[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 21, 2010)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D822-D825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
EMPOWERING RURAL COMMUNITIES
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine empowering rural communities, the status and 
future of the Farm Bill's energy and rural development programs after 
receiving testimony from Dallas Tonsager, Under Secretary of 
Agriculture for Rural Development; Mayor JoAnne H. Bush, Lake Village, 
Arkansas; General Wesley Clark, Growth Energy, and David P. Tenny, 
National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), both of Washington, D.C.; 
Dennis Sternberg, Arkansas Rural Water Association, Lonoke; Glenn 
English, National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Arlington, 
Virginia; and Eric Zuber, Byron, New York.
APPROPRIATIONS: COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies approved for full committee consideration 
an original bill making appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, 
and Related Agencies for fiscal year 2011.
APPROPRIATIONS: TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Related Agencies approved for full committee 
consideration an original bill making appropriations for 
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies for 
fiscal year 2011.
SEMIANNUAL MONETARY POLICY REPORT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the semiannual monetary policy report to the 
Congress,

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after receiving testimony from Ben Bernanke, Chairman, Board of 
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
EFFECTIVE CLEAN UP AND RESTORATION IN THE GULF
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded a hearing to 
examine ensuring effective clean up and restoration in the Gulf, after 
receiving testimony from Captain Matthew J. Sisson, Commanding Officer, 
Coast Guard, Research and Development Center, Department of Homeland 
Security; Douglas Helton, Incident Operations Coordinator, Office of 
Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, Department of Commerce; Scott Pegau, Oil Spill Recovery 
Institute, Cordova, Alaska; Nancy E. Kinner, University of New 
Hampshire Coastal Response Research Center, Durham; Cynthia Sarthou, 
Gulf Restoration Network; Dennis Yellowhorse Jones, U Mate 
International, Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona; and Frederick R. Stahr, 
University of Washington College of the Environment School of 
Oceanography Seaglider Fabrication Center, Seattle.
SAFE PORT ACT REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine Security and Accountability For Every (SAFE) Port 
Act reauthorization, focusing on our nation's infrastructure, after 
receiving testimony from Alan Bersin, Commissioner, Customs and Border 
Protection, and Admiral Robert J. Papp, Commandant, Coast Guard, both 
of the Department of Homeland Security; and Stephen L. Caldwell, 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government 
Accountability Office.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  S. 2052, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the 
Secretary of Energy to carry out a research and development and 
demonstration program to reduce manufacturing and construction costs 
relating to nuclear reactors;
  S. 2812, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the 
Secretary of Energy to carry out programs to develop and demonstrate 2 
small modular nuclear reactor designs, with an amendment;
  S. 2843, to provide for a program of research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application in vehicle technologies at 
the Department of Energy, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 3495, to promote the deployment of plug-in electric drive 
vehicles, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 349, to establish the Susquehanna Gateway National Heritage Area 
in the State of Pennsylvania, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 607, to amend the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 to 
clarify the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture regarding 
additional recreational uses of National Forest System land that are 
subject to ski area permits, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 1651, to modify a land grant patent issued by the Secretary of the 
Interior, with an amendment;
  S. 1689, to designate certain land as components of the National 
Wilderness Preservation System and the National Landscape Conservation 
System in the State of New Mexico, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 1750, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
special resource study of the General of the Army George Catlett 
Marshall National Historic Site at Dodona Manor in Leesburg, Virginia;
  S. 3303, to establish the Chimney Rock National Monument in the State 
of Colorado, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3313, to withdraw certain land located in Clark County, Nevada 
from location, entry, and patent under the mining laws and disposition 
under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral 
materials, with an amendment;
  H.R. 685, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
special resource study regarding the proposed United States Civil 
Rights Trail;
  H.R. 1612, to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the 
authorization of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the 
Interior to provide service opportunities for young Americans; help 
restore the nation's natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, 
recreational and scenic resources; train a new generation of public 
land managers and enthusiasts; and promote the value of public service, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 745, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and 
Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the Magna Water District water reuse and groundwater 
recharge project, with an amendment;
  H.R. 4349, to further allocate and expand the availability of 
hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam; and
  H.R. 4252, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 
of water resources in the Rialto-Colton Basin in the State of 
California.
   Committee recessed subject to the call.

