[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 33 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D200-D202]
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 Inspector General. Testimony was heard from Phyllis K. Fong, 
Inspector General, USDA.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Defense Health Program. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: S. Ward Casscells, Under 
Secretary, Health Affairs; LTG Eric Schoomaker, M.D., USA, Surgeon 
General/Commander, U.S. Army Medical Command; VADM Adam M. Robinson, 
Jr., USN, Chief of the Navy Medical Corps and LTG James Roudebush, 
M.D., USAF, Surgeon General of the Air Force.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on National Guard and Reserve 
issues. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: LTG Steven Blum, USA, Chief, National Guard; LTG 
Clyde Vaughn, USA, Vice Chief, Army National Guard; LTG Craig McKinley, 
USAF, Vice Chief, Air National Guard; LTG Jack Stultz, USA, Chief, Army 
Reserve; VADM John Cotton, USN, Chief, Navy Reserve; LTG John Bergman, 
USMC, Commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and LTG John Bradley, USAF, 
Chief, Air Force Reserve.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department of 
Energy. Testimony was heard from Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Energy.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on Consumer Protection in Financial 
Services. Testimony was heard from Donna Gambrell, Director, Community 
Development Financial Institutions Fund, Department of the Treasury; 
and Lydia Parnes, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Improving the Efficiency of the Aviation Security System-
TSA, GAO, American Airlines, and Washington Metropolitan Airport 
Authority. Testimony was heard from Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary, 
Transportation Security Administration Administrator, Department of 
Homeland Security; Cathleen Berrick, Director, Homeland Security and 
Justice Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, 
and Related Agencies held a hearing on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
and U.S. Geological Survey. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Interior: Dale Hall, Director, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service; and Mark D. Myers, Director, U.S. Geological 
Survey.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on Reducing the 
Disability Backlog at the Social Security Administration/Fiscal Year 
2009 Budget Overview. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the SSA: Michael Astrue, Commissioner; and Patrick O'Carroll, 
Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General; and public 
witnesses.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 Budget-State 
Operations, Embassy Bagdad. Testimony was heard from Patrick F. 
Kennedy, Under Secretary, Management, Office of the Director of 
National Intelligence.
TRANSPORTATION, HUD APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and

[[Page D201]]

Related Agencies held a hearing on Housing Needs of Special Populations 
(Elderly; Disabled; Homeless; HOPWA). Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department Housing and Urban Development: 
Mark Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Special Need Assistance 
Programs; and John Garvin, Advisor, Housing Programs.
ARMY BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 
National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of 
the Army. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Army: Pete Geren, Secretary; and GEN George W. Casey, 
Jr., USA, Chief of Staff.
MILITARY BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on the Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Budget Request 
on military construction. Testimony was heard from the Department of 
Defense: Wayne Arny, Deputy Under Secretary, Installations and 
Environment; Geoffrey G. Prosch, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Installations and Environment, Army; B.J. Penn, Assistant Secretary of 
the Navy, Installations and Environment; and William C. Anderson, 
Assistant Secretary, Air Force, Installations, Environment and 
Logistics.
MEMBERS' DAY
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Members' Day. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Murphy of California, Castor, Giffords, Poe, 
Loebsack, McCarthy of New York; Altmire, Braley, Ehlers, Shea-Porter, 
Hold Sutton, Davis of Illinois, Courtney; Hirono, Rodriguez, Honda; 
Welch of Vermont; Filner, Carney, Lewis of Georgia, Klein of Florida, 
Higgins, Kagen, Larsen of Washington, Christensen, Waltz of Minnesota, 
Wolf, and Fossella.
HHS BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Held a hearing entitled ``A Review of 
the Department of Health and Human Services Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.'' 
Testimony was heard from Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and 
Human Services.
BAN ASBESTOS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Hazardous Materials held a hearing on S. 742, Ban Asbestos in America 
Act of 2007 and on other proposals to Ban Asbestos in Products. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of EPA: James B. 
Gulliford, Assistant Administrator, Office for Prevention, Pesticides, 
and Toxic Substances; and Aubrey Miller, Senior Medical Officer and 
Toxicologist; and Christopher Weis, Senior Toxicologist, Region 8; 
Gregory P. Meeker, Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the 
Interior; public witnesses.
BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on Financial Services: Approved, as amended, Committee Budget 
Views and Estimates for Fiscal Year 2009 for submission to the 
Committee on the Budget.
U.N. MANDATES AND FORCE AGREEMENTS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing on Status of 
Forces in Agreements and U.N. Mandates: What Authorities and 
Protections Do They Provide to U.S. Personnel? Testimony was heard from 
following officials of the CRS, Library of Congress: Jennifer K. Elsea, 
Legislative Attorney, American Law Division; and R. Chuck Mason, 
Legislative Attorney; and public witnesses.
CYBER INITIATIVE
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``The Cyber 
Initiative.'' Testimony was heard from Karen Evans, Administrator, 
Electronic Government and Information Technology, OMB; and following 
officials of the National Protection and Programs Directorate, 
Department of Homeland Security: Robert Jamison, Under Secretary; and 
Scott Charbo, Deputy Under Secretary.
ENERGY/MINERAL RESOURCES BUDGET
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held an oversight hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2009 
Budget for the Minerals Management Service, the Bureau of Land 
Management, Energy and Minerals programs, the Office of Surface Mining 
Reclamation and Enforcement, the Minerals programs, the Office of 
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the Minerals and Geology 
Program of the Forest Service, and the United States Geological Survey, 
except for the activities and programs of the Water Resources Division. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
the Interior: Randall Luthi, Director, Minerals Management Service; 
Robert Doyle, Deputy Director, U.S. Geological Survey; Henri Bisson, 
Deputy Director, Bureau of Land Management; and Brent Wahlquist, 
Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement; and 
Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, Forest Service, National Forest System, 
USDA.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and 
Oceans held a hearing on the

