[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 168 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1463-D1464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CONTROLLING CARBON EMISSIONS
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Counting the Change: 
Accounting for the Fiscal Impacts of Controlling Carbon Emissions. 
Testimony was heard from Peter Orszag, Director, CBO; and public 
witnesses.
COLLEGE COSTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Barriers to Equal 
Educational Opportunities: Addressing the Rising Costs of a College 
Education. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FDA FOREIGN DRUG INSPECTION PROGRAM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``FDA Foreign Drug Inspection 
Program: A System at Risk.'' Testimony was heard from Marcia G. Crosse, 
Director, Public Health and Military Health Care Issues, GAO; Andrew C. 
Von Eschenbach, M.D., Commissioner, FDA, Department of Health and Human 
Services; Carl R. Nielsen, former Director, Division of Import 
Operations, Office of Regulatory Affairs, FDA, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and public witnesses.
AVIATION SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled ``Aviation 
Security Part II: A Frontline Perspective on the Need for Enhanced 
Human Resources and Equipment.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MOBILE-STATE WORKER TAX FAIRNESS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 3359, Mobile Workforce State 
Income Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2007. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; ENHANCED RECOVERY AND EQUITABLE RETIREMENT ACT 
OF 2007
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 2489, Genocide Accountability Acct of 2007; H.R. 3971, 
Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2007; H.R. 3992, Mentally Ill 
Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement 
Act of 2007.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 2878, Enhanced Financial 
Recovery and Equitable Retirement Treatment Act of 2007. Testimony was 
heard from Kenneth E. Melson, Director, Executive Office for U.S. 
Attorneys for the Eastern District of Virginia, Department of Justice; 
and public witnesses.
SOUTHEAST ARIZONA LAND EXCHANGE AND CONSERVATION ACT OF 2007
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing on H.R. 3301, Southeast Arizona Land 
Exchange and Conservation Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from Joel 
Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest Service, USDA; 
Luke Johnson, Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of 
the Interior; and public witnesses.
MEDICAID REGULATORY ACTIONS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing on The 
Administration's Regulatory Actions on Medicaid: The Effects on 
Patients, Doctors, Hospitals, and States. Testimony was heard from 
Marjorie Kanof, Managing Director, Health Care, GAO; Dennis Smith, 
Director, Center on Medicaid and State Operations, Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid, Department of Health and Human Services.
COORDINATING FEDERAL AND STATE IT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Organization and Procurement held a hearing on 
Too Many Cooks? Coordinating Federal and State Health IT. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Health and 
Human Services: Robert M. Kolodner, National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology; Cheryl Austein Casnoff, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Health Information Technology, Health 
Resources Services Administration; and Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., 
Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Winston Price, 
M.D., Chair, Health IT and Transparency Advisory Board, State of 
Georgia; Lori Evans, Deputy Commissioner, Health IT Information, State 
of New York; Farzad Mostashari, M.D., Assistant Commissioner, 
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, City of New York; and a public 
witness.
PENDING FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS IMPACTS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on Evaluating the Impact of 
Pending Free Trade Agreements upon U.S. Small Businesses. Testimony was 
heard from John Veroneau, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative; and public 
witnesses.

[[Page D1464]]


COMMERCIAL DRIVER DRUG-ALCOHOL TESTING
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Highway 
and Transit held a hearing on Drug and Alcohol Testing of Commercial 
Motor Vehicle Drivers. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the GAO: Gregory D. Kutz, Managing Director, Forensic Audits and 
Special Investigations; and Katherine A. Siggerud, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Team; John Hill, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; Robert L. 
Stephenson, II, Director, Division of Workplace Programs, Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health 
and Human Services; John Wilburn Williamson, Assistant Director, Driver 
and Vehicle Services, Division of Motor Vehicles, State of North 
Carolina; and public witnesses.
VA CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the VA Construction Process. Testimony was heard from MG David W. 
Eidsuane, USAF, Commander, Air Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base, 
Florida, Department of the Air Force; Donald H. Orndoff, Director, 
Office of Construction and Facilities Management, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and representatives of veterans organizations.
TAX RELIEF MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 3996, Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007; and H.R. 
3997, Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2007.
WILDFIRES AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Wildfires and the Climate Crisis.'' Testimony was 
heard from Abigail Kimbell, Chief, Forest Service, USDA; and public 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
versions of proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 2008 
for the intelligence community, but did not complete action thereon, 
and recessed subject to the call and will meet again on Thursday, 
November 8, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
LABOR/HHS/EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 3043, making 
appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, 
and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2008.