Congress

Today in Congress: March 22, 2007

Reuters

« Previous Day: March 21, 2007 | Next Day: March 23, 2007 »

THE SENATE

The Senate is in Session.

Committees

Senate Foreign Relations (10:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on the nomination of Ford Fraker to be ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The nominee testifies. 419 Dirksen .

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Deconstructing Reconstruction: Problems, Challenges, and the Way Forward in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Stuart Bowen Jr., special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction; Maj. Gen. Ronald Johnson, deputy commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; David Satterfield, senior advisor to the Secretary of State and coordinator for Iraq; and Mark Ward, senior deputy assistant administrator of the Bureau of Asia and the Near East, U.S. Agency for International Development, testify. 342 Dirksen.

Senate Indian Affairs (9:45 a.m.): Holds a hearing on Indian housing. Witnesses TBA. 485 Russell.

Senate Judiciary (10 a.m.): Meets to markup S.236, the “Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act of 2007”; S.376, the “Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2007”; S.849, the ”OPEN Government Act”; and to authorize subpoenas in connection with investigation into replacement of U.S. attorneys. 226 Dirksen.

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on causes and consequences relating to mortgage market turmoil. Witnesses TBA. 538 Dirksen.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (9:30 a.m.): Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Modernization.” Deputy FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell; Charles Leader, director of the Joint Planning and Development Office; Susan Fleming, director of physical infrastructure issues at the Government Accountability Office; and Capt. Karen Lee, director of operations for UPS Airlines, testify. 253 Russell.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources (2:30 p.m.): Holds a hearing on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) report on “The Future of Coal - Options for a Carbon-Constrained World.” John Deutch, professor in the Department of Chemistry at MIT; Ernest Moniz, professor in the Department of Physics at MIT; Dave Hawkins of the National Resources Defense Council; and Bryan Hannegan of the Electric Power Research Institute, testify. 366 Dirksen.

Senate Finance (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on ”Keeping America's Promise: Health Care and Child Welfare Services for Native Americans.” Witnesses TBA. 215 Dirksen.

Senate (Select) Intelligence (2:30 p.m.): Holds a closed hearing on “Defense Department Intelligence Programs.” 219 Hart.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (2:30 a.m.): Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Safeguarding the Merit System Principles: A Review of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Office of the Special Counsel.” Neil McPhie, chairman of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board; and Scott Bloch, special counsel, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, testify. 342 Dirksen.

Senate Appropriations (2 p.m.): Meets to markup the FY2007 supplemental appropriations bill. 106 Dirksen.

Senate Appropriations (10 a.m.): Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on the FY2008 budget for military construction. Defense Undersecretary (Comptroller) Tina Jones; Deputy Defense Undersecretary for Installations and Environment Philip Grone; William Anderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics; Air National Guard Deputy Director Maj. Gen. Charles Ickes; and Deputy Chief of the Air Force Reserve Brig. Gen. Charles Ethredge, testify. 124 Dirksen.

Senate Armed Services (9:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on the U.S. Southern Command, Northern Command, and Joint Forces Command in review of the FY2008 Defense Authorization request and the Future Years Defense Program. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, commander of the U.S. Southern Command; Navy Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of the U.S. Northern Command and commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command; and Air Force Gen. Lance Smith, commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, testify. 216 Hart.

House Armed Services (2 p.m.): Holds a closed briefing on detention and judicial capacity in Iraq. Joseph Benkert, principal deputy assistant secretary for global security affairs in the Defense Department's Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Sattler, director for strategic plans and policy (J-5), The Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief the committee. S-407, U.S. Capitol.

THE HOUSE

The House is in Session.

