[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 110 (Tuesday, July 21, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D877-D878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee announced 
the following subcommittee assignments:
Subcommittee on Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and 
Credit: Senators Lincoln (Chair), Leahy, Stabenow, Nelson (NE), Casey, 
Bennet, Cornyn, Cochran, McConnell, Grassley, and Thune.
Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology: Senators Stabenow 
(Chair), Conrad, Nelson (NE), Brown, Klobuchar, Bennet, Gillibrand, 
Thune, Lugar, Roberts, Johanns, Grassley, and Cornyn.
Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition, and Family Farms: Senators Brown 
(Chair), Leahy, Baucus, Lincoln, Stabenow, Casey, Klobuchar, Bennet, 
Gillibrand, Lugar, Cochran, McConnell, and Cornyn.
Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support: 
Senators Casey (Chair), Leahy, Conrad, Baucus, Lincoln, Brown, Roberts, 
Cochran, Johanns, Grassley, and Thune.
Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant & 
Animal Health: Senators Gillibrand (Chair), Conrad, Baucus, Nelson 
(NE), Klobuchar, Johanns, Lugar, McConnell, and Roberts.
  Senators Harkin and Chambliss are ex-officio members of each of the 
Subcommittees.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
  S.1274, to amend title 46, United States Code, to ensure that the 
prohibition on disclosure of maritime transportation security 
information is not used inappropriately to shield certain other 
information from public disclosure, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute; and
  S.1451, to modernize the air traffic control system, improve the 
safety, reliability, and availability of transportation by air in the 
United States, provide for modernization of the air traffic control 
system, reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  An original bill entitled ``SAFETEA-LU''; and
  The nominations of Polly Trottenberg, of Maryland, to be Assistant 
Secretary, and Deborah A. P. Hersman, of Virginia, to be Chairman and 
Member of the National Transportation Safety Board, both of the 
Department of Transportation, Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr., of Maryland, to 
be a Federal Maritime Commissioner, and Mignon L. Clyburn, of South 
Carolina, and Meredith Attwell Baker, of Virginia, both to be a Member 
of the Federal Communications Commission.
FEDERAL LAND ASSISTANCE, MANAGEMENT AND ENHANCEMENT ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine S. 561 and H.R. 1404, bills to authorize a 
supplemental funding source for catastrophic emergency wildland fire 
suppression activities on Department of the Interior and National 
Forest System lands, to require the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture to develop a cohesive wildland fire management 
strategy, focusing on progress the agencies have made in managing 
wildland fires, after receiving testimony from Jay Jensen, Deputy Under 
Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, and R. Max Peterson, 
former Chief, United States Forest Service, both of the Department of 
Agriculture; Rhea Suh, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy, 
Management and Budget; Patricia Dalton, Managing Director, Natural 
Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; and Leah 
MacSwords, Kentucky State Forester, Frankfort, on behalf of the 
National Association of State Foresters.

[[Page D878]]


CLEAN ENERGY JOBS, CLIMATE POLICIES, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing with the Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy to 
examine state and local views on clean energy jobs, climate-related 
policies, and economic growth, after receiving testimony from Colorado 
Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., Denver; Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, 
Olympia; New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, and Mayor Douglas H. 
Palmer, both of Trenton; North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, Bismarck; 
Arkansas State Representative John Lowery, El Dorado; Mayor Robert 
Kiss, Burlington, Vermont; and Mayor William D. Euille, Alexandria, 
Virginia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Charles A. Ray, of Maryland, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe, Gayleatha Beatrice Brown, of 
New Jersey, to be Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Donald H. Gips, of 
Colorado, to be Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, James 
Knight, of Alabama, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Earl M. 
Irving, of California, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Swaziland, 
Jerry P. Lanier, of North Carolina, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Uganda, Michael Battle, of Georgia, to be Representative to the African 
Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador, Alfonso Lenhardt, of New 
York, to be Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, Pamela J. H. 
Slutz, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Burundi, and 
Patricia Newton Moller, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Guinea, all of the Department of State, after the nominees testified 
and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  S. Res. 81, supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Carlos Pascual, of the District of Columbia, to be 
Ambassador to Mexico, Kenneth H. Merten, of Virginia, to be Ambassador 
to the Republic of Haiti, Vilma S. Martinez, of California, to be 
Ambassador to Argentina, Nicole A. Avant, of California, to be 
Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Vinai K. Thummalapally, 
of Colorado, to be Ambassador to Belize, John R. Nay, of Michigan, to 
be Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname, Anne Elizabeth Derse, of 
Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, Donald 
Sternoff Beyer, Jr., of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Switzerland, and 
to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador 
to the Principality of Liechtenstein, Howard W. Gutman, of Maryland, to 
be Ambassador to Belgium, and David H. Thorne, of Massachusetts, to be 
Ambassador to the Italian Republic, and to serve concurrently and 
without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of San 
Marino, all of the Department of State, and a promotion list in the 
Foreign Service.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine climate change and global security, focusing on challenges, 
threats, and diplomatic opportunities, after receiving testimony from 
former Senator John Warner; Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.), 
American Security Project, and Sharon Burke, Center for a New American 
Security, both of Washington, D.C.; and Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, USN 
(Ret.), Center for Naval Analysis Advisory Board, Lexington Park, 
Maryland.
SPECULATION IN THE WHEAT MARKET
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine 
speculation in the wheat market, after receiving testimony from Gary 
Gensler, Chairman, United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission; 
Thomas Coyle, National Grain and Feed Association, Mark Cooper, 
Consumer Federation of America, and Hayden Wands, American Bankers 
Association, all of Washington, D.C.; Steven H. Strongin, Goldman, 
Sachs and Co., New York, New York; and Charles P. Carey, CME Group 
Inc., Chicago, Illinois.
EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION SYSTEM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and 
Border Security concluded a hearing to examine the current employment 
verification system, after receiving testimony from Representative 
Gutierrez; Michael Aytes, Acting Deputy Director, United States 
Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security; 
and James W. Ziglar, Migration Policy Institute, and Lynden Melmed, 
Berry Appleman & Leiden, LLP, both of Washington D.C.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
   Committee recessed subject to call.