[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 25 (Thursday, February 14, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D149-D151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Natural Resources Conservation Service. Testimony was heard 
from Mark E. Rey, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, 
USDA.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Army Readiness. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Army, Department of Defense, LT GEN James D. Thurman, 
USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G3; LT GEN Stephen M. Speakes, USA, Deputy 
Chief of Staff, G8, and LT GEN Michael D. Rochelle, USA, Deputy Chief 
of Staff, G1.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Waste 
Development, and Related Agencies held an overview hearing on Vehicle 
Technology and Gas Prices. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Land Border Enforcement. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security: W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner, Gregory 
Giddens, Executive Director, Secure Border Initiative; David Aguilar, 
Chief, U.S. Border Patrol; Michael Kostelnik, Assistant Commissioner, 
Air and Marine; Thomas Winkowski, Assistant Commissioner, Office of 
Field Operations; and public witnesses.
LABOR, HHS, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies held an overview hearing on 
Opportunities Lost and Costs to Society: the Social and Economic Burden 
of Disease, Injuries, and Disability. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MILITARY READINESS AND STRATEGIC POSTURE
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Implications for Our 
Strategic Posture. Testimony was heard from Sharon Pickup, Director, 
Defense Resources and Business Transformation Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.

[[Page D150]]


PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAMS REFORM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Provincial Reconstruction Teams: A 
Case for Interagency National Security Reform? Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: Ryan Henry, 
Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Policy; and Barry Pavel, Principal 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Special Operations and Low Intensity 
Conflict and Interdependent Capabilities; and the following officials 
of the Department of State: Stephen D. Mull, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs; and Michael E. Hess, 
Assistant Administrator, Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian 
Assistance Bureau, U.S. Agency for International Development.
BOND INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing on the 
State of the Bond Insurance Industry. Testimony was heard from Eric R. 
Sirri, Director, Division of Trading and Markets, SEC; Patrick M. 
Parkinson, Deputy Director, Division of Research and Statistics, Board 
of Governors, Federal Reserve System; the following officials of the 
State of New York: Eliot Spitzer, Governor; and Eric R. Dinallo, 
Superintendent, Insurance Department; Thomas M. Leighton, Mayor, 
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; and public witnesses.
U.S. DEBT RECYCLING ASSISTANCE TO CAMBODIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia, The Pacific and the 
Global Environment held a hearing on an Overview of Cambodia and the 
Need for Debt Recycling: How can the U.S. be of Assistance? Testimony 
was heard from Scot Marciel, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East 
Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State; and W. Kirk Miller, 
Associate Administrator/General Sales Manager, Foreign Agriculture 
Service, USDA.
HOMELAND SECURITY INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Homeland Security Intelligence at a Crossroads: the Office 
of Intelligence and Analysis' Vision for 2008.'' Testimony was heard 
from Charles E. Allen, Under Secretary, Intelligence and Analysis, 
Department of Homeland Security.
STATE VIDEO TAX FAIRNESS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 3679, State Video Tax 
Fairness Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil 
Rights and Civil Liberties held an oversight hearing on the Justice 
Department's Office of Legal Counsel. Testimony was heard from Steven 
G. Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of 
Legal Counsel, Department of Justice.
UNIQUE INDUSTRIES PROTECTIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and 
Intellectual Property held a hearing on Design Law--Are Special 
Provisions Needed to Protect Unique Industries? Testimony was heard 
from Representative Delahunt; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--INTERIOR DEPARTMENT BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2009
Committee on Natural Resources: Held an oversight hearing on the 
President's Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request for the Department of the 
Interior. Testimony was heard from Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the 
Interior.
MEDICAID'S SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing on One year later: Medicaid's Response to 
Systemic Problems Revealed by the death of Deamonte Driver. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
FEDERAL IT SECURITY
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Policy, Census and National Archives and the Subcommittee 
on Government Management, Organization and Procurement held a joint 
hearing on Federal IT Security: A Review of H.R. 4791, Federal Agency 
Data Protection Act. Testimony was heard from Karen S. Evans, 
Administrator, OMB; Gregory C. Wilshusen, Director, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
DEFEATING AL QAEDA
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security and Foreign Affairs continued hearings on Six Years Later 
(Part III): Innovative Approaches to Defeating Al Qaeda. Testimony was 
heard from COL Michael J. Meese, USA,

[[Page D151]]

Professor and Head of the Social Sciences Department, U.S. Military 
Academy, West Point; and public witnesses.
SCIENCE EDUCATION/RESEARCH BUDGET
Committee on Science and Technology: Held a hearing on Funding for the 
America COMPETES Act in the Fiscal Year 2009 Administration Budget 
Request. Testimony was heard from James H. Marburger, III, Director, 
Office of Science and Technology Policy.
BUSINESS ACTIVITY TAXES
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Business 
Activity Taxes and their Impact on Small Businesses,'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on Revitalization of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Program. Testimony was 
heard from Susan Parker Bodine, Assistant Administrator, Solid Waste 
and Emergency Response, EPA; and public witnesses.
VA'S CLAIMS PROCESSING SYSTEM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on Examining the VA's Claims 
Processing System. Testimony was heard from Daniel Bertoni, Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO; the following 
officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Michael Walcoff, 
Deputy Under Secretary, Benefits; Diana Rubens, Associate Deputy Under 
Secretary, Field Operations; and Bradley G. Mayes, Director, 
Compensation and Pension Service, both with the Veterans Benefits 
Administration; representatives of veterans organizations; and public 
witnesses.
TRADE PREFERENCE EXTENSION ACT OF 2008; COMMITTEE'S VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported H.R. 5264, Trade 
Preference Extension Act of 2008.
  The Committee also approved Committee Budget Views and Estimates for 
Fiscal Year 2009 for submission to the Committee on the Budget.
MEDICARE BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2009
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
the Medicare portions of the President's fiscal year 2009 budget. 
Testimony was heard from Kerry Weems, Acting Administrator, Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human 
Services.
BRIEFING--OVERHEAD
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Overhead. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
FIRE AND RAIN--HOW TROPICAL FORESTS' DESTRUCTION IS FUELING CLIMATE 
CHANGE
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Fire and Rain: How the Destruction of Tropical 
Forests is Fueling Climate Change.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.