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Al Gore sounded a clarion call that awakened the world to the very real threat of global warming. He has performed an invaluable service to humanity that is more than worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Through his ground-breaking film, 'An Inconvenient Truth,' his lectures, books, concerts, and many other activities, Al Gore has done more to educate the public on the dangers of climate change -- and on the positive steps we can take to prevent it -- than any other individual.

Vice President Gore's public advocacy and the scientific efforts of Dr. Rajenda Pachauri and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have opened the world's eyes and removed any doubt that the climate crisis threatens our world and our children's future.

From the Science Committee:

Chairman Gordon Commends IPCC, Gore on Nobel Award

(Washington, DC) The Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology Bart Gordon (D-TN) today issued the following statement on the Nobel Committee's announcement that the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded jointly to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former Vice President Al Gore for their work on climate change.

In February of this year, Chairman Gordon's Committee was the first Congressional body to hear directly from the IPCC authors on their climate change findings. The Committee also hosted Vice President Gore at a hearing in March.

Chairman Gordon commented today:

Last night after the last vote Reps. Chris Murphy (CT-05) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) discussed the SCHIP program on the House floor, and Rep. Murphy denounced the right wing smear against the Frost family.

From the Education and Labor Committee release:

Chairmen Miller & Rahall Request Inspector General Investigation into Teen Boot Camps on Federal Land

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Nick Rahall (D-WV) today asked the Inspectors General at the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to launch investigations into private residential treatment programs for children that operate on federal land. The request comes one day after the release of a government report that documented cases of fatal child abuse and neglect, including deaths that occurred on federal property.

The Energy Subcommittee on Oversight is currently holding the third of three hearings, "Diminished Capacity: Can the FDA Assure the Safety and Security of the Nation's Food Supply? -- Part III." Senior Committee Investigator David Nelson testifies on behalf of all of the investigators about their trip and inquiry in China. The Gavel covered Part II in July.

Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak gives opening remarks:

By a vote of 232-173, the House has just passed the Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007, H.R. 3056, to repeal the use of private debt collection companies to collect federal income taxes. The bill would end taxpayer harassment, abusive calling, and violations of taxpayer rights, often incentivized by a reward for greater returns from the private firms. Furthermore, according to the IRS, the return on investment for IRS employees doing work similar to private collection agencies is 13-to-1, while the private collection agencies' return is about 4-to-1.

Chairman Charlie Rangel of the Ways and Means Committee, the sponsor of the bill, spoke on the floor:

The Intelligence and Judiciary Committees have approved a bill to restore constitutional checks and balances to the way electronic surveillance is used to gather intelligence. The RESTORE Act gives the government all the tools necessary to acquire under the law the intelligence that can keep our country safe.

At the same time, the bill protects the privacy of Americans by putting the FISA court back in business and assuring strong oversight of surveillance activities by Congress. The two committees also reaffirmed Congress' constitutional role by refusing to consider granting retroactive immunity to companies that participated in the President's warrantless surveillance programs until the Administration has provided Congress with full information about those programs.