[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 19, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D854-D856]
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 General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 
2419, Farm Bill Extension Act of 2007.
GENDER EQUITY IN EDUCATION
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Higher Education, 
Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness held a hearing on Building on the 
Success of 35 Years of Title IX. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
HEALTH MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health approved for 
full Committee action the following: as amended, the Prescription Drug 
User Fee Amendments of 2007 (PDUFA); as amended, the Medical Device 
User Fee Amendments of 2007 (MDUFA); the Pediatric Medical Device 
Safety and Improvement Act of 2007; as amended, the Pediatric Research 
Equity Act of 2007; as amended, the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children 
Act of 2007 (BPCA); as amended, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act to provide for the establishment of the Reagan-Udall 
Institute for Applied Biomedical Research; to amend the Federal Food, 
Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to conflicts of interest; as 
amended, to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the 
establishment of a clinical trial registry database and a clinical 
trial results database; and, as amended, to amend the Federal Food, 
Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve drug safety.
CONSUMER CREDIT REPORT DISPUTES
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on Credit Reports: 
Consumers' Ability to Dispute and Change Inaccurate Information. 
Testimony was heard from Lydia Parnes, Director, Bureau of Consumer 
Protection, FTC; Sandra Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and 
Community Affairs, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; and 
public witnesses.

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U.S.-SOUTH AMERICA RELATIONSHIP
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on South America and the 
United States: How to Fix a Broken Relationship. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
WORKING IN A WAR ZONE--POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on Working in a War Zone: Post Traumatic Stress 
Disorders in Civilians Returning from Iraq. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of State: George M. Staples, 
Director General, Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources; and 
Laurence G. Brown, M.D., Director, Office of Medical Services; and a 
public witness.
BORDER GUARD TRAINING
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, 
Investigations and Oversight held a hearing on Ensuring We Have Well-
Trained Boots on the Ground at the Border. Testimony was heard from 
Richard M. Stana, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, GAO; the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Art Morgan, 
Director, Field Operations Academy; and Chief Charlie Whitmire, 
Director, Border Patrol Training Academy, both with Customs and Border 
Protection; and Cynthia Atwood, Assistance Director, Field Training 
Directorate, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; and public 
witnesses.
BORDER TRUCKING THREATS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing on Keeping the Border 
Secure: Examining Potential Threats Posed by Cross Border Trucking. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Homeland Security: Bill Arrington, General Manager, Highway and Motor 
Carrier Division, Transportation Security Administration; and Greg 
Olsavsky, Director, Cargo Control, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
Mayor Raul G. Salinas, Mayor, Laredo, Texas; and public witnesses.
WAR PROFITEERING AND OTHER CONTRACTOR CRIMES COMMITTED OVERSEAS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on War Profiteering and Other 
Contractor Crimes Committed Overseas. Testimony was heard from Stuart 
W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General, Iraq Reconstruction; Thomas 
F. Gimble, Principal Deputy Inspector General, Department of Defense; 
Barry M. Sabin, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Department of 
Justice; and public witnesses.
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security, and International Law continued hearings on 
Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Government Perspectives on 
Immigration Statistics. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
NATIONAL OCEAN EXPLORATION PROGRAM ACT; OCEAN AND COASTAL MAPPING 
INTEGRATION ACT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and 
Oceans approved for full Committee action, as amended, the following 
bills: H.R. 1834, National Ocean Exploration Program Act; and H.R. 
2400, Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act.
OVERSIGHT--WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held an oversight hearing on Wildfire Preparedness: An 
Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the USDA: Mark Rey, Under Secretary, Natural 
Resources and Environment; and Kathleen S. Tighe, Deputy Inspector 
General; C. Stephen Allred, Assistant Secretary, Land and Mineral 
Management, Department of the Interior; Robin Nazzaro, Director, 
Natural Resources and Environment, GAO; Robert Farris, Acting Forester, 
State of Georgia; Kirk Rowdabaugh, Forester, State of Arizona; and 
public witnesses.
HEALTHCARE INFORMATION SYSTEMS PATIENT PRIVACY
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Policy, Census, and National Archives held a hearing on 
Protecting Patient Privacy in Healthcare Information Systems. Testimony 
was heard from Valerie Melvin, Director, Information Management Issues, 
GAO; and public witnesses.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL 
YEAR 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a voice vote, an open rule providing 
for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2764) making appropriations for the 
Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes. The rule 
provides for 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by 
the

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chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations.
  The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill 
except clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule waives points of order 
against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of 
rule XXI. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chairman 
of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority recognition to 
Members who have printed their amendments in the Congressional Record. 
The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. 
Finally, the rule permits the Chair, during consideration of H.R. 2764 
in the House, to postpone further consideration of the bill to a time 
designated by the Speaker. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Lowey and Wolf.
SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Research, Education and Training Programs 
to Facilitate Adoption of Solar Energy Technologies. Testimony was 
heard from Dan Arvizu, Director, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 
Department of Energy, and public witnesses.
PRODUCING FUTURE SKILLED WORKERS AND TECHNICIANS
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Research and 
Science Education held a hearing on the Role of Community Colleges and 
Industry in Meeting the Demand for Skilled Production Workers and 
Technicians in the 21st Century Economy. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 585, 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the number of 
individuals qualifying for retroactive benefits from traumatic injury 
protection coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance; H.R. 
156, To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for payment of 
dependency and indemnity compensation to the Survivors of former 
prisoners of war who died on or before September 30, 1999, under the 
same eligibility conditions as apply to payment of dependency and 
indemnity compensation to the Survivors of former prisoners of war who 
died after that date; and H.R. 704, To amend title 38, United States 
Code, to reduce from age 57 to age 55 the age after which the 
remarriage of the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran shall not 
result in termination of dependency and indemnity compensation 
otherwise payable to that surviving spouse. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Holden; Jack McCoy, Associate Deputy Under Secretary, 
Policy and Program Management, Veterans Benefits Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; and representatives of veterans 
organizations.
DISCONNECTED AND DISADVANTAGED YOUTH
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Income Security and Family 
Support held a hearing on Disconnected and Disadvantaged Youth. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Yarmuth and Bachmann; and 
public witnesses.
BRIEFING--CIA CONTRACTOR POLICY
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on CIA Contractor Policy. The Committee was briefed 
by departmental witnesses.
GREEN CITIES--MAYORAL INITIATIVES TO REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing on Green Cities: Mayoral Initiatives to Reduce Global Warming 
Pollution. Testimony was heard from the following Mayors: Tom Potter, 
Portland, Oregon; Richard M. Daly, Chicago, Illinois; and Pegeen 
Hanrahan, Gainesville, Florida.