[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 100 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D742-D745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EXAMINATION OF CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and 
Forestry held a hearing on Agricultural Program Audit: Examination of 
Conservation Programs. Testimony was heard from the following 
Department of Agriculture officials: Rayne Pegg, Administrator, 
Agricultural Marketing Service; and Rebecca Bech, Deputy Administrator 
for Plant Protection and Quarantine, Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service.
EXAMINATION OF SPECIALTY CROP PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture 
held a hearing on Agricultural Program Audit: Examination of Specialty 
Crop Programs. Testimony was heard from the following Department of 
Agriculture officials: Dave White, Chief, Natural Resources 
Conservation Services; and Bruce Nelson, Administrator, Farm Service 
Agency.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a markup of the FY 2012 Interior and Environment 
Appropriations Bill. The bill was forwarded without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
held a markup of the FY 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations 
Bill. The bill was forwarded without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
markup of the FY 2012 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill. The bill 
was forwarded without amendment.
BUDGETING FOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL SECURITY
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Budgeting for America's National Security.'' Testimony was heard from 
David E. Mosher, Assistant Director, Congressional Budget Office; and 
public witnesses. Prior to the hearing the committee met to mark up the 
Committee Activity Report. The report was agreed to without amendment.
RUSHING UNION ELECTIONS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Rushing Union Elections: Protecting the Interests of Big 
Labor at the Expense of Workers' Free Choice.'' Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
MEDICAL INNOVATION, JOBS, AND PATIENTS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``PDUFA V: Medical Innovation, Jobs, and Patients.'' Testimony 
was heard from Janet Woodcock, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and 
Research, Food and Drug Administration; and public witnesses.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES ON REGULATORY REFORM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Views of the Independent 
Agencies on Regulatory Reform.'' Testimony was heard from Robert S. 
Adler, Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission; Anne Meagher 
Northup, Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission; Robert 
McDowell, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jon 
Wellinghoff, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Philip D. 
Moeller, Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Jon 
Leibowitz, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission; and William E. Kovacic, 
Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission.
MORTGAGE SERVICING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a joint hearing 
entitled ``Mortgage Servicing: An Examination of the Role of Federal 
Regulators in Settlement Negotiations and the Future of Mortgage 
Servicing Standards.'' Testimony was heard from Julie Williams, First 
Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief Counsel, Office of the Comptroller 
of the Currency; Mark Pearce, Director, Division of Depositor and 
Consumer Protection, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Raj Date, 
Associate Director of Research, Markets and Regulations, Consumer 
Financial Protection Bureau, Department

[[Page D743]]

of the Treasury; Luther Strange, Alabama Attorney General; and public 
witnesses.
U.S. INTERESTS IN THE FACE OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing on Time to 
Pause the Reset? Defending U.S. Interests in the Face of Russian 
Aggression. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ASSESSING THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FAILED STATE OF SOMALIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
and Human Rights and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, 
and Trade held a joint hearing on Assessing the Consequences of the 
Failed State of Somalia. Testimony was heard from Donald Y. Yamamoto, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, 
Department of State; Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator, Bureau 
for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Affairs, U.S. Agency for 
International Development; Reuben Brigety, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Department of State; and 
public witnesses.
MASSACRE AT CAMP ASHRAF
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Massacre at Camp Ashraf: Implications 
for U.S. Policy. Testimony was heard from Michael Mukasey, former 
Attorney General of the United States; Gary Morsch, M.D., former 
Commander of Forward Operation Base Ashraf; Colonel Wes Martin, USA, 
(retired), former Base Commander of Camp Ashrafl; and public witnesses.
DHS'S EFFORTS TO PROTECT AMERICAN JOBS AND SECURE THE HOMELAND
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Oversight, 
Investigations, and Management held a hearing entitled ``Homeland 
Security Investigations: Examining DHS's Efforts to Protect American 
Jobs and Secure the Homeland.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
HEZBOLLAH IN LATIN AMERICA
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and 
Intelligence held a hearing entitled ``Hezbollah in Latin America--
Implications for U.S. Homeland Security.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup of the 
following: H.R. 966, the ``Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2011''; H.R. 
1439, the ``Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2011''; and 
H.R. 527, the ``Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011.'' H.R. 
1439 was order reported without amendment. H.R. 966 and H.R. 527 were 
ordered reported, as amended.
NATION'S ABILITY TO ADDRESS THE GROWING CYBER THREAT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Cybersecurity: Assessing the Nation's Ability to 
Address the Growing Cyber Threat.'' Testimony was heard from Greg 
Schaffer, Acting Deputy Undersecretary, National Protection and 
Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; James A. Baker, 
Associate Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice; Robert J. 
Butler, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, 
Department of Defense; and Ari Schwartz, Senior Internet Policy 
Advisor, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of 
Commerce.
FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM ACT OF 2011
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 1309, the 
``Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011.'' The Committee granted, by voice 
vote, a structured rule providing one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Financial Services. 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 Committee on Financial 
Services 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. 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. The rule waives all points of order against the amendments 
printed in the report.
  The rule provides that the chair of the Committee on Financial 
Services or his designee may offer amendments en bloc consisting of 
amendments printed in the Rules Committee report not earlier disposed 
of, which shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 10 
minutes equally divided and

