[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 190 (Wednesday, December 12, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1615-D1618]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Agriculture: Ordered reported the following measures: as 
amended, the CFTU Reauthorization Act of 2007; H.J. Res. 15, Recognizing the 
contributions of the Christmas tree industry to the United States economy; 
H.R. 1374, To amend the Florida National Forest Land Management Act of 2003 
to authorize the conveyance of an additional tract of National Forest System 
land under that Act, and for other purposes; and H.R. 3454, To provide for 
the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in the 
George Washington National Forest in Alleghany County, Virginia, that 
contains the cemetery of the Central Advent Christian Church and an 
adjoining tract of land located between the cemetery and road boundaries.
BASE CLOSURE DECISIONS IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing on 
implementation of the Base Realignment and Closure 2005 decisions. Testimony 
was heard from Philip Grone, Deputy Under Secretary, Installations and 
Environment, Department of Defense; Brian Lepore, Director, Defense 
Capabilities

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Assessment, GAO; Anthony Brown, Lt. Gov., State of Maryland; and public 
witnesses.
ENERGY SPECULATION AND PRICE MANIPULATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigation held a hearing entitled ``Energy Speculation: Is Greater 
Regulation Necessary to Stop Price Manipulation?'' Testimony was heard from 
Joseph T. Kelliher, Chairman, FERC; Walter Lukken, Acting Chairman, CFTC; 
and public witnesses.
FINANCIAL CONSUMER HOTLINE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and 
Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``The Financial Consumer Hotline Act 
of 2007: Providing Consumers with Easy Access to the Appropriate Banking 
Regulator.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Treasury: John Walsh, Chief of Staff and Public Affairs, 
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; and Cassandra McConnell, 
Director, Consumer and Community Affairs, Office of Thrift Supervision; 
Sandra Braunstein, Director, Consumer and Community Affairs, Board of 
Governors, Federal Reserve System; Sandra L. Thompson, Director, Division of 
Supervision and Consumer Protection, FDIC; Leonard Skiles, Executive 
Director, National Credit Union Administration; Richard Neiman, 
Superintendent of Banks, Banking Department, State of New York; and public 
witnesses.
U.S. ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINIANS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia 
held a hearing on Connecting the Money to the Mission: The Past, Present, 
and Future of U.S. Assistance to the Palestinians. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of State: Robert M. Danin, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; Charles R. Snyder, 
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Civilian Police and African, Asian, and 
European Programs, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement; 
and Mark Ward, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia and 
the Near East, U.S. Agency for International Development.
CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2008
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security and 
Infrastructure Protection held a hearing on the Chemical Facility Anti-
Terrorism Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from Bob Stephan, Assistant 
Secretary, Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Gary 
Sondermeyer, Director of Operations, Department of Environmental Protection, 
State of New Jersey; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, the following 
bills: H.R. 3609, Emergency Home Ownership and Mortgage Equity Protection 
Act of 2007; and H.R. 3753, Federal Judicial Salary Restoration Act of 2007.
OVERSIGHT--FEES FOR FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON PUBLIC LANDS
Committee on Natural Resources: Held an oversight hearing on New Fees for 
Filming and Photography on Public Lands. Testimony was heard from Mitch 
Butler, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department 
of the Interior; Leslie Weldon, External Affairs Officer, Office of the 
Chief, Forest Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H.R. 4220, amended, Federal Food Donation Act of 2007; H.R. 3468, 
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
1704 Weeksville Road in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the ``Dr. Cliford 
Bell Jones, Sr. Post Office;'' H.R. 3720, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 424 Clay Avenue in Waco, Texas as 
the ``Army PFC Juan Alonso Covarrubias Post Office Building;'' H.R. 3721, To 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1190 
Lorena Road in Lorena, Texas, as the ``Marine Gunnery Sgt. John D. Fry Post 
Office Building;'' H.R. 3803, To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, 
as the ``John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building;'' H.R. 3911, To 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 95 
Church Street in Jessup, Pennsylvania, as the ``Lance Corporal Dennis James 
Veater Post Office;'' H.R. 3988, To designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 3701 Altamesa Boulevard in Fort Worth, 
Texas, as the ``Master Sergeant Kenneth N. Mack Post Office Building;'' H.R. 
4210, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service

