[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 161 (Tuesday, October 23, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1403-D1404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
RAILROAD REGULATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and 
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Surface 
Transportation Board and regulation related to railroads, focusing on 
recent changes that have occurred in railroad rates and how those 
changes compare to changes in rail rates since 1985, the extent of 
captivity in the industry and Surface Transportation Board (STB) 
efforts to protect captive shippers, and STB actions to address 
Government Accountability Office (GAO) recent recommendations, 
including S. 953, to amend title 49, United States Code, to ensure 
competition in the rail industry, enable rail customers to obtain 
reliable rail service, and provide those customers with a reasonable 
process for challenging rate and service disputes, and S. 772, to amend 
the Federal antitrust laws to provide expanded coverage and to 
eliminate exemptions from such laws that are contrary to the public 
interest with respect to railroads, after receiving testimony from 
Charles D. Nottingham, Chairman, Surface Transportation Board, 
Department of Transportation; JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues, GAO; Charles W. Moorman, Norfolk Southern 
Corporation, Norfolk, Virginia, on behalf of the Association of 
American Railroads; David J. McGregor, BASF Corporation, Florham Park, 
New Jersey; John B. Ficker, National Industrial Transportation League, 
and Glenn English, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 
both of Arlington, Virginia; and Robert Carlson, North Dakota Farmers

[[Page D1404]]

Union, Jamestown, on behalf of sundry organizations.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the nominations of Todd J. Zinser, of Virginia, to 
be Inspector General, Department of Commerce, Robert Clarke Brown, of 
Ohio, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan 
Washington Airports Authority, who was introduced by Senators Brown and 
Voinovich, and Carl B. Kress, of California, and A. Paul Anderson, of 
Florida, who was introduced by Senator Nelson (FL), both to be a 
Federal Maritime Commissioner, after the nominees testified and 
answered questions in their own behalf.
GLOBAL WARMING HEALTH IMPACTS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the human impacts of global warming, after receiving 
testimony from Julie L. Gerberding, Director, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry, Department of Health and Human Services; Donald R. 
Roberts, Division of Tropical Health, Department of Preventive Medicine 
and Biometrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; 
Susan R. Cooper, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, on behalf 
of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; and 
Michael McCally, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Washington, D.C.
SIX YEARS AFTER ANTHRAX ATTACKS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the anthrax attacks of September and 
October 2001, focusing on our preparedness to respond to bioterrorism, 
after receiving testimony from Jay M. Cohen, Under Secretary of 
Homeland Security for Science and Technology; Gerald W. Parker, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary 
for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services; 
Keith Rhodes, Chief Technologist, Center for Technology and 
Engineering, Applied Research and Methods, Government Accountability 
Office; and Tara O'Toole, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center 
(UPMC) Center for Biosecurity, Baltimore, Maryland.
ENERGY EMPLOYEES OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS COMPENSATION PROGRAM
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the efficacy of the Energy Employees 
Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICPA), focusing on our 
Cold War heroes, after receiving testimony from Senator Reid; Shelby 
Hallmark, Director, Office of Worker's Compensation Programs, 
Employment Standards Administration, and Malcolm D. Nelson, Ombudsman 
for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, 
both of the Department of Labor; John Howard, Director, National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; John 
Melius, New York State Laborers Health and Safety Trust Fund, Albany; 
and Ken Silver, East Tennessee State University Department of 
Environmental Health, Johnson City.
FBI STRATEGIC PLAN
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) strategic plan, after 
receiving testimony from Thomas H. Kean, former Chairman, and Lee H. 
Hamilton, former Vice Chairman, both of the National Commission on 
Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States; and Willie T. Hulon, 
Executive Assistant Director, and Philip Mudd, Associate Executive 
Assistant Director, both of the National Security Branch, Federal 
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Justice.