[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 158 (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1246-D1247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOOD-CONSERVATION-ENERGY ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic 
Agriculture held a hearing to review the implementation of the 
Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Title of the Food, Conservation, 
and Energy Act of 2008. Testimony was heard from Rayne Pegg, 
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
DISCUSSION DRAFT--INVESTOR PROTECTION ACT OF 2009
Committee on Financial Services: Began consideration of October 1, 2009 
Discussion Draft of the Investor Protection Act of 2009 (to be reported 
as H.R. 3817, To provide the Securities and Exchange Commission with 
additional authorities to protect investors from violations of the 
securities laws).
  Will continue November 3.
IRAN REFINED PETROLEUM SANCTIONS ACT OF 2009
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 2194, 
Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009.
MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL OVERVIEW
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on A Regional Overview of the Middle East. 
Testimony was heard from Jeffrey D. Feltman, Assistant Secretary, 
Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State.
FOOTBALL HEAD INJURIES
Committee on the Judiciary: Held a hearing on Legal Issues Relating to 
Football Head Injuries. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Pascrell; Roger Goodell, Commissioner, National Football League; 
DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director, NFL Players Association; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 2213, as amended, To reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act; H.R. 2888, as amended, Devils's Staircase Wilderness 
Act of 2009; H.R. 2781, as amended, 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; H.R. 86, as, amended, 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; and H.R. 118, To 
authorize the addition of 100 acres to Morristown National Historical 
Park.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled 
``Executive Compensation: How Much is Too Much?'' Testimony was heard 
from Kenneth R. Feinberg, Special Master for TARP Executive 
Compensation; and public witnesses.
CONFERENCE REPORT--INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS FY 2010
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a non-record vote, a rule providing for 
consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2996, the 
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 
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 of debate and one 
motion to recommit if applicable. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Dicks and Simpson.
SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING AND INVESTMENT ACT OF 2009
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 7-3, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 3854, the ``Small Business 
Financing and Investment Act of 2009''. The rule provides one hour of 
general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Small Business. The rule waives all 
points of order against consideration of the bill except those arising 
under clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The rule provides that the amendment 
printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules shall be 
considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. 
The bill, as amended, shall be considered as the original bill for the 
purpose of further amendment and shall be considered as read. The rule 
waives all points of order against provisions of the bill, as amended.
  The rule makes in order only those further amendments printed in part 
B of the report of the Committee on Rules. Each such amendment may be 
offered only in the order printed in this report, may be offered only 
by a Member designated, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable 
for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled

[[Page D1247]]

by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, 
and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. All 
points of order against the amendments in part B except for clauses 9 
and 10 of rule XXI are waived. 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 the Chair may entertain 
a motion that the Committee rise only if offered by the chair of the 
Small Business Committee or a designee. The rule provides that the 
Chair may not entertain a motion to strike out the enacting words of 
the bill. The rule provides that it shall be in order at any time 
through the legislative day of October 30, 2009, for the Speaker to 
entertain motions that the House suspend the rules relating to a 
measure addressing unemployment compensation. Testimony was heard from 
Chairwoman Velazquez and Representatives Ryan of Ohio, Graves and Foxx.
RECOVERY ACT BROADBAND INVESTMENTS
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``The Recovery Act 
and Broad Evaluation of Broadband Investments on Small Businesses and 
Job Creation.'' Testimony was heard from Lawrence E. Strickling, 
Assistant Secretary, Communications and Information, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department of 
Commerce; Jonathan Adelstein, Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, 
USDA; and a public witness.
NEXTGEN AVIATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on NEXTGEN: A Review of the RTCA Mid-Term 
Implementation Task Force Report. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Transportation: Hank 
Krabowski, Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic Organization; Margaret 
Gilligan, Associate Administrator, Aviation Safety, both with the FAA; 
and Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General; Gerald Dillingham, 
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.
VETERANS' MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following bills: 
H.R. 3949, Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemenbers 
Protection Act of 2009; and, as amended, H.R. 1168, Veterans Retraining 
Act of 2009.
BRIEFING--OVERHEAD ARCHITECTURE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Technical 
and Tactical Intelligence met in executive session to receive a 
briefing on Overhead Architecture. The Subcommittee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine advancing United States interests in the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) region, 
after receiving testimony from Philip H. Gordon, Assistant Secretary 
for European and Eurasian Affairs, and Michael H. Posner, Assistant 
Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, both of the 
Department of State; and Alexander Vershbow, Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for International Security Affairs.