Congress
Today in Congress: April 18, 2007
Reuters
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THE SENATE
In session.
Committees
Senate Finance (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Examining the Administration’s Plan for Reducing the Tax Gap: What are the Goals, Benchmarks and Timetables?” Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson; Assistant Treasury Secretary for Tax Policy Eric Solomon; and Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Mark Everson, testify. 215 Dirksen.
Senate Foreign Relations (9:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on the nominations Niels Marquardt to be ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar and the Union of Comoros; Janet Garvey to be ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon; Phillip Carter to be ambassador to the Republic of Guinea. The nominees testify. 419 Dirksen.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (10 a.m.): Meets to markup S.1082, the “Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments of 2007 as amended by the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act”; and vote on pending nominations. 628 Dirksen.
Joint Library (2:15 p.m.): Meets to organize for the 110th Congress. S-115, U.S. Capitol.
Senate Rules and Administration (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Repealing the Limitation on Party Expenditures on Behalf of Candidates in General Elections.” Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21; Thomas Mann, senior fellow for government studies at The Brookings Institute Washington; Gary Kalman, democracy advocate, U.S. Pirg; Michael Malbin, executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute; Michael Toner of Bryan Cave; and Marc Elias of Perkins Coie LLP, testify. 301 Russell.
Senate Veterans Affairs (10 a.m.): Holds a markup to vote on the nomination of Thomas Harvey to be assistant secretary for Veterans Affairs for Congressional affairs. Location TBA..
Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Sarbanes-Oxley and Small Business: Addressing Proposed Regulatory Changes and their Impact on Capital Markets.” Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox; Mark Olson, chairman of the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board; Thomas Venables, president and CEO of the Benjamin Franklin Bank, Franklin, Mass.; Richard Wasielewski, vice president and chief financial officer of Nortech Systems, Inc., Wayzata, Minn.; and Joseph Piche, CEO and founder of Eikos, Inc., Franklin, Mass., testify. 428-A Russell.
Joint Printing (2:30 p.m.): Meets to organize for the 110th Congress. S-115, U.S. Capitol.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (11 a.m.): Meets to vote on the nomination of Gregory Cade to be administrator of the Fire Administration in the Homeland Security Department. S-216, U.S. Capitol.
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (9:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on economic challenges and opportunities facing American agricultural producers, focusing on livestock, poultry and competition issues. Peter Carstensen, professor of law at the University of Wisconsin; Lynn Hayes, program director for the Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG); Mary Muth, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Program, RTI International; Tim Schmidt, hog producer; Scott Hamilton, poultry grower; Eric Nelson, cattle producer, and Region VII director of R-CALF USA; John Queen, cattle producer/livestock market operator, and president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; Joy Philippi, pork producer and immediate past president of the National Pork Producers Council; Ron Truex, egg producer and chairman of the Governmental Relations Committee, United Egg Producers; Burdell Johnson, lamb and wool producer and president of the American Sheep Industry Association; and William Roenigk and senior vice president of the National Chicken Council, testify. 106 Dirksen.
Senate Appropriations (2:30 p.m.): Energy and Water Development Subcommittee holds a hearing on the FY2008 Energy Department Budget. Thomas D’Agostino, acting administrator and deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, testifies. 138 Dirksen.
Senate Appropriations (10 a.m.): State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee holds a hearing on proposed budget estimates for FY2008 for maternal and child health, and family planning and reproductive health. Kent Hill, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development; Helene Gayle, president of the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE); Nils Daulaire, president of the Global Health Council; and Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, testify. 138 Dirksen.
Senate Armed Services (3 p.m.): Personnel Subcommittee and Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee hold a joint hearing on the readiness impact of quality of life and family support programs to assist families of Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve military personnel in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2008. Michael Dominguez, principal deputy undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness; Lynda Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for military personnel policy; John McLaurin, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for human resources; Air Force Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel; Joyce Raezer, COO of the National Military Family Association; Connie McDonald, spouse of an Army service member; Paula Sumerall, spouse of a National Guard service member; and Launa Hal, spouse of an Air Force service member, testify. 222 Russell.
