3/10. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an agenda [2 pages in PDF] for its event titled "Open Meeting", scheduled for Friday, March 17, 2006. This agenda includes consideration further NPRMs regarding the children's television rules, and public safety communications in the 700 MHz band. The FCC also plans to create a new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.

The FCC will consider a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the obligation of television licensees to provide educational programming for children and the requirement that television licensees protect children from excessive and inappropriate commercial messages. This proceeding is titled "In the Matter of Children's Television Obligations Of Digital Television Broadcasters" and numbered MM Docket No. 00-167.

Second, the FCC will consider an Eighth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding public safety communications in the 746-776 MHz and 794-806 MHz bands. This is WT Docket No. 96-86.

Finally, the FCC will consider an order establishing Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at the FCC.

This event is scheduled for 9:30 AM on Friday, March 17, 2006 in the FCC's Commission Meeting Room, Room TW-C305, 445 12th Street, SW. The event will be webcast by the FCC. The FCC does not always consider all of the items on its published agenda. The FCC sometimes adds items to the agenda without providing the "one week" notice required 5 U.S.C. § 552b. The FCC does not always start its monthly meetings at the scheduled time. The FCC usually does not release at its meetings copies of the items that its adopts at its meetings.

3/9. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it will hold a series of roundtable meetings in Washington DC on the SEC's plans regarding interactive data and XBRL. See, SEC release.

The first meeting will be at 10:00 AM on Monday, June 12, 2006, at the SEC headquarters. The SEC has not yet set the dates for other meetings.

The SEC also requested "written feedback from investors, registrants, auditors and others on their experiences with interactive data and XBRL. The Commission welcomes feedback on any aspect of the use of interactive data. The information that is submitted will become part of the public record of the interactive data roundtables." The SEC release sets no deadlines for requesting to speak at the roundtables, or deadlines for submitting written comments.

In addition, SEC Commissioner Cynthia Glassman gave a speech in Washington DC on March 9 in which she discussed XBRL.

She said that "An exciting new initiative is the submission of SEC filings using Extensible Business Reporting Language, more commonly known as XBRL. XBRL is an interactive data format that makes financial information easier to locate and analyze. XBRL enables filers to "tag" electronically various items in their reports. I analogize the tagged data to Lego building blocks - investors can use the data to construct for themselves financial, operating ratio or other meaningful information about companies just as Lego blocks can be used to build a variety of different structures, be they buildings or bridges."

Glassman (at right) continued that "Users can retrieve the tagged data through computer searches and analyze it quickly and easily with other computer software tools to construct a variety of analyses, such as trends over time at one company and comparisons across companies. Doing this electronically saves time and money and ensures better accuracy - ultimately resulting in more robust and efficient analyses. I am hopeful that this powerful technology could make the information that registrants file with us more useful to investors and other market constituents."

She also said that the SEC "is currently engaged in XBRL experimental programs. Last year, we launched a voluntary XBRL pilot program. That presents registrants the opportunity to explore the costs and benefits of this new approach. In January, the SEC solicited interest in a new test group under the voluntary program. Participants in the test group will undertake to furnish data in their periodic and investment company reports in XBRL format for at least one year and provide feedback on the costs and benefits of using the interactive data format. In return for participating, the staff will screen and review these participants' filings on an expedited basis."

3/10. President Bush gave a speech in Washington DC at which he discussed, among other topics, research and development.

Bush said that "we need to spend research and development money at the federal level so that we're always on the leading edge of technological change, that the United States is the leader of the world, and that we've got to make sure the research and development tax credit is a permanent part of the tax code, recognizing two-thirds of research dollars comes from the private sector."

Also on March 10, Mark Warshawsky, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, gave a speech in Augusta, Georgia. He said that foreign direct investment (FDI) funds research and development in the U.S., and contributes to innovation.

He said that "foreign affiliates help spur technological innovation. Research and development expenditures by foreign affiliates in the U.S. are substantial -- totaling $29.5 billion in 2003 (latest available) and accounting for about 14 percent of U.S. R&D performed by all U.S. businesses." (Parentheses in original.)

