[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D953-D955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MEDICARE DURABLE EQUIPMENT BIDS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Medicare's Competitive Bidding Program for Durable Medical 
Equipment: Implications for Quality, Cost and Access.'' Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the Department of Health and 
Human Services: Laurence Wilson, Director, Chronic Care Policy Group, 
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Daniel Levinson, 
Inspector General; Kathleen King, Director, Health Care, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
PENDING HEALTH LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the following public health measures: H.R. 211, Calling for 2-1-1 
Act of 2009; H.R. 758, Pediatric Research Consortia Establishment Act; 
H.R. 1032, Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment 
For Women Act; H.R. 1210, Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act 
of 2009; H.R. 1230, Bone Marrow Failure Disease Research and Treatment 
Act of 2009; H.R. 1362, National MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries 
Act; H.R. 1995, Eliminating Disparities in Diabetes Prevention Access 
and Care Act of 2009; H.R. 2408, Scleroderma Research and Awareness 
Act; H.R. 2818, Methamphetamine Education,

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Treatment, and Hope Act of 2009; H.R. 2941, To reauthorize and enhance 
Johanna's Law to increase public awareness and knowledge with respect 
to gynecologic cancers; H.R. 2999, Veterinary Public Health Workforce 
and Education Act; H.R. 5354, Gestational Diabetes Act of 2009; H.R. 
5462, Birth Defects Prevention, Risk Reduction, and Awareness Act of 
2010; H.R. 5986, Neglected Infections of Impoverished Americans Act of 
2010; H.R. 6012, To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to review uptake and utilization of diabetes screening benefits and 
establish an outreach program with respect to such benefits; H.R. 6081, 
Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010; the 
Telehealth Improvement and Expansion Act of 2010; and the Health Data 
Collection Improvement Act. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Health and Human Services: Lawrence 
Tabak, M.D., Principal Deputy Director, NIH; Ileana Arias, Principal 
Deputy Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Marcia 
Brand, M.D., Deputy Administrator, Health Resources and Services 
Administration.
FUTURE OF HOUSING FINANCE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled 
``The Future of Housing Finance: A Progress Update on the GSEs.'' 
Testimony was heard from Michael S. Barr, Assistant Secretary, 
Financial Institutions, Department of the Treasury; and Edward J. 
DeMarco, Acting Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency.
EVOLVING NATURE OF TERRORISM
Committee on Homeland Security: Held a hearing entitled ``The Evolving 
Nature of Terrorism--Nine Years after the 9/11 Attacks.'' Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Commercial and 
Administrative Law, approved for full Committee action the following 
bills: H.R. 1521, Cell Tax Fairness Act of 2009; H.R. 4677, as amended, 
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2010; 
and H.R. 5043, Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010.
DOMESTIC MINOR SEX TRAFFICKING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Maloney, Speier, Poe of Texas, 
and Smith of New Jersey; former Representative Linda Smith of 
Washington; Francey Hakes, National Coordinator for Child, Exploitation 
Prevention and Interdiction, Department of Justice; and public 
witnesses.
RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by non-record vote, a structured rule 
providing for consideration of H.R. 4785, the ``Rural Energy Savings 
Program Act.'' The rule provides one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Agriculture and by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 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 in lieu of the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
Agriculture now printed in the bill, the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute printed in part A of the report shall be considered as an 
original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be considered as 
read. The rule waives all points of order against the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute except those arising under clause 10 of rule 
XXI.
  The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in part B of 
the report. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order 
printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in 
the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the 
time specified in the 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. All points of 
order against the amendments in part B except for clauses 9 and 10 of 
rule XXI are waived.
  The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. The rule provides that the Chair may entertain a motion 
that the Committee rise only if offered by the chair of the Committee 
on Agriculture or his designee. Finally, the rule provides that the 
Chair may not entertain a motion to strike out the enacting words of 
the bill. Testimony was heard from Representatives Holden, Butterfield, 
Cleaver, and Inglis.
ENBRIDGE PIPELINE OIL SPILL IN MARSHALL, MICHIGAN
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a hearing on 
Enbridge Pipeline Oil Spill in Marshall, Michigan. Testimony was heard 
from Deborah A.P. Hersman, Chairman, National Transportation Safety 
Board; John D. Porcari, Deputy Secretary, Department of Transportation; 
Lisa Jackson, Administrator,

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EPA; Scott Masten, Senior Scientist, National Toxicology Program, 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
VETERANS MEASURES; PERSONALITY DISORDERS AND VA BENEFITS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Ordered reported the following: Draft 
Legislation to be introduced; H.R. 3685, To require the Secretary of 
Veterans affairs to include on the main page of the Internet website of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs a hyperlink to the VetSuccess 
Internet website and to publicize such Internet website; H.R. 5360, as 
amended, Blinded Veterans Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2010; 
H.R. 5630, To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for 
qualifications for vocational rehabilitation counselors and vocational 
rehabilitation employment coordinators employed by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs; H.R. 3787, as amended, To amend title 38, United 
States Code, to deem certain service in the reserve components as 
active service for purpose of laws administered by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs; and H.R. 5993, as amended, SAVINGS Act of 2010.
  The Committee also held a hearing on Personality Disorder 
Dischargers: Impact on Veterans' Benefits. Testimony was heard from 
Debra A. Draper, Director, Health Care, GAO; the following officials of 
the Department of Defense: Lernes J, Hebert, Acting Director, Officer/
Enlisted Personnel Management; and MG Gina S. Farrisee, USA, Director, 
Military Personnel Management, G-1, U.S. Army; Antonette Zeiss, Acting 
Director, Chief Patient Care Services, Officer for Mental Health, 
Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; a representative of a veterans 
organization; and public witnesses.
CHINA'S EXCHANGE RATE POLICY
Committee on Ways and Means: Held a hearing on China's Exchange Rate 
Policy. Testimony was heard from Representatives Ryan of Ohio, Smith of 
Nebraska, Boccieri and Jenkins; and public witnesses.
  Hearings continue tomorrow.
BRIEFING--HOT SPOTS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence met in executive 
session to receive a briefing on Hot Spots. The Subcommittee was 
briefed by departmental witnesses.

Joint Meetings
MINORITY POLITICS AND PRESSURES
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission held a 
briefing on minority politics, minority pressures in the Obama Era, 
including successes and challenges to the inclusion and effective 
participation of racial and ethnic minorities in the political sphere, 
from Representative Barbara Lee; and Gay McDougall, United Nations 
Independent Expert on Minority Issues, New York, New York.