[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 144 (Thursday, September 11, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1070-D1074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following:
  S. 390, to direct the exchange of certain land in Grand, San Juan, 
and Uintah Counties, Utah, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
   S. 1477, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the 
Jackson Gulch rehabilitation project in the State of Colorado, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1680, to provide for the inclusion of certain non-Federal land in 
the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and the Alaska Peninsula National 
Wildlife Refuge in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;

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  S. 1756, to provide supplemental ex gratia compensation to the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands for impacts of the nuclear testing 
program of the United States, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 1816, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a 
commemorative trail in connection with the Women's Rights National 
Historical Park to link properties that are historically and 
thematically associated with the struggle for women's suffrage, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2093, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a 
segment of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in the State of Vermont for 
study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2156, to authorize and facilitate the improvement of water 
management by the Bureau of Reclamation, to require the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary of Energy to increase the acquisition 
and analysis of water-related data to assess the long-term availability 
of water resources for irrigation, hydroelectric power, municipal, and 
environmental uses, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2255, to amend the National Trails System Act to provide for 
studies of the Chisholm Trail and Great Western Trail to determine 
whether to add the trails to the National Trails System, and for other 
purposes, with an amendment;
  S. 2354, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 4 parcels 
of land from the Bureau of Land Management to the city of Twin Falls, 
Idaho, with amendments;
  S. 2359, to establish the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration 
Commission, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2448, to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 
1977 to make certain technical corrections;
  S. 2535, to revise the boundary of the Martin Van Buren National 
Historic Site, and for other purposes, with amendments;
  S. 2561, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a theme 
study to identify sites and resources to commemorate and interpret the 
Cold War;
  S. 2779, to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 
1977 to clarify that uncertified States and Indian tribes have the 
authority to use certain payments for certain noncoal reclamation 
projects;
  S. 2805, to direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
Commissioner of Reclamation, to assess the irrigation infrastructure of 
the Rio Grande Pueblos in the State of New Mexico and provide grants 
to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, the Rio Grande Pueblos 
to repair, rehabilitate, or reconstruct existing infrastructure, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2842, to require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out annual 
inspections of canals, levees, tunnels, dikes, pumping plants, dams, 
and reservoirs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, and for other 
purposes, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2875, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants 
to designated States and tribes to carry out programs to reduce the 
risk of livestock loss due to predation by gray wolves and other 
predator species or to compensate landowners for livestock loss due to 
predation, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2943, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the 
Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, with amendments;
  S. 2974, to provide for the construction of the Arkansas Valley 
Conduit in the State of Colorado, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 3010, to reauthorize the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program;
  S. 3011, to amend the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site 
Act of 1991 to expand the boundaries of the historic site, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3017, to designate the Beaver Basin Wilderness at Pictured Rocks 
National Lakeshore in the State of Michigan, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 3045, to establish the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National 
Forest Heritage Area in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3051, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the 
suitability and feasibility of designating the site of the Battle of 
Camden in South Carolina, as a unit of the National Park System, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3065, to establish the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation 
Area and the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 3069, to designate certain land as wilderness in the State of 
California, and for other purposes, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute;
  S. 3085, to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a 
cooperative watershed management program, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;

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  S. 3088, to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as 
wilderness, and for other purposes, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute;
  S. 3089, to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as 
wilderness, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal land and 
non-Federal land, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3096, to amend the National Cave and Karst Research Institute Act 
