[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D282-D285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies held a hearing on DEA, and on the Bureau of 
Prisons, U.S. Marshals, and Detention Trustee. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Justice: Michele Leonhart, 
Acting Administrator, DEA; Harley G. Lappin, Director, Bureau of 
Prisons; Stacia A. Hylton, Federal Detention Trustee, Office of the 
Federal Detention Trustee; and John F. Clark, Director, U.S. Marshals 
Service.

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DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Army Posture. 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.
  The Subcommittee also met in executive session to hold a hearing on 
Army Acquisition. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of the Army: Dean G. Popps, Acting Secretary, 
Acquisition; LTG Ross Thompson, II, USA, Military Deputy to the 
Assistant Secretary, Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services, and 
General Government held a hearing on The Judiciary. Testimony was heard 
from Julia Gibbons, Chair, Budget Committee of the Judiciary 
Conference; and James C. Duff, Director, Administrative Office of the 
U.S. Courts.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Investing in Science and Technology. Testimony was heard 
from Jay M. Cohen, Under Secretary, Science and Technology, Department 
of Homeland Security, and public witnesses.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Native American. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on Status of 
the World Trade Center 9/11 Health Monitoring and Treatment Program. 
Testimony was heard from John Howard, M.D., Director, National 
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Health and 
Human Services; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on Office of Compliance, Congressional Budget Office, Open 
World Leadership Center and on Capitol Visitor Center. Testimony was 
heard from Tamara Chrisler, Executive Director, Office of Compliance; 
Peter Orszag, Director, CBO; Ambassador John O'Keefe, Executive 
Director, Open World Leadership Center.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Capitol Visitors Center. 
Testimony was heard from Stephen Ayers, Acting Architect of the 
Capitol; Bernard Ungar, CVC Project Executive; Terrie Rouse, CEO, 
Visitors Services; and Terrell Dorn, Director, Physical Infrastructure 
Issues, GAO.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS' AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Pacific 
Command. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: ADM Timothy Keating, USN, Commander, U.S., 
Pacific Command; and GEN B. B. Bell, USAF, Commander, Republic of 
Korea-United States Combined Forces Command and Commander, United 
States Forces Korea.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request 
for International Affairs. Testimony was heard from Condoleezza Rice, 
Secretary of State.
PACIFIC COMMAND/U.S. FORCES; KOREAN BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 
National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the U.S. Pacific 
Command and U.S. Forces Korea. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: ADM Timothy J. Keating, USN, 
Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; and GEN Burwell B. Bell, III, USAF, 
Commander, United Nations Command, Commander, Republic of Korea-U.S. 
Combined Forces Command, Commander, U.S. Forces Korea.
MILITARY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM OUTLOOK
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on the Future of the Military Healthcare System. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: S. 
Ward Cassells, M.D., Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; Gail R. 
Wilensky, Co-Chairman, Future of Military Health Care Task Force, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; and a public 
witness.