Committees

House Energy and Commerce (10 a.m.): Telecommunication and the Internet Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Oversight of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Innovations in Interoperability.” Assistant Commerce Secretary for Communications and Information John Kneuer; George Rittenhouse, senior vice president of technology for Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs, Murray Hill, N.J.; Harlin McEwen, vice-chairman of the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council, Ithaca, N.Y.; Morgan O'Brien, chairman of Cyren Call Communications Corporation, McLean, Va.; Steve Devine, patrol frequency coordinator for Missouri State Highway Patrol Communications Division and chairman of the National Association of Regional Planning Committees; and Mark Tucker, chairman of CoCo Communications, Seattle, Wash., testify. 2322 Rayburn.

House Education and Labor (1:30 p.m.): Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Higher Education Act: Approaches to College Preparation.” Martha Cantu, director of GEAR UP, University of Texas, Pan American, Edinburg, Texas; Maria Martinez, director of the Center for Academic Programs University of Connecticut, Storrs-Mansfield, Conn.; Dane Linn, director of the Education Division of the National Governors Association; and J.B. Schramm, founder and CEO of the College Summit, testify. 2175 Rayburn.

House Armed Services (2 p.m.): Air and Land Forces Subcommittee and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee hold a joint hearing on “Defense Department Aircraft Programs.” David Ahern, director of portfolio systems acquisition in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; Michael Sullivan, director for acquisition and sourcing management at the Government Accountability Office; Army Brig. Gen. Stephen Mundt, director of army aviation; Deputy Assistant Navy Secretary William Balderson, for naval air programs; Navy Rear Adm. Bruce Clingan, director of the Air Warfare Division (OPNAV 88); Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commandant for aviation; Air Force Lt. Gen. Carrol Chandler, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans, and requirements; and Air Force Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, testify. 2118 Rayburn.

House Appropriations (2 p.m.): Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on the Army. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody, testifies. H-143, U.S. Capitol.

House Appropriations (9:30 a.m.): Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on the Minerals Management Service and the Surface Mining Office. Johnnie Burton, director of the Minerals Management Service; and Brent Wahlquist, acting director of the Office of Surface Mining, testify. B-308 Rayburn.

House Foreign Affairs (3 p.m.): Europe Subcommittee and International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight Subcommittee hold a joint hearing on “Polling Data on European Opinion of American Policies, Values and People.” John Glenn, director of foreign policy for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and Kellyanne Conway, CEO and president of The Polling Company, Inc., testify. 2172 Rayburn.

House Appropriations (10 a.m.): Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Conditions and Trends in Rural Communities.” Katherine Smith, acting administrator of the Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service, testifies. 2362-A Rayburn.

House Appropriations (2 p.m.): Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Drug Enforcement Administrator Karen Tandy; and Michael Sullivan, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testify. H-310, U.S. Capitol.

House Appropriations (9 a.m.): Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee holds a hearing on the Small Business Administration (SBA) budget. SBA Administrator Steven Preston testifies. 2220 Rayburn.

House Appropriations (10 a.m.): Legislative Branch Subcommittee holds a hearing on the budgets for the Library of Congress and the Open World Leadership Center. Librarian of Congress James Billington and Jo Ann Jenkins, chief operating officer of the Library of Congress, testify. H-144, U.S. Capitol.

House Appropriations (9:30 a.m.): Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on Federal Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Administrator Marion Blakey, testifies. 2358 Rayburn.

House Education and Labor (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “The BP-Texas City Disaster and Worker Safety,” focusing on the March 2005 BP America refinery explosion in Texas City, Texas, that killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. Frank Bowman, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, and member of the BP U.S. Refineries Independent Review Panel; Carolyn Merritt, chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board; Kim Nibarger, health and safety specialist for the United Steelworkers of America; and Eva Rowe, whose parents were killed in the Texas City explosion, testify. 2175 Rayburn.

