The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Senate Committee Meetings” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Daily Digest section on pages D1118-D1119 on Sept. 18, 2008.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
TRANSPARENCY IN ACCOUNTING
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment concluded a hearing to examine transparency in accounting, proposed changes to accounting for off-
balance-sheet entities, after receiving testimony from Lawrence W. Smith, Member, Financial Accounting Standards Board; John W. White, Director, Division of Corporation Finance, and James L. Kroeker, Deputy Chief Accountant, both of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; Joseph R. Mason, Louisiana State University, New Orleans; Don Young, Young and Company LLC, Norwalk, Connecticut; Elizabeth F. Mooney, Capital Group Companies, San Francisco, California; and George P. Miller, American Securitization Forum, New York, New York.
BUS SAFETY
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security concluded an oversight hearing to examine bus safety, including S. 2326, to improve the safety of motorcoaches, after receiving testimony from Senator Brown; John Hill, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and David Kelly, Acting Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, both of the Department of Transportation; Mark V. Rosenker, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; Peter J. Pantuso, American Bus Association, and Jacqueline S. Gillan, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, both of Washington, D.C.; Stephen Forman, West Brook Bus Crash Families, Beaumont, Texas; and John Betts, Bryan, Ohio.
FEDERAL FACILITIES CLEAN-UP
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine toxic waste clean-up efforts at federal facilities, focusing on investigative federal agencies' clean-up activities, including funding and coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and states, after receiving testimony from Susan Parker Bodine, Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency; Wayne Arny, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment; Frank Marcinowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for Regulatory Compliance, Office of Environmental Management; Shari T. Wilson, Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore; Bonnie Buthker, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Dayton; Elizabeth Limbrick, Interstate Technology Regulatory Council, Trenton, New Jersey; and Daniel Hirsch, Committee to Bridge the Gap, Ben Lomond, California.
NUCLEAR COOPERATION WITH INDIA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation with India, after receiving testimony from William J. Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, and John C. Rood, Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, both of the Department of State.
HOMELAND SECURITY RISKS IN PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia concluded a hearing to examine the homeland security risks associated with the upcoming presidential transition, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) planning for the transition, and what remains to be done to prepare for the transition, after receiving testimony from Elaine C. Duke, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management; John Rollins, Specialist in Terrorism and National Security, Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Frank J. Chellino, National Academy of Public Administration, Naples, Florida; and Patricia McGinnis, Council for Excellence in Government, Washington, D.C.
DECLINATION REPORTING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine federal declinations from federal law enforcement officers and United States Attorneys' Offices to prosecute crimes in Indian country, including S. 3320, to amend the Indian Law Enforcement Reform Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Act, the Indian Tribal Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act of 2000, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to improve the prosecution of, and response to, crimes in Indian country, after receiving testimony from Drew H. Wrigley, United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, Department of Justice; William Patrick Ragsdale, Director, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Thomas B. Heffelfinger, former United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Best and Flanagan, LLP, Minneapolis, Minnesota; M. Brent Leonhard, Confederated Tribes for the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pendleton, Oregon; Janelle F. Doughty, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ignacio, Colorado; and Thomas W. Weissmuller, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Mashantucket, Connecticut.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. Res. 540, recognizing the historical significance of the sloop-of-war USS Constellation as a reminder of the participation of the United States in the transatlantic slave trade and of the efforts of the United States to end the slave trade.
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.
