[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D269-D273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Natural Resources and Conservation Service. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the USDA: Mark E. Rey, Under 
Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment; Arlen Lancaster, Chief; 
and Steven A. Probst, Director, Budget Planning and Analysis Division, 
both with the National Resources Conservation Service; and W. Scott 
Steele, Budget Officer.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department of Commerce 
Overview. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Secretary of Commerce. 
Testimony was heard from Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on the Secretary of 
Energy. Testimony was heard from Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of Energy.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on Issues in the Federal Workforce. 
Testimony was heard from Linda M. Springer, Director, OPM; Neil A.G. 
McPhie, Chairman, U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, J. Christopher 
Mihm, Managing Director, Strategic Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held an 
oversight hearing on Container Security Challenges and Goals. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Homeland 
Security: Jayson Ahern, Customs and Border Patrol; and Vayl Oxford, 
Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on the NIH 
Director with National Cancer Institute/National Heart, Lung and Blood 
Institute/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease/National 
Institute of Child Health and Human Development/National Center on 
Minority Health and Health Disparities. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of NIH, Department of Health and Human Services: 
Elias Zerhouni, M.D., Director, NIH; John Niederhuber, M.D., Director, 
National Cancer Institute; Elizabeth Nabel, M.D., Director, National 
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; Anthony Fauci, M.D., Director, 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease; Duane Alexander, 
M.D., Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human 
Development; and John Ruffin, Director, National Center on Minority 
Health and Health Disparities.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies held a hearing on VA Medical 
Care. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing and on Department of Veterans 
Affairs Panel. Testimony was heard from Michael J. Kussman, Acting 
Under Secretary, Health, Department of Veterans Affairs.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations 
and Related Programs held a hearing on Iraq Political and 
Reconstruction Strategy, Alternative Perspectives. Testimony was heard 
from Ambassador Peter Galbraith, Department of State; LTC Christopher 
W. Stockel, USAR; COL Lawrence Wilkerson, USA (ret.), USA; and a public 
witness.
TRANSPORTATION, AND HUD, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, and 
Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies held a hearing on 
the Department of Transportation Inspector General Management 
Challenges and GAO High Risk Series. Testimony

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was heard from Calvin Scovel, Inspector General, Department of 
Transportation; and Patricia Dalton, Director, Physical Infrastructure, 
GAO.
NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM--IS IT WORKING?
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on the National Security Personnel System--Is it Working? Testimony was 
heard from Michael Luis Dominguez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary, 
Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FY 2008 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on the Department of Defense 
and the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget. Testimony was heard from Gordon 
England, Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense.
RETIREMENT SECURITY AND 401(k)s
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Are Hidden 401(k) 
Fees Undermining Retirement Security? Testimony was heard from Barbara 
Bovbjerg, Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, 
GAO; and public witnesses.
CARBON CAPTURE AND SEQUESTRATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``Carbon Capture and Sequestration: An 
Overview.'' Testimony was heard from Thomas D. Shope, Principal Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Fossil Energy, Department of Energy; the following 
officials of the EPA: William Wehrum, Acting Assistant Administrator, 
Office of Air and Radiation; and Ben Grumbles, Assistant Administrator, 
Water; S. Julio Friedman, Carbon Management Program, Lawrence Livermore 
National Laboratory; and public witnesses.
MEDICARE PHYSICIAN PAYMENT SYSTEM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Exploring Options for Improving the Medicare Physician 
Payment System.'' Testimony was heard from Glenn M. Hackbarth, 
Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; A. Bruce Steinwald, 
Director, Health Care, GAO; and public witnesses.
GULF COAST HURRICANE HOUSING RECOVERY ACT OF 2007
Committee on Financial Services: Began markup of H.R. 1227, Gulf Coast 
Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007.
  Will continue tomorrow.
THE IRANIAN CHALLENGE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on The Iranian Challenge. 
Testimony was heard from R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary, Political 
Affairs, Department of State.
GLOBAL OPINION OF AMERICAN POLICIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing on Global 
Polling Data on Opinion of American Policies, Values and People. 
Testimony was heard from a public witness.
RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ACT OF 2007
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing on a measure entitled 
``Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007.'' Testimony was 
heard from Kip Hawley, Administrator, Transportation Security Agency, 
Department of Homeland Secretary; Terri Rosapep, Deputy Associate 
Administrator, Program Management, Department of Transportation; 
Richard Fairfax, Director, Enforcement Programs, OSHA, Department of 
Labor; Richard Falkenrath, Deputy Commissioner, Counterterrorism, 
Police Department, New York City; Fred Weiderhold, Inspector General, 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
(AMTRAK); and public witnesses.
U.S. ATTORNEY FIRINGS; ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENAS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 580, to amend chapter 35 of 
title 28, United States Code, to provide for a 120-day limit to the 
term of a United States Attorney appointed on an interim basis by the 
Attorney General. Testimony was heard from Representative Issa; Will 
Moschella, Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, Department of 
Justice; former Representative Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas; the 
following former U.S. Attorneys: Daniel Bogden, District of Nevada; Bud 
Cummins, Eastern District of Arkansas; David C. Iglesias, District of 
New Mexico; John McKay, District of Western Washington; Carol Lam, 
Southern District of California; and Paul K. Charlton, District of 
Arizona.
  Prior to the hearing, the Subcommittee met and approved the issuance 
of subpoenas to former U.S. Attorneys Daniel Bogden, District of Nevada 
and Paul K. Carlton, District of Arizona in conjunction with the 
hearing on H.R. 580.
CORAL REEF CONSERVATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and 
Oceans held a hearing on the

