[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 17, 2010)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D268-D272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on NOAA FY 2011 Budget. 
Testimony was heard from Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary, Oceans and 
Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, Department of Commerce.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on FBI FY 2011 Budget. Testimony 
was heard from Robert S. Mueller, Director, FBI, Department of Justice.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Contingency Contracting. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Shay Assad, Director, Defense 
Procurement, Acquisition Policy and Strategic Sourcing; and Jeff 
Parson, Executive Director, Army Contracting Command; and William 
Solis, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Team, GAO.

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ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department of 
Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy, 
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability 2011 Budget. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Energy: 
Kristina Johnson, Under Secretary; Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary, 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; James Markowsky, Assistant 
Secretary, Fossil Energy; and Patricia A. Hoffman, Director, 
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on FY 2011 Budget for the SEC. 
Testimony was heard from Mary Schapiro, Chairman, SEC.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Coast Guard FY 2011 Budget. Testimony was heard from ADM 
Thad W. Allen, USCG, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of 
Homeland Security.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Bridging Cultures: The National 
Endowment for the Humanities FY 2011 Budget Request. Testimony was 
heard from Jim Leach, Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on Holocaust Memorial Museum, 
Eisenhower Memorial Commission. Testimony was heard from Sara 
Bloomfield, Director, Holocaust Memorial Museum; and BG Carl W. Reddel, 
USAF (ret.), Executive Director, Eisenhower Memorial Commission.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on FY 2011 Budget for the Fish 
and Wildlife Service: Sustainable Conservation; Species, Partnerships 
and Science. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of the Interior: Thomas Strickland, Assistant Secretary, 
Fish and Wildlife and Parks; and Rowan Gould, Acting Director, Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on Labor and 
Education Priorities/ESEA Reauthorization. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on FY 2011 Budgets of the Government Accountability Office, the 
Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Compliance. Testimony was 
heard from Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller of the United States; 
Douglas Elmendorf, Director, CBO; and Tamara Chrisler, Executive 
Director, Office of Compliance.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on FY 2011 Budget of the 
Architect of the Capitol and Infrastructure Needs. Testimony was heard 
from Steven Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capitol.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Base 
Realignment and Closure (BRAC). Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Defense: Dorothy Robyn, Deputy Under 
Secretary (Installations and Environment); L. Larry Hansen, senior 
official performing the duties of Acting Assistant Secretary of the 
Army (Installations and Environment); Roger M. Natsuhara, Acting 
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Installations and Environment; and 
Kathleen Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Air Installations; Anu 
Mittal, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, GAO; and a public 
witness.
  The Subcommittee also held a hearing on U.S. Central Command. 
Testimony was heard from GEN David H. Petraeus, USA, Commander, U.S. 
Central Command.
TRANSPORTATION, HUD, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on 
Strengthening Intermodal Connections and Improving Freight Mobility 
(Including the FY 2011 Budget for FHWA, FMCSA, MARAD, and FRA). 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Transportation: Roy Kienitz, Under Secretary, Policy; Victor Mendez, 
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration; Anne S. Ferro, 
Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Joseph C. 
Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration; and David 
Matsuda, Acting Administrator, Maritime Administration.

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U.S. CENTRAL/SPECIAL OPERATIONS TRANSPORTATION COMMAND BUDGETS
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on FY 2011 National Defense 
Authorization Budget Requests from the U.S. Central Command, the U.S. 
Special Operations Command, and the U.S. Transportation Command. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Defense: GEN David H. Petraeus, USA, Commander, U.S. Central Command; 
ADM Eric T. Olson, USN, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; and 
GEN Duncan J. McNabb, USAF, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command.
MILITARY PERSONNEL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing on military personnel legislative priorities. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Defense: 
Clifford L. Stanley, Under Secretary, Personnel and Readiness; MG 
Thomas P. Bostick, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, USA; VADM Mark E. 
Ferguson, III, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel, Deputy Chief of Naval 
Operations, USN; LTG Richard Y. Newton, III, USAF, Deputy Chief of 
Staff, Manpower and Personnel, USAF; and LTG Richard C. Zilmer, USMC, 
Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, USMC.
IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN FORCE PROTECTION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary 
Forces and the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces held a joint hearing 
on force protection equipment programs for operations in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: BG Michael Brogan, USMC, Commander, Marine Corps 
Systems Command; LTG Michael L. Oates, USA, Director, Joint Improvised 
Explosive Device Defeat Organization; BG Peter N. Fuller, USA, Program 
Executive Officer, Soldier Systems Center, USA; and BG Thomas W. 
Spoehr, USA, Director, Force Development, USA; and Davi M. D'Agostino. 
Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, GAO.
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Education and Labor: Held a hearing with the U.S. 
Secretary of Education on ``The Obama Administration's Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act Reauthorization Blueprint.'' Testimony was 
heard from Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education.
REVITALIZING DISTRESSED PUBLIC HOUSING
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``The 
Administration's Proposal to Revitalize Severely Distressed Public and 
Assisted Housing: The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative.'' Testimony was 
heard from Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 
Orlando Cabrera, former Secretary, Public and Assisted Housing, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; and public witnesses.
FED BANK SUPERVISION AND MONETARY POLICY
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Examining 
the Link Between Fed Bank Supervision and Monetary Policy.'' Testimony 
was heard from Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal 
Reserve System; Paul Volcker, Chairman, President's Economic Recovery 
Advisory Board, and former Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal 
Reserve System; and public witnesses.
TRANSATLANTIC SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing on Transatlantic Security 
in the 21st Century: Do New Threats Require New Approaches? Testimony 
was heard from Thomas Graham, former Senior Director for Russia, 
National Security Council; and public witnesses.
U.S.-JAPAN RELATIONS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the 
Global Environment held a hearing on U.S.-Japan Relations: Enduring 
Ties, Recent Developments. Testimony was heard from Joseph R. Donovan, 
Jr., Principal Deputy Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs, Department of State; Michael Schiffer, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Asian and Pacific Security Affairs (East Asia), Department 
of Defense; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL-STATE-LOCAL COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Working with Communities to Disrupt Terror Plots. `` 
Testimony was heard from Margo Schlanger, Officer for Civil Rights and 
Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security; Brett Hovington, 
Supervisory Special Agent, Chief. Community Outreach Unit, FBI, 
Department of Justice; Omar Alomari, Community Engagement Officer, 
Department of Public Safety, State of Ohio; Leroy Baca, Sheriff, Los 
Angeles County, Sheriff's Department, State of California; and public 
witnesses.

