[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 40 (Thursday, March 8, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D293-D297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
LIVESTOCK FEED COSTS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing to review the impact of feed costs on the livestock 
industry. Testimony was heard from Chuck Conner, Deputy Secretary, 
USDA; and public witnesses.
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on the Food and Nutrition Service. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the USDA: Nancy Montanez Johner, Under 
Secretary, and Kate Coler, Deputy Under Secretary, both with Food 
Nutrition and Consumer Services; Roberto Salazar, Administrator, Food 
and Nutrition Service; Eric Hentges, Executive Director, Center for 
Nutrition Policy and Promotion; 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 National Institute of Standards 
and Technology. Testimony was heard from William A. Jeffrey, Director, 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration/Patent and Trademark 
Office. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Commerce: John M. R. Kneurer, Assistant Secretary, 
Communications and Information; and Jon W. Dudas, Under Secretary, 
Intellectual Property, and Director, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
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 Department of 
Energy: Environmental Management, Legacy Management. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Energy: James 
A. Rispoli, Assistant Secretary, Environmental Management; and Michael 
W. Owen, Director, Office of Legacy Management.

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FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on the Supreme Court. Testimony was 
heard from the following Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: 
Anthony M. Kennedy, and Clarence Thomas.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on the Secretary of the Interior. 
Testimony was heard from Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior.
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 
Administration for Children and Families. Testimony was heard from Wade 
Horn, M.D., Assistant Secretary, Children and Families, Department of 
Health and Human Services.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on the U.S. Capitol Police Budget. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the U.S. Capitol Police: Phillip Morse, Chief; 
and Dan Nichols, Assistant Chief.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS' AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on the VA Mental 
Health Programs and Initiatives. Testimony was heard from Michael J. 
Kussman, Acting Under Secretary, Health, Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on VA Homeless Programs. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Veterans' Affairs: Peter H. Dougherty, Director, Homeless Veterans 
Program; and Philip F. Mangano, Executive Director, U.S. Interagency 
Council on Homelessness.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on Foreign Assistance Budget, 
Foreign Affairs Restructuring. Testimony was heard from Ambassador 
Randall L. Tobias, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International 
Development and Director, Foreign Assistance, Department of State.
TRANSPORTATION, HUD, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on the 
Building Sustainable Communities: Sensible Links between Housing and 
Transportation. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
RECOVERY OBSTACLES FOR WOUNDED SERVICE MEMBERS
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on challenges and obstacles 
wounded and injured service members face during recovery. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: David 
S. C. Chu, Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; William 
Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; GEN Peter J. 
Schoomaker, USA, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; and LTG Kevin C. Kiley, 
USA, The Surgeon General, U.S. Army.
SUBMARINE FORCE STRUCTURE AND ACQUISITION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary 
Forces held a hearing on submarine force structure and acquisition 
policy. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: VADM John J. Donnelly, USN, Commander, Submarine 
Forces; RADM Carl V. Mauney, USN, Director, Submarine Warfare Division 
N87; RADM William H. Hilarides, USN, Program Executive Officer, 
Submarines; and Allison Stiller, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Programs, 
all with the Department of the Navy; Ron O'Rourke, Senior Naval 
Analyst, CRS, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND POSTURE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on the posture of the U.S. Strategic Command. Testimony was 
heard from GEN James E. Cartwright, USMC, Commander, U.S. Command, 
Department of Defense.
HIGHER EDUCATION ACCESS AND FINANCING
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Higher Education, 
Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness held a hearing on the State of 
Higher Education: How Students Access and Finance a College 
Education.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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EPA's BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials and the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality held 
a joint hearing entitled ``The Environmental Protection Agency's Budget 
Request for Fiscal Year 2008.'' Testimony was heard from Stephen L. 
Johnson, Administrator, EPA.
GENETIC INFORMATION NONDISCRIMINATION ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``H.R. 493, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.'' 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Health and Human Services: Francis S. Collins, M.D., Director, National 
Human Genome Research Institute, NIH; and Susan McAndrew, Deputy 
Director, Health Information Privacy, Office for Civil Rights; 
Christopher J. Kuczynski, Assistant Legal Council and Director, 
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy Division, EEOC; Frank Swain, 
former Chief Counsel, Advocacy, SBA; and public witnesses.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Empowering 
Shareholders on Executive Compensation: H.R. 1257, Shareholder Vote on 
Executive Compensation Act.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE REFORM
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Foreign Assistance 
Reform. Testimony was heard from Randall L. Tobias, Director, U.S. 
Foreign Assistance and Administrator, U. S. Agency for International 
Developmental, Department of State.
LATIN AMERICAN'S OPINIONS OF THE U.S.
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight and the Subcommittee on the 
Western Hemisphere held a joint hearing on Polling Data on Latin 
American Opinion of the United States Policies, Values and People. 
Testimony was heard from a public witness.
BORDER SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and 
Global Counterterrorism continued hearings entitled ``Border Security: 
Infrastructure, Technology, and the Human Element, Part II.'' Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
PIRACY ON UNIVERSITY NETWORKS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and 
Intellectual Property, hearing on ``An Update- Piracy on University 
Networks.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
RIGHT TO COUNSEL IN CORPORATE INVESTIGATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on the McNulty Memorandum's Effect on 
the Right to Counsel in Corporate Investigations. Testimony was heard 
from Barry M. Sabin, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of 
Justice; and public witnesses.
WATER AND POWER BUDGET
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held an 
oversight hearing on the fiscal year 2008 budget requests for the 
Bureau of Reclamation, the Federal Power Marketing Administrations, and 
the Water Resources division of the U.S. Geological Survey. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of the 
Interior: Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation; and 
Robert Hirsch, Associate Director, Water, Water Resources Division, 
U.S. Geological Survey; and the following Administrators of the Power 
Administrations, Department of Energy: Steven J. Wright, Bonneville; 
Timothy J. Meeks, Western Area; Jon Worthington, Southeastern; and 
Michael A. Deihl, Southwestern.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the 
following measures: H.R. 1255, amended, Presidential Records Act 
Amendments of 2007; H.R. 1254, amended, Presidential Library Donation 
Reform Act of 2007; H.R. 1309, amended, To promote openness in 
Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code 
(Commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act); H.R. 1362, 
amended, Accountability in Contracting Act; H. Res. 198, Recognizing 
the significance of Black History Month; H.R. 89, Expressing the sense 
of the House of Representatives that a day should be established as 
Dutch-American Friendship Day to celebrate the historic ties of the 
United States and the Netherlands; and H. Res. 136, Commending the 
Girls Scouts of the United States of America on the occasion of their 
95th anniversary, for providing quality age-appropriate experiences 
that prepare girls to become the leaders of tomorrow and for raising 
issues important to girls.
FEDERAL PERSONNEL REFORM
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing 
on the Status of Federal Personnel Reform. Testimony was

