[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 152 (Wednesday, October 12, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1085-D1088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
      AMENDING TITLE VII OF THE DODD-FRANK WALL STREET REFORM AND 
                                           CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
   Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing to review 
legislative proposals amending Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street 
Reform and Consumer Protection Act, including the following bills: H.R. 
    1840, to improve consideration by the Commodity Futures trading 
  Commission of the costs and benefits of its regulations and orders; 
  H.R. 2682, Business Risk Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act of 
     2011; H.R. 2779, to exempt inter-affiliate swaps from certain 
  regulatory requirements put in place by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street 
Reform and Consumer Protection Act; H.R. 2586, Swap Execution Facility 
  Clarification Act; and three discussion drafts. Testimony was heard 
                         from public witnesses.
         THE FUTURE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AND THE U.S. MILITARY TEN 
                                                  YEARS AFTER 9/11
  Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Future of National Defense and the U.S. Military Ten Years After 
    9/11: Perspectives of Former Chairmen of the Committee on Armed 
Services.'' Testimony was heard from former Representative John Warner, 
     Representative Duncan Hunter, and Representative Ike Skeleton.

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             NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE COMPONENT ACQUISITION AND 
                                                     MODERNIZATION
  Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
     Forces held a hearing on National Guard and Reserve component 
     acquisition and modernization. The following officials of the 
    Department of Defense testified: LTG Harry M. Wyatt III, USAF, 
  Director, Air National Guard; MG Raymond W. Carpenter, USA, Acting 
 Director of the Army National Guard; LTG Jack C. Stultz, USA, Chief, 
 U.S. Army Reserve; LTG Charles E. Stenner, Jr., USAF, Chief, U.S. Air 
                             Force Reserve.
                              WORKFORCE DEMOCRACY AND FAIRNESS ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing 
 on H.R. 3094 ``Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act.'' Testimony was 
                      heard from public witnesses.
          FOOD MARKETING: CAN `VOLUNTARY' GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS 
                                         IMPROVE CHILDREN'S HEALTH
      Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, 
 Manufacturing, and Trade, and the Subcommittee on Health held a joint 
     hearing entitled ``Food Marketing: Can `Voluntary' Government 
  Restrictions Improve Children's Health?'' Testimony was heard from 
 William Dietz MD, Director, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, 
 and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Post, 
   Deputy Director, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. 
   Department of Agriculture, David C. Vladeck, Director, Bureau of 
  Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, and public witnesses.
                                              CUTTING EPA SPENDING
    Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
   Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Cutting EPA Spending.'' 
  Testimony was heard from Barbara Bennett, Chief Financial Officer, 
                    Environmental Protection Agency.
        MARKUP OF LEGISLATION ON SUPPORTING ECONOMIC AND NATIONAL 
          SECURITY BY MAINTAINING U.S. LEADERSHIP IN MULTILATERAL 
                                             DEVELOPMENT BANKS ACT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on International Monetary 
 Policy and Trade, ordered reported as amended, legislation Supporting 
   Economic and National Security by Maintaining U.S. Leadership in 
                 Multilateral Development Banks Act.''
                           OVERSIGHT FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK SYSTEM
    Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Federal Home 
  Loan Bank System.'' Testimony was heard from Bruce Morrison, former 
               Member of Congress, and public witnesses.
                    SMALL BUSINESS LENDING ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2011
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
  and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled H.R. 1418, the ``Small 
 Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2011.'' Testimony was heard from 
     Deborah Matz, Chairman, National Credit Union Administration.
      THE INTERNATIONAL EXPLOITATION OF DRUG WARS AND WHAT WE CAN 
                                                       DO ABOUT IT
      Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The International Exploitation 
 of Drug Wars and What We Can Do about It.'' Testimony was heard from 
                           public witnesses.
         NARCOTERRORISM AND THE LONG REACH OF U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT
 Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs held a 
   hearing entitled ``Narcoterrorism and the Long Reach of U.S. Law 
       Enforcement.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
     DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL 
                                                         YEAR 2012
    Committee on Homeland Security: Began markup of H.R. 3116, the 
  ``Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
                                2012.''
                                  THE STATUS OF FEDERAL SENTENCING
  Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crimes, Terrorism, and 
  Homeland Security held a hearing entitled ``Uncertain Justice: The 
  Status of Federal Sentencing and the U.S. Sentencing Commission Six 
Years after U.S. v. Booker.'' Testimony was heard from Patti B. Saris, 
              Chair, United States Sentencing Commission.
                          U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration held a hearing 
entitled ``U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Priorities and the 
  Rule of Law.'' Testimony was heard from John Morton, Director, U.S. 
       Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and public witnesses.

