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AP WASHINGTON DAYBOOK, Thursday, March 6
CONGRESS-SENATE
--------------------- THE DALAI LAMA — The Tibetan spiritual leader visits Capitol Hill.
Highlights:
9:30 a.m. The Dalai Lama will deliver the opening prayer to convene the United States Senate. Contact: Adam Jentleson, (202) 224-2939.
10 a.m. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) will host a bipartisan meeting with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso. A photo opportunity and media spray will take place at the top of the meeting. Media Pre-Set: All media must stage in H-218 no earlier than 9:45 a.m. ET and will be escorted into H-217 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Handheld and portable cameras only. Carts and gear must be stored in H-320
1:45 p.m. Senate Foreign Relations Chair Menendez, committee members meet with the Dalai Lama. S-116. Photo op at top. Gallery escort at 1:30 p.m.
2:30 p.m. Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will meet with the Dalai Lama. S-219. There will be a brief photo opportunity at the top of the meeting. Please be advised that no remarks will be given during the photo opportunity. Contact: Adam Jentleson, Reid, (202) 224-2939; Don Stewart, McConnell, (202) 224-2979.
CONGRESS-SENATE
11 a.m. FOREIGN RELATIONS — Hearing on Syria spillover: The growing threat of terrorism and sectarianism in the Middle East and Ukraine Update. Panel One: William J. Burns, Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State; Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense; Matthew G. Olsen, Director, National Counterterrorism Center. Panel Two: Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Dr. Matthew Levitt, Director for Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. http://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/syria-spillover-the-growing-threat-of-terrorism-and-sectarianism-in-the-middle-east/3614
Location: 419 Dirksen.
Notes: Live webcast available.
2 p.m. VA BACKLOG REPORT — During a press conference, U.S. Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Bob Casey (D-PA), along with Sens. David Vitter (R-LA), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), will unveil legislation designed to reduce the backlog of veteran disability claims. The Senators will also release the VA Backlog Working Group March 2014 Report in which the VA Backlog Working Group analyzes the many factors that cause the backlog.
Location: Senate Radio and TV Gallery (S-325).
Notes: RSVP to chandler_smith@heller.senate.gov. 202-224-6244.
UPDATED
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. NCHC FORUM - MEDICATION MANAGEMENT - Sen. Carper — The National Coalition on Health Care hosts forum on Medication Management and Improved Adherence with Senator Carper;, D-DE; Anita Allemand, Vice President for Product Innovation and Management CVS Caremark; John O'Brien (invited), Vice President, Public Policy, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield; John McGlew, Assistant Director, Government Affairs, American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
Location: 485 Russell.
Contacts: RSVP to skamal@nchc.org
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FLOOR SCHEDULE
UPDATED
9:30 a.m. — The Senate convenes and considers judicial nominations: Executive Calendar 565, Timothy Brooks to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Arkansas.
. Confirmation of Brooks nomination.
. Cloture on Executive Calendar 571, Vince Chhabria to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California.
. Confirmation of Chhabria nomination.
. Cloture on Executive Calendar 636, Rose Gottemoeller to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security (Up to 8 equally-divided hours).
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COMMITTEE MEETINGS
9:30 a.m. ARMED SERVICES — Meets to receive testimony on U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2015 and the Future Years Defense Program. Witnesses: General Lloyd J. Austin III, USA, Commander, U.S. Central Command; General David M. Rodriguez, USA, Commander, U.S. Africa Command. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/us-central-command-and-us-africa-command\_03/06/2014
Location: G50 Dirksen.
10 a.m. AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION AND FORESTRY — Hearing to consider pending nominations for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Nominees: Timothy G. Massad, of Connecticut, to be Chairman and a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Sharon Y. Bowen, of New York, to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; J. Christopher Giancarlo, of New Jersey, to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. http://www.agriculture.senate.gov/
Location: 328A Russell.