Warshawsky continued that "About three-quarters of total R&D spending by U.S.-based foreign affiliates is done by manufacturing firms. Among manufacturing industries the biggest spender is chemicals (43 percent of all R&D spending in manufacturing), followed by computers and electronic products (23 percent spending in manufacturing). U.S.-based affiliates of European firms perform the most R&D in the U.S., accounting for 75 percent of total R&D spending by foreign affiliates. U.S.-based affiliates of firms headquartered in Asia and the Pacific region account for about 12-1/2 percent of total foreign R&D spending in the United States. Roughly 90 percent of Asia/Pacific R&D spending here is performed by Japanese companies." (Parentheses in original.)

"Overall, it appears that one reason the U.S. economy is so vibrant and resilient, and on the cutting edge of economic innovation, is that we are open to foreign products, foreign ideas, and foreign capital."

And, Warshwsky added that "our investment in business abroad is also a key element in maintaining strong growth and high levels of innovation."

President Bush also said that adoption of information technologies by the health care industry will increase efficiency and productivity. He said that "So information technology, which we're now advancing here at the federal level, in conjunction with providers throughout the country, to develop a common vocabulary, so that eventually there will be electronic medical records, with ample privacy protections available, will help wring out some of the costs of health care."

3/10. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA) announced that he will not run for re-election. This is a district that has voted Republican in the past, and is likely to elect another Republican in November of 2006. Rep. Gallegly is a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) and its Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property (CIIP). He is also a member of the House International Relations Committee, and the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats.

His retirement could impact the selection of the Chairmen of the HJC and its Subcommittees for the 110th Congress, which will begin in January of 2007. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is term limited from remaining as Chairman. (Rep. Sensenbrenner hypothetically could be selected Chairman of the House Science Committee. He previously served for four years as its Chairman. The current Chairman, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) will be term limited at the end of the present Congress.

Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL), a former Chairman of the HJC, is retiring. Rep. Bill Jenkins (R-TN), the 9th ranking Republican, is also retiring. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the 6th ranking Republican, is the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and is not yet term limited.

Other senior members of the HJC include Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC), who is currently the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime (and not yet term limited in this position), Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), who is currently the Chairman of the Subcommittee on CIIP (but not yet term limited in this position), Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), who is currently the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT), who is currently Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.

3/7. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee approved and released a report [7 pages in PDF] titled "Framework for Privacy Analysis of Programs, Technologies, and Applications".

The report does not analyze the privacy implications of any DHS or other governmental program. Rather, it provides a "recommended framework for analyzing programs, technologies, and applications in light of their effects on privacy and related interests".

The report recommends a five part analysis. First, examine the scope of the program, technology, or application. Second, examine the legal basis. Third, conduct a risk analysis and estimation of the efficacy of the program, technology, or application. Fourth, examine its privacy implications. Fifth, make recommendations.

The key section addresses the examination of privacy interests. The report identifies four principles: privacy, fairness, liberty, and data security.

The report states that privacy concerns "How does the program affect individuals’ ability to control how personal information about them is collected, used, or shared?". It, in turn, has three subsets: confidentiality, anonymity, and seclusion.

Fairness encompasses data quality, notice, individual participation and accountability, transparency, and accountability.

Jim Harper, a member of the Advisory Committee, wrote in a release that this report "promises to shed new light on the privacy issue and ameliorate the privacy impacts of many national security programs". Harper is also Editor of Privacilla.org and Director of Information Policy Studies at the Cato Institute.

3/13. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced the creation of a new division at the Department of Justice (DOJ) named the National Security Division at a DOJ event on Monday morning, March 13, 2006.

HR 3199, the "USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005", which President Bush signed into law on March 9, 2006, provides for this new Division.

Gonzales said that this new Division "will bring under one umbrella the Department's primary national security elements, fulfilling a key recommendation of the WMD Commission. We will bring together attorneys from the Counterterrorism and Counterespionage Sections of the Criminal Division, as well as those from the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review who specialize in the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act."

