Wednesday, January 30, 2008 [[Page D64]] Daily Digest Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S459-S503 Measures Introduced: Ten bills and two resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 2572-2581, and S. Res. 437-438. Page S492 Measures Passed: Printing Authority: Senate agreed to S. Res. 438, authorizing the printing with illustrations of a document entitled ``Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, 1867-2008''. Page S502 Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations: Robert J. Callahan, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Nicaragua. Heather M. Hodges, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador. Barbara J. Stephenson, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Panama. William Edward Todd, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam. Elisebeth C. Cook, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General. Page S503 Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the following nominations: Andrew J. McKenna, Jr., of Illinois, to be a Member of the National Security Education Board for a term of four years, which was sent to the Senate on January 9, 2007. Dennis W. Carlton, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, which was sent to the Senate on August 2, 2007. Page S503 Messages from the House: Page S491 Measures Placed on the Calendar: Pages S463-64, S491 Enrolled Bills Presented: Page S491 Executive Communications: Pages S491-92 Additional Cosponsors: Pages S492-93 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Pages S493-S502 Additional Statements: Pages S489-91 Amendments Submitted: Page S502 Authorities for Committees to Meet: Page S502 Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:34 p.m., until 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 31, 2008. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on pages S502-03.) Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the economic stimulus options, focusing on budget policy for a strong economy over the short- and long-term future, after receiving testimony from Alan S. Blinder, Princeton University Department of Economics Center for Economic Policy Studies, Princeton, New Jersey; Mark Zandi, Moody's Economy.com, Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania; and Daniel Mitchell, Cato Institute, Washington, D.C. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably reported the following: S. 86, to designate segments of Fossil Creek, a tributary to the Verde River in the State of Arizona, as wild and scenic rivers, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 127, to amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, with an amendment; S. 128, to amend the Cache La Poudre River Corridor Act to designate a new management entity, make certain technical and conforming amendments, enhance private property protections, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 189, to decrease the matching funds requirements and authorize additional appropriations for Keweenaw National Historical Park in the State of Michigan; S. 327, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement; [[Page D65]] S. 1039, to extend the authorization for the Coastal Heritage Trail in the State of New Jersey, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1143, to designate the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and the surrounding Federal land in the State of Florida as an Outstanding Natural Area and as a unit of the National Landscape System, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1247, to amend the Weir Farm National Historic Site Establishment Act of 1990 to limit the development of any property acquired by the Secretary of the Interior for the development of visitor and administrative facilities for the Weir Farm National Historic Site, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1304, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Arizona National Scenic Trail, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1329, to extend the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, to provide improved visitor services at the park, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1341, to provide for the exchange of certain Bureau of Land Management land in Pima County, Arizona, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1365, to amend the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with any of the management partners of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1377, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the City of Henderson, Nevada, certain Federal land located in the City; S. 1433, to amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to provide competitive status to certain Federal employees in the State of Alaska, with an amendment; S. 1476, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study of the Tule Lake Segregation Center in Modoc County, California, to determine suitability and feasibility of establishing a unit of the National Park System, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1522, to amend the Bonneville Power Administration portions of the Fisheries Restoration and Irrigation Mitigation Act of 2000 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008 through 2014, with amendments; S. 1634, to implement further the Act approving the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America; S. 1740, to amend the Act of February 22, 1889, and the Act of July 2, 1862, to provide for the management of public land trust funds in the State of North Dakota; S. 1802, to adjust the boundaries of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in the State of Idaho, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1921, to amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to extend the authorization for that Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1939, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in the Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico, with amendments; S. 1940, to reauthorize the Rio Puerco Watershed Management Program, with an amendment; S. 1941, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Wolf House, located in Norfolk, Arkansas, as a unit of the National Park System, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 1961, to expand the boundaries of the Little River Canyon National Preserve in the State of Alabama, with an amendment; S. 1969, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating Estate Grange and other sites related to Alexander Hamilton's life on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands as a unit of the National Park System, with amendments; S. 1991, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of extending the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to include additional sites associated with the preparation and return phases of the expedition, with amendments; S. 2034, to amend the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 to designate the Copper Salmon Wilderness and to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the North and South Forks of the Elk River in the State of Oregon as wild or scenic rivers, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 2098, to establish the Northern Plains Heritage Area in the State of North Dakota, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 2220, to amend the Outdoor Recreation Act of 1963 to authorize certain appropriations, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; H.R. 30, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water System Pressurization and Expansion Project; H.R. 299, to adjust the boundary of Lowell National Historical Park; [[Page D66]] H.R. 759, to redesignate the Ellis Island Library on the third floor of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, as the ``Bob Hope Memorial Library''; H.R. 807, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the feasibility and suitability of establishing a memorial to the Space Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texas and for its inclusion as a unit of the National Park System; H.R. 815, to provide for the conveyance of certain land in Clark County, Nevada, for use by the Nevada National Guard, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; H.R. 