W&M hearing on the economy

As an apparent precursor to a second round of rebate checks, the House Ways and Means Committee today is holding a hearing on "Economic Recovery, Job Creation and Investment In America."

In announcing the hearing, Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) noted the severity of the recent economic downturn and its effects not only on individuals, but also on state and local governments.

Witnesses invited to testify before the panel include:

• David Paterson, Governor, State of New York
  

• Mark Sanford, Governor, State of South Carolina
  

• Douglas Palmer, Mayor, City of Trenton, N.J.

• Timothy Firestine, Chief Operating Officer, Montgomery County Executive, Rockville, Md.

• David Mongan, President, American Society of Civil Engineers
  

• Dennis Van Roekel, President, National Education Association
  

• Jared Bernstein, Ph.D., Director, Living Standards Program, Economic Policy Institute
  

• Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
  

• Christine Owens, Executive Director, National Employment Law Project
  

• Jeanne Lambrew, Ph.D., Associate Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin, and Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress, Action Fund, Austin, Texas
  

• Martella A. Turner-Joseph, Vice President, Joseph & Turner Consulting Actuaries, LLC, New York, N.Y.

• Alan Viard, Ph.D., Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
  

Testimony begins at 10 a.m. Eastern (9 a.m. Central). You can watch the proceeding by clicking on the live committee action link at the Ways and Means home page.