House Energy and Commerce (9:30 a.m.): Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Adequacy of FDA Efforts to Assure the Safety of the Drug Supply.” (Part Two) FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach; Bruce Psaty, professor of medicine, epidemiology and health services in the Cardiovascular Health Research Unit of the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine and member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Assessment of the U.S. Drug Safety System; Curt Furber, professor of public health services in the Division of Public Health Services at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and member of the FDA Advisory Committee on Drug Safety; Marcia Crosse, director, and Martin Gahart, assistant director, of public health and military health care issues at the Government Accountability Office; and Raymond Woosley, president and CEO of The Critical Path Institute, testify. 2123 Rayburn.

House Financial Services (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on H.R.698, the “Industrial Bank Holding Company Act of 2007.” Donald Kohn, vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors; Shelia Bair, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; John Bowman, chief counsel in the Office of Thrift Supervision; Erik Sirri, director of market regulation at the Securities and Exchange Commission; Edward Leary, commissioner of the Department of Financial Institutions, State of Utah; Michael Wilson, international vice president director of the Legislative and Political Action Department at the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union; Mark Macomber, president and CEO of Litchfield Bancorp, Litchfield, Conn., representing America's Community Bankers; Jim Ghiglieri, president, Alpha Community Bank, Toluca, Ill., representing the Independent Community Bankers of America; Earl McVicker, chairman and CEO of Central Bank & Trust Co., Hutchinson, Kan., representing the American Bankers Association; John Douglas of Alston & Bird LLP, Atlanta, Ga., representing the American Financial Services Association; Marc Lackritz, co-CEO of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, testify. 2128 Rayburn.

House Foreign Affairs (2 p.m.): Africa and Global Health Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Prospects For Peace in Guinea.” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, principal deputy assistant secretary of State in the Bureau of African Affairs; Lansine Kaba, visiting professor at Brandeis University; Herschelle Challenor, consultant on African affairs and former director of Democracy and Governance in Guinea at the U.S. Agency for International Development; and Haskell Ward, senior vice president for government relations at the Global Alumina Corporation, testify. 2200 Rayburn.

House Foreign Affairs (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on ”Foreign Policy and National Security Implications of Oil Dependence.” Former CIA Director John Deutch, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, Inc.; and Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, testify. 2172 Rayburn.

House Homeland Security (10 a.m.): Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Over-classification and Pseudo-classification: The Impact on Information Sharing.” William Leonard, director of the Information Security Oversight Office of the National Archives and Records Administration; Scott Armstrong, executive director of the Information Trust; Meredith Fuchs, general counsel of the National Security Archive; Cathy Lanier, Washington, D.C. chief of Police; and Michael Downing, commander of the Los Angeles Police Department, testify. 311 Cannon.

House Judiciary (10 a.m.): Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee holds a hearing on ”Changing Tides: Exploring the Current State of Civil Rights Enforcement within the Department of Justice.” Witnesses TBA. 2141 Rayburn.

House Natural Resources (4 p.m.): Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee holds a markup of H.R.50, the ”Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2000”; H.R.465, the “Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007”; and H.R.1205, the “Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act of 2007.” 1334 Longworth.

House Oversight and Government Reform (2 p.m.): Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia Subcommittee holds a hearing on H.R.1124, to extend the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999. Witnesses TBA. 2247 Rayburn .

House Natural Resources (10 a.m.): Insular Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing on H.R.900, the “Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2007”; and H.R.1230, the “Puerto Rico Self Determination Act of 2007.” Kenneth Thomas of the Congressional Research Service; Carlos Gorrin Peralta, professor at Puerto Rico's Inter-American University School of Law; Ramon Luis Nieves, executive director of the Movimiento Autonomista Socialdemocrata; Richard Pildes of the New York University School of Law; Thomas Goldstein, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP; Manuel Mejias, chairman of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce; Enrique Baquero, president of the Puerto Rico Foundation for Democratic Action; Jose Luis Fernandez, president of the Inter American Entrepreneurs Association; Marissel Velasquez-Vicente, president of the Puerto Rico Association of Physicians and Surgeons; Jorge Pedroza, State Council president for the Vietnam Veterans of America; Luis Gonzalez Vales, official historian of Puerto Rico; Veronica Ferraiuoli, president of the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Federal Bar Association; Celina Romany, president of the Puerto Rico Bar Association; and Aida Diaz, president of the Puerto Rico Teachers Association, testify. 1324 Longworth.

