[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 59 (Tuesday, April 15, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D437-D439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CIA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense/Select 
Intelligence Oversight Panel met in executive session to hold a hearing 
on the CIA. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
CIA: Stephen R. Kappes, Deputy Director; and Brian P. Shortley, Chief 
Financial Officer.
IRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on the IRS. Testimony was heard from 
Douglas Shulman, Commissioner, IRS, Department of the Treasury.
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on the Capitol Visitor Center. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Architect of the Capitol: Stephen Ayers, 
Acting Architect of the Capitol; Bernie Ungar, Project Executive; and 
Terrie Rouse, CEO, Visitor Service, both with Capitol Visitor Center; 
Terry Dorn, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and Phillip 
Morse, Chief, U.S. Capitol Police.
SOUTHCOM
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on SOUTHCOM. 
Testimony was heard from Adm James E. Stavridis, USN, Commander, U.S. 
Southern Command.
BUILDING PARTNERSHIP CAPACITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERAGENCY
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Building Partnership 
Capacity and Development of the Interagency. Testimony was heard from 
Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense; and Condoleeza Rice, Secretary 
of State.
OVERSIGHT--DEFENSE TRAVEL SYSTEM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on oversight of the Defense Travel 
System. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Michael L. Dominguez, Principal Deputy Under 
Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; and David Fisher, Director, 
Business Transformation Agency; McCoy Williams, Director, Financial 
Management and Assurance, GAO; and a public witness.
OVERSIGHT--FCC
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Federal 
Communications Commission--the 7 MHz Auction.'' Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the FCC: Kevin J. Martin, Chairman; 
Michael J. Copps, Jonathan S. Adelstein, Deborah Taylor Tate and Robert 
M. McDowell, all Commissioners; and public witnesses.
FINANCIAL LITERACY AND EDUCATION
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Financial 
Literacy and Education: The Effectiveness of Governmental and Private 
Sector Initiatives.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of the Treasury: Anna Escobedo Cabral, Treasurer of 
the United States;

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Cassandra McConnell, Director, Consumer and Community Affairs, Office 
of Thrift Supervision; and Barry Wides, Deputy Comptroller for 
Community Affairs, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; JoAnn 
Johnson, Chairman, National Credit Union Administration; Sandra 
Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and Community Affairs, 
Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; Robert W. 
Mooney, Deputy Director, Consumer Protection and Community Affairs, 
FDIC; Dean Martin, Treasurer, State of Arizona and public witnesses.
EMERGENCY MORTGAGE LOAN MODIFICATION ACT OF 2008
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing on H.R. 
5579, Emergency Mortgage Loan Modification Act of 2008. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
TSA OUTLOOK
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled ``Moving Beyond 
the First Five Years: How the Transportation Security Administration 
(TSA) will Continue to Enhance Security for all Modes of 
Transportation.'' Testimony was heard from Kip Hawley, Assistant 
Secretary, Transportation Security Administration, Department of 
Homeland Security; Cathleen Berrick, Director, Homeland Security and 
Justice, GAO; pubic witnesses.
MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTING
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on Military and 
Overseas Voting: Problems and Progress in Ensuring the Vote. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives McCarthy of California and Maloney of 
New York; Michael Dominguez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary, 
Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense; Beth Chapman, Secretary 
of State, Alabama; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS REFORM ACT OF 2007
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights 
and Civil Liberties held a hearing on H.R. 3189, National Security 
Letters Reform Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Justice: Glenn A. Fine, Inspector 
General; and Valerie E. Caproni, General Counsel, FBI; the following 
former officials of the Department of Justice: Bruce Fein, former 
Associate Deputy Attorney General; Michael J. Woods, former Chief, FBI 
National Security Law Unit; and David Kris, former Associate Deputy 
Attorney General; and a public witness.
OVERSIGHT--WEST-WIDE ENERGY AND MINERAL PROCESS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands and the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources 
held a joint oversight hearing on the West-wide Energy Corridor 
Process: State and Community Impacts. Testimony was heard from Luke 
Johnson, Deputy Director, Programs and Policy, Bureau of Land 
Management, Department of the Interior; Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, 
National Forest System, USDA; Joanna Prukop, Secretary of Energy and 
Minerals, State of New Mexico; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; OVERSIGHT DC WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia approved for 
full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 5718, Federal Employees 
Paid Parental Leave Act; and H.R. 3774, Senior Executive Service 
Diversity Assurance Act of 2008.
