[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 8, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D638-D640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WELFARE OF ANIMALS IN AGRICULTURE
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing to review the welfare of animals in agriculture. 
Testimony was heard from former Representative Charles W. Stenholm of 
Texas; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness approved for 
full Committee action H.R. 1585, National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2008.
SUPERVISOR MISCLASSIFICATION
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Health, Education, 
Labor and Pensions held a hearing on ``Are NLRB and Court Rulings 
Misclassifying Skilled and Professional Employees as Supervisors?'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``Alternative Fuels: Current Status, 
Proposals for New Standards, and Related Infrastructure Issues.'' 
Testimony was heard from Robert J. Meyers, Associate Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, EPA; Alexander A. Karsner, 
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department 
of Energy; and public witnesses.
ROLE OF SECONDARY MARKET IN SUBPRIME MORTGAGE LENDING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing on the Role of the Secondary Market 
in Subprime Mortgage Lending. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
RURAL HOUSING PROGRAMS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Rural Housing Programs: Review 
Fiscal Year 2008 Budget and Pending Rural Housing Legislation,'' 
including the following bills: H.R. 1980, Housing Assistance Council 
Authorization Act of 2007; and H.R. 1982, Rural Housing and Economic 
Development Improvement Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from Pamela 
Patenaude, Assistant Secretary, Community Planning and Development, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; Russell T. Davis, 
Administrator, Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities 
Programs, USDA; and public witnesses.
JEWISH AND PALESTINIAN REFUGEES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on Two Sides of the Same Coin: Jewish and 
Palestinian Refugees. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
VOTER CONFIDENCE AND INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY ACT OF 2007; ELECTION 
CONTESTS DISMISSED; COMMITTEE FRANKING ALLOCATION RESOLUTION
Committee on House Administration: Ordered reported the following: H.R. 
811, amended, Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007; 
and four resolutions dismissing Election contests in the following 
cases: Russell v. Brown-Waite (FL-5); Gonzalez v. Diaz-Balart (FL-21); 
Curtis v. Feeney (FL-24); and Cox v. McCrery (LA-4).
  The Committee also approved a Committee Franking Allocation 
Resolution.
ANTITRUST MODERNIZATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Antitrust Task Force held a hearing on the 
findings and recommendations of the Antitrust Modernization Commission, 
as established by the Antitrust Modernization Commission Act of 2002. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Antitrust 
Modernization Commission: Deborah A. Garza, Chair; and Jon Yarowsky, 
Vice Chair.

[[Page D639]]


U.S. IMMIGRATION SYSTEM--ROLE OF FAMILY-BASED IMMIGRATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security, and International Law held a hearing on the 
Role of Family-Based Immigration in the U.S. Immigration System. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Gingrey; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS FAIRNESS IN CONTRACTING ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 8 to 3, a structured rule. 
The rule provides 1 hour of general debate on H.R. 1873, to reauthorize 
the programs and activities of the Small Business Administration 
relating to procurement, and for other purposes, equally divided and 
controlled by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee 
on Small Business. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The 
rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
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 and shall be considered as read. The rule waives 
all points of order against the committee amendment except for those 
arising under clauses 9 or 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the report. 
The amendments made in order may be offered only in the order printed 
in the report, may be offered only by the Member designated in the 
report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time 
specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent 
and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be 
subject to a demand for a division of the question in the House or in 
the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against the amendments 
except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI are waived. The rule provides 
one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Finally, the rule 
provides that the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill 
to a time designated by the Speaker. Testimony was heard from 
Chairwoman Velazquez, Representative Sestak, Chairman Waxman, 
Representatives Braley, Welch of Vermont, Wynn, Jackson-Lee of Texas, 
Chabot, and Sessions.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 8 to 3, a structured rule. 
The rule provides 1 hour of general debate on H.R. 1684, to authorize 
appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 
2008, and for other purposes, 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 for clauses 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule considers as 
an original bill for the purpose of further amendment the amendment in 
the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Homeland 
Security. The committee amendment shall be considered as read. The rule 
waives all points of order against the committee amendment except for 
those arising under clauses 9 or 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule makes in order those amendments printed in the report and 
waives all points of order against such amendments except for those 
arising under clauses 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides one motion 
to recommit with or without instructions. Finally, the rule permits the 
Chair, during consideration of the bill in the House, to postpone 
further consideration until a time designated by the Speaker. Testimony 
was heard from Chairman Thompson of Mississippi, Representatives 
Hastings of Florida, Cardoza, Castor, Sherman, Lipinski, King of New 
York, Shays, Tom Davis of Virginia, Davis of Tennessee, Hastings of 
Washington, Royce, Mica, Hayes, Terry, Bilbray, Blackburn, Garrett of 
New Jersey, and Poe.
LEVEE/DAM SAFETY PROGRAMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management and the 
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a joint hearing on 
National Levee Safety and Dam Safety Programs. Testimony was heard from 
David I. Maurstad, Assistant Administrator, Mitigation Directorate, 
FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; Steven L. Stockton, Deputy 
Director, Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of 
Defense; and public witnesses.
RAIL SAFETY LEGISLATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials held a hearing on Rail 
Safety Legislation. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Transportation: Joseph Boardman, Administrator, 
Federal Railroad Administration; and Kurt W. Hyde, Assistant Inspector 
General, Surface and Maritime Programs, Office of Inspector General; 
Mark Rosenker, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; and 
public witnesses.

[[Page D640]]


VETERANS CEMETERIES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on Veterans Cemeteries: Honoring 
Those Who Served. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs: John Metzler, Superintendent, 
Arlington National Cemetery; and William F. Tuerk, Under Secretary, 
Memorial Affairs; BG John W. Nicholson, USA (ret.), Secretary, American 
Battle Monuments Commission; and representatives of veterans 
organizations.
DOD/VA MEDICAL RECORDS SHARING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Sharing of Electronic Medical Records 
between Department of Defense and Department of Veterans' Affairs. 
Testimony was heard from Valerie Melvin, Director, Human Capital and 
Management Information Systems Issues, GAO; Gerald M. Cross, M.D., 
Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Health, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and Stephen Jones, M.D., Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs, 
Department of Defense.
INDEPENDENT WORKER MISCLASSIFICATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Income Security and Family 
Support and the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures held a joint 
hearing on Independent Workers. Testimony was heard from Sigurd Nilsen, 
Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.