This is the weekly installment of a series highlighting the events and activities of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Week Ahead: Hearings
- Tuesday, February 13: Full Committee hearing on the Executive Branch Reform Act of 2007 and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007
10:00 am, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
- Wednesday, February 14: Full Committee business meeting on the Executive Branch Reform Act of 2007 and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007
10:00 am, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
- Thursday, February 15: Full Committee hearing on Iraq Reconstruction: An Overview
10:00 am, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
- Thursday, February 15: Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives hearing on The State of FOIA: Assessing Agency Efforts to Meet FOIA Requirements
2:00 pm, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
|
Week in Review: 02/05/07-02/09/07
Hearings
Last week's hearings were all about Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. Three hearings dealt with the Iraq reconstruction and contractors war profiteers. Another hearing looked at Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health programs. Any one of these hearings could be a diary unto itself (and the first two were pretty well covered on DKos - see Diary Roundup comment below), so in the interest of time and space, I'm just putting links back to the Oversight Committee website. There you can find Reports, opening statements by Chairman Waxman, testimony by the witnesses, and other related documents. The Minority Office website also posts statements made by Ranking Member, Tom Davis. C-SPAN's video archive has the complete hearings on Iraq Reconstruction from February 6 and 7 and Nancy Pelosi's YouTube channel has excerpts from Waxman's statements and selected witness testimony from all of the hearings.
Legislation
This is my pick of the week - H.R.808: To establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence. - sponsored by Dennis Kucinich [OH-10] with 51 co-sponsors. (full text available at link)
The bill calls for the establishment of a cabinet level department in the Executive Branch, "dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace." The Secretary of Peace and Nonviolence, will be appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate. What a cool job! If this bill gets passed, I wonder who would get picked.
Mission- The Department shall--
(1) hold peace as an organizing principle, coordinating service to every level of American society;
(2) endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights;
(3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking;
(4) promote the development of human potential;
(5) work to create peace, prevent violence, divert from armed conflict, use field-tested programs, and develop new structures in nonviolent dispute resolution;
(6) take a proactive, strategic approach in the development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and structured mediation of conflict;
(7) address matters both domestic and international in scope; and
(8) encourage the development of initiatives from local communities, religious groups, and nongovernmental organizations.
The bill also establishes Peace Day: "All citizens should be encouraged to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on a Peace Day."
Right on Kucinich! Let's give Peace a Chance.
(photo by OTB) |
In living color, here are the rest of the bills & resolutions listed under the Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over the matter. I didn't include this in last week's diary, so this is everything introduced since 1/29/07 (referred in whole or part to the House Oversight & Reform Committee).
Domestic Policy
- H.R.750 : To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to comprehensively reform immigration law, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18]
- H.R.768 : To provide that Executive Order 13166 shall have no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.
Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3]
- H.R.792 : To amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to direct the head of each Federal agency to ensure that, in areas in which ethanol-blended gasoline is reasonably available at a generally competitive price, the Federal agency purchases ethanol-blended gasoline containing at least 10 percent ethanol rather than nonethanol-blended gasoline, for use in vehicles used by the agency that use gasoline.
Sponsor: Rep Weller, Jerry [IL-11]
|
National Security and Foreign Affairs
- H.R.957 : To amend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to expand and clarify the entities against which sanctions may be imposed.
Sponsor: Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18]
|
Government Management, Organization, and Procurement
- H.R.752 : To direct Federal agencies to donate excess and surplus Federal electronic equipment, including computers, computer components, printers, and fax machines, to qualifying small towns, counties, schools, nonprofit organizations, and libraries.
Sponsor: Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1]
- H.R.808 : To establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence.
Sponsor: Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10]
- H.R.823 : To authorize Federal agencies and legislative branch offices to purchase greenhouse gas offsets and renewable energy credits, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Welch, Peter [VT]
- H.R.875 : To amend the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996 to require the head of an agency to be reconfirmed by the Senate unless the agency is found to be in compliance with the requirements of such Act, as reported by the Comptroller General.
Sponsor: Rep Cardoza, Dennis A. [CA-18]
- H.R.905 : To increase accountability and equity in the Federal budget.
