[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D321-D324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOOD STAMP PROGRAM REVIEW--IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing to review the federal 
food stamp program and its impact on children's health. Testimony was 
heard from Nancy Montanez-Johner, Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition and 
Consumer Services, 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 Secretary of Agriculture. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the USDA: Chuck Conner, Deputy Secretary; Keith 
Collins, Chief Economist; and Scott Steele, Budget Officer.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies on NASA. Testimony was heard from Michael D. 
Griffin, Administrator, NASA.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held

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a hearing on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Testimony was the following 
officials of the Department of the Army: John Paul Woodley, Assistant 
Secretary, Civil Works; and LTG Carl A. Strock, USA, Chief of 
Engineers.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on the Secret Service. Testimony was heard from Mark Sullivan, 
Director, U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Arts Panel. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Social and Economic 
Status of Native Americans, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of the 
Special Trustee. Testimony was heard from a public witness.
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 Department 
of Education: Elementary and Secondary Education, and Special Education 
and Rehabilitation Services. Testimony was heard from Raymond Simon, 
Deputy Secretary, Department of Education.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on Capitol Visitor Center. Testimony was heard from Stephen T. 
Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capitol; Terry Dorn, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues, GAO; Robert Hixon, Project Executive; and 
Douglas Jacobs, Design Manager, both with the Capitol Visitor Center.
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 Navy 
Budget. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Navy: ADM Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chief of Naval 
Operations; and GEN James T. Conway, USMC, Commandant, U.S. Marine 
Corps.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Veterans' Claims Process. 
Testimony was heard from William Greene, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of 
Appeals for Veterans Claims; and Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary, 
Benefits, Department of Veterans' Affairs.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on the Millenium Challenge Account. 
Testimony was heard from Ambassador John Danilovich, CEO, Millenium 
Challenge Corp.
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 Status of Public Housing and HOPE VI. Testimony was heard from 
Orlando J. Cabrera, Assistant Secretary, Public and Indian Housing, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
ACCOUNTABILITY IN CONTRACTING ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 1362, 
Accountability in Contracting Act.
MILITARY RESALE PROGRAMS REVIEW
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on overview of military resale programs. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Michael L. 
Dominguez, Principal Deputy Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; MG Paul 
Essex, USAF, Commander, Army and Air Force Exchange Service; RADM 
Robert E. Cowley, III, USN, Commander, Navy Exchange Service Command; 
Patrick B. Nixon, Director and CEO, Defense Commissary Agency; and 
Michael P. Downs, Director, Personal and Family Readiness Division, 
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
READINESS NEEDS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on the adequacy of the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization 
Budget Request to meet readiness needs. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: GEN Richard Cody, 
USA, Vice Chief of Staff, Department of the Army; GEN John D. W. 
Corley, USAF, Vice Chief of Staff, Department of the Air Force; GEN 
Robert Magnus, USMC, Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps; and ADM 
Robert F. Willard, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Department of 
the Navy.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health approved for 
full Committee the following

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bills: H.R. 477, Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act; H.R. 727, 
amended, Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act of 2007; H.R. 
545, amended, Native American Methamphetamine Enforcement and Treatment 
Act of 2007; H.R. 1132, amended, National Breast and Cervical Cancer 
Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007; and H.R. 493, 
amended, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007.
POST KATRINA HEALTH CARE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Post Katrina Health Care: 
Continuing Concerns and Immediate Needs in the New Orleans Region.'' 
Testimony was heard from Leslie Norwalk, Acting Administrator, Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human 
Services; Fred Cerise, M.D., Secretary, Department of Health and 
Hospitals, State of Louisiana; and the following officials of the 
Department of Health, City of New Orleans: Kevin U. Stephens, M.D., 
Director; and Evangeline R. Franklin, M.D., Director, Clinical Services 
and Employee Health; and public witnesses.
HEDGE FUNDS AND SYSTEMIC RISK IN FINANCIAL MARKETS
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Hedge Funds 
and Systemic Risk in the Financial Markets.'' Testimony was heard from 
E. Gerald Corrigan, former President, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 
Federal Reserve System; and public witnesses.
TIBET; STATE OF SINO-TIBETAN DIALOGUE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Tibet: Status of the 
Sino-Tibetan Dialogue. Testimony was heard from Paula J. Dobriansky, 
Under Secretary, Democracy and Global Affairs, Department of State; and 
public witnesses.
HAITI'S DEVELOPMENT NEEDS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere held a 
hearing on Haiti's Development Needs. Testimony was heard from Adolfo 
A. Franco, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the 
Caribbean, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of 
State.
RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ACT OF 2007
Committee on Homeland Security: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
1401, Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, 
and Oceans held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 50, 
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2007; 
and H.R. 465, Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007. 
Testimony was heard from Kenneth Stansell, Acting Deputy Director, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 2007
Committee on Oversight and Reform: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
1433, District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007.
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 9 to 4, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 985, Whistleblower Protection 
Enhancement Act of 2007. The rule provides 1 hour and 20 minutes of 
general debate, with 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the 
Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform and 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the 
Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Homeland 
Security. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill except those arising under clauses 9 and 10 of Rule XXI. The 
rule provides that an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of the bill, modified by the amendments 
recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform now 
printed in the bill, shall be considered as an original bill for the 
purpose of amendment.
  The rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed in 
the report except for those arising under clauses 9 and 10 of Rule XXI. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Waxman and 
Representatives Tom Davis of Virginia, Shays and King of Iowa.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP IN A 21ST CENTURY GLOBAL ECONOMY
Committee on Science and Technology: Held a hearing on Science and 
Technology Leadership in a 21st Century Global Economy. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
U.S./MEXICAN TRUCKING SAFETY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing on U.S./Mexican Trucking: Safety 
and the Cross Border Demonstration Project. Testimony was heard

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from the following officials of the Department of Transportation: John 
H. Hill, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; 
and Calvin L. Scovel, III, Inspector General; and public witnesses.
VETERANS' MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 797, Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act; and H.R. 
1284, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2007.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Impact of OIF/OEF on the 
VA Claims Process. Testimony was heard from Dan Bertoni, Acting 
Director--Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO; Ronald 
R. Aument, Deputy Under Secretary, Benefits, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.
VETERANS' MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health approved for 
full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 612, Returning 
Servicemember VA Healthcare Insurance Act of 2007; and H.R. 327, Joshua 
Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act.
KATRINA REDEVELOPMENT TAX ISSUES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on Katrina Redevelopment Tax Issues. Testimony was heard from Milton 
Bailey, President Housing Finance Agency, State of Louisiana; and a 
public witness.
FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
  Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on Facilities and Infrastructures. 
Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions concluded a joint hearing with the House Committee on 
Education and Labor to examine improving No Child Left Behind to close 
the achievement gap, relating to the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act reauthorization, after receiving testimony from Georgia Governor 
Roy E. Barnes, Co-Chair, Commission on No Child Left Behind, Marietta; 
Elizabeth Burmaster, Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction, Madison, on behalf of the Council of Chief State School 
Officers; and Mike Casserly, Council of the Great City Schools, Wade 
Henderson, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Edward J. McElroy, 
American Federation of Teachers, Arthur J. Rothkopf, U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce, on behalf of the Business Coalition for Student Achievement, 
Reg Weaver, National Education Association, and Chester E. Finn, Jr., 
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, all of Washington, D.C.