[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 11, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D728-D730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved 
for full Committee action the Homeland Security Appropriations for 
Fiscal Year 2009.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL 
YEAR 2009
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies, approved for full Committee action the Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies the Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2009.
EDUCATION BEGINS AT HOME ACT
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on H.R. 2343, 
Education Begins at Home Act. Testimony was heard from Laura A. Ditka, 
Deputy District Attorney and Chief of Child Abuse Unit, Allegheny 
County, Pennsylvania; and public witnesses.
GREEN ACT OF 2008
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on H.R. 6078, GREEN Act 
of 2008. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development: Michael Freedberg, 
Director, Division of Affordable Housing Technology Research, Co-Chair, 
HUD Energy Task Force; and Patrick J. Lawler, Chief Economist and 
Associate Director, Office of Policy Analysis and Research, Office of 
Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight; and public witnesses.
REPORT--THE DECLINE IN AMERICA'S REPUTATION: WHY?
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight approved a Subcommittee 
Report on The Decline in America's Reputation: Why?
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing and Review of the Subcommittee 
Report: The Decline in America's Reputation: Why? Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
CHINA IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere held a 
hearing on the New Challenge: China in the Western Hemisphere. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; IMPROVING PUBLIC ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS ACT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment approved for full 
Committee action, as amended, the following bills: H.R. 3815, Homeland 
Security Open Source Information Enhancement Act of 2007; H.R. 4806, 
Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2007; H.R. 6048, Personnel 
Reimbursement for Intelligence Cooperation and Enhance of Homeland 
Security Act, and H.R. 6193, Improving Public Access to Documents Act.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 6193, Improving Public 
Access to Documents Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
DHS AND THE NEXT MAJOR CATASTROPHE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Management, 
Investigations, and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``Ready to Lead? 
DHS and the Next Major Catastrophe.'' Testimony was heard from Wayne 
Parent, Deputy Director, Office of Operations Coordination, Department 
of Homeland Security; William O. Jenkins, Jr., Director, Homeland 
Security and Justice Issues, GAO; James M. Walker, Jr., Director, 
Department of Homeland Security, State of Alabama; and a public 
witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, the following 
bills: H.R. 4044, National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Act of 2008; 
H.R. 2352, School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007; H.R. 1783, Elder 
Justice Act; H.R. 5352, Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2008; and H.R. 5057, 
Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2008.
PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and 
Intellectual Property held a hearing on H.R. 4789, Performance Rights 
Act. Testimony was heard from Nancy Sinatra, and other public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 3981, amended, Preserve America and Save America's Treasures Act; 
H.R. 4199, amended, To amend the Dayton Aviation Heritage Preservation 
Act of 1992 to add sites to the Dayton Aviation Heritage National 
Historical Park; H.R. 2964, amended, Captive Primate Safety Act; H.R. 
5741, amended, Shark Conservation Act of 2008; H.R. 1423, amended, 
Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center Lease Act; H.R. 3702, Montana 
Cemetery Act of 2007; H.R. 5710, Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System 
Authorization Act; and H.R. 5511, Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel 
Remediation Act of 2008.
CENSUS 2010
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Subcommittee on 
Information Policy, Census, and National Archives held a joint hearing 
on 2010 Census: Assessing the Census Bureau's Progress. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Bureau of the Census, 
Department of Commerce: Steven H. Murdock, Director; and Arnold A. 
Jackson, Associate Director, Decennial Census; the following officials 
of the GAO: David A. Powner, Director, Information Technology 
Management Issues; and Mathew J. Scire, Director, Strategic Issues; and 
public witnesses.
SECOND GENERATION BIOFUELS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Rural and Urban 
Entrepreneurship held a hearing on Second Generation Biofuels: The New 
Frontier for Small Businesses. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITY STAFFING
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Air Traffic Control Facility Staffing. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Transportation: Hank Krakowski, Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic 
Organization, FAA; and Calvin L. Scovel, III, Inspector General; Gerald 
Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
REBUILDING VESSELS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Rebuilding Vessels 
Under the Jones Act. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security: RADM James 
Watson, IV, USCG, Director, Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, 
Security and Stewardship; and Patricia J. Williams, Director, National 
Vessel Documentation Center; and public witnesses.
VETERANS MATTERS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported, as amended, 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.

[[Page D730]]


  The Committee also held a hearing on Implementing the Wounded Warrior 
Provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2008. Testimony was heard from Michael L. Dominguez, Principal Deputy 
Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense; ADM 
Patrick W. Dunne, USN, Acting Under Secretary, Benefits and Assistant 
Secretary, Policy and Planning, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
public witnesses.
BRIEFING--MEXICAN BORDER VIOLENCE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Mexican Border Violence. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.
FUTURE OF OIL
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``The Future of Oil.'' Testimony was heard from Guy F. 
Caruso, Administrator, Energy Information Administrator, Department of 
Energy; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.