[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1099-D1101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
U.S. FOREIGN STRATEGY
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Considerations for an 
American Grand Strategy. Testimony was heard from Madeleine Albright, 
former Secretary of State.
DEFEATING THE IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Defeating the Improvised Explosive and 
Other Asymmetric Threats: Today's efforts and Tomorrow's Requirements. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: LTG Thomas F. Metz, USA, Director, Joint Improvised Device 
Defeat Organization; William Beasley, Joint Rapid Acquisition, Cell, 
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and 
Logistics); Tom Matthews, Director, Warfighter Requirements and 
Evaluation, Office of the Under Secretary (Intelligence); MG Jason K. 
Kamiya, USA, Director Joint Training Directorate (J7); U.S. Joint 
Training Directorate, U.S. Joint Forces Command; and Bradley Berkson, 
Director, Programs, Analysis and Evaluation, Office of the Secretary.
BUDGET SURPLUS
Committee on the Budget: Hearing on Iraq's Budget Surplus. Testimony 
was heard from Joseph A. Christoff, Director, International Affairs and 
Trade, GAO; Christopher M. Blanchard, Analyst in Middle Eastern 
Affairs, CRS, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
CALLING CARD CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT; TRAVEL PROMOTION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection approved for full Committee the following bills: 
H.R. 3232, amended; Travel Promotion Act 2007; and H.R. 3402, Calling 
Card Consumer Protection Act.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on H.R. 3402, Calling Card 
Consumer Protection Act. Testimony was heard from William E. Kovacic, 
Chairman, FTC; and public witnesses.
DEFEATING IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Defeating the Improvised Explosive 
Device (IED) and Other Asymmetric Threats: Today's Efforts and 
Tomorrow's Requirements.
STATUS OF DTV TRANSITION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Telecommunications 
and the Internet, hearing entitled ``Status of the DTV Transition: 154 
Days and Counting,'' Testimony was heard from Kevin J. Martin, 
Chairman, FCC; Meredith Baker, Acting Assistant Secretary, 
Communications, Department of Commerce; Mark L. Goldstein, Director, 
Physical Infrastructure Issues; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Began consideration of the following 
bills: H.R. 6694, FHA Seller-Financed Downpayment Reform and Risk-Based 
Pricing Authorization Act of 2008; H.R. 6890, Payments System 
Protection Act of 2008; H.R. 3019, Expand and Preserve Home Ownership 
Through Counseling Act; H.R. 6642, National Consumer Cooperative Bank 
Act Amendments of 2008; and H.R. 6871, Expedited Funds Availability 
Dollar Limits Adjustment Act of 2008.
HUD'S PROPOSED RESPA RULE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigation held a hearing entitled: ``HUD's Proposed RESPA Rule.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D1100]]


