[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 25, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D174-D176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on Building a 21st Century 
Workforce. Testimony was heard from the following former Ambassadors: 
Thomas Pickering; Prudence Bushnell and Edward Perkins; and Jim Kunder, 
formerly with the U.S. Agency for International Development, Department 
of State.
U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces and 
the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces held a joint 
hearing on U.S. Transportation Command's (USTRANSCOM) airlift, sealift, 
and surface lift programs. Testimony was heard from GEN Duncan J. 
McNabb, USAF, U.S. Transportation Command, Department of Defense.
PERSONNEL BENEFICIARY/ADVOCACY OVERVIEW
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on beneficiary and advocacy overview. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISSILE DEFENSE TESTING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on the future of missile defense testing. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Defense: Charles E. 
McQueary, Director, Operational Test and Evaluation; LTG Patrick 
O'Reilly, USA, Director, Missile Defense Agency; and MAJ Roger Nadeau, 
USA, Commanding General, Test and Evaluation Command, USA; Paul L. 
Francis, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, GAO; Philip E. 
Coyle III, former Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, Department 
of Defense; and a public witness.
IMPROVING SERVICE AND VOLUNTEERISM
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Renewing America 
through National Service and Volunteerism. Testimony was heard from SGM 
Kenneth O. Preston, U.S. Army; and public witnesses.

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MONETARY POLICY/STATE OF THE ECONOMY
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on monetary policy and 
the state of the economy. Testimony was heard from Ben S. Bernanke, 
Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONSHIP
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on From Competition to 
Collaboration: Strengthening the U.S.-Russia Relationship. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT OUTLOOK
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``DHS: The Path 
Forward.'' Testimony was heard from Janet Napolitano, Secretary of 
Homeland Security.
COMMITTEE FUNDING
Committee on House Administration: Concluded hearings on Committee 
Funding for the 111th Congress. Testimony was heard from the following 
Committees: Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Ranking Member Joe Barton of 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce; Chairman Charles B. Rangel and 
Ranking Member Dave Camp of the Committee on Ways and Means; and 
Chairwoman Louise McIntosh Slaughter and Ranking Member David Dreier of 
the Committee on Rules.
D.C. VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 2009; COPYRIGHT LICENSING IN A DIGITAL AGE
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 157, 
District of Columbia Voting Rights Act of 2009.
  The Committee also held a hearing on Copyright Licensing in a Digital 
Age: Competition, Compensation and the Need to Update the Cable and 
Satellite TV Licenses. Testimony was heard from Marybeth Peters, 
Register of Copyrights, U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress; and 
public witnesses.
OFFSHORE DRILLING
Committee on Natural Resources: Concluded oversight hearings entitled 
``Offshore Drilling: Industrial Perspectives.'' Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
CORAL REEF CONSERVATION; MARIANA ISLANDS SUBMERGED LANDS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans 
and Wildlife held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 860, Coral 
Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 
2009; and H.R. 934, To convey certain submerged lands to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in order to give that 
territory the same benefits in its submerged lands as Guam, the Virgin 
Islands, and American Samoa in their submerged lands. Testimony was 
heard from Kacky Andrews, Director, Coral Reef Conservation Program, 
National Ocean Service, NOAA, Department of Commerce; Nikolao Pula, 
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Insular Affairs, 
Department of the Interior; Felix P. Camacho, Governor, Guam; Togiola 
T. A. Tulafono, Governor, American Samoa; Benigno R. Fitial, Governor, 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and public witnesses.
HELPING FAMILIES SAVE THEIR HOMES ACT OF 2009
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a rule providing for 
consideration of H.R. 1106, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act 
of 2009. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided 
and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Financial Services and the chair and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill 
except those arising under clause 9 of rule XXI and provides that the 
bill shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order 
against provisions in the bill.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the report 
of the Committee on Rules. Each amendment may be offered only in the 
order printed, may be offered only by a Member designated, shall be 
considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not 
be subject to amendment or demand for division of the question. The 
rule waives all points of order against such amendments except those 
arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides one motion 
to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Frank, Chairman Conyers and Representatives Cummings, Miller 
(NC), Sestak, Titus, Neugebauer and King (IA).
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL POLICIES IMPACT ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Science and Technology: Held a hearing on Impacts of U.S. 
Export Control Policies on Science and Technology and Competitiveness. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS RETIREMENT PLANS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Drop in 
Retirement Savings: The Challenges Small

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Businesses Face Funding and Maintaining Retirement Plans in a 
Struggling Economy.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FEMA GULF COAST RECOVERY; RECENT DISASTERS RESPONSE
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a 
hearing on Post-Katrina Disaster Response and Recovery: Evaluating 
FEMA's Continuing Efforts in the Gulf Coast and Response to Recent 
Disasters. Testimony was heard from the following officials of FEMA, 
Department of Homeland Security: David Garratt, Acting Deputy 
Administrator; and James W. Stark, Assistant Administrator, Gulf Coast 
Recovery Office; and public witnesses.
CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
  Committee on Ways and Means: Continued hearings on climate change, 
with emphasis on Scientific Objectives for Climate Change 
legislation. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
WORLD WIDE THREATS
  Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on World Wide Threats. Testimony was heard 
from Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence.
TECHNOLOGY CAN REVOLUTIONIZE EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE SOLUTIONS
  Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``Get Smart on the Smart Grid: How Technology Can 
Revolutionize Efficiency and Renewable Solutions.'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.