[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 117 (Thursday, July 30, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D953-D955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
WATERSHED PROPOSALS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, 
and Research held a hearing to review PL 83-566 watershed proposals for 
the Dunloup Creek Watershed and the Cape Cod Water Resources 
Restoration Project. Testimony was heard from Representative Delahunt; 
and Dave White, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA.
U.S. SECURITY RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA AND ITS IMPACT ON TRANSATLANTIC 
SECURITY
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the U.S. security 
relationship with Russia and its impact on transatlantic security. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: Alexander Vershbow, Assistant Secretary, International 
Security Affairs; and VADM James A. Winnefeld, Jr., USN, Director, 
Strategic Plans and Policy, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Philip H. 
Gordon, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, 
Department of State.
EFFORTS TO IMPROVE SHIPBUILDING EFFECTIVENESS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary 
Forces held a hearing on efforts to improve shipbuilding effectiveness. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
the Navy: Sean J. Stackley, Assistant Secretary, Research, Development, 
and Acquisition; VADM Kevin McCoy, USN, Commander, Naval Sea Systems 
Command; and public witnesses.
AMERICA'S AFFORDABLE HEALTH CHOICES ACT OF 2009
  Committee on Energy and Commerce: Continued mark up H.R. 3200, 
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS FOR 2009 SEASON
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Communications, Preparedness and Response met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Hurricane Preparedness for the 2009 Hurricane 
Season. The Subcommittee was briefed by departmental witnesses.
BEYOND ISE IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Beyond ISE Implementation: Exploring the Way Forward for 
Information Sharing.'' Testimony was heard from Ambassador Thomas E. 
McNamara, Program Manager, Information Sharing Environment, Office of 
the Director of National Intelligence; COL Joseph R. Fuentes, 
Superintendent, State Police, New Jersey; and a public witness.
FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT AND PUBLIC FINANCING OF CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS
  Committee on House Administration: Held a hearing on H.R. 1826, 
Fair Elections Now Act, and the Public Financing of Congressional 
Campaigns. Testimony was heard from Representatives: John B. Larson, 
Connecticut, Pingree, and Jones; Hannah Pingree, Speaker of the 
House, State of Maine; Jeffrey Garfield, Executive Director and 
General Counsel, State Elections Enforcement Commission, 
Connecticut; and public witnesses
PROPOSALS FOR REFORM OF THE MILITARY COMMISSIONS SYSTEM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil 
Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing on Proposals for Reform of 
the Military Commissions System. Testimony was heard from David Kris, 
Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, Department of 
Justice; the following officials of the Department of Defense: Jeb 
Charles Johnson, General Counsel; COL Peter R. Masciola, USAFG, Chief 
Defense Counsel; and MAJ David J. R. Frakt, USAFR, Lead Defense 
Counsel, both with the Office of Military Commissions; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Competition 
Policy approved for full Committee action the following bills: H.R. 
3190, Discount Pricing Consumer Protection Act of 2009; H.R. 569, Equal 
Justice for Our Military Act of 2009; and H.R. 233, Railroad Antitrust 
Enforcement Act of 2009.

[[Page D954]]


