[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 77 (Thursday, May 10, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D661-D663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, 
and Research held a hearing to review agricultural research programs. 
Testimony was heard from Gale Buchanan, Under Secretary, Research, 
Education and Economics, USDA; and public witnesses.
FOOD AID/AGRICULTURE TRADE PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural 
Development, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing to review food aid 
and agriculture trade programs operated by the USDA and the U.S. Agency 
for International Development. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
McGovern and Emerson; Michael Yost, Administrator, Foreign Agriculture 
Service, USDA; William Hammink, Director, Office of Food for Peace, 
U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of State; and 
public witnesses.
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the USDA: Bruce Knight, Under Secretary, 
Marketing and Regulatory Programs; Kenneth C. Clayton, Associate 
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service; W. Ron DeHaven, 
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; James E. 
Link, Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration; and W. Scott Steele, Budget Officer.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Contracting Out. Testimony was heard from John P. Hutton, Director, 
Acquisition and Sourcing Management, GAO; Joseph T. McDermott, 
Assistant Inspector General, Audits, and Special Inspector General, 
Iraq Reconstruction, and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STUDENT LOAN AND THE READING FIRST 
PROGRAM
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Accountability for 
the Department of Education's Oversight of Student Loans and the 
Reading First Program. Testimony was heard from Margaret Spellings, 
Secretary of Education.
FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Healthy Families and 
Communities held a hearing on Using School Wellness Plans To Help Fight 
Childhood Obesity. Testimony was heard from Representative Woolsey; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 964, Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber 
Trespass Act; and H.R. 948, Social Security Number Protection Act of 
2007.

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FUTURE OF VIDEO
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet continued hearings entitled ``Digital Future of the 
United States: Part V: The Future of Video.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
FINANCIAL CRIMES LAW ENFORCEMENT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Suspicious Activity and 
Currency Transaction Reports: Balancing Law Enforcement Utility and 
Regulatory Requirements.'' Testimony was heard from William F. Baity, 
Deputy Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN, 
Department of the Treasury; Salvador Hernandez, Deputy Assistant 
Director, Criminal Investigative Division, FBI, Department of Justice; 
and public witnesses.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS NONPROLIFERATION
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Every State a 
Superpower? Stopping the Spread of Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century. 
Testimony was heard from former Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia; and public 
witnesses.
GUINEA AND ETHIOPIA HUMAN RIGHTS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight, and the Subcommittee on 
Africa and Global Health held a joint hearing on Is There a Human 
Rights Double Standard? U.S. Policy Toward Equatorial Guinea and 
Ethiopia Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY INFORMATION SHARING
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Fixing the Homeland Security Information Network: Finding 
the Way Forward for Better Information Sharing.'' Testimony was heard 
from Wayne Parent, Deputy Director, Office of Operations Coordination, 
Department of Homeland Security; David Powner, Director, Information 
Technology Management Issues, GAO; Barry S. Lindquist, Inspector, 
Office of Statewide Intelligence, Department of Law Enforcement, State 
of Florida; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing on the U.S. 
Department of Justice. Testimony was heard from Alberto Gonzales, The 
Attorney General, Department of Justice.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 523, 
Douglas County, Washington PUD Conveyance Act; and H.R. 1011, Virginia 
Ridge and Valley Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Boucher and Hastings of Washington; Mike Ferguson, Assistant Director, 
Business and Fiscal Resources, Bureau of Land Management, Department of 
the Interior; Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, 
Forest Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
GUN PURCHASE LAWS LOOPHOLES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing entitled ``Lethal Loopholes: Deficiencies in 
State and Federal Gun Purchase Laws.'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Justice: Rachel L. Brand, 
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy; and Stephen R. 
Rubenstein, Chief Counsel, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 
Explosives; John Feinblatt, Criminal Justice Coordinator, City of New 
York; and public witnesses.
DIVERSITY IN GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia held a hearing 
entitled ``The Lack of Diversity in the Top Levels of the Federal 
Government.'' Testimony was heard from George H. Stalcup, Director, 
Strategic Issues, GAO; Nancy Kichak, Associate Director, Strategic 
Human Resources Policy Division, OPM; Carlton Hadden, Director, Office 
of Federal Operations, EEOC; Gail Lovelace, Chief Human Capital 
Officer, GSA; Vickers Meadows, Chief Administrative Officer, U.S. 
Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce; Reginald Wells, 
Deputy Commissioner, SSA; Susan LaChance, Vice President, Employee 
Development and Diversity, U.S. Postal Service; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment approved for full Committee action the following bills: 
H.R. 364, amended, To provide for the establishment of the Advanced 
Research Projects Agency-Energy; and H.R. 632, H-Prize Act of 2007.
GREEN TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on Green Transportation Infrastructure: 
Challenges to Access

[[Page D663]]

and Implementation. Testimony was heard from Gloria Shepherd, Associate 
Administrator, Planning, Environment, and Realty, Federal Highway 
Administration, Department of Transportation; Benjamin Grumbles, 
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, EPA; and public witnesses.
IMMIGRATION POLICIES SMALL BUSINESS IMPACTS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on Immigration Policies and 
their Impact on Small Businesses. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Gutierrez; and public witnesses.
GSA CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND LEASING PROGRAM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a 
hearing on General Services Administration's Fiscal Year 2008 Capital 
Investment and Leasing Program. Testimony was heard from David L. 
Winstead, Commissioner, Public Building Service, GSA.
KATRINA RECOVERY PROBLEMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a 
hearing on Legislative Fixes for Lingering Problems that Hinder Katrina 
Recovery.'' Testimony was heard from Representatives Taylor, Pickering, 
Baker, Boustany, Jefferson, Melancon and Jindal.
FEDERAL TRANSIT PROJECTS PROGRAMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing on FTA Implementation of the New 
Starts and Small Starts Programs. Testimony was heard from James S. 
Simpson, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Department of 
Transportation; Katherine A. Siggerud, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure, GAO; and public witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health approved for 
full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 2199, To amend title 
38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
provide certain improvements in the treatment of individuals with 
traumatic brain injuries; and H.R. 1470, Chiropractic Care Available to 
All Veterans Act.
MEDICARE PHYSICIAN QUALITY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Options To Improve Quality and Efficiency Among Medicare physicians. 
Testimony was heard from A. Bruce Steinwald, Director, Health Care, 
GAO; Herb Kuhn, Acting Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Glen M. 
Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; and public 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET RESOLUTION
  Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
versions of S. Con. Res. 21, setting forth the congressional budget for 
the United States Government for fiscal year 2008 and including the 
appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2007 and 2009 through 
2012, but did not complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the 
call.