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ENERGY'S NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAM BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Budget 
Request for the Department of Energy National Security Programs. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Energy: GEN Robert Smolen, USAF, (Ret.), Deputy Administrator, Defense 
Programs; Will Tobey, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear 
Nonprolification; and Glenn Podonsky, Director, Office of Health, 
Safety, and Security, all with the National Nuclear Security 
Administration; and James Rispoli, Assistant Secretary, Environmental 
Management.
COMBUSTIBLE DUST EXPLOSION AND FIRE PREVENTION ACT OF 2008
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on H.R. 5522, 
Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act of 2008. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Barrow and Kingston; Edwin Foulke, 
Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 
Department of Labor; Bill Wright. Interim Chair, U.S. Chemical Safety 
and Hazard Investigation Board; and public witnesses.
NATURAL GAS PIPELINES SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``The Pipeline Inspection, Protection, 
Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006: Implementation Review and 
Discussion of Safety Reassessment Intervals for Natural Gas 
Pipelines.'' Testimony was heard from Carl T. Johnson, Administrator, 
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of 
Transportation; and public witnesses.
FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Regulatory Failure: Must 
America Live with Unsafe Food?'' Testimony was heard from Stephen F. 
Sundlof, D.V.M., Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied 
Nutrition, FDA, Department of Health and Human Services; Richard A. 
Raymond, M.D., Under Secretary, Food Safety, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
MUNICIPAL BOND TURMOIL
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Municipal 
Bond Turmoil: Impact on Cities, Towns, and States.'' Testimony was 
heard from Erik R. Sirri, Director, Division of Trading and Markets, 
SEC; Eric R. Dinallo, Superintendent of Insurance, Department of 
Insurance, New York; Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General, Connecticut; 
Bill Lockyer, Treasurer, California; Robin L. Wiessmann, Treasurer, 
Pennsylvania; Tate Reeves, Treasurer, Mississippi; and public 
witnesses.
BALKANS AND NATO ENLARGEMENT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on the Balkans after the 
Independence of Kosova and on the Eve of NATO Enlargement. Testimony 
was heard from Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European 
and Eurasian Affairs, Department of State.
ISRAEL's DISENGAGEMENT FROM GAZA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on 853 Days: From Gaza Disengagement to De Facto 
Power? Testimony was heard from C. David Welch, Assistant Secretary, 
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State.
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled ``Partnerships in 
Securing Critical Infrastructure.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION
Committee on House Administration, Subcommittee on Elections held an 
oversight hearing on the Election Assistance Commission. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Election Assistance 
Commission: Curtis Crider, Inspector General; Rosemary Rodriguez, 
Chairwoman; Caroline Hunter, Vice Chair; Gracia Hillman and Donetta 
Davidson, both Commissioners.
IMMIGRATION MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security, and International Law approved for full 
Committee action the following bills: H.R. 5571, To extend for 5 years 
the program relating to waiver of the foreign country residence 
requirement with respect to international medical graduates; H.R. 5569, 
To extend for 5 years the EB-5 regional center pilot program; H.R. 
5570, amended, Religious Worker Visa Extension Act of 2008; and H.R. 
5060, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow athletes 
admitted as nonimmigrants described in section 101(a)(15)(P) of such 
Act to renew their period of authorized admission in 5-year increments.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 2016, amended, National

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Landscape Conservation System Act; H.R. 4933, Captive Wildlife Safety 
Technical Amendments Act of 2008; H.R. 2342, amended, National 
Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation Act of 2007; H.R. 1187, 
amended, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine 
Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act; H.R. 3352, 
amended, Hydrographic Services Improvement Act Amendments of 2007; H.R. 
3891, To amend the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment 
Act to increase the number of Directors on the Board of Directors of 
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; H.R. 2515, amended, Lower 
Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Act; H.R. 2675, 
amended, HALE Scouts Act; and H.R. 3651, amended, Utah National Guard 
Readiness Act.
OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing on Priorities and Accountability at ONDCP. 
Testimony was heard from John P. Walters, Director, Office of National 
Drug Control Policy; and public witnesses.
HOUSE AMENDMENT TO THE SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 3773--FISA AMENDMENTS 
ACT of 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule providing for 
consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill H.R. 3773, the ``FISA 
Amendments Act of 2008.'' The rule provides that it is in order for the 
chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary to make a motion that the 
House concur in the Senate amendment to H.R. 3773 with the amendment 
printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the rule.
  The rule waives all points of order against the motion except those 
arising under clause 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the Senate 
amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. It further 
provides that the motion shall be debatable for one hour, with 40 
minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary and 20 minutes 
equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Finally, the 
rule provides that, notwithstanding the operation of the previous 
question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the motion to 
a time designated by the Speaker. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Conyers and Chairman Reyes and Representatives Smith of Texas and 
Hoekstra.
TECHNOLOGY COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION
Committee on Science and Technology: Held a hearing on Competitiveness 
and Innovation on the Committee's 50th Anniversary. Testimony was heard 
from William H. Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation.
VETERANS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Urban and Rural 
Entrepreneurship held a hearing on the Oversight of the Entrepreneurial 
Development Programs Implemented by the Small Business Administration 
and National Veterans Business Development Corporation. Testimony was 
heard from Anoop Prakash, Associate Administrator, Office of 
Entrepreneurial Development, SBA; and public witnesses.
INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on Intelligence Operations. Testimony was 
heard from departmental witnesses.
NUCLEAR POWER IN WARMING W0RLD
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Nuclear Power in a Warming World: Solution or 
Illusion?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.