[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 162 (Wednesday, October 24, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1416-D1418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CFTC REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing to review reauthorization of the 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Testimony was heard from Walter 
Lukken, Acting Chairman, CFTC; and Orice M. Williams, Director, 
Financial Markets and Community Investment, GAO.
AIR FORCE STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Air Force Strategic 
initiatives. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Air Force: Michael Wynne, Secretary; and GEN T. 
Michael Moseley, USAF, Chief of Staff.
BUDGETARY COSTS IRAQ WAR
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on the Growing Budgetary Costs 
of the Iraq War. Testimony was heard from Peter Orszag, Director, CBO; 
Amy Belasco, CRS, Library of Congress; and a public witness.
ELECTRONIC CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE MONITORING
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``NASPER: Why Has the National 
All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act Not Been 
Implemented?'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: H. Wesley Clark, M.D., 
Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration; Len Paulozzi, M.D., Medical 
Epidemiologist, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, National 
Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention; and a public witness.
REFORMING MORTGAGE PRACTICES
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Legislative 
Proposals on Reforming Mortgage Practices.'' Testimony was heard from 
Martin J. Gruenberg, Vice Chair, FDIC; John C. Dugan, Comptroller of 
the Currency; and John M. Reich, Director of Thrift Supervision, both 
with the Department of the Treasury; Jo Ann Johnson, Chairman, National 
Credit Union Administration; Randall S. Kroszner, member, Board of 
Governors, Federal Reserve System; Steven L. Antonakes, Commissioner, 
Division of Banks, Massachusetts; and public witnesses.

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U.S. POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on U.S. Policy in the 
Middle East. Testimony was heard from Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of 
State.
SECURE BORDER INITIATIVE NETWORK
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border Maritime, and 
Global Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Management, 
Investigations and Oversight held a joint hearing entitled ``The Future 
of Border Security: Can SBInet Succeed?'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Gregory 
Giddens, Executive Director, Secure Border Initiative; and Chief Robert 
W. Gilbert, Chief Patrol Agent, Tucson Sector, U.S. Border Patrol; and 
Richard M. Stana, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LIBRARY MANAGEMENT
Committee on House Administration: Held an oversight hearing on the 
Library of Congress: Current Issues in Library Management. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Library of Congress: 
James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress; Karl W. Schornagel, 
Inspector General; former Representative Bill Orton of Utah; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following measures: 
H.R. 3921, Procedural Fairness for September 11th Victims Act of 2007; 
H.R. 2405, Proud to Be an American Citizen Act; H.R. 2884, amended, 
Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act; H.R. 1512, amended, To 
amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for compensation 
to State incarcerating undocumented aliens charged with a felony or two 
or more misdemeanors; H.R. 2830, amended, Coast Guard Authorization Act 
of 2007; and H.R. 2128, amended, Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2007.
  The Committee also approved a resolution that submissions to the 
Committee on its website tip line for Justice Department employees be 
received in executive session.
  The Committee began mark up of H.R.1312, Arts Require Timely Service 
(ARTS) Act.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and 
Oceans held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1187, Gulf of the 
Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary 
Modification and Protection Act; H.R. 1907, Coastal and Estuarine Land 
Protection Act; and H.R. 3352, Hydrographic Services Improvement Act 
Amendments of 2007. Testimony was hearing from Representatives Woolsey 
and Thompson of California; Jack Dunnigan, Assistant Administrator, 
Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management, NOAA, Department of 
Commerce; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a 
hearing on the following bills: H.R. 496, Tumalo Water Conservation 
Project Act of 2007; H.R. 3323, Goleta Water Distribution System 
Conveyance Act of 2007; H.R. 3437, Jackson Gulch Rehabilitation Act of 
2007; and H.R. 3739, To amend the Arizona Water Settlements Act to 
modify the requirements for the statement of findings. Testimony was 
heard from Robert Johnson, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, 
Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
BANK'S COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT RATINGS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing on Upholding the Spirit of CRA: Do CRA Rating 
Accurately Reflect Bank Practices? Testimony was heard from Sandra 
Thompson, Director, Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection, 
FDIC; Sandra F. Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and 
Community Affairs, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; and the 
following officials of the Department of the Treasury: Montrice 
Yakimov, Managing Director, Compliance and Consumer Protection, Office 
of Thrift Supervision; and Ann Jaedicke, Deputy Comptroller for 
Compliance Policy, Comptroller of the Currency; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTING PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a voice vote, a structured rule. The 
rule provides one hour of general debate on H.R. 3867, Small Business 
Contracting Program Improvements Act, equally divided and controlled by 
the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Small 
Business. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The 
rule provides that the bill shall be considered as read. The rule 
waives all points of order against provisions of the bill.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report. Amendments so printed may be offered only in the 
order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated 
in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the 
time specified in

