[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 29, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D472-D474]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
USDA'S CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICE
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Department Operations, 
Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing on the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. 
Testimony was heard from Joe Leonard, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Civil 
Rights. USDA; Lisa Shames, Director, Natural Resources and Environment 
Division, GAO.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on NASA. Testimony was 
heard from Christopher J. Scolese, Acting Administrator, NASA.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services, 
General Government and Related Agencies held a hearing on the FCC. 
Testimony was heard from Michael J. Copps, Acting Chairman, FCC.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on the Library of Congress and Open World Leadership Center. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Library of 
Congress: James Billington, Librarian of Congress; and Jo Ann Jenkins, 
Chief Operating Officer; and Ambassador John O'Keefe, Executive 
Director, Open World Leadership Center.
EFFECTIVE COUNTERINSURGENCY
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Effective 
Counterinsurgency: The Administration's Perspective on the Future of 
the U.S.-Pakistan Military Partnership. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Michele Flourney, 
Under Secretary, Policy; and VADM James A. Winnefeld, Jr., USN, 
Director, Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and 
Ambassador Richard A. Boucher, Assistant Secretary, South and Central 
Asian Affairs; Department of State.
MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on Military Health System: Health Affairs/TRICARE Management 
Activity Organization. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of Defense: Gail H. McGinn, Acting Under Secretary, 
Personnel and Readiness; Ellen P. Embrey, Acting Assistant Secretary, 
Health Affairs; and MG Elder Granger, USA, Deputy Director, TRICARE 
Management Activity; LTG Eric Schoomaker, USA, Commanding General, U.S. 
Army Medical Command, Surgeon General, U.S. Army; VADM Adam Robinson, 
USN, Surgeon General, U.S. Navy; and LTG James G. Roudebush, USAF, 
Surgeon General, U.S. Air Force.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Strengthening 
America's Competitiveness through Common Academic Standards. Testimony 
was heard from Ken James, Commissioner, Department of Education, 
Arkansas; former Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., of North Carolina; and 
public witnesses.
MORTGAGE REFORM AND ANTI-PREDATORY LENDING ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported, as amended., H.R. 
1728, Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act.
TRANSPORTATION WORKER ID CARD
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a Member briefing on 
Transportation Worker Identification Card. The Committee was briefed by 
the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Maurine 
Fanguy, Director, Maritime and Surface Credentialing, Transportation 
Security Administration; and ADM James Watson, USCG, Director, 
Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship, U.S. 
Coast Guard.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IT STRATEGIC PLANNING
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on Library of 
Congress IT Strategic Planning. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Library of Congress: Laura Campbell, Chief Information 
Officer; James Billington, Librarian of Congress; Jo Ann Jenkins, Chief 
Operating Officer; and Karl Schornagel, Inspector General.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 1018, To amend the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses 
and Burros Act to improve the management and long-term health of

[[Page D473]]

wild and free-roaming horses and burros, and for other purposes; and 
H.R. 689, To interchange the administrative jurisdiction of certain 
Federal lands between the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land 
Management, and for other purposes.
OVERSIGHT--WMATA
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held an 
oversight hearing on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 
(WMATA). Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: Jim Graham, Chairman, 
Board of Directors; John B. Catoe, General Manager; and Helen Lew, 
Inspector General; Matthew Welbes, Executive Director and Acting Deputy 
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Department of 
Transportation; and public witnesses.
U.S. POLICY TOWARD CUBA-NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security held a hearing entitled ``National Security Implications of 
U.S. Policy Toward Cuba.'' Testimony was heard from GEN Barry 
McCaffrey, USA, (ret.), former SOUTHCOM Commander, Department of 
Defense; and public witnesses.
CREDIT CARD HOLDERS' BILL OF RIGHTS ACT OF 2009.
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a structured rule 
providing for further consideration of H.R. 627, the ``Credit 
Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009.'' The resolution provides that 
no general debate shall be in order pursuant to the resolution. 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 the report 
of the Committee on Rules. 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 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 Representatives Gutierrez, 
Maloney, Minnick, Pingree, Polis, Price (NC), Hinchey, Jackson-Lee 
(TX), Carney, Cohen, Welch, Boccieri, Shuster, Jones, and Sessions.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Ordered reported the following 
bills: H.R. 2020, amended, Networking and Information Technology 
Research and Development Act of 2009; H.R. 1736, International Science 
and Technology Cooperation Act of 2009; and H.R. 1709, amended, STEM 
Education Coordination Act of 2009.
CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND FAMILY FARMERS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Climate Change 
Solutions for Small Businesses and Family Farmers.'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
RECOVERY ACT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing on 
Recovery Act: 10-Week Progress Report for Transportation and 
Infrastructure Programs. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Transportation: Ray H. LaHood; and 
Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General; the following officials of the 
EPA: Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator; and Melissa Heist, Assistant 
Inspector General, Audit; Terrence C. Salt, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Army (Civil Works), Corps of Engineers; Department of 
Defense; Paul F. Prouty, Acting Administrator, GSA; Donald A. Stadtler, 
Jr., Chief Financial Officer, AMTRAK; Dennis Alvord, Acting Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Economic Development, Department of Commerce; 
Katherine A. Siggerud, Managing Director, Physical Infrastructure 
Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
FUNDING THE VA OF THE FUTURE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on Funding the VA of the 
Future. Testimony was heard from Jessica Banthin, Director, Modeling 
and Simulation, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends, Agency 
for Healthcare Research and Quality, Department of Health and Human 
Services; Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Randall 
Williamson, Director, Healthcare Team, VA/DOD Health Care Issues, GAO; 
Sidath Viranga Panangala, Analyst in Veterans Policy, Congressional 
Research Service, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.

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HEALTH REFORM
Committee on Ways and Means: Continued hearings on Health Reform in the 
21st Century: Employer Sponsored Insurance. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
HUMINT/HUMINT-ENABLING BRIEFING; OVERHEAD BRIEFING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on HUMINT/HUMINT-Enabling. Testimony was heard from 
departmental witnesses.
  The Committee also met in executive session to receive a briefing on 
Overhead. Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.