[[Page D271]]

Coral Reef Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007. Testimony was 
heard from Tim Keeney, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Oceans and 
Atmosphere, NOAA, Department of Commerce; David B. Cohen, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Policy, Census and National Archives approved for full 
Committee action the following bills: H.R. 1309, To promote openness in 
Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code 
(commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act); and H.R. 
1255, To amend chapter 22 of title 44, United States Code, popularly 
known as the Presidential Records Act, to establish procedures for the 
consideration of claims of constitutionally based privilege against 
disclosure of Presidential records.
WATER QUALITY INVESTMENT ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule with a 
preprinting requirement. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate on 
H.R. 569, Water Qaulity Investment Act of 2007, equally divided and 
controlled by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure. The rule waives all points of 
order against consideration of the bill except for clauses 9 and 10 of 
Rule XXI. The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure now printed in the bill shall be considered as an 
original bill for the purpose of amendment. The rule provides that the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered 
as read.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments to the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute that are pre-printed in the Congressional Record 
or are pro forma amendments for the purpose of debate. The rule 
provides that each amendment printed in the Congressional Record may be 
offered only by the Member who caused it to be printed or a designee, 
and that each amendment shall be considered as read. Finally, the rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony 
was heard from Chairman Oberstar and Representatives Mica and Baker.
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES WATER SUPPLY ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule with a 
preprinting requirement. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate on 
H.R. 700, Healthy Communities Water Supply Act of 2007, equally divided 
and controlled by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The rule waives all 
points of order against consideration of the bill except for clauses 9 
and 10 of Rule XXI. The rule provides that the bill shall be considered 
as read.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments to the bill that are 
pre-printed in the Congressional Record or are pro forma amendments for 
the purpose of debate. The rule provides that each amendment printed in 
the Congressional Record may be offered only by the Member who caused 
it to be printed or a designee, and that each amendment shall be 
considered as read. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit 
with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Oberstar and Representatives Mica and Baker.
MEDICARE PAYMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION'S REPORT--SUSTAINABLE GROWTH RATE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's report on the Sustainable 
Growth Rate. Testimony was heard from Glenn M. Hackbarth, Chairman, 
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; and public witnesses.
LOW-INCOME FAMILY ASSISTANCE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Income Security and Family 
Support held a hearing on Recent Changes to Programs Assisting Low-
Income Families. Testimony was heard from Sidonie Squier, Director, 
Office of Family Assistance, Department of Health and Human Services; 
Robin Arnold-Williams, Secretary, Department of Social and Health 
Services, State of Washington; David A. Hansell, Acting Commissioner, 
Department of Temporary Disability Assistance, State of New York; Nancy 
K. Ford, Director, Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, State 
of Nevada; Mary Dean Harvey, Director, Department of Human Resources, 
Division of Family and Children, State of Georgia; and a public 
witness.
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM 
BUDGET ROLL-OUT
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and National 
Intelligence Program (NIP) Budget Roll-out. Testimony was heard from 
Mike McConnell, Director of National Intelligence.

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Joint Meetings
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded joint hearings with 
the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative 
presentation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after receiving testimony 
from Gary Kurpius, Robert Wallace, William Bradshaw, Robert Crfat, and 
Dennis Cullinan, all of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, 
Washington, D.C.


                   COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR WEDNESDAY,

                             MARCH 7, 2007

        (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)


