[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 64 (Wednesday, May 11, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D485-D487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT--APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on National Endowment for the Arts FY12 
Budget. Testimony was heard from Rocco Landesman, Chairman, National 
Endowment for the Arts.
DEFENSE--APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Defense Health Program. Testimony was heard from Jonathan Woodson, 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; Lieutenant General 
Eric B. Schoomaker, Surgeon General of the U.S. Army; Vice Admiral Adam 
M. Robinson, Jr., Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy; and Lieutenant 
General Charles B. Green, Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH--APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on the Government Printing Office, Congressional Budget Office, 
Members and Public Witnesses. Testimony was heard from William J. 
Boarman, Public Printer of the United States, GPO; Doug Elmendorf, 
Director, CBO; and public witnesses.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT--APPROPRIATIONS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on National Endowment for the 
Humanities FY12 Budget Oversight. Testimony was heard from Jim Leach, 
Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a markup of the 
following: H. Res. 208, Directing the Secretary of Defense to transmit 
to the House of Representatives copies of any document, record, memo, 
correspondence, or other communication of the Department of Defense, or 
any portion of such communication, that refers or relates to any 
consultation with Congress regarding Operation Odyssey Dawn or military 
actions in or against Libya; and H.R. 1540, to authorize appropriations 
for fiscal year 2012 for military activities of the Department of 
Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes. The bill was 
ordered reported, as amended.
REMOVING INEFFICIENCIES IN THE NATION'S JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Higher 
Education and Workforce Training held a hearing on Removing 
Inefficiencies in the Nation's Job Training Programs. Testimony was 
heard from Andrew Sherrill, Director for Education, Workforce, and 
Income Security, GAO; and public witnesses.

[[Page D486]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee continued markup of 
the following: H.R. 5, the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely 
Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2011. The bill was ordered reported, as 
amended.
MONETARY POLICY AND THE DEBT CEILING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary 
Policy and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Monetary Policy and the 
Debt Ceiling: Examining the Relationship Between the Federal Reserve 
and Government Debt.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE DODD-
FRANK WHISTLEBLOWER PROVISIONS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``Legislative 
Proposals to Address the Negative Consequences of the Dodd-Frank 
Whistleblower Provisions.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
PEACE CORPS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing on the 
Peace Corps at 50. Testimony was heard from Aaron S. Williams, 
Director, Peace Corps; Kathy A. Buller, Inspector General, Peace Corps; 
Jessica Smochek, Former Peace Corps Volunteer; Carol Clark, Former 
Peace Corps Volunteer; Karestan Chase Koenen, Former Peace Corps 
Volunteer; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a markup on H. Res. 
209, Directing the Secretary of State to transmit to the House of 
Representatives copies of any document, record, memo, correspondence, 
or other communication of the Department of State, or any portion of 
such communication, that refers or relates to any consultation with 
Congress regarding Operation Odyssey Dawn or military actions in or 
against Libya. The bill was ordered reported, as amended.
ON THE BORDER AND IN THE LINE OF FIRE: U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT, HOMELAND 
SECURITY AND DRUG CARTEL VIOLENCE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Oversight, 
Investigations, and Management held a hearing entitled ``On the Border 
and in the Line of Fire: U.S. Law Enforcement, Homeland Security and 
Drug Cartel Violence.'' Testimony was heard from Grayling Williams, 
Director, Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement, Department of 
Homeland Security; Amy Pope, Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor 
Criminal Division, Office of Assistant Attorney General, Department of 
Justice; Steven C. McCraw, Director, Texas Department of Public Safety; 
Thomas C. Horne, Attorney General, Arizona; Sigifredo Gonzalez, 
Sheriff, Zapata County, Texas; and Victor Rodriguez Chief, McAllen 
Police Department, Texas.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
Committee on House Administration: Subcommittee on Oversight held a 
hearing on GPO--Issues and Challenges: How will GPO Transition to the 
Future? Testimony was heard from William J. Boarman, Public Printer, 
GPO; and public witnesses.
USA PATRIOT ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on the USA PATRIOT Act: Dispelling the 
Myths. Testimony was heard from former Congressman Robert Barr; and 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and 
Enforcement held a hearing on H.R. 1741, the Secure Visas Act. 
Testimony was heard from Gary Cote, Acting Deputy Assistant Director, 
Office of International Affairs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 
Department of Homeland Security; David Donahue, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Visa Services, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of 
State; and public witnesses.
USAID: FOLLOWING THE MONEY
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations held a hearing 
entitled ``USAID: Following the Money.'' Testimony was heard from Rajiv 
Shah, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; and 
Donald Gambatesa, Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International 
Development.
TRANSPARENCY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S REGULATION 
OF RISK RETENTION
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on TARP, 
Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs held a 
hearing entitled ``Transparency as an Alternative to the Federal 
Government's Regulation of Risk Retention.'' Testimony was heard from 
Edward DeMarco, Acting Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency; and 
public witnesses.

[[Page D487]]


INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011
Committee on Rules: The Committee granted, by voice vote, a structured 
rule on H.R. 754, the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2011. The 
rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled 
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute recommended by the Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence 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 committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the resolution. The rule provides that 
each such amendment 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. The rule waives all 
points of order against the amendments printed in the report. Finally, 
the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Mike Rogers of Michigan; Rep. 
Ruppersberger; and Rep. Gibson.
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING TECHNOLOGY AND PRACTICES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing on Review of Hydraulic Fracturing Technology and Practices. 
Testimony was heard from Elizabeth Ames Jones, Commissioner, Texas 
Railroad Commission; Robert M. Summers, Secretary, Maryland Department 
of the Environment; Harold Fitch, Michigan State Geologist; Director, 
Office of Geological Survey, Michigan Department of Environmental 
Quality; and Board Member, Ground Water Protection Council; Paul 
Anastas, Administrator, Office of Research and Development, EPA; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1425, 
Creating Jobs Through Small Business Innovation Act of 2011. The bill 
was ordered reported, as amended.
EPA MINING POLICIES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing on EPA Mining Policies: 
Assault on Appalachian Jobs--Part II. Testimony was heard from Nancy 
Stoner, Acting Administrator, EPA Office of Water; and public 
witnesses.
EXAMINING VA'S IT STRATEGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Reboot: Examining VA's IT Strategy for 
the 21st Century. Testimony was heard from Roger W. Baker, Assistant 
Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; and Belinda J. Finn, Assistant 
Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations, Office of Inspector 
General, Department of Veterans Affairs.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1745, 
Jobs, Opportunity, Benefits, and Services Act of 2011. The bill was 
ordered reported, as amended.

Joint Meetings
GROWING PRESSURE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine Central Asia and the Arab spring, focusing on 
growing pressure for human rights and whether the factors that drove 
the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East exist in any of the 
Central Asian States, after receiving testimony from Robert O. Blake, 
Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs; 
Stephen Blank, Professor, National Security Affairs, Strategic Studies 
Institute, United States Army War College, Department of Defense; Paul 
A. Goble, Institute of World Politics, Staunton, Virginia; Scott 
Radnitz, University of Washington Jackson School of International 
Studies, Seattle; and Gulam Umarov, Sunshine Coalition, Uzbekistan, 
Memphis, Tennessee.