He continued that "the President has announced that he intends to nominate Kenneth Wainstein to serve as Assistant Attorney General for National Security. In addition, the Justice Department has requested reprogramming funds from Congress to move forward in standing up the National Security Division - that's in addition to the 67 million we've requested for the next fiscal year. I am respectfully requesting that Congress move quickly -- both on Ken's confirmation and on our reprogramming request -- so that we can establish this important new Division as soon as possible."

In a related action, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on March 10 that the agenda for its March 17 meeting includes consideration of an order creating a Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at the FCC.

Reorganizations of departments and commissions can have policy consequences. Units within bureaucratic entities sometimes come to represent, respond to, or be captured by, their constituent groups. The main constituent groups of the new DOJ Division and FCC Bureau may include law enforcement agencies, national security agencies, their contractors, data aggregators, and the companies that support service providers and others in complying with surveillance and production directives. Forthcoming technology related policy debates may pertain to spectrum management, electronic surveillance, government access to electronic data and records, privacy and civil liberties, and government technology mandates regarding the design of communications networks and equipment and information technology to make communications and data more easily susceptible to surveillance, intercepts and access.

3/13. President Bush announced his intent to nominate Kenneth Wainstein to be an Assistant Attorney General in charge of the new National Security Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Wainstein is currently the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. He has also been Chief of Staff at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Director of the DOJ's Executive Office for United States Attorneys.

Wainstein testified before the House Judiciary Committee's (HJC) Subcommittee on Crime on April 28, 2005, during that Subcommittee's series of hearings on extending the sunsetted provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. He testified in favor of extending Section 206 of the Act, regarding roving wiretap and surveillance authority, and Section 215, regarding access to business records under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). See, the HJC's report [146 pages in PDF] on the hearings held on April 26 and 28, 2005.

He was also, at this hearing, the first government official to announce that some of the terrorists who hijacked airplanes on September 11, 2001, had previously used internet connected computers at a public library.

He was also one of the attorneys who represented the FBI in CALEA related litigation. See, USTA v. FBI, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, App. Ct. No. 00-5386.

3/10. President Bush announced his intent to nominate Robert McCallum to be Ambassador to Australia. He is the Associate Attorney General. Before that, he was Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division. And before that, he was a partner in the law firm of Alston & Bird. See, White House release.

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The House will meet at 2:00 PM in pro forma session only.  See, Republican Whip Notice.

The Senate will meet at 10:00 AM. It will begin consideration of a budget resolution.

2:00 - 3:00 PM. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP) will hold a monthly meeting. See, notice. For more information, contact Scott Eisner ncfevents at uschamber dot com or 202 463-5500. Location: U.S. Chamber, 1615 H Street, NW.

The House will meet at 12:30 PM for morning hour and at 2:00 PM for legislative business. The House will consider numerous non-technology related items under suspension of the rules. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 PM. See, Republican Whip Notice.

9:30 - 11:00 AM. American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) will host a panel discussion titled "Popular Technology & The Risk of Hearing Loss". The ASHA notice states that it will release "survey findings related to how the usage of some of today’s biggest selling popular technology -- for example, the iPod, other MP3 players, portable ear telephone, and the pocket PC -- may be harming the nation’s hearing". The speakers will be Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Alex Johnson (ASHA), Brenda Martin (ASHA), Anne Marie Tharpe (Vanderbilt University), Dean Garstecki (Northwestern University), and Brian Fligor (Children's Hospital Boston). Location: First Amendment Room, 13th Floor, National Press Club, 529 14th St., NW.

