[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 25, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D319-D321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

 Committee Meetings
CONSERVATION PROGRAM CONTRACTS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy 
and Research held a hearing to review the USDA administration of 
conservation program contracts. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the USDA: Robert Stephenson, Acting Deputy Administrator, 
Field Operations, Farm Services Agency; Dave White, Acting Chief, 
Natural Resources Conservation Service; and Kathleen S. Tighe, Deputy 
Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General; Lisa Shames, 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, GAO; and John Jurich, 
Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Combat Aircraft Acquisition. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: LTG Mark Shackleford, USAF, 
Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force; and VADM David 
Archizel, USN, Principal Deputy for Research, Development and 
Acquisition, Navy.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS--LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security and the 
Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a joint hearing on Protecting 
our Nation's Leaders: Challenges of 2008 Presidential Campaign and the 
56th Presidential Inauguration. Testimony was heard from Mark Sullivan, 
Director, U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security; and 
Phillip Morse, Chief, U.S. Capitol Police.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Native American and Alaska Natives 
Issues. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on Raising 
Wages and Living Standards for Families and Workers. Testimony was 
heard from Keith Hall, Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics; 
Department of Labor; and public witnesses.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on European 
Command. Testimony was heard from GEN Bantz J. Craddock, USA, U.S. 
Commander, European Command.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Medical Transition, Defense 
to Veterans Affairs. Testimony was heard from Michael J. Kussman, M.D., 
Under Secretary, Health, Department of Veterans Affairs; and S. Ward 
Casscells, M.D., Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs, Department of 
Defense.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations 
and Related Programs continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
RECONSTRUCTING FUNDING IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Effective 
Counterinsurgency: How the Use and Misuse of Reconstruction Funding 
Affects the War Effort in Iraq and Afghanistan. Testimony was heard 
from Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq 
Reconstruction; MAJ GEN Arnold Fields, USMC (ret.) Special Inspector 
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction; and Jacquelyn L. Williams-
Bridgers, Managing Director, International Affairs and Trade, GAO.
CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Contingency Contracting: Has the Call 
for Urgent Reform Been Answered? Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Shay D. Assad, Director, 
Defense Procurement, Acquisition Policy and Strategic Sourcing, Office 
of the Under Secretary, Acquisition and Technology; and Major Gen. 
Darryl A. Scott, USAF, Deputy Commander, Task Force to Support Business 
Operations in Iraq, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary, Business 
Transformation; the following officials of the Department of the Army: 
Edward M. Harrington, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Procurement, 
Department of the Army; and Jeffrey P. Parsons, Executive Director, 
U.S. Army Contracting Command.

[[Page D320]]


