[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D240-D242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Major Challenges Facing 
Federal Prisons, Parts I and II. Testimony was heard from Harley 
Lappin, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice; and 
public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Offender Drug Abuse Treatment 
Approaches. Testimony was heard from a public witness.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Marine Corps Ground Equipment. Testimony was heard from LTG George J. 
Flynn, USMC, Department of Defense; Deputy Commandant, Combat 
Development and Integration.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Secure Border Initiative and Control of the Land Border, and 
on Department of Homeland Security Response to Violence on the Border 
with Mexico. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Jayson Ahern, Acting Commissioner, 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, David Aguilar, Chief, U.S. Border 
Patrol, Mark Koumans, Deputy Assistant Secretary, International 
Affairs; and March Forman, Director, Office of Investigations, U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and a public witness.
STATE AND FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State and Foreign 
Operations held a hearing on The Merida Initiative. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of State: Thomas 
Shannon, Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere Affairs; David 
Johnson, Assistant Secretary, International Narcotics Control and Law 
Enforcement; Roger Garner, Mission Director for Mexico, U.S. Agency for 
International Development; and public witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development and Related Agencies, hearing on Department of 
Transportation Inspector General and GAO, Top Management Challenges and 
High Risk. Testimony was heard from Calvin Scovel, Inspector General, 
Department of Transportation; and Katherine Siggerud, Managing 
Director, Physical Infrastructure Team, GAO.
LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary 
Forces held a hearing on Littoral Combat Ship program update. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of the Navy, 
Department of Defense: RADM Victor G. Guillory, USN, Director, Surface 
Warfare Division, N86; RADM William E. Landay, USN, Program Executive 
Officer, Ships; and E. Anne Sandel, Program Executive Officer, Littoral 
and Mine Warfare.
STRENGTHENING EMPLOYER-BASED HEALTH CARE
  Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor and Pensions held a hearing on Strengthening 
Employer-Based Health Care. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
COAL FUTURE UNDER CLIMATE LEGISLATION
  Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on the Future of

[[Page D241]]

Coal under Climate Legislation. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM REFORM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on Making Health Care Work for American Families with emphasis on 
Designing a High Performance Healthcare System. Testimony was heard 
from Glenn Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; 
Alan Levine, Secretary, Department of Health and Hospitals, State of 
Louisiana; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY MISSION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, 
Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology held a hearing entitled 
``Reviewing the Federal Cybersecurity Mission.'' Testimony was heard 
from Dave Powner, Director, Information Technology and Management 
Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on H.R. 848, Performance 
Rights Act. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
STATE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY COMPLIANCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on Sex Offender Registration and 
Notification Act (SORNA): Barriers to Timely Compliance by States. 
Testimony was heard from Laura Rogers, Previous Director, SMART Office, 
Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL POWER MARKETING BORROWING AUTHORITY
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held an 
oversight hearing on Federal Power Marketing Administration Borrowing 
Authority: Defining Success. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Energy: Timothy Meeks, Administrator, 
Western Area Power Administration; and Steve Wright, Administrator, 
Bonneville Power Administration; Steve Ellenbecker, Energy Policy 
Advisor, Office of the Governor, State of Wyoming; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the 
following measures: H.R. 1387, amended, Electronic Message Preservation 
Act; H.R. 1320, Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2009; H.R. 
1323, Reducing Information Control Designations Act; H. Res. 166, 
Recognizing the 450th birthday of the settlement of Pensacola, Florida, 
and encouraging the people of the United States to observe the 450th 
birthday of the settlement of Pensacola, Florida, and remember how the 
rich history of Pensacola, Florida, has likewise contributed to the 
rich history of the United States; H. Res. 178, Expressing the need for 
enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury and support for the 
designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness Month; H. Res. 211, 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Women's History Month; H.R. 
918, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 300 East 3rd Street in Jamestown, New York, as the ``Stan 
Lundine Post Office Building;'' H.R. 955, to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 10355 Northeast Valley Road 
in Rollingbay, Washington, as the ``John `Bud' Hawk Post Office;'' H.R. 
987, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 601 8th Street in Freedom, Pennsylvania, as the ``John Scott 
Challis, Jr. Post Office;'' H.R. 1216, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 1100 Town and Country Commons 
in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the ``Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos 
Post Office Building;'' H.R. 1217, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in 
Ballwin, Missouri, as the `` Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office 
Building;'' H.R. 1218, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 112 South 5th Street in Saint Charles, 
Missouri, as the `` Lance Corporal Drew W. Weaver Post Office 
Building;'' and H.R. 1284, To designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Services located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, 
Mississippi, as the ``Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office.''
SAME-DAY CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED BY THE RULES 
COMMITTEE
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a non-record vote, a rule 
waiving clause 6(a) of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to 
consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules 
Committee) against certain resolutions reported from the Rules 
Committee. The rule applies the waiver to any resolution reported on 
the legislative day of March 11, 2009, providing for consideration or 
disposition of any measure making appropriations for the fiscal year 
2009, and for other purposes. The rule provides that House Resolutions 
218 and 219 are laid on the table.

[[Page D242]]


NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY--FORENSIC SCIENCE ROLE
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on Strengthening Forensic Science in the 
United States: The Role of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology. Testimony was heard from Pete Marone, Director, Technical 
Services, Department of Forensic Science, State of Virginia; John 
Hicks, former, FBI Laboratory, Department of Justice; and public 
witnesses.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Lands and Emergency Management held a 
hearing on EDA Reauthorization: Rating Past Performances and Setting 
Goals During an Economic Crisis. Testimony was heard from the Sandra 
R. Walters, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic 
Development, Economic Development Administration, Department of 
Transportation; Jonathan Sallet, former Assistant to the Secretary 
and Director, Office of Planning and Strategic Planning, Department 
of Commerce; and public witnesses.
VA BUDGET REQUEST FISCAL YEAR 2010
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2010. Testimony was 
heard from Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 
representatives of veterans organizations; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade met for 
organizational purposes.

Joint Meetings
CLIMATE REMEDIATION POLICIES
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine the impact of potential climate remediation 
policies on carbon-intensive United States industries and creating 
climate-friendly economic and trade policies, focusing on ways the 
financial crisis impacts the implementation of climate-friendly 
policies within the United States and among trading partners, after 
receiving testimony from Richard D. Morgenstern, Resources for the 
Future, Trevor Houser, Rhodium Group Peterson Institute for 
International Economics, and Rob Bradley, World Resources Institute, 
all of Washington, DC.