Sponsor: Rep Udall, Mark [CO-2]
- H.R.928 : To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978 to enhance the independence of the Inspectors General, to create a Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Cooper, Jim [TN-5]
- H.R.978 : To reaffirm the authority of the Comptroller General to audit and evaluate the programs, activities, and financial transactions of the intelligence community, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2]
|
Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia
Honors and recognitions include: the Indianapolis Colts, Barbaro, the Girl Scouts, Miss America, Susan B. Anthony and some other people I've never heard of...
- H.CON.RES.53 : Celebrating the contributions of the architectural profession during National Architecture Week.
Sponsor: Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3]
- H.CON.RES.58 : Expressing the sense of Congress that Madame C. J. Walker should be recognized for her achievements in business, her inventions, and her commitment to the African-American community.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15]
- H.CON.RES.59 : Expressing the sense of Congress that Zora Neale Hurston should be recognized for her achievements as a novelist and anthropologist, and for her contributions to the Harlem Renaissance movement.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15]
- H.CON.RES.62 : Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Children and Families Day, in order to encourage adults in the United States to support and listen to children and to help children throughout the Nation achieve their hopes and dreams, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Tom [VA-11]
- H.RES.113 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a postage stamp should be issued in commemoration of Diwali, a festival celebrated by people of Indian origin.
Sponsor: Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6]
- H.RES.114 : Expressing support for a National Week of Reflection and Tolerance.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15]
- H.RES.117 : Honoring the contributions of Barbaro to the Commonwealths of Kentucky and Pennsylvania and to America's horseracing industry.
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Geoff [KY-4]
- H.RES.127 : Recognizing and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the entry of Alaska in the Union as the 49th State.
Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK]
- H.RES.130 : Congratulating the National Football League champion Indianapolis Colts for winning Super Bowl XLI and for bringing the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana their first Lombardi Trophy.
Sponsor: Rep Carson, Julia [IN-7]
- H.RES.136 : Commending the Girl Scouts of the United States of America on the occasion of their 95th anniversary, for providing quality age-appropriate experiences that prepare girls to become the leaders of tomorrow and for raising issues important to girls.
Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4]
- H.RES.141 : Congratulating Miss Lauren Nelson for being crowned Miss America and thanking the participants in and supporters of the Miss America Competition for their contributions to young women's lives and communities.
Sponsor: Rep Cole, Tom [OK-4]
- H.RES.142 : Honoring the life and accomplishments of Kevin Dwayne Ener, a dedicated radio broadcaster who worked diligently to provide valuable broadcast services to the Acres Homes Communities in Houston, Texas.
Sponsor: Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18]
- H.RES.145 : Recognizing the public service of Archbishop Patrick Flores.
Sponsor: Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20]
- H.RES.151 : Recognizing and honoring York for his role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Sponsor: Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2]
- H.R.705 : To provide for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp in honor of George Henry White.
Sponsor: Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1]
- H.R.706 : To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2777 Logan Avenue in San Diego, California, as the "Cesar E. Chavez Post Office".
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53]
- H.R.728 : To amend title 5, United States Code, to establish certain protections for preference eligibles selected for involuntary geographic reassignment.
Sponsor: Rep Herseth, Stephanie [SD]
- H.R.733 : To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to eliminate all Federally-imposed mandates over the local budget process and financial management of the District of Columbia and the borrowing of money by the District of Columbia.
Sponsor: Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC]
- H.R.773 : To reduce and prevent the sale and use of fraudulent degrees in order to protect the integrity of valid higher education degrees that are used for Federal purposes.
Sponsor: Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4]
- H.R.822 : To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and title 5, United States Code, to require individual and group health insurance coverage and group health plans and Federal employees health benefit plans to provide coverage for routine HIV/AIDS screening.
Sponsor: Rep Waters, Maxine [CA-35]
- H.R.856 : To honor Susan B. Anthony by celebrating her legacy on the third Monday in February.
Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14]
- H.R.915 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 110 East Alexander Street in Three Rivers, Texas, as the "Veterans Memorial Post Office".
Sponsor: Rep Hinojosa, Ruben [TX-15]
- H.R.953 : To repeal the provision of law that provides automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress.
Sponsor: Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19]
- H.R.954 : To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 365 West 125th Street in New York, New York, as the "Percy Sutton Post Office Building".
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15]
|
****************************************************************
NOTE: This diary is posted under the auspices of the daily kos community Congressional Committees Project. Volunteers from the community are always welcome! Click the link above for more info.