Next Week on the Hill, June 9 – 13, 2008
Summer’shere, folks, and it is scorching hot here in Washington, D.C. Butit’s cool in the Washington Convention Center, where we andover2,000 of our members have gathered for the ACLU2008 Membership Conference.
Keep in mind that all of the congressional hearing dates and times aresubject to change. The Lobby Day, of course, will go on as plannedcome rain or shine. (And I’m not just saying that: Last yearwe lobbied in a downpour. Much like the U.S. Postal Service, neitherrain, nor snow, or dark of night will stop a civil libertarian.)
Tuesday, June 10
ACLU members andcivil libertarians from across the country storm Capitol Hill for the2008 ACLULobby Day!
EEVS
The Immigration,Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International LawSubcommitteeof House JudiciaryCommittee will hold a hearingtitled “ElectronicEmployment Verification Systems:Needed Safeguards to Protect Privacy and Prevent Misuse.” ACLUSenior Legislative Counsel Tim Sparapani will be testifying.
Gangs/YouthViolence
TheHouseJudiciary Crime Subcommitteewill hold a hearing titled “Addressing Gangs:What’s Effective?What’s Not?” Professor Charles Ogletree, ExecutiveDirector ofthe Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice atHarvard will be the lead witness testifying. He will likely focus onthe institute’s recent report – “NoMore Children Left Behind Bars.”
HiringofEx-Offenders
TheFederalWorkforce Subcommittee of theHouse Oversight and Government Reform Committee will be holding ahearing on federal employment practices, focusing on policies inhiring ex-offenders.
Torture
SenateJudiciary Committee hearing withDepartment of Justice Inspector General GlennFineto discuss the recent OIGreport on FBIinvolvement in detainee interrogations.
HouseForeign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on InternationalOrganizations and Human Rights —oversight hearing with JohnBellinger,Legal Advisor to theSecretary of State.
Wednesday, June 11
Overclassification
Subcommitteeon Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessmentof the House Homeland Security Committee with hold a hearing on H.R.6193,the “Improving PublicAccess to Documents Act of 2008.” ACLU Washington LegislativeOffice Director Caroline Fredrickson will be testifying.
Privacy
TheDepartmentof Homeland Security (DHS) willhold a meeting of the DataPrivacy and Integrity Advisory Committeeto discuss the activities of the DHS Privacy Office.
Thursday, June12
DrugPolicy
TheSenateJudiciary Committee is scheduled to mark up S.1211,the Saving Our Kids fromDangerous Drugs Act. There are a number of concerns with thislegislation, and the ACLU has reached out to several coalitionpartners.
Alsohappeningthis week:
FISA
A“compromise”FISA billwill be on the Senate floor verysoon.
TitleX
TheDepartmentof Health and Human Services isexpected to introduce a “domestic gagrule” regulation, applying toTitle X family planning clinics.