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (10 a.m.): Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Is ‘Free Trade’ Working?” Leo Hindery, managing director of InterMedia Partners; Lori Wallach, director of Global Trade Watch, Public Citizen; Doug Bartlett, chairman of Bartlett Manufacturing; Christopher Wenk, senior director for international policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Edward Gresser, director of at the Trade and Global Markets Project, Democratic Leadership Council & Progressive Policy Institute, testify. 253 Russell.
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (2:30 p.m.): Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee holds a hearing on “U.S. Coast Guard Budget and Oversight.” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Than Allen testifies. 253 Russell 253 Russell.
Senate Environment and Public Works (9:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on the nomination of Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp to be chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The nominee testifies. 406 Dirksen.
THE HOUSE
In session.
Committees
House Oversight and Government Reform (10 a.m.): Meets to markup H.R.401, the “National Capital Transportation Amendments Act of 2007.” 2204 Rayburn.
House Transportation and Infrastructure (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Proposals to Downsize the Federal Protective Service and Effects on the Protection of Federal Buildings.” Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.); Michael Brown, inspector with the Federal Protective Service, Seattle, Wash.; Sterling Proctor Jr., inspector with the Federal Protective Service, National Capital Region; Stanley Nowak, corporal with the Federal Protective Service, Kansas City, Mo.; Jim Ward, officer with the Federal Protective Service, New York City, N.Y.; Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson; David Wright, president of the Federal Protective Service Union; Chuck Canterbury, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, testify. 2167 Rayburn.
House Oversight and Government Reform (2 p.m.): Information Policy, Census, and National Archives Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Ensuring Fairness and Accuracy in Elections Involving Electronic Voting Systems.” Gracia Hillman, commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission; Randolph Hite, director of information technology architecture and systems at the Government Accountability Office; Robin Carnahan, Missouri secretary of state; Avi Rubin, technical director of the Information Security Institute, Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University; John Groh, vice president at Election Systems & Software International, and chairman, Election Technology Council; Diane Golden, director of the Missouri Assistive Technology Council, representing the National Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, testify. 2154 Rayburn.
House Rules (2 p.m.): Meets to formulate a rule on H.R.1495, the “Water Resources Development Act”; and H.R.363, the “Sowing Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act.” H-313, U.S. Capitol.
House (Select) Energy Independence and Global Warming (9:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Geopolitical Implications of Rising Oil Dependence and Global Warming.” Richard Haas, president of the Council of Foreign Relations; Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; James Woolsey, former director of the CIA; and retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, testify. 1100 Longworth.
House Armed Services (9 a.m.): Holds a hearing on the “FY2008 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the U.S. Central Command.” Navy Adm. William Fallon, commander of the U.S. Central Command testifies. 2118 Rayburn.
Joint Library (2:15 p.m.): Meets to organize for the 110th Congress. S-115, U.S. Capitol.
House Veterans Affairs (10 a.m.): Meets to markup H.R.1642, the “Homeless Veterans Housing at Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center Promotion Act”; and hearing on H.R.23, the “The Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act,” to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) during World War II. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.); Ian Allison, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran and co-chairman of the Just Compensation Committee; William Jackson, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran and chief engineer of Red Oak Victory Ship; Gloria Flora Nicolich, widow and author; James Burton Young, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran, and central regional vice-president of American Merchant Marine Veterans; Gerald Starnes, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran; Frank Dooley, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran, and president of the American Merchant Marine Veterans; Stanley Willner, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran, former POW; Brian Herbert, author; Bruce Felknor, author of “Merchant Marine History 1795-1950”; Herman Rosen, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran and co-chairman of the Just Compensation Committee; Mark Gleeson, U.S. Merchant Marine combat veteran, Active American Merchant Marine Veterans Association; Brad Hayes, director of the Compensation and Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration; Tom Pamperin, deputy director for policy and procedures at the Compensation and Pension Service; and Richard Hipolit, deputy assistant VA general counsel, testify. 334 Cannon.