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following bills: H.R. 3223, Keep Our Waterfronts Working Act of 2007; 
H.R. 5451, Coastal Zone Reauthorization Act of 2009; H.R. 5452, Coastal 
State Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2008; and H.R. 5453, Coastal 
State Climate Change Planning Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Allen; David M. Kennedy, Director, Office of Ocean and 
Coastal Resource Management, NOAA, Department of Commerce; and public 
witnesses.
OFFICE OF INSULAR AFFAIRS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Insular Affairs held an 
oversight hearing on the fiscal Year 2009 budget request for the 
Department of Interior's Office of Insular Affairs. Testimony was heard 
from Nikolao Pula, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Insular Affairs, 
Department of the Interior.
TELEWORK IMPROVEMENTS ACT; IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POSTAL ACCOUNTABLITY 
ENHANCEMENT ACT
Committee on Oversight: Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal 
Service, and the District of Columbia approved for full Committee 
action, as amended, H.R. 4106, Telework Improvements Act of 2007.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Implementation of the 
Postal Accountability Enhancement Act of 2006. Testimony was heard from 
Katherine A. Siggerud, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; 
the following officials of the U.S. Postal Service: John E. Potter, 
Postmaster General/CEO; and James H. Bilbray, member, Board of 
Governors; Dan G. Blair, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission; and a 
public witness.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT IMPROVEMENT
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Improving the 
Paperwork Reduction Act for Small Businesses.'' Testimony was heard 
from Susan E. Dudley, Administrator, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, OMB; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; GSA RESOLUTION; BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following measures: H.R. 5492, To authorize the Board of Regents of the 
Smithsonian Institution to construct a greenhouse facility at its 
museum support facility in Suitland, Maryland; H. Res. 936, amended, 
Honoring the 200th anniversary of the Gallatin Report on Roads and 
Canals, celebrating the national unity the Gallatin Report engendered, 
and recognizing the vast contributions that national planning efforts 
have provided to the United States; and H. Res. 964, amended, To 
promote the safe operation of 15 passenger vans.
  The Committee also approved the following: GSA Section 11(b) 
Resolution; and Committee Budget Views and Estimates for Fiscal Year 
2009 for submission to the Committee on the Budget.
  The Committee also approved Committee Budget Views and Estimates for 
Fiscal Year 2009 for submission to the Committee on the Budget.
VETERANS SUBPRIME MORTGAGES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on Subprime Mortgage Crisis and America's Veterans, 
Testimony was heard from Judith Caden, Director, Loan Guaranty Service, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses
FAMILIES' MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on Mental Health Treatment for Families: Supporting Those Who Support 
our Veterans. Testimony was heard from Kristin Day, Chief Consultant, 
Care and Management and Social Work, Veterans Health Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Linda Spoonster Schwartz, R.N., 
Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs, State of Connecticut; 
representatives of veterans organizations; and public witnesses.
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Medicare Advantage. Testimony was heard from Kerry Weems, Acting 
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department 
of Health and Human Services; James C. Cosgrove, Acting Director, 
Health Care Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--FISA
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on FISA. The Committee was briefed by public 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC COSTS OF THE WAR
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
total economic costs of the Iraq war beyond the federal budget, after 
receiving testimony from Joesph E. Stiglitz, Columbia University, and 
Robert D. Hormats, Goldman Sachs (International), both of New York, New 
York; and Rand Beers, National Security Network, and Scott Wallsten, 
iGrowthGlobal, both of Washington, D.C.