  The Subcommittee also held an oversight hearing on D.C. Water and 
Sewer Authority (DCWASA), Testimony was heard from John B. Stephenson, 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, GAO; Ben Grumbles, 
Assistant Administrator, Water, EPA; the following officials of the 
D.C. Water and Sewer Authority: Robin B. Martin, Chairman, Board of 
Directors; Jerry Johnson, General Manager, Daniel Tangherlini, City 
Administrator, District of Columbia; Timothy Firestine, Chief 
Administrator Officer, Montgomery County; Anthony H. Griffin, County 
Executive, Fairfax County, and Jacqueline F. Brown, Chief Administrator 
Officer, Prince Georges County, all Members of the Board.
NEW CONTRACTING AND PROPERTY BILLS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Organization and Procurement held a hearing on 
New Contracting and Property Bills. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of OMB: Paul Denett, Administrator, Federal 
Procurement Policy; and Danny Werfel, Acting Comptroller, Federal 
Financial Management; the following officials of the GSA: David 
Drabkin, Acting Chief Acquisition Officer and Senior Procurement 
Executive; and Stan Kaczmarczyk, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator, 
Office of Governmentwide Policy; Barry Sabin, Deputy Assistant Attorney 
General, Criminal

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Division, Department of Justice; and a public witness.
ENSURING CONTINUED ACCESS TO STUDENT LOANS ACT OF 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a vote of 8-4, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 5715, the Continued Access to 
Student Loans Act of 2008. The rule provides one hour of general debate 
equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Education and Labor. The rule waives all 
points of order against consideration of the bill except clauses 9 and 
10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the amendment printed in Part A 
of the Rules Committee report accompanying this resolution shall be 
considered as adopted and that the bill, as amended, shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against 
provisions of the bill, as amended. The rule provides that no further 
amendments to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those 
amendments printed in Part B of the Rules Committee report. The further 
amendments made in order may be offered only in the order printed in 
the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, 
shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified 
in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject 
to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. The rule waives all points of order against the 
further amendments printed in the report except for clauses 9 and 10 of 
rule XXI. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. The rule provides that, notwithstanding the operation of 
the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of 
the bill to a time designated by the Speaker. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives George Miller of California and McKeon.
ENERGY'S FUTUREGEN PROGRAM
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Department of Energy's FutureGen Program. 
Testimony was heard from C. H. Albright, Under Secretary, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION BUDGET
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Fiscal Year Budget: 
Federal Maritime Commission. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Federal Maritime Commission: A. Paul Anderson; Joseph 
E. Brennen; Harold J. Creel, Jr., and Rebecca F. Dye, all 
Commissioners.
VETERANS' HEALTH MEASURES
  Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on the following 
bills: H.R. 5730, To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
display in each prosthetic clinic of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs an Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights; H.R. 2818, 
to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the 
establishment of Epilepsy Centers of Excellence in the Veterans 
Health Administration of the Department of Veterans' Affairs; H.R. 
5554, Veterans' Substance Use Disorders Prevention and Treatment Act 
of 2008; H.R. 5622, Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act; H.R. 
5595, Make Our Veterans Smile Act of 2008; and H.R. 5729, To amend 
title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to provide comprehensive health care to children of Vietnam 
veterans born with Spinua Bifida, and for other purposes. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Filner, Michaud, Ginny Brown-Waite, 
Perlmutter, Carney, and Ellsworth; Gerald M. Cross, M.D., Principal 
Deputy Under Secretary, Health, Veterans Health Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; and representatives of veterans 
organizations.
INSTABILITY OF HEALTH COVERAGE IN AMERICA
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
the Instability of Health Coverage in America. Testimony was heard from 
former Senator Dave Durenburger of Minnesota; and public witnesses.
MIP BUDGET
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 Budget-Military Intelligence 
Program. Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.