House Natural Resources (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on H.R.1294, the “Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2006”; and H.R.65, the “Lumbee Recognition Act.” Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), Reps. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), James Moran (D-Va.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Robin Hayes (R-N.C.); Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs Carl Artman; Chairman Goins of the Lumbee Tribe of N.C.; Arlinda Locklear, attorney for Lumbee Tribe; Kelvin Sampson of Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.; Jack Campisi, anthropologist in Red Hook, N.Y.; Mitchell Hicks, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, N.C.; Stephen Adkins of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe of Charles County, Va.; Kenneth Branham of the Monacan Indian Nation of Madison Heights, Va.; Jonathon Barton, reverend in the Virginia Council of Churches, Inc.; and Helen Rountree, anthropologist in Hampton, Va., testify. 1324 Longworth.
House Appropriations (10 a.m.): Defense Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Army Reset.” Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes, deputy chief of staff (G-8); and Lt. Gen. William Mortnesen of the Army Material Command, testify. H-140, U.S. Capitol.
House Appropriations (9:30 a.m.): Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on Native Americans. Public witnesses testify. B-308 Rayburn.
House Education and Labor (9:30 a.m.): Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Supplemental Educational Services Under the No Child Left Behind Act: How to Improve Quality and Access.” Cornelia Ashby, director of education, workforce, and income security issues at the Government Accountability Office; Ann Chafin, assistant state superintendent for student, family and school support at the Maryland State Department of Education; Monica Roberts, director of the Office of Federal and State Programs of Boston Public Schools, Boston, Mass.; Ruth Murray, director of federal grants for Newport News Public Schools, Newport News, Va.; and Dianne Piche, executive director of the Citizens’ Commission on Civil Rights, testify. 2175 Rayburn.
House Energy and Commerce (2 p.m.): Health Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Medicare Program Efficiency and Integrity.” Mark Miller, executive director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; Leslie Norwalk, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Stuart Wright, deputy inspector general for evaluation and inspections at the Health and Human Services; Danile Fridman, senior counsel to the deputy attorney general and special counsel for health care fraud at the Justice Department, testify. 2322 Rayburn.
House Foreign Affairs (10 a.m.): Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Political Situation in Lebanon.” Assistant Secretary of State David Welch; and Mark Ward, senior deputy assistant administrator of the Bureau for Asia and the Near East at the U.S. Agency for International Development, testify. 2172 Rayburn.
House Homeland Security (1 p.m.): Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Can BioShield Effectively Procure Medical Countermeasures that Safeguard the Nation?” Jim Panek, president and CEO of VaxGen Inc.; Richard Hollis, CEO of Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; James Davis, senior vice president and general counsel of Human Genome Sciences; Jeffrey Runge, acting assistant secretary for health affairs and chief medical officer for the Office of Health Affairs, Homeland Security Department; Gerry Parker, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Health and Human Services Department; Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Jesse Goodman, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration, testify. 1539 Longworth.
House Judiciary (10:15 a.m.): Full committee markup to vote on granting immunity to Monica Goodling, former Justice Department White House liaison, in order to secure her testimony about the U.S. attorneys firings matter. 2141 Rayburn.
House (Select) Intelligence (2 p.m.): Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence Subcommittee closed hearing on “All-Source Analysis.” H-405, U.S. Capitol.
House Foreign Affairs (2 p.m.): Terrorism, Noproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee holds a joint hearing with the House Financial Services Committee Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology Subcommittee on “Isolating Proliferators and Sponsors of Terror: The Use of Sanctions and the International Financial System to Change Regime Behavior.” Adam Szubin, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department; Deputy Assistant Secretary Paul Simons of the Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patricia McNerney of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation; Roger Robinson, Jr., president and CEO of the Conflict Securities Advisory Group; David Asher, senior associate fellow at The Heritage Foundation; and Victor Comras, of The Eren Law Firm, former member of United Nations al-Qaeda monitoring group; Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Daniel Glaser of the Bureau Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes; Sarah Steelman, treasurer of the State of Missouri; and Jack Blum, former special counsel for Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics, and International Operations, testify. 2172 Rayburn.
