimony from Daniel Fried, Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs; General John Craddock,
U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, NATO Headquarters,
Mons, Belgium; Ronald D. Asmus, German Marshall Fund, Brussels, Belgium; and
Philip H. Gordon, Brookings Institution, Bruce Pitcairn Jackson, Project on
Transitional Democracies, and James J. Townsend, Jr., Atlantic Council, all of
Washington, D.C.
LIFE SCIENCES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a
hearing to examine funding of the National Institutes of Health, focusing on
opportunities in the life sciences and biomedical research, after receiving
testimony from Drew Gilpin Faust, Harvard University, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; Jill A. Rafael-Fortney, The Ohio State University College of
Medicine, Columbus; Edward D. Miller, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore,
Maryland; Samuel M. Rankin III, American Mathematical Society, Washington,
D.C.; and Dana Lewis, Huntsville, Alabama.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the
nomination of Grace C. Becker, of New York, to be Assistant Attorney General
for the Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice, after the nominee, who
was introduced by Senator Hatch, testified and answered questions in her own
behalf.
FAMILIES OF WOUNDED WARRIORS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine
Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense cooperation and
collaboration, focusing on caring for the families of wounded warriors, after
receiving testimony from Lynda C. Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Navy for Military Personnel Policy, Department of Defense; Kristen Day, Chief
Consultant, Care Management and Social Work, Office of Patient Care Services,
Veterans Health Administration, and Steven L. Sayers, Clinical Research
Psychologist, Philadelphia Medical Center, both of the Department of Veterans
Affairs; Jane Dulin, United States Army Wounded Warrior Program, Elkins Park,
Pennsylvania; Colonel Peter J. Bunce, USAF (Ret.), Arlington, Virginia; Robert
Verbeke, Exton, Pennsylvania; and Jackie McMichael, Franklinton, North
Carolina.
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.
2008/03/12
Daily Digest - Wednesday, March 12, 2008; pages D277 - D288
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: AIR FORCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a hearing to
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Air Force,
after receiving testimony from Michael W. Wynne, Secretary, and General T.
Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, both of the United States Air Force,
Department of Defense.
APPROPRIATIONS: FEDERAL JUDICIARY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal
year 2009 for the federal judiciary, after receiving testimony from Julia S.
Gibbons, Judge, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Chair, Committee on the
Budget, Judicial Conference of the United States; and James C. Duff, Director,
Administr |
