Thursday, March 6, 2008 [[Page D240]] Daily Digest HIGHLIGHTS Senate passed S. 2663, Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S1661-S1718 Measures Introduced: Eight bills and two resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 2723-2730, S. Res. 475, and S. Con. Res. 69. Page S1703 Measures Passed: Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act: By 79 yeas and 13 nays (Vote No. 41), Senate passed H.R. 4040, to establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission, after striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof, the text of S. 2663, Senate companion measure, as amended. Pages S1669-97 Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act: Senate continued consideration of S. 2663, to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide greater protection for children's products, to improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products, to improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto: Pages S1669-97 Adopted: Pryor (for Feinstein) Amendment No. 4104, to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution in commerce of certain children's products and child care articles that contain specified phthalates. Pages S1669, S1693 Pryor (for Klobuchar) Amendment No. 4088, to authorize the Commission by rule to exempt lead crystal from the ban on lead in children's products if the Commission determines that the lead content is not absorbable and does not have an adverse impact on public safety. Pages S1693-94 Pryor (for Dodd) Modified Amendment No. 4092, to encourage and ensure the use of safe equestrian helmets. Pages S1693-94 Pryor (for McCaskill) Amendment No. 4101, to revise the section on Inspector General reports. Pages S1693-94 Pryor (for Boxer) Amendment No. 4112, to clarify the requirement to include cautionary statements on advertisements. Pages S1693-94 Pryor (for Landrieu) Amendment No. 4120, to authorize the Consumer Product Safety Commission to identify and validate alternative technologies for the facilitation of recalls of durable infant or toddler products. Pages S1693, S1694-95 Pryor (for Collins) Amendment No. 4123, to provide that Federal employees shall be limited to the remedies available under chapters 12 and 23 of title 5, United States Code, for any violation of the whistleblower provisions. Pages S1693, S1695 Pryor (for Klobuchar) Amendment No. 4128, to revise the inaccessible component rule for children's products. Pages S1693, S1695 Pryor (for Nelson (FL)/Klobuchar) Modified Amendment No. 4130, to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate consumer product safety rules with respect to durable infant or toddler products and to improve provisions related to registration of such products. Pages S1682-93, S1695 Pryor (for Obama/Cardin) Amendment No. 4113, to clarify and expand requirements with respect to information in recall notices. Pages S1693, S1695 Pryor (for Obama) Amendment No. 4114, to require the Comptroller General of the United States conduct a study and report on the effectiveness of authorities relating to the safety of imported consumer products. Pages S1693, S1695-96 Pryor (for Durbin/Hatch) Amendment No. 4141, to modify the automatic residential garage door operators standards requirements. Pages S1693, S1696 Pryor (for Inouye) Amendment No. 4136, of a perfecting nature. Pages S1693, S1696 Pryor (for Inouye) Amendment No. 4137, to modify the scope of products to which section 15(b) applies. Pages S1693, S1696 [[Page D241]] Pryor (for Inouye) Amendment No. 4138, to revise the section requiring a study of preventable injuries and deaths of minority children related to certain consumer products. Pages S1693, S1696 Pryor (for Snowe) Amendment No. 4143, to ensure that the Commission appropriately addresses impacts on small businesses of the revised civil penalties provisions. Pages S1693, S1696 Pryor (for Kyl) Modified Amendment No. 4116, to provide that attorney-client privileged information shall retain the same protections that would apply in private civil litigation if private counsel is retained to pursue an enforcement action authorized under this Act. Pages S1693, S1696 Pryor (for Kyl) Modified Amendment No. 4118, to require a court to review the reasonableness of fees paid to private counsel retained in an enforcement action that is authorized under this Act. Pages S1693, S1696 Pryor Amendment No. 4090, of a technical nature. Pages S1669, S1693 Cardin Amendment No. 4103, to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to develop training standards for product safety inspectors. Pages S1669, S1693 Dorgan Amendment No. 4098, to ban the importation of toys made by companies that have a persistent pattern of violating consumer product safety standards. Pages S1669, S1693 Pryor (for Casey) Modified Amendment No. 4109, to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to study the use of formaldehyde in the manufacturing of textiles and apparel articles and to prescribe consumer product safety standards with respect to such articles. Pages S1669, S1693 Pryor (for Cornyn) Modified Amendment No. 4108, to provide appropriate procedures for individual actions by whistleblowers, to provide for the appropriate assessment of costs and expenses in whistleblower cases. Pages S1669, S1693, S1696 Rejected: Vitter Amendment No. 4097, to allow the prevailing party in certain civil actions related to consumer product safety rules to recover attorney fees. (By 56 yeas and 39 nays (Vote No. 40), Senate tabled the amendment). Pages S1669-71 Withdrawn: