[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D348-D351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
RURAL DEVELOPMENT--REVIEW INNOVATIVE APPROACHES
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Rural Development, 
Biotechnology, Specialty Crops, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing 
to review innovative approaches to rural development. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Agriculture, on Rural Development and FDA. Testimony was 
heard from Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Army Aviation. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Army: LTG Ross Thompson, USA, Military Deputy to the 
Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics and Technology; 
BG William T. Crosby, USA, Programs Executive Officer of Aviation; and 
BG Walter L. Davis, USA, Director, Army Aviation, Office of the Deputy 
Chief of Staff, G/3/5/7.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services, and 
General Government held a hearing on the FTC. Testimony was heard from 
Jon Leibowitz, Chairman, FTC.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Securing the Nation's Rail and Transit System, Aviation 
Security Efficiency. 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.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Improving Aviation Security 
Efficiency. Testimony was heard from Gale Rossides, Acting 
Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, Department of 
Homeland Security.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on the Federal Role in the Arts. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Slaughter and Platts; and 
public witnesses.
GREEN JOBS--ROLE IN OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Workforce Protections 
held a hearing on Green Jobs and their Role in our Economic Recovery. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
PROTECTING CONSUMER ACCESS TO GENERIC DRUGS ACT OF 2009
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection held a hearing on H.R. 1706, Protecting Consumer 
Access to Generic Drugs Act of 2009. Testimony was heard

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from J. Thomas Rosch, Commissioner, FTC; and public witnesses.
HEALTHCARE ACCESS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on Making Health Care Work for American Families: Protecting the Public 
Health. Testimony was heard from Richard E. Besser, M.D., Acting 
Director, CDC, Acting Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry, Department of Health and Human Services; Heather 
Howard, M.D., Department of Health and Senior Services, State of New 
Jersey; Jonathan E. Fielding, M.D., Chair, Task Force on Community 
Preventive Services, Director, County Department of Public Health and 
County Health Officer, Los Angeles, California; David Satcher, M.D., 
former U.S. Surgeon General; and public witnesses.
FIRST RESPONDERS ALONG SOUTHWEST BORDER EXAMINING PREPAREDNESS AND 
COORDINATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Communications, Preparedness, and Response held a hearing entitled 
``Examining Preparedness and Coordination Efforts of First Responders 
Along the Southwest Border.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Richard C. Barth, 
M.D., Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy; and Janice Ayala, 
Deputy Assistant Director, Office of Investigations, Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement; MG Peter Aylward, Director, Joint Staff, National 
Guard Bureau, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
DOES PAYMENT CARD INDUSTRY DATA REDUCE CYBERCRIME
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Threats, 
Cybersecurity and Science and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Do 
the Payment Card Industry Data Standards Reduce Cybercrime?'' Testimony 
was heard from Rita Glavin, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Criminal 
Division, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL--TAX JURISDICTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on VoIP: Who Has Jurisdiction to Tax 
It? Testimony was heard from Phil Montgomery, member, Assembly, State 
of Wisconsin; and public witnesses.
9/11 HEALTH AND COMPENSATION ACT OF 2009
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security and International Law, and the Subcommittee 
on Constitutional, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a joint 
hearing on H.R. 847, James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 
2009. Testimony was heard from Michael Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, 
City of New York; and public witnesses.
CALIFORNIA DROUGHT--ACTIONS BY FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES
Committee on Natural Resources: Held an oversight hearing entitled 
``The California Drought: Actions by Federal and State agencies to 
address impacts on lands, fisheries, and water users.'' Testimony was 
heard from J. William McDonald, Acting Commissioner, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Department of the Interior; Mary M. Glackin, Deputy Under 
Secretary, Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA, Department of Commerce; Candy 
Thompson, Acting Deputy Administrator, Farm Programs, Farm Service 
Agency, USDA; Mike Chrisman, Secretary, Natural Resources, State of 
California; and a public witness.
AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing on Afghanistan and 
Pakistan: Understanding and Engaging Regional Stakeholders. Testimony 
was heard from Ambassador Wendy J. Chamberlain, former Ambassador to 
Pakistan and Assistant Administrator, Asia and the Near East, U.S. 
Agency for International Development; Sean R. Roberts, former official, 
U.S. Agency for International Development, both with the Department of 
State; Deepa M. Ollapally, former U.S. Institute of Peace Program 
Director, Southern Asia Regional Security Issues; and public witnesses.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a rule providing for 
general debate on H. Con. Res. 85, the concurrent resolution on the 
budget for fiscal year 2010. The rule provides four hours of general 
debate, with three hours confined to the budget equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
the Budget and one hour on the subject of economic goals and policies 
equally divided and controlled by Representative Carolyn Maloney of New 
York and Representative Kevin Brady of Texas. The rule waives all 
points of order against consideration of the concurrent resolution. 
Finally, the rule provides that