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       EXAMINING THE LINGERING IMPACTS ON JOBS, ENERGY PRODUCTION 
       AND LOCAL ECONOMIES ONE YEAR AFTER OFFICIAL GULF OF MEXICO 
                                               MORATORIUM LIFTED -
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
 ``One Year after President Obama's Gulf of Mexico 6-Month Moratorium 
  Officially Lifted: Examining the Lingering Impacts on Jobs, Energy 
   Production and Local Economies.'' Testimony was heard from public 
                               witnesses.
     STATUS REPORT ON THE TRANSITION TO A CIVILIAN-LED MISSION IN 
                                                              IRAQ
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
   Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations held a hearing 
entitled ``Status Report on the Transition to a Civilian-Led Mission in 
 Iraq.'' Testimony was heard from Patrick F. Kennedy, Under Secretary 
for Management, U.S. Department of State; Alexander Vershbow, Assistant 
   Secretary for International Security Affairs, U.S. Department of 
Defense; Alan F. Estevez, Assistant Secretary for Logistics & Material 
                 Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.
         HOW GREEN ENERGY POLICY WILL IMPACT SMALL BUSINESSES AND 
                                                         CONSUMERS
     Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
 Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending held a 
  hearing entitled ``Running on Empty: How the Obama Administration's 
    Green Energy Gamble Will Impact Small Business and Consumers.'' 
  Testimony was heard from David Strickland, Administrator, National 
Highway Transportation Safety Administration; Gina McCarthy, Assistant 
   Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, Environmental 
Protection Agency; Margo Oge, Director of the Office of Transportation 
 and Air Quality, Environmental Protection Agency and public witnesses.
                           COAL RESIDUALS REUSE AND MANAGEMENT ACT
Committee on Rules: Held a hearing on H.R. 2273 ``Coal Residuals Reuse 
 and Management Act''. The Committee granted, by a record vote of 5 to 
   2, a structured rule providing one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce. 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 Energy 
and Commerce now printed in the bill 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. Finally, the rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony 
          was heard from Rep. Joseph R. Pitts, Rep. McDermott.
                                                  PROTECT LIFE ACT
 Committee on Rules: Held a hearing on H.R. 358 ``Protect Life Act.'' 
    The Committee granted by a record vote of 5 to 2 a closed rule 
  providing one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the 
   chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce. 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 Energy and Commerce now 
 printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted, and the bill, as 
  amended, shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of 
  order against provisions in the bill, as amended. Finally, the rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony 
  was heard from Rep. John Shimkus, Rep. Henry Waxman and Rep. Terri 
                                Sewell.
                                         STEM EDUCATION APPROACHES
 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Research 
    and Science Education held a hearing entitled ``What Makes for 
    Successful K-12 STEM Education: A Closer Look at Effective STEM 
   Education Approaches.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
                                   THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Space and 
Aeronautics held a hearing entitled ``The International Space Station: 
Lessons from the Soyuz Rocket Failure and Return to Flight.'' Testimony 
was heard from William H. Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator, Human 
 Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics 
    and Space Administration; LTG Thomas P. Stafford, USAF (Ret.), 
     Chairman, International Space Station Advisory Committee; Vice

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Admiral Joseph W. Dyer, USN (Ret.), Chairman, Aerospace Safety Advisory 
                                 Panel.
              LIGHTSQUARED: THE IMPACT TO SMALL BUSINESS GPS USERS
  Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``LightSquared: The Impact to Small Business GPS Users.'' Testimony was 
                      heard from public witnesses.
      NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE BANK: MORE BUREAUCRACY AND MORE RED 
                                                              TAPE
    Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing entitled ``National Infrastructure 
 Bank: More Bureaucracy and More Red Tape.'' Testimony was heard from 
                           public witnesses.
              FAILURES AT MIAMI VAMC: WINDOW TO A NATIONAL PROBLEM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Failures at Miami VAMC: Window to a National Problem.'' Testimony was 
heard from William Schoenhard, FACHE, Deputy Under Secretary for Health 
    for Operations Management, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. 
                    Department of Veterans Affairs.
Joint Meetings
                                                          MONGOLIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Commission received a 
  briefing on Mongolia, focusing on its intention to seek status as a 
participating State in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, from Khasbazaryn Bekhbat, Ambassador of Mongolia to the United 
 States, Terrence Hopmann, John Hopkins University School of Advanced 
 International Studies, and John Tkacik, China Business Intelligence, 
all of Washington, D.C.

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