[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 41 (Thursday, March 17, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D270-D273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, 
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a hearing on FY 2012 
Budget Requests. Testimony was heard from Gary Gensler, Chairman, Commodity 
Futures Trading Commission.
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on FY 2012 Budget Request. Testimony was 
heard from Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce.
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Afghanistan. Testimony was heard from GEN David H. Petraeus, Commander, 
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces-
Afghanistan (USFOR-A); and Michele Flournay, Under Secretary of Defense for 
Policy. CLOSED HEARING.
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General 
Government held a hearing on FY 2012 Budget. Testimony was heard from Vivek 
Kundra, Chief Information Officer, Office of Management and Budget; David 
Powner, Director, Information Technology Management, GAO; and

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Steven Kempt, Commissioner, Federal Acquisitions, GSA.
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Geological Survey FY 2012 Budget 
Oversight. Testimony was heard from the following Geological Survey 
officials: Marcia McNutt, Director, Suzette Kimball, Deputy Director; and 
Carla Burzyk, Director, Office of Budget, Planning, and Integration.
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on FY 2012 Budget Oversight. Testimony was 
heard from Michael Bromwich, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation 
and Enforcement; Gregory J. Gould, Director, Office of Natural Resources 
Revenue, and Deborah Gibbs Tschudy, Deputy Director, Office of Natural 
Resources Revenue.
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on Improper 
Payments. Testimony was heard from Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General, 
Department of Health & Human Services; Kathleen S. Tighe, Inspector General 
for the Department of Education; Patrick O'Carroll, Jr. Inspector General, 
Social Security Administration; Elliot P. Lewis, Assistant Inspector General 
of Audit; Carolyn Colvin, Deputy Commissioner of Social Security; Deborah 
Taylor, Director of the Office of Financial Management, Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid Services; Thomas P. Skelly, Director, Budget Service and Acting 
Chief Financial Officer; and Gay Gilbert, Administrator, Office of 
Unemployment Insurance Employment and Training Administration.
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing on Law of War 
Detention and the President's Executive Order Establishing Periodic Review 
Boards for Guantanamo Detainees. Testimony was heard from William J. Lynn 
III, Deputy Secretary, DOD; and Jeb Johnson; General Counsel, DOD.
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on 
military personnel. Testimony was heard from Clifford L. Stanley, Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; LTG Thomas P. Bostick, 
USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1; VADM Mark E. Ferguson III, USN, Chief of 
Naval Personnel, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations; Lt. Gen. Darrell D. 
Jones, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel; and Lt. Gen. 
Robert E. Milstead, Jr., USMC, Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve 
Affairs.
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces 
held a hearing on soldier and marine equipment for dismounted operations. 
Testimony was heard from David M. Markowitz, Director, Capabilities 
Integration, Prioritization, and Analysis, USA; BG (P) Peter N. Fuller, USA, 
Program Executive Officer, Soldier/Commanding General, Soldier Systems 
Center; Brig. Gen. Frank L. Kelley, USMC, Commander, Marine Corps Systems 
Command; and Brig. Gen. Daniel J. O'Donohue, USMC, Director, Capabilities 
Development Directorate, Combat Development & Integration.
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing on Fulfilling the 
Mission of Health Retirement Security. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing on 
Education Regulations: Roadblocks to Student Choice in Higher Education. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``The Implementation and Sustainability of the New, Government-
Administered Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) 
Program. Testimony was heard from Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary, 
Administration on Aging; and public witnesses.
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of DOE Recovery Act 
Spending.'' Testimony was heard from Gregory Friedman, Inspector General, 
Department of Energy; Steve Isakowitz, Chief Financial Officer, Department 
of Energy; and Franklin Rusco, Director, National Resources and Environment, 
GAO.
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held a 
hearing on the American Energy Initiative: focus on oil supplies, gasoline 
prices, and jobs in the Gulf of Mexico.Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy 
and Technology held a hearing entitled ``The Relationship of Monetary Policy 
and Rising Prices''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing on the Global 
Nuclear Revival and U.S. Nonproliferation Policy Testimony was heard from

