[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 96 (Thursday, June 14, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D827-D829]
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 Department Operations, 
Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry approved for full Committee action, 
as amended, H.R. 2419, Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007.
U.S. TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Deal or No Deal: The 
State of the Trans-Atlantic Relationship. Testimony was heard from 
former Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger.
U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY DOUBLE STANDARD
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International Operations, 
Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing on Is There a Human Rights 
Double Standard? U.S. Policy Toward Saudi Arabia, Iran and Uzbekistan. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
HOMEGROWN TERRORISM PREVENTION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Assessing and Addressing the Threat: Defining the Role of a 
National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and 
Homegrown Terrorism.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
GAO ENGAGEMENT PLAN
Committee on House Administration: Election Task Force approved a 
motion to adopt the GAO engagement plan with a target date of July 27, 
2007. The engagement plan as approved is a plan to determine to what 
extent voting machines could have contributed to the large undervote in 
Florida's 13th Congressional District in the 2006 General Election, and 
to ascertain whether additional testing is needed to determine whether 
the voting systems contributed to the undervote.
FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on H.R. 2102, Free Flow of 
Information Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from Rachel Brand, 
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, Department of 
Justice; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing

[[Page D828]]

on the following bills: H.R. 442, To authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the 
Wolf House, located in Norfolk, Arkansas, as a unit of the National 
Park System; H.R. 761, To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey to the Missouri River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretative Trail 
and Visitor Center Foundation, Inc. certain Federal land associated 
with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in Nebraska, to be 
used as a historical interpretive site along the trail; H.R. 1625, 
Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 1835, Rim of the 
Valley Corridor Study Act; and H.R. 2197, Hopewell Culture National 
Historical Park Boundary Adjustment Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives LaHood, Berry, Schiff, Sherman, Fortenberry and Space; 
William Shaddox, Acting Associate Director, Park Planning, Facilities, 
and Lands, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
FEDERAL BIOFUELS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on A Path Toward the Broader Use of 
Biofuels: Enhancing the Federal Commitment to Research and Development 
to Meet Growing Needs. Testimony was heard from Thomas Foust, Director, 
Biofuels Research, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.
FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Space and 
Aeronautics approved for full Committee action H.R. 2698, Federal 
Aviation Research and Development Act of 2007.
SBA's MICROLOAN PROGRAM
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on the SBA's Microloan 
Program. Testimony was heard from James Tasker, Deputy Associate 
Administrator, Capital Access, SBA; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL RAILROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT; TRANSPORTATION ENERGY SECURITY 
AND CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported, as 
amended, H.R. 2095, Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act.
  The Committee began consideration of H.R. 2701, Transportation Energy 
Security and Climate Change Mitigation Act of 2007, but further 
proceedings were postponed until June 21st.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee Health held a hearing on 
the following bills: H.R. 1448, VA Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 
2007; H.R. 1853, Jose Medina Veterans' Affairs Police Training Act of 
2007; H.R. 1925, To direct the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs to 
establish a separate Veterans' Integrated Service Network for the Gulf 
Coast region of the United States; H.R. 2005, Rural Veterans Health 
Care Improvement Act of 2007; H.R. 2172, Amputee Veterans Assistance 
Act; H.R. 2173, To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize 
additional funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase 
the capacity for provision of mental health service through contracts 
with community Mental health centers; H.R. 2219, Veterans Suicide 
Prevention Hotline Act of 2007; H.R. 2192, To amend title 38, United 
States Code, to establish an Ombudsman within the Department of 
Veterans' Affairs; and draft and discussion on Mental Health and 
Homelessness. Testimony was heard from Representatives Herseth Sandlin; 
Rodriguez, Moran of Virginia; Watson, Reyes, Salazar, Miller of 
Florida, Hodes, and Lowey; Michael J. Kussman, M.D., Under Secretary, 
Health, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; 
and representatives of veterans organizations.
U.S. WORKER COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on Promoting U.S. Worker 
Competitiveness in a Globalized Economy. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Smith of Washington; Sigurd R. Nilsen, Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO; Mason M. Bishop, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration, 
Department of Labor; David R. Williams, Director, Electronic Tax 
Administration and Refundable Credits, IRS, Department of the Treasury; 
Tammy Flynn, Trade Adjustment Assistance Coordinator, Bureau of 
Workforce Programs, Department of Labor and Economic Growth, State of 
Michigan; Curtis Morrow, Workforce Development Unit Manager, Employment 
Security Commission, State of North Carolina; and public witnesses.
FISA
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on FISA. Testimony was heard from James B. Comey, former 
Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice.

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Joint Meetings
WOMEN AND LOW-SKILLED WORKERS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
work-family policies in other countries that make economic sense for 
the United States, including practices implemented in other developed 
nations that may help women and low-wage/low-skilled workers enter and 
remain in the labor force, the change in the targeted groups' 
employment following the implementation of the policies and practices, 
and identifying the factors that affect employees' use of workplace 
benefits and the resulting workplace implications, after receiving 
testimony from Kay E. Brown, Acting Director, Education, Workforce, and 
Income Security Issues, Government Accountability Office; Janet 
Gornick, City University of New York Baruch College, New York, New 
York; Laura Kellison Wallace, SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina; Tim 
Kane, Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C.; and Ellen Bravo, 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


                     COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR FRIDAY,

                             JUNE 15, 2007

        (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated)


                                 Senate

  No meetings/hearings scheduled.


                                 House

  Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health, hearing 
on H.R. 1424, Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act 
of 2007, 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn.
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, 
hearing on Public and Private Responsibility for Maintaining Our 
National Treasures: The Smithsonian Institution and the John F. 
Kennedy Center, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.