[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D937-D938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COST OF HUNGER IN AMERICA
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, 
Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing to review the short- and long-term 
costs of hunger in America. Testimony was heard from Mark Nord, Sociologist, 
Economic Research, USDA; and public witnesses.
RURAL HEALTHCARE NEEDS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural 
Development, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing to review the state of 
health care in rural areas and the role of federal programs in addressing 
rural health care needs. Testimony was heard from Thomas Dorr, Under 
Secretary, Rural Development, USDA; Tom Morris, Acting Associate 
Administrator, Office of Rural Health Policy, Health and Resources 
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; and public 
witnesses.
IRAQ PROGRESS REPORT
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Comptroller General's 
progress report on Iraq, Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the GAO: Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States; 
and Joseph Christoff, Director, International Affairs and Trade.
DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL REVIEW
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on Don't Ask, Don't Tell Review. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
PRO(TECH)T ACT OF 2008
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 6357, 
PRO(TECH)T Act of 2008.
CHINA AND THE OLYMPICS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on China on the Eve of the 
Olympics. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
UN MANDATE FOR IRAQ OPTIONS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International Organizations, 
Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing on Possible Extension of the UN 
Mandate for Iraq: Options. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a briefing on this subject. The Subcommittee 
was briefed by Ayad Allawi, member of the Council of Representatives, 
Republic of Iraq and former Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq.
JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Department 
of Justice. Testimony was heard from Michael Mukasey, The Attorney General, 
Department of Justice.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported the following bills, H.R. 
5853, Minute Man National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act; H.R. 6177, 
amended, Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River Extension Act of 2008; H.R. 6159, 
amended, Deafy Glade Exchange Act; H.R. 1847, amended, National Trails 
System Willing Seller Act; and H.R. 5335, amended, To amend the National 
Trails System Act to provide for the inclusion of new trail segments, land 
components, and campgrounds associated with the Trail of Tears National 
Historic Trail, and for other purposes.
OVER-CLASSIFICATION REDUCTION ACT; CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION ACT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the following 
bills: H.R. 6575 Over-Classification Reduction Act; and H.R. 6576, Reducing 
Information Control Designations Act.
U.S. AFRICA COMMAND
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled ``AFRICOM: Rationales, 
Roles, and Progress on the Eve of Operations--Part 2.'' Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND RULES
Committee on Rules: Granted, by record vote of 8 to 3, a rule providing that 
it shall be in order at any time on the legislative day of Thursday, July 
24, 2008, for the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the 
rules relating to the bill (H.R. 6578) to provide for the sale of light 
grade petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and its replacement 
with heavy grade petroleum.
SECTION 803 OF MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG, IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNIZATION ACT 
OF 2003 SHALL NOT APPLY DURING REMAINDER OF 110TH CONGRESS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 9 to 3, a rule providing 
that section 803 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and 
Modernization

[[Page D938]]

Act of 2003 shall not apply during the remainder of the 110th Congress.
IMPROVING FEDERAL WATER; RESEARCH
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment 
held a hearing on A National Water Initiative: Coordinating and Improving 
Federal Research on Water. Testimony was heard from Jerry Johnson, General 
Manager, Water and Sewer Authority, District of Columbia; and public 
witnesses.
PREDATORS IN LONG-TERM CARE
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight 
held a hearing entitled ``The Impact of Predators in Long-Term Care on Small 
Business Operators.'' Testimony was heard from Kris Steele, member, House of 
Representatives, State of Oklahoma; and public witnesses.
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE DEPLOYMENT
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a hearing 
entitled ``Immediate Relief from High Oil Prices: Deploying the Strategic 
Petroleum Reserve.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
Joint Meetings
FAMILY ECONOMIC ISSUES
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
escalating household costs, static family income growth, and falling home 
prices, focusing on ways to help American families to deal with economic 
issues in a skillful and efficient manner, after receiving testimony from 
Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Jared 
Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute, and David Kreutzer, Heritage 
Foundation, both of Washington, D.C.; and Kristen Lewis, American Human 
Development Project, New York, New York.
F