[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D566-D568]
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 
hearings to examine challenges and opportunities facing American 
agricultural producers, focusing on farm programs and the commodity 
title of the farm bill, 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.
APPROPRIATIONS: MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense concluded a 
hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for 
the Missile Defense Agency, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant 
General Henry A. Obering, III, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency, 
and Lieutenant General Kevin T. Campbell, USA, Commanding General, 
United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command/United States Army 
Forces Strategic Command and Joint Functional Component Command for 
Integrated Missile Defense, both of the Department of Defense.
BUDGET: DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a 
hearing to examine whether the Army is properly sized, organized, and 
equipped to respond to the most likely missions over the next two 
decades while retaining adequate capability to respond to all 
contingencies along the spectrum of combat in review of the Defense 
Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future Years Defense 
Program, after receiving testimony from Preston M. Geren, III, Acting 
Secretary, General George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff, Lieutenant 
Colonel Coll S. Haddon, Deputy Director of Operations, Program Manager 
of the Future Combat Systems, Brigade Combat Team, and Sergeant Major 
Thomas W. Coleman, Program Executive Officer, all of the United States 
Army, Department of Defense.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL AWARENESS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and 
Capabilities concluded a hearing to examine language and cultural 
awareness capabilities for the Department of Defense, after receiving 
testimony from Andre Van Tilborg, Deputy Secretary for Science and 
Technology, and Gail H. McGinn, Deputy Under Secretary for Plans, both 
of the Department of Defense; and Major General Robert H. Scales, Jr., 
(Ret.) USA, Colgen, Inc., Dayton, Maryland.

[[Page D567]]


NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported 1,303 
nominations in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following:
  S. 1178, to strengthen data protection and safeguards, require data 
breach notification, and further prevent identity theft, with 
amendments;
  S. 294, to reauthorize Amtrak, with amendments;
  S. 675, to provide competitive grants for training court reporters 
and closed captioners to meet requirements for realtime writers under 
the Telecommunications Act of 1996, with amendments;
  S. 428, to amend the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 
1999, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 924, to strengthen the United States Coast Guard's Integrated 
Deepwater Program, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1142, to authorize the acquisition of interests in undeveloped 
coastal areas in order better to ensure their protection from 
development,
  S. 311, to amend the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, 
transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, 
selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for 
human consumption; and certain nomination lists in the U.S. Coast 
Guard.
WATER BILLS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and 
Power concluded a hearing to examine S. 324, to direct the Secretary of 
the Interior to conduct a study of water resources in the State of New 
Mexico, S. 542, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
feasibility studies to address certain water shortages within the 
Snake, Boise, and Payette River systems in the State of Idaho, S. 752, 
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the 
implementation of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program for 
Endangered Species in the Central and Lower Platte River Basin and to 
modify the Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir, S. 1037, to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to assist in the planning, design, and 
construction of the Tumalo Irrigation District Water Conservation 
Project in Deschutes County, Oregon, S. 1116 and H.R. 902, bills to 
facilitate the use for irrigation and other purposes of water produced 
in connection with development of energy resources, S. 175, to provide 
for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies 
of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served 
by the District, S. 1112 and H.R. 235, bills to allow for the 
renegotiation of the payment schedule of contracts between the 
Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District, 
after receiving testimony from Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of 
Reclamation, and Robert M. Hirsch, Associate Director for Water, United 
States Geological Survey, both of the Department of the Interior; Mike 
Purcell, Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, Cheyenne; David 
R. Stewart, Stewart Environmental Consultants, Inc., Fort Collins, 
Colorado; Joe Glode, Upper North Platte Valley Water Users Association, 
Saratoga, Wyoming; and Nicholas R. Tibbetts, Redwood Valley County 
Water District, Santa Rosa, California.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air 
and Nuclear Safety concluded an oversight hearing to examine the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, focusing on the Commission's budget and 
programs, after receiving testimony from Dale E. Klein, Chairman, and 
Ed McGaffigan, Jeff Merrifield, and Greg Jaczko, each a Commissioner, 
all of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following:
  S. 119, to prohibit profiteering and fraud relating to military 
action, relief, and reconstruction efforts, with an amendment;
  S. 735, to amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the 
terrorist hoax statute;
  H.R. 740, to amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent caller ID 
spoofing, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 879, to amend the Sherman Act to make oil-producing and exporting 
cartels illegal;
  S. Res. 125, designating May 18, 2007, as ``Endangered Species Day'', 
and encouraging the people of the United States to become educated 
about, and aware of, threats to species, success stories in species 
recovery, and the opportunity to promote species conservation 
worldwide;
  S. Res. 116, designating May 2007 as ``National Autoimmune Diseases 
Awareness Month'' and supporting efforts to increase awareness of 
autoimmune diseases and increase funding for autoimmune disease 
research;
  S. Res. 146, designating June 20, 2007, as ``American Eagle Day'', 
and celebrating the recovery and restoration of the American bald 
eagle, the national symbol of the United States;
  S. Res. 162, commemorating and acknowledging the dedication and 
sacrifice made by the men and

[[Page D568]]

women who have lost their lives while serving as law enforcement 
officers; and
  The nominations of Robert Gideon Howard, Jr., to be United States 
Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas, John Roberts Hackman, to 
be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, and 
Frederick J. Kapala, to be United States District Judge for the 
Northern District of Illinois, and Benjamin Hale Settle, to be United 
States District Judge for the Western District of Washington Department 
of Justice, both of the Department of Justice.
  Also, Committee approved the issuance of subpoenas in connection with 
the investigation into replacement of U.S. attorneys.
VETERANS' MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight 
hearing to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on 
mental health issues, including S. 479, to reduce the incidence of 
suicide among veterans, after receiving testimony from David Oslin, 
Director, VISN 4, and Jan Kemp, Associate Director for Education, VISN 
19, both of the Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, 
and Patricia Resick, Director, Women's Division, National Center for 
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, all of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs; Patrick Campbell, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 
New York, New York; Connie Lee Best, Medical University of South 
Carolina National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, 
Charleston; Ralph Ibson, Mental Health America, Alexandria, Virginia; 
Tony Bailey, Las Vegas, Nevada; and Randall and Ellen Omvig, Grundy 
Center, Iowa.