[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 166 (Tuesday, October 30, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1445-D1448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MEAT INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Agriculture: Held a hearing to review technologies in the 
meat industry. Testimony was heard from Alfred V. Almanza, 
Administrator, Food Safety Inspection Service, USDA; and public 
witnesses.
IRAQ EXAMINATION OF DIPLOMATIC SURGE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Agencies held a hearing on Assessing an Effective 
Diplomatic and Development Program in Iraq: An Examination of the 
Diplomatic Surge. Testimony was heard from Stuart Bowen, Jr., Special 
Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction; and Joseph A. Christoff, 
Director, International Affairs and Trade, GAO.
STABILIZATION AND RECONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Stabilization and Reconstruction 
Operations: Learning from Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) 
Experience. Testimony was heard from Celeste Ward, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Stability Operations Capabilities, Department of Defense; 
Ambassador John E. Herbst, Coordinator, Office of Reconstruction and 
Stabilization, Department of State; and the following officials of the 
GAO: Joseph A. Christoff, Director, International Affairs and Trade 
Team; and Janet S. Laurent, Director, Defense Capabilities and 
Management Team.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 1534, Mercury Export Ban Act of 2007; H.R. 3461, 
Safeguarding America's Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and 
Efficient Technologies Act of 2007; H.R. 2601, To extending the 
authority of the Federal

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Trade Commission to collect fees to administer and enforce the 
provisions relating to the ``Do-not-call'' registry of the 
Telemarketing Sales Rule; H.R. 3541, Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 
2007; H.R. 3526, To include all banking agencies within the existing 
regulatory authority under the Federal Trade Commission Act with 
respect to depository institutions; H.R. 3403, 911 Modernization and 
Safety Act of 2007; and H.R. 3919, Broadband Census of America Act of 
2007.
INSURANCE REGULATORY REFORM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled 
``Additional Perspectives on the Need for Insurance Regulatory 
Reform.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MINORITY BANKS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations, hearing entitled `` Preserving and Expanding Minority 
Banks.'' Testimony was heard from George Scott, Director, Education, 
Workforce and Income Security Issues, GAO; Sandra L. Thompson, 
Director, Division of Supervision Consumer Protection, FDIC; the 
following officials of the Department of the Treasury: Montrice 
Yakimov, Managing Director, Compliance and Consumer Protection, Office 
of Thrift Supervision; and John Walsh, Chief of Staff and Public 
Affairs, Office of Comptroller of the Currency; Sandra F. Braunstein, 
Director, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, Board of 
Governors, Federal Reserve System; and public witnesses.
RUSSIAN ELECTIONS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Russia on the Eve of 
National Elections. Testimony was heard from Strobe Talbott, former 
Deputy Secretary of State; and a public witness.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT AND RENEWAL ENERGY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the 
Global Environment held a hearing on Renewable Energy and the Global 
Environment. Testimony was heard from Reno Harnish III, Principal 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International 
Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State; John 
Mizroch, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy; John A. Simon, 
Executive Vice President, OPIC; Michael W. Yost, Administrator, Foreign 
Agriculture Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
SAFE PORT ACT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and 
Global Counterterrorism held a hearing entitled ``The SAFE Port Act: 
Status of Implementation One Year Later.'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Maurine 
Fanguy, Program Director, Transportation Worker Identification 
Credentials Program, Transportation Security Administration; CAPT 
Francis Sturm, U.S. Coast Guard; Thomas Winkowski, Assistant 
Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border 
Protection; and Vayl Oxford, Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection 
Office; Stephen L. Caldwell, Director, Homeland Security and Justice 
Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
MORTGAGE MESS--STRAIGHTENING OUT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law continued hearings on Straightening Out the Mortgage 
Mess: How Can We Protect Home Ownership and Provide Relief to Consumers 
in Financial Distress?--Part II. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--VOTING CIVIL RIGHTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil 
Rights and Civil Liberties held an oversight hearing on the Voting 
Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. 
Testimony was heard John K. Tanner, Chief, Voting Right Section, Civil 
Rights Division, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
GENETIC TESTING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property, hearing on Stifling or Stimulating--Role of Gene 
Patents in Research and Genetic Testing. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest 
and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 415, To 
amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the 
Taunton River in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a component of 
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; H.R. 1143, To authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to lease certain lands in Virgin Islands 
National Park; H.R. 1286, Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 
National Historic Trail Designation Act; H.R. 1545, To direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a boundary study to evaluate the 
significance of Fort San Geronimo and other related resources in the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the suitability and feasibility of

