Today in Congress: June 23, 2009

Washington PostTHE SENATE

The Senate is in session and will recess at 12:30 p.m. to accommodate the weekly policy luncheons. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson will testify.

Committees

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation (2:30 p.m.): Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security Subcommittee holds a hearing on “High-Speed Passenger Rail: How Fast Will It Get Here?” Gov. Ed Rendell (D-Pa.), co-chair of Building America’s Future; Joseph Szabo, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration; Joseph Boardman, president and CEO of Amtrak; Robert Eckels, chairman of the Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation; Susan Fleming, director of physical infrastructure issues at the Government Accountability Office, will testify. 253 Russell.

Senate Foreign Relations (10 a.m.): African Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Confronting Drug Trafficking in West Africa.” Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson; Drug Enforcement Administration Chief of Operations Thomas Harrigan; Douglas Farah, senior fellow at the International Assessment & Strategy Center, Takoma Park, Md.; Michael Braun, managing partner at the Spectre Group International, Alexandria, Va.; and Michael McGovern, assistant professor of anthropology at Yale University, New Haven, Conn., will testify. 419 Dirksen.

Senate Appropriations (10 a.m.): Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a markup of the FY2010 appropriations bill for the agencies under its jurisdiction. 124 Dirksen.

Senate Armed Services (3:30 p.m.): Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee holds a closed markup of the FY2010 Defense Authorization Act. 232-A Russell.

THE HOUSE

The House will meets at 10:30 a.m. for morning hour debate and noon to consider several bills.

Committees

House Rules (5 p.m.): Meets to formulate a rule on H.R.2892, the “Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010”; and H.R.2647, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.” H-313, U.S. Capitol .

House Homeland Security (5:30 p.m.): Meets to markup the H.R.2868, the “Chemical Facility Antiterrorism Act of 2009.” 311 Cannon.

House Natural Resources (10 a.m.): National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee and Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee hold a joint field hearing on “The Impacts of Climate Change on the Chesapeake Bay.” Marvin Moriarty, regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Robert Wood, director of the NOAA Cooperative Oxford Laboratory; Michael Bojokles, mayor of the Town of North Beach; Donald Boesch, president of the Center for Environmental Science; Anson Hines, director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; former Maryland State Senator Bernie Fowler; Skip Stiles, executive director of Wetlands Watch; Stuart Parnes, president of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum; and Tommy Leggett, a waterman from Wicomico, Va., will testify. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, Md.

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

House Education and Labor (noon): Holds a hearing on “The Tri-Committee Draft Proposal for Health Care Reform.” Witnesses TBA. 2175 Rayburn.

House Appropriations (2 p.m.): Meets to markup the FY2010 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs appropriations bill; and the FY2010 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. 2359 Rayburn.