[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D498-D500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
BIOLOGICAL COUNTERMEASURES AND THREATS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Biological Countermeasures and Threats. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Darrell Galloway, 
Director, Joint Science and Technology Office, Defense Threat Reduction 
Agency; MG Stephen Reeves, USA. Joint Program Executive Officer for 
Chemical and Biological Defense; Tony Tether, Director, Defense 
Advanced Research Projects Agency; and Michael Kilpatrick, M.D., Deputy 
Director, Force Health Protection and Readiness Program, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; and Robin Robinson, Director, 
Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary, Preparedness and Response, Department of Health 
and Human Services.
SOCIAL SCIENCE'S NATIONAL SECURITY ROLE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities, and the Subcommittee on Research and Science 
Education of the Committee on Science held a joint hearing on the role 
of the social and behavioral sciences in national security. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
COL Martin Schweitzer, USA, Commander, 4th Brigade, 82nd Airborne 
Division, Fort Bragg; and Andre van Tilborg, Deputy Under Secretary 
(Science and Technology); Mark Weiss, Director, Division of Behavioral 
and Cognitive Sciences, Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic 
Sciences, NSF and a public witness.
CHILD ABUSE; TEEN RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS DECEPTION
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Child Abuse and 
Deceptive Marketing by Residential Programs for Teens. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the GAO: Kay Brown, Director, 
Workforce and Income Security; and Greg Kutz, Managing Director, 
Forensic Audits and Special Investigations; and public witnesses.
FDA GLOBALIZATION ACT/FOOD--COSMETIC PROGRAMS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act, food provisions. 
Testimony was heard from Stephen Sundlof, D.V.M., Director, Center for 
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
ECONOMIC/HOUSING RESCUE MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Began markup of the following bills: 
H.R. 5830, FHA Housing Stabilization and Homeownership Retention Act of 
2008; H.R. 5829, Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act of 
2008.
Will continue April 30.

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EXECUTIVE BRANCH WAR POWERS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing on War Powers 
for the 21st Century: The Executive Branch Perspective. Testimony was 
heard from Richard F. Grimmett, Specialist in International Security, 
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, CRS, Library of Congress; 
and the following former officials of the Department of State: Brian 
Atwood, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; and 
Stephen G. Rademaker, U.S. Assistant Secretary, Arms Control.
U.S. SYRIA POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on U.S. Policy and the Road to Damascus: Who's 
Converting Whom? Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
U.S. EXPORT PROMOTION STRATEGY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade held a hearing on U.S. Export Promotion 
Strategy. Testimony was heard from Israel Hernandez, Assistant 
Secretary, Trade Promotion, Department of Commerce; and public 
witnesses,
HOMELAND SECURITY REFORM. LOCAL NEEDS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Moving Beyond the First Five Years: Evolving the Office of 
Intelligence and Analysis to Better Serve State, Local and Tribal 
Needs.'' Testimony was heard from Matthew Bettenhausen, Executive 
Director, Office of Homeland Security, State of California; Juliette 
Kayyem, Under Secretary, Homeland Security, Executive Office of Public 
Safety and Security, State of Massachusetts; and public witnesses.
AIRLINE INDUSTRY COMPETITION
Committee on the Judiciary: Task Force on Competition Policy and 
Antitrust Laws held a hearing on Competition in the Airline Industry. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 5593, 
Congressional Review Act Improvement Act; and H.R. 4004, amended, To 
amend the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act to 
exempt from the means test in bankruptcy cases, for a limited period, 
qualifying reserve-component members who, after September 11, 2001, are 
called to active duty or to perform a homeland defense activity for not 
less than 60 days.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and 
Oceans held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 3639, Southern Sea 
Otter Recovery and Research Act; and H. R. 5350, To authorize the 
Secretary of Commerce to sell or exchange certain National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration property located in Norfolk, Virginia, and 
for other purposes. Testimony was heard from Representative Scott of 
Virginia; Kenneth McDermond, Deputy Regional Director, California and 
Nevada Regional Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of 
the Interior; William F. Broglie, Chief Administrative Officer, NOAA, 
Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 859, 
Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Act; H.R. 3227, To direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes in 
the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, 
and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area; H.R. 3667, Missisquoi and 
Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2007; H.R. 3930, Lesser 
Prairie Chicken National Habitat Preservation Area Act of 2007, and for 
other purposes; H.R. 3981, Preserve America and Save America's 
Treasures Act; and H.R. 5540, Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails 
Network Continuing Authorization Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Hastings of Washington, Miller of North Carolina, 
Turner and Salazar; Mitch Butler, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish and 
Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, John L. Nau, III, 
Chairman, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; and public 
witnesses.
D.C. DISTRICT ATTORNEY ESTABLISHMENT ACT OF 2007
Committee on Overisght and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia held a hearing 
on H.R. 1296, District of Columbia District Attorney Establishment Act. 
Testimony was heard from Eugene Boyd, Analyst, Federalism and Economic 
Development Policy, Government and Finance Division, CRS, Library of 
Congress; and a public witness.
ELIMINATING SMOKE AND MIRRORS IN THE MAIL
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service, and

[[Page D500]]

the District of Columbia also held a hearing entitled ``Eliminating 
Smoke and Mirrors in the Mail.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the U.S. Postal Service: John E. Potter, Postmaster 
General and CEO; and Mary Anne Gibbons, General Counsel; Dan Blair, 
Chairman, Postal Rate Commission; Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General, 
State of Connecticut; and public witnesses.
NASA'S INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Science and Technology, Subcommittee on Space and 
Aeronautics held a hearing on NASA's International Space Station 
Program: Status and Issues. Testimony was heard from William 
Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator, Space Operations Mission 
Directorate, NASA; Cristina T. Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and 
Sourcing Management, GAO; Edward P. Knipling, Administrator, 
Agricultural Research Service, USDA, and public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY'S AVIATION SECURITY RESEARCH
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on Aviation Security Research and Development 
at the Department of Homeland Security. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Susan 
Hallowell, Director, Transportation Security Laboratory; and Adam Tsao, 
Chief of Staff, Office of Operational Process and Technology, 
Transportation Security Administration; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESSES' ECONOMIC STIMULATION
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``The Role of 
Small Businesses in Stimulating the Economy.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses
HIGHWAY FREIGHT MOVEMENT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing on Freight Movement from Origin to 
Destination. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
VETERANS DISABILITY BENEFITS CLAIMS MODERNIZATION ACT
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial 
Affairs approved for full action the Veterans Disability Benefits 
Claims Modernization Act of 2008.
BRIEFING--SPECIAL PROGRAM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Special Program. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.
FY 2009 BUDGET--SPECIAL PROGRAM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 Budget--Special Program. Testimony 
was heard from departmental witnesses.
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE AND RECORD GAS PRICES
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Pumping up Prices: The Strategic Petroleum Reserve 
and Record Gas Prices.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
WOMEN: MIGRATION
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine women, migration and development in the 
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) region, 
focusing on the impact of migration on family and society, the special 
concerns of migrant women of color, and the economic contributions of 
women migrants to their home countries through remittances, after 
receiving testimony from Manuel Orozco, Inter-American Dialogue, and 
Susan Martin, Georgetown University Institute for the Study of 
International Migration, both of Washington, D.C.