House Judiciary (10 a.m.): Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee holds a hearing on ”Reforming Section 115 of the Copyright Act for the Digital Age.” Witnesses TBA. 2237 Rayburn.

House Science and Technology (10 a.m.): Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Research and Development Budget Priorities for FY2008.” Victoria Cox, air traffic organization vice president for operations planning at the FAA; John Hansman, co-chairman of the FAA's Research Engineering and Development Advisory Committee and director of the MIT International Center for Air Transportation; and Donald Wuebbles, chairman of the Workshop on the Impacts of Aviation on Climate Change and department head and professor of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois, testify. 2318 Rayburn.

House Transportation and Infrastructure (10 a.m.): Aviation Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Review of FAA Operational and Safety Programs.” Pat Forrey, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association; Tom Brantley, president of the Professional Airways Systems Specialists (AFL-CIO); Tom Waters, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3290; Capt. Terry McVenes, executive air safety chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA); Patricia Friend, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-C WA; Robert Roach Jr., general vice president of the International Association of Machinists; Gerald Dillingham, director of physical infrastructure issues at the Government Accountability Office; Steve Baker, president of the FAA Managers Association; Warren Kroeppel, general manager of LaGuardia Airport, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Steve Sliwa, CEO and president of The Insitu Group, Inc.; and James Renninger, director of the Aviation Center of Excellence, Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ), testify. 2167 Rayburn .

House Ways and Means (12:30 p.m.): Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Assistance for Elderly and Disabled Refugees.” B-318 Rayburn.

House Veterans' Affairs (2 p.m.): Economic Opportunity Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Education Benefits for National Guard and Reserve Members.” Witnesses TBA. 340 Cannon.

House Small Business (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on ”The New Hidden Tax on Small Business,” focusing on issues related to Section 511 of the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (TIPRA), which imposes a three percent tax withholding on certain government payments. Vincent Iannelli of Iannelli Construction, New York, N.Y. representing Associated General Contractors; Daryl Deel of NEI Transport Inc., Duenweg, Mo. representing the American Trucking Associations; Lamar Whitman, public policy manager for the Computing Technology Industry Association; Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the American Federation of Hospitals; and Lonnie Coleman of the Coleman Spohn Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, testify. 2360 Rayburn.

House (Select) Intelligence (1 p.m.): HOUSE (SELECT) INTELLIGENCE -- 1 p.m. -- Holds a closed hearing on counterintelligence. H-405, U.S. Capitol.

House Ways and Means (10 a.m.): Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee holds a hearing on the impact of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) on American families. Joel Campbell, individual taxpayer; Art Auerbach of Goodman and Company, LLP, Certified Public Accountants, McLean, Va.; Margaret Rauh, individual taxpayer; Jay Primack of Moriarty & Primack, P.C., Certified Public Accountants, Springfield, Mass.; Joseph Walloch, president and CEO of Walloch & Associates, Redlands, Calif., on behalf of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; David Lifson, president-elect of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, New York, N.Y.; and Michael Day Sr., president of the Baltimore County Professional Fire Fighters Association, Cockeysville, Md,, on behalf of the International Association of Fire Fighters, testify. 1100 Longworth.

House Appropriations (10 a.m.): Energy and Water Development Subcommittee holds a hearing on nuclear nonproliferation. Will Tobey, administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, testifies. 2362-B Rayburn.

House Appropriations (1 p.m.): Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing on rural development. Agriculture Undersecretary Tom Dorr testifies. 2362-A Rayburn.

House Oversight and Government Reform (10 a.m.): HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM -- 10 a.m. -- National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Iraq: IEDs and Munitions, Are They Secured?” Witnesses TBA. 2154 Rayburn.