Dorgan Amendment No. 4122, to strike the provision allowing the Commission to certify a proprietary laboratory for third party testing. Page S1669 DeMint Amendment No. 4124, to strike section 31, relating to garage door opener standards. Page S1669 Brown/Casey Amendment No. 4132, to authorize the temporary refusal of admission into the customs territory of the United States of consumer products manufactured by companies that have violated consumer product safety rules. Pages S1679-82 During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action: The motion to invoke cloture on the bill was withdrawn. Page S1694 Subsequently, S. 2663 was returned to the Senate calendar. Page S1694 Iowa State University of Science and Technology: Senate agreed to S. Res. 475, congratulating Iowa State University of Science and Technology on its 150 years of leadership and service to the United States and the world as Iowa's land-grant university. Pages S1716-17 Nomination Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination: Hector E. Morales, of Texas, to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador. Page S1718 Messages from the House: Page S1702 Measures Referred: Page S1702 Measures Placed on the Calendar: Pages S1661-62, S1702-03 Measures Read the First Time: Pages S1703, S1717-18 Executive Reports of Committees: Page S1703 Additional Cosponsors: Pages S1703-05 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Pages S1705-12 Additional Statements: Pages S1701-02 Amendments Submitted: Pages S1712-16 Authorities for Committees to Meet: Page S1716 Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--41) Pages S1671, S1697 Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 6:00 p.m., until 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 7, 2008. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S1718.) Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of [[Page D242]] Commerce, after receiving testimony from Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce. APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Transportation, after receiving testimony from Mary E. Peters, Secretary, and Phyllis F. Scheinberg, Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs, and Chief Financial Officer, both of the Department of Transportation. DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 for the U.S. Southern and Northern Command, and the future years defense program, after receiving testimony from General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., USAF, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, and Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN, Commander, United States Southern Command, both of the Department of Defense. GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ENTERPRISES REGULATION REFORM Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine reforming the regulation of government sponsored enterprises, after receiving testimony from William B. Shear, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government Accountability Office; Vincent E. Malta, National Association of Realtors, and Nancy O. Andrews, Low Income Investment Fund, both of San Francisco, California; Kieran P. Quinn, Mortgage Bankers Association, Atlanta, Georgia; and Gerald M. Howard, National Association of Home Builders, McLean, Virginia. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported an original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2009 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2008 and for fiscal years 2010 through 2013. U.S. COAST GUARD BUDGET Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded a hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the U.S. Coast Guard and conduct oversight, after receiving testimony from Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security; and Stephen L. Caldwell, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office. ADMINISTRATION'S 2008 TRADE AGENDA Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Administration's 2008 trade agenda, focusing on Trade Adjustment Assistance, pending free trade agreements, and the Doha Development Round of multilateral trade negotiations, after receiving testimony from Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, United States Trade Representative. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of Douglas H. Shulman, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Also, Committee reported the following subcommittee assignments for the 110th Congress. Subcommittee on Health Care: Senators Rockefeller (Chairman), Kerry, Bingaman, Lincoln, Wyden, Stabenow, Cantwell, Salazar, Hatch, Grassley, Snowe, Kyl, Roberts, Bunning, and Ensign; Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, And Long-Term Growth: Senators Conrad (Chairman), Baucus, Wyden, Cantwell, Schumer, Stabenow, Salazar, Kyl, Roberts, Sununu, Snowe, Crapo, and Hatch; Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, And Infrastructure: Senators Bingaman (Chairman), Conrad, Kerry, Lincoln, Wyden, Cantwell, Salazar, Bunning, Smith, Hatch, Crapo, Ensign, and Sununu; Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, And Family Policy: Senators Kerry (Chairman), Rockefeller, Conrad, Schumer, Ensign, Kyl, and Sununu; and Subcommittee on International Trade And Global Competitiveness: Senators Lincoln (Chairman), Baucus, Rockefeller, Bingaman, Stabenow, Schumer, Smith, Crapo, Snowe, Roberts, and Bunning. (The chairman and ranking minority member are ex officio members of all subcommittees.) CURRENT