[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 1, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D62-D65]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOB FRONTENAC, AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing on the use 
of Afghan nationals to provide security to U.S. forces in light of 
attack on U.S. personnel at FOB Frontenac, Afghanistan in March

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2011. Testimony was heard from David S. Sedney, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, 
Department of Defense; Gary J. Motsek, Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for Program Support, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, 
Department of Defense; Brigadier General Stephen Townsend, USA, 
Director, Pakistan/Afghanistan Coordination Cell, Joint Chiefs of 
Staff; and Brigadier General Kenneth Dahl, USA, Deputy Commanding 
General for Support, 10th Mountain Division (LI).
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The 
Congressional Budget Office's Budget and Economic Outlook''. Testimony 
was heard from Douglas W. Elmendorf, Director, Congressional Budget 
Office.
JOB CREATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Expanding Opportunities for Job Creation''. Testimony was 
heard from Rick Snyder, Governor, Michigan; Dannel Malloy, Governor, 
Connecticut; and public witnesses.
BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION ON AMERICA'S NUCLEAR FUTURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and the 
Economy held a hearing entitled ``Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon 
Commission on America's Nuclear Future''. Testimony was heard from Lee 
Hamilton, Co-Chair, Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, 
Director, The Center on Congress at The Indiana University, former 
Member, House of Representatives; Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft (Ret.), Co-
Chair, Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, President, 
Scowcroft Group, former National Security Advisor to Presidents Gerald 
Ford and George H.W. Bush; and public witnesses.
REAUTHORIZATION OF PDUFA
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Reauthorization of PDUFA: What It Means for Jobs, 
Innovation, and Patients''. Testimony was heard from Margaret A. 
Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration; and public 
witnesses.
MANUFACTURED HOUSING IMPROVEMENT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and 
Community Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Implementation of the 
Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000''. Testimony was heard 
from Henry S. Czauski, Acting Deputy Administrator for Manufactured 
Housing Programs, Department of Housing and Urban Development; and 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing on H.R. 3461, the ``Financial 
Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act''. Testimony was heard 
from Kevin M. Bertsch, Associate Director of the Division of Banking 
Supervision and Regulation, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System; Sandra L. Thompson, Director of the Division of Risk Management 
Supervision, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; David M. Marquis, 
Executive Director, National Credit Union Administration; Jennifer 
Kelly, Senior Deputy Comptroller for Mid-Size/Community Bank 
Supervision, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies held a markup of 
H.R. 3674, the ``Promoting and Enhancing Cybersecurity and Information 
Sharing Effectiveness Act of 2011''. The bill was reported to the full 
Committee, as amended.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 2469, the ``End 
Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act of 2011''. 
Testimony was heard from Raymond A. Warren, Deputy Commissioner of 
Revenue and Legal Counsel, Arlington County, Virginia; and public 
witnesses.
MANUFACTURING AND INNOVATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, 
Competition and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Prior User 
Rights: Strengthening U.S. Manufacturing and Innovation''. Testimony 
was heard from David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Intellectual Property, Director of the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a markup of the 
following: H.R. 3407, the ``Alaskan Energy for American Jobs Act''; 
H.R. 3408, the ``Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation 
of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act''; and H.R. 3410, 
the ``Energy Security and Transportation Jobs Act''. The following were 
ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 3407, H.R. 3408, and H.R. 3410.

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RECESS APPOINTMENTS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Uncharted Territory: What are the Consequences of 
President Obama's Unprecedented ``Recess'' Appointments?'' Testimony 
was heard from Senator Lee, Utah; and public witnesses.
BASELINE REFORM ACT OF 2011; AND PRO-GROWTH BUDGETING ACT OF 2011
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 3578, the 
``Baseline Reform Act of 2011''; and H.R. 3582, the ``Pro-Growth 
Budgeting Act of 2011. The Committee granted, by voice vote, a 
structured rule for H.R. 3578 and provides one hour of debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on the Budget. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of the Rules Committee 
Print dated January 25, 2012, shall be considered as adopted, and 
provides that the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. The 
rule waives all points of order against provisions in the bill, as 
amended. The rule makes in order the amendment to H.R. 3578 printed in 
Part A of the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution if 
offered by Representative Jackson Lee or her designee. The amendment 
shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 10 minutes 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 
amendment printed in Part A of the Rules Committee report.
  The resolution further provides for consideration of H.R. 3582 under 
a structured rule. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on the Budget. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule makes in order as original text for 
purposes of amendment the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of the Rules Committee Print dated January 25, 
2012, and provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order 
against the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule makes in 
order only those amendments to H.R. 3582 printed in Part B of 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 Part B of the Rules Committee report. Finally the rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
  Testimony was heard from Chairman Ryan of Wisconsin and 
Representative Van Hollen.
FAA MODERNIZATION AND REFORM ACT OF 2012
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 658, the 
``FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012''. The Committee granted, by 
voice vote, a rule waiving all points of order against the conference 
report and against its consideration. The rule provides that the 
conference report shall be considered as read. The rule provides that 
the previous question shall be considered as ordered without 
intervention of any motion except one hour of debate and one motion to 
recommit if applicable. Debate on the conference report is divided 
pursuant to clause 8(d) of rule XXII. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Petri.
GROUND WATER RESEARCH
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy and 
Environment held a hearing entitled ``Fractured Science--Examining 
EPA's Approach to Ground Water Research: The Pavillion Analysis''. 
Testimony was heard from James B. Martin, Regional Administrator, 
Region 8, Environmental Protection Agency; Tom Doll, State Oil and Gas 
Supervisor, Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; and public 
witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS JOB CREATION
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Path to Job Creation: The State of American Small Businesses''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
VETERANS' AFFAIRS PHARMACEUTICAL PRIME VENDOR CONTRACT
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Examining VA's Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor Contract'', Testimony was 
heard from W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Linda Halliday, Deputy Assistant 
Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations Office of Inspector 
General, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witness.

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HARBOR MAINTENANCE TRUST FUND AND HARBOR MAINTENANCE TAX
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight and Subcommittee 
on Select Revenue Measures held a joint hearing on the Harbor 
Maintenance Trust Fund and the Harbor Maintenance Tax. Testimony was 
heard from Mike Strain, Commissioner, Louisiana Department of 
Agriculture and Forestry; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
FAA AIR TRANSPORTATION MODERNIZATION AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT
  Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences 
between the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 658, to amend 
title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the 
Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2011 through 2014, to 
streamline programs, create efficiencies, reduce waste, and improve 
aviation safety and capacity, to provide stable funding for the 
national aviation system.
TEMPORARY PAYROLL TAX CUT CONTINUATION ACT
  Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of H.R. 3630, to extend the payroll tax holiday, 
unemployment compensation, Medicare physician payment, provide for the 
consideration of the Keystone XL pipeline, but did not complete action 
thereon, and recessed subject to the call and will meet again on 
Thursday, February 2nd.