[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 177 (Wednesday, December 2, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1389-D1391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CLIMATE CHANGE--FARM SECTOR ECONOMIC IMPACTS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, 
and Research held a hearing to review the potential economic impacts of 
climate change on the farm sector. Testimony was heard from Joseph 
Glauber, Chief Economist, USDA; and public witnesses.
GUAM WAR CLAIMS PROCESS
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on assessing the Guam war 
claims process. Testimony was heard from Anthony M. Babauta, Assistant 
Secretary, Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior; the following 
Senators of the Guam Legislature: Vicente Pangelinan; and Frank Blas, 
Jr; Mauricio Tamargo, former Chairman, Guam War Claims Review 
Commission; and a public witness.
WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and the 
Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a joint hearing on The New 
Walter Reed: Are We on the Right Track? Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: Al Middleton, Acting 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Health Affairs; Dorothy Robyn, 
Deputy Under Secretary, Installations and Environment; VADM John M. 
Mateczun, USN, Commander, Joint Task Force National Capital Region 
Medical; and Ken Kizer, Chairman, Health Board National Capital Region 
Base Realignment and Closure Health Systems Advisory Subcommittee.
DELPHI BANKRUPTCY--WORKERS/RETIREES IMPACTS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Health, Employment, 
Labor and Pensions held a hearing on Examining the Delphi Bankruptcy's 
Impact on Workers and Retirees. Testimony was heard from Senator Brown; 
Representatives Lee of New York, Ryan of Ohio and Turner; and public 
witnesses.
OVER-THE-COUNTER DERIVATIVES MARKETS ACT--ENERGY MARKETS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing on Impacts of H.R. 3795, Over-the-Counter 
Derivatives Markets Act of 2009, on Energy Markets. Testimony was heard 
from Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 
Department of Energy; Gary Gensler, Chairman CFTC; former 
Representative Glenn English of Oklahoma; and public witnesses.
BREAST CANCER SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations.'' Testimony was 
heard from David Lakey, Commissioner, Department of State Health 
Services, State of Texas; and public witnesses.
FINANCIAL PROTECTION MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Ordered reported, as amended, the 
following bills: H.R. 3996, Financial Stability Improvement Act of 
2009; and H.R. 2609, Federal Insurance Office Act of 2009.
FY09 FHA ACTUARIAL REPORT
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``FY09 FHA 
Actuarial Report.'' Testimony was heard from Shaun Donovan, Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development; and public witnesses.

[[Page D1390]]


U.S. STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on U.S. Strategy in 
Afghanistan. Testimony was heard from Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary 
of State; and the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Robert M. Gates, Secretary; and ADM Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chairman, 
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
YOUTH PRISON REDUCTION
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 1064, 
Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, 
Support, and Education Act.
INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2009
Committee on Natural Resources: Held a hearing on H.R. 725, Indian Arts 
and Crafts Amendments Act of 2009. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Pastor; Larry Parkinson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Law 
Enforcement, Security and Emergency Management, Department of the 
Interior; and public witnesses.
MINORITY-OWNED RADIO RATINGS DECLINE
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled 
``Will Arbitron's Personal People Meter Silence Minority Owned Radio 
Stations?'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
2010 CENSUS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Policy, Census, and National Archives held a hearing 
entitled ``The 2010 Census: How Complete Count Committees, Local 
Governments, Philanthropic Organizations, Not-for-Profits, and the 
Business Community Can Contribute to a Successful Census.'' Testimony 
was heard from Yvette Cumberbatch, Coordinator, 2010 Census, New York 
City; Mercedes Lemp Jacobs, Director, Office of Latino Affairs, 
District of Columbia; and public witnesses.
PERMANENT ESTATE TAX RELIEF FOR FAMILIES, FARMERS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES 
ACT
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by a nonrecord vote, a closed 
rule providing for consideration of H.R. 4154, the Permanent Estate Tax 
Relief for Families, Farmers, and Small Businesses Act of 2009. The 
rule provides one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the 
chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means.
  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 bill shall be considered as read. The rule waives all 
points of order against the bill. The rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions.
  Finally, the rule provides that in the engrossment of H.R. 4154, the 
Clerk shall add the text of H.R. 2920, as passed by the House, as new 
matter at the end of H.R. 4154. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Pomeroy, Berkley, Welch and Brady of Texas.
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT SAFETY
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Space and 
Aeronautics held a hearing on Ensuring the Safety of Human Space 
Flight. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the NASA: 
Jeff Hanley, Program Manager, Constellation Program, Exploration 
Systems Mission Directorate; John Marshall, Council Member, Aerospace 
Safety Advisory Panel; and Bryan O'Connor, Chief of Safety and Mission 
Assurance; and public witnesses.
COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on Commercial Space Transportation. Testimony 
was heard from George C. Nield Associate Administrator, Office of 
Commercial Space Transportation, FAA, Department of Transportation; 
Gerald Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
ECONOMIC STIMULUS--GSA BORDER STATION
Committee on Transportation: Subcommittee on Economic Development, 
Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a hearing on Stimulus 
Tracking #4: Ensuring Money Means Security when Building GSA Border 
Stations to Protect the U.S.A. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Filner, Michaud, Ortiz, and Teague; Bill Guerin, Deputy Assistant 
Commissioner, Executive, Recovery Program Management Office, Public 
Buildings Service, GSA; Treat Frazier, Director, Land Port of Entry 
Modernization Program Management Office, U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection, Department of Homeland Security.
VA HEALTH CARE FUNDING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Held a hearing on VA Health Care 
Funding: Appropriations to Programs. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs: Rita A. 
Reed, Office of the Assistant Secretary, Management; and Michael S. 
Finegan, Director, Veterans Integrated Service Network 11; and a public 
witness.

[[Page D1391]]


STATE OF CLIMATE SCIENCE--ADMINISTRATION'S VIEW
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming: Held a 
hearing entitled ``The Administration's View on the State of Climate 
Science.'' Testimony was heard from John Holdren, Director, Office of 
Science and Technology Policy; and Jane Lubchenco, Administrator, NOAA, 
Department of Commerce.

Joint Meetings
FINANCIAL REFORM
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
unregulated markets, focusing on regulatory reform in the financial 
sector, after receiving testimony from Brooksley Born, former 
Chairperson, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and Robert E. Litan 
and Robert K. Steel, both of the Pew Task Force on Financial Reform, 
and James H. Carr, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, all of 
Washington, D.C.