UNEMPLOYMENT Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a hearing to examine unemployment in the economy, focusing on ways to secure families and build opportunities, after receiving testimony from M. Patricia Smith, New York Department of Labor, Albany; former Senator William E. Brock, III, Annapolis, Maryland; Alan B. Krueger, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; and Ronica Jackson, Boston, Massachusetts. INDIAN COUNTRY FACILITIES Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the state of facilities in Indian [[Page D243]] country, focusing on jails, schools, and health facilities, after receiving testimony from Randy Grinnell, Deputy Director for Management Operations, and Gary Hartz, Director, Office of Environmental Health and Engineering, both of the Indian Health Services, Department of Health and Human Services; Jack Rever, Director, Facilities, Environmental, Safety and Cultural Resources, and Pat Ragsdale, Director, Office of Law Enforcement Services, both of the Department of the Interior; Domingo Herraiz, Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Department of Justice; Valerie Davidson and Rick Boyce, both of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage; Wendsler Nosie, San Carlos Apache Tribe, San Carlos, Arizona; and Monty Roessel, Rough Rock Community School, Rough Rock, Arizona. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the following: 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, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 2449, to amend chapter 111 of title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, with amendment; S. 352, to provide for media coverage of Federal court proceedings, with amendments; and The nominations of Kevin J. O'Connor, of Connecticut, to be Associate Attorney General, and Gregory G. Katsas, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Attorney General, both of the Department of Justice, Brian Stacy Miller, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas, James Randal Hall, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia, William Joseph Hawe, to be United States Marshal for the Western District of Washington, Stanley Thomas Anderson, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee, and John A. Mendez, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California. VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a joint hearing with the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to examine a sundry of associations' outlook on veterans affairs issues and to receive their legislative presentations, after receiving testimony from Warren G. King, Sr., American Ex-Prisoners of War, Randy L. Pleva, Sr., Paralyzed Veterans of America, Lawrence Schulman, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Norman Jones, Jr., Blinded Veterans Association, John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America, Sergeant Major H. Gene Overstreet, USMC (Ret.), Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States of America, and Richard M. Dean, Air Force Sergeants Association, all of Washington, D.C. 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. House of Representatives Chamber Action Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 20 public bills, H.R. 5541- 5560; and 8 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 311; and H. Res. 1024-1030 were introduced. Pages H1416-17 Additional Cosponsors: Pages H1417-18 Report Filed: A report was filed today as follows: H.R. 1312, to expedite adjudication of employer petitions for aliens of extraordinary artistic ability, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110- 540). Page H1416 Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act: The House began consideration of H.R. 2857, to reauthorize and reform the national service laws. Further proceedings were postponed. Pages H1345-93, H1393-98 Agreed to table the appeal of the ruling of the chair on a point of order sustained against the Daniel E. Lungren motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Education and Labor with instructions to report the same back to the House forthwith with an amendment, by a yea-and-nay vote of 221 yeas to 191 nays with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 107. Pages H1395-98 Representative Kuhl moved to recommit the bill to the Committee on Education and Labor with instructions to report the same back to the House [[Page D244]] promptly with amendments. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. Pages H1397-98 Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and Labor now printed in the bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule. Page H1356 Accepted: McCarthy (NY) manager's amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that makes various technical changes and clarifications and includes the following key changes: makes various technical changes to Learn and Serve America (Subtitle B); clarifies matching requirements of AmeriCorps State/National (Subtitle C); strengthens Senior Corps by phasing in competition for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) by 2013 and creating incentive grants to encourage high performance among the Senior Corps programs with a priority for RSVP programs; and provides New Service Initiatives including a new national service pilot program to support individuals seeking to do service for small, eligible entities and a Silver Scholarship program for individuals 55 years of age and older who perform 600 hours of service. Expands scope to include community colleges serving predominantly