Swamp Sunrise

Good morning.

Here are a few Washington events of note for Tuesday, March 13, 2007 as collected by the Associated Press.

President Bush is meeting with Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Mexico.

The 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner is being announced today. 2:30 p.m.

March 12 - 13. ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER AMIR PERETZ
10:10 a.m. Lays wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery.
10:30 a.m. Attends honor cordon hosted by Defense Secretary Gates. Pentagon Mall.

March 10 - 14. NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES — National League of Cities holds its annual Congressional City Conference.
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. General session, with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.); Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.); and Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.)
2:15 p.m. Closing session, with George Stephanopoulos, political analyst and correspondent, ABC News.
Location: Washington Hilton & Towers, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW

March 11 - 13. AMERICAN-ISRAELI — The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) holds its Annual Policy Conference.
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Closing session: ``Leadership Perspective: The U.S.-Israel Relationship, with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House; and John Boehner, Republican Leader.
Location: D.C. Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Pl. NW

March 12 - 13. BUSINESS ECONOMISTS — The National Association for Business Economists holds its Washington conference.
9:45 a.m. Session on Prospects for Global Trade Talks and Trade Policy in the New Congress, with Rosemary Marcuss, Deputy Director, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Moderator Jeffrey Schott, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics.
10:30 a.m. Session on The Administration’s Economic Policy, with Chris Varvares, President, Macroeconomic Advisers. Moderator Lawrence B. Lindsey, President and CEO, The Lindsey Group.
11:25 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. Session on U.S. Regional Outlook: Are We in for a Housing ARM-ageddon? Participants: Sean Snaith, Director, Institute for Economic Competitiveness, University of Central Florida; moderator Brian A. Bethune, Director, Financial Economics, Global Insight; James Diffley, Director, U.S. Regional Service, Global Insight Keith Schwer, Director, Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
12:40 p.m. Presentation: A View from the SEC, with Carl Tannenbaum, Chief Economist, LaSalle Bank/ABN AMRO N.A. Moderator: Paul Atkins, Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
3:35 p.m. Session on ``The Lame Duck President Meets the Democratic Congress: Politics and Policy in 2007 and 2008.’’ Participants: Diane Swonk, Chief Economist, Mesirow Financial; and moderator Norm Ornstein, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute.
Location: Marriott Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va.

March 12 - 13. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION — The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) will convene the APTA Legislative Conference to discuss a variety of topics including: financing challenges facing our nation's surface transportation system; the affect of President Bush’s FY 2008 budget proposal on transit, the future of transit, and SAFETEA-LU reauthorization.
8 a.m. - 11 p.m. Get Started with Members of Congress. Participants: Christopher P. Boylan, vice chair-government affairs, APTA, and deputy executive director, corporate affairs and communications, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York, NY (presiding); Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.; Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., majority leader, U.S. House of Representatives; Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla.; Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.; and Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn.
Location: JW Marriott, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

March 12 - 14. HOUSING — ACORN members from across the country will attend the ACORN Legislative Conference to rally and lobby lawmakers on issues that affect low- and moderate-income families: Katrina relief, paid sick days; comprehensive immigration reform; predatory lending, and budget priorities.
2:15 a.m. ``First Things First Rally!’’ Emergency Campaign for America’s Priorities (ECAP) coalition rally against the Bush budget with leaders of the Senate and House. U.S. Capitol.
12:15 p.m. ``Pass the Healthy Families Act’’ rally marking bill introduction with Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. Outside Russell Senate Office building on the Capitol lawn.
1:15 p.m. ``No Fee Increase for Citizenship’’ rally. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 20 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
4 p.m. "Stop Foreclosures: Make Wall Street Pay Up’’ action against investors who have bankrolled predatory lending practices.
Location: Various -- as noted.

March 12 - 14. PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION
9 a.m. - 12 p.m. L&R Committee meeting, during which Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., will be presented with APPA’s Public Service Award.
12:30 p.m. Luncheon speaker - FERC Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff.
Location: Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW.

HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNOLOGY — Equity International hosts the 2007 Homeland Security Technology Summit.
10 a.m. Welcome by William S. Loiry, President, Equity International; Jay Dragone, Vice President of Business Development, Lockheed Martin; Joe Pipczynski, Jr., Vice President of Sales & Marketing 4D Security Solutions. Congressional Appropriations & Priorities for Homeland Security, with Rob Houseman, moderator, Founder and Principal, Houseman Group, Former Assistant Director for Strategic Planning White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; and Veronique Pluviose, Policy Director, U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security.
11 a.m. Keynote address by Admiral Jay Cohen, Under Secretary for Science & Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
11:30 a.m. Session on Corporate Solutions for Homeland Security. Jacob Goodwin, moderator, Editor-in-Chief, GSN: Government Security News.
1 p.m. Session on DHS Procurement Priorities, with Elaine C. Duke, Chief Procurement Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
1:30 p.m. Session on DHS Program Priorities. Participants: Jon Rambeau, moderator, Director, Credentialing & Enforcement Solutions, Lockheed Martin; Rodger Dickey, Deputy CTO, Transportation Security Administration; and Vayl Oxford, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
3:15 p.m. Session on National Homeland Security Technology Priorities. Participants: Thomas Archibald, moderator, President/CEO, HazTech Systems, Inc.; Paula A. DeSutter, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Verification Compliance Implementation; Dr. David Hagy, U.S. Assistant Attorney General, Acting Director, National Institute of Justice; and Jonathan Hall, Coordinator, Hazmat and Weapons of Mass Effect Los Angeles Police Department.
5 p.m. Adjournment.
Location: National Press Club.

March 13 - 14. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION-EVACUATION — A national Research Council committee will listen to presentations by experts about how public transportation could be used effectively to aid emergency evacuations.
Location: Room 105, National Academies’ Keck Center, 500 Fifth St. NW.

8 a.m. - 2 p.m. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY — The Council of Foreign Relations hosts a symposium, ``Panacea or Pipe Dream? Energy Policy and the Search for Alternatives.’’
8:30 a.m. Meeting: A Foreign Policy Mandate? Thirty Years of Oil and Gas, with David Goldwyn, president, Goldwyn International Strategies; Philip K. Verleger Jr., PK Verleger LLC J.; and Robinson West, Chairman, PFC Energy.
10 a.m. Meeting: The Range of the Possible: Energy Alternatives in the Market, with John Bryson, Chairman and CEO, Edison International; Cofounder, Natural Resources Defense Council; Vijay Vaitheeswaran, crrespondent, The Economist.
11:30 a.m. Meeting: What Next? Government Action and the Policy Puzzle, with Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif.; James E. Rogers, chairman, president and CEO, Duke Energy; Philip K. Verleger Jr., PK Verleger LLC; and Timothy E. Wirth, president, United Nations Foundation.
12:30 p.m. Luncheon. Keynote Address by James E. Rogers, chairman, president and CEO, Duke Energy. Symposium presider: Sebastian Mallaby, director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies and Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics, Council on Foreign Relations.
Location: Council of Foreign Relations, 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

8:45 a.m. CAPITAL MARKETS — The Treasury Department and Georgetown University hold a confernce on U.S. capital markets competitiveness.
8:55 a.m. Session on ``Framing the Issues: A Business Perspective,’’ moderated by Secretary Paulson and SEC Chairman Cox. Panelists - Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; James Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Jeffrey R. Immelt, Chairman and CEO, General Electric Company; Charles R. Schwab, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Charles Schwab Corporation; John A. Thain, CEO of the New York Stock Exchange; Ann Yerger, Executive Director, Council of Institutional Investors.
9:50 a.m. Session on ``Framing the Issues: Public Policy Perspective,’’ moderated by Secretary Paulson and Chairman Cox. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; Arthur Levitt, Jr., Senior Advisor, The Carlyle Group and former SEC Chairman; Robert E. Rubin, Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Citigroup, Inc., and former Secretary of the Treasury; Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
Location: Gaston Hallm 3rd floor Healy Hall, Georgetown University.

10 a.m. - 8 p.m. BRAIN INJURIES — The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force is hosting a Brain Injury Awareness Day Fair and roundtable discussion in recognition of March as Brain Injury Awareness Month and acknowledging that Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the signature wound of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Location: The 2007 Brain Injury Awareness Fair -- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Rayburn Foyer. Debate on Meeting the Needs of Veterans with TBI -- 4-5 p.m. in 418, Russell Senate Office Building.

