[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D593-D596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Department of Defense. Testimony was heard from the following officials of 
the Department of Defense: Robert Gates, Secretary; ADM Michael Mullen, USN, 
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Robert Hale, Comptroller.
FINANCIAL SERVICES GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services, General 
Government, and Related Agencies held a hearing on OMB. Testimony was heard 
from Peter Orszag, Director, OMB.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans 
Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on the Air Force Budget. 
Testimony was heard from GEN Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, Chief of Staff, 
Department of Defense.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and 
Related Programs held a hearing on U.S. Agency for International 
Development, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and on Office of Global AIDS 
Coordinator. Testimony was heard from Alonzo Fullgham, Acting Administrator,

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Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development, 
Department of State; Rodney Bent, Acting Administrator, Millennium Challenge 
Corporation; and Tom Walsh, Acting Deputy U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and 
Chief of Staff.
TRANSPORTATION, HUD APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and 
Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Member Requests. 
Testimony was heard from Members of Congress.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST--AIR FORCE MODERNIZATION 
PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces held a 
hearing on Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request 
for Air Force Modernization Programs. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: David G. Ahern, Director, Portfolio 
Systems Acquisition, Office of the Under Secretary, Acquisition, Technology, 
and Logistics; LTG Daniel J. Darnell, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air, 
Space and Information Operations, Plans and Requirement, Headquarters, U.S. 
Air Force; LTG Mark D. Shackelford, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Air Space 
and Information Operations, Plans and Requirement, Headquarters, U.S. Air 
Force; and LTG Raymond E. Johns, Jr., USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic 
Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force; and Michael J. Sullivan, 
Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, GAO.
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 
held a hearing on Another Crossroads? Professional Military Education Twenty 
Years after the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the Skelton Panel. Testimony was 
heard from following officials of the Department of Defense: Janet Breslin-
Smith, Retired Professor and Department Head, National War College; and 
Alexander Cochran, Historical Advisor to the Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; and 
public witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing on 
Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the 
Military Services' Operations and Maintenance Funding. Testimony was heard 
from the following officials of the Department of Defense: GEN Peter W. 
Chiarelli, USA, Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; ADM Patrick M. Walsh, USN, 
Vice Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy; GEN James F. Amos, USMC, 
Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps; and GEN William M. Fraser III, 
USAF, Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense 
Authorization Budget Request for Department of Defense Science and 
Technology Programs. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: Alan Shaffer, Principal Deputy Director, Defense 
Research and Engineering, Office of the Secretary; Thomas H. Killion, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Research and Technology U.S. Army; RADM Nevin P. Carr, 
Jr., USN, Chief of Naval Research, Director, Test and Evaluation and 
Technology Requirements, U.S. Navy; Terry Jaggers, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Air Force, Science, Technology and Engineering, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary, Acquisition, U.S. Air Force; and Robert F. Leheny, 
Acting Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Office of the 
Secretary of Defense.
ADMINISTRATION'S EDUCATION AGENDA
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on The Obama 
Administration's Education Agenda. Testimony was heard from Arne Duncan, 
Secretary of Education.
AMERICAN CLEAN ENERGY AND SECURITY ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Continued mark up of H.R. 2454 American 
Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.
  Will continue tomorrow.
CREDIT UNION SHARE INSURANCE STABILIZATION ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and 
Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``H.R. 2351, Credit Union Share 
Insurance Stabilization Act.'' Testimony was heard from Michael E. Fryzel, 
Chairman, National Credit Union Administration; George Reynolds, Chairman, 
Senior Deputy Commissioner, Department of Banking and Finance, State of 
Georgia; and public witnesses.
PAKISTAN AID/STATE DEPARTMENT AUTHORIZATION
  Committee on Foreign Affairs: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 1886, Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation 
Enhancement Act of 2009; and H.R. 2410, Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES; FBI OVERSIGHT
  Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
1741, amended, Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act of 2009; 
and H.R. 2247, Congressional Review Act Improvements Act.
  The Committee also held an oversight hearing on the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation. Testimony was