UNCONVENTIONAL FUELS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources continued hearings entitled ``Unconventional Fuels, Part II: 
The Promise of Methane Hydrates.'' Testimony was heard from Timothy S. 
Collett, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the 
Interior; Ray Boswell, Senior Management and Technology Advisor, 
National Energy Technology Laboratory, Department of Energy; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 2802, To 
provide for an extension of the legislative authority of the Adams 
Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work in honor of 
former President John Adams and his legacy; H.R. 2806, To authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to adjust the boundary of the Stephen Mather 
Wilderness and the North Cascades National Park in order to allow the 
rebuilding of a road outside of the floodplain while ensuring that 
there is no net loss of acreage to the Park or the Wilderness; and H.R. 
3113, Upper Elk River Wild and Scenic Study Act. Testimony was heard 
from Daniel N. Wenk, Acting Director, National Park Service, Department 
of the Interior; Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, 
Forest Service, USDA; Linda Evans Parlette, Senator, State of 
Washington; Doug England, Commissioner, Chelan County, State of 
Washington; and public witnesses.
DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS; USPS'S STATION AND BRANCH INITIATIVE AND 
DELIVERY ROUTE ADJUSTMENTS
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 2517, Domestic Partnership 
Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing entitled ``Making Sense of It 
All: An Examination of USPS's Station and Branch Optimization 
Initiative and Delivery Route Adjustments.'' Testimony was heard from 
Representative Sires; Jordan Small, Acting Vice President, Network 
Operations, U.S. Postal Service; John Waller, Director, Office of 
Accountability and Compliance, Postal Rate Commission; Phillip Herr, 
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Policy, Census, and National Archives held a hearing 
entitled ``National Archives and Records Administration Organizational 
Issues.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
National Archives and Records Administration: Adrienne C. Thomas, 
Acting Archivist; and Paul Brachfeld, Inspector General.
CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTION COMPENSATION FAIRNESS ACT OF 2009
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 3269, the ``Corporate and Financial 
Institution Compensation Fairness Act of 2009,'' with one hour of 
general debate in the House equally divided and controlled by the 
chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial 
Services. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The amendment in the 
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Financial 
Services now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. The 
rule waives all points of order against provisions of the bill, as 
amended. The rule provides that the bill, as amended, shall be 
considered as read.
  The rule makes in order the amendment printed in the report of the 
Committee on Rules if offered by Rep. Frank or his designee, which 
shall be considered as read, shall be separately 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. The rule also makes in order the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute printed in the report, if offered by Representative Garrett 
or his designee, which shall be separately debatable for 30 minutes 
equally divided and controlled b the proponent and an opponent.
  The rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed in 
the report except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides 
one motion to recommit with or without instructions. The rule also 
provides that during consideration of an amendment printed in the 
report, the Chair may postpone the question of adoption as though under 
clause 8 of rule XX. Finally the rule provides that in the engrossment 
of the bill, the Clerk is authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to amendatory instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Frank, Representatives Bachus and Sessions.

[[Page D955]]


SYSTEMS APPROACH TO IMPROVING K-12 STEM EDUCATION
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Research and 
Science Education held a hearing on A Systems Approach to Improving K-
12 STEM Education. Testimony was heard from Wanda Ward, Acting 
Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, NSF; 
and public witnesses.
FUTURE OF SPECIALTY CROPS FOR SMALL FAMILY FARMERS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Rural Development, 
Entrepreneurship and Trade held a hearing entitled ``The Future of 
Specialty Crops for Small Family Farmers.'' Testimony was heard from 
Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary, USDA; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following measures: H.R. 3371, Airline Safety and Pilot Training 
Improvement Act of 2009; H.R. 3376, United States Mariner and Vessel 
Protection Act of 2009; H.R. 3360, Cruise Vessel Security and Safety 
Act of 2009; H.R. 3224, To authorize the Board of Regents of the 
Smithsonian Institution to plan, design and construct a vehicle 
maintenance building at the vehicle maintenance branch of the 
Smithsonian Institution located in Suitland, Maryland; H.R. 2121, 
amended, To provide for the transfer of certain Federal Property to the 
Galveston Historical Foundation; H.R. 2423, amended, To designate the 
Federal building and United States courthouse located at 1300 Victoria 
Street in Laredo, Texas, as the ``George P. Kazen Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse,'' and to designate the jury room in the 
Federal building and United States courthouse as the ``Marcel C. Notzon 
II Jury Room;'' H.R. 2913, To designate the United States courthouse 
located at 301 Simonton Street in Key West, Florida, as the ``Sidney M. 
Aronovitz United States Courthouse;'' H.R. 3193, To designate the 
United States courthouse under construction at 101 South United States 
Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr. United 
States Courthouse;'' H. Con. Res. 136, Authorizing the use of the 
Capitol Grounds for a celebration of Citizenship Day.
  The Committee also approved pending U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
Survey Resolutions.
VRE CONTRACTS--VETERANS COUNSELING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on VRE Contracts for Veteran Counseling. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs; Ruth Fanning, Director, Vocational Rehabilitation and 
Employment Service; and Philip S. Kauffman, Attorney, Office of the 
General Counsel; and representatives of veterans organizations; and 
public witnesses.
IMPLICATIONS OF VA'S LIMITED SCOPE OF GULF WAR ILLNESS RESEARCH
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on the Implications of VA's Limited Scope 
of Gulf War Illness Research. Testimony was heard from Douglas E. 
Dembling, Associate Chief Officer, Program Coordination, Office of 
Public Health and Environmental Hazards, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
NSA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY COMPLIANCE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on NSA Surveillance Authority Compliance. The 
Committee was briefed by LTG Keith Alexander, Director, NSA, Department 
of Energy.
BRIEFING--RUSSIA COLLECTION STRATEGY
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to receive a briefing on Russia Collection Strategy. The 
Subcommittee was briefed by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings

  No joint committee meetings were held.