Today In Congress June 25 2009

The Washington Post

THE SENATE

The Senate is in session today. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will testify. Committees :

Senate Indian Affairs (2:15 p.m.): Holds a hearing on S.797, the “Tribal Law and Order Act of 2009.” Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli; Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk; Alonzo Coby, chairman of the Fort Hall Business Council of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Fort Hall, Idaho; Anthony Brandenburg, chief judge of the Intertribal Court of Southern California, Valley Center, Calif.; Troy Eid, partner at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Denver, Colo.; and Ted Quasula, president of Quasula Consulting, Henderson, Nev., testify. 628 Dirksen.

Senate Judiciary (noon): Meets to markup S.417, the “State Secrets Protection Act”; S.257, the “Consumer Credit Fairness Act”; H.R.985/S.448, the “Free Flow of Information Act of 2009”; and S.396, the “Preserve Access to Affordable Generics Act.” 226 Dirksen.

Senate Judiciary (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “The Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Prevention Act of 2009.” Attorney General Eric Holder testifies. 226 Dirksen.

Senate Foreign Relations (11 a.m.): Holds a hearing on the nomination of Maria Otero, to be undersecretary for democracy and global affairs at the State Department. The nominee testifies. 419 Dirksen.

Senate Environment and Public Works (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Impacts of Expected Highway Trust Fund Insolvency.” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood; Kathy Ruffalo, president of Ruffalo and Associates; Don James, CEO of the Vulcan Materials Company; Jack Basso, director of program finance and management for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, testify. 406 Dirksen.

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs (10:30 a.m.): Meets to vote in the nominations of Raphael Bostic to be assistant secretary for policy development and research, and David Stevens to be assistant secretary for housing/Federal Housing Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development Department. Location TBA .

THE HOUSE

The House is in session today and will meet at 10 a.m. for legislative business. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan will testify.

Committees

House Foreign Affairs (9:30 a.m.): Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee holds a hearing on “A Regional Overview of South Asia.” Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake Jr., of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, testifies. 2172 Rayburn.

House Financial Services (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Legislative Options for Preserving Federally- and State-Assisted Affordable Housing and Preventing Displacement of Low-Income, Elderly and Disabled Tenants.” Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan testifies. 2128 Rayburn.

House Judiciary (11 a.m.): Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Accountability, Transparency, and Uniformity in Corporate Deferred and Non-Prosecution Agreements.” Reps. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.); Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Gary Grindler; Eileen Larence, director of homeland security and justice at the Government Accountability Office; Christopher Christie, former U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey; Vikramaditya Khanna, professor at the University of Michigan Law School; and Chuck Rosenberg, partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP, will testify. 2141 Rayburn.

House Energy and Commerce (9:30 a.m.): Health Subcommittee holds a hearing on draft proposal for health care reform developed by Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor Committees. Witnesses TBA. 2123 Rayburn.

House Budget (10 a.m.): Holds a hearing on “Statutory PAYGO (pay-as-you-go).” Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Peter Orszag testifies. 210 Cannon .

House Foreign Affairs (2 p.m.): Africa and Global Health Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Somalia: Prospects for Lasting Peace and a Unified Response to Extremism and Terrorism.” Ted Dagne, specialist in African affairs at the Congressional Research Service; Abdillahi Mohamed Dualeh, foreign minister of the Republic of Somaliland; Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole), president of the Puntland State of Somalia; Crispus Kiyonga, minister of defense of Republic of Uganda; Mohamed Omaar, foreign minister of Republic of Somalia, will testify. 2172 Rayburn.

House Oversight and Government Reform (10 a.m.): The full committee and Domestic Policy Subcommittee hold a joint hearing on to examine events surrounding Bank of America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch and its receipt of federal financial assistance. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will testify. 2154 Rayburn.