[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1054-D1056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WEAKENED ECONOMY; HOW TO RESPOND?
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on a Weakened Economy: How to 
Respond? Testimony was heard from Lawrence Summers, former Secretary of 
the Treasury; and public witnesses.
CHALLENGES FACING BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION SCHOOLS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, 
Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing on Challenges Facing 
Bureau of Indian Education Schools in Improving Student

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Achievement. Testimony was heard from Cornelia Ashby, Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, GAO; Anne Campbell 
Dudro, Chief of Staff, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, 
Department of Education; Stanley R. Holder, Chief, Division of 
Performance and Accountability, Bureau of Indian Education, Department 
of the Interior; and public witnesses.
NIH REFORM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``NIH Reform Act of 2006: Progress, Challenges and Next 
Steps.'' Testimony was heard from Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director, 
NIH, Department of Health and Human Services.
U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS--POST GEORGIA CRISIS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on U.S.-Russia Relations 
in the Aftermath of the Georgia Crisis. Testimony was heard from Daniel 
Fried, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.
CLEANING UP TERRORIST WATCHLISTS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled ``Ensuring 
America's Security: Cleaning Up the Nation's Watchlists.'' Testimony 
was heard from Kip Hawley, Assistant Secretary, Transportation Security 
Administration, Department of Homeland Security; Richard S. Kopel, 
Principal Deputy Director, Terrorist Screening Center; Cathleen 
Berrick, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
COMPETITION IN THE PACKAGE DELIVERY INDUSTRY
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on Competition in the 
Package Delivery Industry. Testimony was heard from Senators Brown and 
Voinovich; Representatives Sutton, Turner and Kaptur; the following 
officials of the State of Ohio; David Lee Fisher, Lt. Gov., and David 
Razik, Mayor, Wilmington; Ohio; and public witnesses.
D.C. GUN LAWS--IMPACT OF PROPOSED CHANGES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing on the 
Impact of Proposed Legislation on the District of Columbia's Gun Laws. 
Testimony was heard from Kevin C. Hay, Deputy Chief, U.S. Park Police, 
National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Cathy Lanier, Chief, 
D.C. Metropolitan Police Department; Phillip D. Morse, Sr., Chief, U.S. 
Capitol Police; and Robert Campbell, former U.S. Secret Service Agent, 
Director of Security, Washington Nationals Park.
MISSISQUOI AND TROUT RIVERS WILD AND SCENIC RIVER STUDY ACT OF 2008
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 3667, the ``Missisquoi and Trout 
Rivers Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2008.'' The rule provides 1 
hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources.
  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 
Natural Resources now printed in the bill pursuant to Part II of House 
Report 110-668 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 that 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 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 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 from 
Representatives Grijalva and Bishop of Utah.
  The rule tables House Resolution 1399.
NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE ACT OF 2008
Committee on Rules: On September 8, the Committee heard testimony from 
Chairman Miller of California and Representatives Sarbanes, Welch of 
Vermont and Bishop of Utah, but action was deferred on H.R. 3036, No 
Child Left Inside Act of 2008.
VETERANS' AFFAIRS LEGIONELLA SAMPLES DESTRUCTION
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Investigation and 
Oversight held a hearing on Biobanking: How the Lack of a Coherent 
Policy Allowed the Veterans Administration To Destroy an

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Irreplaceable Collection of Legionella Samples. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Health and Human 
Services: Jim Vaught, Deputy Director, Office of Biorepositories and 
Biospecimen Research, National Cancer Institute; and Janet K. A. 
Nicholson, Senior Advisor, Laboratory Science, Coordinating Center for 
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the 
following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Michel 
Moreland, Director, Veterans Integrated Services Network 4; Mona 
Melhem, Associate Chief of Staff and Vice President, Clinical Support 
Service Line Pittsburgh Healthcare System; Ali Sonel, Associate Chief 
of Staff (Research); Steven Graham, Director, Geriatric Research, 
Education and Clinical Centers; and Cheryl Wanzie, Chief Technologist, 
all with the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
TAKING RESPONSIBLE ACTION FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY ACT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing on H.R. 
6707, Taking Responsible Action for Community Safety Act. Testimony was 
heard from the following Representatives: Visclosky, Manzullo, Biggert, 
Bean, Roskam and Foster; the following officials of the Surface 
Transportation Board, Department of Transportation: Charles D. 
Nottingham, Chairman; Francis P. Mulvey, Vice Chairman; and W. Douglas 
Buttrey, Board Member; the following officials of the State of 
Illinois: Elaine Nekritz, State Representative; and Tom Weisner, Mayor, 
Aurora; and public witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the following bills: H.R. 3051, Heroes at Home Act of 2007; H.R. 
6153, Veterans' Medical Personnel Recruitment and Retention Act of 
2008; and H.R. 6629, Veterans Health Equity Act of 2008. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Salazar and Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas; 
Gerald M. Cross, M.D., Principal Deputy Under Secretary, Health, 
Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
representatives of veterans organizations.
INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS AND AL-QAEDA
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on Intelligence Operations and Al-Qaeda. Testimony was 
heard from departmental witnesses.