[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D281-D283]
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 Critical Ongoing Satellite 
Climate Change Datasets. Testimony was heard from Compton J. Tucker, 
and Robert Bindschadler, both with the Goddard Space Flight Center, 
NASA.; Tom Karl, Climate Date Center, NOAA, Department of Energy; and a 
public witness.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Military Personnel-Army. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Army: LTG Michael Rochelle, USA, 
Deputy Chief of Staff (G-1; and Ronald James, Assistant Secretary of 
the Army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies continued appropriations 
hearing. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and

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Related Agencies held a hearing on Livable Communities, Transit 
Oriented Development & Incorporating Green Building Practices into 
Federal Housing and Transportation Policy. Testimony was heard from the 
Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation; and Shaun Donovan, Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development.
MILITARY COMMANDS SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on security developments in 
the areas of responsibility of the U.S. Southern Command, Northern 
Command, Africa Command, and Joint Forces Command. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Defense: ADM James G. 
Stavridis, USN, Commander, U.S. Southern Command; GEN Victor Eugene 
Renaurt, Jr., USAF, Commander, U.S. Northern Command, and Commander, 
North American Aerospace Defense Command; GEN James N. Mattis, USMC, 
Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command and Supreme Allied Commander 
Transformation for NATO; and GEN William E. Ward, USA, Commander, U.S. 
Africa Command.
DEFENSE MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel and the 
Subcommittee on Readiness held a joint hearing on Medical 
Infrastructure: Are Health Affairs/TRICARE Management Activity 
Priorities Aligned with Service Requirements? Testimony was heard from 
the following officials of the Department of Defense: S. Ward 
Casscells, M.D., Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; Peter Potochney, 
Director, Basing, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary, Installations 
and Environment; LTG Eric Schoomaker, USA, Commanding General, U.S. 
Army Medical Command, Surgeon General, Department of the Army; VADM 
Adam Robinson, USN, Surgeon General, Department of the Navy; and LTG 
James G. Roudebush, USAF, Surgeon General, Department of the Air Force.
SPACE AND U.S. SECURITY
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on space and U.S. Security. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Department of Defense Fiscal 
Year 2010 Budget. Testimony was heard from Robert Hale, Under Secretary 
(Comptroller), Department of Defense; and Michael Sullivan, Director, 
Acquisition and Sourcing Management, GAO.
MEMBERS' DAY
Committee on the Budget: Continued hearings on Members' Day--Part Two. 
Testimony was heard from Members of Congress.
COMPETITIVENESS AND CLIMATE POLICY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Competitiveness and Climate Policy: 
Avoiding Leakage of Jobs and Emissions. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
AIG BAILOUT'S ECONOMIC IMPACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled 
``American International Group's Impact on the Global Economy: During 
and After Federal Intervention.'' Testimony was heard from Scott 
Polakoff, Acting Director, Office of Thrift Supervision. Department of 
the Treasury; Orice M. Williams, Director, Financial Markets and 
Community Investment, GAO; Edward M. Liddy, Chairman and CEO. American 
International Group; and public witnesses.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Striking the 
Appropriate Balance: The Defense Department's Expanding Role in Foreign 
Assistance. Testimony was heard from GEN Michael W. Hagee, USMC (Ret.), 
former Commandant of the Marine Corps; Philip L. Christenson, former 
Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development, 
Department of State; and public witnesses.
MERIDA INITIATIVE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere held a 
hearing on Guns, Drugs and Violence: The Merida Initiative and the 
Challenge in Mexico. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of State: David Johnson, Assistant Secretary, Bureau 
of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; and Roberta S. 
Jacobson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere 
Affairs; and public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY INTELLIGENCE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing on 
Homeland Security Intelligence: Its Relevance and Limitations. 
Testimony was heard from Joan McNamara. Commander, Los Angeles Police 
Department; Sheriff Douglas C. Gillespie, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police 
Department; Chief John W. Gaissert, Commerce Police Department, 
Georgia; and public witnesses.

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AIR CARGO SCREENING
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled ``100% Air Cargo 
Screening: Can We Secure America's Skies?'' Testimony was heard from Ed 
Kelly, General Manager, Air Cargo, Transportation Security 
Administration, Department of Transportation; Stephen Lord, Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1575, End Government Reimbursement of Excessive Executive Disbursements 
(End GREED) Act; and H.R. 1107, To enact certain laws relating to 
public contracts as title 41, United States Code, ``Public Contracts.''
  The Committee also began markup of H.R. 1139, COPS Improvements Act 
of 2009.
TRIBAL RECOGNITION MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Held a hearing on the following bills: 
H.R. 31, Lumbee Recognition Act; and H.R. 1385, Thomasina E. Jordan 
Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2009. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives McIntyre, Moran of Virginia, Schuler, 
McHenry and Jones; Tim Kaine, Governor of Virginia; George Skibine, 
Acting Deputy Associate Secretary, Policy and Economic Development, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the 
following measures: Title IV of H.R. 1256, as amended, Family Smoking 
Prevention and Tobacco Control Act; H. Res. 223, amended, Honoring the 
life, achievements, and contributions of Paul Harvey, affectionately 
known for his signature line, ``This is Paul Harvey . . . Good Day;'' 
H.R. 774, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 46-02 21st Street in Long Island City, New York, as the 
``Geraldine Ferraro Post Office Building;'' and H.R.1397, To designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 41 Purdy 
Avenue in Rye, New York, as the ``Caroline O'Day Post Office 
Building.''
CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a rule authorizing the 
Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules at any 
time on the legislative day of March 19, 2009, relating to a measure 
addressing excessive compensation paid to employees of corporations in 
which the Federal government has a significant interest.
FY 2010 BUDGET MEDICARE REFORMS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``The 
Administration's FY Year 2010 Budget and Medicare: How Will Small 
Providers be Impacted?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MODERNIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on ATC Modernization and NextGen: Near-Term 
Achievable Goals. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Transportation: Victoria Cox, Senior Vice President 
for NextGeb and Operations Planning Services, Air Traffic Organization, 
FAA; Karlin Toner, Director, Staff to the Secretary and Senior Policy 
Committee for NextGen Coordination; and Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector 
General; Gerald Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, 
GAO; and a public witness.
BRIEFING--CIA INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on CIA Intelligence Activities. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
Joint Hearing: Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded a joint hearing 
with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the 
legislative presentation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after 
receiving testimony from Glen M. Gardner, Jr., Veterans of Foreign 
Wars, Round Rock, Texas.