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AIRPORT CHECKPOINT SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled ``An Assessment 
of Checkpoint Security: Are Our Airports Keeping Passengers Safe?'' 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Homeland Security: Robin Kane, Assistant Administrator, Security 
Technology, Transportation Security Administration; Bradley Buswell, 
Deputy Under Secretary, Science and Technology Directorate; and Susan 
Hallowell, Director, Transportation Security Laboratory; Stephen Lord, 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Team, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
SOUTHEAST ALASKA NATIVE LAND CLAIMS
  Committee on Natural Resources: Held a hearing on H.R. 2099, 
Southeast Alaska Native Land Entitlement Finalization Act. Test. 
Testimony was heard from Marcilynn Burke, Deputy Director, Programs 
and Policy, Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; 
Jay Jensen, Deputy Under Secretary, Natural Resources and 
Environment, USDA; and public witnesses.
PROPOSED VIRGIN ISLANDS CONSTITUTION
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans 
and Wildlife, held an oversight hearing on the Proposed Virgin Islands 
Constitution from the Fifth Constitutional Convention. Testimony was 
heard from Jonathan G. Cedarbaum, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, 
Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice; John P. de Longh, 
Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands; Usie R. Richards, Minority Leader, 28th 
Legislature of the Virgin Islands; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT INELIGIBILITY FOR DELINQUENT TAXES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia held a hearing 
entitled ``Legislative Hearing on H.R. 4735, To amend title 5, United 
States Code, to provide that persons having seriously delinquent tax 
debts shall be ineligible for Federal employment.'' Testimony was heard 
from Beth Tucker, Wage and Investment Deputy Commissioner for Support, 
IRS, Department of the Treasury; and public witnesses.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
Committee on Rules: Committee granted, by voice vote, a rule 
authorizing the Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the 
rules at any time through the calendar day of March 21, 2010. The rule 
also provides that the Speaker or her designee shall consult with the 
Minority Leader or his designee on the designation of any matter for 
consideration under suspension of the rules pursuant to the resolution.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVATION
Committee on Science and Technology: Held a hearing on the Future of 
Manufacturing: What is the Role of the Federal Government in Supporting 
Innovation by U.S. Manufacturers? Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
BUSINESS INCUBATORS AND JOB CREATION
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing entitled ``Business 
Incubators and Their Role in Job Creation.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
FAA'S ON-DEMAND AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS OVERSIGHT
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing on FAA's Oversight of On-Demand Aircraft 
Operation. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Transportation: Calvin L. Scovel III, Inspector General; 
and Margaret Gilligan, Associate Administrator, Aviation Safety, FAA; 
and public witnesses.
U.S. IMPORT/EXPORT VESSEL CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing on Capacity of Vessels 
to Meet U.S. Import and Export Requirements. Testimony was heard from 
Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr., Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission; and 
public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE JOBS TAX ACT OF 2010
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 4849, 
Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act of 2010.
CIA PROGRAMS BUDGET; BRIEFING--DOD QUARTERLY UPDATE
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold a hearing on CIA Programs. Testimony was heard from Leon Panetta, 
Director, CIA.
  The Committee also met in executive session to receive a briefing on 
Department of Defense Quarterly Update. The Committee was briefed by 
departmental witnesses.

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