minority student populations. Gives priority to areas which the President has declared to be major disaster areas; Pages H1376-81 McKeon amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that requires the Corporation to establish priorities for programs funded under the national service laws for programs that recruit veterans into service opportunities, promote community-based efforts to meet the needs of military families while a family member is deployed, and promote community-based efforts to meet the needs of military families when a member of the family returns from a deployment. The amendment also requires the Corporation to annually report to Congress on the number and percentage of national service positions eligible for the education award that are filled by veterans, and to establish annual goals for increasing those numbers and percentages; Pages H1381-82 Matsui amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that integrates two competitive funding streams and seeks to improve collaboration between state and national entities; Pages H1382-83 McDermott amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that establishes a temporary Congressional Commission on Civic Service within the Legislative Branch. The Commission would be tasked with making recommendations to Congress about how to improve opportunities for public service; Pages H1383-85 English (PA) amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that adds a section at end of bill that it is the Sense of Congress that the Corporation for National and Community Service should make the maximum effort possible to coordinate the recruiting and assignment procedures of their various programs to allow senior citizens and their grandchildren to share volunteer opportunities and/or be assigned to the same geographic areas during their period of service; Pages H1385-86 English (PA) amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that adds a section to bill that it is the Sense of Congress that the Corporation for National and Community Service should make the maximum effort possible to coordinate with the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide opportunities for young people enrolled in NACS programs to collect oral histories from senior citizens in the communities where they serve; Pages H1386-87 English (PA) amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that requires the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service to coordinate with veterans' organizations serving veterans with disabilities to provide opportunities for young people enrolled in existing NACS programs to serve as drivers in the DAV Transportation Network on a full-time, part-time, or as-needed basis; Pages H1387-88 Sutton amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that requires the Corporation for National and Community Service to consider whether an area has a mortgage foreclosure rate greater than the national average when considering applications from States and other eligible entities; Pages H1388-89 Sutton amendment (No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that requires the Corporation for National and Community Service to conduct a study to identify specific areas of need for displaced workers and how existing programs and activities carried out under the national service laws can better serve displaced workers and communities affected by plant closings and job losses. The amendment also requires the Corporation to develop and carry out a pilot program based on the findings of the study; and Pages H1389-90 Inslee amendment (No. 11 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that adds an Energy Conservation Corps, which would seek to address the nation's energy and transportation infrastructure needs while providing work and service opportunities (by a recorded vote of 252 ayes to 161 noes, Roll No. 106). Pages H1391-93, H1394-95 Rejected: Flake amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 110-539) that sought to strike the ``summer of service'' grant program and reduce the authorized [[Page D245]] amount designated for the program (by a recorded vote of 153 ayes to 260 noes, Roll No. 105). Pages H1390-91, H1394 H. Res. 1015, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was agreed to by a recorded vote of 222 ayes to 190 noes, Roll No. 104, after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 217 yeas to 193 nays with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 103. Pages H1345-49 Recess: The House recessed at 1:21 p.m. and reconvened at 1:31 p.m. Page H1393 Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, March 10th for morning hour debate and further, when the House adjourns on Wednesday, March 12th, it adjourn to meet at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 13th. Page H1408 Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes and three recorded votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H1347-48, H1348, H1394, H1394-95, H1397. There were no quorum calls. Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 5:39 p.m. Committee Meetings AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Food Safety and Inspection Service. Testimony was heard from Mark Keenum, Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA. COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies continued hearing on NASA. Testimony was heard from Michael D. Griffin, Administrator, NASA. SELECT INTELLIGENCE APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Select Intelligence Oversight Panel met in executive session to hold a hearing on National Intelligence Program Budget. Testimony was heard from Donald Kerr, Principal Deputy Director, National Intelligence, Office of the Director of National Intelligence. ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on U.S. Corps of Engineers. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of the Army: John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Civil Works; and LTG Robert Van Antwerp, Chief of Engineers. The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Department of Energy-- Environmental Management Legacy Management. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Energy: Jim Rispoli, Assistant Secretary, Environmental Management; and Michael Owen, Director, Office of Legacy Management. FINANCIAL SERVICES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a hearing on OMB. Testimony was heard from Jim Nussle, Director, OMB. HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a hearing on Border Security Programs and Operations--Challenges and Priorities. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Robert Mocny, Director, U.S.-Visitor and Immigration Status Indicator Technology; and Richard Stana, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, GAO. INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies held a hearing on National Park Service. Testimony was heard from Mary A. Bomar, Director, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on Secretary of Labor, Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Overview. Testimony was heard from Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor. LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a hearing on GPO. Testimony was heard from Robert Tapella, Public Printer, GPO. MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS' AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans' Affairs, and Related [[Page D246]] Agencies met in executive session to hold a hearing on Central Command. Testimony was heard from ADM William J. Fallon, USN, Commander, U.S. Central Command, Department of Defense. The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Department of Veterans' Affairs-Medical Care. Testimony was heard from Michael J. Kussman, Under Secretary, Health, Department of Veterans Affairs. STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2008 Emergency Supplemental Request for State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs. Testimony was heard from John D. Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State. TRANSPORTATION, HUD APPROPRIATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on FAA- Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request. Testimony was heard from Robert Sturgell, Acting Administrator, FAA, Department of Transportation. NAVY BUDGET Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of the Navy. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of the Navy: Donald C. Winter, Secretary; ADM Gary Roughead, USN, Chief of Naval Operations; and GEN James J. Conway, USMC, Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps. FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health began consideration of H.R. 1108, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. CREDIT UNION REGULATORY RELIEF Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``The Need for Credit Union Regulatory Relief and Improvements.'' Testimony was heard from JoAnn M. Johnson, Chairman, National Credit Union Administration; and public witnesses. CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM ACT Committee on Homeland Security: Ordered reported, as amended, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008. AUTOMOBILE ARBITRATION FAIRNESS ACT OF 2008 Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 5312, Automobile Arbitration Fairness Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. PRIORITIZING RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATION FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ACT OF 2007 Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, The Internet, and Intellectual Property approved full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 4279, Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 877, Adams National Historical Park Boundary Addition Act; H.R. 1423, Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center Lease Act; H.R. 1693, National Liberty Memorial Act; H.R. 2675, HALE Scouts Act; H.R. 3651, Utah National Guard Readiness Act; and H.R. 3734, Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area Act. Testimony was heard from Representative Simpson; Katherine H. Stevenson, Acting Assistant Director, Business Services, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Gregory C. Smith, Director of Lands, Forest Service, USDA; and public witnesses. FEDERAL WORKFORCE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing on Investing in the Future of the Federal Workforce: Paid Parental Leave Improves Recruitment and Retention. Testimony was heard from Daniel Beard, Chief Administrative Officer, House of Representatives; Nancy Kichak, Associate Director, Strategic Human Resources, OPM; and public witnesses. HOMELAND SECURITY R&D BUDGET Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's R&D Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2009. