[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 149 (Thursday, September 18, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1118-D1119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TRANSPARENCY IN ACCOUNTING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
Securities, Insurance and Investment concluded a hearing to examine 
transparency in accounting, proposed changes to accounting for off-
balance-sheet entities, after receiving testimony from Lawrence W. 
Smith, Member, Financial Accounting Standards Board; John W. White, 
Director, Division of Corporation Finance, and James L. Kroeker, Deputy 
Chief Accountant, both of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; 
Joseph R. Mason, Louisiana State University, New Orleans; Don Young, 
Young and Company LLC, Norwalk, Connecticut; Elizabeth F. Mooney, 
Capital Group Companies, San Francisco, California; and George P. 
Miller, American Securitization Forum, New York, New York.
BUS SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and 
Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine bus safety, 
including S. 2326, to improve the safety of motorcoaches, after 
receiving testimony from Senator Brown; John Hill, Administrator, 
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and David Kelly, Acting 
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, both of 
the Department of Transportation; Mark V. Rosenker, Chairman, National 
Transportation Safety Board; Peter J. Pantuso, American Bus 
Association, and Jacqueline S. Gillan, Advocates for

[[Page D1119]]

Highway and Auto Safety, both of Washington, D.C.; Stephen Forman, West 
Brook Bus Crash Families, Beaumont, Texas; and John Betts, Bryan, Ohio.
FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEAN-UP
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an 
oversight hearing to examine toxic waste clean-up efforts at federal 
facilities, focusing on investigative federal agencies' clean-up 
activities, including funding and coordination with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and states, after receiving testimony from 
Susan Parker Bodine, Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and 
Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency; Wayne Arny, Deputy 
Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment; Frank 
Marcinowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Regulatory 
Compliance, Office of Environmental Management; Shari T. Wilson, 
Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore; Bonnie Buthker, Ohio 
Environmental Protection Agency, Dayton; Elizabeth Limbrick, Interstate 
Technology Regulatory Council, Trenton, New Jersey; and Daniel Hirsch, 
Committee to Bridge the Gap, Ben Lomond, California.
NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH INDIA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation with India, 
after receiving testimony from William J. Burns, Under Secretary for 
Political Affairs, and John C. Rood, Acting Under Secretary for Arms 
Control and International Security, both of the Department of State.
HOMELAND SECURITY RISKS IN PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the 
District of Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the homeland 
security risks associated with the upcoming presidential transition, 
the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) planning for the 
transition, and what remains to be done to prepare for the transition, 
after receiving testimony from Elaine C. Duke, Under Secretary of 
Homeland Security for Management; John Rollins, Specialist in Terrorism 
and National Security, Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Division, 
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Frank J. Chellino, 
National Academy of Public Administration, Naples, Florida; and 
Patricia McGinnis, Council for Excellence in Government, Washington, 
D.C.
DECLINATION REPORTING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing 
to examine federal declinations from federal law enforcement officers 
and United States Attorneys' Offices to prosecute crimes in Indian 
country, including S. 3320, to amend the Indian Law Enforcement Reform 
Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Technical 
and Legal Assistance Act of 2000, and the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 to improve the prosecution of, and response 
to, crimes in Indian country, after receiving testimony from Drew H. 
Wrigley, United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, 
Department of Justice; William Patrick Ragsdale, Director, Office of 
Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; 
Thomas B. Heffelfinger, former United States Attorney for the District 
of Minnesota, Best and Flanagan, LLP, Minneapolis, Minnesota; M. Brent 
Leonhard, Confederated Tribes for the Umatilla Indian Reservation, 
Pendleton, Oregon; Janelle F. Doughty, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, 
Ignacio, Colorado; and Thomas W. Weissmuller, Mashantucket Pequot 
Tribal Nation, Mashantucket, Connecticut.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 
Res. 540, recognizing the historical significance of the sloop-of-war 
USS Constellation as a reminder of the participation of the United 
States in the transatlantic slave trade and of the efforts of the 
United States to end the slave trade.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.