830, to authorize the exchange of certain interests in land in Denali National Park in the State of Alaska; H.R. 1021, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National Park System; H.R. 1025, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project to improve water supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas; H.R. 1191, to authorize the National Park Service to pay for services rendered by subcontractors under a General Services Administration Indefinite Deliver Indefinite Quantity Contract issued for work to be completed at the Grand Canyon National Park; H.R. 1239, to amend the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Act of 1998 to authorize additional funding to carry out the Act; H.R. 1462, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the implementation of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Species in the Central and Lower Platte River Basin and to modify the Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir, with amendments; H.R. 1526, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program; and H.R. 1662, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to seek limited reimbursement for site security activities. POLAR BEAR THREATS AND PROTECTIONS Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the threats and protections for the polar bear, focusing on the status of and legal protections for the polar bear, including the Endangered Species Act, and the status of listing the species under that Act, after receiving testimony from H. Dale Hall, Director, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; Margaret Williams, World Wildlife Fund, Anchorage, Alaska; Andrew E. Wetzler, Natural Resources Defense Council, Worthington, Ohio; Brendan P. Kelly, University of Alaska, Juneau; J. Scott Armstrong, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Philadelphia; and Richard Glenn, Barrow, Alaska. MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine private fee-for-service plans in the Medicare Advantage program, after receiving testimony from Mark E. Miller, Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC); Elyse Politi, New River Valley Agency on Aging, Pulaski, Virginia; Albert Fisk, Everett Clinic, Everett, Washington; David R. Fillman, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Daryl Weaver, National Rural Health Association, Yazoo City, Mississippi. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill entitled, ``The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008''. Also, committee rules of procedures for the 110th Congress were amended. NOMINATIONS Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of James K. Glassman, of Connecticut, to be Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy with the rank of Ambassador, Goli Ameri, of Oregon, to be Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, and David J. Kramer, of Massachusetts, to be Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, all of the Department of State, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. AFGHANISTAN UPDATE Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee met in closed session to receive a briefing to examine the current conditions and circumstances in Afghanistan from members of the intelligence community. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OVERSIGHT Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General, Department of Justice. [[Page D67]] WOMEN'S CONTRACTING AND LENDER OVERSIGHT Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Small Business Administration's accountability, focusing on the efficacy of women-owned small business contracting and lender oversight, after receiving testimony from Steven C. Preston, Administrator, Small Business Administration. House of Representatives Chamber Action The House was not in session today. The House is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, pursuant to the provisions of H. Con. Res. 279. Committee Meetings GLOBAL WARMING Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a hearing entitled ``Learning from a Laureate: Science, Security and Sustainability.'' Testimony was heard from Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations. COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2008 (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Senate Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel, to hold an oversight hearing to examine military recruiting, 9:30 a.m., SR- 232A. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: to hold hearings to examine strengthening our economy, focusing on foreclosure prevention and neighborhood preservation, 11 a.m., SD-538. Committee on the Budget: to hold hearings to examine the long-term outlook and sources of growth in health care spending, 10 a.m., SD- 608. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: to hold hearings to examine S. 2323, to provide for the conduct of carbon capture and storage technology research, development, and demonstration projects, and S. 2144, to require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study of feasibility relating to the construction and operation of pipelines and carbon dioxide sequestration facilities, 10 a.m., SD- 366. Committee on Environment and Public Works: to hold hearings to examine a report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, 10 a.m., SD-406. Full Committee, business meeting to consider S. 2146, to authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to accept, as part of a settlement, diesel emission reduction Supplemental Environmental Projects, 10:05 a.m., SD-406. Committee on Foreign Relations: to hold hearings to examine Afghanistan, focusing on a plan to turn the tide, 9:30 a.m., SD-419. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security, to hold hearings to examine eliminating agency payment errors, 2:30 p.m., SD-342. Committee on the Judiciary: business meeting to consider S. 1638, to adjust the salaries of Federal justices and judges, S. 352, to provide for media coverage of Federal court proceedings, S. 2450, to amend the Federal Rules of Evidence to address the waiver of the attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine, S. 2304, to amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide grants for the improved mental health treatment and services provided to offenders with mental illnesses, and the nominations of Mark R. Filip, of Illinois, to be Deputy Attorney General, Ondray T. Harris, of Virginia, to be Director, Community Relations Service, and David W. Hagy, of Texas, to be Director of the National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice, 10 a.m., SD-226. Special Committee on Aging: to hold hearings to examine elderly voters, focusing on opportunities and challenges for the 2008 election, 10:30 a.m., SH-216. House No committee meetings are scheduled. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (USPS 087ÿ09390). The Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, D.C. The public proceedings of each House of Congress, as reported by the Official Reporters thereof, are printed pursuant to directions of the Joint Committee on Printing as authorized by appropriate provisions of Title 44, United States Code, and published for each day that one or both Houses are in session, excepting very infrequent instances when two or more unusually small consecutive issues are printed one time. 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Following each session of Congress, the daily Congressional Record is revised, printed, permanently bound and sold by the Superintendent of Documents in individual parts or by sets. With the exception of copyrighted articles, there are no restrictions on the republication of material from the Congressional Record. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Record, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, Along with the entire mailing label from the last issue received. [[Page D68]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 11 a.m., Thursday, January 31 Senate Chamber Program for Thursday: Senate Majority Leader will be recognized. Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2 p.m., Wednesday, February 6 House Chamber Program for Wednesday: To be announced.