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Jay M. Cohen, Under Secretary, Science and Technology; Vayl Oxford, Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; and George Ryan, Director, Testing and Evaluation Standards, Science and Technology Directorate. [[Page D247]] FEDERAL SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTS Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Are New Procurement Methods Beneficial to Small Business Contractors?'' Testimony was heard from Paul Dennett, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, OMB; Jim Williams, Commissioner, Federal Acquisition Services, GSA; Deputy Commanding GEN Ron Johnson, USA, Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army; and public witnesses. SMALL/MINORITY BUSINESS FEDERAL CONTRACTS Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a hearing on Doing Business with the Government: The Record and Goals for Small, Minority, and Disadvantaged Businesses. Testimony was heard from Stephen Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capitol; Terrie Rouse, Chief Executive Officer for Visitor Services, Capital Visitor Center; Michael J. Rigas, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Small Business Utilization, GSA; Roger Mosier, Vice President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Albert Sligh, Director, Office of Management, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security; Era Marshall, Director, Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs, Smithsonian Institution; and public witnesses. BRIEFING--INTELLIGENCE BUDGET OVERVIEW Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold a briefing on Intelligence Budget Overview--DNI. The Committee was briefed by departmental witnesses. ECONOMY ADRIFT--ANSWER RENEWABLE ENERGY Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a hearing entitled ``Blowing in the Wind: Renewable Energy as the Answer to an Economy Adrift.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses. Joint Meetings FUTURE OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a joint hearing with the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia to examine investing in the future of the federal workforce, focusing on paid parental leave to improve recruitment and retention, after receiving testimony from Daniel P. Beard, Chief Administrative Officer, United States House of Representatives; Nancy H. Kichak, Associate Director for Strategic Human Resources Policy, Office of Personnel Management; Jane Waldfogel, Columbia University, New York, New York; and Sharyn Tejani, National Partnership for Women and Families, Vicky Lovell, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Colleen M. Kelley, National Treasury Employees Union, Mary Jean Burke, American Federation of Government Employees (AFL-CIO), and Amy S. Costantino, all of Washington, D.C. NEW PUBLIC LAWS (For last listing of Public Laws, see Daily Digest, p. D207) S. 2571, to make technical corrections to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Signed on March 6, 2008. (Public Law 110-193) COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2008 (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Senate No meetings/hearings scheduled. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, hearing on ``Executive Compensation II: CEO Pay and the Mortgage Crisis,'' 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn. Joint Meetings Joint Economic Committee: to hold hearings to examine the current employment situation of 2008, 9:30 a.m., SD-628. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (USPS 087ÿ09390). The Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, D.C. 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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 D248]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 7 Senate Chamber Program for Friday: Senate will be in a period of morning business. Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 12:30 a.m., Monday, March 10 House Chamber Program for Monday: To be announced. _______________________________________________________________________ Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue HOUSE Bachmann, Michele, Minn., E316, E319, E324 Berry, Marion, Ark., E321 Bilirakis, Gus M., Fla., E328 Bishop, Sanford D., Jr., Ga., E327 Brady, Kevin, Tex., E319 Burgess, Michael C., Tex., E316 Christensen, Donna M., The Virgin Islands, E317 Conyers, John, Jr., Mich., E318 Davis, Danny K., Ill., E320, E328 Donnelly, Joe, Ind., E315, E322, E330 Engel, Eliot L., N.Y., E315, E323, E325, E330 Fattah, Chaka, Pa., E329 Fortenberry, Jeff, Nebr., E330 Franks, Trent, Ariz., E322 Gerlach, Jim, Pa., E328 Gutierrez, Luis V., Ill., E317 Herger, Wally, Calif., E316, E323 Johnson, Eddie Bernice, Tex., E320, E327 Jones, Stephanie Tubbs, Ohio, E320 Kanjorski, Paul E., Pa., E320, E331 Kaptur, Marcy, Ohio, E324 Keller, Ric, Fla., E327 Klein, Ron, Fla., E331 Knollenberg, Joe, Mich., E331 Kucinich, Dennis J., Ohio, E316, E323 Lampson, Nick, Tex., E318 Levin, Sander M., Mich., E326 McMorris Rodgers, Cathy, Wash., E315, E323 Maloney, Carolyn B., N.Y., E324 Miller, Gary G., Calif., E326 Miller, Jeff, Fla., E316, E323, E330 Mitchell, Harry E., Ariz., E321 Moore, Dennis, Kans., E321 Murphy, Patrick J., Pa., E326 Oberstar, James L., Minn., E325 Pallone, Frank, Jr., N.J., E330 Paul, Ron, Tex., E327 Porter, Jon C., Nev., E315, E322 Price, David E., N.C., E332 Putnam, Adam H., Fla., E317 Radanovich, George, Calif., E319 Rahall, Nick J., II, W.Va., E331 Reichert, David G., Wash., E330 Rodriguez, Ciro D., Tex., E329 Rogers, Mike, Ala., E332 Schakowsky, Janice D., Ill., E315, E323 Shimkus, John, Ill., E326 Sires, Albio, N.J., E321 Thompson, Mike, Calif., E329 Woolsey, Lynn C., Calif., E324, E328, E332 Young, C.W. Bill, Fla., E328