[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 115 (Thursday, July 28, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D867-D869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EXAMINATION OF USDA RESEARCH PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, 
Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing on Agricultural 
Program Audit: Examination of USDA Research Programs. The following 
Department of Agriculture officials: Edward B. Knipling, Administrator, 
Agricultural Research Service, Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Acting Director, 
National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Cynthia Clark, 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service; and Laurian 
Unnevehr, Acting Administrator, Economic Research Service.
DOD'S PLANS FOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT AND ACHIEVING AUDIT 
READINESS
Committee on Armed Services: Panel on Defense Financial Management and 
Auditability Reform held a meeting to receive testimony on DOD's plans 
for financial management improvement and achieving audit readiness. 
Testimony was heard from Robert F. Hale, Under Secretary of Defense 
(Comptroller), Department of Defense; Elizabeth A. McGrath, Deputy 
Chief Management Officer, Department of Defense; and Asif A. Khan, 
Director, Financial Management and Assurance, GAO.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee held a markup of the 
following: H.R. 2405, the ``Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness 
Reauthorization Act''; H.R. 1254, the ``Synthetic Drug Control Act''; 
and H.R. 1852, the ``Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization 
Act.'' The following were ordered reported as amended: H.R. 1254; and 
H.R. 2405. The following was ordered reported without amendment: H.R. 
1852.

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INSURANCE OVERSIGHT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and 
Community Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Insurance Oversight: 
Policy Implications for U.S. Consumers, Businesses and Jobs.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION ON THE CIVIL ASPECTS OF 
INTERNATIONAL CHILD ABDUCTION
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
and Human Rights held a hearing on Improving Implementation of the 
Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. 
Testimony was heard from Susan Jacobs, Special Advisor for Children's 
Issues, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of State, and Kurt 
Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, Department of State.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies held a markup of 
H.R. 2658, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance the 
ability of the Federal Protective Service to provide adequate security 
for the prevention of terrorist activities and for the promotion of 
homeland security, and for other purposes. The bill was ordered 
reported, as amended, to the full Committee.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee continued markup of the 
following: H.R. 1981, the ``Protecting Children From Internet 
Pornographers Act of 2011''; H.R. 1433, the ``Private Property Rights 
Protection Act of 2011''; H.R. 2633, the ``Appeal Time Clarification 
Act of 2011''; H.R. 83, the ``Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act 
of 2011''; and H.R. 2189, the ``Death in Custody Reporting Act of 
2011.'' H.R. 1981 was ordered reported, as amended. The markup is 
scheduled to continue on August 1, 10 a.m., 2141 Rayburn.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, 
Oceans and Insular Affairs held a hearing on the following: H.R. 50, 
the ``Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act''; 
H.R. 1760, the ``Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Amendments 
Act''; and H.R. 1761, the ``Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization 
Act.'' Testimony was heard from Teiko Saito, Assistant Director for 
International Affairs, Fish and Wildlife Service; and public witnesses.
IMPROPER MEDICARE PAYMENTS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management held a 
hearing entitled ``Improper Medicare Payments: $48 Billion in Waste?'' 
Testimony was heard from Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General, Office 
of the Inspector General, Health and Human Services; Michelle Snyder, 
Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services; Kay Daly, Director of Financial Management and Assurance, 
GAO; and Kathleen King, Director of Health Care, GAO.
IMPACT OF OBAMACARE ON JOB CREATORS AND THEIR DECISION TO OFFER HEALTH 
INSURANCE
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Health 
Care, District of Columbia, Census, and the National Archives held a 
hearing entitled ``Impact of Obamacare on Job Creators and Their 
Decision to Offer Health Insurance.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
WAIVING CLAUSE 6(a) OF RULE XIII (REQUIRING A TWO-THIRDS VOTE TO 
CONSIDER A RULE ON THE SAME DAY IT IS REPORTED FROM THE RULES 
COMMITTEE)
Committee on Rules: Granted, by a record vote of 8 to 4, a rule waiving 
clause 6(a) of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a 
rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee) against 
certain resolutions reported from the Rules Committee. The rule applies 
the waiver to any resolution reported through the legislative day of 
August 2, 2011.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
markup of H.R. 2484, the ``Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research 
and Control Amendments Act of 2011.'' The bill was ordered reported, as 
amended.
SMALL BUSINESSES AND PPACA
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology 
held a hearing entitled ``Small Businesses and PPACA: If They Like 
Their Coverage, Can They Keep It?'' Testimony was heard from Steven B. 
Larsen, Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Consumer 
Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services; and public witnesses.
IMPACT OF THE CFPB ON SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight 
and Regulations held a hearing

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entitled ``Open for Business: The Impact of the CFPB on Small 
Business.'' Testimony was heard from Dan Sokolov, Deputy Associate 
Director for Research, Markets and Regulations, Consumer Financial 
Protection Bureau; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a markup on the following: H.R. 2243, the 
``Veterans Employment Promotion Act''; H.R. 2388, the ``Access to 
Timely Information Act''; and H.R. 2383, the ``Modernizing Notice to 
Claimants Act.'' The following was forwarded, as amended: H.R. 2383. 
The following were forwarded without amendment: H.R. 2243 and H.R. 
2388.
EVALUATING VA'S SDVOSB CERTIFICATION PROCESS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing on Evaluating VA's SDVOSB Certification 
Process. Testimony was heard from Belinda J. Finn, Assistant Inspector 
General for Audits and Evaluations, Office of Inspector General, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Gregory Kutz, Director, Forensic Audit 
and Investigative Services, GAO; and Tom Leney, Executive Director, 
Small and Veteran Business Programs, Office of Small and Disadvantaged 
Business Utilization, Department of Veterans Affairs.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a markup of 
the following: H.R. 1154, the ``Veterans Equal Treatment for Service 
Dogs Act''; H.R. 1855, the ``Veterans' `Traumatic Brain Injury 
Rehabilitative Services' Improvements Act of 2011''; H.R. 2074, the 
``Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention Act''; H.R. 2530, to amend title 
38, United States Code, to provide for increased flexibility in 
establishing rates for reimbursement of State homes by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs for nursing home care provided to veterans; and H.R. 
2646, to authorize certain Department of Veterans Affairs major medical 
facility projects and leases, to extend certain expiring provisions of 
law, and to modify certain authorities of the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, and for other purposes. The following were forwarded, as 
amended: H.R. 1855 and H.R. 2646. The following were forwarded without 
amendment: H.R. 1154; H.R. 2074; and H.R. 2530.
NEW IRS PAID TAX RETURN PREPARER PROGRAM
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the new IRS paid tax return preparer program. Testimony was heard 
from David Williams, Director, IRS Return Preparer Office, Internal 
Revenue Service; Jim White, Director, Strategic Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
ONGOING INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing on Ongoing Intelligence Activities. This was a closed hearing.

Joint Meetings
COMMITMENTS AND CHALLENGES
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine United States policy and the Organization for 
Cooperation in Europe, focusing on making good on commitments and 
challenges, including unresolved conflicts, ethnic tension, corruption 
and lack of governance, racism and intolerance, and trafficking in 
persons, after receiving testimony from Philip H. Gordon, Assistant 
Secretary, Office of European and Eurasian Affairs, and Michael H. 
Posner, Assistant Secretary, Office of Democracy, Human Rights, and 
Labor, both of the Department of State; Alexander Vershbow, Assistant 
Secretary of Defense, Office of International Security Affairs; Michael 
Haltzel, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International 
Studies Center for Transatlantic Relations, Washington, D.C.; and 
Catherine Fitzpatrick, Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of 
Human Rights, New York, New York.