[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 44 (Thursday, March 12, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D258-D261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMITTEE BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES FY 2010
Committee on Agriculture: Approved the Budget Views and Estimates 
Letter of the Committee on Agriculture for submission to the Committee 
on the Budget.
DOMESTIC NUTRITION PROGRAMS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture held a hearing 
on Domestic Nutrition Programs. Testimony was heard from Thomas 
O'Connor, Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer 
Services, USDA; and public witnesses.
WHAT WORKS FOR SUCCESSFUL PRISONER REENTRY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies held a hearing on what Works for Successful 
Prisoner Reentry. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Army and Marine Corps Force Protection. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department Army: GEN Ross Thompson, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisitions, Logistics, and 
Technology); GEN James D. Thurman, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, (G-3/5/
7) of the Army; and GEN James Amos, USMC, Assistant Commandant of the 
Marine Corps.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Securing the Nation's Rail and Transit Systems. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Homeland 
Security: John Sammon, Assistant Administrator, Transportation Sector 
Network Management, Transportation Security Administration; and W. Ross 
Ashley, Assistant Administrator, Grant Programs, FEMA; Bill Morange, 
Deputy Executive Director and Director of Security, Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority, New York; Jack Eckles, Deputy Executive 
Officer, System Safety and Security, Los Angeles County Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Review of VA 
Challenges. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
GAO: Randall B. Williamson, Director, Health Care; and Valerie C. 
Melvin, Director, Information Management and Human Capital Issues; and 
the following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: John D. 
Daigh, Jr., M.D., CPA, Assistant Inspector General, Healthcare 
Inspections; Belinda J. Finn, Assistant Inspector General, Auditing; 
and Maureen T. Regan, Counselor to the Inspector General.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans' Affairs, and Related

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Agencies held a hearing on Family and Troop Housing. Testimony was 
heard from Wayne Arny, Deputy Undersecretary, Installations and 
Environment, Department of Defense; Keith Eastin, Assistant Secretary, 
Installations and Environment, Department of the Army; B. J. Penn, 
Assistant Secretary, Installations and Environment, Department of the 
Navy; and Kevin Billings, Acting Assistant Secretary, Installations, 
Environment, and Logistics, Department of the Air Force.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on Africa: Great Lakes, Sudan and 
the Horn. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION, HUD APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on 
Transportation Challenges of Rural America. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
DOD AT HIGH RISK RECOMMENDATIONS--IMPROVING DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the Department of 
Defense at High Risk: Recommendations of the Comptroller General for 
Improving Department Management. Testimony was heard from Gene L. 
Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General, GAO.
MILITARY RESALE, AND MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION OVERVIEW
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on military resale and morale, welfare and recreation overview. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Arthur Myers, Principal Director, Military Community and 
Family Policy, Office of the Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; 
RADM. Robert J. Bianchi, USN, Commander, Navy Exchange Service Command; 
MG. Keith L. Thurgood, USAR, Commander, Army and Air Force Exchange 
Service; Timothy R. Larsen, Director, Personal and Family Readiness 
Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs Department Headquarters, U.S. 
Marine Corps; Philip E. Sakowitz, Jr., Director and CEO, Defense 
Commissary Agency; Richard Gorman, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Army 
Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command; John B. Baker, 
Director, Fleet and Family Readiness, Commander, Navy Installations 
Command; and Charles E. Milam, Director, Air Force Services, 
Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2010 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Department of Education 
Fiscal Year 2010 Budget. Testimony was heard from Arne Duncan, 
Secretary of Education.
LOST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN ALTERNATIVE SETTINGS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Healthy Families and 
Communities, and the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland 
Security of the Committee on the Judiciary held a joint hearing on Lost 
Educational Opportunities in Alternative Settings. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
UNIVERSAL SERVICE: REFORMING THE HIGH-COST FUND
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications, 
Technology and the Internet held a hearing on Universal Service: 
Reforming the High-Cost Fund. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
CONSUMER PROTECTION POLICIES FOR CLIMATE LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Consumer Protection Policies for Climate 
Legislation. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES FY 2010; SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL 
TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM ACT OF 2009
  Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported the following: 
S. 383, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief 
Program Act of 2009; and a Committee Print, as amended, 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.''
MARK-TO-MARKET ACCOUNTING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing on Mark-
to-Market Accounting: Practices and Implications. Testimony was heard 
from James Kroeker, Acting Chief Accountant, SEC; Robert Hertz, 
Chairman, Financing Accounting Standards Board; Kevin Bailey, Deputy 
Comptroller, Regulatory Policy, Office of the Comptroller of the 
Currency, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.

