[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1122-D1123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EUROPEAN MISSILE DEFENSE PLAN
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on the President's new plan 
for missile defenses in Europe and the implications for international 
security. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: GEN James E. Cartwright, USMC, Vice Chairman, 
Joint Chiefs of Staff; Michele A. Flournoy, Under Secretary, Policy; 
and LTG Patrick J. O'Reilly, USA, Director, Missile Defense Agency; and 
Ellen O. Tauscher, Under Secretary, Arms Control and International 
Security, Department of State.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG AMERICANS
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing on Ensuring Economic 
Opportunities for Young Americans. Testimony was heard from Jane Oates, 
Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration, Department 
of Labor; and public witnesses.
DRINKING WATER SYSTEM SECURITY ACT; CHEMICAL FACILITY ANTI-TERRORISM 
ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 3258, Drinking 
Water System Security Act of 2009 and H. R. 2868, Chemical Facility 
Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from Peter Silva, 
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, EPA; Rand Beers, Under 
Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of 
Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
FINANCIAL REFORM PROPOSALS--FEDERAL RESERVE PERSPECTIVES
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Federal 
Reserve Perspectives on Financial Regulatory Reform Proposals.'' 
Testimony was heard from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors, 
Federal Reserve System.
AFGHAN ELECTIONS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on the Afghan Elections: Who Lost What? Testimony 
was heard from J. Alexander Thier, Director, Afghanistan and Pakistan, 
U.S. Institute for Peace; W. Lorne Craner, former Assistant Secretary, 
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.
CITIZEN AND COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency 
Communications, Preparedness and Response held a hearing entitled 
``Preparedness: State of Citizen and Community Preparedness.'' 
Testimony was heard from Tim Manning, Deputy Administrator, National 
Preparedness, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of 
Homeland Security; William Jenkins, Jr., Director, Homeland Security 
and Justice, GAO; and public witnesses.
REQUEST TO DHS FOR DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS ON BENEFICIARIES OF PRIVATE 
BILLS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, 
Refugees, Border Security and International Law approved Requests to 
the Department of Homeland Security for Departmental Reports on the 
Beneficiaries of two private relief bills.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 86, To 
eliminate an unused lighthouse reservation, provide management 
consistency by bringing the rocks and small islands along the coast of 
Orange County, California and meet the original Congressional intent of 
preserving Orange County's rocks and small islands; H.R. 118, To 
authorize the addition of 100 acres to Morristown National Historical 
Park; H.R. 1925, America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2009; H.R. 2689, 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and 
feasibility of designating the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, 
Virginia, as a unit of the National Park System; H.R. 2781, To amend 
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Molalla 
River in Oregon, as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System; and H.R. 2888, Devil's Staircase Wilderness Act of 2009. 
Testimony was heard from Senators Hatch, and Robert F. Bennett of Utah; 
Representatives Matheson, Perriello, Schrader and Campbell; Robert V. 
Abbey, Director, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; 
Joel Holtrop,

[[Page D1123]]

Deputy Chief, Forest Service, National Forest System, USDA; Gregory 
Bell, Lieutenant Governor of Utah; and public witnesses.
TRANSNATIONAL DRUG ENTERPRISES THREATS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Transnational 
Drug Enterprises Threats to Global Stability and U.S. National Security 
from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and West Africa.'' Testimony was 
heard from. public witnesses.
FINDING BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE UNIVERSE
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Finding the Building Blocks of the 
Universe. Testimony was heard from Dennis Kovar, Director, Office of 
High Energy Physics, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
RECOVERY ACT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRESS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing on 
Recovery Act: 225-Day Progress Report for Transportation Infrastructure 
Investment. Testimony was heard from Ray H. LaHood, Secretary of 
Transportation; John Cox, Director, Department of Transportation, State 
of Wyoming; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the following: H.R. 1017, Chiropractic Care Available to All 
Veterans Act; H.R. 1036, Veterans Physical Therapy Services Improvement 
Act of 2009; H.R. 2504, to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
provide for an increase in the annual amount authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans; H.R. 2559, Help 
Our Homeless Veterans Act; H.R. 2735, To amend title 38, United States 
Code, to make improvements to the comprehensive service program for 
homeless veterans; H.R. 3073, To amend title 38, United States Code, to 
direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program 
to provide assistance to veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless; 
H.R. 3441, To provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning 
from combat zones into the VA medical system. The Subcommittee also had 
a draft discussion on Homelessness and Graduate Psychology Education 
and Psychiatric Service Dogs. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Filner, Herseth Sandlin, Hare, Teague, Rodriguez, Nye and Arcuri; Peter 
H. Dougherty, Director, Homeless Veterans Programs, Office of Public 
and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
representatives of veterans organizations.
PENSION PLAN FUNDING LEVELS INVESTMENT ADVICE
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on funding levels of 
defined benefit pension plans and the rules that apply to investment 
advice. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
UPDATE ON SECURITY CLEARANCE REFORM
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Subcommittee on 
Intelligence Community Management held a hearing on Update on Security 
Clearance Reform. Testimony was heard from Jeffrey Zients, Deputy 
Director, Management, OMB; John Berry, Director, OPM; David Shedd, 
Principal Deputy Director, National Intelligence, Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence; Brenda Farrell, Director, Defense 
Capabilities and Management, GAO; and Beth McGrath, Assistant Deputy 
Chief Management Officer, Department of Defense.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.