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TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine an 
update on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), focusing on the 
continued attention needed to ensure the transparency and 
accountability of ongoing programs, after receiving testimony from Neil 
Barofsky, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief 
Program; Elizabeth Warren, Chair, Congressional Oversight Panel; and 
Richard J. Hillman, Managing Director, Financial Markets and Community 
Investment, Government Accountability Office.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Scot Alan Marciel, of California, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, Judith R. Fergin, of 
Washington, to be Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, 
Helen Patricia Reed-Rowe, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Palau, and Paul W. Jones, of New York, to be Ambassador to Malaysia, 
all of the Department of State, Robert M. Orr, of Florida, to be United 
States Director of the Asian Development Bank, with the rank of 
Ambassador, who was introduced by Senator Nelson (FL), and Nisha Desai 
Biswal, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Administrator 
of the United States Agency for International Development, after the 
nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
QUADRENNIAL HOMELAND SECURITY REVIEW AND BOTTOM UP REVIEW
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the Homeland Security Department's 
Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and Bottom Up Review, after 
receiving testimony from Jane Holl Lute, Deputy Secretary of Homeland 
Security.
RARE AND NEGLECTED PEDIATRIC DISEASES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine treating rare and neglected pediatric 
diseases, focusing on promoting the development of new treatments and 
cures, after receiving testimony from Jesse L. Goodman, Chief 
Scientist, and Deputy Commissioner, Science and Public Health, Food and 
Drug Administration, and Alan E. Guttmacher, Acting Director, National 
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of 
Health, both of the Department of Health and Human Services; Alexander 
J. Silver, Jackson Gabriel Silver Foundation, and Suerie Moon, Doctors 
Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres-USA, both of New York, New 
York; Diane Edquist Dorman, National Organization for Rare Disorders 
(NORD), Washington, D.C.; John F. Crowley, Amicus Therapeutics, 
Cranbury, New Jersey, on behalf of the Biotechnology Industry 
Organization; and Daniel A.C. Frattarelli, American Academy of 
Pediatrics, Dearborn, Michigan.
SECOND CHANCE ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the Second Chance Act, focusing on strengthening safe and effective 
community reentry, after receiving testimony from Andrew A. Pallito, 
Vermont Department of Corrections Commissioner, Waterbury; Le'Ann 
Duran, National Reentry Resource Center, and Howard Husock, Manhattan 
Institute for Policy Research, both of New York, New York; Sol 
Rodriguez, OpenDoors, Providence, Rhode Island; and David B. 
Muhlhausen, Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C.
POST-9/11 GOVERNMENT ISSUE BILL
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine improvements to the post-9/11 Government Issue (GI) Bill, 
including S. 3447, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve 
educational assistance for veterans who served in the Armed Forces 
after September 11, 2001, after receiving testimony from Robert E. 
Clark, Assistant Director for Accession Policy, Office of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; Keith M. Wilson, 
Director, Education Service, Department of Veterans Affairs; Captain 
Gerard M. Farrell, USN (Ret.), Commissioned Officers' Association of 
the U.S. Public Health Service, Landover, Maryland; Eric Hilleman, 
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Terry W. Hartle, 
American Council on Education, and Tim Embree, Iraq and Afghanistan 
Veterans of America, all of Washington, D.C.; and Judith Flink, 
University of Illinois Student Financial Services, Champaign.
CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), focusing on if CCRCs 
are a secure retirement or a risky investment, how CCRCs operate and 
what financial risks are associated with their operation and 
establishment, how state laws address these risks and what is known 
about how adequately they protect CCRCs' financial condition, risks 
CCRC residents face, and how state laws address these risks and what is 
known about their adequacy, after receiving testimony from Alicia 
Puente Cackley, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, 
Government Accountability Office;

[[Page D825]]

Kevin M. McCarty, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Tallahassee; 
Katherine C. Pearson, Penn State University Elder Law and Consumer 
Protection Clinic, University Park; David Erickson, Covenant Retirement 
Communities, Skokie, Illinois, on behalf of the American Association of 
Homes and Services for the Aging; and Charles W. Prine, Mt. Lebanon, 
Pennsylvania.