                                 Senate

  Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: to hold 
hearings to examine investing in our nation's future through 
agricultural research, 9:30 a.m., SR-328A.
  Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense, to hold 
hearings to examine Department of Defense medical programs, 10 a.m., 
SD-192.
  Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, to hold hearings to 
examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the 
Department of Energy, 2 p.m., SD-138.
  Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee 
on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism, to hold hearings to 
examine policy implications of pharmaceutical importation for U.S. 
consumers, 9:30 a.m., SR-253.
  Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics, and Related Agencies, to hold 
hearings to examine national imperatives for Earth Science research, 
2:30 p.m., SR-253.
  Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: to hold an oversight 
hearing to examine market constraints on large investments in 
advanced energy technologies and investigate ways to stimulate 
additional private-sector investment in the deployment of these 
technologies, 9:30 a.m., SD-366.
  Committee on Environment and Public Works: to hold hearings to 
examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 
for the Environmental Protection Agency, 3 p.m., SD-406.
  Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: to hold 
hearings to examine strengthening American competitiveness for the 
21st Century, 9:30 a.m., SH-216.
  Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations, to hold hearings to examine fees, 
interests rates and grace periods relating to credit card practices, 
focusing on high fees charged for late payments, over-the-limit 
charges, including how those fees are assessed, how they add to 
interest costs, and how they contribute to consumer debt, and an 
industry practice requiring consumer payments to be applied first to 
balances with the lowest interest rates instead of to balances with 
the highest interest rates, 10 a.m., SD-342.
  Committee on the Judiciary: to hold hearings to examine the 
McCarran-Ferguson Act and Antitrust Immunity, 9:30 a.m., SD-226.
  Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, 
to hold an oversight hearing to examine the enforcement of the 
antitrust laws, 2:15 p.m., SD-226.
  Committee on Veterans' Affairs: to hold an oversight hearing to 
examine the Veterans Administration adjudication process, 9:30 a.m., 
SR-418.


                                 House

  Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, 
Energy, and Research, hearing to review the financial structure of 
renewable energy resources, 1 p.m., 1302 Longworth.
  Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science and Related Agencies, on Economic and Statistics 
Administration/Census/Bureau of Economic Analysis, 10 a.m., and on 
Economic Development Administration/Minority Business Development 
Agency, 2 p.m., H-309 Capitol.
  Subcommittee on Defense, on Walter Reed Infrastructure, 1:30 p.m., 
2359 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Financial Services, and General Government, on 
Ensuring the Integrity of Elections, 10 a.m., 2220 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans' Affairs and 
Related Agencies, on Pacific Command, 2 p.m., H-143 Capitol.
  Committee on Armed Services, hearing on the Fiscal Year 2008 
National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the U.S. Pacific 
Command and U.S. Forces Korea, 8:30 a.m., 2118 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, hearing on Air Force and Army 
airlift and aerial refueling fixed-wing aircraft programs, 3 p.m., 
2118 Rayburn.
  Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality, hearing entitled ``Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the 
Planet?'' 10 a.m., 2322 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, hearing 
entitled ``Digital Future of the United States: Part II--The Future 
of Radio,'' 2:30 p.m., 2123 Rayburn.
  Committee on Financial Services, to continue markup of H.R. 1227, 
Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act of 2007, 10 a.m., 2128 
Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Domestic and International Policy, Trade, and 
Technology, hearing entitled ``The Role of Remittances in Leveraging 
Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean,'' 2 
p.m., 2128 Rayburn.
  Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Middle East and 
South Asia, hearing on A Regional Overview of South Asia, 2:30 p.m., 
2172 Rayburn.
  Committee on the Judiciary, hearing on ``Protecting the Right to 
Vote: Election Deception and Irregularities in Recent Federal 
Elections,'' 3 p.m., 2141 Rayburn.

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  Committee on Natural Resources, to mark up the following bills: 
H.R. 162, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve 
Boundary Adjustment Act of 2007; H.R. 249, To restore the 
prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-
roaming horses and burros; H.R. 285, Steel Industry National 
Historic Site Act; H.R. 309, To direct the Secretary of the Interior 
to establish a demonstration program to facilitate landscape 
restoration programs within certain units of the National Park 
System established by law to preserve and interpret resources 
associated with American history; H.R. 319, Journey Through Hallowed 
Ground National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 505, Native Hawaiian 
Government Reorganization Act of 2007; H.R. 865, Copper Valley 
Native Allotment Resolution Act of 2007; and H.R. 886, Wild Sky 
Wilderness Act of 2007, 1:30 p.m., 1324 Longworth.
  Committee on Rules, to consider H. Res. 202, Providing for the 
expenses of certain committees of the House of Representatives in 
the One Hundred Tenth Congress, 2 p.m., H-313 Capitol.
  Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment, hearing on the Department of Energy Fiscal Year 2008 
Research and Development Budget Proposal, 9:30 a.m., 2318 Rayburn.
  Committee on Small Business, hearing entitled ``Advancing the 
Innovation Agenda: The Perspective of the Technology and 
Telecommunications Industry,'' 9 a.m., 2360 Rayburn.
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit and the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, 
and Hazardous Materials, joint hearing on Transit and Rail Security, 
9 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.
  Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, hearing on the 
impact of Aquatic Invasive Species on the Great Lakes, 2 p.m., 2167 
Rayburn.
  Committee on Veterans Affairs, Subcommittee on Economic 
Opportunity, hearing Performance Review of Services, 2 p.m., 340 
Cannon.
  Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Select Revenue 
Measures, hearing on the Alternative Minimum Tax, 2 p.m., 1100 
Longworth.
  Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, briefing on Hot Spots, 
8:45 a.m., H-405 Capitol.