SUSTAINING THE NAVY'S SURFACE FLEET
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on readiness and sustainment of the Navy's surface fleet. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of the Navy: RADM 
(Upper Half) (Select) Philip H. Cullom, USN, Director, Fleet Readiness 
Division (OPNAV N43); RADM (Upper Half) (Select) Joseph F. Campbell, 
USN, Director of Staff, Fleet Maintenance Officer (USFF N43); RADM 
(Lower Half) James P. McManamon, USN, Deputy Commander, Surface 
Warfare, (SEA 21); and RADM (Lower Half) Thomas H. Eccles, USN, Deputy 
Commander Naval Systems Engineering (SEA 05), both with Naval Sea 
System Command.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2010
Committee on the Budget: Ordered reported, as amended, the Concurrent 
Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2010.
WAGE THEFT OF AMERICA'S VULNERABLE WORKERS
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on GAO's Undercover 
Investigation: Wage Theft of America's Vulnerable Workers. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the GAO: Greg Kutz, Managing 
Director; and Jonathan Meyer, Assistant Director.
ADAPTATION POLICIES IN CLIMATE LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Adaptation Policies in Climate 
legislation. Testimony was heard from Tom Karl, Director, National 
Climate Data Center, NOAA; John Stephenson, Director, Natural Resources 
and Environment, GAO; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES: EXPLORING AVAILABILITY AND PRUDENT LENDING 
STANDARDS
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported the following 
measures: To amend the executive compensation provisions of the 
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, to prohibit unreasonable 
and excessive compensation and compensation not based on performance 
standards; and H. Res. 251, Directing the Secretary of the Treasury to 
transmit to the House of Representatives all information in his 
possession relating to specific communications with American 
International Group, Inc, (AIG).
  The Committee also held a hearing entitled ``Exploring the Balance 
between Increased Credit Availability and Prudent Lending Standards. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
the Treasury: Scott Polakoff, Acting Director, Office of Thrift 
Supervision; and Timothy W. Long, Senior Deputy Comptroller, and Chief 
National Bank Examiner, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; 
Martin J. Gruenberg, Vice Chairman, FDIC; Elizabeth A. Duke, Governor, 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; James Kroeker, Acting 
Chief Accountant, SEC; and public witnesses.
NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY; CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ARCTIC
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Ordered reported as amended the following 
measures: H. Res. 76, Mourning the horrific loss of life in January 
2009 caused by a landslide in Guatemala and an earthquake in Costa Rica 
and expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should 
assist the affected people and communities; H. Res. 152, Expressing the 
sense of the House of Representatives that the United States remains 
committed to the North Atlantic Treaty; H. Res. 171, Expressing the 
sense of the House of Representatives on the need for constitutional 
reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the importance of sustained United 
States engagement in partnership with the European Union (EU); and H. 
Con. Res. 36, Calling on the President and the allies of the United 
States to engage with officials of the Government of Iran to raise the 
case of Robert Levinson at every opportunity, urging officials of the 
Government of Iran to fulfill their promises of assistance to the 
family of Robert Levinson, and calling on the Government of Iran to 
share the results of its investigation into the disappearance of Robert 
Levinson with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  The Committee also held a hearing on Climate Change and the Arctic: 
New Frontiers of National Security. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
  Committee on House Administration: Ordered reported the following 
measures: H. Res. 279, as amended, Providing for the expenses of 
certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One 
Hundred Eleventh Congress; Dismissing the election contest relating 
to the office of Representatives from the First Congressional 
District of Hawaii; H.R. 1299, Capitol Police Administrative 
Technical Corrections Act of 2009; H.R. 1679, House Reservists Pay 
Adjustment Act of 2009; H.R. 151, Daniel Webster Congressional 
Clerkship Act of 2009; H.R. 586, Civil Rights History Project Act of 
2009; H.R. 749, To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 
to permit candidates for election for Federal office to designate an 
individual who will be authorized to disburse funds of the 
authorized campaign committees of the candidate in the event of the 
death of the candidate; H.R.

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415, Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2009; and Committee Resolution #111-
5, providing Official Mail Allowance to Committees of the House for 
the 111th Congress.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
  Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 1139, as amended, COPS Improvements Act of 2009; and H.R. 985, 
Free Flow of Information Act of 2009.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE ACT; RESTORING FINANCIAL STABILITY 
OF THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia approved for 
full committee action the following bill: H.R. 626, Federal Employees 
Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Restoring the Financial 
Stability of the U.S. Postal Service: What Needs to be Done? Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the U.S. Postal Service: John 
E. Potter, Postmaster General and CEO; Carolyn Lewis Gallagher, 
Chairwoman, Board of Governors; and David C. Williams, Inspector 
General, Office of Inspector General; Dan G. Blair, Chairman, Postal 
Regulatory Commission; Phillip Herr, Director, Physical Infrastructure 
Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
FINANCIAL MARKETS REGULATORY AGENCIES--INSPECTORS GENERAL ROLES AND 
RESPONSIBILITIES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Organization, and Procurement held a hearing on 
Roles and Responsibilities of Inspectors General within Financial 
Markets Regulatory Agencies. Testimony was heard from Representative 
John B Larson; Gary L. Kepplinger, General Counsel, GAO; H. David Kotz, 
Inspector General, SEC; Elizabeth A. Coleman, General Counsel, System 
Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; William DeSarno, Inspector 
General, National Credit Union Administration; A. Roy Lavik, Inspector 
General, Commodities Future Trading Commission; Vanessa K. Burrows, 
Legislative Attorney, Congressional Research Service; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Ordered reported as amended the 
following bills: H.R. 1580, Electronic Waste Research and Development 
Act; and H.R. 1145, National Water Research and Development Initiative 
Act of 2009.
OVERSIGHT--SBA AND ITS PROGRAMS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
Small Business Administration and its Programs.'' Testimony was heard 
from Darryl Hairston, Acting Administrator, U.S. Small Business 
Administration; the following officials of GAO: William Shear, 
Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment and George Kutz, 
Managing Director, Forensics Audits and Special Investigations.
VETERAN'S LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 1171, as amended, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program 
Reauthorization Act of 2009; H.R. 1377, amended, To amend title 38, 
United States Code, to expand veterans eligibility for reimbursement by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in 
a non-Department facility; and H.R. 1513, Veterans' Compensation Cost-
of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009.
NSA BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a briefing on NSA. Testimony was heard from departmental 
witnesses.
HOT SPOTS BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to hold a briefing on Hot Spots. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.