[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D515-D517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine economic challenges and opportunities facing 
American agricultural producers today, focusing on livestock, poultry 
and competition issues relating to the reenactment of the Farm Bill, 
after receiving testimony from Peter C. Carstensen, University of 
Wisconsin Law School, Madison; Lynn A. Hayes, Farmers' Legal Action 
Group, Inc., Saint Paul, Minnesota; Mary K. Muth, RTI International, 
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; Eric Nelson, R-CALF USA, 
Moville, Iowa; John Queen, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, 
Waynesville, North Carolina; Joy Philippi, National Pork Producers 
Council, Bruning, Nebraska; Ron Truex, Creighton Brothers, LLC, Warsaw, 
Indiana, on behalf of the United Egg Producers; Burdell Johnson, 
American Sheep Industry Association, Tuttle, North Dakota; William P. 
Roenigk, National Chicken Council, Washington,

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D.C. Tim Schmidt, Hawarden, Iowa; and Scott Hamilton, Phil Campbell, 
Alabama.
APPROPRIATIONS: HEALTH PROGRAMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget 
estimates for fiscal year 2008 for maternal and child health, and 
family planning and reproductive health after receiving testimony from 
Kent Hill, Assistant Administrator for Global Health, United States 
Agency International Development (USAID); Nils Daulaire, Global Health 
Council, and Laurie Garrett, Council on Foreign Relations, both of 
Washington, D.C.; and Helene Gayle, Cooperative for Assistance and 
Relief Everywhere (CARE), Atlanta, Georgia.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates 
for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Energy after receiving 
testimony from Thomas P. D'Agostino, Acting Under Secretary for Nuclear 
Security and Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, 
United States Department of Energy.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel with the 
Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support concluded a joint 
hearing to examine the readiness impact of quality of life and family 
support programs to assist families of Active Duty, National Guard, and 
Reserve military personnel in review of the Defense Authorization 
Request for Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program, 
after receiving testimony from Senator Chambliss; Michael L. Dominguez, 
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness; Lynda C. Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for 
Military Personnel Policy; John McLaurin, Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
the Army for Human Resources; Lieutenant General Roger A. Brady, USAF, 
Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel, Headquarters, United 
States Air Force; Joyce Wessel Raezer, National Military Family 
Association, Alexandria, Virginia; and certain other public witnesses.
FREE TRADE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism concluded a hearing to examine 
the impacts of current United States trade policy, after receiving 
testimony from Leo Hindery, Jr., InterMedia Partners, New York, New 
York; Lori Wallach, Public Citizen, Christopher Wenk, United States 
Chamber of Commerce, and Edward Gresser, all of Washington, D.C.; and 
John Johnston, Modern Metal Cutting, LLC, Akron, Ohio.
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 2008 
for the United States Coast Guard, after receiving testimony from 
Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, United States Coast Guard, 
Department of Homeland Security.
NOMINATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the nomination of Lieutenant General Robert L. Van 
Antwerp, Jr. to be Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the 
United States Army Corps of Engineers, after the nominee testified and 
answered questions in his own behalf.
TAX GAP
Committee on Finance: Committee held a hearing to examine the 
Administration's plan for addressing the issue of taxpayers' compliance 
with their federal tax obligations and the extent to which taxpayers do 
not file their tax returns and pay the correct tax on time, focusing on 
goals, benchmarks, and timetables for reducing noncompliance, receiving 
testimony from Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury.
  Hearing recessed subject to the call.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of R. Niels Marquardt, of California, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar, and to serve concurrently and 
without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Union of Comoros, 
Janet E. Garvey, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Cameroon, and Phillip Carter III, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Guinea, after the nominees testified and answered questions 
in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the nomination of Gregory B. Cade, of 
Virginia, to be Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, 
Department of Homeland Security.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following:

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  S.1082, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to 
reauthorize and amend the prescription drug user fee provisions, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Douglas G. Myers, of California, Jeffrey Patchen, 
of Indiana, Lotsee Patterson, of Oklahoma, all to be Members of the 
National Museum and Library Services Board, Stephen W. Porter, of the 
District of Columbia, to be a Member of the National Council on the 
Arts, and Cynthia Allen Wainscott, of Georgia, to be a Member of the 
National Council on Disability, and promotion lists for the Public 
Health Service.
ELECTION EXPENDITURES
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine S. 1091, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 
repeal the limitation on party expenditures on behalf of candidates in 
general elections, after receiving testimony from John Samples, Cato 
Institute, Marc E. Elias, Perkins Coie LLP, Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 
21, Thomas E. Mann, Brookings Institution, Gary Kalman, United States 
Public Interest Research Group, and Michael J. Malbin, Campaign Finance 
Institute, all of Washington, D.C.
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT AND SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Public Law 107-204) and its 
impact on small public companies, after receiving testimony from 
Christopher Cox, Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; 
Mark W. Olson, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, Washington, 
D.C.; Thomas R. Venables, Benjamin Franklin Bank, on behalf of the 
American Bankers Association, and Joseph Piche, Eikos, Inc., both of 
Franklin, Massachusetts; and Richard Wasielewski, Nortech Systems, 
Inc., Wayzata, Minnesota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nomination of Thomas E. Harvey, of New York, to be an Assistant 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Congressional Affairs).