10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Wireless Issues / Spectrum Reform". The witnesses will be Catherine Seidel (acting Chief of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau), John Kneuer (acting head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration), JayEtta Hecker (Government Accountability Office), Thomas Walsh (Rural Cellular Association), Kevin Kahn (Intel), David Donovan (Association of Maximum Service Television), Thomas Sugrue (T-Mobile USA), Jeannine Kenney (Consumers Union), Lawrence White (NYU's Stern School of Business). See, notice. Press contact: Melanie Alvord (Stevens) at 202 224-8456, Aaron Saunders (Stevens) at 202 224-3991, or Andy Davis (Inouye) at 202 224-4546. The hearing will be webcast by the SCC. Location: Room 562, Dirksen Building.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a panel discussion titled "The Patent Office Speaks". The speakers will include John Doll (Commissioner of Patents, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), Peggy Focarino (Deputy Commissioner for Patent Operations), and Jay Lucas (acting Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy). Darrell Mottley (Banner & Witcoff) will moderate. The price to attend ranges from $20 - $40. For more information, call 202 626-3463. See, notice. Location: The Westin Embassy Row Hotel, 2100 Massachusetts Ave., NW.

? 2:00 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Science, the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing. The witness will be Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Location: Room 2359, Rayburn Building.

2:00 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold a hearing on pending nominations. See, notice. The SJC frequently cancels or postpones hearings without notice. Press contact: Blain Rethmeier (Specter) at 202 224-5225, David Carle (Leahy) at 202 224-4242 or Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202 224-2154. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.

2:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing titled "Wall Street's Perspective on Telecommunications". See, notice. Press contact: Melanie Alvord (Stevens) at 202 224-8456, Aaron Saunders (Stevens) at 202 224-3991, or Andy Davis (Inouye) at 202 224-4546. The hearing will be webcast by the SCC. Location: Room 562, Dirksen Building.

TIME? The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) North American Numbering Council (NANC) will hold a meeting. Location: ___.

TIME? The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will hold a hearing on the proposed free trade agreement with the Republic of Korea. The USTR seeks comments on, among other topics, "electronic commerce issues" and "trade-related intellectual property rights issues that should be addressed in the negotiations". See, notice in the Federal Register: February 9, 2006, Vol. 71, No. 27, at Pages 6820-6821. Location: Rooms 1 and 2, 1724 F Street, NW.

Day one of a four day convention hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) titled titled "CEA Spring Break". See, notice.

EXTENDED TO MARCH 28. Deadline to submit reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [26 pages in PDF] regarding Section 621(a)(1)'s directive that local franchising authorities (LFAs) not unreasonably refuse to award competitive franchises. The FCC adopted this NPRM on November 3, 2005, and released it on November 18, 2005. It is FCC 05-189 in MB Docket No. 05-311. See, notice in the Federal Register, December 14, 2005, Vol. 70, No. 239, at Pages 73973 - 73980. See also, story titled "FCC Adopts NPRM Regarding Local Franchising of Video Services" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,247, November 4, 2005. See, FCC notice [MS Word] of extension dated March 7, 2006.

The will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. It may consider HR 1606, the "Online Freedom of Speech Act", subject to a rule. See, Republican Whip Notice.

9:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold an executive business meeting. See, notice. The SJC frequently cancels or postpones meetings without notice. Press contact: Blain Rethmeier (Specter) at 202 224-5225, David Carle (Leahy) at 202 224-4242 or Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202 224-2154. Location: Mansfield Room (Room 207), Capitol Building.

9:30 - 10:30 AM. Hector Ruiz, Ch/CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), will speak at an event hosted by CDT/CIC. Location: Room 1300, Longworth Building.

12:00 NOON - 2:00 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a panel discussion titled "The Portable Curator -- The Legal and Business Considerations of Providing High-Tech Handheld Devices to Museum Visitors". The speakers will include Jennifer Berry (Acoustiguide), Allison Cohen (attorney), and Bruce Falk (Smithsonian Institution). The price to attend ranges from $10-$15. For more information, call 202 626-3463. See, notice. Location: Johns Hopkins University, Lower Level 7, 1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW.

9:00 AM - 12:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Wireless Committee will host a continuing legal education (CLE) seminar titled "Economic Analysis and FCC Decision Making". The price to attend ranges from $50 to $150. Registrations and cancellations are due by 12:00 NOON on March 10. See, registration form [PDF]. Location: Hogan & Hartson, 555 13th St., NW, 13th floor.

