[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 193 (Thursday, December 15, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1369-D1370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the nominations of Michael T. Scuse, of Delaware, 
to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural 
Services, and to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation, who was introduced by Senator Coons, and Chester 
John Culver, of Iowa, who was introduced by Senators Harkin and 
Grassley, and Bruce J. Sherrick, of Illinois, both to be a Member of 
the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage 
Corporation, Farm Credit Administration, after the nominees testified 
and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of Michael A. Sheehan, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant 
Secretary, and Brad Carson, of Oklahoma, to be General Counsel of the 
Department of the Army, both of the Department of Defense, and 832 
nominations in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FISH
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard concluded a hearing to 
examine environmental risks of genetically engineered fish, after 
receiving testimony from Ronald L. Stotish, AquaBounty Technologies, 
Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts; John Epifanio, Illinois Natural History 
Survey, Champaign; George H. Leonard, Ocean Conservancy Aquaculture 
Program, Santa Cruz, California; and Paul Greenberg, New York, New 
York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  S. 1108, to provide local communities with tools to make solar 
permitting more efficient, with an amendment;

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  S. 1142, to promote the mapping and development of the United States 
geothermal resources by establishing a direct loan program for high 
risk geothermal exploration wells, to amend the Energy Independence and 
Security Act of 2007 to improve geothermal energy technology and 
demonstrate the use of geothermal energy in large scale thermal 
applications, with amendments;
  S. 1149, to expand geothermal production, with amendments;
  S. 1160, to improve the administration of the Department of Energy, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nomination of Arunava Majumdar, of California, to be Under 
Secretary of Energy.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air 
and Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission's near-term task force recommendations for 
enhancing reactor safety in the 21st century, after receiving testimony 
from Gregory B. Jaczko, Chairman, and Kristine L. Svinicki, George 
Apostolakis, William D. Magwood IV, and William C. Ostendorff, each a 
Commissioner, all of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
TRAFFICKING NARCOTICS IN THE CARIBBEAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, 
Peace Corps and Global Narcotics Affairs concluded a hearing to examine 
the United States-Caribbean shared security partnership, focusing on 
responding to the growth of trafficking narcotics in the Caribbean, 
after receiving testimony from William R. Brownfield, Assistant 
Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 
Affairs; Rodney G. Benson, Assistant Administrator, Chief of 
Intelligence, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice; 
Liliana Ayalde, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Latin America 
and Caribbean Bureau, United States Agency for International 
Development; Eduardo A. Gamarra, Florida International University, 
Miami; and Douglas Farah, International Assessment and Strategy Center, 
Alexandria, Virginia.
IMPROVING GOVERNANCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on African Affairs 
concluded a hearing to examine improving governance in the Democratic 
Republic of Congo, after receiving testimony from Johnnie Carson, 
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Mark Schneider, 
International Crisis Group, and Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Stanford 
University Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace, both of 
Washington, D.C.; and Anthony W. Gambino, Eastern Congo Initiative 
(ECI), Bethesda, Maryland.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG SHORTAGES
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine prescription drug shortages, focusing on 
examining a public health concern and potential solutions, and if the 
Food and Drug Administration's ability to respond should be 
strengthened, after receiving testimony from Senator Klobuchar; Sherry 
Glied, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and Sandra 
Kweder, Deputy Director, Office of New Drugs, Center for Drug 
Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, both of the 
Department of Health and Human Services; Marcia Crosse, Director, 
Health Care, Government Accountability Office; Murray Aitken, IMS 
Institute for Healthcare Informatics, Parsippany, New Jersey; Ralph G. 
Neas, Generic Pharmaceutical Association, Washington, D.C.; and John 
Maris, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 1821, to prevent the termination of the temporary office of 
bankruptcy judges in certain judicial districts, with an amendment;
  S. 1236, to reduce the trafficking of drugs and to prevent human 
smuggling across the Southwest Border by deterring the construction and 
use of border tunnels; and
  The nomination of Brian C. Wimes, to be United States District Judge 
for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri.