[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D324-D328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing on H.R. 3283, the ``Swap Jurisdiction 
Certainly Act''; H.R. 1838, to repeal a provision of the Dodd-Frank 
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act prohibiting any Federal 
bailout of swap dealers or participants; and H.R. 4235, the ``Swap Data 
Repository and Clearinghouse Indemnification Correction Act of 2012''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
APPROPRIATIONS--AMERICAN MANUFACTURING AND JOB REPATRIATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on American Manufacturing 
and Job Repatriation. Testimony was heard from Patrick Gallagher, 
Director, National Institute of Standard and Technology; Subra Suresh, 
Director, National Science Foundation; and public witnesses.
APPROPRIATIONS--AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PUBLIC WITNESS DAY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing for American Indian and Alaska Native 
Public Witnesses. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on FY 2013 Budget Request for 
Treasury. Testimony was heard from Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the 
Treasury.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing on FY 2013 
Budget Request for Department of Labor. Testimony was heard from Hilda 
L. Solis, Secretary, Department of Labor.
APPROPRIATIONS--BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on FY 2013 Budget 
Request for Bureau of Reclamation. Testimony was heard from Michael

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Connor, Commissioner of Reclamation, Bureau of Reclamation.
APPROPRIATIONS--NATIONAL GUARD AND U.S. ARMY RESERVE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
FY 2013 Budget Request for National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve. 
Testimony was heard from General Craig R. McKinley, Chief, National 
Guard Bureau; Lieutenant General William E. Ingram, Jr., Director, Army 
National Guard; Lieutenant General Harry M. Wyatt III, Director, Air 
National Guard; and Lieutenant General Jack C. Stultz, Chief, U.S. Army 
Reserve.
APPROPRIATIONS--JUDICIAL CONFERENCE AND U.S. COURTS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on FY 2013 Budget Request for U.S. 
Judicial Conference and U.S. Courts. Testimony was heard from Julia S. 
Gibbons, Chair, Budget Committee of the U.S. Judicial Conference; and 
Thomas F. Hogan, Director, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
APPROPRIATIONS--LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing on FY 2013 Budget 
Request for Loan Guarantee Program and Advanced Research Projects 
Agency Energy. Testimony was heard from Arun Majumdar, Director, ARPA-
E; and David Frantz, Director, Loan Guarantee Program.
APPROPRIATIONS--U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND AND U.S. FORCES--KOREA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
FY 2013 Budget Request for U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Forces--Korea. 
This was a closed hearing.
KOREAN PENINSULA
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing on the 
security situation on the Korean Peninsula. Testimony was heard from 
General James D. Thurman, USA, Commander, United Nations Command, 
Republic of Korea--United States Combined Forces Command, and United 
States Forces Korea; and Peter Lavoy, Acting Assistant Secretary of 
Defense (Policy) for Asia and Pacific Security Affairs.
ARMY AND MARINE CORPS MATERIEL RESET
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
on the Army and Marine Corps Materiel Reset. Testimony was heard from 
Lieutenant General Raymond V. Mason, USA, Deputy Chief of Staff, 
Logistics, G4 U.S. Army; and Lieutenant General Frank A. Panter, Jr., 
USMC, Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics Headquarters U.S. 
Marine Corps.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Reviewing the President's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Proposal 
for the U.S. Department of Education''. Testimony was heard from Arne 
Duncan, Secretary, Department of Education.
LEGISLATIVE RESPONSES TO RISING GASOLINE PRICES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``The American Energy Initiative: A Focus on 
Legislative Responses to Rising Gasoline Prices''. Testimony was heard 
from Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, 
Environmental Protection Agency; Robert Abbey, Director, Bureau of Land 
Management, Department of the Interior; Christopher A. Smith, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of Oil and Natural Gas, Office of Fossil Energy, 
Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
CYBERSECURITY: THREATS TO COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Cybersecurity: Threats to 
Communications Networks and Public-Sector Responses''. Testimony was 
heard from Fiona Alexander, Associate Administrator, Office of 
International Affairs National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration (NTIA), Department of Commerce; Admiral James A. Barnett 
(Ret.), Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal 
Communications Commission; Bob Hutchinson, Senior Manager for 
Information Security Sciences, Sandia National Laboratories; Roberta 
Stempfley, Acting Assistant Secretary for Cyber Security and 
Communications, Department of Homeland Security; and public witnesses.
PENDING PROPOSALS AND EMERGING ISSUES CONFRONTING REGULATORS, STANDARD 
SETTERS AND THE ECONOMY
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``Accounting 
and Auditing Oversight: Pending Proposals and Emerging Issues 
Confronting Regulators, Standard Setters and the Economy''. Testimony 
was heard from James L. Kroeker, Chief Accountant, Securities and 
Exchange