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IRAN SANCTIONS ENABLING ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on International Monetary 
Policy and Trade held a hearing on H.R. 1327, Iran Sanctions Enabling 
Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from Ted Deutch, Senator, State of 
Florida; and public witnesses.
U.S. FOREIGN ECONOMIC POLICY IN THE GLOBAL CRISIS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation and Trade held a hearing on U.S. Foreign Economic 
Policy in the Global Crisis. Testimony was heard from C. Fred Bergsten, 
former Assistant Secretary, International Affairs, Department of the 
Treasury; and public witnesses.
BORDER VIOLENCE--STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and 
Global Counterterrorism held a hearing entitled `` Border Violence: An 
Examination of DHS Strategies and Resources''. Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: VADM 
Roger T. Rufe, Jr., (USCG Ret.), Director, Office of Operations 
Coordination; Alonzo Pena, Department of Homeland Security Attache, 
U.S. Embassy, Mexico City; John Leech, Acting Director, Office of 
Counternarcotics Enforcement; Salvador Nieto, Deputy Assistant 
Commissioner, Intelligence and Operations Coordination, Customs and 
Border Protection; and Kumar Kibble, Deputy Director, Office of 
Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
VIOLENCE ON THE U.S.-MEXICAN BORDER
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security, and Foreign Affairs held a hearing on Money, Guns, and Drugs: 
Are U.S. Inputs Fueling Violence on the U.S.-Mexican Border? Testimony 
was heard from Jonathan Paton, Senator, State of Arizona; and public 
witnesses.
COMMITTEE BUDGET VIEWS AND ESTIMATES FY 2010 BUDGET
Committee on Rules: On March 11, the Committee adopted its Budget Views 
and Estimates of the President's Fiscal Year Budget for submission to 
the Committee on the Budget.
ATSDR: PROBLEMS IN THE PAST, POTENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Investigations and 
Oversight held a hearing on ATSDR: Problems in the Past, Potential for 
the Future? Testimony was heard from Howard Frumkin, Director, National 
Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
Registry, Department of Health and Human Services; the following former 
officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: Salvador 
Mier, former Director, Prevention, Center for Disease Control; and 
Ronnie Wilson, former Ombudsman, Agency for Toxic Susbstances and 
Disease Registry; and public witnesses.
ENSURING STIMULUS CONTRACTS--SMALL AND VETERANS OWNED BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology 
held a hearing on Ensuring Stimulus Contracts for Small and Veteran-
owned Businesses. Testimony was heard from Calvin Jenkins, Acting 
Associate Administrator, Government Contracting and Business 
Development, SBA; Joel Szabat, Assistant Secretary, Transportation 
Policy, Department of Transportation; Gail Wegner, Acting Director, 
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Brenda DeGraffenreid, Office of Small and 
Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of Energy; Linda Oliver, 
Acting Director, Office of Small Business Programs, Department of 
Defense; and public witnesses.
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION; PROTECTING LOWER-INCOME FAMILIES WHILE FIGHTING 
GLOBAL WARMING
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Income Security and Family 
Support met for organizational purposes.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Protecting Lower-Income 
Families While Fighting Global Warming. Testimony was heard from Terry 
Dinian, Senior Advisor, Climate Issues, CBO; and public witnesses.
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Intelligence Activities. Testimony was heard from 
Leon Panetta, Director, CIA.

Joint Meetings
VETERANS' SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
Joint Hearing: Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded joint hearings 
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine legislative 
presentations of veterans' service organizations, after receiving 
testimony from John Chad Hapner, American Veterans (AMVETS), Lanham, 
MD; Robert H. Price, Air Force Sergeants Association, Suitland, MD; 
Joseph L. Barnes, USN (Ret.), Fleet Reserve Association, and Robert F. 
Norton, USA (Ret.), Military Officers Association of America, both of 
Alexandria, VA; Gene

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Overstreet, Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States 
of America (NCOA), San Antonio, TX; Jeff Roy, Military Order of the 
Purple Heart, Annandale, VA; Charlie L. Flowers, USAF (Ret.), The 
Retired Enlisted Association, Aurora, CO; Charlie F. Smith, National 
Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, Charlotte, NC; and 
John Rowan, Vietnam Veterans of America, Cold Creek, NY.