[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 2010)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D348-D351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on FY 2011 Budget for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the USDA: James 
Miller, Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services; 
Jonathan Coppess, Administrator, Farm Service Agency; John Brewer, 
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service; and William Murphy, 
Administrator, Risk Management Agency.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies held a hearing on U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 
FY 2011 Budget Overview. Testimony was heard from David Kappos, Under 
Secretary, Intellectual Property and Director, U.S. Patent and 
Trademark Office, Department of Commerce.
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Army and Marine Corps Ground Equipment. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Defense: LTG William Phillips, 
USA, Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary (Acquisition, Logistics 
and Technology), U.S. Army; and LTG George J. Flynn, USMC, Deputy

[[Page D349]]

Commandant, Combat Development and Integration, U.S. Marine Corps.
FINANCIAL SERVICES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services, and 
General Government held a hearing on FY 2011 Budget for the SBA. 
Testimony was heard from Karen G. Mills, Administrator, SBA.
HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on Homeland Security Headquarters Facilities: St. Elizabeths 
and Beyond. Testimony was heard from Elaine Duke, Under Secretary, 
Management, Department of Homeland Security; and Robert C. Peck, 
Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, GSA.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Issues from the Field. Testimony was 
heard from Members of Congress and public witnesses.
LABOR, HHS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Related Agencies held a hearing on FY 2011 Budget 
Overview: Jobs, Training and Education. Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Labor: Jane Oates, Assistant 
Secretary, Employment and Training; and Raymond Jefferson, Assistant 
Secretary, Veterans' Employment and Training Services; and the 
following officials of the Department of Education: Martha Kanter, 
Under Secretary; and Alexa Posny, Assistant Secretary, Special 
Education and Rehabilitation Services.
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on U.S. Department of the Treasury 
International Programs. Testimony was heard from Timothy Geithner, 
Secretary of the Treasury.
TRANSPORTATION, HUD, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, and 
Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on 
FY Budget Request for the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration. Testimony was heard from David L. Strickland, 
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Department of Transportation.
U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND AND U.S. KOREA FORCES BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Held a hearing on FY 2011 National Defense 
Authorization Budget Request from the U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. 
Forces Korea. Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Defense: ADM Robert F. Willard, USN, Commander, U.S. 
Pacific Command; and GEN Walter L. Sharp, USA, Commander, U.S. Forces 
Korea.
ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for 
Department of Energy atomic energy defense activities. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Energy: Thomas 
P. D'Agostino, Under Secretary, Nuclear Security and Administrator, 
National Nuclear Security Administration; and Ines R. Triay, Assistant 
Secretary, Environmental Management; and Peter S.Winokur, Chairman, 
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.
OVERSIGHT OF THE FCC
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications, 
Technology and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
Federal Communications Commission: The National Broadband Plan.'' 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the FCC: Julius 
Genachowski, Chairman; and Michael J. Copps, Robert M. McDowell, Mignon 
L. Clyburn, and Meredith Atwell Baker, all Commissioners.
UNWINDING EMERGENCY FEDERAL RESERVE LIQUIDITY PROGRAMS IMPLICATIONS FOR 
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Committee on Financial Services: Held a hearing entitled ``Unwinding 
Emergency Federal Reserve Liquidity Programs and Implications for 
Economic Recovery.'' Testimony was heard from Ben S. Bernanke, 
Chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
VISA OVERSTAYS
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``Visa 
Overstays: Can They Be Eliminated?'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Rand Beers, 
Under Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate; John T. 
Morton, Assistant Secretary,

[[Page D350]]

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Richard L. Skinner, 
Inspector General; and a public witness.
FISCAL YEAR BUDGET REQUESTS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals 
Resources held an oversight hearing on the President's Fiscal Year 2011 
budget requests for the Minerals Management Service, the Bureau of Land 
Management, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 
the U.S. Geological Survey (excluding the water resources program) and 
the USDA Forest Service. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of the Interior: S. Elizabeth Birnbaum, 
Director, Minerals Management Service; Robert Abbey, Director, Bureau 
of Land Management; Marcia McNutt, Director, U.S. Geological Survey; 
and Joseph G. Pizarchik, Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation 
and Enforcement; and Hank Kashdan, Associate Chief, Forest Service, 
USDA.
FORECLOSURE PREVENTION
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing entitled 
``Foreclosure Prevention: Is the Home Affordable Modification Program 
Preserving Homeownership?'' Testimony was heard from Herbert M. 
Allison, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Financial Stability, Department of 
the Treasury; Neil M. Barofsky, Special Inspector General, Troubled 
Asset Relief Program; Gene L. Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General, GAO; 
and 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: An Assessment of the Census Bureau's 
Preparedness.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials of the 
Department of Commerce: Arnold Jackson, Associate Director, Bureau of 
the Census; and Judy Gordon, Associate Deputy Inspector General; and 
Robert Goldenkoff, Director, Strategic Issues, GAO.
SENATE AMENDMENTS TO RECONCILIATION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 8 to 4, a rule 
providing for the consideration of the Senate amendments to H.R. 4872, 
the ``Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.'' The rule 
makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the Committee on 
Education and Labor that the House concur in the Senate amendments to 
H.R. 4872, the ``Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 
2010.'' The previous question shall be considered as ordered without 
intervening motion or demand for division of the question. The rule 
provides 10 minutes of debate on the motion equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Education and Labor. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the motion except those arising under clause 10 of 
rule XXI. Finally, the rule provides that the Senate amendments and the 
motion shall be considered as read. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
George Miller and Representatives Pallone, Andrews, Ryan (WI), Barton 
(TX), Camp (MI), Kline (MN), and Tiahrt.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Energy and Environment approved 
for full Committee action a Committee Print that includes the 
following: Department of Energy Office of Science Authorization Act of 
2010; ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2010; and the Energy Innovation 
Hubs Authorization Act of 2010.
MISCELLANEOUS VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the following measures: H.R. 949, To amend title 38, United States 
Code, to improve the collective bargaining rights and procedures for 
review of adverse actions of certain employees of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs; H.R. 1075, RECOVER Act (Restoring Essential Care for 
Our Veterans for Effective Recovery); H.R. 2698, Veterans and Survivors 
Behavioral Health Awareness Act; H.R. 2699, Armed Forces Behavioral 
Health Awareness Act; H.R. 2879, Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement 
Act of 2009; H.R. 3926, Armed Forces Breast Cancer Research Act; H.R. 
4006, Rural American Indian Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 
2009; H.R. 84, Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act, and 3 
Discussion Drafts. Testimony was heard from Chairman Filner, 
Representatives Scalise, Giffords, Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Boswell and 
Brown-Waite of Florida; Gerald M. Cross, M.D., Deputy Chief, Patient 
Care Services and Chief Consultant for Primary Care, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and representatives of 
veterans organizations.
IRS AND THE 2010 TAX RETURN FILING SEASON
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on Internal Revenue Service operations and the 2010 tax return filing 
season. Testimony was heard from Douglas Shulman, Commissioner, IRS, 
Department of the Treasury.

[[Page D351]]


NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY FY 2011 BUDGET
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
hold hearing on National Security Agency Budget for Fiscal Year 2011. 
Testimony was heard from LTG Keith Alexander, USA, Director, NSA.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.