[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 142 (Thursday, September 22, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1010-D1012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing on Afghan 
national security forces. Testimony was heard from Michele Flournoy, 
Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Department of Defense; and 
Lieutenant General Robert B. Neller, Director for Operations, J-3, 
Joint Staff.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Panel on Defense Financial Management and 
Auditability Reform held a hearing on the Department of Defense's 
efforts to improve payment and funds control. Testimony was heard from 
Mark Easton, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Department of Defense; 
Daniel Blair, Deputy Inspector General for Auditing, Department of 
Defense; and Asif Khan, Director, Financial Management and Assurance, 
Government Accountability Office.
U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and 
Capabilities held a hearing on the Future of U.S. Special Operations 
Forces: Ten Years After 9/11 and Twenty-Five Years After Goldwater-
Nichols. Testimony was heard from Michael D. Lumpkin, Acting Assistant 
Secretary of Defense, Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict; and 
Admiral William McRaven, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.
BUDGET PROCESS
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The 
Broken Budget Process: Perspectives from Budget Experts.'' Testimony 
was heard from former Sen. Phil Gramm; former Rep. Jim Nussle; and 
public witnesses.
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled 
``Culture of

[[Page D1011]]

Union Favoritism: Recent Actions of the National Labor Relations 
Board.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Regulatory Reform Series #7--
The EPA's Regulatory Planning, Analysis, and Major Actions.'' Testimony 
was heard from Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection 
Agency.
CREDIT FOR CONSUMERS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``An Examination of the 
Availability of Credit for Consumers.'' Testimony was heard from Barry 
Wides, Deputy Comptroller for Community Affairs, Office of the 
Comptroller of the Currency; and Robert Mooney, Deputy Director for 
Consumer Protection and Community Affairs, Federal Deposit Insurance 
Corporation; and public witnesses.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations of the Committee on Financial Services and the 
Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and 
Private Programs of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
held a joint hearing entitled ``Potential Conflicts of Interest at the 
SEC: The Becker Case.'' Testimony was heard from Mary Schapiro, 
Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission; H. David Kotz, Inspector 
General, Securities and Exchange Commission; and David M. Becker, 
former General Counsel, Securities and Exchange Commission.
HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing entitled ``Axis of Abuse: U.S. Human Rights Policy 
toward Iran and Syria, Part II.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
CHINA'S ONE-CHILD POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
and Human Rights held a hearing entitled ``China's One-Child Policy: 
The Government's Massive Crime Against Women and Unborn Babies.'' 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TSA REFORM
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``TSA Reform: Exploring Innovations in 
Technology Procurement to Stimulate Job Growth.'' Testimony was heard 
from Stephen M. Lord, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held a hearing on the following: H.R. 2852, the 
``Action Plan for Public Lands and Education Act of 2011''; and 
legislation regarding the ``National Forest County Revenue, Schools, 
and Jobs Act of 2011.'' Testimony was heard from Harris Sherman, Under 
Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. 
Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; Ron Walter, Commissioner, 
Chelan County; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska 
Native Affairs held a hearing on the following legislation: H.R. 443, 
to provide for the conveyance of certain property from the United 
States to the Maniilaq Association located in Kotzebue, Alaska; H.R. 
444, to provide for the conveyance of certain property located in 
Anchorage, Alaska, from the United States to the Alaska Native Tribal 
Health Consortium; H.R. 1461, to authorize the Mescalero Apache Tribe 
to lease adjudicated water rights; H.R. 1556, to amend the Omnibus 
Indian Advancement Act to allow certain land to be used to generate 
income to provide funding for academic programs, and for other 
purposes; and H.R. 2444, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act to provide further self-governance by Indian 
tribes, and for other purposes. Testimony was heard from Rep. Lujan; 
Rep. Pearce; Jodi Gillette, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Robert McSwain, Deputy 
Director for Management Operations, Indian Health Service, Department 
of Health and Human Services.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a 
hearing on the following legislation: H.R. 1719, the ``Endangered 
Species Compliance and Transparency Act of 2011''; and H.R. 2915, the 
``American Taxpayer and Western Area Power Administration Customer 
Protection Act of 2011.'' Testimony was heard from Lauren Azar, Senior 
Advisor to the Secretary, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
GREEN ENERGY AGENDA
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``How Obama's Green Energy Agenda Is Killing Jobs.'' 
Testimony

[[Page D1012]]

was heard from Hilda Solis, Secretary, Department of Labor; Daniel B. 
Poneman, Deputy Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy; and Keith 
Hall, Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.
SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM EXTENSION AND REFORM ACT OF 2011 (CONTINUING 
APPROPRIATIONS, 2012)
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 2608, the 
``Small Business Program Extension and Reform Act of 2011'' (Continuing 
Appropriations, 2012). The Committee granted, by a record vote of 8 to 
4, a rule providing for the consideration of the Senate amendment to 
H.R. 2608. The rule makes in order a motion by the chair of the 
Committee on Appropriations that the House concur in the Senate 
amendment with the amendment printed in Part A of the Rules Committee 
report accompanying the resolution, as modified by the amendment 
printed in Part B of the report. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the motion. The rule provides that the Senate 
amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. The rule provides 
one hour of debate on the motion equally divided and controlled by the 
chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations.
NASA
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``NASA Human Spaceflight Past, Present, and Future: 
Where Do We Go from Here?'' Testimony was heard from Neil A. Armstrong, 
Commander, Apollo 11; Captain Eugene A. Cernan USN (ret.), Commander, 
Apollo 17; and public witnesses.
ENERGY POLICY AND TAX POLICY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures 
and Subcommittee on Oversight held a joint hearing on the intersection 
of energy policy and tax policy, with a focus on the dual priorities of 
comprehensive tax reform and a sustainable energy policy that addresses 
our economic, security, and environmental needs. Testimony was heard 
from J. Russell George, Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General 
for Tax Administration; Richard E. Byrd, Jr., Commissioner, Wage and 
Investment Division, Internal Revenue Service; and public witnesses.
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing of ongoing intelligence activities. This was a closed hearing.

Joint Meetings
REVENUE OPTION AND REFORMING THE TAX CODE
Joint Deficit Reduction Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine an overview of revenue options and reforming the tax code, 
after receiving testimony from Thomas A. Barthold, Chief of Staff, 
Joint Committee on Taxation.
RUSSIA'S UPCOMING ELECTIONS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission received a 
briefing on Russia's upcoming elections and the struggle for public and 
competitive politics from Leon Aron, American Enterprise Institute, 
Ariel Cohen, Heritage Foundation, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, Solidarity, 
all of Washington, D.C.