DEFEATING AL QAEDA'S AIR FORCE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
held a hearing on Defeating al Qaeda's Air Force: Pakistan's F-16 
Program in the Fight Against Terrorism. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: VADM Jeffrey A. 
Wieringa, Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency; Mitchell 
Shivers; MG Burton M. Field, Vice Director, Strategic Plans and Policy, 
Joint Staff; the following officials of the Department of State: Donald 
Camp, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Agency, 
and Frank Ruggiero, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-
Military Affairs.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE IN THE AMERICAS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere 
held a hearing on Foreign Assistance in the Americas. Testimony was 
heard from Senator Menendez; Mark Schneider, former Director, Peace 
Corps; and public witnesses.
CYBERSECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, 
Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology held a hearing entitled 
``Cybersecurity Recommendations for the Next Administration.'' 
Testimony was heard from David Powner, Director, Information Management 
Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
INTEROPERABILITY IN THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Communications, Preparedness and Response held a hearing entitled 
``Interoperability in the Next Administration: Assessing the Derailed 
700 MHz D-block Public Safety Spectrum Auction.'' Testimony was heard 
from Chief Derek Poarch, Public Safety, Homeland Security Bureau, FCC; 
the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Chris 
Essid, Director, Office of Emergency Communications; and David Boyd, 
Director, Command, Control, and Interoperability Division; Deputy Chief 
Charles Dowd, City of New York Police Department; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--FBI
Committee on the Judiciary: Held an oversight hearing on the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
COMPENSATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law, hearing on Compensation. Testimony was heard from 
Margaret Dee McGarity, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of 
Wisconsin; and public witnesses.
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and 
Oceans, oversight hearing on the impacts that U.S. consumer demand is 
having on the illegal and unsustainable trade of wildlife products and 
ongoing and proposed efforts to increase public awareness about these 
impacts. Testimony was heard from Benito A. Perez, Chief, Law 
Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the 
Interior; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM WORKERS SAFETY
Committee on National Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest 
and Public Lands held an oversight hearing on the Pineros: Reviewing 
the Welfare of Workers on Federal Lands. Testimony was heard from Hank 
Kashton, Deputy Chief, Business Operations, Forest Service, USDA; Alex 
Passantino, Acting Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, Department of 
Labor; and public witnesses.
DOMESTIC HIV PROTECTION
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing on the 
Domestic Epidemic Is Worse Than We Thought: A Wake-Call for HIV 
Prevention. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: Julie Gerberding, M.D., 
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Anthony 
Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 
NIH; and public witnesses.
DC WORKERS JUSTICE EQUITY; LEGISLATIVE BRANCH WORKFORCE DIVERSITY
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia began 
consideration of H.R. 5600, District of Columbia Court, Offender 
Supervision, Parole, and Public Defender Employees Equity Act of 2008.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Legislative Branch Diversity 
Management Review. Testimony was heard from Carol Bates, Inspector 
General, Architect of the Capitol; Carl W. Hoecker, Capitol Police, 
Francis Garcia, Inspector General, GAO; J. Anthony Ogden, Inspector 
General, GPO; Karl W. Schornagel, Inspector General, Library of 
Congress; and public witnesses.
NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 5-3, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R.

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3036, the ``No Child Left Inside Act of 2008.'' The rule provides one 
hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor. 
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 
Education and Labor now printed in the bill 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 the 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 Rules 
Committee 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.
DHL AND UPS ARRANGEMENT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing on the 
Effects of Proposed Arrangement Between DHL and UPS on Competition, 
Customer Service, and Employment. Testimony was heard from Senator 
Brown; Representative Turner; Lee Fisher, Lt. Gov., State of Ohio and 
Director of Ohio Department of Development; David L, Raizk, Mayor, 
Wilmington, Ohio; and public witnesses.
OIL SPILL IN NEW ORLEANS--SAFETY ON THE ORLEANS RIVER SYSTEM
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Oil Spill in New 
Orleans in July 2008 and Safety on the Inland River System. Testimony 
was heard from RADM James Watson, IV, USCG, Director of Prevention 
Policy for Marine Safety Security and Stewardship, Department of 
Homeland Security; David Westerholm, Director, Office of Response and 
Restoration, NOAA, Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
VA SUICIDE HOTLINE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health hearing on VA 
Suicide Hotline. Testimony was heard from A. Katherine Power, Director, 
Center for Medical Health Services, Substances and Mental Health 
Service Administration, Department of Health and Human Services; Janet 
E. Kemp, R.N., VA National Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Department 
of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
DISABILITY BACKLOG
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security hearing on 
Clearing the Disability Backlog. Testimony was from the following 
officials of the SSA: Frank Cristaudo, Chief Administrative Law Judge; 
and Patrick O'Connell, Inspector General; and public witnesses.
BUSINESS MEETING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Technical 
and Tactical Intelligence met in executive session to discuss a 
Subcommittee report.

Joint Meetings
BELARUS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine the state of democracy and human rights in Belarus 
and ways the Belarusian authorities are complying with their 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) election 
commitments in advance of the September 28 parliamentary elections, 
after receiving testimony from David J. Kramer, Assistant Secretary of 
State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; and Stephen B. Nix, 
International Republican Institute, Laura Jewett, National Democratic 
Institute for International Affairs, and Rodger Potocki, National 
Endowment for Democracy, all of Washington, D.C.