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heard from Robert Mueller, Director, FBI, Department of Justice.
INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION 61ST MEETING OVERSIGHT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and 
Wildlife held an oversight hearing on advance of the 61st meeting of the 
International Whaling Commission (IWC) to be held in Madeira, Portugal June 
22-26. Testimony was heard from William T. Hogarth, U.S. Commissioner, 
International Whaling Commission; and public witnesses.
STATE AND LOCAL PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled 
``State and Local Pandemic Preparedness.'' Testimony was heard from Daniel 
M. Sosin, M.D., Director, Coordinating Office, Terrorism Preparedness and 
Emergency Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department 
of Health and Human Services; Guthrie Birkhead, M.D., Deputy Commissioner, 
Public Health, Department of Health, State of New York; and public 
witnesses.
IMPACT OF CURRENT COST CUTTING EFFORTS ON POSTAL SERVICES OPERATIONS AND 
NETWORK
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing on 
``Nip and Tuck: The Impact of Current Cost Cutting Efforts on Postal Service 
Operations and Network.'' Testimony was heard from William P. Galligan, 
Senior Vice President, Operations, U.S. Postal Service; John Waller, 
Director, Office of Accountability and Compliance, Postal Regulatory 
Commission; Phillip Herr, Director, Physical Infrastructure, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a non-record vote, a rule 
providing for one hour of general debate on H.R. 915, FAA Reauthorization 
Act of 2009, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The 
rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill except 
those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that, in 
lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the amendment in the nature 
of a substitute printed in part A of the Rules Committee report, modified by 
the amendment printed in part B of the Rules Committee report, shall be 
considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The 
bill, as amended, shall be considered as the original bill for purpose of 
further amendment and shall be considered as read. The rule waives all 
points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in part C of the 
Rules Committee report. Amendments so printed may be offered only in the 
order printed in the Committee 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 this report equally divided and controlled by a 
proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not 
be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. The rule waives all points of order against such 
amendments except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit the bill with or without instructions.
  Section 2 of the rule provides that the chair of the Committee on 
Transportation is authorized to file a supplemental report to accompany H.R. 
915. Testimony was heard from Chairman Oberstar and Representatives 
Costello, Ackerman, Cleaver, Cuellar, Minnick, Mica, Schock, Smith of 
Nebraska, Petri, Frelinghuysen and Garrett.
CONFERENCE REPORT--WEAPONS SYSTEMS ACQUISITION REFORM ACT OF 2009
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a non-record vote, a rule 
providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany S. 454, 
the ``Weapons Acquisition System Reform Through Enhancing Technical 
Knowledge and Oversight Act of 2009.''
  The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and 
against its consideration and provides that the conference report shall be 
considered as read. The rule provides that the Chair may postpone further 
consideration of the conference report to such time as may be designated by 
the Speaker. Testimony was heard from Chairman Skelton and Representative 
McHugh.
HEROES OF SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Heroes of Small 
Business.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
AVIATION CONSUMER ISSUES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Aviation 
held a hearing on Aviation Consumer Issues: Emergency Contingency Planning 
and Outlook for Summer Travel. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Transportation: Christa Fornarotto, Acting 
Assistant Secretary, Aviation and International Affairs; Calvin L. Scovel 
III, Inspector General; and Nancy LoBue, Acting Assistant Administrator, 
Aviation Policy, Planning, and Environment, FAA; and public witnesses.

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PIRACY AGAINST U.S. FLAGGED VESSELS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast Guard 
and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Piracy Against U.S.-Flagged 
Vessels: Lessons Learned. Testimony was heard from RADM Brian Salerno, USCG, 
Assistant Commander, Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship, Department of 
Homeland Security; the following officials of the Department of Defense: Ed 
Frothingham, Principal Director, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Counternarcotics and Global Threats, Department of Defense, and public 
witnesses.
BUDGET OVERVIEW
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to hold 
a hearing on Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Overview. Testimony was heard from 
Dennis Blair, Director, Office of National Intelligence; and James R. 
Clapper, Jr., Under Secretary, Intelligence, Department of Defense.
Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF GLOBAL DEMAND ON OIL
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine oil and 
the economy, focusing on the impact of rising global demand on the United 
States recovery, after receiving testimony from Daniel Yergin, Chairman, IHS 
Cambridge Energy Research Associates, Washington, DC.; and James D. 
Hamilton, University of California, San Diego.
F