The Senate has gone on recess until September 13, but a few Senate committee chairmen and members are scheduling field hearings during the month away from Washington. They look like interesting sessions, with some manufacturing implications.

The Senate Commerce Committee has a field hearing set for Tuesday in the far, far north of Barrow, Ak., “The Changing Arctic: Implications for Federal Resources and Local Communities.” Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) is a member of the committee.*

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who chairs the Senate Small Business Committee, is holding a field hearing Tuesday in Lafayette, La., “The Deepwater Drilling Moratorium: An Economic Disaster for Louisiana’s Small Businesses?”

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, is tending to home-state issues with three field hearings in eastern North Dakota. (During the last recess in June, he held field hearings in western North Dakota.)

• Monday, West Fargo, “Devils Lake Flooding Disaster: A Red River Valley Perspective”
• Tuesday, Lisbon, “Devils Lake Flooding Disaster: How Should Downstream Impacts be Addressed?” (A great, great location for the hearing: The Stake Out Supper Club and Lounge)
• Wednesday, Wahpeton, “Transportation Infrastructure’s Role in Economic Growth,” with testimony from representatives from Bobcat and Cargill.

Flooding in the enclosed Devils Lake Basin is an amazing natural phenomenon, the result of 17 wet years during which Devils Lake has risen 30 feet and quadrupled in size. The associated costs are in the hundreds of millions of dollars. (Nearly $200 million for roads alone.)

* The hearing in Barrow was planned before the death of Sen. Ted Stevens, the former chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. The current chairman, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), paid tribute to Stevens in a statement.

We’ve posted previously on the companies that have made contributions to Haiti relief efforts in the wake of the terrible Jan. 12 earthquake. The outpouring of aid continues.

• ConAgra: “ConAgra Foods, whose corporate headquarters is in Omaha, Nebraska, is joining in to help the cause and has just donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross for its International Relief Fund, to assist the Red Cross response in Haiti.”
• Cargill: “MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Cargill is responding to the devastating earthquake in Haiti with an initial corporate donation of $50,000 that will be directed to long-time Cargill partners CARE and the World Food Programme, which have significant operations in the country.  In the Twin Cities, Cargill volunteers at its headquarters facility will be packaging 20,000 meals on January 18 for the nonprofit Kids Against Hunger, which will be sent directly to people in Haiti; Cargill volunteers will be packaging an additional 30,000 meals over the next month.”
• General Mills Foundation: “The General Mills Foundation today announced a commitment of $250,000 to support disaster relief and rebuilding efforts in Haiti. The $250,000 commitment includes a $100,000 donation to the American Red Cross International Response Fund and a $150,000 donation to CARE International for long-term rebuilding efforts.”
• United HealthGroup: “MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 15, 2010) UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which helps victims of countless crises around the world, including the recent earthquake in Haiti. In addition, the company will match employee contributions to charitable partner Global Impact, dollar for dollar up to $50,000.”
• Medtronic: “MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 15, 2010 – Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced today that it has pledged $150,000 through the Medtronic Foundation to support earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. The Foundation will match employee donations up to $50,000, with matching funds directed to Partners in Health. An additional $100,000 grant will be directed to the rebuilding of community health clinics in Haiti.”
• Ecolab: “Ecolab said it will contribute $500,000 of cleaning and sanitation products to help meet needs in Haiti, including hand sanitizers and surface sanitizers. In addition to the product donation, the Ecolab Foundation has offered a global matching gift program, through which it will match all Ecolab associate contributions to the Red Cross up to $1,000 per associate up to a total of $25,000.”
• Pentair: “MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 15, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Pentair, Inc., a global water solutions provider, in coordination with its Foundation, is immediately donating $200,000 to fund portable water treatment systems and related supplies to Haiti. Working with the company’s charitable partner, Water Missions International (WMI), Pentair is able to provide 10 Living Water Treatment Systems (LWTS) and five chlorinators. These water systems can provide potable drinking water to approximately 100,000 total people daily.”
• Mosaic Corp. (potash and phosphate): “Mosaic announced it is contributing $500,000 for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.  Mosaic’s $500,000 contribution will provide both immediate and long-term assistance, supporting emergency medical services, triage and mobile communications.”
  Our accounting of these charitable efforts favors larger companies, which have the means and materiel to make large-scale contributions. We know there are also thousands of smaller manufacturers and their employees who are also concerned and caring in their donations.

  Earlier posts:

  •  Manufacturers and the Outpouring of Aid for Haiti
  •  Manufacturers Donate to Haiti Earthquake Relief

  Also, thanks to MinnPost.com for spotting several of these announcements from Twin Cities-based companies.

The radio reminds us that the Venezuelan government-owned fuel company, Citgo, sponsors NPR’s Morning Edition, so it’s a good time to post some recent Venezuelan news.

The roster of news items — including reports of attacks on U.S.-based companies — suggests the United States should do a better job of supporting its free-market, pro-trade, pro-democracy allies in the region, countries like, say, Colombia.

New York Times, “Chávez Tells His Navy to Take Over Key Seaports“:

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chávez ordered the navy on Sunday to seize seaports in states with major petroleum-exporting installations, part of his effort to assert greater control over infrastructure that had come under the dominion of political opponents in regional elections last year.

The Economist, “Chavez’s new attacks on private sector“:

First to feel the impact were rice processors. A rice plant belonging to Cargill Inc., a Twin Cities company, was seized for allegedly violating the “food security” law. Two plants owned by Empresas Polar, Venezuela’s largest private conglomerate, were taken over “temporarily” to enforce production of price-controlled rice.

Bloomberg, “Venezuela to Seize 30 Trawling Vessels After Ban“

March 15 (Bloomberg) — Venezuela, which banned trawl- fishing yesterday, will take over 30 trawlers and donate them to Pescera de Alba, a joint venture with Cuba, for other uses, Food and Agriculture Minister Elias Jaua said. …“Excellent recommendation,” President Hugo Chavez said on his weekly television address, as supporters, including a group of fishermen who use smaller boats, chanted their approval.

International Herald Tribune, “El Salvador ex-rebels seek U.S. ties“:

El Salvador’s President-elect Mauricio Funes said he wants strong relations with Washington after his party of ex-Marxist guerrillas ousted their right-wing civil war foes in a tight election victory…Funes told CNN El Salvador would have its own style of leftist government and had no reason to mirror Venezuela, whose socialist President Hugo Chavez telephoned to congratulate him minutes after hearing he had won. Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, another staunch leftist, also called.

And from the White House:

The Vice President will travel to Chile and Costa Rica from March 27-30 to consult with Latin American leaders regarding the Summit of the Americas, which is scheduled for mid-April in Trinidad and Tobago.

In Chile, the Vice President will attend the Progressive Governance conference, which will also be attended by the Presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, and the Prime Ministers of Norway and the United Kingdom. The Vice President will also be hosted by Chilean President Bachelet for a bilateral meeting.

In Costa Rica, the Vice President will be hosted by President Oscar Arias, who has invited the leaders of the other Central American nations for a joint meeting in San Jose.

 You know what country’s capital is on the way from Santiago to San Jose? Bogota, Colombia. A stop by the Vice President would have been a powerful gesture of support for a democratic government and U.S. ally.