House Energy and Commerce (10 a.m.): Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Alternative Transportation Fuels: An Overview.” Brian Foody, CEO of Iogen Corporation; Donald Maley Jr., vice president of the Leucadia International Corporation; John Ward, vice president of Headwaters Incorporated; Alexander Farrell, assistant professor of energy and resources and director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California Berkeley; Scott Hughes, director of government affairs at the National Biodiesel Board; and Phil Lambert, executive director of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, testify. 2123 Rayburn.
House Appropriations (10 a.m.): Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee holds a hearing on the General Services Administration (GSA). GSA Administrator Lurita Doan testifies. 2220 Rayburn.
House Agriculture (10 a.m.): Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee holds a hearing on economic impacts of production, processing, and marketing of organic agricultural products. Caren Wilcox, executive director of the Organic Trade Association, Greenfield, Mass.; Robert Marqusee, director of the Department of Rural Economic Development, Woodbury County, Sioux City, Iowa; Bea James, Category Leadership Program manager of the National Cooperative Grocers Association, St. Paul, Minn.; Mark Lipson, Policy Program director, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, Calif.; Manuel Vieriera of A.V. Thomas Produce, Livingston, Calif.; Mary-Howell Martens of Lakeview Organic Grains, Penn Yan, N.Y.; Scott Lively, president and CEO of Dakota Beef, LLC, Howard, S.D.; Robert Pike, vice president and general manager of Braswell Foods/Glenwood Foods, Nashville, N.C.; Sandra Marquardt, president of On the Mark Public Relations, Silver Spring, Md. on behalf of La Rhea Pepper, CEO of Organic Essentials, Inc., O’Donnell, Texas; Lynn Clarkson, president of the Clarkson Grain Company, Inc., Cerro Gordo, Illinois; Rich Ghilarducci, president and CEO, Humboldt Creamery, Fortuna, Calif.; and Nicole Bernard-Dawes, president and COO of Late July Snacks, Hyannis, Mass., testify. 1300 Longworth.
Joint Printing (2:30 p.m.): Meets to organize for the 110th Congress. S-115, U.S. Capitol.
House Transportation and Infrastructure (2 p.m.): Holds a hearing on “Compliance with Requirements of the Coast Guard’s Deepwater Contract.” Michael De Kort, former Lockheed Martin Project Management Specialist for 123 Systems; Robert Braden, senior technical staff for processor and systems design at Lockheed Martin (Systems program manager for the 270’ Legacy Cutter); Scott Sampson, section chief of the development section of the U.S. Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic Vessel Specifications Branch; James Atkinson, president and senior engineer, Granite Island Group (TSCM/TEMPEST Expert); Thomas Rodgers, vice president of technical operations with Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors; Bruce Winterstine, principal project analyst for Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors; Maryanne Lavan, vice president for ethics and business conduct at Lockheed Martin; Leo Mackay, vice president and general manager of Coast Guard Systems; James Anton, executive vice president of ICGS; T.R. Hamblin, vice president of government affairs at Bollinger Shipyards; Marc Stanley, executive vice president of government affairs at Bollinger Shipyards; Debu Ghosh, naval architect and branch chief for the Coast Guard Boat Engineering Branch; Joe Michel, assistant deputy for systems implementation for the Coast Guard Nationwide Automatic Identification System Project; LCDR Chad Jacoby, program manager for scaleable composite vessel prototype program in the Science & Technology Directorate of the Homeland Security Department; Cathy Martindale, contracting office chief at the Coast Guard Engineering and Logistics Center; Rear Admiral Gary Blore, program executive officer of the Coast Guard Integrated Deepwater System; Vice Admiral Paul Sullivan, commander of the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command. 2167 Rayburn.
House Veterans Affairs (2 p.m.): Health Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Access to VA (Veterans Affairs Department) Health Care: How Easy is it for Veterans? Addressing the Gaps.” Hilda Heady, associate vice president for rural health at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center and representing the National Rural Health Association; Adrian Atizado, assistant national legislative director at Disabled American Veterans; Shannon Middleton, deputy director for health care at The American Legion; Marcia Brand, associate administrator for rural health policy at the Health Resources Services Administration, testify. 334 Cannon.