of 1998 to authorize appropriations for the National Cave and Karst 
Research Institute;
  S. 3158, to extend the authority for the Cape Cod National Seashore 
Advisory Commission, with an amendment;
  S. 3179, to authorize the conveyance of certain public land in the 
State of New Mexico owned or leased by the Department of Energy, with 
an amendment;
  S. 3189, to amend Public Law 106-392 to require the Administrator of 
the Western Area Power Administration and the Commissioner of 
Reclamation to maintain sufficient revenues in the Upper Colorado River 
Basin Fund, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3226, to rename the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic 
Site in the State of Kentucky as the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace 
National Historical Park, with an amendment;
  H.R. 29, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct 
facilities to provide water for irrigation, municipal, domestic, 
military, and other uses from the Santa Margarita River, California, 
and for other purposes, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  H.R. 31, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study 
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Wildomar 
Service Area Recycled Water Distribution Facilities and Alberhill 
Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility Projects;
  H.R. 236, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to create a 
Bureau of Reclamation partnership with the North Bay Water Reuse 
Authority and other regional partners to achieve objectives relating to 
water supply, water quality, and environmental restoration;
  H.R. 813, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study 
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, to 
authorize the Secretary to carry out a program to assist agencies in 
projects to construct regional brine lines in California, to authorize 
the Secretary to participate in the Lower Chino Dairy Area desalination 
demonstration and reclamation project, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute;
  H.R. 816, to provide for the release of certain land from the Sunrise 
Mountain Instant Study Area in the State of Nevada and to grant a 
right-of-way across the released land for the construction and 
maintenance of a flood control project, with amendments;
  H.R. 838, to provide for the conveyance of the Bureau of Land 
Management parcels known as the White Acre and Gambel Oak properties 
and related real property to Park City, Utah, and for other purposes, 
with an amendment;
  H.R. 903, to provide for a study of options for protecting the open 
space characteristics of certain lands in and adjacent to the Arapaho 
and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  H.R. 1139, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to plan, design 
and construct facilities to provide water for irrigation, municipal, 
domestic, and other uses from the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin, Santa 
Ana River, California, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  H.R. 1737, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study 
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the design, planning, and construction of permanent 
facilities for the GREAT project to reclaim, reuse, and treat impaired 
waters in the area of Oxnard, California;
  H.R. 1803, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
feasibility study to design and construct a four reservoir intertie 
system for the purposes of improving the water storage opportunities, 
water supply reliability, and water yield of San Vicente, El Capitan, 
Murray, and Loveland Reservoirs in San Diego County, California in 
consultation and cooperation with the City of San Diego and the 
Sweetwater Authority;
  H.R. 2246, to provide for the release of any reversionary interest of 
the United States in and to certain lands in Reno, Nevada;
  H.R. 2614, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study 
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in certain water projects in California;
  H.R. 2632, to establish the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in San Miguel 
County, New Mexico, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  H.R. 3022, to designate the John Krebs Wilderness in the State of 
California, to add certain land to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National 
Park Wilderness, with an amendment;

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  H.R. 3323, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey a 
water distribution system to the Goleta Water District;
  H.R. 3473, to provide for a land exchange with the City of Bountiful, 
Utah, involving National Forest System land in the Wasatch-Cache 
National Forest and to further land ownership consolidation in that 
national forest, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  H.R. 3490, to transfer administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal 
lands from the Bureau of Land Management to the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, to take such lands into trust for Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk 
Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria, with amendments;
  H.R. 3682, to designate certain Federal lands in Riverside County, 
California, as wilderness, to designate certain river segments in 
Riverside County as a wild, scenic, or recreational river, to adjust 
the boundary of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National 
Monument, with amendments; and
  H.R. 5137, to ensure that hunting remains a purpose of the New River 
Gorge National River.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Brian H. Hook, of Iowa, to be an Assistant 
Secretary of State (International Organization Affairs), who was 
introduced by Senator Grassley, Gregori Lebedev, of Virginia, to be 
Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the 
Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during his 
tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to 
the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, and to be 
Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations 
