[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 69 (Wednesday, May 6, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D512-D514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD LAND USE BIOMASS PROVISIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy 
and Research held a hearing to review the impact of the indirect land 
use and renewable biomass provisions in the renewable fuel standard. 
Testimony was heard from Joe Glauber, Chief Economist, USDA; Margo T. 
Oge, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA; Michael 
Pechart, Deputy Secretary, Marketing and Economic Development, 
Department of Agriculture, State of Pennsylvania; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on the House of Representatives Budget. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the House of Representatives: Dan 
Beard, Chief Administrative Officer; Loraine C. Miller, Clerk; and Bill 
Livingood, Sergeant-at-Arms.
ARMY, NAVY/MARINE CORPS BUDGETS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies held a hearing on the Army 
Budget. Testimony was heard from GEN George W. Casey, Jr., USA, Army 
Chief of Staff.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Navy/Marine Corps Budget. 
Testimony was heard from ADM Gary Roughhead, USN, Chief of Naval 
Operations; and GEN James T. Conway, USMC, Commandant of the Marine 
Corps.
HIGH RISK AREA ACQUISITION REFORM; U.S. STRATEGIC POSTURE REPORT
Committee on Armed Services, Held a hearing on the Department of 
Defense at High Risk: The Chief Management Officer's Recommendations 
for Acquisition Reform and Related High Risk Areas. Testimony was heard 
from William Lynn, Deputy Secretary, Department of Defense.
  The Committee also held a hearing on the report of the Congressional 
Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. Testimony was 
heard the following officials of the Congressional Commission on the 
Strategic Posture of the United States: William J. Perry, Chairman; and 
James R. Schlesinger, Vice Chairman.
GREEN PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES
Committee on Education and Labor: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
2187, 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act.
PREVENTING LOAN MODIFICATION/FORECLOSURE FRAUD
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Legislative Solutions for 
Preventing Loan Modification and Foreclosure Rescue Fraud.'' Testimony 
was heard from James Freis, Jr., Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement 
Network, Department of the Treasury; Peggy Twohig, Associate Director, 
Division of Financial Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC; 
Martha Coakley, Attorney General, State of Massachusetts; and public 
witnesses.
SWINE FLU OUTBREAK
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health 
held a hearing on Global Health Emergencies Hit Home: The Swine Flu 
Outbreak. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Health and Human Services: Anthony Fauci, M.D. Director, 
National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, NIH; and RADM 
Anne Schuchat, M.D., USN, Interim Deputy Director, Science and Public 
Health Program, Center for Disease Control and Prevention; and Dennis 
Carroll, M.D., Special Advisor to the Acting Administrator on Pandemic 
Influenza, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of 
State.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 
2200, Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act.
HOUSE OFFICE BUILDINGS RENOVATIONS
Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on Necessary 
Renovations to House Office Buildings. Testimony was heard from Stephen 
T. Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capitol; and Terrell G. Dean, 
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO.
U.S./MEXICO DRUG TRADE VIOLENCE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on Escalating Violence in Mexico and 
the Southwest Border as a Result of the Illicit Drug Trade. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Justice: 
Stuart G. Nash, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Director, 
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces; and William

[[Page D513]]

J. Hoover, Acting Deputy Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 
and Explosives; and the following officials of the Department of 
Homeland Security: Salvador Nieto, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, 
Office of Intelligence and Operations Coordination, U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection; Janice Ayala, Deputy Assistant Director, Office of 
Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Anthony 
Placido, Assistant Administrator, Intelligence, U.S. Drug Enforcement 
Administration.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the 
following measures: H.R. 2812, Enhanced Oversight of State and Local 
Economic Recovery Act; H.R. 885, amended, Improved Financial and 
Commodity Markets Oversight and Accountability Act; H.R. 626, Federal 
Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009; H. Con. Res. 84, Supporting 
the goals and objectives of a National Military Appreciation Month; H. 
Res. 356, Supporting support for the designation of February 8, 2010, 
as the ``Boys Scouts of America Day,'' in celebration of the Nation's 
largest youth scouting organization's 100th anniversary; H. Res. 370, 
amended, Expressing support for designation of April 27, 2009, as 
``National Healthy Schools Day;'' H. Res. 388, Celebrating the role of 
mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of 
Mother's Day; H.R. 1817, To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 116 North West Street in Somerville, 
Tennessee, as the ``John S. Wilder Post Office Building;'' H.R. 2090, 
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 431 State Street in Ogdensburg, New York, as the ``Frederic 
Remington Post Office Building;'' H.R. 2162, To designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 123 11th Avenue South in 
Nampa, Idaho, as the ``Herbert A. Littleton Postal Station;'' H.R. 
2173, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 1009 Crystal Road in Island Falls, Maine, as the ``Carl B. 
Smith Post Office;'' and H.R. 2174, To designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service, located at 18 Main Street in Howland, 
Maine, as the ``Clyde Hichborn Post Office.''
MORTGAGE REFORM AND ANTI-PREDATORY LENDING ACT
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a record vote of 9-4, a 
structured rule providing for further consideration of H.R. 1728, the 
``Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act.'' The rule provides 
that no general debate shall be in order. 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. 
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 Perlmutter, Polis, Jackson-Lee of Texas, Dahlkemper, Titus, 
Bachus, Manzullo, Gary G. Miller of California, Garrett, Sessions, and 
Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.
REAUTHORIZE AND MODERNIZE SBA'S ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Legislation to 
Reauthorize and Modernize SBA's Entrepreneurial Development Programs.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
VETERANS' MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 23, amended, Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World 
War II Act of 2009; H.R. 466, amended, Wounded Veteran Job Security 
Act; H.R. 1088, Mandatory Veteran Specialist Training Act of 2009; H.R. 
1089, amended, Veterans Employment Rights Realignment Act of 2009; and 
H.R. 1170, amended, To amend chapter 21 of title 38, United States 
Code, to establish a grant program to encourage the development of new 
assistive technologies for specially adopted housing.
HEALTH REFORM IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing to welcome the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, and to continue hearings on Health Reform in 
the 21st Century, Testimony was heard from Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary 
of Health and Human Services.
RUSSIA
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism 
Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to hold a hearing on Russia.

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  Testimony was heard from departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.