[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 24, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D758-D760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOOD, CONSERVATION, AND ENERGY ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing to review implementation of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FAIR DISCLOSURE AND PENSION SECURITY ACT OF 2009
Committee on Education and Labor: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
2989, 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act of 2009.
HEALTHCARE REFORM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: and the Subcommittee on Health 
continued hearings on draft health reform legislation. Testimony was 
heard from Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services; 
Representative Conyers; Joseph Vitale, Chairman, Committee on Health, 
Human Services, and Senior Citizens, State Senate, New Jersey; Jay 
Webber, State Assembly, New Jersey; Michael O. Leavitt, former 
Secretary of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
U.S.-AFRICA TRADE RELATIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and 
Consumer Protection, and the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health 
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a joint hearing on U.S.-Africa 
Trade Relations: Creating a Platform for Economic Growth. Testimony was 
heard from Florizelle Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for 
Africa, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; Leocadia L. Zak, 
Acting Director, Trade and Development Agency; Holly Vineyard, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Department of 
Commerce; and public witnesses.
REGULATOR RESTRUCTURING
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Regulatory 
Restructuring: Enhancing Consumer Financial Products Regulation.'' 
Testimony was heard from Representative Delahunt; William Francis 
Galvin, Secretary, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and public witnesses.
U.S.-RUSSIA NUCLEAR ARMS REDUCTION
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on the July Summit and 
Beyond: Prospects for U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Reduction. Testimony was 
heard from William J. Perry, former Secretary of Defense; Thomas 
Graham, Jr., former Special Representative to the President for Arms 
Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament, and Legal Advisor to SALT 
II, START I and II; and Keith B. Payne, former Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Forces Policy.
HOMELAND SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS BUDGET
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``FY2010 Budget for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of 
the Department of Homeland Security.'' Testimony was heard from Bart 
Johnson, Acting Under Secretary, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, 
Department of Homeland Security.
RESOLUTION ADVERSELY REPORTED REGARDING TRANSMISSION TO THE HOUSE 
MATERIAL RELATING TO DETAINEES
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported adversely H. Res. 537, 
Requesting that the President and directing that the Attorney General 
transmit to the House of Representative all information in their 
possession relating to specific communications regarding detainees and 
foreign persons suspected of terrorism.
PUERTO RICO DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2009
Committee on Natural Resources: Held a hearing on H.R. 2499, Puerto 
Rico Democracy Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Burton of Indiana and Grayson; the following officials of the

[[Page D759]]

Government of Puerto Rico; Luis G. Fortino, Governor; the following 
members of the Senate: Ruben Angel Berrios Martinez; Thomas Rivera 
Schatz, President, Jose L. Dalmau Santiago, Minority Leader; and 
Eduardo Bhatia Gautier; the following officials of the House; Jennifer 
Gonzalez Colon, Speaker; and Hector Lerrer Rios, and Carlos Romero-
Barcelo, former Governor.
AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN OVERSIGHT--NEW INTERAGENCY STRATEGY
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: and the Subcommittee on 
National Security and Foreign Affairs held a joint hearing entitled 
``Afghanistan and Pakistan: Oversight of a New Interagency Strategy.'' 
Testimony was heard from Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, U.S. Special 
Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Department of State; and 
GEN Wallace Gregson, Assistant Secretary, Asian and Pacific Affairs, 
Department of Defense.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia approved for 
full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 22, To amend chapter 89, title 
5, United States Code, to allow the United States Postal Service to pay 
its share of contributions for annuitants' health benefits out of the 
Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing entitled ``FEHBP's Prescription 
Drug Benefits: Deal or No Deal?'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of OPM: Patrick McFarland, Inspector General; and 
Nancy Kichak, Associate Director, Human Resources Policy Division; John 
Dicken, Director, Health Care, GAO; and public witnesses.
THE ``DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010''
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 8-3, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 2996, the Department of the 
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. 
The rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The 
rule waives all points of order against provisions in the bill for 
failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI. The rule makes in order 
the following amendments: (1) the amendment printed in part A of the 
Rules Committee report; (2) the amendments printed in part B of the 
report; (3) not to exceed three of the amendments printed in part C of 
the report, if offered by Representative Flake of Arizona or his 
designee; (4) not to exceed one of the amendments printed in part D of 
the report, if offered by Representative Campbell of California or his 
designee; and (5) not to exceed one of the amendments printed in part E 
of the report, if offered by Representative Hensarling of Texas or his 
designee. The rule provides that each such 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. All points of order against such amendments are 
waived except those arising under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule 
also provides that the amendments printed in part B, C, D, or E of the 
report may be offered only at the appropriate point in the reading. The 
rule provides that for those amendments reported from the Committee of 
the Whole, the question of their adoption shall be put to the House en 
gros and without intervening demand for division of the question. The 
rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. The 
rule provides that after consideration of the bill for amendment, 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, which shall be controlled by the proponent. 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 and that the Chair may not entertain a motion to strike 
out the enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 or rule 
XVIII). Finally, the rule provides that during consideration of H.R. 
2996, the Chair may reduce to two minutes the minimum time for 
electronic voting under clause 6 of rule XVIII and clauses 8 and 9 or 
rule XX. Testimony was heard from Chairman Dicks, Representatives 
Kanjorski; Hinojosa; Simpson; Buyer; Conaway; Garrett of New Jersey; 
King of Iowa; Nunes; McCaul of Texas; Jordan of Ohio; Lamborn and Roe 
of Tennessee.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science and Technology: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H..R. 2965, Enhancing Small Business Research and 
Innovation Act of 2009; H.R. 2729, To authorize the designation of 
National Environmental Research Parks by the Secretary of Energy, and 
for other purposes; and H.R. 1622, To provide for a program of 
research, development, and demonstration on natural gas vehicles.

[[Page D760]]


SMALL GROUP HEALTHCARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Health IT 
Adoption and the New Challenges Faced by Solo and Small Group 
Healthcare Practices.'' Testimony was heard from David Blumenthal, 
M.D., National Coordinator, Health IT, Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2009
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit approved for full Committee action the Surface 
Transportation Authorization Act of 2009
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2379, 
Veterans Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 2009; H.R. 2713, 
Disabled Veterans Life Insurance Enhancement Act; H.R. 2968, to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the required reduction in 
the amount of the accelerated death benefit payable to certain 
terminally-ill persons insured under Servicemembers' Group Life 
Insurance or Veterans' Group Life Insurance; H.R. 2774, Families of 
Veterans Financial Security Act. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Buyer, Donnelly, Halvorson, and Kirkpatrick of Arizona; 
Thomas M. Lostowka, Director, VA Regional Office and Insurance Center, 
Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; a 
representative of a veterans organizations; and a public witness.
HEALTH REFORM PROPOSALS
Committee on Ways and Means: Continued hearings on Health Reform in the 
21st Century: Proposals to Reform the Health System. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
BRIEFING--SIGNIFICATION NOTIFICATION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Significant Notification. The Committee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.