[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 185 (Thursday, December 10, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1445-D1447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held an oversight hearing on the Smithsonian 
Institution. Testimony was heard from Mark L. Goldstein, Director, 
Physical Infrastructure Team, GAO; and the following officials of the 
Smithsonian Institution: A. Sprightley Ryan, Inspector General; and G. 
Wayne Clough, Secretary.
STATUS OF ARMY AND MARINE CORPS RESET REQUIREMENTS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness, Air and Land 
Forces, and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces 
continued hearings on Status of Army and Marine Corps Reset 
Requirements, Part II. Testimony was heard from the following officials 
of the Department of Defense: GEN Peter W. Chiarelli, USA, Vice Chief 
of Staff, Department of the Army; and GEN James F. Amos, USMC, 
Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps.
DRINKING WATER AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF COAL COMBUSTION WASTE 
DISPOSAL
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing entitled ``Drinking Water and Public Health 
Impacts of Coal Combustion Waste Disposal.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
U.S. STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Continued hearings on U.S. Strategy in 
Afghanistan, Part II. Testimony was heard from Karl W. Eikenberry, U.S. 
Ambassador to Afghanistan, Department of State; and GEN Stanley A. 
McChrystal, Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) 
and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), Department of 
Defense.
MOVING MORE EFFECTIVE IMMIGRATION DETENTION MANAGEMENT
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and 
Global Counterterrorism held a hearing entitled ``Moving More Effective 
Immigration Detention Management.'' Testimony was heard from Dora 
Schriro, Commissioner, Department of Correction, New York City; and 
public witnesses.
JUDGE PORTEOUS IMPEACHMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Task Force on Judicial Impeachment 
continued possible Impeachment of United States District Judge G. 
Porteous, Jr. Part III. Testimony was heard from Alan Baron, Special 
Impeachment Counsel, Committee on the Judiciary; and public witnesses.
EXAMINING THE STATE OF JUDICIAL RECUSALS AFTER CAPERTON V. A. T. MASSEY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts and Competition 
Policy held a hearing on Examining the State of Judicial Recusals after 
Caperton v.

[[Page D1446]]

A. T. Massey. Testimony was heard from Judge M. Margaret McKeown, 
United States Courts of Appeals, Ninth Circuit District, San Diego, 
California; and public witnesses.
TRIBAL LAW AND ORDER ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on H.R. 1924, Tribal Law and Order Act 
of 2009. Testimony was heard from Representative Sandlin; Tom Perrelli, 
Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported the 
following measures: S. 303, amended, Federal Financial Management 
Improvement Act of 2009; H. Res. 708, amended, Congratulating Nancy 
Goodman Brinker for receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom; H. 
Res. 779, Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Runaway Prevention Month; H. Res. 942, Commending the Real Salt Lake 
soccer club for winning the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup; H. Con. Res. 
158, Expressing support for the designation of an Early Detection Month 
for breast cancer and all forms of cancer; H. Con. Res. 160, amended, 
Honoring the American Kennel Club on its 125th Anniversary; H.R. 4095, 
To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 9727 Antioch Road in Overland Park, Kansas, as the ``Congresswoman 
Jan Meyers Post Office Building;'' and H.R. 4139, To designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7464 Highway 
503 in Hickory, Mississippi, as the ``Sergeant Matthew L. Ingram Post 
Office.''
WALL STREET REFORM AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 2009
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 8-3, a structured rule 
providing for further consideration of H.R. 4173, Wall Street Reform 
and Consumer Protection Act of 2009. The rule provides that there will 
be no additional general debate. The rule waives all points of order 
against provisions in the bill, as amended. The rule provides that the 
bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. The rule makes in order 
only those amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules 
and the amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the rule. The rule 
provides that the amendments made in order may be offered only in the 
order printed in the Committee report (except as specified in section 
4), may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be 
considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in this 
report equally divided and controlled 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. The rule waives all points of order 
against the amendments printed in the Committee report or amendments en 
bloc except for clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI.
  The rule provides that the chair of the Committee on Financial 
Services or his designee may offer amendments en bloc consisting of 
amendments printed in the report not earlier disposed of. Amendments en 
bloc shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Financial Services or their designees, shall not be 
subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division 
of the question. The original proponent of an amendment included in 
such amendments en bloc may insert a statement in the Congressional 
Record immediately before the disposition of the amendments en bloc.
  The rule provides that the Chair of the Committee of the Whole may 
recognize for consideration of any amendment printed in the report out 
of the order printed, but not sooner than 30 minutes after the chair of 
the Committee on Financial Services or his designee announces from the 
floor a request to that effect. In the case of sundry amendments 
reported from the Committee, the question of their adoption shall be 
put to the House en gros and without division of the question. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  The rule also provides that the Chair may entertain a motion that the 
Committee rise only if offered by the chair of the Committee on 
Financial Services or his designee. It also provides that the Chair may 
not entertain a motion to strike out the enacting words of the bill (as 
described in clause 9 of rule XVIII). The rule provides that during 
consideration of the bill, the Chair may reduce to two minutes the 
minimum time for electronic voting. The rule provides that in the 
engrossment of the bill, the Clerk is authorized to make technical and 
conforming changes to amendatory instructions.
DECISIONS ON THE FUTURE DIRECTION AND FUNDING FOR NASA
Committee on Science and Technology: Held a hearing on Decisions on the 
Future Direction and Funding for NASA: What Will They Mean for the U.S. 
Aerospace Workforce and Industrial Base? Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.

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RECOVERY ACT: PROGRESS REPORT FOR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE 
INVESTMENT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing on 
Recovery Act: Progress Report for Transportation Infrastructure 
Investment. Testimony was heard from John D. Porcari, Deputy Secretary, 
Department of Transportation; Katherine A. Siggerud, Managing Director, 
Physical Infrastructure Issues, GAO; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
CREATING JOBS AFTER THE RECESSION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
challenge of creating jobs in the aftermath of the recession, after 
receiving testimony from Joseph E. Stiglitz, Columbia University, New 
York, New York; and Russell Roberts, George Mason University, Fairfax, 
Virginia.