[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 16, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D705-D708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies approved for full Committee 
action the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies 
appropriations for Fiscal Year 2010.
FAA BUDGET AND NEXT GENERATION AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Committee on Appropriation: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and 
Urban Development and Related Agencies continued hearings on FAA: FY 
2010 Budget and Next Generation Air Transportation System. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the FAA, Department of 
Transportation: J. Randolph Babbitt, Administrator; Henry P. Krakowski, 
Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic Organization; Margaret Gilligan, 
Associate Administrator, Aviation Safety; Victoria Cox, Senior Vice 
President, NextGen and Operations Planning; and

[[Page D706]]

Nancy LoBue, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Aviation Policy, Planning 
and Environment.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION/SHIPBUILDING--AVIATION PLAN
  Committee on Armed Services: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 2647, National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010; H.R. 477, Federal 
Efficiency and Performance Act of 2009; and H.R. 478, Federal Agency 
Performance Review and Efficiency Act.
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMING PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on The Future of 
Learning: How Technology is Transforming Public Schools. Testimony was 
heard from Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer, Office of Science 
and Technology Policy; and public witnesses.
SATELLITE TV LOCAL BROADCASTING TERMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications, 
Technology and the Internet held a hearing on draft legislation to 
reauthorize the Satellite Home Viewer Act. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY TERMINATIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Terminations of Individual 
Health Policies by Insurance Companies.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
SYSTEMIC RISK AND INSURANCE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled 
``Systemic Risk and Insurance.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
GREEN ACT OF 2009
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Community 
Opportunity held a hearing on H.R. 2336, GREEN Act of 2009, Testimony 
was heard from Ron Sims, Deputy Secretary, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development.
ADMINISTRATION'S EUROPE POLICIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Europe held a hearing on 
Strengthening the Transatlantic Alliance: An Overview of the Obama 
Administration's Policies in Europe. Testimony was heard from Philip 
Gordon, Assistant Secretary, European and Eurasian Affairs, Department 
of State.
UIGHUR NATIONALISM
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight held a hearing on Exploring 
the Nature of Uighur Nationalism: Freedom Fighters or Terrorists? 
Testimony was heard from Randall G. Schriver, former Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State; Shirley 
Kan, Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Division, Congressional 
Research Service, Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTITERRORISM ACT OF 2009
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing on H.R. 2868, Chemical 
Facility Antiterrorism Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Sue 
Armstrong, Director, Infrastructure Security Compliance Division, 
Office of Infrastructure Protection; and Philip Reitinger, Deputy Under 
Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate; Paul Baldauf, 
Assistant Director, Radiation Protection and Release Prevention, 
Department of Environmental Protection, State of New Jersey; and public 
witnesses.
BANKRUPTCY JUDGESHIP NEEDS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on Bankruptcy Judgeship Needs. 
Testimony was heard from Barbara M.G. Lynn, U.S. District Court for the 
Northern District of Texas; David S. Kennedy, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for 
the Western District of Tennessee, William Jenkins, GAO; and a public 
witness.
PACIFIC SALMON/FISH HABITAT CONSERVATION
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans 
and Wildlife held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2055, Pacific 
Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act of 2009; and H.R. 2565, National 
Fish Habitat Conservation Act. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Thompson of California; James Balsiger, Acting Assistant Administrator, 
Fisheries, National Maine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Department of 
Commerce; Gary Frazier, Assistant Director, Fisheries and Habitat 
Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the 
Interior; Sara Laborde, Special Assistant to the Director, Department 
of Fish and Wildlife, State of Washington; Eric Schwaab, Deputy 
Secretary, Department of Natural Resources, State of Maryland; and 
public witnesses.