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Gene Aloise, Director, Natural Resources and Environment Team, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere held a 
hearing on the Colombia and Panama Free Trade Agreements: National Security 
and Foreign Policy Priorities. Testimony was heard from Christopher A. 
Padilla, former Under Secretary for International Trade, U.S. Department of 
Commerce; and James R. Jones, former Congressman.
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, 
Response, and Communications held a hearing entitled ``Ensuring Effective 
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for Events Impacting Health Security.'' 
Testimony was heard from Alexander G. Garza, M.D., Assistant Secretary for 
Health Affairs, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Homeland Security.
Committee on House Administration: Subcommittee on Elections held a hearing 
on Election Assistance Commission Operations and 2012 Budget Request. 
Testimony was heard from the following Election Assistance Commission 
officials: Donetta Davidson, Commissioner; Gineen Bresso, Commissioner; 
Thomas Wilkey, Executive Director; Alice Miller, Chief Operating Officer; 
and Annette Lafferty, Chief Financial Officer.
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1021, to 
prevent the termination of the temporary office of bankruptcy judges in 
certain judicial districts; it was ordered reported with an amendment; and 
H. Con. Res. 13, the ``Reaffirming `In God We Trust' as the official motto 
of the United States and supporting and encouraging the public display of 
the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other 
government institutions'' was ordered reported without amendment.
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing on Harnessing 
American Resources to Create Jobs and Address Rising Gasoline Prices: 
Domestic Resources and Economic Impacts. Testimony was heard from Richard G. 
Newell, Administrator, Energy Information Administration; Brenda Pierce, 
Energy Resources Program Coordinator, Geological Survey; Gene Whitney, 
Manager, Energy Research, Congressional Research Service; Frank Rusco, 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, GAO; and public witnesses.
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee hearing 
entitled ``The Freedom of Information Act: Crowd-Sourcing Government 
Oversight.'' Testimony was heard from Miriam Nisbet, Director, Office of 
Government Information Services, National Archives and Records 
Administration; Daniel Metcalfe, Executive Director, Collaboration on 
Government Secrecy, Retired Founding Director, Office of Information and 
Privacy, Department of Justice; and public witnesses.
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Held a markup on H.R. 970, the 
Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization and ordered the 
bill reported with amendment.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Railroads, 
Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a hearing on Federal Regulatory 
Overreach in the Railroad Industry: Implementing the Rail Safety Improvement 
Act. Testimony was heard from Elton Gallegly, State Representative, 
California; Jo Strang, Associate Administrator, Office of Safety, Federal 
Railroad Administration; and public witnesses.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and 
Memorial Affairs held a hearing on Department of Veterans Affairs FY 2012 
Budget for the Veterans Benefits Administration, National Cemetery 
Administration, and Related Agencies. Testimony was heard from Bruce E. 
Kasold, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; 
Ronald E. Walters, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, 
National Cemetery Administration , Department of Veterans Affairs; Michael 
Walcoff, Acting Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefit 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing on pending 
trade agreements with Colombia. Testimony was heard from Miriam Sapiro, 
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative; Robert D. Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy & 
Agricultural Affairs, Department of State; Thomas C. Dorr, President & Chief 
Executive Officer, Grains Council; former Under Secretary for Rural 
Development, Department of Agriculture; Peter F. Romero, President and Chief 
Executive Officer, Experior Advisory, LLC, former Assistant Secretary for 
Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State, former

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U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador; GEN Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Retired), 
President, BR McCaffrey Associates, LLC, former Director of the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy, former Commander of the U.S. Southern Command; 
and public witnesses.
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Held a hearing on Intelligence 
Authorities. Testimony was heard from departmental officials.
Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.
F