10 a.m. BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS — Hearings to examine Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) reauthorization, focusing on the Federal role and current challenges to public transportation. Witnesses: Gregory H. Hughes, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Utah Transit Authority and Majority Whip, Utah House of Representatives; Michael P. Melaniphy, President, American Public Transportation Association; Barbara K. Cline, President, Board of Directors, Community Transportation Association of America, and Executive Director, Prairie Hills Transit; Larry Hanley, International President, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU). http://www.banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing\_ID=9ec4cb01-6e9e-4e25-9ba5-aa52aef336b5
Location: 538 Dirksen.
10 a.m. ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS — Full Committee Hearing: "Preventing Potential Chemical Threats and Improving Safety: Oversight of the Presidents Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security." Witnesses: Panel 1: Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response, United States Environmental Protection Agency; Rafael Moure-Eraso, Chairman, United States Chemical Safety Board. Panel 2: Dr. Michael P. Wilson, PhD, MPH, Chief Scientist, Office of the Director, California Department of Industrial Relations; James S. Frederick, Assistant Director for Health, Safety & Environment, United Steelworkers International Union; Evan P. Hansen, President, Downstream Strategies; Billy Pirkle, Senior Director, Environment, Health and Safety, Crop Production Services; Scott Berger, Executive Director, Center for Chemical Process Safety, American Institute of Chemical Engineers. http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing\_ID=9a92b90f-de5f-5477-7177-ccd5a1aef682
Location: 406 Dirksen.
10 a.m. JUDICIARY — Executive Business Meeting. Nominations: Robin Rosenbaum, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit; Bruce Hendricks, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina; Mark Mastroianni, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts; Leslie Caldwell, to be Assistant Attorney General. Bill: S.1675, Recidivism Reduction and Public Safety Act of 2013. http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=f00b2bec76ceca7ac77335d8aa1e4138
Location: 226 Dirksen.
10:30 a.m. HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS — Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight an oversight hearing to examine contractor performance information. Witnesses: Captain Brian Drapp, Supply Corps, U.S. Navy, Commanding Officer, Naval Sea Logistics Center; Kevin Youel Page, Assistant Commissioner, Integrated Award Environment, U.S. General Services Administration; Beth Colbert (Invited), Deputy Director for Management, The Office of Management and Budget. http://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/fco/hearings/oversight-of-contractor-performance-information
Location: 342 Dirksen.
11 a.m. COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION — Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security hearings to examine enhancing our rail safety, focusing on current challenges for passenger and freight rail. Witnesses: Joseph Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration; Cynthia Quarterman, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; Christopher Hart, Vice Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; Geoffrey Blackwell, Chief, Office of Native Affairs and Policy, Federal Communications Commission; Bob Greco, Group Director, Downstream and Industry Operations, American Petroleum Institute; Ed Hamberger, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of American Railroads. http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Hearings&ContentRecord\_id=0de5a539-6dcd-43d0-bc28-a15eaaaead50&ContentType\_id14f995b9-dfa5-407a-9d35-56cc7152a7ed&Group\_idb06c39af-e033-4cba-9221-de668ca1978a
Location: 253 Russell.
11 a.m. FOREIGN RELATIONS — Hearing on Syria spillover: The growing threat of terrorism and sectarianism in the Middle East and Ukraine Update. Panel One: William J. Burns, Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State; Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense; Matthew G. Olsen, Director, National Counterterrorism Center. Panel Two: Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Dr. Matthew Levitt, Director for Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. http://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/syria-spillover-the-growing-threat-of-terrorism-and-sectarianism-in-the-middle-east/3614
Location: 419 Dirksen.
Notes: Live webcast available.
2 p.m. FOREIGN RELATIONS — Hearings to examine the nominations of Deborah L. Birx, of Maryland, to be Ambassador at Large and Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally, Suzan G. LeVine, of Washington, to be Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Principality of Liechtenstein, Maureen Elizabeth Cormack, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Peter A. Selfridge, of Minnesota, to be Chief of Protocol, and to have the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service, all of the Department of State. http://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/nominations/030614
Location: 419 Dirksen.
2:30 p.m. INTELLIGENCE — Closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters. http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/hearings.cfm?hearingId=f00b2bec76ceca7ac77335d8aa1e1b3f
Location: 219 Hart.
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