Congress

Today in Congress: June 24, 2008

Reuters

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THE SENATE

The Senate is in session.

Committees

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (2:30 p.m.): Meets to markup: S.2907, the “International Fisheries Stewardship and Enforcement Act”; the “National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008”; the “National Sea Grant College Program Amendments Act of 2008”; nominations for promotion in the United States Coast Guard (PN 1668, PN 1669, PN 1752 and PN 1753); and promotions in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps (PN 1691). 253 Russell.

Senate Judiciary (10:30 a.m.): Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee holds a hearing on “From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity.” Actress and activist Mia Farrow; Daoud Hari, author of “The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur”; Gayle Smith, co-chairman of the ENOUGH Project; and Diane Orentlicher, professor in American University's Washington College of Law, testify. 226 Dirksen.

Senate Appropriations (11 a.m.): Labor, HHS, and Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a markup of its FY2009 appropriations bill. 138 Dirksen.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (10:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Climate Change Impacts on the Transportation Sector,” focusing on both surface transportation and aviation. Deputy Transportation Secretary Thomas Barrett; James Turner, acting director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; Thomas Peterson, senior scientist at the National Climatic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; John Porcari, chairman of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Climate Change Technical Assistance Program, Secretary of Transportation of Maryland; Edward Dickey, affiliate professor of economics at Loyola College in Maryland, on behalf of the National Research Council; David Friedman, research director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Clean Vehicles Program; Edward Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads; James May, president and CEO of the Air Transport Association; Mead Treadwell, chairman of the Arctic Research Commission, testify. 253 Russell.

Senate Finance (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on ”Oversight of Trade Functions: Customs and Other Trade Agencies.” Assistant Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Ralph Basham, commissioner of customs for DHS' Customs and Border Protection; Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Timothy Skud, for tax, trade, and tariff; International Trade Commission Vice Chairman Daniel Pearson; and Warren Maruyama, general counsel in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, testify. 215 Dirksen.

Senate Foreign Relations (2:15 p.m.): Meets to markup H.R.176, to authorize the establishment of educational exchange and development programs for member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); H.R.2553, to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide for the establishment and maintenance of existing libraries and resource centers at United States diplomatic and consular missions to provide information about American culture, society, and history; S.2120, to authorize the establishment of a Social Investment and Economic Development Fund for the Americas to provide assistance to reduce poverty, expand the middle class, and foster increased economic opportunity in the countries of the Western Hemisphere; S.2166, to provide for greater responsibility in lending and expanded cancellation of debts owed to the United States and the international financial institutions by low-income countries; S.3097, to amend the Vietnam Education Foundation Act of 2000; S.3168, to authorize United States participation in the replenishment of resources of the International Development Association; S.3169, to authorize United States participation in, and appropriations for the United States contribution to, the eleventh replenishment of the resources of the African Development Fund; and Treaty Doc.110-14, the International Convention Against Doping in Sport, adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization on October 19, 2005; and vote on the nominations of Liliana Ayalde to be ambassador to the Paraguay; John Beyrle to be ambassador to Russia; Eric Boswell to be assistant secretary of State for diplomatic security and to be director of the Office of Foreign Missions; Asif Chaudhry to be ambassador to Moldova; James Culbertson to be ambassador to the Netherlands; Rosemary Anne DiCarlo to be the alternate U.S. representative to the sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations and the alternate U.S. representative for special political affairs in the United Nations; David Girard-diCarlo to be ambassador to Austria; John Jones to be ambassador to Guyana; Tina Kaidanow to be ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo; Lyndon Olson Jr. and Lezlee Westine, each to be a member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2009; Philip Reeker to be ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia; Kristen Silverberg to be the U.S. representative to the European Union; Marie Yovanovitch to be ambassador to the Republic of Armenia; and Foreign Service Lists: Matthew Kazuaki Asada, et al., dated May 22, 2008; Dawn Liberi, dated October 23, 2007; and Russell Green, dated September 6, 2007. S-116, U.S. Capitol.