10:00 AM. The House Judiciary Committee (HJC) will meet to mark up several items, including a resolution establishing a task force on telecom and antitrust, HR 4742, a bill to allow the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to waive statutory provisions governing patents and trademarks in certain emergencies, and HConRes 319, which expresses the sense of the Congress regarding the successful and substantial contributions of the Bayh-Dole Act. See, notice. The meeting will be webcast by the HJC. Press contact: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn at 202 225-2492. Location: Room 2141, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The House Science Committee's Subcommittee on Research will hold a hearing titled "Undergraduate Science, Math and Engineering Education: What's Working?". The witnesses will be Daniel Goroff (Harvey Mudd College), Carl Wieman (University of Colorado at Boulder), John Burris (Beloit College), Elaine Seymour (University of Colorado at Boulder), Margaret Collins (Moraine Valley Community College. Press contact: Joe Pouliot at 202 225-4275. For more information, call Kara Haas at 225-7858, or Jim Wilson at 225-6375 Location: Room 2318, Rayburn Building.

12:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Professional Responsibility Committee will host a brown bag lunch. The topic will be planning a spring continuing legal education (CLE) seminar. For more information, contact Peter Connolly at 202 862-5989 or Peter dot connolly at hklaw dot com. Location: Holland & Knight, 2099 Pennsylvania Ave.

TIME CHANGE. 1:30 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee (SCC) will hold a hearing titled "Innovation and Competitiveness Legislation". The witnesses will be Craig Barrett (Chairman of Intel), Norman Augustine (Chairman of Lockheed Martin), John Kelly (IBM), Deborah Smith (Council on Competitiveness). Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) will preside. See, notice. Press contact: Melanie Alvord (Stevens) at 202 224-8456, Aaron Saunders (Stevens) at 202 224-3991, or Andy Davis (Inouye) at 202 224-4546. Location: Room 562, Dirksen Building.

3:15 - 4:00 PM. U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman will give a speech to the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA) Board of Industry Leaders. He will discuss the non-agricultural market access negotiations in the Doha round, and bilateral and regional free trade agreements. For more information, contact Jeff Joseph (CEA) at 703-907-7664 or jjoseph at ce dot org, or Christin Baker (USTR) at 202-395-3230 or Christin_Baker at ustr dot eop dot gov. Location: Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, Atrium Hall,  1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW.

5:00 PM. Deadline to submit applications to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT) program grants. See, notice in the Federal Register, February 13, 2006, Vol. 71, No. 29, at Pages 7539-7541.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin Auction No. 64 (Full Power Television Construction Permits). See, notice in the Federal Register, December 28, 2005, Vol. 70, No. 248, at Pages 76836 - 76849.

Day two of a four day convention hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) titled titled "CEA Spring Break". This will also be the first day of a two day "Entertainment Technology Summit". And, at 6:30 PM there will be an event titled "Digital Patriots Dinner". Bill Gates will receive an award. See, notice.

The will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative business. It may consider HR 1606, the "Online Freedom of Speech Act", subject to a rule. See, Republican Whip Notice.

9:00 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) may hold an executive business meeting. The SJC frequently cancels or postpones meetings without notice. Press contact: Blain Rethmeier (Specter) at 202 224-5225, David Carle (Leahy) at 202 224-4242 or Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202 224-2154. Location: Mansfield Room (Room 207), Capitol Building.

9:00 AM - 4:30 PM. The Library of Congress's (LOC) Section 108 Study Group will hold the second of two round table meetings. 17 U.S.C. § 108, titled "Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction by libraries and archives", provides exemptions from liability for infringement for libraries and archives. The LOC published a notice in the Federal Register that states that this meeting relates "primarily to eligibility for the section 108 exceptions and copies made for purposes of preservation and replacement". This notice also states that requests to participate in must be received by 5:00 PM EST on February 24. See, Federal Register, February 15, 2006, Vol. 71, No. 31, at Pages 7999-8002. Location: Room 2237, Rayburn Building, Capitol Hill.

