[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 57 (Thursday, April 10, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D413-D416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to 
examine the Federal Housing Administration's role in addressing the 
housing crisis, after receiving testimony from Brian D. Montgomery, 
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Kenneth D. Wade, 
NeighborWorks America, and David G. Kittle, Mortgage Bankers 
Association, both of Washington, D.C.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed 
budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Justice, 
after receiving testimony from Michael B. Mukasey, United States 
Attorney General, Department of Justice.
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates 
for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of the Army, Army Corps of 
Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of the Interior, 
after receiving testimony from John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant 
Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Lieutenant General Robert 
Van Antwerp, Chief of Engineers, United States Army

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Corps of Engineers, both of the Department of Defense; and Kameran 
Onley, Assistant Deputy Secretary, and Robert W. Johnson, Commissioner, 
United States Bureau of Reclamation, both of the Department of the 
Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine 
proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, after receiving testimony from James B. Peake, 
Secretary, Michael J. Kussman, Under Secretary for Health, Veterans 
Health Administration, Patrick W. Dunne, Acting Under Secretary for 
Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration, William F. Tuerk, Under 
Secretary for Memorial Affairs, National Cemetery Administration, Paul 
J. Hutter, General Counsel, Robert J. Henke, Assistant Secretary for 
Management, and Robert T. Howard, Assistant Secretary for Information 
and Technology, all of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
IRAQ
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the situation in Iraq, focusing on the progress made by the government 
of Iraq in meeting benchmarks and achieving reconciliation, the future 
United States military presence in Iraq, and the situation in 
Afghanistan, after receiving testimony from Robert M. Gates, Secretary, 
and Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USA, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 
both of the Department of Defense.
U.S. CREDIT MARKETS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine credit markets in the United States, focusing on 
proposals to mitigate foreclosures and restore liquidity to the 
mortgage markets, after receiving testimony from Lawrence H. Summers, 
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Dean Baker, Center for 
Economic and Policy Research, Ellen Harnik, Center for Responsible 
Lending, and Douglas W. Elmendorf, Brookings Institution, all of 
Washington, D.C.; and Scott Stern, Lenders One, Saint Louis, Missouri.
AVIATION SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security concluded an oversight 
hearing to examine aviation safety, focusing on recent reports and 
investigations, after receiving testimony from Nicholas A. Sabatini, 
Associate Administrator for Safety, and Hank Krakowski, Chief Operating 
Officer, both of the Federal Aviation Administration; Calvin L. Scovel 
III, Inspector General, Department of Transportation; Steven R. 
Chealander, Member, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); and 
Tom Brantley, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO, and 
Basil Barimo, Air Transport Association of America, Inc., both of 
Washington, D.C.
HAWAII'S AIR SERVICE MARKET
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine challenges facing Hawaii's air service market, 
after receiving testimony from Representative Hirono; Michael W. 
Reynolds, Acting Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Aviation and 
International Affairs; Vincent K. Snowbarger, Deputy Director for 
Operations, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; James C. May, Air 
Transport Association of America, Inc., Washington, D.C.; and Barry 
Fukunaga, Office of the Governor of Hawaii, David Banmiller, Aloha 
Airlines, and Charles Willis IV, Hawaii Island Air, Inc., all of 
Honolulu.
 NOMINATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the nomination of David R. Hill, of Missouri, to be 
an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, 
after the nominee testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
 IDENTITY THEFT
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine identity 
theft in the administration of the tax system, focusing on e-filing and 
protecting individuals against fraud, after receiving testimony from 
Douglas Shulman, Commissioner, and Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer 
Advocate, both of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and J. Russell 
George, Inspector General for Tax Administration, all of the Department 
of the Treasury; and Rebecca Spencer, Benedict's Laser Tax Service, 
Billings, Montana.
 IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine negotiating a long-term relationship with Iraq, after receiving 
testimony from David M. Satterfield, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of 
State and Coordinator for Iraq, and Joan Donoghue, Principal Deputy 
Legal Adviser, both of the Department of State; Mary Beth Long, 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; 
Michael J. Matheson, George Washington University Law School, and Ruth 
Wedgwood, Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced 
International Studies, both of Washington, D.C.; and Michael J. 
Glennon, Tufts University

