[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 148 (Wednesday, October 14, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1176-D1178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on Afghanistan: Getting the 
Strategy Right. Testimony was heard from GEN Jack Keane, USA (ret.), 
Former Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, Department of Defense; and 
public witnesses.
DEFENSE BUDGET ISSUES
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on the Cost of Current Defense 
Plans: An Analysis of Budget Issues. Testimony was heard from Matthew 
Goldberg, Acting Assistant Director, National Security, CBO; and 
Stephen Daggert, Specialist in Defense Policy and Budgets, CRS, Library 
of Congress.
STUDENT FEDERAL AID ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Higher Education, 
Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness held a hearing on Ensuring 
Student Eligibility Requirements for Federal Aid. Testimony was heard 
from George A. Scott, Director, Education, Workforce and Income 
Security Issues, GAO; the following officials of the Department of 
Education: Mary Mitchelson, Acting Inspector General; and Robert 
Shireman, Deputy Under Secretary; and a public witness.

[[Page D1177]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment approved for full Committee, as amended, the following 
bills: H.R. 3276, American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2009; 
H.R. 3258, Drinking Water System Security Act of 2009; and H.R. 2868, 
Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009.
RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS TREATMENT EXTENSION ACT OF 2009
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health approved for 
full Committee action H.R. 3792, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment 
Extension Act of 2009.
FINANCIAL REGULATORY REFORM MEASURES
Committee on Financial Assistance: Began consideration of the following 
measures: October 2, Discussion Draft of the Over-the-Counter 
Derivatives Markets Act of 2009; September 25, Discussion Draft of the 
Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009 (to be reported as 
H.R. 3126, Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009); H.R. 
3763, To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to provide for an 
exclusion from Red Flag Guidelines for certain businesses; and H.R. 
3639, Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009.
  Will continue tomorrow.
PHILLIPPINES INDEPENDENCE/APEC FUTURE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia, The Pacific and The 
Global Environment approved for full Committee action, as amended, H. 
Con. Res. 153, Honoring the 111th anniversary of the independence of 
the Philippines.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Future of APEC (Asian-
Pacific Economic Cooperation). Testimony was heard from Kurt Tong, 
Acting U.S. Senior Official to APEC, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs, Department of State; Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade 
Representative, Japan, Korea and APEC Affairs, Office of the U. S. 
Trade Representative.
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``Diversity at 
the Department of Homeland Security: Continuing Challenges and New 
Opportunities.'' Testimony was heard from Christine Griffin, Vice-
Chair, EEOC; Yvonne Jones, Director, Strategic Issues Team, GAO; and 
the following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Jane 
Holl Lute, Deputy Secretary; W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, FEMA; 
Jayson Ahern, Acting Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
Gale Rossides, Acting Assistant Secretary, Transportation Security 
Administration; and Mark Sullivan, Director, U.S. Secret Service.
SECURING PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION WITHIN THE U.S. CAPITOL 
POLICE
Committe on House Administration: Subcommittee on Capital Security held 
a hearing on Securing Personally Identifiable Information within the 
United States Capitol Police. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the United State Capitol Police: Phillip D. Morse Sr., 
Chief; and Carl W. Hoecker, Inspector General.
AIG BONUSES AUDIT REPORT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled 
``AIG Bonuses: Audit Report of the Special Inspector General.'' 
Testimony was heard from Neil M. Barofsky, Special Inspector General, 
Troubled Asset Relief Program.
BAY AREA REGIONAL WATER RECYCLING PROGRAM EXPANSION ACT OF 2009
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 6 to 5, a closed rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 2442, the ``Bay Area Regional Water 
Recycling Program Expansion Act of 2009''. The rule provides for one 
hour of general debate in the House equally divided and controlled by 
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural 
Resources. 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 amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules 
shall be considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against 
provisions of the bill, as amended. The rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives George Miller of California and Hastings of Washington.
CONFERENCE REPORT--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
2010
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a non-record vote, a rule 
providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 
2892, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010. The 
rule waives all points of order against the conference report and 
against its consideration. The rule provides that the conference report 
shall be considered as read. Finally, the rule provides that the 
previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervention 
of any motion except one hour

[[Page D1178]]

of debate and one motion to recommit if applicable. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Price of North Carolina.
FIRE GRANTS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2009
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation approved for full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 3791, 
Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009.
SMALL BUSINESSES--INCREASING ACCESS TO CAPITAL
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Increasing 
Access to Capital for Small Businesses.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
HIGH-SPEED RAIL
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a hearing on High-
Speed Rail in the United States: Opportunities and Challenges. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Tiberi; Joseph C. Szabo, 
Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Department of 
Transportation; Susan Fleming, Director, GAO; Thomas Carper, Chairman 
of the Board, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak); and 
public witnesses.
VA--UPDATE STATE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on the Update on the 
State of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Testimony was heard 
from Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
BRIEFING--HOT SPOTS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence and Counterintelligence met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Hot Spots. The Subcommittee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
PROMOTION OF TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine promoting tolerance and understanding in the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) region, 
focusing on the role of the personal representatives, after receiving 
testimony from Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative on Combating 
Anti-Semitism, Washington, D.C., Adil Akhmetov, Personal Representative 
on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination Against Muslims, Astana, 
Kazakhstan, and Mario Mauro, Personal Representative on Combating 
Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, Milan, Italy, all of the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.