[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D780-D782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FARM BILL EXTENSION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural 
Development, and Foreign Agriculture approved for full Committee 
action, as amended, H.R. 2419, Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES AND MILITARY 
CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RELATED APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL YEAR 
2008
Committee on Appropriations: Ordered reported the following 
appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008: Energy and Water Development, and 
Related Agencies; and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and 
Related Agencies.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch 
approved for full Committee action the Legislative Branch 
Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008.
DOD'S BODY ARMOR PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Department of 
Defense body armor programs. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: LTG N. Ross Thompson III, USA, 
Military Deputy/Director, Army Acquisition Corps, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary (Acquisition , Logistics, and Technology); BG Mark 
Brown, USA, Program Executive Officer, U.S. Army; Roger Smith, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Littoral and Mine Warfare, Department of the Navy; 
COL Ed Smith, USMC, Product Group Director, Combat Equipment and 
Support Systems, U.S. Marine Corps; Douglas D. Thomas, Executive 
Director, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Air Force; 
and COL Kevin Noonan, USA, Program Executive Office--Special Operations 
Forces--Warrior, U.S. Special Operations Command; William M. Solis, 
Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Team, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
NAVY BOAT BARRIERS PROCUREMENT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary 
Forces held a hearing on procurement of Navy boat barriers. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Naval Criminal 
Investigative Service, Department of the Navy: Tomas Betro, Director; 
and Cathy Riddick-Brown, Deputy Assistant Director, Acquisition and 
Logistics; and James A. Williams, Commissioner, Federal Acquisition 
Service, GSA.
CHILD PRODUCT SAFETY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on measures to Improve Consumer 
Product Safety for Children, H.R. 2474, To provide for an increased 
maximum civil penalty for violations under the Consumer Product Safety 
Act; H.R. 1699, Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act; 
H.R. 814, Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act; and H.R. 1721, Pool 
and Spa Safety Act. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CHINA FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR REFORM
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``U.S. 
Interests in Reform of China's Financial Services Sector.'' Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
REAUTHORIZATION--NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ASSISTANCE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Reauthorization of the Native 
American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act.'' Testimony was 
heard from Orlando J. Cabrera, Assistant Secretary, Public and Indian 
Housing, Department of Housing and Urban Development; and public 
witnesses.

[[Page D781]]


U.S.-NORTH AFRICA POLICY CHALLENGERS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on U.S. Policy Challenges 
in North Africa. Testimony was heard from C. David Welch, Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State.
TUBERCULOSIS INCIDENT RESPONSE
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``The XDR 
Tuberculosis Incident: A Poorly Coordinated Federal Response to an 
Incident with Homeland Implications.'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Jeffrey 
Runge, M.D., Chief Medical Officer; W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner, and 
Jayson P. Ahern, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, 
both with Customs and Border Protection; Julie Gerberding, M.D., 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of 
Health and Human Services.
NATIONAL BIO AND AGRO-DEFENSE FACILITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, 
Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology approved for full Committee 
action, as amended, H.R. 1717, To amend the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 to establish a National Bio and Agro-defense Facility.
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM; RULES OF PROCEDURE PRIVATE 
IMMIGRATION BILLS AND PRIVATE CLAIMS BILLS; POLICY ON GRANTING CHARTERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, to continue hearings 
on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Business Community Perspectives. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also continued hearings on Comprehensive Immigration 
Reform: Government Perspectives on Immigration Statistics. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Crowley and Rohrabacher; Ron Bird, Chief 
Economist and Director, Office of Economic Policy and Analysis, 
Department of Labor; Michael Hoefer, Director. Office of Immigration 
Statistics, Department of Homeland Security; Charles Oppenheim, Chief, 
Visa Control and Reporting Division, Department of State; and Ruth 
Ellen Wasem, Specialist in Immigration Policy, CRS, Library of 
Congress.
  The Subcommittee also adopted the following: Rules of Procedure and 
Statement of Policy for Private Immigration Bills; Rules of Procedure 
for Private Claims Bills, and the Subcommittee's Policy on the Granting 
of Federal Charters.
ENERGY POLICY REFORM AND REVITALIZATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Natural Resources: Began markup of H.R. 2337, Energy 
Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007.
  Will continue tomorrow.
FDA'S DRUG SAFETY EVALUATION OF AVANDIA
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing on FDA's 
Role in the Evaluation of Avandia's Safety. Testimony was heard from 
Andrew C. Von Eschenbach, M.D., Commissioner, FDA, Department of Health 
and Human Services; and public witnesses.
STEM CELL RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2006
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a voice vote, a closed rule. The rule 
provides for 1 hour of debate on S. 5, Stem Cell Research Enhancement 
Act of 2007, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule 
waives all points of order against the bill and its consideration 
except those arising under close 10 of rule XXI. The bill shall be 
considered as read. The rule provides one motion to commit. Finally, 
the rule permits the Chair, during consideration of the bill, to 
postpone further consideration of it to a time designated by the 
Speaker. Testimony was heard from Representative DeGette and Weldon of 
Florida.
LUMBEE RECOGNITION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a voice vote, a closed rule. The rule 
provides 1 hour of general debate in the House on H.R. 65, Lumbee 
Recognition Act, 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 for 
clauses 9 and 10 of Rule XXI. The amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources now 
printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in the report, 
shall be considered as adopted. The rule waives all points of order 
against the bill, as amended, and provides that the bill, as amended, 
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 further consideration of the bill to a time designated by 
the Speaker. Testimony was heard from Representatives Faleomavaega, 
McIntyre. Schuler and Shays.

[[Page D782]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment approved for full Committee action, as amended the 
following bills: H.R. 906, Global Change Research and Data Management 
Act of 2007; H.R. 2304, Advanced Geothermal Energy Research and 
Development Act of 2007; and H.R. 2313, Marine Renewable Energy 
Research and Development Act of 2007.
STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Research and 
Science Education held a hearing on STEM Education Programs. Testimony 
was heard from Cora Marrett, Assistant Director, Directorate for 
Education and Human Resources, NSF; Joyce Winterton, Assistant 
Administrator, Office of Education, NASA; Bruce Fuchs, Director, Office 
of Science Education, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services; and 
William Valdez, Director, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers 
and Scientists, Office of Science, Department of Energy.
DATA SECURITY
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Finance and Tax held a 
hearing on Data Security: Small Business Perspectives. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
NTSB AVIATION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on the National Transportation Safety Board's 
Most Wanted Aviation Safety Improvements. Testimony was heard from Mark 
V. Rosenker, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; Margaret 
Gilligan, Associate Administrator, Aviation Safety, FAA, Department of 
Transportation; and public witnesses.