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (10:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Emergence of the Superbug: Antimicrobial Resistance in the U.S.” Fred Tenover, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Antimicrobial Resistance; Assistant Food and Drug Administration Commissioner for Science Linda Tollefson; Brandon Noble, former National Football League player and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) survivor; Jay Graham, a consultant for The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production in Baltimore; Lyle Vogel, assistant executive vice president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Schaumburg, Ill.; Patrick Brennan, president of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America in Philadelphia; and Barry Eisenstein, senior vice president of scientific affairs at Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc., testify. 430 Dirksen.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (10:30 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Ending Excessive Speculation in Commodity Markets: Legislative Options.” Walter Lukken, acting chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; James Newsome, president and CEO of NYMEX Holdings, Inc.; Michael Masters, managing member and portfolio manager for Masters Capital Management, LLC; William Quinn, chairman of the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets; James Angel, professor in Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business; and Michael Greenberger, professor at the University of Maryland's School of Law, testify. 342 Dirksen.

THE HOUSE

The House is in session and will meet at 9 a.m. for morning hour debate and 10 a.m. for legislative business.

Committees

House Oversight and Government Reform (2 p.m.): National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Oversight of Coalition Support Funds to Pakistan.” Witnesses TBA. 2154 Rayburn.

House Judiciary (1 p.m.): Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee holds a hearing on H.R.5267, the “Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2008,” to expand the federal prohibition against state taxation of interstate commerce. Witnesses TBA. 2237 Rayburn.

House Veterans Affairs (2 p.m.): Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Veterans Affairs and Defense Department Cooperation and Reintegration of National Guard and Reserves.” Witnesses TBA. 334 Cannon.

House Transportation and Infrastructure (10 a.m.): Highways and Transit Subcommittee holds a hearing on ”Connecting Communities: The Role of the Surface Transportation Network in Moving People and Freight.” Jim Lynch, director and CEO of the Montana Department of Transportation; H.B. Limehouse Jr., secretary of the South Carolina Department of Transportation; Mark Pangborn, general manager of the Lane Transit District, Eugene, Ore.; Terry Bobrowski, executive director of the East Tennessee Development District, Alcoa, Tenn.; Randy Isaacs, director of state government affairs for Greyhound Lines, Inc., Hendersonville, Tenn.; William McDonald, executive director of Medical Motor Service, Rochester, N.Y., testify. 2167 Rayburn.

House Science and Technology (1 p.m.): Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee holds a hearing on ”American Decline or Renewal? Part 2 - The Past and Future of Skilled Work.” John Russo, coordinator of the Labor Studies Program in the Warren G. Williamson School of Business Administration and co-director of the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University; Frank Morgan, attorney-at-law at White & Case LLP; Howard Rosen, executive director of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Coalition and resident visiting fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics; Jeanie Moore, vice president for continuing education programs at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College; and Thomas Palley, director of the Economics for Democratic & Open Societies Project, testify. 2318 Rayburn.

House (Select) Intelligence (1 p.m.): Holds a closed hearing on “CIA Programs.” H-405, U.S. Capitol.

House Natural Resources (10 a.m.): Water and Power Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Silent Invasion: Finding Solutions to Minimize the Impacts of Invasive Quagga Mussels on Water Rates, Water Infrastructure and the Environment.” Karl Wirkus, deputy commissioner for operations at the Bureau of Reclamation; Charles O'Neill Jr., senior extension specialist and director of the National Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse, Cornell University/NY Sea Grant, Brockport, N.Y.; Ric De Leon, water system operations manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles; Ronald Zegers, director of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Boulder City, Nev.; Jim Klark of the Southern California Marine Association, Orange, Calif.; and Denise Mayer, research scientist at the New York State Museum, Cambridge, N.Y., testify. 1324 Longworth.

House Judiciary (11:30 a.m.): Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Online Pharmacies and the Problem of Internet Drug Abuse.” Joseph Rannazzisi, deputy assistant administrator Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration; Christine Jones, general counsel for GoDaddy.com; William Winsleym, executive director of the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy; Patrick Egan, attorney at law at Fox Rothschild, LLP, Philadelphia, Pa., testify. 2141 Rayburn.

House Oversight and Government Reform (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Examination of AEY Contracts with the U.S. Government.” AEY Inc., a Miami-based defense contractor, has been under investigation for delivering faulty munitions to Afghanistan, and for being incorrectly labeled a “small disadvantaged business” by the Small Business Administration. Witnesses TBA. 2154 Rayburn.

House Energy and Commerce (9:30 a.m.): Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Future of Universal Service: To Whom, By Whom, For What, and How Much?” George Lucas, film maker and chairman of The George Lucas Educational Foundation; Rey Ramsey, CEO of One Economy; Jane Smith Patterson, executive director of The E-NC Authority; Charles Sullivan, executive director of International Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (C.U.R.E.); Jane Smith Patterson, executive director of The E-NC Authority; and Randolph May, president of The Free State Foundation, testify. 2123 Rayburn.