[[Page D1418]]

the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject 
to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. The rule waives all points of order against 
such amendments except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. 
The rule provides one motion to recommit the bill with or without 
instructions. Finally, notwithstanding the operation of the previous 
question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to a 
time designated by the Speaker. Testimony was heard by Chairwoman 
Velazquez and Representatives Moran of Virginia, Chabot, Mica, Ginny 
Brown-Waite of Florida.
CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 8 to 4, a closed rule. The 
rule provides one hour of debate on H.R. 3963, Children's Health 
Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007, equally divided and 
controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce and the chairman and ranking minority member of 
the Committee on Ways and Means.
  The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill 
except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule 
provides that the bill shall be considered as read. The rule waives all 
points of order against provisions of the bill. The rule provides one 
motion to recommit the bill with or without instructions. Finally, the 
rule permits the Chair, during consideration of the bill, to postpone 
further consideration of it to a time designated by the Speaker. 
Testimony was heard by Chairman Dingell and Representative Burgess.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 1834, National Ocean Exploration Program Act; 
H.R. 2406, To authorize the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology to increase its efforts in support of the integration of the 
healthcare information enterprise in the United States; and H.R. 3877, 
Mine Communications Technology Innovation Act.
RETIREMENT PLAN INEQUITIES
Committee in Small Business: Subcommittee on Finance and Tax held a 
hearing on Pension Parity: Addressing the Inequities between Retirement 
Plan Options for Small and Large Businesses. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
AVIATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT: NOISE
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Aviation and the Environment: Noise. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Crowley and McCarthy of New 
York; Carl Burleson, Director, Office of Environment and Energy, FAA, 
Department of Transportation; Gerald Dillingham, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues, GAO; Ralph Tragale, Manager, Government and 
Community Relations, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and 
public witnesses.
VA--DEFENSE MEDICAL RECORD SHARING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Sharing Electronic Medical Records 
between Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Testimony was heard from Valerie Melvin, Director, Human Capital and 
Management Information Systems Issues, GAO; the following officials of 
the Department of Defense: BG Douglas J. Robb, M.D., USAF, Commander, 
81st Medical Wing, Keesler Air Force Base; COL Keith Salzman, M.D., 
USA, Chief, Information Division, Western Regional Medical Command/
Madigan Army Medical Center; LCDR James L. Martin, USN, 001--Regional 
Info System Officer, Military Sealift Command, U.S. Navy; COL Gregory 
Andre Marinkovich, USA, Data Management Product Line Functional 
Manager, Clinical Information Technology Program; Stephan Jones, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; and the following 
officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Howard B. Green, 
Deputy Director, Health Project Management Office, Office of 
Information and Technology; and Gerald M. Criss, M.D., Principal Deputy 
Under Secretary, Health.
TRADE AND GLOBALIZATION ASSISTANCE ACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 3920, 
Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007.
FUTURE OF BIOFUELS
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; Held a 
hearing on The Gas is Greener on the Other Side: the Future of 
Biofuels. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.