7 a.m. - 9 a.m. DEAN-CLINTON — DNC Chairman Howard Dean and Sen. Hillary Clinton speak at a Democratic municipal officials breakfast.
Location: Washington Hilton & Towers, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW

8:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. IT REVOLUTION — Steve Bennett, CEO of Intuit, a leading provider of financial, accounting and tax preparation software, will make a keynote address at the ITIF conference to release the new ITIF report, ``Digital Prosperity: Understanding the Economic Impact of the IT Revolution." In addition to Bennett, participants are: Rob Atkinson, President of ITIF; Robert W. Crandall, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution; and Robert Litan, Vice President of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation.
Location: Marriott at Metro Center, Ballroom Level, 775 12th St. NW.

9 a.m. ATTORNEYS-RACE — The American Enterprise Institute holds a panel discussion on the legality of using racial and gender preferences in the hiring and promotion practices at the nation’s top law firms. Participants include Curt Levey, Committee for Justice; Michele Roberts, Akin Gump; Richard Sander, UCLA School of Law, others.
Location: 12th floor, AEI, 1150 17th St. NW.

9 a.m. HEALTH CARE — JAMA holds a briefing on access of health care, with Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, Harlan Krumholz of Yale School of Medicine, Jack Hadley of the Urban Institute, and C. Annette DuBard of UNC Scholl of Medicine.
Location: National Press Club.

9 a.m. HOMELAND SECURITY — DHS Undersecretary Jay Cohen delivers the keynote address at a Science and Technology Industry Day.
Location: Hilton Hotel, 1767 King St., Alexandria.

9 a.m. U.S.-MEXICO — The Good Neighbor Environmental Board holds a news conference to release its latest U.S.-Mexico border report to the Council on Enviornmental Quality.
Location: Federal Room, Hotel Washington, 515 15th St. NW

10 a.m. CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELDS — The Civil War Preservation Trust holds a press briefing to release a report on the nation’s most endangered battlefields.
Location: National Press Club, Holeman Lounge.

10 a.m. SARBANES-OXLEY — Reps. Gregory Meeks, Tom Feeney and Pete Sessions and Sen. Jim DeMint hold a news conference to introduce a bill making amendments to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Location: Room SC-6, Capitol.

10:30 a.m. CORCORAN-MODERNISM EXHIBIT — The Corcoran Gallery of Art hosts a press preview of the exhibition ``Modernism: Designing a New World 1914-1939,’’ billed as the largest and most comprehensive exhibition on the subject ever staged. The Corcoran will be its only American venue.
Location: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW.

11:30 a.m. OPEN GOVERNMENT — Sens. Patrick Leahy and John Cornyn hold a news conference to mark introduction of a bill to create more transparency and accountability in federal open government laws.
Location: Senate Radio-TV Gallery.

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. SOYFOODS LUNCHEON — The American Soybean Association (ASA) will host the fifth annual Congressional Soyfoods Luncheon on Capitol Hill for members of Congress, staff and other government officials. Chicken Fricassi with Edamame Braised chicken breast with edamame beans in a white wine sauce with cream and soy milk; Pasta with Arugula and Roasted Tomatoes; Soy pasta with wilted arugula, roasted tomatoes and olives; Couscous with Soy Black Beans Couscous with soy black beans, diced carrots and zucchini and toasted almonds tossed in a honey mint vinaigrette (soy oil used in vinaigrette); Romaine and Radicchio Salad with mushrooms, sweet pepper, spiced pecans and soy parmesan tossed in a creamy tofu ranch style dressing; Assorted cookies: oatmeal raisin soy cookies, chocolate chip soynut cookies and cranberry apricot oatmeal soy cookies.
Location: Cannon Caucus Room, Cannon House Office Building.

12:40 a.m. CHAO — Labor Secretary Chao addresses the Society for Human Resource Management legislative conference.
Location: Capital Hilton, 16th and K Sts. NW.

12 p.m. CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE — Sens. Orrin Hatch and Robert Casey, and Reps. Frank Pallone, Jim Ramstad, others, hold a news conference to rally support for reauthorization of the Childeren’s Health Fund.
Location: Russell Park.

12 p.m. LABOR UNIONS — The Labor and Employment Law Practice Group holds a debate on whether union formation elections should be by open or secret ballot, with Sarah Fox, former NLRB member; Brent Garren, UNITE HERE; others.
Location: Capitol Hill Club, 300 1st St. SE.

