[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D54-D55]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
LAND CONSERVATION
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine Conservation Security Program and Environmental 
Quality Incentives Program relating to working land conservation, 
focusing on the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) process 
for allocating Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds to 
the states to optimize environmental benefits, NRCS's measures to 
monitor EQIP's performance, and the legislative and regulatory measures 
available to prevent duplication between CSP and other conservation 
programs, such as EQIP, after receiving testimony from Arlen Lancaster, 
Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of 
Agriculture; Lisa Shames, Acting Director, Natural Resources and 
Environment, Government Accountability Office; Craig Cox, Soil and 
Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, Iowa; Kathleen A. Merrigan, Tufts 
University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Winchester, 
Massachusetts; Duane Hovorka, National Wildlife Federation, Elmwood, 
Nebraska, on behalf of the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and the 
Izaak Walton League of America; and James Ham, Monroe County 
Commission, Smarr, Georgia, on behalf of the National Association of 
Conservation Districts and Georgia Association of Conservation District 
Supervisors.
DOD CONTRACTING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management 
Support concluded a hearing to examine practices in Department of 
Defense contracting for services and inter-agency contracting, focusing 
on increasing reliance on contractors, failure to follow business 
practices when acquiring services, and opportunities for DOD to improve 
its management of services, after receiving testimony from Thomas F. 
Gimble, Acting Inspector General, Department of Defense; and Katherine 
V. Schinasi, Managing Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, 
Government Accountability Office.
AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the progress of the Department of Homeland 
Security regarding the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission related 
to aviation security, after receiving testimony from Kip Hawley, 
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Transportation Security 
Administration.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee adopted its rules 
of procedure for the 110th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original 
bill entitled ``Small Business and Work Opportunity Act''.
  Also, committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 110th 
Congress.
  Also, Committee appointed the following Members to the Joint 
Committee on Taxation, the Congressional Trade Advisors on Trade Policy 
and Negotiations, and the Congressional Oversight Group: Senators 
Baucus, Rockefeller, Conrad, Grassley, and Hatch.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the remaining options and regional diplomatic strategy relating 
to securing

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America's interests in Iraq, focusing on sectarian violence, its 
expansion within the region, and the challenges facing U.S. policy in 
the Middle East, after receiving testimony from Vali R. Nasr, Professor 
Naval Postgraduate School, and Richard N. Haass, New York, New York, 
both of the Council on Foreign Relations; and Dennis Ross, Washington 
Institute for Near East Policy, Washington, DC.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
paying off generics to prevent competition with brand name drugs, 
including S. 316, to prohibit brand name drug companies from 
compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a generic 
drug into the market, after receiving testimony from former 
Representative Billy Tauzin, on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Research 
and Manufacturers of America, Merril Hirsh, Ross, Dixon and Bell, LLP, 
and Bruce L. Downey, Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., all of Washington, 
DC.; Jon Leibowitz, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission; and Michael 
Wroblewski, Consumers Union, Yonkers, New York.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
  Committee recessed subject to call.