[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 116 (Thursday, July 19, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1010-D1012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG 
ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Committee ordered favorably reported an 
original bill making appropriations for the Department of Agriculture, 
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following:
  The nominations of Bijan Rafiekian, of California, and Diane G. 
Farrell, of Connecticut, both to be Members of the Board of Directors 
of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and William Herbert 
Heyman, of New York, William S. Jasien, of Virginia, and Mark S. 
Shelton, of Kansas, all to be Directors of the Securities Investor 
Protection Corporation.
SEMIANNUAL MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the 
Congress, after receiving testimony from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following:
  S. 1769, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to facilitate number 
portability in order to increase consumer choice of voice service 
provider;

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  S. 1780, to require the FCC, in enforcing its regulations concerning 
the broadcast of indecent programming, to maintain a policy that a 
single word or image may be considered indecent;
  S. 1582, to reauthorize and amend the Hydrographic Services 
Improvement Act, with amendments;
  S. 1771, to increase the safety of swimming pools and spas by 
requiring the use of proper anti-entrapment drain covers and pool and 
spa drainage systems, to educate the public about pool and spa safety, 
with amendments;
  S. 1778, to authorize certain activities of the Maritime 
Administration, with amendments;
  S. 1492, to improve the quality of federal and state data regarding 
the availability and quality of broadband services and to promote the 
deployment of affordable broadband services to all parts of the Nation, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Jonathan W. Bailey, and Philip M. Kenul, both to 
be Rear Admiral, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.
MARIANA ISLANDS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine S. 1634, to implement further the Act approving the 
Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in 
Political Union with the United States of America, after receiving 
testimony from David B. Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the 
Interior for Insular Affairs; Governor Benigno R. Fitial, Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Juan T. Guerrero, Saipan Chamber 
of Commerce, both of Saipan; and Pedro A. Tenorio, Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands Resident Representative to the United States, 
Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original 
bill entitled, ``The Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act''.
AVIATION FINANCING
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine aviation 
financing, focusing on industry perspectives, after receiving testimony 
from James Whitehurst, Delta Air Lines, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, on 
behalf of the Air Transport Association of America, Inc.; Frederick W. 
Smith, FedEx Corporation, Memphis, Tennessee; Vern Raburn, Eclipse 
Aviation Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico; David F. Hackett, 
Gulfstream International Airlines, Inc.; Richard W. Shine, Manitoba 
Recycling, Lancaster, New York, on behalf of the National Business 
Aviation Association; and Robert P. Olislagers, Centennial Airport, 
Englewood, Colorado.
IRAQ UPDATE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee continued hearings to examine 
the war in Iraq, focusing on an update from the field, receiving 
testimony from Ryan C. Crocker, Ambassador of the United States to 
Iraq, Department of State.
  Hearings recessed subject to the call.
MILITARY'S ROLE IN DISASTER RESPONSE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the military's role in disaster 
response, focusing on progress since Hurricane Katrina, after receiving 
testimony from Peter F. Verga, Acting Assistant Secretary for Homeland 
Defense and Americas' Security Affairs, General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., 
USAF, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United 
States Northern Command, and Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum, Chief, 
National Guard Bureau, United States Army, all of the Department of 
Defense; Vice Admiral Roger T. Rufe, Jr., USCG (Ret.), Director, Office 
of Operations Coordination, Department of Homeland Security; and Major 
General John W. Libby, USA, Maine National Guard and Maine Department 
of Defense, Augusta.
D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the 
District of Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the mayoral 
proposal to reform the District of Columbia's public school system, 
focusing on assessments, assurances, and accountability, after 
receiving testimony from Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, Michelle Rhee, Acting 
Chancellor of Education, Victor Reinoso, Deputy Mayor for Education, 
Deborah A. Gist, State Superintendent of Education, Allen Y. Lew, 
Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, and Robert C. 
Bobb, District of Columbia State Board of Education, all of Washington, 
D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 
462, to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the 
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada, 
to require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the settlement, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  Also, committee approved Senator Murkowski as Committee Vice 
Chairman.

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NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION ACT 
REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
draft legislation to amend and reauthorize the Native American Housing 
Assistance and Self-Determination Act, after receiving testimony from 
Rodger J. Boyd, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development for Native American Programs, Office of Public and Indian 
Housing; Teri Nutter, Copper River Basin Housing Authority, Glennallen, 
Alaska; David Brien, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, 
Belcourt, North Dakota; Waldo Walker, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and 
California, Gardnerville, Nevada; Aneva J. Yazzie, Navajo Housing 
Authority, Window Rock, Arizona; and Marty Shuravloff, National 
American Indian Housing Council, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following:
  S. 1145, to amend title 35, United States Code, to provide for patent 
reform, with amendments;
  S. Res. 248, honoring the life and achievements of Dame Lois Browne 
Evans, Bermuda's first female barrister and Attorney General, and the 
first female Opposition Leader in the British Commonwealth;
  S. Res. 236, supporting the goals and ideals of the National Anthem 
Project, which has worked to restore America's voice by re-teaching 
Americans to sing the national anthem;
  S. Res. 261, expressing appreciation for the profound public service 
and educational contributions of Donald Jeffry Herbert, fondly known as 
``Mr. Wizard''; and
  The nominations of Roslynn Renee Mauskopf, to be United States 
District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, William Lindsay 
Osteen, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the Middle District 
of North Carolina, Martin Karl Reidinger, to be United States District 
Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, Timothy D. DeGiusti, 
to be United States District Judge for the Western District of 
Oklahoma, Janis Lynn Sammartino, to be United States District Judge for 
the Southern District of California, and Joe W. Stecher, to be United 
States Attorney for the District of Nebraska.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Sharion Aycock, to be United States District Judge 
for the Northern District of Mississippi, who was introduced by 
Senators Cochran and Lott, Jennifer Walker Elrod, of Texas, to be 
United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, who was introduced 
by Senators Hutchison and Cornyn, and Richard A. Jones, to be United 
States District Judge for the Western District of Washington, who was 
introduced by Senator Murray, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.