[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 85 (Thursday, May 22, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D659-D661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on Capitol Visitor Center. Testimony was heard from Office of 
the Architect of the Capitol: Stephen Ayers, Acting Architect; Terrie 
Rouse, CEO, Visitor Services; and Bernie Ungar, Project Executive, both 
with the Capitol Visitor Center; and Terry Dorn, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues, GAO.
U.S. MAINLAND EXOTIC DISEASE RESEARCH
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Germs, Viruses, and Secrets: 
Government Plans to Move Exotic Disease Research to the Mainland United 
States.'' Testimony was heard from Nancy R. Kingsbury, Managing 
Director, Applied Research and Methods, GAO; Bruce I. Knight, Under 
Secretary, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, USDA; Jay M. Cohen, Under 
Secretary, Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland 
Security; and public witnesses.
CONFORMING LOAN LIMIT INCREASE
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Impact on 
Homebuyers and Housing Market of Conforming Loan Limit Increase.'' 
Testimony was heard from Heather Peters. Deputy Secretary, Business 
Regulation and Housing, State of California; and public witnesses.
OIL PRICES AND HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Rising Oil Prices: 
Declining National Security? Testimony was heard from David Sandalow, 
former Assistant Secretary of State; and public witnesses.
U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS/DEMOCRACY PROMOTION
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing on City on 
the Hill or Just Another Country? The United States and the Promotion 
of Human Rights and Democracy. Testimony was heard from John Shattuck, 
former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, 
and Labor and former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic; and a 
public witness.

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BORDER SECURITY CHALLENGES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and 
Global Counterterrorism held a hearing on The Border Security 
Challenge: Recent Developments and Legislative Proposals, focusing on 
the following bills: H.R. 5662, Putting Our Resources Towards Security 
(PORTS) Act; H.R. 5552, Border Accountability Act of 2008; H.R. 4088, 
SAVE Act of 2007; and H.R. 3531, Accountability in Enforcing 
Immigration Laws Act of 2007. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Reyes, Bilbray, Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida; Giffords, and Shuler; and 
the following officials of the U. S. Customs and Border Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security: Thomas S. Winkowski, Assistant 
Commissioner, Office of Field Operations; Chief David V. Aguilar, 
Office of Border Patrol; and MG Michael C. Kostelnik, USAF (Ret.), 
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Air and Marine.
GAS PRICES AND OIL INDUSTRY COMPETITION
Committee on the Judiciary: Task Force on Competition Policy and 
Antitrust Laws held a hearing on Retail Gas Prices, Part 2, Competition 
in the Oil Industry. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS PROGRAM
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held an oversight hearing on The United States Geological 
Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program--Science, Preparation, and 
Response. Testimony was heard from David Applegate, Senior Science 
Advisor, Earthquakes, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the 
Interior; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power 
approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 5511, 
Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Remediation Act of 2008; and H.R. 5710, 
Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Authorization Act.
IRAQ FUNDING ACCOUNTABILITY LAPSES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing on 
Accountability Lapses in Multiple Funds for Iraq. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Office of the Inspector General, 
Department of Defense: Mary L. Ugone, Deputy Inspector General, 
Auditing; Patricia Marsh, Assistant Inspector General; and Daniel 
Blair, Deputy Assistant Inspector General, Defense, both with the 
Defense Financing Auditing Service Directorate.
MORTGAGE CRISIS-AFFLICTED NEIGHBORHOODS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy, and the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity of 
the Committee on Financial Services, joint hearing on Neighborhoods: 
Targeting Federal aid to neighborhoods distressed by the subprime 
mortgage crisis. Testimony was heard from Todd M. Richardson, Director, 
Program Evaluation Division, Office of Policy Development and Research, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; and public witnesses.
U.S. JOBS/TECHNOLOGY GLOBALIZATION IMPACTS
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Investigation and 
Oversight held a hearing on American Decline or Renewal?--Globalization 
Jobs and Technology. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
REAL ESTATE SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES ACT
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``RESPA and its 
Impact on Small Business.'' Testimony was heard from Ivy Jackson, 
Director, Office of Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and 
Interstate Land Sales, Department of Housing and Urban Development; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following bills: H.R. 5001, amended, Old Post Office Building 
Redevelopment Act of 2008; H.R. 6109, Pre-Disaster Mitigation Act of 
2008; and H.R. 6003, amended, Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement 
Act of 2008.
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION OUTREACH
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on Examining the Effectiveness of 
VBA Outreach Efforts. Testimony was heard from Diana Rubens, Associate 
Deputy Under Secretary, Field Operations, Veterans Benefits 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; the following officials 
of the Department of Defense: Leslye Arsht, Deputy Under Secretary, 
Military Community and Family Policy; and Kevin Crowley, Deputy 
Director, Manpower Personnel, National Guard Bureau; and 
representatives of veterans organizations

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION HUMAN RESOURCES CHALLENGES
Committee on Veterans Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
Human Resources Challenges within the Veterans Health Administration. 
Testimony was heard from Joleen Clark, Chief Officer, Workforce 
Management and Consulting, Veterans Health Administration, Department 
of Veterans Affairs; representatives of veterans organizations; and 
public witnesses.
BRIEFING--COUNTERNARCOTICS PROGRAM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to receive a briefing on Counternarcotics Program. The 
Subcommittee was briefed by departmental witnesses.
ADMINISTRATION'S ENERGY POLICY
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Bush Administration's Energy 
Policy.'' Testimony was heard from Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of 
Energy.