[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 41 (Thursday, March 17, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D268-D269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year 2012 for the Food and Drug Administration, after receiving 
testimony from Peggy Hamburg, Commissioner, Food and Drug 
Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE, GOVERNMENT PRINTING 
OFFICE, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
year 2012 for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the 
Government Printing Office (GPO), and the Congressional Budget Office 
(CBO), after receiving testimony from Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller 
General, Government Accountability Office; William J. Boarman, Public 
Printer, Government Printing Office; and Douglas Elmendorf, Director, 
Congressional Budget Office.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION AND FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the Department of the Air Force in review of the Defense Authorization 
request for fiscal year 2012 and the Future Years Defense Program, 
after receiving testimony from Michael B. Donley, Secretary, and 
General Norton A. Schwartz, USAF, Chief of Staff, both of the Air 
Force, Department of Defense.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION AND FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management 
Support concluded a hearing to examine military construction, 
environmental, and base closure programs in review of the Defense 
Authorization request for fiscal year 2012 and the Future Years Defense 
Program, after receiving testimony from Dorothy Robyn, Deputy Under 
Secretary for Installations and Environment, Katherine G. Hammack, 
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment, 
Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, 
Installations and Environment, and Terry A. Yonkers, Assistant 
Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and 
Logistics, all of the Department of Defense.
TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded 
an oversight hearing to examine the Troubled Asset Relief Program 
(TARP), focusing on evaluating returns on taxpayer investments and the 
status of programs and implementation of the Government Accountability 
Office recommendations, after receiving testimony from former Senator 
Ted Kaufman, Chair, Congressional Oversight Panel; Timothy G. Massad, 
Acting Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability, and Neil Barofsky, 
Special Inspector General, Troubled Asset Relief Program, both of the 
Department of the Treasury; and Thomas J. McCool, Director, Applied 
Research and Methods, Government Accountability Office.
NOMINATION
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
nomination of Heather A. Higginbottom, of the District of Columbia, to 
be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Executive 
Office of the President, after the nominee, who was introduced by 
Senator Kerry, testified and answered questions in her own behalf.
FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Science and Space concluded a hearing to examine investing in Federal 
research and development, after receiving testimony from John P. 
Holdren, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive 
Office of the President of the United States; Patrick D. Gallagher, 
Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology; Subra Suresh, 
Director, National Science Foundation; and Waleed Abdalati, Chief 
Scientist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the nominations of Kathryn D. Sullivan, of Ohio, to 
be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Frances M.D. Gulland, of 
California, to be a Member of the Marine Mammal Commission, Ann D. 
Begeman, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation 
Board, Mario Cordero, of California, to be a Federal Maritime 
Commissioner, Philip E. Coyle III, of California, to be an Associate 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Rebecca F. 
Dye, of North Carolina, to be a Federal Maritime

[[Page D269]]

Commissioner, and routine lists in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration Commissioned Corps, and Coast Guard.
GLOBAL INVESTMENT TRENDS IN CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine current global investment trends in clean energy 
technologies and the impact of domestic policies on that investment, 
after receiving testimony from Ethan Zindler, Bloomberg New Energy 
Finance, Washington, D.C.; Kelly Sims Gallagher, Tufts University 
Fletcher School, Medford, Massachusetts; Will Coleman, Mohr Davidow 
Ventures, Menlo Park, California; and Neil Z. Auerbach, Hudson Clean 
Energy Partners, Teaneck, New Jersey.
CLEAN AIR ACT AND JOBS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air 
and Nuclear Safety with the Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New 
Economy concluded joint hearings to examine the ``Clean Air Act'' and 
jobs, after receiving testimony from Mayor Richard P. Homrighausen, 
City of Dover, Ohio; Barbara Somson, United Auto Workers, and W. David 
Montgomery, Charles River Associates, both of Washington, D.C.; Paul J. 
Allen, Constellation Energy, Baltimore, Maryland; and James Yann, 
Alstom Power, Knoxville, Tennessee.
UPRISINGS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine popular uprisings in the Middle East, focusing on the 
implications for U.S. policy, after receiving testimony from William J. 
Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
IMPROPERLY PAID FEDERAL ASSISTANCE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Ad Hoc 
Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs 
concluded a hearing to examine recouping improperly paid Federal 
assistance in the aftermath of disasters, after receiving testimony 
from Elizabeth Zimmerman, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of 
Response and Recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Matt 
Jadacki, Assistant Inspector General for Emergency Management 
Oversight, both of the Department of Homeland Security; and Michael A. 
Chodos, Deputy General Counsel, and Peggy E. Gustafson, Inspector 
General, both of the Small Business Administration.
FEMA
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine catastrophic preparedness, focusing on 
if FEMA is ready for the next big disaster, after receiving testimony 
from Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
and Richard L. Skinner, former Inspector General, both of the 
Department of Homeland Security; and William O. Jenkins, Jr., Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office.
PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine health insurance exchanges and ongoing 
state implementation of the ``Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act'', after receiving testimony from Steven B. Larsen, Deputy 
Administrator and Director, Center for Consumer Information and 
Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Department of Health and Human Services; Utah State Representative 
David Clark, Santa Clara; Sandy Praeger, Kansas Insurance Commissioner, 
Lawrence, on behalf of The National Association of Insurance 
Commissioners; and Joshua Sharfstein, Maryland Department of Health and 
Mental Hygiene, Baltimore.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of James Michael Cole, of the District of Columbia, to be 
Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice, and Edward Milton Chen, 
to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of 
California.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
consider pending intelligence matters.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.