[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 102 (Thursday, July 9, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D815-D817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Rural Development, 
Biotechnology, Specialty Crops, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing 
to review rural broadband programs. Testimony was heard from Cheryl 
Cook, Deputy Under Secretary, Rural Development, USDA; Mark Seifert, 
Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary, National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration, Department of Commerce; and public 
witnesses.
DEFENSE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES
Committee on Armed Services: Defense Acquisition Reform Panel held a 
hearing on challenges to effective acquisition and management of 
information technology systems. Testimony was heard from Tim Harp, 
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Command, Control, Computers, 
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Information 
Technology Acquisition, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
ARMY/MARINE CORPS RESET REQUIREMENTS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittees on Readiness, Air and Land 
Forces and Seapower and Expeditionary Forces held a joint hearing on 
the status of Army and Marine Corps reset requirements. Testimony was 
heard from GEN Peter W. Chiarelli, USA, Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; 
and the following officials of the U.S. Marine Corps; GEN. James F. 
Amos, USMC, Assistant Commandant; MG Willie Williams, USMC, Commanding 
General, Marine Corps Logistics Command; and BG Michael Brogan, USMC, 
Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command.
SECTION 8 VOUCHER REFORM ACT OF 2009
Committee on Financial Services: Continued markup of the H.R. 3045, 
Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2009.
TARP FOR MAIN STREET ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing on H.R. 3068, TARP for 
Main Street Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from William C. Apgar, 
Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Mortgage Finance, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development; Gary Engel, Director, Financial 
Management and Assurance, GAO; Brian Hudson, Executive Director, 
Housing Finance Agency, State of Pennsylvania; Chris Warren, Chief of 
Regional Development, Cleveland, Ohio; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL RESERVE'S REGULATORY REFORM ROLE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary 
Policy and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Regulatory 
Restructuring: Balancing the Independence of the Federal Reserve 
Monetary Policy with Systemic Risk Regulation.'' Testimony was heard 
from Donald L. Kohn, Vice Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve 
System; and public witnesses.
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade held a hearing on The Export Administration 
Act: A Review of Outstanding Policy Considerations. Testimony was heard 
from John Engler, former Governor, State of Michigan; and public 
witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY WORKFORCE ENHANCEMENT ACT
Committee on Homeland Security: Ordered reported H.R. 1881, 
Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act of 2009.
MINORITY BROADCAST OWNERSHIP
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on Trends Affecting Minority 
Broadcast Ownership. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
VOLUNTARY MORTGAGE MODIFICATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on Home Foreclosures: Will Voluntary 
Mortgage Modification Help Families Save Their Homes? Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D816]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 1061, amended, Hoh Indian Tribe Safe Homelands Act; H.R. 715, 
Saguaro National Park Boundary Expansion and Study Act of 2009; H.R. 
1376, amended, Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 
2009; and H.R. 1121, amended, Blue Ridge Parkway and Town of Blowing 
Rock Land Exchange Act of 2009.
MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing on The 
Rise of the Mexican Drug Cartels and U.S. National Security. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of Homeland 
Security: Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary, Office of International 
Affairs, and Special Representative for Border Affairs; Todd Owen, 
Acting Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection; and Kumar Kibble, Deputy Director, 
Office of Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the 
following officials of the Department of Justice: Lanny A. Breuer, 
Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division; Anthony P. Placido, 
Assistant Administrator, Intelligence, Drug Enforcement Administration; 
and William Hoover, Assistant Director, Field Operations, Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; J. Robert McBrien, Associate 
Director, Investigations and Enforcement, Office of Foreign Assets 
Control, Department of the Treasury; and R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director, 
Office of National Drug Control Policy.
CENSUS DATA AND FEDERAL FORMULA FUNDING
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Policy, Census, and National Archives held a hearing on 
Census Data and Its Use in Federal Formula Funding. Testimony was heard 
from Thomas Mesenbourg, Acting Director, U.S. Census Bureau, Department 
of Commerce; Robert Goldenkoff, Director, Strategic Issues, GAO; Todd 
Richardson, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy Development, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; Donald Moulds, Acting 
Assistant Secretary, Planning and Evaluation, Department of Health and 
Human Services; Stuart Kerachsky, Acting Director, National Center for 
Education Statistics, Department of Education; Carleton Finkbeiner, 
Mayor, Toledo, Ohio; Robert Bowser, Mayor, East Orange, New Jersey; and 
public witnesses.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT FY 2010
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 3082, the Military Construction and 
Veterans Affairs 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 provides that the bill shall be 
considered as read through page 58, line 6. 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 amendments printed in the Rules Committee 
report. The rule provides that each such amendment 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 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 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 demand for division of the question. The 
rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  The rule provides that after disposition of the amendments specified 
in the first section of the rule, 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 of rule XVIII). Finally, the rule 
provides that during consideration of the bill, the Chair may reduce to 
two minutes the minimum time for electronic voting. Testimony was heard 
from Representatives Edwards of Texas, Abercrombie, Wamp, Sessions and 
King of Iowa.
ENERGY AND WATER LINKAGE
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment, hearing on the Technology Research and Development Efforts 
to the Energy and

[[Page D817]]

Water Linkage. Testimony was heard from Kristina Johnson, Under 
Secretary, Department of Energy; Anu Mittal, Director, Natural 
Resources and Environment, GAO; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS RESEARCH TAX CREDIT
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology 
held a hearing entitled ``Helping Small Business Innovators through the 
Research and Experimentation Tax Credit.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
NATIONAL MARITIME CENTER/MARINER
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on The National 
Maritime Center and Mariner Credentials. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland 
Security: RADM Kevin Cook, Director, Prevention Policy; CAPT David C. 
Stalfort, Commanding Officer, National Maritime Center; and public 
witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 2379, Veterans' Group Life Insurance Improvement Act of 
2009; H.R. 2774, Families of Veterans Financial Security Act; and H.R. 
2968, amended, 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.
VETERANS HEALTHCARE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health approved for 
full Committee action the following: H.R. 1197, Medal of Honor Care 
Equity Act of 2009; H.R. 1293, Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and 
Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009; H.R. 1302, To amend 
title 38, United States Code, to establish the position of Director of 
Physician Assistant Services within the office of the Under Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs for Health; H.R. 1546, Caring for Veterans with 
Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2009; H.R. 1335, amended, To amend title 
38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
from collecting certain copayments from veterans who are 
catastrophically disabled; H.R. 2770, amended, Veterans Nonprofit 
Research and Education Corporations Enhancement Act of 2009; H.R. 2926, 
amended, To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to provide, without expiration, hospital care, 
medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era 
veterans exposed to herbicide and veterans of the Persian Gulf War; and 
a Committee Print regarding Family Caregivers.

Joint Meetings
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
commercial real estate, after receiving testimony from Jon D. Greenlee, 
Associate Director, Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation, 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Richard Parkus, 
Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc., New York, New York; and Jeffrey D. 
DeBoer, The Real Estate Roundtable, and James Helsel, RSR Realtors, on 
behalf of the National Association of Realtors, both of Washington, 
D.C.