[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 17, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D272-D274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Status of Climate 
Change Science. Testimony was heard from Susan Solomon, Earth System 
Research Laboratory, NOAA.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Military Personnel-Air Force. Testimony was heard from LTG Richard 
Newton, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Reserve Affairs; and Craig 
W. Duehring, Assistant Secretary, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, both 
with the Department of the Air Force.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Nuclear Weapons 
Complex. Testimony was heard from Thomas D'Agostino, Administrator, 
National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy; A. G. 
Eggenberger, Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; Philip 
Coyle, former Associate Director, Livermore Laboratory; Everet Beckner. 
former Deputy Administrator, Defense Programs, National Nuclear 
Security Administration, Department of Energy; and Richard Garwin, 
former Chairman, Arms Control and Nonproliferation Advisory Board, 
Department of State.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Interoperable Communications. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: W. Ross 
Ashley, Assistant Administrator, Grant Programs, FEMA; David Boyd, 
Director, Command Control and Interoperability Division, Directorate 
for Science and Technology; and Chris Essid, Director, Office of 
Emergency Communications.

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STATUS OF U.S. STRATEGIC PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on the status of U.S. strategic programs. Testimony was heard 
from GEN Kevin P. Chilton, USAF, Command, U.S. Strategic Command.
HIGHWAYS/MASS TRANSIT FINANCING
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Budgeting for 
Transportation: Financing Investments in Highways and Mass Transit. 
Testimony was heard from Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Department of 
Transportation, Kansas; Tyler Duvall, former Assistant Secretary, 
Transportation Policy, Department of Transportation; and a public 
witness.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on The Importance of 
Early Childhood Development. Testimony was heard from Harriet Meyer, 
Co-Chair Early Learning Council, State of Illinois; Holly Robinson, 
Commissioner, Department of Early Care and Learning, State of Georgia; 
and public witnesses.
U.S. EXPORT PROMOTION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on Stimulating the Economy through 
Trade: Examining the Role of Export Promotion. Testimony was heard from 
Michelle O'Neill, Acting Under Secretary, International Trade, 
International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce; Suzanne 
Hale, Acting Administrator, Foreign Agriculture Service, USDA; Loren 
Yager, Director, International Affairs and Trade, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
AFFORDABLE HEALTH COVERAGE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on Making Health Care Work for American Families: Ensuring Affordable 
Coverage. Testimony was heard from Mila Kofman, Superintendent of 
Insurance, Bureau of Insurance, State of Maine; and public witnesses.
FINANCIAL SERVICES SYSTEMIC RISK REGULATION
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Perspectives 
on Regulation of Systemic Risk in the Financial Services Industry.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FEMA PREPAREDNESS/RESPONSE MISSION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Communications, Preparedness and Response held a hearing on PKEMRA 
Implementation: An Examination of FEMA's Preparedness and Response 
Mission. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Richard Skinner, Inspector General; 
and Corey Gruber, Acting Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness 
Directorate, FEMA; William Jenkins, Director, Homeland Security and 
Justice, GAO; and public witnesses.
GOVERNMENT BANKING CONSOLIDATION/ANTITRUST LAW
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Competition 
Policy held a hearing on Too Big To Fail?: The Role of Antitrust Law in 
Government-Funded Consolidation in the Banking Industry. Testimony was 
heard from Deborah A. Garza, former Assistant Attorney General, 
Division of Antitrust, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ENERGY LEASING
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held an oversight hearing entitled ``Leasing and Development 
of Oil and Gas Resources on the Outer Continental Shelf.''. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of the 
Interior: Chris Oynes, Associate Director, Offshore Energy and Minerals 
Management Program, Minerals Management Service; and Mary L. Kendall, 
Acting Inspector General; Frank Rusco, Director, Natural Resources and 
Environment, GAO; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL SERVICE REFORM
Committee on Rules: The Committee granted, by a non-record vote, a 
structured rule providing for consideration of H.R. 1388, the 
Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. The 
rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled 
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education 
and Labor. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill except clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that 
the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committee on Education and Labor now printed in the bill shall be 
considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall 
be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute except for clause 10 of rule 
XXI.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report. The amendments made in order may be offered only in 
the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member 
designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be 
debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and 
controlled by the

[[Page D274]]

proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall 
not be subject to a demand for a division of the question in the House 
or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against the 
amendments except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI are waived. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony 
was heard from Chairman George Miller of California and Representatives 
Titus, Pingree, Perriello, Hunter and Roe.
ENERGY RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Science and Technology: Held a hearing on New Directions 
for Energy Research and Development at the U.S. Department of Energy. 
Testimony was heard from Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy.
VISION CENTER EXCELLENCE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on the Vision Center of Excellence: What 
Has Been Accomplished in Thirteen Months? Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: James 
Orcutt, M.D., Chief of Ophthalmology; and Madhulika Agarwal, M.D., 
Chief Officer, Patient Care Services Office, both with the Veterans 
Health Administration; Jack Smith, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Clinical Policy and Programs, Department of Defense; and public 
witnesses.
MEDICARE PAYMENT POLICY REPORT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
MedPAC's Annual March Report to the Congress on Medicare Payment 
Policy. Testimony was heard from Glenn M. Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare 
Payment Advisory Commission.
BRIEFING--NSA COMPLIANCE ISSUES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: met in executive session to 
hold a briefing on NSA Compliance Issues. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.