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their inclusion in the National Park System as part of the San Juan 
National Historic Site; H.R. 1836, Weir Farm National Historic Site 
Amendment Act; H.R. 3022, Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness 
Act of 2007; H.R. 3120, Stranahan House, Trading Post and Campsite 
Historic Preservation Act; H.R. 3265, Harry S Truman Birthplace Study 
Act; H.R. 3473, Bountiful City Land Consolidation Act; H.R. 3616, Lewis 
and Clark National Historic Trail Extension Study Act of 2007; and H.R. 
3821, Battle of Matewan Study Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Skelton, Frank of Massachusetts, Shays, and Emerson; 
Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Associate Director, Visitor and Resources 
Protection, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Joel 
Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest Service, USDA; 
and public witnesses.
POSTAL RATES' EFFECT ON BUSINESS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing 
on Will Increased Postal Rates Put Mailers Out of Business? Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the U.S. Postal Service: 
James C. Miller III, Chairman; and John Potter, Postmaster General; Dan 
G. Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission; and public witnesses.
IRANIAN PEOPLE'S ATTITUDES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security, and Foreign Affairs held a hearing on Iran: Reality, Options, 
and Consequences--Iranian People and Attitudes. Testimony was heard 
from Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, Foreign 
Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, CRS, Library of Congress; and 
public witnesses.
HARDROCK RECLAMATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a voice vote, a structured 
rule providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 2262, Hardrock Mining and 
Reclamation Act of 2007, equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources. The 
rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill 
except clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
Natural Resources now printed in the bill shall be considered as an 
original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be considered as 
read. All points of order against the committee amendment in the nature 
of a substitute are waived except clause 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report. The amendments made in order may be offered only in 
the order printed in the Rules Committee 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 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 a division of the 
question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of 
order against the amendments except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI 
are waived. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. The rule provides that, 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 from 
Chairman Rahall and Representatives Herseth Sandlin, Pearce, and 
Heller.
TRADE AND GLOBALIZATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a voice vote, a structured 
rule providing 1 hour of debate on H.R. 3920, Trade and Globalization 
Assistance Act of 2007, with 40 minutes equally divided and controlled 
by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways 
and Means and 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor.
  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 amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended 
by the Committee on Ways and Means, modified by the amendment printed 
in part A of the Rules Committee report, shall be considered as adopted 
and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. The rule waives 
all points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended.
  The rule makes in order the substitute amendment printed in part B of 
the report if offered by Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA) or his designee. The 
rule provides that the substitute amendment shall be considered as read 
and debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent. The rule waives all points of order against 
the substitute amendment except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of 
rule XXI. The rule provides one motion to recommit 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 from Representatives 
McDermott, Woolsey, McCrery, and McKeon.

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WATER USAGE EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Science and Technology; Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Research to Improve Water-Use Efficiency 
and Conservation: Technologies and Practices. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 3495, Kids 
in Disasters Well-being, Safety, and Health Act of 2007; H.R. 3986, 
John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2007; H.R. 3315, To 
provide that the great hall of the Capitol Visitor Center shall be 
known as Emancipation Hall; and H.R. 3712, amended, To designate the 
Federal building and United States courthouse located at 1716 
Spielbusch Avenue in Toledo, Ohio, as the ``James M. and Thomas W.L. 
Ashley Customs Building and United States Courthouse.
RETIREMENT PLAN FEES
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on the Appropriateness of 
Retirement Plan Fees. Testimony was heard from Bradford P. Campbell, 
Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration, 
Department of Labor; W. Thomas Reeder, Benefits Tax Counsel, Office of 
Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury; Andrew J. Donohue, Director, 
Division of Investment Management, SEC; Barbara D. Bovbjerg, Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.