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MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest 
and Public Lands, and the Subcommittee on Water and Power held a joint 
oversight hearing entitled ``Mountain Pine Beetle: Strategies for 
Protecting the West.'' Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Rehberg, Salazar, Markey of Colorado, Minnick, Polis and Scanlan; the 
following officials of the Forest Service, USDA: Barbara Bentz, 
Research Entomologist, Rocky Mountain Research Station; and Rick 
Cables, Regional Forester, Rocky Mountain Region; Herbert C. Frost, 
Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, National 
Park Service, Department of the Interior; Ronald Turley, Special 
Programs Manager, Western Area Power Administration, Department of the 
Energy; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL CONTRACTING
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Management, Organization and Procurement held a hearing 
entitled ``The State of Federal Contracting: Opportunities and 
Challenges for Strengthening Government Procurement and Acquisition 
Policies.'' Testimony was heard from Shay Assad, Director, Defense 
Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Department of Defense; David A. 
Drabkin, Acting Chief Acquisition Officer, GSA; and public witnesses.
PAKISTAN'S HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled ``U.S. 
Contributions to the Response to Pakistan's Humanitarian Crisis: The 
Situation and the Stakes.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
2010
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 7-3, a rule providing 
for further consideration of the bill (H.R. 2847) making appropriations 
for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related 
Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other 
purposes, under a structured rule. The rule provides no further general 
debate.
  The rule provides that no further amendments shall be in order 
except: (1) amendments numbered 3, 6, 19, 22, 25, 31, 35, 41, 59, 60, 
62, 63, 69, 71, 93, 96, 97, 98, 100, 102, 111, 114, and 118 printed in 
the Congressional Record of June 15, 2009, which may be offered only by 
the Member who submitted it for printing or a designee; and (2) not to 
exceed 10 of the following amendments if offered by the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or his designee: 
amendments numbered 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 
89, 90, 91, 104, 105, 106, 107, and 108 printed in the Congressional 
Record of June 15, 2009.
  The rule provides that each amendment shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent, 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 that 
amendments may be offered only at the appropriate point in the reading. 
It provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  The rule provides that the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Appropriations or their designees each may offer one pro 
forma amendment to the bill for the purpose of debate. Such amendment 
may be repeated, but only after consideration of an amendment listed in 
the first section of this rule.
  Finally, the rule provides that the Chair may entertain a motion that 
the committee rise only if offered by the chair of the Committee on 
Appropriations or his designee. The Chair may not entertain a motion to 
strike out the enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 of 
rule XVIII). Testimony was heard from Chairman Obey and Representatives 
Mollohan, Wolf, Burton, Flake, King (IA), Nunes, Rogers (AL), Gohmert, 
Price (GA), Jordon (OH) and Broun (GA).
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment approved for full Committee action the following bills: 
H.R. 2693, amended, Federal Oil Spill Research Program Act; H.R. 2729, 
amended, to authorize the designation of National Environmental 
Research Parks by the Secretary of Energy; and H.R. 1622, To provide 
for a program of research, development, and demonstration on natural 
gas vehicles.
CYBERSPACE POLICY REVIEW
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation, and the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held 
a joint hearing on Agency Response to Cyberspace Policy Review. 
Testimony was heard from Cita Furkani, Director, Information Technology 
Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department 
of Commerce; Jeannette Wing, Assistant Director, Directorate for 
Computer and Information Science and Engineering, NSF; Robert F. 
Leheny, Acting

[[Page D708]]

Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Department of 
Defense; and Peter Fonash, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of 
Cyber Security Communications, Department of Homeland Security.
WATER/ENVIRONMENT AGENCY BUDGETS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment continued hearings on Agency Budgets and 
Priorities for FY 2010. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army: Terrance 
C. Salt, Acting Assistant Secretary, Civil Works; and LTG Robet L. 
Vantwerp, USA, Chief of Engineers; Howard Frumkin, M.D., Director, 
National Center, Environmental Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
Department of Health and Human Services; and a public witness.
VA ENDOSCOPY PROCEDURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Endoscopy Procedures at the VA: What 
Happened, What Has Changed? Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: John D. Daigh, Jr., 
M.D., Assistant Inspector General, Healthcare Inspections, Office of 
Inspector General; and William E. Duncan, M.D., Associate Deputy Under 
Secretary, Health, Quality and Safety, Veterans Health Administration.

Joint Meetings
INSTABILITY IN NORTHERN CAUCASUS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine instability in the Northern Caucasus in Russia, 
after receiving testimony from Svetlana Gannushkina, Civic Assistance 
Committee for Refugees, Alexei Malashenko, Carnegie Endowment, and 
Elena Milashina, Novaya Gazeta, all of Moscow, Russia.