[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D553-D556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FEDERAL U.S. WORKER RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Do Federal Programs 
Ensure U.S. Workers Are Recruited First Before Employers Hire From 
Abroad? Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Labor: Leon T. Sequeira, Assistant Secretary, Policy; and 
Williams L. Carlson, Administrator, Office of Foreign Labor 
Certification, Employment and Training Administration; and public 
witnesses.
RENEWABLE FUELS STANDARD
Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and Air 
Quality held a hearing entitled ``The Renewable Fuels Standard: Issues 
Implementation, and Opportunities.'' Testimony was heard from 
Representative Herseth Sandlin; Robert J. Meyers, Principal Deputy 
Assistant Administrator, Office for Air and Radiation, EPA; and public 
witnesses.
INTERNET FREEDOM PRESERVATION ACT OF 2008
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet held a hearing on H.R. 5353, Internet Freedom 
Preservation Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health 
held a hearing on Higher Education in Africa: Making the Link between 
Intellectual Capital and Regional Development. Testimony was heard from 
Franklin Moore, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa, U.S. 
Agency for International Development, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.
GUANTANAMO BAY AND AMERICA'S IMAGE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight held a hearing on the City on 
the Hill or Prison on the Bay? The Mistakes of Guantanamo and the 
Decline of America's Image. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
BROADENING HOMELAND SECURITY STRATEGY
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``The Resilient 
Homeland--Broadening the Homeland Security Strategy.'' Testimony was 
heard from Stewart A. Baker, Assistant Secretary, Policy, Department of 
Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
RULEMAKING PROCESS/UNITARY EXECUTIVE THEORY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on Rulemaking Process and the Unitary 
Executive Theory. Testimony was heard from Susan E. Dudley, 
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB; 
Curtis W. Copeland, Specialist in American National Government, CRS, 
Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
AUTHORIZING SUBPOENA
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, 
and Civil Liberties approved a resolution authorizing the Chairman of 
the Committee to issue a subpoena to David Addington to appear before a 
hearing relating to the Committee's investigation concerning Bush 
Administration attorneys and interrogation rules and practices and 
related matters.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH'S INTERROGATION WAR POWERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil 
Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing on From the Department of 
Justice to Guantanamo Bay: Administration Lawyers and Administration 
Interrogation Rules, Part I. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security began markup of the following bills: H.R. 5464, A 
Child Is Missing Alert and Recovery Center Act; H.R. 2352, School 
Safety Enhancements Act of 2007; H.R. 3480, Let Our Veterans Rest In 
Peace Act of 2007; S. 2135, Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2007; 
H.R. 5938, Former Vice President Protection Act of 2008; H.R. 5057, 
Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2008; H.R. 1783, Elder Justice Act; 
H.R. 5352, Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2008, 3 p.m., 2237 Rayburn.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Federal Prison Industries--
Examining the Effects of Section 827 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from Harley G. Lappin, 
Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice; and public 
witnesses.
SENATE AMENDMENTS--AMERICAN HOUSING RESCUE AND FORECLOSURE PREVENTION 
ACT OF 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 9-4, a rule providing 
for consideration of the Senate amendments to H.R. 3221, the American 
Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008. The rule makes 
in order a motion by the Chairman of the Committee on Financial 
Services to concur in the Senate amendment to the text with each of the 
three House amendments printed in the Rules Committee report. The rule 
waives all points of order against the motion except for clause 10 of 
rule XXI and provides that the Senate amendments and the motion shall 
be considered as read. The rule provides three hours of debate on the 
motion, with two hours equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services and 
one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule also 
provides that the Chair shall divide the question of adoption of the 
motion between the three House amendments. The rule provides that upon 
adoption of the motion, a motion that the House concur in the Senate 
amendment to the title shall be considered as adopted. Finally, the 
rule provides that the Chair may postpone further consideration as 
adopted. Finally, the rule provides that the Chair may postpone further 
consideration of the motion to a time designated by the Speaker. 
Testimony was heard by Chairman Frank of Massachusetts, Representatives 
Neal, Bachus, and Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.

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NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 9-4, a structured 
rule. The rule provides one hour of general debate on H.R. 5818, 
Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008, equally divided and controlled 
by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Financial Services. 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 in the nature of a substitute recommended 
by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the bill shall be 
considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall 
be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute except for clause 10 of rule 
XXI. The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report. The 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 a division of the 
question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of 
order against the amendments except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI 
are waived. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. The rule further provides that after a motion that the 
Committee rise has been rejected on a legislative day, the Chair may 
entertain another such motion on that day only if offered by the 
chairman of the Committee on Financial Services or the Majority Leader 
or a designee and provides that after a motion to strike out the 
enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 of rule XVIII) has 
been rejected, the Chair may not entertain another such motion during 
further consideration of the bill. Finally, 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 by Chairman Frank of Massachusetts, 
Representatives Capito, and McCotter.
WATER MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment approved for full Committee action the following bills: 
H.R. 3957, Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act; and H.R. 
2339, amended, Produced Water Utilization Act of 2007.
AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Aviation and the Environment: Emissions. 
Testimony was heard from David W. Fahey, Research Physicist, NOAA; 
Daniel K. Elwell, Assistant Administrator, Aviation Policy, Planning, 
and Environment, FAA, Department of Transportation; Gerald Dillingham, 
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO.
  The Subcommittee also held a briefing on this subject. The 
Subcommittee was briefed by Ambassador John Bruton, Head of the 
Delegation of the European Commission to the United States of America.
TRUCKING INDUSTRY--RISING FUEL COSTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing on Rising Fuel Costs in the 
Trucking Industry. Testimony was heard from Suzanne TeBeau, Chief 
Counsel, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Department of 
Transportation; and public witnesses.
VETERANS' SUICIDES
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Held a hearing on the Truth about 
Veterans' Suicides. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs: James B. Peake, M.D., Secretary; 
and Michael Shepherd, M.D., Office of Healthcare Inspections, Office of 
the Inspector General; and public witnesses.
MEDICARE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT PAYMENTS
Committee on Ways and Means:. Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Medicare's DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program. Testimony was heard from 
Kerry Weems, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Kathleen M. King, 
Director, Health Care, GAO; and public witnesses.
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY EQUIPMENT VERIFICATION SYSTEMS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on Employment Eligibility Verification Systems. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Calvert, Moore of Kansas, Giffords and 
Shuler; Richard Stana, Director of Homeland Security and Justice, GAO; 
and public witnesses.

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BRIEFING--OVERHEAD
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Overhead. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine oil and food prices relative to the link between 
energy and environmental security, focusing on the role that 
environmental technologies can play in increasing energy security while 
combating climate change by reducing demand on hydrocarbon resources, 
after receiving testimony from Richard Bradley, International Energy 
Agency, Paris, France; Jonathan Pershing, World Resources Institute, 
and Jetta Wong, Environmental and Energy Study Institute, both of 
Washington, D.C.; Justin M. Lee, Nexsun Energy, Inc., Los Angeles, 
California; and Alex Marker, SCHOTT North America, Duryea, 
Pennsylvania.