12 p.m. - 1 p.m. AMERICAN INNOVATION — U.S. business and higher education leaders unveil ``The American Inovation Proclamation,’’ which urges Congress to move forward on critical legislation that promotes U.S. competitiveness and sustains U.S. innovation leadership. The proclamation is signed by more than 270 business and higher education leaders. Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., chairman, House Science and Technology Committee; Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President and CEO, The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., and Chairman, Business Roundtable; Norman Augustine, Former Chairman and CEO, Lockheed Martin Corporation; and Robert C. Dynes, President, University of California.
Location: Room 2325, Rayburn House Office Building.

12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ISLAM-WEST RELATIONS — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) hosts a panel discussion, ``Global Attitudes on Islam-West Relations: U.S. Policy Implications.’’ Participants include Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), and CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Kull will give an analysis of two policy surveys in Iraq and Iran, as well as a BBC-PIPA global poll on relations between Muslims and the West conducted in 27 countries. Awad will discuss participation in a recent Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting on Islam-West dialogue held in Turkey.
Location: Room H-137, Capitol.

12:30 p.m. FUNDS-INVESTMENT — The Center for Security Policy holds a news conference with Missouri State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, others to discuss the DivestTerror.org initiative, which calls on public and private pension systems to fight terrorism by divesting from companies that do business with Iran, Sudan, Syria and North Korea.
Location: National Press Club.

12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. HIGHER EDUCATION — The American Enterprise Institute hosts a conference, ``Higher Education after the Spellings Commission: An Assessment.’’
12:55 p.m. Introduction by Richard Vedder, AEI, Spellings Commission.
1 p.m. Keynote address by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings.
1:45 p.m. Session 1: The Spellings Commission: Did It Accomplish Anything? Panelists: Judith Eaton, Council for Higher Education Accreditation; Eugene Hickok, former deputy secretary of education; and Robert Zemsky, Spellings Commission, University of Pennsylvania. Moderator: Anne D. Neal, American Council of Trustees and Alumni.,
2:45 p.m. Session 2: Financing Higher Education: The Future of Government Support? Panelists: Ron Ehrenberg, Cornell University; and Richard Vedder, AEI, Spellings Commission. Discussants: Sandy Baum, College Board; and Charles Murray, AEI. Moderator: Richard Vedder, AEI, Spellings Commission.
3:45 p.m. Session 3: Commission’s Omissions: Curriculum, Campus Culture, and Informed Trusteeship. Discussants: Mark Bauerlein, Emory University; and Edward Cox, State University of New York; Harry Lewis, Harvard University. Moderator: Anne D. Neal, American Council of Trustees and Alumni.
5 p.m. Adjournment.
Location: Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th floor, AEI 1150 Seventeenth St. NW.

1:30 p.m. WALTER REED — Meeting of the Independent Review Group to Report on Rehabilitative Care and Administrative Processes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center.
Location: Joel Auditorium, Building 1, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

2 p.m. FIRST AMENDMENT — The Free Expression Network, an alliance of organizations dedicated to preserving the right of free expression, hosts a brieifng on the state of the First Amendment.
Location: Room 2226, Rayburn House Office Building.

2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. CONGRESS-TRANSPARENCY — The Sunlight Foundation will present a discussion on ``Sunshine in the First Branch: How Transparent is Congress?’’ Participants will include Jonathan Salant, former National Press Club president and a political reporter for Bloomberg News; John Solomon, national political director for the Washington Post; Matt Stoller of the Open House Project; and Rafael DeGennaro, founder and president of Read the Bill. Moderator will be Mark Tapscott, editorial page editor of The Washington Examiner and member of the National Freedom of Information Hall of Fame.
Location: National Press Club, Zenger Room.

3:30 p.m. IMMIGRATION — Immigrants from across the country hold a briefing on human rights abuses in border communities.
Location: Room 202A, Cannon.

4:30 p.m. PAKISTAN — The School of Advanced International Studies holds a forum on ``Branding Pakistan: What is Pakistan’s Image?’’ with Ken Ballen of Terror Free Tomorrow, Bill Black of Fleischman Hillard, others.
Location: Kenney Auditorium, 1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

6:30 p.m. JOURNALISM FELLOWS — The International Center for Journalists holds a reception honoring the incoming fellows of the Knight International.
Location: DACOR Bacon House, 1801 F St. NW.

10 p.m. TOP SCIENTISTS — Interview opportunities with the top 10 winners of the Intel Science Search.
Location: Reagan Trade Building.

All times local in Washington.