[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 24, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D552-D554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine challenges and opportunities facing American 
agriculture producers, focusing on specialty crops, dairy, sugar, 
organic production and marketing, and honey, after receiving testimony 
from Tom Buis, National Farmers Union, David Beckmann, Bread for the 
World, and Larry Mitchell, American Corn Growers Association, all of 
Washington, D.C.; Bob Stallman, American Farm Bureau Federation, 
Columbus, Texas; Bill Flory, American Farmland Trust, Winchester, 
Idaho; John Hoffman, American Soybean Association, Waterloo, Iowa; John 
Pucheu, National Cotton Council, Tranquility, California; Ken McCauley, 
National Corn Growers Association, White Cloud, Kansas; Everett 
Tallman, National Association of Wheat Growers, Brandon, Colorado; Paul 
T. Combs, USA Rice Federation, Kennett, Missouri, on behalf of the U.S. 
Rice Producers Association; Evan Hayes, National Barley Growers 
Association, American Falls, Idaho; Dale Murden, National Sorghum 
Producers, Monte Alto, Texas; Armond Morris, Georgia Peanut Commission, 
Ocilla, on behalf of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation; Lynn 
Rundle, 21st Century Grain Processing Cooperative, Manhattan, Kansas, 
on behalf of the North American Millers' Association; John Swanson, 
National Sunflower Association, Mentor, Minnesota, on behalf of the 
U.S. Canola Association; and Jim Evans, USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, 
Genessee, Idaho.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
United States Pacific Command, United States Forces Korea, and United 
States Special Operations Command in review of the Defense 
Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future Years Defense 
Program, after receiving testimony from Admiral Timothy J. Keating, 
USN, Commander, United States Pacific Command, Vice Admiral Eric T. 
Olson, USN, Deputy Commander, United States Special Operations Command, 
and General Burwell B. Bell, III, USA, Commander, United States Nations 
Command and Republic of Korea/United States Combined Forces Command, 
Commander, United States Forces Korea, all of the Department of 
Defense.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management 
Support concluded a hearing

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to examine the readiness of United States ground forces in review of 
the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future 
Years Defense Program, after receiving testimony from Colonel Michael 
F. Beech, USA, Commander, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry 
Division, Fort Hood, Texas, Colonel Lewis A. Craparotta, USMC, 
Commander, 1st Marine Regiment, Camp Pendleton, California, and Colonel 
Timothy E. Orr, USARNG, Commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th 
Infantry Division, Iowa National Guard, all of the Department of 
Defense.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine communications, broadband and competitiveness 
relating to the telecommunications industry in the United States, after 
receiving testimony from Brian R. Mefford, ConnectKentucky and 
Connected Nation, Inc., Ben Scott, Free Press, on behalf of Consumers 
Union and the Consumer Federation of America, Jeffrey A. Eisenach, 
George Mason University School of Law, and Scott Wallsten, Progress and 
Freedom Foundation, all of Washington, D.C.; Adam T. Drobat, Telcordia 
Techonologies, Arlington, Virginia, on behalf of the Telecommunications 
Industry Association; and Jack Keil Wolf, University of California at 
San Diego.
CLEAN AIR ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the implications of the Supreme Court's decision 
regarding the Environmental Protection Agency authorities with respect 
to greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, after receiving testimony 
from Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, Environmental Protection 
Agency; Carol M. Browner, Albright Group, LLC, William K. Reilly, Aqua 
International Partners, Ann R. Klee, Crowell and Moring, David Doniger, 
Natural Resources Defense Council Climate Center, and Peter Glaser, 
Troutman Sanders LLP, all of Washington, D.C.
FEDERAL DISASTER HOUSING PROGRAM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc 
Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery concluded a hearing to examine 
trailers, focusing on creating a more flexible, efficient, and cost-
effective Federal Disaster Housing Program, after receiving testimony 
from David E. Garratt, Acting Assistant Administrator, Disaster 
Assistance Directorate, Gil H. Jamieson, Associate Deputy Administrator 
for Gulf Coast Recovery, and Major General John R. D'Araujo, (Ret.) 
United States Army, former Primary Selecting Official, Alternative 
Housing Pilot Program, all of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
and Matt A. Jadacki, Deputy Inspector General for Disaster Assistance 
Oversight, all of the Department of Homeland Security; Robert P. 
Hebert, Charlotte County Administration, Port Charlotte, Florida; 
Sheila Crowley, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Washington, 
D.C.; William J. Croft, Shaw Group, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana; 
Andres Duany, Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company, Charlotte, North 
Carolina; John Badman, III, RE: Formed Systems, Greenwich, Connecticut.
TRANSIT BENEFITS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine the 
Federal Transit Benefit Program, focusing on determining if benefits 
are being misused, program rules are being violated, and whether agency 
oversight requires strengthening, after receiving testimony from 
Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, and John J. Ryan, Assistant 
Director, both of Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, 
Government Accountability Office; Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector 
General, and Linda J. Washington, Acting Assistant Secretary for 
Administration, both of the Department of Transportation; Thomas F. 
Gimble, Acting Inspector General, and Michael L. Rhodes, Director, 
Washington Headquarters Services, both of the Department of Defense.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, 
focusing on modernizing middle and high schools for the twenty-first 
century, after receiving testimony from Robert Balfanz, Johns Hopkins 
University Center for Social Organization of Schools, Baltimore, 
Maryland; former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise, Alliance for 
Excellent Education, and John Podesta, Center for American Progress, 
both of Washington, D.C.; Tony Habit, North Carolina New Schools 
Project, Raleigh; and Edna E. Varner, Hamilton County Public Education 
Foundation, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
CASUALTIES OF WAR
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law 
concluded a hearing to examine the casualties of war focusing on child 
soldiers and the law, including S. 1175, to end the use of child 
soldiers in hostilities around the world, after receiving testimony 
from Joseph Mettimano, World Vision, Washington, D.C.; Kenneth Roth, 
Human Rights Watch, Anwen Hughes, Human Rights

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First, and Ishmael Beah, all of New York, New York.
NATIONAL GUARD
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the Insurrection Act rider and the state control of the National Guard, 
including the proposed John Warner National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2007, S. 513, to amend title 10, United States Code, to 
revive previous authority on the use of the Armed Forces and the 
militia to address interference with State or Federal law, H.R. 1591, 
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2007, and S. 430, to amend title 10, United States Code, 
to enhance the national defense through empowerment of the Chief of the 
National Guard Bureau and the enhancement of the functions of the 
National Guard Bureau, after receiving testimony from North Carolina 
Governor Michael F. Easley, Raleigh, on behalf of the National 
Governors Association; Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, USA, Chief, 
National Guard Bureau; Major General Timothy J. Lowenberg, USAF, 
Adjutant General, Washington National Guard; and Sheriff Ted G. 
Kamatchus, Marshall County, Marshalltown, Iowa, on behalf of the 
National Sheriffs' Association.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of 
the intelligence community.