[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 60 (Thursday, April 23, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D441-D443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FEDERAL FOOD SAFETY SYSTEMS AT THE USDA
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry 
held a hearing to review Federal food safety systems at the USDA. 
Testimony was heard from Alfred V. Almanza, Administrator, Food Safety 
and Inspection Service, USDA; and public witnesses.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies held a hearing on the Department of Justice. 
Testimony was heard from Eric H. Holder, Jr., The Attorney General, 
Department of Justice.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on the U.S. Supreme Court. Testimony 
was heard from the following Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: 
Clarence Thomas; and Stephen G. Beyer.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Member Requests. Testimony was heard from Members of 
Congress.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies continued appropriations hearing. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on Architect of the Capitol, and CBO. Testimony was heard from 
Stephen Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capitol; Terri Rouse, CEO, 
Visitors Services, Capitol Visitors Center; and Douglas Elmendorf, 
Director, CBO.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Outside 
Witnesses, and on Related Agencies. Testimony was heard from Chief 
Judge William Greene, U.S. Court of Appeals, Veterans Claims; BG John 
W. Nicholson, USA (ret.), Secretary; American Battle Monuments 
Commission; Terrence C. Salt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
the Army (Civil Works), Arlington National Cemetery; and Timothy C. 
Cox, Armed Forces Retirement Home.
  The Subcommittee also continued appropriation hearings. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2009 Supplemental 
Appropriations Request. Testimony was heard from Hillary Rodham 
Clinton, Secretary of State.
U.S.-PAKISTAN MILITARY PARTNERSHIP--EFFECTIVE COUNTERINSURGENCY
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Effective 
Counterinsurgency: The Future of the U.S.-Pakistan Military 
Partnership. Testimony was heard from LTG David W. Barno, USA, (ret.); 
Director, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National 
Defense University, Department of Defense; public witnesses.
ARMY AIRCRAFT PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces held a 
hearing on Army aircraft programs. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of the Army, Department of 
Defense; BG Walter Davis, USA, Director, Army Aviation; and BG William 
Crosby, USA, Program Executive Officer, Aviation. .
MEASURING VALUE AND RISK IN SERVICES CONTRACTS
Committee on Armed Services: Defense Acquisition Reform Panel held a 
hearing on measuring value and risk in services contracts. Testimony 
was heard from

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the following officials of GAO: William M. Solis, Director, Defense 
Capabilities and Management Team; and John P. Hutton, Director, 
Acquisition and Sourcing Management Team; and Jeffrey P. Parsons, 
Executive Director, U.S. Army Contracting Command, Department of 
Defense; and a public witness.
REDUCTION IN HEALTH CARE COSTS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Health, Employment, 
Labor and Pensions held a hearing on Ways to Reduce the Cost of Health 
Insurance for Employers, Employees and Their Families. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS AND CONSUMER PRIVACY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications, 
Technology and the Internet held a hearing on Communications Networks 
and Consumer Privacy: Recent Development. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY SECURITY ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on The American Clean Energy Security Act of 
2009. Testimony was heard from Howard Gruenspecht, Acting 
Administrator, Energy Information Agency, Department of Energy; Dian M. 
Grueneich, Commissioner, Public Utilities Commission, State of 
California; and public witnesses.
  Hearing continues tomorrow.
MORTGAGE REFORM AND ANTI-PREDATORY LENDING ACT
  Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on H.R. 1728, 
Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act. Testimony was heard 
from Sandra Braunstein, Director, Division of Consumer and Community 
Affairs, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; and public 
witnesses.
U.S. ASSISTANCE TO AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health 
held a hearing on U.S. Assistance to Africa: A Call for Foreign Aid 
Reform. Testimony was heard from Earl Gast, Senior Deputy Assistant 
Administrator, Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International 
Development, Department of State; and public witnesses.
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT OF 2009
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 1913. 
Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.
NONNATIVE WILDLIFE INVASION PREVENTION ACT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans 
and Wildlife held a hearing on H.R. 669, Nonnative Wildlife Invasion 
Prevention Act. Testimony was heard from Gary Frazer, Assistant 
Director, Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Department of the Interior; Lawrence M. Riley, Division 
Coordinator, Wildlife Management Division, Department of Game and Fish, 
State of Arizona; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1121, Blue 
Ridge Parkway and Town of Blowing Rock Land Exchange Act of 2009; and 
H.R. 1376, Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 2009. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Edwards of Texas and Foxx; 
Stephen P. Whitesell, Associate Director, Park Planning, Facilities, 
and Lands, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the 
following measures: H. Res. 299, Expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that public servants should be commended for their 
dedication and continued service to the Nation during Public Service 
Recognition Week, May 4 through 10, 2009, and throughout the year; H. 
Res. 340. Expressing sympathy to the victims, families, and friends of 
the tragic act of violence at the American Civic Association in 
Binghamton, New York; H. Res. 341, Expressing heartfelt sympathy for 
the victims and families of the shootings in Geneva and Coffee Counties 
in Alabama, on March 10, 2009; H. Res. 342, Expressing support for 
designation of May 2, 2009, as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day;'' and H.R. 
1271, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 2351 West Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach, Florida, as 
the ``Elijah Pat Larkins Post Office Building.''.
H-2B GUESTWORKER PROGRAM--IMPROVING DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S ENFORCEMENT 
OF RIGHTS OF GUESTWORKS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Domestic 
Policy held a hearing entitled ``The H-2B Guestworker Program and 
Improving the Department of Labor's Enforcement of the Rights of 
Guestworkers.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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NOAA'S GEOSTATIONARY WEATHER SYSTEM OVERSIGHT
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment continued hearings on Oversight of NOAA's Geostationary 
Weather Satellite System. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of NOAA, Mary Ellen Kicza, Assistant Administrator, Satellite 
and Information Services; and George Morrow, Director, Flight Projects 
Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center; and David Powner, Director, 
Information Technology Management Issues, GAO.
STIMULATING INNOVATION AT SMALL HIGH-TECH BUSINESSES-ROLE OF THE SBIR 
AND STTR PROGRAMS
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on the Role of the SBIR and STTR Programs in 
Stimulating Innovation at Small High-Tech Businesses. Testimony was 
heard from Sally Rocky, Acting Deputy Director, Extramural Research, 
NIH, Department of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
COMBAT PTSD ACT
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 952, COMBAT PTSD Act. 
Testimony was heard from Bradley G. Mayes, Director, Compensation and 
Pension Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and representatives of veterans organizations.
VA NON-COMPETITIVE CONTRACTS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on VA Non-competitive Contracts. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the SBA: Shawne Carter McGibbon, Acting 
Chief Counsel, Office of Advocacy; and Joseph Jordan, Associate 
Administrator, Government Contracting and Business Development; Jan R. 
Frye, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Acquisition and Logistics, Department 
of Veterans Affairs; representatives of veterans organizations; and 
public witnesses.
AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT-IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Income Security and Family 
Support held a hearing to review the implementation and impact of the 
unemployment insurance provisions included in the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from Ray Uhalde, Senior 
Advisor to the Secretary, Department of Labor; Michael L. Thurmond, 
Commissioner, Department of Labor, State of Georgia; Joseph Walsh, 
Deputy Director, Iowa Workforce Development, State of Iowa; and public 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
TARP
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine a 
quarterly report by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled 
Asset Relief Program (TARP), after receiving testimony from Neil 
Barofsky, Special Inspector General, Troubled Asset Relief Program, 
Department of the Treasury.
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Committee on the Library: Committee adopted its rules of 
procedure for the 111th Congress.
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Committee on Printing: Committee adopted its rules of procedure 
for the 111th Congress.