[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 153 (Thursday, October 13, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1095-D1097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NATIONAL DEFENSE AND U.S. MILITARY ASSESSMENT
Committee on Armed Services: held a hearing entitled ``The Future of 
National Defense and the U.S. Military Ten Years After 9/11: 
Perspectives of Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey.'' Testimony was heard from Leon 
Panetta, Secretary, Department of Defense and, General Martin Dempsey, 
USA, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
AERIAL REFUELING AIRCRAFT PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection 
Forces, held a hearing on an update on KC-46A and legacy aerial 
refueling aircraft programs. Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of Department of Defense: Shay Assad, Director, Defense 
Procurement, Acquisition Policy and Strategic Sourcing, Under Secretary 
of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, David M. Van 
Buren, Service Acquisition Executive, U.S. Air Force; Major General 
Bruce Litchfield, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Force 
Materiel Command, U.S. Air Force; Major General Christopher C. Bogdan, 
Program Executive Officer, KC-46 Tanker Modernization Directorate, U.S. 
Air Force.
EMPLOYER PROVIDED HEALTH CARE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor, and Pensions, held a hearing entitled, hearing 
entitled ``Regulations, Costs, and Uncertainty in Employer Provided 
Health Care.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CONSUMER ATTITUDES ON PRIVACY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Manufacturing, and Trade, held a hearing entitled ``Understanding 
Consumer Attitudes About Privacy.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
AMERICAN ENERGY INITIATIVE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power, 
held a hearing on The American Energy Initiative: Electric Transmission 
Issues, Including Topics Related to the Sitting, Planning, and 
Allocation of Costs for Electricity Transmission Infrastructure. 
Testimony was heard from the following officials of the Department of 
Energy: Jon Wellinghoff, Chairman, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission; Lauren Azar, Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary, and 
public witnesses.

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U.S. HOUSING FINANCE SYSTEM IN THE GLOBAL CONTEX
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on International Monetary 
Policy and Trade held a hearing entitled ``The U.S. Housing Finance 
System in the Global Context: Structure, Capital Sources, and Housing 
Dynamics.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE SECTION 8 SAVINGS ACT OF 2011
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and 
Community Opportunity, held a hearing entitled ``The Section 8 Savings 
Act of 2011: Proposals to Promote Economic Independence for Assisted 
Families.'' Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THREATS AND SECURITY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Held a hearing entitled ``Emerging 
Threats and Security in the Western Hemisphere: Next Steps for U.S. 
Policy.'' Testimony was heard from the following officials with the 
Department of State: William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau 
of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and Philip S. 
Goldberg, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Intelligence and Research; 
Daniel L. Glaser, Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Office 
of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, U.S. Department of Treasury; 
Paul N. Stockton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense 
and Americas' Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense.
UNITED NATIONS TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND REFORM ACT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Ordered reported H.R. 2829 to promote 
transparency, accountability, and reform within the United Nations 
system.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012
Committee on Homeland Security: Ordered reported, as amended, H.R. 
3116, ``Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2012.''
TSA TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT AND JOB GROWTH
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
continued hearings entitled ``TSA Reform: Exploring Innovations in 
Technology Procurement to Stimulate Job Growth, Part II.'' Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
TO AMEND SECTION 2710 OF TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE, TO CLARIFY THAT 
A VIDEO TAPE SERVICE PROVIDER MAY OBTAIN A CONSUMER'S INFORMED, WRITTEN 
CONSENT ON AN ONGOING BASIS AND THAT CONSENT MAY BE OBTAINED THROUGH 
THE INTERNET
Committee on the Judiciary: Ordered reported, amended, H.R. 2471 to 
amend section 2710 of title 18, United States Code, to clarify that a 
video tape service provider may obtain a consumer's informed, written 
consent on an ongoing basis and that consent may be obtained through 
the Internet.
GULF COAST OIL SPILL INVESTIGATION REPORT
Committee on Natural Resources: Hearing entitled ``BOEMRE/U.S. Coast 
Guard Joint Investigation Team Report.'' Testimony was heard from the 
following officials of the U.S. Coast Guard: Captain Hung Nguyen, Co-
Chair of the Joint Investigation Team, Vice Admiral Brian M. Salerno, 
Deputy Commandant for Operations, and Michael Bromwich, Director, 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, U.S. Department of the 
Interior, and public witnesses.
POSTAL REFORM ACT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Ordered reported, 
amended, H.R. 2309 Postal Reform Act of 2011.
THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT REVIEW
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on 
Investigations and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``The Endangered 
Species Act: Reviewing the Nexus of Science and Policy.'' Testimony was 
heard from Gary Frazer, Assistant Director, Endangered Species, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, and public 
witnesses.
ADVANCING COAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR A SECURE ENERGY FUTURE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing entitled ``Advancing Coal Research and 
Development for a Secure Energy Future.'' Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.

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STREAMLINING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: IMPROVING PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, 
AND CUTTING COSTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a 
hearing entitled ``Streamlining Emergency Management: Improving 
Preparedness, Response, and Cutting Costs.'' Testimony was heard from 
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
Matthew A. Jadacki, Assistant Inspector General, Emergency Management 
Oversight, Department of Homeland Security, Dean Hunter, Deputy 
Director, Facilities, Security, and Contracting, U.S. Office of 
Personnel Management, and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following bills: H.R. 2668 ``Brian A. Terry Memorial Act''; H.R. 2919 
``Community Shelter Protection Act of 2011''; H.R. 1734 amended, 
``Civilian Property Realignment Act''; and H.R. 2840 amended, 
``Commercial Vessel Discharges Reform Act of 2011.'' 11:15 a.m., 2167 
Rayburn.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Ordered reported the following bills: H.R. 
674, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 
imposition of 3 percent withholding on certain payments made to vendors 
by government entities, and H.R. 2576, to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to modify the calculation of modified adjusted gross 
income for purposes of determining eligibility for certain healthcare-
related programs.

Joint Meetings
POLITICAL TRANSITION IN TUNISIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Commission concluded 
a briefing on elections and political transition in Tunisia, focusing 
on Tunisia's mass popular uprising, known as the ``Jasmine 
Revolution,'' after receiving testimony from Stephen McInerney, Project 
on Middle East Democracy (POMED), Barrie Freeman, National Democratic 
Institute (NDI), and Mohamed Malouche, Tunisian American Young 
Professionals, all of Washington, D.C.