[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 22, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D725-D727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
2007 FARM BILL
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, 
and Research approved for full Committee action H.R. 2419, Farm Bill 
Extension Act of 2007.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies approved for full Committee 
action the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related 
Agencies appropriations for fiscal year 2008.
IRAQI SECURITY FORCE TRAINING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on training of Iraqi Security Forces 
(ISF) and employment of transition teams. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Peter Velz, Office of 
the Secretary, Iraq Directorate; and BG Michael D. Jones, USA, Deputy 
Director, Politico-Military Affairs (Middle East), J5, The Joint Staff.
FEDERAL-STATE HEALTH CARE
COORDINATION
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Health, Employment, 
Labor and Pensions held a hearing on Health Care Reform: 
Recommendations to Improve Coordination of Federal and State 
Initiatives. Testimony was heard from Representatives Tierney, Price of 
Georgia, and Baldwin; John Colmers, Secretary, Department of Health and 
Mental Hygiene, State of Maryland; Steven Goldman, Commissioner, 
Department of Banking and Insurance, State of New Jersey; John 
Morrison, Auditor and Commissioner of Insurance and Securities, State 
of Montana; and public witnesses.
PEDIATRIC THERAPIES SAFETY AND INNOVATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Programs Affecting Safety and Innovation in Pediatric 
Therapies.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: RADM Sandra L. Kweder, USN, 
M.D., Deputy Director, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation 
and Research, FDA; and Donald Mattison, M.D., Chief Obstetric and 
Pediatric Pharmacology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and 
Human Development, National Institutes of Health; Marcia Crosse, 
Director, Health Care Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
GASOLINE PRICES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Gasoline Prices, Oil Company 
Profits, and the American Consumer.'' Testimony was heard from William 
E. Kovacic, Commissioner, FTC; Guy F.

[[Page D726]]

Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information Administration, Department of 
Energy; Thomas J. McCool, Director, Center for Economics, Applied 
Research and Methods, GAO; Stanley F. Pruss, Deputy Director, 
Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan; and public 
witnesses.
WORLD BANK COMBATING
GLOBAL POVERTY
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``The Role and 
Effectiveness of the World Bank in Combating Global Poverty.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
IRAQ: IS RECONSTRUCTION FAILING?
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Iraq: Is Reconstruction 
Failing? Testimony was heard from Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special 
Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, Office of the Special 
Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
AFRICA DEBT RELIEF
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health 
held a hearing on Vulture Funds and the Threat to Debt Relief in 
Africa: A Call to Action at the G8 and Beyond. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
FEDERAL GULF COAST
REBUILDING EFFORTS
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing on The Role of the 
Department of Homeland Security in Gulf Coast Rebuilding and Recovery 
Efforts. Testimony was heard from Bryan McDonald, Director, Office of 
Recovery and Renewal, State of Mississippi; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--INTERNET TAX FREEDOM ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Laws held an oversight hearing on the Internet Tax 
Freedom Act: Internet Tax Moratorium. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1943, 
Stop AIDS in Prison Act of 2007; and H.R. 1199, Drug Endangered 
Children Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from Representative Cardoza; 
RADM Newton E. Kendig, M.D., USN, Assistant Director, Health Services 
Division, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice; Devon 
Brown, Director, Department of Corrections, District of Columbia; and 
public witnesses.
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security and International Law held a hearing on 
Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Perspectives from Faith-Based and 
Immigration Communities. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CARL SANDBURG HOME NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE BOUNDARY REVISION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a voice vote, a structured rule. The 
rule provides 1 hour of general debate on H.R. 1100, Carl Sandburg Home 
National Historic Site Boundary Revision Act of 2007, equally divided 
and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Natural Resources. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill except clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. 
The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment and shall be considered as read. All points of order against 
the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived except 
clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report. The amendments made in order may be offered only in 
the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a 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. The rule provides that, notwithstanding the operation of 
the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of 
the bill to a time designated by the Speaker. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Grijalva and Shuler.
FEDERAL RAILROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2007
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials approved for full 
Committee action, as amended, H.R. 2095, Federal Railroad Safety 
Improvement Act of 2007.

[[Page D727]]


COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on the Challenges Facing the U.S. 
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Testimony was heard from William 
P. Greene, Jr., Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; 
James P. Terry, Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and representatives of veterans' organizations.
MEDICARE FEE-FOR-SERVICE PLANS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Medicare Advantage Private Fee-For-Service Plans. Testimony was heard 
from Abby L. Block, Center for Beneficiary Choice, Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Sean 
Dilweg, Commissioner of Insurance, State of Wisconsin; and public 
witnesses.
GLOBAL WARMING--ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Economic Impacts of Global Warming: Green Collar 
Jobs.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
GAO REFORMS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the 
District of Columbia concluded a joint hearing with the House 
Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District 
of Columbia to examine Government Accountability Office Personnel 
reforms, focusing on expectations, after receiving testimony from David 
M. Walker, Comptroller General, Ann Wagner, General Counsel, Personnel 
Appeals Board, Ronald Stroman, Managing Director, Office of Opportunity 
and Inclusiveness, Office of the General Counsel, Barry J. Seltser, 
former Director, Center for Design, Newton, Massachusetts, and Janice 
M. Reece, former General Council, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, all of the 
Government Accountability Office; Curtis Copeland, and Jon Shimabukuro, 
both of the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Jane 
K. Weizmann, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Arlington, Virginia; Charles H. 
Fay, Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations, 
Piscataway, New Jersey; Max Stier, Partnership for Public Service, 
Washington, D.C.; and Greg Junemann, International Federation of 
Professional and Technical Engineers, Silver Spring, Maryland.