[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D149-D151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DERIVATIVES MARKETS TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2009
Committee on Agriculture: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 977, 
Derivatives Markets Transparency and Accountability Act of 2009.
ARMY CONTRACTING
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Army Contracting. Testimony was heard from LTG N. Ross Thompson, USA, 
Military Deputy to Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, 
Logistics and Technology, Department of the Army.
U.S. STRATEGY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Addressing U.S. Strategy 
in Iraq and Afghanistan: Balancing Interests and Resources. Testimony 
was heard from Janet St. Laurent, Managing Director, Defense 
Capabilities and Management Team, GAO; GEN Jack Keane, USA (ret.), 
former Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; and public witnesses.
COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMIST IDEOLOGIES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on Strategies for Countering 
Violent Extremist Ideologies. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FIGHTING CHILD HUNGER
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Building a Foundation for 
Families: Fighting Hunger, Investing in Children. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.

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WORKER'S RIGHTS; COLOMBIAN VIOLENCE AGAINST LABOR
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Examining Workers' 
Rights and Violence Against Labor Union Leaders in Colombia. Testimony 
was heard from Jose Nirio Sanchez, former special court judge for 
labor-homicide cases, Colombia; and public witnesses.
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Higher Education, 
Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness held a hearing on New Innovations 
and Best Practices, Under the Workforce Investment Act. Testimony was 
heard from Stephen Wooderson, Administrator, Vocal Rehabilitation 
Services, State of Iowa; and public witnesses.
CLIMATE CHALLENGE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on The Climate Challenge: National Security 
Threats and Economic Opportunities. Testimony was heard from R. James 
Woolsey, former Director, CIA; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE'S OVERSIGHT PLAN
Committee on Financial Services; Approved the Committee's Oversight 
Plan for the 111th Congress.
U.S.-NORTH KOREA POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and 
the Global Environment held a hearing on Smart Power: Remaking U.S. 
Foreign Policy in North Korea. Testimony was heard from Charles L. 
Pritchard, former Ambassador and Special Envoy for Negotiations with 
North Korea, Department of State; and public witnesses.
POSTWAR GAZA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on Gaza After the War: What Can Be Built on the 
Wreckage? Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LIBEL TOURISM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on Libel Tourism. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
COAL ASH RECLAMATION, ENVIRONMENT, AND SAFETY ACT OF 2009
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing on H.R. 493, Coal Ash Reclamation, 
Environment, and Safety Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from John R. 
Craynon, Chief, Division of Regulatory Support, Office of Surface 
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Department of the Interior; and 
public witnesses.
TRAINING AND EQUIPPING AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on National 
Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing on Training and Equipping 
Afghan Security Forces: Unaccounted Weapons and Strategic Challenges. 
Testimony was heard from Charles Michael Johnson, Director, 
International Affairs and Trade, GAO; Thomas Gimble, Principal Deputy 
Inspector General, Department of Defense; and a public witness.
AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 9 to 4, a rule 
providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 
1, the ``American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.'' The rule 
provides 90 minutes of debate on the conference report.
  The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the 
conference report except those arising under clause 9 of rule XXI and 
provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. The 
rule waives all points of order against the conference report. Finally, 
the rule provides on motion to recommit, if applicable. Testimony was 
heard from Chairman Obey.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on an Overview of Transportation R&D: 
Priorities for Reauthorization. Testimony was heard from David Wise, 
Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; Amadeo Saenz, 
Director, Department of Transportation, State of Texas; Paul Brubaker, 
former Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology 
Administration, Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES COMMITTEE'S OVERSIGHT PLAN
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure:. Ordered reported the 
following measures: H. R. 608, ``Smithsonian Institution Facilities 
Authorization Act of 2009;'' H.R. 813, To designate the Federal 
building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street 
in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal 
Building and United

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States Courthouse;'' H.R. 837, To designate the Federal building 
located at 799 United Nations Plaza in New York, New York, as the 
``Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations 
Building'', H.R. 842, To designate the United States Courthouse to be 
constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United 
States Courthouse;'' H.R. 869, To designate the Federal building and 
United States courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, 
Kentucky, as the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and United States 
Courthouse;'' H.R. 887, To designate the United States courthouse 
located at 131 East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa, as the ``James A. 
Leach United States Courthouse;'' H. Con. Res. 37, authorizing the use 
of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby; H. 
Con. Res. 38, Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 
National Peace Officers' Memorial Service; and H. Con. Res.39, 
Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia 
Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.
  The Committee also approved its Oversight Plan for the 111th 
Congress.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight met for 
organizational purposes.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security met for 
organizational purposes.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session 
for organizational purposes.
  Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security: Senators 
Schumer (Chair), Leahy, Feinstein, Durbin, Whitehouse, Wyden, Cornyn, 
Grassley, Kyl, and Sessions.
  Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security: Senators Cardin 
(Chair), Kohl, Feinstein, Schumer, Durbin, Wyden, Kaufman, Kyl, Hatch, 
Sessions, Cornyn, and Coburn.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Rules and Administration: On Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 
Committee ordered favorably reported an original resolution authorizing 
expenditures by the Committee.
ANNUAL THREAT ASSESSMENT
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the annual threat assessment of the intelligence community, 
after receiving testimony from Dennis C. Blair, Director of National 
Intelligence.
BUSINESS MEETING
Special Committee on Aging: Committee ordered favorably reported an 
original resolution authorizing expenditures by the Committee.

Joint Meetings
AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 1, making supplemental 
appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure 
investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the 
unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2009.