Geez, there are a lot of hearings this week. Big, big hearings.

[TayTay]

Oh my lord, but the Senate is a very, very busy place. And these aren't little hearings, these are major hearings having to do with

Iran and it's nuclear threat
AND
The Telecom bill
AND Energy & oil dependence

Plus a hearing in Finance that sounds like it could irk Sen. Frist. (hehehehehe!)

Ahm, try and give some of these a watch, even if it is on the delayed webcasts later on in the day. This are major league items.

[TayTay]

1. SFRC: Tuesday, May 16th, 9:30 AM - Energy & Oil Dependence

Energy Security and Oil Dependence

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HEARING
before the

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 16, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time: 9:30 AM
Place: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Presiding: Senator Lugar

Witnesses:
Vinod Khosla
President
Khosla Ventures
Menlo Park, CA

Jason S. Grumet
Executive Director
National Commission on Energy Policy
Washington, DC

***************************

Geez, now who is it who has been talking so much about energy independence and how our dependence on Middle East oil is actually a National Security concern. Tall guy, nice silvery hair, says 'ideer' a lot.

[TayTay]

2. SFRC: Wed, May17th, 9:30 am: The Iran Threat, Part 1

Iran’s Political/Nuclear Ambitions and
U.S. Policy Options

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HEARING
before the

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time: 9:30 AM
Place: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Presiding: Senator Lugar

Witnesses:
Panel 1
The Honorable Robert J. Einhorn
Senior Adviser
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Washington, DC

Mr. David Albright
President and Founder
Institute for Science and International Security
Washington, DC

Panel 2
Dr. Kenneth M. Pollack
Director of Research and Senior Fellow
Saban Center for Middle East Policy
The Brookings Institution
Washington, DC

Mr. Karim Sadjadpour
Iran Analyst
International Crisis Group
Washington, DC

Dr. Patrick Clawson
Deputy Director for Research
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Washington, DC **** This the the 'Architect of the Bush Admin Iran policy, per Sy Hersh.

Dr. Geoffrey Kemp
Director of Regional Strategic Programs
The Nixon Center
Washington, DC

[TayTay]

14. This might be a huge hearing.

I am watching this and will listen to an archived copy of the interview with Sen. KErry on Stephanie Miller today.

[whometense]

15. So, how's it going?

I admit I went for the cute and listened to him on Stephanie Miller (a must-hear, btw. Absolutely on - smart, charming, witty).

Anything interesting happening in the SFRC hearing?

[TayTay]

16. I have, alas, been in and out. (Work, sigh!)

No one, so far, will pay me to listen to hearings. I just can't figure this world out.

I have to post from transcript later.

Sen. Biden asked some pointed questions about Iraq vis a vis Iran.

They are in the second panel now.

[TayTay]

17. Dr. Clawson up now.

[TayTay]

3. SFRC: Thurs, May 18th, 9:30 am, Iran, Part 2

Iran’s Political/Nuclear Ambitions and
U.S. Policy Options

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HEARING
before the

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, May 18, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time: 9:30 AM
Place: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Presiding: Senator Lugar

Witnesses:
The Honorable Frank G. Wisner
Vice Chairman for External Affairs
American International Group, Inc.
New York, NY

Dr. Vali R. Nasr
Professor of National Security Affairs
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, CA

Ms. Julia Nanay
Senior Director
PFC Energy
Washington, DC

Mr. James A. Phillips
Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs in
the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for
Foreign Policy Studies
The Heritage Foundation
Washington, DC

[TayTay]

10. Hey, guess how much drilling in ANWR would save by 2025?

A whopping 1 cent a gallon. Yu0p, we are willing to sacrifice one of the last wilderness arezs in America to save 1 cent a gallon on gas by 2025. Way to go Rethugs. That's what I call an energy policy. Bravo!

testimony per:
Vinod Khosla
President
Khosla Ventures
Menlo Park, CA
5/16/06

[karynnj]

12. Wow! Kerry and others need to get that fact out

I would gladly pay

[TayTay]

4. Commerce: Wed, May 17th, 10:00 am: Health Info Tech

Accelerating the Adoption of Health Information Technology

Technology, Innovation, and Competitiveness Hearing
Wednesday, May 17 2006 - 10:00 AM - SD-562

Description: Washington, D.C. -- The Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness has announced a hearing on Accelerating the Adoption of Health Information Technology. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. in room 562 of the Dirksen Building. This hearing will provide an update on the development of health information technology. Subcommittee Chairman John Ensign (R-Nevada) will preside. Witnesses will be announced when available.

