[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 15, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D682-D684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FRESH PRODUCE SAFETY
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic 
Agriculture held a hearing to review industry response to the safety of 
fresh and fresh-cut produce. Testimony was heard from Lloyd Day, 
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA; David Acheson, 
M.D., Assistant Commissioner, Food Protection, FDA, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
COLLEGE CAMPUS SAFETY
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Best Practices for 
Making College Campuses Safe. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
PRIVATE SECTOR WHISTLEBLOWERS PROTECTIONS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Workforce Protections 
held a hearing on Private Sector Whistleblowers: Are There Sufficient 
Legal Protections? Testimony was heard from Richard Fairfax, Director 
of Enforcement, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
Department of Labor; Tom Devine, Legal Director, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
CHILDREN'S PRODUCT SAFETY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled ``Protecting Our Children: 
Current Issues in Children's Product Safety.'' Testimony was head from 
Nancy A. Nord, Acting Chairman, Consumer Product Safety Commission; and 
public witnesses.
MEDICARE SAVINGS PLAN AND LOW INCOME SUBSIDY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Medicare Savings Plan and Low Income Subsidy: Keeping 
Medicare's Promise for Seniors and People with Disabilities.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
U.S. GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ENGAGEMENT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on U.S. Re-Engagement in 
the Global Effort to Fight Climate Change. Testimony was heard from 
Eileen Claussen, former Assistant Secretary, Oceans and International 
Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.
HURRICANE SEASON PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``The 2007 
Hurricane Season: Are We Prepared?'' Testimony was heard from R. David 
Pulison, Director, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; William 
Jenkins, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues Division, GAO; 
Craig Fugate, Director, Division of Emergency Management, State of 
Florida; and Joe Becker, Senior Vice President, Preparedness and 
Response, National Headquarters, American Red Cross.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 
1239, National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Reauthorization 
Act of 2007; H.R. 1388, Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail 
Act; H.R. 1483, To amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management 
Act of 1996 to extend the authorization for certain national heritage 
areas; and H.R. 1528, New England National Scenic Trail Designation 
Act. Testimony was heard from Representatives Regula, Olver, Hastings 
of Florida; Castle and Murphy of Connecticut; Chris Jarvi, Associate 
Director, Partnerships and Visitor Experience, National Park Service, 
Department of the Interior; Robert Stanton, former Director, National 
Park Service, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by vote of 9 to 4, a structured rule. The 
rule provides for ninety minutes of general debate on H.R. 1585, 
National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2008, equally 
divided and controlled by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of 
the Committee on Armed Services. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill except those arising under clause 9 
or 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the amendment in the nature 
of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Armed Services

[[Page D683]]

shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of further 
amendment and shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points 
of order against the committee amendment except those arising under 
clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the report 
and waives all points of order against such amendments except those 
arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides one motion 
to recommit with or without instructions. The rule also permits the 
Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services or his designee to offer 
amendments en bloc if those amendments have been printed in the report 
and not earlier disposed of. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole 
may recognize for consideration any amendment printed in this report 
out of the order printed but not sooner than 30 minutes after the 
Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services announces from the floor a 
request to that effect. Finally, the resolution 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 Skelton, Representatives, Boren, Ellsworth, 
McGovern, Moran of Virginia, Scott of Virginia, Holden, Blumenauer, 
Jackson-Lee of Texas, Tierney, Schakowsky, Thompson of California, 
Israel, Michaud, Lipinski, Braley, Carney, Walz, Saxton, Akin, Miller 
of Michigan, Franks of Arizona, Drake, Davis of Kentucky, Lincoln Diaz-
Balart of Florida, Sessions, Tom Davis of Virginia, LaHood, Latham, 
Weller, Goode, Terry, Capito, King of Iowa, Musgrave and McCotter.
FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE REFORM ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, an open rule with a 
preprinting requirement. The rule provides one hour of general debate 
on H.R. 1427, Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007, equally 
divided and controlled by the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of 
the Committee on Financial Services. 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 Financial Services now 
printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in the report of 
the Committee on Rules, shall be considered as an original bill for the 
purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule. The amendment in the 
nature of a substitute shall be read by title rather than by section 
and each title shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points 
of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute, as 
amended, except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments to the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute that have been pre-printed in the Congressional 
Record before the beginning of consideration of the bill or are pro 
forma amendments for the purpose of debate. The rule provides that each 
amendment so printed may be offered only by the Member who caused it to 
be printed or a designee, and that each amendment shall be considered 
as read. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Finally, the rule provides that the Chair may postpone 
consideration of the bill to a time designated by the Speaker. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Frank, Representatives Bachus.
ADVANCED COAL TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Prospects for Advanced Coal Technologies: 
Efficient Energy Production, Carbon Capture and Sequestration. 
Testimony was heard from Carl O. Bauer, Director, National Energy 
Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy; Robert J. Finley, 
Director, Energy and Earth Resources Center, Geological Survey, State 
of Illinois; and public witnesses.
MATH EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Research and 
Science Education held a hearing on Federal STEM Education Programs: 
Educators' Perspectives. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 612, amended, Returning Servicemember VA Health Insurance Act of 
2007; H.R. 67, amended, Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2007; H.R. 
1660, amended, To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish 
a national cemetery for veterans in the southern Colorado region; H.R. 
1470, Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act; and H.R. 2199, 
amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to provide certain improvements in treatment of 
Individuals with traumatic brain injuries; and H.R. 2239, amended, 
Early Access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Benefits Act.
MEDICARE PROVIDER PAYMENTS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Payments to Certain Medicare Fee-for-Service Providers, Testimony was 
heard from Herb Kuhn, Acting Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Mark 
Miller,

[[Page D684]]

Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; and public 
witnesses.
STATE CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Income Security held a 
hearing on challenges Facing the Child Welfare System. Testimony was 
heard from Cornelia M. Ashby, Director of Education, Workforce and 
Income Security, GAO; Mary Nelson, Administrator, Division of Child and 
Family Services, Department of Human Services, State of Iowa; Anne 
Holton, First Lady of Virginia; and public witnesses.