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Commission; James R. Doty, Chairman, Public Company Accounting 
Oversight Board; Leslie Seidman, Chairman, Financial Accounting 
Standards Board; Robert Attmore, Chairman, Governmental Accounting 
Standards Board; and public witnesses.
COLLAPSE OF MF GLOBAL: PART 3
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Collapse of MF Global: 
Part 3''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a markup of H.R. 
4240, to reauthorize the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004, and for 
other purposes. The bill was ordered reported without amendment.
INVESTIGATING THE CHINESE THREAT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Investigating the Chinese Threat, Part One: Military and Economic 
Aggression''. Testimony was heard from Larry M. Wortzel, Commissioner, 
United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission; and public 
witnesses.
PRICE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY WITH CHINA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Price of Public Diplomacy 
with China''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a markup of H.R. 
2179, to amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant 
Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) 
to transfer unclaimed money recovered at airport security checkpoints 
to United Service Organizations, Incorporated, and for other purposes; 
H.R. 2764, the ``WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 
2011''; H.R. 3140, the ``Mass Transit Intelligence Prioritization 
Act''; and H.R. 3563, the ``Alert and Warning System Modernization Act 
of 2011''. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 
2179; H.R. 2764; and H.R. 3563. The following bill was ordered 
reported, without amendment H.R. 3140.
RIGHTSIZING TSA BUREAUCRACY AND WORKFORCE WITHOUT COMPROMISING SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``Rightsizing TSA Bureaucracy and Workforce 
Without Compromising Security''. Testimony was heard from Christopher 
L. McLaughlin, Assistant Administrator, Security Operations, 
Transportation Security Administration; Sean J. Byrne, Assistant 
Administrator for Human Capital, Transportation Security 
Administration; and James G. Duncan, Assistant Administrator for 
Professional Responsibility, Transportation Security Administration.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and 
Homeland Security held a hearing on the following: H.R. 4223, the 
``Safe Doses Act''; H.R. 3668, the ``Counterfeit Drug Penalty 
Enhancement Act of 2011''; and H.R. 4216, the ``Foreign Counterfeit 
Prevention Act''. Testimony was heard from Dara Corrigan, Associate 
Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, Food and Drug Administration; and 
public witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S NEW IMMIGRATION DETENTION STANDARDS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and 
Enforcement held a hearing entitled ``Holiday on ICE: The U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security's New Immigration Detention 
Standards''. Testimony was heard from Kevin Landy, Assistant Director, 
Office of Detention Policy and Planning, Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement; and public witnesses.
MOTION TO ISSUE SUBPOENAS
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a business meeting 
on a motion to authorize the Chairman to issue duces tecum subpoenas 
for the production of documents relating to investigations regarding: 
the Secretary of the Interior's decision and the process to rewrite the 
2008 Stream Buffer Zone Rule under the Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Control Act; and the process used in the preparation of a Department of 
the Interior report on offshore oil and natural gas operations under 
the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act that implied that peer reviewers 
from the National Academy of Engineers had endorsed an offshore oil and 
natural gas drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico. The motion was 
approved.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EXTENSION ACT OF 2012
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4281, the 
``Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012''. The Committee 
granted, by a record vote of 7 to 4, a closed rule providing one hour 
of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on

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Transportation and Infrastructure. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the bill 
shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order 
against provisions in the bill. The rule provides one motion to 
recommit. Finally, the rule waives clause 6(a) of rule XIII, requiring 
a two-thirds vote to consider a report from the Committee on Rule on 
the same day it is reported to the House, against any resolution 
reported on the legislative day of March 29, 2012, providing for 
consideration or disposition of a measure extending expiring surface 
transportation authority.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Securing the Promise of the International Space 
Station: Challenges and Opportunities''. Testimony was heard from 
William H. Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator, Human Exploration and 
Operations Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration; Cristina Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing 
Management, Government Accountability Office; and Lieutenant General 
Thomas P. Stafford, USAF (Ret.), Chairman, International Space Station 
Advisory Committee.
HOW NOAA PROCURES DATA FOR WEATHER FORECASTING
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing entitled ``To 
Observe and Protect: How NOAA Procures Data for Weather Forecasting''. 
Testimony was heard from Mary Kicza, Assistant Administrator, National 
Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, NOAA; Alexander 
MacDonald, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Research Laboratories and 
Cooperative Institutes, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, 
NOAA; Berrien Moore, Dean, University of Oklahoma College of 
Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, and Director, National Weather 
Center; and public witnesses.
PARTNERSHIP IN PROMOTING GROWTH OF LARGE AND SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Large and Small Businesses: How Partnerships Can Promote Job 
Growth''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY FY 2013 BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing entitled ``A Review of the 
President's Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request for the Environmental 
Protection Agency''. Testimony was heard from Nancy Stoner, Acting 
Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, Environmental Protection 
Agency; and Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid 
Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency.
REEVALUATING THE TRANSITION FROM SERVICE MEMBER TO VETERAN
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial 
Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Reevaluating the Transition from 
Service Member to Veteran: Honoring a Shared Commitment to Care for 
Those Who Defend Our Freedom''. Testimony was heard from John Medve, 
Office of VA-DOD Collaboration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Jim 
Neighbors, Director, Requirements and Strategic Integration, Department 
of Defense; LTG James Terry Scott USA (Ret.), Chairman, Advisory 
Committee on Disability Compensation; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a markup of H.R. 3670, to require the Transportation Security 
Administration to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and 
Reemployment Rights Act; H.R. 4048, the ``Improving Contracting 
Opportunities for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Act of 2012''; H.R. 
4051, the ``TAP Modernization Act of 2012''; and H.R. 4072, the 
``Consolidating Veteran Employment Services for Improved Performance 
Act of 2012''. The following bills were ordered reported, without 
amendment: H.R. 3670; H.R. 4051, H.R. 4072. The following bill was 
ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 4048.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a markup of H.R. 9, 
the ``Small Business Tax Cut Act''. The bill was ordered reported, as 
amended.

Joint Meetings
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies--2012: Committee 
announced the following membership: Senator Schumer (Chairman), Senator 
Reid, Senator Alexander, Representative Boehner, Representative Cantor, 
and Representative Pelosi.
  Also, Committee approved its budget.

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