*****************

Sen Kerry is Ranking Dem on this Committee. These hearings are being held because a bill dealing with Education and Technolgies issues WILL BE going forward in this Congress, btw. Our esteemed Senator will be helping to sheperd this through the Senate later on in this legislative year.

[TayTay]

5. Commerce, Thurs, May 18th, 10:00 am. Communications Bill

S. 2686, Communications Reform Bill Hearing I

Full Committee Hearing
Thursday, May 18 2006 - 10:00 AM - SD-106

Description: First of two hearings to review S. 2686, the Communications, Consumers' Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006. Witnesses will be announced when available.

**********************

These are the final hearings before this bill goes to markup in the summer and then the floor of the Senate for votes. Sen. Kerry has had a big hand in helping to draft provisions to this bill. Commerce has been holding hearings on issues in this bill (Identity Theft, Net Neutrality, etc) since last year.

*** I believe this is the first big, big revision to the Telecom Laws since 1996. This could be an explosive bill when it hits the floor of the Senate later on this summer.

[TayTay]

9. Commerce: Tues., May 16th, 10:00 am, Transportation Worker ID program

Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Program

Tuesday, May 16, 2006
10:00 AM

SD - 562

Senate Commerce Committee Chairmenr Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Co-Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) will hold a Full Committee hearing to examine the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Program. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 at 10 a.m. in room 562 of the Dirksen Building.
Witnesses are:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Witnesses

Opening Remarks

Panel 1
Mr. Michael P. Jackson
Deputy Secretary
Department of Homeland Security

Panel 2
Mr. George Cummings
Director of Homeland Security
Port of Los Angeles

Ms. Lisa Himber
Vice President
Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay

Mr. Larry Willis
General Counsel, Transportation Trades Department
AFL-CIO

**************

Oh yeah, this one will definitely be on the test.

[TayTay]

13. This is today

I will get it later on the archived webcast.

Sen. KErry is Ranking Dem on this comm.

[TayTay]

6. Finance, Tuesday, May 16th, 10:00 am, USTR Ambassador hearing

Since Rob Portman was chosen to take Josh Bolten's old position as head of the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), the United States Trade Representative (USTR) position is open. This hearing is examining Susan Schwab to replace Rob Portman as USTR.
******************************

To consider the nomination of Susan C. Schwab to be United States Trade Representative,

with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Executive Office of the President, vice Robert J. Portman

May 16, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Member Statements:
Charles Grassley, IA
Max Baucus, MT

Witness Statements:

Panel

Susan C. Schwab of Maryland

[TayTay]

7. Finance, Wed, May 17th, 10:00 am, Examining Doctor owned Hospitals

Physician-Owned Specialty Hospitals: Profits before Patients?

May 17, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Member Statements:
Charles Grassley, IA
Max Baucus, MT

Witness Statements:
Panel

Witness TBD

Dr. Mark McClellan, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Washington, DC

Ms. Cindy Morrison, Vice President, Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD

Mr. Dan Mulholland, Horty, Springer & Mattern, P.C., Pittsburgh, PA

James Cobey, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, Washington, DC

John M. House, MD, Managing Partner, Urology Associates of North Texas, Chairman of the Board, USMD Hospital, representing the American Surgical Hospital Association, Sioux Falls, SD

****************

Hey, Doesn't Senate Majority Leader Frist's family own a hospital or two? Hmmmm.

[TayTay]

8. Kick

Two hearings on Tuesday, May 16th

Senate Foreign Relations: Oil and Dependence
http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2006/hrg060516a.html
9:30 am (EST)

Senate Finance Committee: Susan Schwab to be USTR
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing051606.htm
9:30 am (EST)

*********

[Luftmensch067]

11. Thank you so much for posting these, Tay Tay!!

I really do pore over them and try to decide what to catch. I often don't, unless they're broadcast on CSPAN2 by some miracle, but I really need to try to catch the webcasts.

Thanks for all the work you do in putting these announcements together!

[TayTay]

18. Markup hearing today on American Innovation and Competitiveness Act

Full Committee Markup
Thursday, May 18, 2006
02:30 PM

SD - 562

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Co-Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) announced that the Full Committee will consider S. 2802, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2006, during a markup scheduled for Thursday, May 18, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. in room 562 of the Dirksen Building. No other legislative items or nominations will be considered.

Sen. Kerry is Ranking Dem on the committee that wrote this legislation.

By the way: Markup means submitting amendments to the bill.