House Education and Labor (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Is OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Failing to Adequately Enforce Construction Safety Rules?” Witnesses TBA. 2175 Rayburn.

House Appropriations (3:30 p.m.): Intelligence Oversight Panel Subcommittee closed markup to consider recommendations for classified appropriations. H-140, U.S. Capitol.

House Administration (10 a.m.): Elections Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Ballot Design: Are States Prepared for the 2008 General Election.” Witnesses TBA. 1310 Longworth.

House Appropriations (10 a.m.): Meets to markup Subcommittee Allocations/302(b)s; the FY2009 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill; and FY2009 Homeland Security appropriations bill. 2359 Rayburn.

House Budget (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “The SAFE Commission Act (H.R.3654) and the Long-Term Fiscal Challenge,” focusing on the establishment of a Securing America's Future Economy (SAFE) Commission to develop legislation designed to address: the unsustainable imbalance between long-term federal spending commitments and projected revenues; increases in net national savings to provide for domestic investment and economic growth; the implications of foreign ownership of federally issued debt instruments; and revision of the budget process to place greater emphasis on long-term fiscal issues. Peter Peterson, chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation; former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation; Robert Greenstein, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Henry Aaron, senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution; and Alison Acosta Fraser, director of economic policy studies at The Heritage Foundation, testify. 210 Cannon.

House Energy and Commerce (10 a.m.): Health Subcommittee holds a hearing on H.R.3014, the “Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007,” to improve the health of minority individuals. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.); John Ruffin, director of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health; Garth Graham, deputy assistant secretary for minority health in the Health and Human Services Department's Office of Public Health and Science; Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; James Edwards, adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute; Mohammad Akhter, executive director of the National Medical Association; Sally Satel of the American Enterprise Institute; Janet Murguia, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR); Theodore Knatt of the Greater Baton Rouge Musculoskeletal Group; Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus; and Deeana Jang of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, testify. 2322 Rayburn.

House Financial Services (10 a.m.): Meets to markup resolution electing majority members to subcommittees; H.R.6306, to authorize United States participation in, and appropriations for the United States contributions to, the fifteenth replenishment of the resources of the International Development Association and the eleventh replenishment of the resources of the African Development Fund; H.R.6315, to authorize United States participation in, and appropriations for the United States contribution to, an international clean technology fund; H.R.3329, the “Homes for Heroes Act”; H.R.6216, the “Asset Management Improvement Act of 2008”; H.R.6309, the “Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act of 2008”; H.R.4461, the “Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2007”; H.R.1746, the “Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act”; H.R.5767, the “Payments System Protection Act”; and H.R.6308, the “Municipal Bond Fairness Act.” 2128 Rayburn.

House Natural Resources (10 a.m.): Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Planning for a Changing Climate and its Impacts on Wildlife and Oceans: State and Federal Efforts and Needs”; and H.R.4455, to authorize the secretary of the Interior to provide international wildlife management and conservation programs through the Wildlife Without Borders Program in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Witnesses TBA. 1324 Longworth.

House Rules (3 p.m.): Meets to formulate a rule on H.R.6275, the “Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008”; H.R.3195, the “ADA Restoration Act of 2007”; H.R.2176, to provide for and approve the settlement of certain land claims of the Bay Mills Indian Community; and H.R.4115, to provide for and approve the settlement of certain land claims of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. H-313, U.S. Capitol.

House Science and Technology (10 a.m.): Technology and Innovation Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Sustainable, Energy-Efficient Road Infrastructure.” Paul Brubaker, administrator of the Transportation Department's Research and Innovative Technology Administration; Randell Iwasaki, chief deputy director of the California Department of Transportation; Robert Bertini, director of the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium; Gerald Voigt, president and CEO of the American Concrete Pavement Association; and Christopher Poe, assistant agency director division head of the Texas Transportation Institute's Center on Tolling Research, testify. 2318 Rayburn.

House Transportation and Infrastructure (2 p.m.): Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on ”Comprehensive Watershed Management and Planning.” Witnesses TBA. 2167 Rayburn.

House Ways and Means (10 a.m.): Social Security Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Protecting Social Security Beneficiaries from Predatory Lending and Other Harmful Financial Institution Practices.” Witnesses TBA. B-318 Rayburn.