9:30 AM. The Senate Finance Committee's (SFC) Subcommittee on International Trade will hold a hearing titled "Cuno and Competitiveness: Where to Draw the Line". See, SFC notice and opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals (6thCir) in Cuno v. DaimlerChrysler, 386 F.3d 738. Location: Room 215, Dirksen Building.

9:30 AM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, The Judiciary, District of Columbia will hold a hearing on the federal judiciary. The witnesses will be Judge Julia Gibbons (U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit) and Leonidas Mecham (Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts). Location: Room 2358, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled "Legislative Proposals to Promote Electronic Health Records and a Smarter Health Information System". See, notice. The hearing will be webcast by the HCC. Press contact: Larry Neal (Barton) at 202 225-5735. Location: Room 2123, Rayburn Building.

10:00 AM. The Anti Phishing Working Group APWG) will host a press conference For more information, contact Barbara Span at 202 296-9805. Location: West Room, National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW.

12:30 NOON - 2:00 PM. The DC Bar Association will host the first of a series of events titled "Managing and Protecting Digital Data". Part I is titled "Overview: Using Technology to Protect Digital Content and Critical Corporate Data". The speakers will include Hari Reddy (ContentGuard). The price to attend ranges from $10-$30. For more information, call 202 626-3463. See, notice. Location: D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1250 H Street NW, B-1 Level.

2:00 PM. The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Science, the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Location: Room H-309, Capitol Building.

3:00 PM. The Senate Commerce Committee will meet. The agenda includes markup of S 2389, the "Protecting Consumer Phone Records Act", and consideration of the nominations of Robert McDowell to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Robert Cresanti to be Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology. Press contact: Melanie Alvord (Stevens) at 202 224-8456, Aaron Saunders (Stevens) at 202 224-3991, or Andy Davis (Inouye) at 202 224-4546. Location: Room S-128, Capitol Building.

6:00 - 8:15 PM. The DC Bar Association will host a continuing legal education (CLE) seminar titled "How to Conduct Trademark Searches". The speaker will be Colette Barkey (Oblon Spivak). The price to attend ranges from $70-$125. For more information, call 202 626-3488. See, notice. Location: D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1250 H Street NW, B-1 Level.

Day three of a four day convention hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) titled titled "CEA Spring Break". This will also be the second day of a two day "Entertainment Technology Summit". See, notice.

The Republican Whip Notice states that "no votes are expected in the House".

St. Patrick's Day.

9:30 AM. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold a meeting. See, agenda [PDF]. The event will be webcast by the FCC. Location: FCC, 445 12th Street, SW, Room TW-C05 (Commission Meeting Room).

9:30 AM. The U.S. Court of Appeals (DCCir) will hear oral argument in AT&T v. FCC, App. Ct. No. 05-1171. See, brief [51 pages in PDF] of the FCC. Judges Sentelle, Rogers and Griffith will preside. Location: Prettyman Courthouse, 333 Constitution Ave., NW.

Day four of a four day convention hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) titled titled "CEA Spring Break". See, notice.

2:30 - 4:30 PM. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will host a panel discussion titled "Scientific Talent and U.S. Economic Leadership". The speakers will be Richard Freeman (Harvard), Steven Davis (AEI), David Weinstein (Columbia), and Kevin Hassett (AEI). Freeman will discuss his paper titled "Does Globalization of the Scientific/Engineering Workforce Threaten U.S. Economic Leadership?". See, notice. For more information, contact Chris Pope at cpope at aei dot org or Veronique Rodman (reporters) at vrodman at aei dot org.  (This event had previously been scheduled for January 13, 2006.) Location: 12th floor, 1150 17th St., NW.

The House will not meet on Monday, March 20, through Friday, March 24. The Majority Whip's calendar identifies this as a "St. Patrick's Day District Work Period".

Day one of a two day conference hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Federal Information Systems Security Educators' Association (FISSEA) titled "FISSEA Conference: Training for a Cyber-Secure Future". See, notice. Location: Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, MD.