[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 11, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D247-D250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing to review animal identification systems. Testimony was 
heard from John R. Clifford, D.V.M., Deputy Administrator,

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Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA; 
and public witnesses.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Assessment of the 
Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Innovative Prisoner Reentry. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Soldier Equipment, Ergonomics and Injuries. Testimony was heard from 
GEN Peter Charelli, USA, Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; and GEN James 
Amos, USMC, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.
  The Subcommittee also met in executive session to hold a hearing on 
Army and Marine Corps Readiness. Testimony was heard from GEN Peter 
Charelli, USA, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army; and GEN James Amos, 
USMC, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services, and 
Government Operations held a hearing on SEC Actions Relating to the 
Financial Crisis. Testimony was heard from Mary Shapiro, Chairman, SEC.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on U.S. Forest Service Oversight. 
Testimony was heard from Robin Nazzaro, Director, Natural Resources and 
Environment, GAO; and Phyllis K. Fong, Inspector General, USDA.
GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS--SECURITY CHALLENGES ARISING
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on security challenges 
arising from the global financial crisis. Testimony was heard from Dov 
Zakheim, former Under Secretary, (Comptroller), Department of Defense; 
and public witnesses.
TRACKING AND DISRUPTING TERRORIST FINANCIAL NETWORKS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on Tracking and Disrupting 
Terrorist Financial Networks: A Potential Model for Inter-Agency 
Success? Testimony was heard from Edward Frothingham III, Principal 
Director, Transnational Threats, Office of the Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Counternarcotics, Counterproliferation, and Global Threats; 
LTG David P. Fridovich, USA, Commander, Center for Special Operations, 
U.S. Special Operations Command, both with the Department of Defense.
MEMBERS' DAY
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Members' Day. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Ehlers, Holt, Markey of Colorado, Hare, 
Lujan, Sablan, Griffith, Klein of Florida, McGovern, Peters, Walz, 
Giffords, Cohen, Green of Texas, Woolsey, Rodriguez, Goodlatte, Titus, 
Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Grayson, Pierluisi, Davis of Illinois, Carney, 
Teague, McCarthy of New York, and Matheson.
  Hearings continue March 18.
GENERATIONS INVIGORATING VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION ACT
Committee on Education and Labor: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
1388, Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act.
FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on How Do You Fix Our Ailing Food Safety System? Testimony was heard 
from William Hubbard, former Associate Commissioner, Policy and 
Planning, FDA, Department of Health and Human Services; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Began consideration of the following 
S. 383, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program 
Act of 2009; and a Committee Print entitled ``Views and Estimates of 
the Committee on Financial Services on Matters to be Set Forth in the 
Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2010.
  Will continue tomorrow.
MORTGAGE LENDING REFORM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing on Mortgage Lending Reform: A 
Comprehensive Review of the American Mortgage System. Testimony was 
heard from Sandra F. Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and 
Community Affairs, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; and 
public witnesses.

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SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on The Summit of the 
Americas: A New Beginning for U.S. Policy in the Region? Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
MUMBAI ATTACKS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled ``The Mumbai 
Attacks: A Wake-Up Call for America's Private Sector.'' Testimony was 
heard from James Snyder, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure 
Protection, Department of Homeland Security; James W. McJunkin, Deputy 
Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, FBI, Department of 
Justice; Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, Police Department, City of New 
York; and public witnesses.
CIRCUIT CITY BANKRUPTCY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on Circuit City Unplugged: Why Did 
Chapter 11 Fail to Save 34,000 Jobs? Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
TROUBLED ASSETS RELIEF PROGRAM
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing on Peeling Back the TARP: Exposing Treasury's 
Failure to Monitor the Ways Financial Institutions are Using Taxpayer 
Funds Provided under the Troubled Assets Relief Program. Testimony was 
heard from Neel Kashkari, Acting Interim Assistant Secretary, Financial 
Stabilization, Department of Treasury; Neil M. Barofsky, Special 
Inspector General, Troubled Assets Relief Program; and Richard Hillman, 
Managing Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, GAO.
WATER QUALITY INVESTMENT ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 1262, the ``the Water Quality 
Investment Act of 2009.''
  The resolution provides for one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  The resolution waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The 
resolution makes in order the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as 
the original bill for the purpose of further amendment and considers 
the committee amendment as read. The resolution waives all points of 
order against the committee amendment except those arising under clause 
10 of rule XXI. This waiver does not affect the point of order 
available under clause 9 of rule XXI (regarding earmark disclosure).
  The resolution makes in order only those amendments printed in the 
report and waives all points of order against such amendments except 
those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The amendments made in 
order shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time 
specified in this report equally divided by the proponent and an 
opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject 
to a demand for a division of the question. The resolution provides one 
motion to recommit with or without instructions. Finally, the 
resolution lays on the table House Resolutions 218, 219, and 229. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Oberstar and Representatives Arcuri, 
Dahlkemper, Bordallo, Sablan, Mica, Miller of Michigan and Whitman.
FUTUREGEN-DOE'S ADVANCED COAL PROGRAM
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on FutureGen and the Department of Energy's 
Advanced Coal Program. Testimony was heard from Pete Marone, Director, 
Technical Services, Virginia Department of Forensic Science; and public 
witnesses.
BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES FISCAL YEAR 2010
Committee on Small Business: Approved Committee Budget Views and 
Estimates for Fiscal Year 2010 for submission to the Committee on the 
Budget.
IMPACT OF FOOD RECALLS ON SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Regulations and Healthcare 
held a hearing entitled ``Impact of Food Recalls on Small Businesses. 
Testimony was heard from Ken Petersen, Assistant Administrator, Office 
of Field Operations, Food and Safety and Inspection Service, USDA; 
Steven Solomon, Deputy Associate Commissioner, Compliance Policy, FDA, 
Department on Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
COAST GUARD DRUG AND MIGRANT INTERDICTION OVERVIEW
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard, and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on overview of Coast 
Guard Drug and Migrant Interdiction. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland 
Security: RADM

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Wayne E. Justice, Assistant Commandant, Capability; and RADM Joseph L. 
Nimmich, Director, Joint Interagency Task Force South.
COMMITTEE BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES FY 2010
Committee on Ways and Means: Approved Committee Budget Views and 
Estimates for Fiscal Year 2010 to be submitted to the Committee on the 
Budget.
HEALTHCARE REFORM
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on Health Reform in the 
21st Century: Expanding Coverage, Improving Quality and Controlling 
Costs. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUSINESS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met to consider pending 
business.

Joint Meetings
TARP
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) accountability and oversight, 
focusing on achieving transparency, after receiving testimony from 
Richard H. Neiman, New York State Banking Department, Member, and Damon 
A. Silvers, Deputy Chairman, both of the Congressional Oversight Panel; 
and Nicole Tichon, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and Alex J. 
Pollock, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, both 
of Washington, DC.
U.S. SENATE VACANCIES
Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution: 
Subcommittee concluded a joint hearing with the House Committee on the 
Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil 
Liberties to examine S.J. Res. 7 and H.J. Res. 21, both proposing an 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the 
election of Senators, after receiving testimony from Senator Begich; 
Representatives Dreier and Schock; Thomas H. Neale, Specialist in 
American National Government, Government and Finance Division, 
Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Kevin J. Kennedy, 
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, Madison; Vikram David Amar, 
University of California School of Law, Davis; Bob Edgar, Common Cause, 
and Matthew Spalding, Heritage Foundation, both of Washington, DC; 
Pamela S. Karlan, Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, 
Stanford, CA; and David Segal, Fair Vote Center for Voting and 
Democracy, Providence, RI.