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no further consideration shall be in order except pursuant to a 
subsequent order of the House.
FAMILY SMOKING AND PREVENTION AND TOBACCO CONTROL ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by as non-record vote, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 1256, the ``Family Smoking 
Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.'' The rule provides one hour of 
general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except 
those rising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. It provides that the 
amendment printed in part A of the rules Committee report shall be 
considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as 
read. The rule waives all points of order against provisions in the 
bill, as amended. The rule makes in order the amendment printed in part 
B of the report if offered by Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana or his 
designee. The amendment printed in part B of the report shall be 
considered as read and shall be debatable for 30 minutes equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent. The rule 
waives all points of order against the amendment printed in part B of 
the report except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The 
rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. The 
rule provides that, in the engrossment of H.R. 1256, the Clerk shall 
add at the end of H.R. 1256 as new matter the text of H.R. 1804, as 
passed by the House. H.R. 1804 shall be laid on the table. Testimony as 
heard from Representatives Pallone, Buyer, Rogers of Michigan, and 
Burgess.
TO AMEND THE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROVISIONS OF THE EMERGENCY 
ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008 TO PROHIBIT UNREASONABLE AND 
EXCESSIVE COMPENSATION AND CONPENSATION NOT BASED ON PERFORMANCE 
STANDARDS
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a rule providing for 
consideration of H.R. 1664, 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. The rule provides one hour of general 
debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Financial Services. 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 Financial Services 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 this report. The amendments made in order may be 
offered only in the order printed in this report, may be offered only 
by a Member designated in this report, shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for the time specified in this report equally 
divided and controlled 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 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 Frank and 
Representatives Sherman, Bean, Grayson, Cardoza, Dahlkemper, Garrett of 
New Jersey, Rohrabacher, and Bilirakis.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Research and 
Science Education ordered reported, as amended, the following bills: 
H.R. 1736, International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 
2009, H.R. 1709, STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009.
CLIMATE RESEARCH'S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE ROLE
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on the Role of Research in Addressing Climate 
in Transportation Infrastructure. Testimony was heard from David 
Matsuda, Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, 
Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
COAL ASH WATER CONTAMINATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources, and Environment held a hearing on the Tennessee Valley 
Authority's Kingston Ash Slide: Potential Water Quality Impacts of Coal 
Combustion Waste Storage. Testimony was heard from. Representative 
Lincoln Davis of Tennessee; Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, TVA; Stan 
Meiburg, Acting Regional Administrator, Region 4. EPA; Paul Sloan, 
Deputy Commissioner, Department of Environment and Conservation, 
Tennessee; and public witnesses.

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WEALTHY AMERICAN TAXPAYERS BANKING SECRECY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measurers 
held a hearing on Banking Secrecy Practices and Wealthy American 
Taxpayers. Testimony was heard from. Douglas H. Shulman, Commissioner, 
IRS, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
ARMENIA BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Armenia. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.