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located at 401 Washington Avenue in Weldon, North Carolina, as the ``Dock M. 
Brown Post Office Building;'' H.R. 4211, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 725 Roanoke Avenue in Roanoke 
Rapids, North Carolina, as the ``Judge Richard B. Allsbrook Post Office;'' 
H.R. 4240, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 10799 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado, as the ``Felix 
Sparks Post Office Building;'' H.R. 4342, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 824 Manatee Avenue in West 
Bradenton, Florida, as the ``Dan Miller Post Office Building;'' S. 2110, To 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 427 
North Street in Taft, California, as the ``Larry S. Pierce Post Office;'' S. 
2174, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 175 South Monroe Street in Tiffin, Ohio, as the ``Paul E. Gillmor Post 
Office Building;'' H. Con. Res. 198, amended, Expressing the sense of 
Congress that the United States has a moral responsibility to meet the needs 
of those persons, groups and communities that are impoverished, 
disadvantaged or otherwise in poverty; H. Con. Res. 254, Recognizing and 
celebrating the centennial of Oklahoma statehood; and H. Res. 816, amended, 
Congratulating the Colorado Rockies on winning the National League 
Championship and playing in the World Series.
  The Committee also approved a Committee report entitled ``Political 
Interference with Global Change Science under the Bush Administration.''
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF WATER BOTTLING
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing on Assessing the Environmental Risks of the Water 
Bottling Industry's Extraction of Groundwater. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a voice vote, a closed rule providing one 
hour of debate in the House on H.J. Res. 69, making further continuing 
appropriations for the fiscal year 2008, and for other purposes, equally 
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Appropriations.
  The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the joint 
resolution (except for clause 9 or 10 of Rule XXI). The rule waives all 
points of order against provisions of the joint resolution. The rule also 
provides that the joint resolution shall be considered as read. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  The rule provides that the Chair may postpone further consideration of the 
joint resolution to a time designated by the Speaker. The rule directs the 
Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations to insert in the Congressional 
Record at any time during the remainder of the first session of the 110th 
Congress such material as he may deem explanatory of appropriations measures 
for the fiscal year. Finally, the rule tables H. Res. 839 and H. Res. 850.
SARBANES-OXLEY AND FINANCIAL REPORTING
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Sarbanes-Oxley 
Section 404: New Evidence on the Cost for Small Companies.'' Testimony was 
heard from Christopher Cox, Chairman, SEC; and public witnesses.
LOCAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES NEAR NEW DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Economic 
Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a hearing on 
the New DHS Headquarters at St. Elizabeths: Local Business Opportunities. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the GSA: David Winstead, 
Commissioner, Public Building Service; and Dawud Abdur-Rahman, Director, 
Portfolio Management Division--National Capital Region; RADM Earl Gay, USN, 
Commandant, Naval District Washington, Washington Navy Yard; Department of 
the Navy; and public witnesses.
VETERANS' MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on Stopping Suicides: Mental 
Health Challenges Within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: 
Michael Shepherd, M.D., Physician, Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office 
of the Inspector General; Ira Katz, M.D., Deputy Chief, Patient Care 
Services, Office of Mental Health, Veterans Health Administration; and Kara 
Zivin, Research Investigator, Serious Mental Illness Treatment Research and 
Evaluation Center; representatives of veterans organizations; and public 
witnesses.

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OUTPATIENT WAITING TIMES
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
and the Subcommittee on Health held a joint hearing on Outpatient Waiting 
Times. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs: Belinda Finn, Assistant Inspector General, Audits; Gerald 
M. Cross, M.D., Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Health; and Paul Tibbits, 
M.D., Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of Enterprise Development, 
Office of Information and Technology; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--CIA TAPES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on CIA Tapes. The Committee was briefed by Michael V. 
Hayden, Director, CIA.
F