[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D578-D580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FARM CROP PROVISIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management, hearing to review proposals to amend the program crop 
provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Climate Change. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of the Interior: Tom 
Armstrong, Senior Advisor, Global Change Programs, U.S. Geological 
Survey; Lynn Scarlett, Deputy Secretary; Sam D. Hamilton, Regional 
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Dan Kimball, Superintendent, 
Everglades National Park, and Don L. Neubacher, Superintendent, Point 
Reyes National Seashore, both with the National Park Service; Ron 
Huntsinger, National Science Coordinator, and Mike Pellant, Great Basin 
Restoration Initiative Coordinator, both with the Bureau of Land 
Management; and Jim Hubbard, Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, 
Forest Service, USDA.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing of the 
Secretary of Labor. Testimony was heard from Elaine Chao, Secretary of 
Labor.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on the Office of Compliance/Congressional Budget Office. 
Testimony was heard from Peter Orszag, Director, CBO; Tamara Chrisler, 
Acting Executive Director; and Peter Eveleth, General Counsel, both 
with the Office of Compliance.
CREDIT CARD PRACTICES
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Credit Card Practices: 
Current Consumer and Regulatory Issues.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
SECURE HANDLING OF AMMONIUM NITRATE ACT OF 2007
Committee on Homeland Security: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
1680, Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2007.
SAFE PORT ACT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and 
Global Counterterrorism held a hearing entitled ``The SAFE Port Act: A 
Six-Month Review.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Homeland Security: ADM Craig E. Bone, USCG, Assistant 
Commandant, Prevention, U.S. Coast Guard; Jayson Ahern, Assistant 
Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border 
Protection; and Maurine S. Fanguy, Program Director, Transportation 
Worker Identification Credential Program, Transportation Security 
Administration; Stephen L. Caldwell, Director, Homeland Security and 
Justice Issues, GAO; George P. Cummings, Director, Homeland Security, 
Port of Los Angeles, California; Richard A. Wainio, Port Director and 
CEO, Tampa Port Authority, Florida; and public witnesses.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SHARING/CLASSIFICATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``The Over-Classification and Pseudo-Classification of 
Government Information: The Response of the Program Manager of the 
Information Sharing Environment.'' Testimony was heard from Ambassador 
Thomas E. McNamara, Program Manager, Information Sharing Environment, 
Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Carter Morris, 
Director, Informational

[[Page D579]]

Sharing and Knowledge Management, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, 
Department of Homeland Security; Wayne M. Murphy, Assistant Director, 
Directorate of Intelligence, FBI, Department of Justice; COL Bart R. 
Johnson, New York State Police; and Mark Zadra, Assistant Commissioner, 
Department of Law Enforcement, Florida.
PATIENT REFORM ACT OF 2007
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, The Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held a hearing on H.R. 1908, Patent Reform Act of 
2007. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
EMPLOYER CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK ACCESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 1700, COPS Improvements Act of 2007; and H.R. 916, John R. 
Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2007.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Employer Access to Criminal 
Background Checks: The Need for Efficiency and Accuracy. Testimony was 
heard from Frank Campbell, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of 
Legal Policy, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
ELECTRONIC EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION AND WORKSITE ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security and International Law held a hearing on 
Proposals for Improving the Electronic Employment Verification and 
Worksite Enforcement System. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Calvert, Dreier, Reyes, Gutierrez, and Flake; and public witnesses.
OCEANS CONSERVATION, EDUCATION, AND NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY 
ACT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and 
Oceans held a hearing on H.R. 21, Oceans Conservation, Education, and 
National Strategy for the 21st Century Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Farr and Allen; Jack Dunnigan, Assistant Administrator, 
Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management, NOAA, Department of 
Commerce; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--ONSHORE OIL AND GAS LEASING DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands and the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held a joint oversight hearing on Land-use Issues Associated with 
Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Development. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Peterson of Pennsylvania; Henri Bisson, Deputy Director, 
Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior; Tony L. Ferguson, 
Director, Minerals and Geology Management, Forest Service, USDA; John 
Emmerich, Deputy Director, Department of Game and Fish, State of 
Wyoming; and public witnesses.
PLATTE RIVER RECOVERY
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a 
hearing on H.R. 1462, Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and 
Pathfinder Modification Authorization Act. Testimony was heard from 
Jason Peltier, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Water and Science, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Department of Interior; Ann Bleed, Executive Director, 
Department of Natural Resources, State of Nebraska; Ted Kowalski, 
Program Manager, Water Conservation Board, State of Colorado; Mike 
Purcell, Director, Water Development Commission, State of Wyoming; and 
public witnesses.
ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY--ENERGY
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Establishing the Advanced Research 
Projects Agency--Energy--H.R. 364, To provide for the establishment of 
the Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
FEDERAL REGULATORY SYSTEM
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Investigations and 
Oversight held a hearing on Amending Executive Order 12866: Good 
Governance or Regulatory Usurpation? Part II. Testimony was heard from 
Steve Aitken, General Counsel, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, OMB; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on Small Business Innovation Reauthorization 
on the 25th Program Anniversary. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
IRS TAX GAP PROPOSALS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Closing the Tax 
Gap Without Creating Burdens for Small Businesses.'' Testimony was 
heard from Mark W. Everson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue, IRS, 
Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.

[[Page D580]]


OVERSIGHT--FEMA'S PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held 
an oversight hearing on FEMA's Preparedness and Response to All 
Hazards. Testimony was heard from VADM Harvey Johnson, USCG (Ret.) 
Deputy Administrator, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; and public 
witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 92, Veterans' Timely Access Health Care 
Act; H.R. 315, Help Establish Access to Local Timely Healthcare for 
Your Veterans (Healthy Vets) Act of 2007; H.R. 339, Veterans' 
Outpatient Care Access Act of 2007; H.R. 463, Honor Our Commitment to 
Veterans Act; H.R. 538, South Texas Veterans' Access to Care Act of 
2007; H.R. 542, To require the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
provide mental health services in languages other than English, as 
needed, for veterans with limited English proficiency; H.R. 1426, 
Richard Helm Veterans' Access to Local Health Care Options and 
Resources; H.R. 1470, Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act; 
H.R. 1471, Better Access to Chiropractors to Keep Our Veterans' Health 
Act (BACK Veterans' Health Act); H.R. 1527, Rural Veterans' Access to 
Care Act; and a draft discussion on the Rural Health Care bill and a 
proposed TBI bill. Testimony was heard from Chairman Filner; and 
Representatives Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida; Pearce, Rothman, Ortiz, 
Solis, Latham, Moran of Kansas and Altmire; Gerald M. Cross, Acting 
Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Health, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and representatives of 
veterans organizations.
POVERTY REDUCTION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Income Security and Family 
Support held a hearing on Poverty Reduction. Testimony was heard from 
Linda Gibbs, Deputy Mayor, Health and Human Services, City of New York; 
and public witnesses.
R&D AND SYSTEMS ACQUISITION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on R&D and Systems Acquisition. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.
DANGEROUS CLIMATE CHANGE
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Dangerous Climate Change.'' Testimony was heard from 
James Hansen, Director, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA; and 
public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Joint Economic Committee: On April 5, 2007, Committee adopted its rules 
of procedure for the 110th Congress.