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heard from Curtis Copeland, Specialist in American National Government, 
CRS, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
WATER QUALITY FINANCING ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule providing 
for consideration of H.R. 720, Water Quality Financing Act of 2007. The 
rule provides 1 hour of general debate 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, modified by the amendment printed in Part A of the 
Rules Committee report, shall be considered as adopted in the House and 
in the Committee of the Whole. The bill as amended shall be considered 
as an original bill for the purpose of further amendment and shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against 
provisions in the bill as amended, and no further amendments shall be 
in order except those amendments printed in Part B of the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the resolution.
  The rule provides that the further amendments made in order in Part B 
may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered 
only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided 
and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject 
to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. The rule waives 
all points of order against the amendments printed in the report except 
for clauses 9 and 10 of Rule XXI. Finally, the rule provides one motion 
to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Oberstar and Representatives Hirono, Stupak, Mica, Baker, Gary 
G. Miller of California, Boustany, Tom Davis of Virginia, Kirk, and 
King of Iowa.
HIGH SCHOOL LABORATORY EXPERIENCE
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Research and 
Science Education held a hearing on Improving the Laboratory Experience 
for America's High School Students Testimony was heard from 
Representative Hinojosa; and public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUDGET
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's R&D 
Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2008. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Jay M. 
Cohen, Under Secretary, Science and Technology; and Vayl Oxford, 
Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; and public witnesses.
DISASTER AND ACCESS TO CAPITAL PROGRAM
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing to review legislation 
affecting the SBA's Disaster and Access to Capital programs. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the SBA: Herbert L. Mitchell, 
Associate Administrator, Disaster Relief; and Michael Hager, Associate 
Deputy Administrator, Capital Access; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--COAST GUARD BUDGET
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held an oversight hearing on the 
Coast Guard Budget and Authorization for Fiscal Year 2008. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Homeland 
Security: ADM Thad W. Allen, USCG, Commandant; and Charles W. Bowen, 
USCG, Master Chief Petty Officer, both with the U.S. Coast Guard; and 
Richard L. Skinner, Inspector General; and Steven Caldwell, Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice Issues, GAO.
SERVICE MEMBERS TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Service Members Seamless Transition 
into Civilian Life--The Heroes Return. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Michael J. 
Kussman, M.D., Acting Under Secretary, Health; William F. Feeley, 
Deputy Under Secretary, Health for Operations and Management; Edward 
Huycke M.D., Veterans Health Administration/Department of Defense 
Coordination Office; Ira Katz, M.D., Director, Mental Health Services; 
Shane McNamee, M.D., Director, Polytrauma Center, VA Medical Center, 
Richmond, Virginia; Steven Scott, M.D., Director, Polytrauma Center, VA 
Medical Center, Tampa, Florida; and Kathy Dinegar and Sherry Edmonds-
Clemons, both Socialworker Liaisons for Seamless Transition, Walter. 
Reed Medical Center/Bethesda Naval Hospital; Cynthia Bascetta, 
Director, Health Care, GAO; and public witnesses.
MEDICARE PROGRAM INTEGRITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health and the 
Subcommittee on Oversight held a

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joint hearing on Medicare Program Integrity. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: 
Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General; and Tim Hill, Director, Office 
of Financial Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; 
and R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Florida.
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM BUDGET OVERVIEW
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Military Intelligence Program (MIP) Budget Overview. 
Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATIONS
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint 
hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine 
legislative presentations of certain veterans organizations, after 
receiving testimony from Norman Rosenshein, Jewish War Veterans of the 
United States, Randy L. Pleva, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America, and 
Larry Belote, Blinded Veterans Association, all of Washington, D.C.; 
John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America, Silver Spring, Maryland; 
Master Sergeant Morgan D. Brown (Ret.), United States Air Force, Air 
Force Sergeants Association, Suitland, Maryland; and Sergeant Major H. 
Gene Overstreet (Ret.), United States Marine Corps, Non Commissioned 
Officers Association, San Antonio, Texas.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE UNEMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
problem of African-American male unemployment, after receiving 
testimony from Ronald B. Mincy, Columbia University, and Robert 
Carmona, STRIVE, both of New York, New York.