[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 19, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1222-D1223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following:
  S. 1518, to amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to 
reauthorize the Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  H.R. 835, to reauthorize the programs of the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development for housing assistance for Native Hawaiians; and
  An original bill entitled, ``FHA Modernization Act of 2007.''
WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on 
Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality 
concluded a hearing to examine America's wastewater infrastructure 
needs in the 21st century, after receiving testimony from Benjamin H. 
Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection 
Agency; Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Trenton, New Jersey, on behalf of the 
U.S. Conference of Mayors; Mayor Glenn Brasseaux, Carencro, Louisiana; 
Joe S. Freeman, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma City, on 
behalf of the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities; 
Christopher M. Westhoff, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 
on behalf of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and the 
Water Infrastructure Network; and Nancy K. Stoner, Natural Resources 
Defense Council, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Barry Leon Wells, of Ohio, to be Ambassador 
to the Republic of The Gambia, Robin Renee Sanders, of New York, to be 
Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mark M. Boulware, of 
Texas, to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, James D. 
McGee, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe, Ronald 
K. McMullen, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the State of Eritrea, and 
Louis John Nigro, Jr., of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Chad, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own 
behalf.
EVERGLADES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Organizations, Democracy and Human Rights concluded a 
hearing to examine the Everglades, focusing on protecting natural 
treasures through international organizations, after receiving 
testimony from Gerald C. Anderson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State 
for International Organization Affairs; Todd Willens, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks; and Anu K. 
Mittal, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, Government 
Accountability Office.
FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF INDIAN TRIBES
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the process of federal recognition of Indian tribes, after receiving 
testimony from Senators Dole and Levin; Representative McIntyre; R. Lee 
Fleming, Director, Office of Federal Acknowledgment, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; 
James Ernest Goins, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Pembroke; John 
Sinclair, Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana, Great 
Falls; Ann Denson Tucker, Muscogee Nation of Florida, Bruce; and Ron 
Yob, Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan, Grand Rapids.
MATERIAL SUPPORT TO TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law 
concluded a hearing to examine the ``material support to terrorist 
organizations'' bar to admission to asylum and resettlement in the 
United States, focusing on the denial of refuge to the persecuted, 
after receiving testimony from Paul Rosenzweig, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Homeland Security for Policy; Anwen Hughes, Human Rights 
First Refugee Protection Program, New York, New York; and Thomas G. 
Wenski, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Orlando, 
Florida.
PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING CONVENTION
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine S. 1905, to provide for a rotating schedule for regional 
selection of delegates to a national Presidential nominating 
convention, after receiving testimony from Senators Klobuchar, 
Alexander, and Lieberman; Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro, Des 
Moines; Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, Frankfort, on behalf 
of the National Association of Secretaries of State; William G. Mayer, 
Northeastern University,

[[Page D1223]]

Boston, Massachusetts; and Richard L. Hasen, Loyola Law School, Los 
Angeles, California.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WITHIN VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the current state of affairs for information technology within 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, after receiving testimony from 
Robert T. Howard, Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, 
Paul A. Tibbits, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of Enterprise 
Development, Office of Information and Technology, Stephen M. Lucas, 
Director, Tampa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Health 
Administration, and Kim Graves, Special Assistant to the Under 
Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration, all of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Valerie C. Melvin, Director, Human 
Capital and Management Information Systems Issues, and Gregory 
Wishusen, Director, Information Security Issues, both of the Government 
Accountability Office; and John Glaser, Partners Healthcare, Boston, 
Massachusetts.
DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION FOR SENIORS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
preparing for the digital television transition, focusing on how senior 
citizens will be affected, after receiving testimony from Mark L. 
Goldstein, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; Jonathan S. Adelstein, Commissioner, Federal 
Communications Commission; John M.R. Kneuer, Assistant Secretary of 
Commmerce for Communications and Information, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration; Nelda Barnett, AARP, 
Owensboro, Kentucky; and Amina Fazlullah, United States Public Interest 
Research Group, Marcellus Alexander, Jr., National Association of 
Broadcasters (NAB), and Sandy Markwood, National Association of Area 
Agencies on Aging (n4a), all of Washington, D.C.