for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador, who was 
introduced by former Senator Robb, and Matthew A. Reynolds, of 
Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Legislative 
Affairs), who was introduced by Representative Dreier, after the 
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
DIVIDEND TAX ABUSE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine dividend 
tax abuse, focusing on ways that offshore entities avoid taxes on 
United States stock dividends, after receiving testimony from Douglas 
Shulman, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the 
Treasury; Reuven S. Avi-Yonah, University of Michigan Law School, Ann 
Arbor; Joseph Manogue, Maverick Capital, Limited, Dallas, Texas; and 
Gary I. Wolf, Angelo, Gordon, and Company, Richard Potapchuk, 
Highbridge Capital Management LLC, John Derosa, Lehman Brothers Inc., 
Matt Berke, Morgan Stanley, and Andrea Leung, Deutsche Bank AG, all of 
New York, New York.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Carol Waller Pope, of 
the District of Columbia, who was introduced by Representative Norton, 
and Thomas M. Beck, of Virginia, both to be a Member of the Federal 
Labor Relations Authority, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
WATER BILLS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
S. 3128, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to provide a loan to 
the White Mountain Apache Tribe for use in planning, engineering, and 
designing a certain water system project, S. 3355, to authorize the 
Crow Tribe of Indians water rights settlement, and S. 3381, to 
authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
Commissioner of Reclamation, to develop water infrastructure in the Rio 
Grande Basin, and to approve the settlement of the water rights claims 
of the Pueblos of Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, and Taos, 
after receiving testimony from Senators Kyl and Bingaman; Kris Polly, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, and Michael Bogert, 
Chairman of the Working Group on Indian Water Settlements, both of the 
Department of the Interior; Chris D. Tweeten, Montana Office of the 
Attorney General, Helena; Ronnie Lupe, White Mountain Apache Tribe, 
Whiteriver, Arizona; John F. Sullivan, Salt River Project, Phoenix, 
Arizona; Cedric Black Eagle, Crow Nation, Crow Agency, Montana; Charles 
J. Dorame, Northern Pueblos Tributary Water Rights Association, 
Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Gilbert Suazo, Sr., Taos Pueblo, Taos, New 
Mexico.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following:
  S. 2838, to amend chapter 1 of title 9 of United States Code with 
respect to arbitration;
   S. 3136, to encourage the entry of felony warrants into the NCIC 
database by States and provide additional resources for extradition, 
with an amendment;
  S. 1276, to establish a grant program to facilitate the creation of 
methamphetamine precursor electronic logbook systems, with an 
amendment;
  S. 3197, to amend title 11, United States Code, to exempt for a 
limited period, from the application

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of the means-test presumption of abuse under chapter 7, qualifying 
members of reserve components of the Armed Forces and members of the 
National Guard who, after September 11, 2001, are called to active duty 
or to perform a homeland defense activity for not less than 90 days, 
with an amendment;
  S. 3325, to enhance remedies for violations of intellectual property 
laws, with amendments;
  S. 3296, to extend the authority of the United States Supreme Court 
Police to protect court officials off the Supreme Court Grounds and 
change the title of the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice;
  S. 2052, to allow for certiorari review of certain cases denied 
relief or review by the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed 
Forces;
  H.R. 5235, to establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission, with 
an amendment;
  S. 3166, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to impose 
criminal penalties on individuals who assist aliens who have engaged in 
genocide, torture, or extrajudicial killings to enter the United 
States; and
  The nominations of Jeffrey Leigh Sedgwick, of Massachusetts, to be an 
Assistant Attorney General, and J. Patrick Rowan, of Maryland, to be an 
Assistant Attorney General, both of the Department of Justice, and 
William B. Carr, Jr., of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the United 
States Sentencing Commission.
BUSINESS START-UP HURDLES
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine business start-up hurdles in underserved 
communities, focusing on access to venture capital and entrepreneurship 
training, after receiving testimony from Marian Sabety, Wyndstorm 
Corporation, and Robert A. Rapoza, Robert A. Rapoza Associates, both of 
Washington, D.C.; Don T. O'Bannon, Dallas/Fort Worth International 
Airport Business Diversity and Development Department, DFW Airport, 
Texas, on behalf of the Airport Minority Advisory Council; Margaret 
Henningsen, Legacy Bank, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Jon S. Wainwright, 
National Economic Research Associate, Austin, Texas; Thomas D. Boston, 
EuQuant, and Rodney K. Strong, Griffin and Strong, P.C., both of 
Atlanta, Georgia; and Donald T. Wilson, Association of Small Business 
Development Centers, Burke, Virginia.
AMERICAN LEGION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a joint hearing 
with the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to examine the legislative 
presentation of the American Legion, after receiving testimony from 
David K. Rehbein, American Legion, Washington, D.C.
MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES OUTREACH
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 1-
800-MEDICARE Information (1-800-633-4227), after receiving testimony 
from Kerry Weems, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Michealle 
Carpenter, Medicare Rights Center, Washington, D.C.; Tatiana Fassieux, 
California Health Advocates, Sacramento; John Hendrick, Coalition of 
Wisconsin Aging Groups, Madison; Mac Curtis, Vangent, Arlington, 
Virginia; and Naomi Sullivan, Chico, California.