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Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford, Massachusetts.
 BUSINESS MEETING
 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the following:
   H.R. 3247, to improve the provision of disaster assistance for 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
   H.R. 3179, to amend title 40, United States Code, to authorize the 
use of Federal supply schedules for the acquisition of law enforcement, 
security, and certain other related items by State and local 
governments;
   S. 2606, to reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
   S. 789, to prevent abuse of Government credit cards, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
   S. 2420, to encourage the donation of excess food to nonprofit 
organizations that provide assistance to food-insecure people in the 
United States in contracts entered into by executive agencies for the 
provision, service, or sale of food, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute;
   S. 2291, to enhance citizen access to Government information and 
services by establishing plain language as the standard style of 
Government documents issued to the public;
   H.R. 5551, to amend title 11, District of Columbia Official Code, to 
implement the increase provided under the District of Columbia 
Appropriations Act, 2008, in the amount of funds made available for the 
compensation of attorneys representing indigent defendants in the 
District of Columbia courts;
   H. Con. Res. 307, expressing the sense of Congress that Members' 
Congressional papers should be properly maintained and encouraging 
Members to take all necessary measures to manage and preserve these 
papers;
   S. Res. 497, expressing the sense of the Senate that public servants 
should be commended for their dedication and continued service to the 
Nation during Public Service Recognition Week, May 5 through 11, 2008;
   S. 2534, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 2650 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, 
Indianapolis, Indiana, as the ``Julia M. Carson Post Office Building'';
   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. 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. 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 and S. 2673, bills 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. 5400 and S. 2626, bills to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 160 East Washington Street in Chagrin 
Falls, Ohio, as the ``Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush Post Office Building'';
   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. Clifford Bell Jones, Sr. Post Office'';
   H.R. 3532, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 5815 McLeod Street in Lula, Georgia, as the 
``Private Johnathon Millican Lula Post Office'';
   H.R. 4203, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3035 Stone Mountain Street in Lithonia, Georgia, as 
the ``Specialist Jamaal RaShard Addison Post Office Building'';
   H.R. 5135 and S. 2675, bills to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 201 West Greenway Street in Derby, 
Kansas, as the ``Sergeant Jamie O. Maugans 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. 3936, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 116 Helen Highway in Cleveland, Georgia, as the 
``Sgt. Jason Harkins Post Office Building'';
   H.R. 4454, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3050 Hunsinger Lane in Louisville, Kentucky, as the 
``Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Military Heroes of Louisville Memorial 
Post Office Building'', in honor of the servicemen and women from 
Louisville, Kentucky, who died in service during Operation Enduring 
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom;
   H.R. 5220, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3800 SW. 185th Avenue in Beaverton, Oregon, as the 
``Major Arthur Chin Post Office Building'';
   H.R. 3196, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 20 Sussex Street in

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Port Jervis, New York, as the ``E. Arthur Gray Post Office Building'';
   H.R. 4166, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 701 East Copeland Drive in Lebanon, Missouri, as the 
``Steve W. Allee Carrier Annex'';
   S. 2725, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 6892 Main Street in Gloucester, Virginia, as the 
``Congresswoman Jo Ann S. Davis Post Office''; and
   The nomination of Harvey E. Johnson, Jr., of Virginia, to be Deputy 
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of 
Homeland Security.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Andrew Saul, of New 
York, Alejandro Modesto Sanchez, of Florida, who was introduced by 
Senators Nelson (FL) and Martinez, and Gordon James Whiting, of New 
York, all to be Members of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment 
Board, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own 
behalf.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine climate change, focusing on it as a 
challenge for public health, after receiving testimony from Jonathan 
Patz, University of Wisconsin--Madison Center for Sustainability and 
the Global Environment (SAGE); Kristie L. Ebi, ESS LLC, Alexandria, 
Virginia; John M. Balbus, Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, D.C.; 
and John W. McDonald, Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, Arlington, 
Virginia.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
   Committee recessed subject to the call.