[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 172 (Thursday, November 19, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1361-D1363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
RECOVERY ACT RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAM
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Rural Development, 
Biotechnology, Specialty Crops, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing 
to review rural broadband programs funded by the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act. Testimony was heard from Jonathan S. Adelstein, 
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA; and Lawrence E. 
Strickling, Assistant Secretary, Communications and Information, 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department 
of Commerce.
U.S. MEXICAN BORDER SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Confronting the Cartels: Addressing U.S.-Mexican Border 
Security. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Homeland Security: Mariko Silver, Principal Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Policy; Jayson P. Ahern, Acting Commissioner, U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection; and John Morton, Assistant Secretary, 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
IMPROVING LITERACY SKILLS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, 
Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing on Improving the 
Literacy Skills of Children and Young Adults. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 515, Radioactive Import Deterrence Act; and H.R. 
1084, Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act.
ONLINE/OFFLINE CONSUMER INFORMATION COLLECTION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and 
Consumer Protection and the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology 
and the Internet held a joint hearing on Exploring the

[[Page D1362]]

Offline and Online Collection and Use of Consumer Information. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
COMMITTEE PRINT--FINANCIAL STABILITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2009
Committee on Financial Services: Continued consideration of the 
Committee Print of the Financial Stability Improvement Act of 2009.
LIFTING CUBAN TRAVEL BAN
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Is it Time to Lift the 
Ban on Travel to Cuba? Testimony was heard from GEN Barry R. McCaffrey, 
USA (ret.); Ambassador James Cason, former Chief of Missions, U.S. 
Interests Section, Havana, Cuba; and public witnesses.
MIDDLE EAST POLITICAL/RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on the State of Political and Religious Freedom in 
the Middle East. Testimony was heard from Michael H. Posner, Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of 
State.
AL-QA'IDA THREAT ASSESSMENT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Reassessing the Evolving al-Qa'ida Threat to the Homeland.'' 
Testimony was heard from LTG David W. Barno (ret.), Director, Near East 
South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, 
Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
CORPORATE MONITORING TRANSPARENCY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on Transparency and Integrity in 
Corporate Monitoring. Testimony was heard from Eileen Larence, 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, GAO; and public witnesses.
TRACKING STIMULUS DOLLARS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled 
``Tracking the Money: How Recovery Act Recipients Account for the Use 
of Stimulus Dollars.'' Testimony was heard from Gene L. Dodaro, Acting 
Comptroller, GAO; Earl E. Devaney, Chairman, Recovery Accountability 
and Transparency Board; Anthony Wilder Miller, Deputy Secretary, 
Department of Education; and John D. Porcari, Deputy Secretary, 
Department of Transportation.
AFGHAN ELECTIONS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Afghan 
Elections: What Happened and Where Do We Go From Here?'' Testimony was 
heard from J. Alexander Thier, Director, Afghanistan and Pakistan 
Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, U.S. Institute 
of Peace; Ambassador Peter W. Galbraith, former U. S. Diplomat and 
former Deputy UN Special Representative for Afghanistan; and public 
witnesses.
GLOBAL SPACE CAPABILITIES
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Space and 
Aeronautics held a hearing on the Growth of Global Space Capabilities: 
What's Happening and Why It Matters. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology and 
Innovation held a hearing on the Research and Development Portfolio to 
Support the Priorities of the Department of Transportation. Testimony 
was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Transportation: Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary, Transportation 
Policy; and Peter Appel, Administrator, Research and Innovative 
Technology Administration; and public witnesses.
SBA OVERSIGHT
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
Small Business Administration and its Programs.'' Testimony was heard 
from Karen Mills, Administrator, SBA; and Gregory Kutz, Managing 
Director, Forensics Audits and Special Investigations, GAO.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ACT OF 2009
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported, as 
amended, H.R. 4016, Hazardous Material Transportation Safety Act of 
2009.
ADAPTIVE HOUSING GRANTS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on Adaptive Housing Grants. Testimony was heard from 
Mark Bologna, Director, Loan Guarantee Service, Veterans Benefits 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and representatives of 
veterans organizations.

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INCREASING DEMANDS ON FOOD BANKS AND CHARITIES
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight, and the 
Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support held a joint hearing 
to review the effect of the economic downturn and increased 
unemployment on the demand for hunger-relief assistance at food banks 
and other charities. Testimony was heard from Representatives McGovern, 
Boozman, and Moran of Kansas; and public witnesses.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CLAIMS BACKLOGS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing on Clearing the Disability Claims Backlogs: The Social Security 
Administration's Progress and New Challenges Arising From the 
Recession. Testimony was heard from Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner, 
SSA; Barbara B. Kennelly, Acting Chair, Social Security Advisory Board; 
Patrick O'Connell, Inspector General, SSA; and public witnesses.
BRIEFING--SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
receive a briefing on Significant Activities. The Committee was briefed 
by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
FINANCIAL REGULATORY REFORM
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
financial regulatory reform, focusing on protecting taxpayers and the 
economy, after receiving testimony from Timothy F. Geithner, Secretary 
of the Treasury.