[[Page D744]]

controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Financial Services or their designee, shall not be subject to 
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question. The original proponent of an amendment included in such 
amendments may insert a statement in the Congressional Record 
immediately before the disposition of the amendments en bloc. Finally, 
the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  Testimony was heard from Rep. Biggert; Rep. Waters; Rep. Burton of 
Indiana; Rep. Sherman; Rep. Miller of Michigan; Rep. Cardoza; Rep. 
Walberg; Rep. Wilson of Florida; and Rep. Rivera.
HITTING THE ETHANOL BLEND WALL: EXAMINING THE SCIENCE ON E15
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing entitled ``Hitting the Ethanol Blend Wall: 
Examining the Science on E15.'' Testimony was heard from Margo Oge, 
Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA; and public 
witnesses.
HOW USDA'S PROPOSED GIPSA RULE HURTS AMERICA'S SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and 
Trade held a hearing entitled ``Regulatory Injury: How USDA's Proposed 
GIPSA Rule Hurts America's Small Businesses.'' Testimony was heard from 
Edward Avalos, Under Secretary, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, 
Department of Agriculture; Alan Christian, Deputy Administrator, Grain 
Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), Department 
of Agriculture; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Recovery held 
a hearing on the following: H.R. 1911, the ``Protecting Veterans' Homes 
Act; H.R. 240, to amend title 38, United States Code, to promote jobs 
for veterans through the use of sole source contracts by Department of 
Veterans Affairs for purposes of meeting the contracting goals and 
preferences of the Department of Veterans Affairs for small business 
concerns owned and controlled by veterans; H.R. 1263, to amend the 
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide surviving spouses with 
certain protections relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures; 
H.R. 120, the ``Disabled Veterans' Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act;'' 
H.R. 2274, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to submit to 
Congress annual reports on the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance 
Program, and for other purposes; H.R. 2301, the ``Streamlining 
Education Claims Processing Act of 2011;'' H.R. 2302, to amend title 
38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
notify Congress of conferences sponsored by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs; H.R. 2345, to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend 
the authorization of appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to pay a monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans 
training or competing for the Paralympic Team and the authorization of 
appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide 
assistance to United States Paralympics, Inc.; and H.R. 2329, the 
``Ensuring a Response for Servicemembers Act.'' Testimony was heard 
from Curtis L. Coy, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity, 
Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on the following: H.R. 923, the 
``Veterans Pensions Protection Act of 2011;'' H.R. 1025, to amend title 
38, United States Code, to recognize the service in the reserve 
components of certain persons by honoring them with status as veterans 
under law; H.R. 1826, to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
reinstate criminal penalties for persons charging veterans unauthorized 
fees; H.R. 1898, the ``Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act;'' and 
H.R. 2349, the ``Veterans' Benefits Training Improvement Act of 2011.'' 
Testimony was heard from Thomas Murphy, Director, Compensation Service, 
Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
public witnesses.
FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a non-markup on 
legislation regarding the following: the ``United States-Colombia Trade 
Promotion Agreement Implementation Act'', the ``United States-Panama 
Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act'', and the ``United 
States-South Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.'' Testimony 
was heard from Angela Ellard, Chief Trade Counsel, Committee on Ways 
and Means and Staff Director, Subcommittee on Trade; Timothy Reif, 
General Counsel, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; Wendy Cutler, 
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea, and APEC Affairs; 
and Bennett Harman, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the 
Western Hemisphere.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.

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