[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 25, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D402-D404]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
2012 FARM BILL: RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, 
Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing entitled ``Formulation 
of the 2012 Farm Bill: Rural Development Programs''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE; AND REPORT ON SUBALLOCATION OF BUDGET ALLOCATIONS FOR 
2013
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup of Energy and 
Water Appropriations Bill FY 2013; and report on the suballocation of Budget 
Allocations for FY 2013. The Energy and Water Appropriations Bill FY 2013 
was ordered reported, as amended; and the report on the suballocation of 
Budget Allocations for FY 2013 was ordered reported without amendment.
REPLACING THE SEQUESTER
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Replacing 
the Sequester''. Testimony was heard from Daniel I. Werfel, Controller, 
Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget.
OVERSIGHT OF THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission''. Testimony was heard from Mary L. 
Schapiro, Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCES OF INSTABILITY IN AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``LRA, 
Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, AQIM and Other Sources of Instability in Africa''. 
Testimony was heard from Donald Y. Yamamoto, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State; Daniel Benjamin 
Ambassador-at-Large, Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Bureau of 
Counterterrorism, Department of State; and Amanda J. Dory, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for African Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, 
Department of Defense.
U.S. POLICY TOWARD THE EVOLVING SITUATION IN SYRIA, PART II
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia 
held a hearing entitled ``Confronting Damascus: U.S. Policy Toward the 
Evolving Situation in Syria, Part II''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
WESTERN HEMISPHERE BUDGET REVIEW 2013
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere held a 
hearing entitled ``Western Hemisphere Budget Review 2013: What Are U.S. 
Priorities?'' Testimony was heard from Roberta S. Jacobson, Assistant 
Secretary of State; Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of 
State.
OVERSIGHT OF U.S. POLICY TOWARD BURMA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held a 
hearing entitled ``Oversight of U.S. Policy Toward Burma''. Testimony was 
heard from Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, Department of State; Nisha Biswal, Assistant Administrator 
for Asia, United States Agency for International Development; and public 
witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland 
Security held a hearing on H.R. 3361, the ``Utilizing DNA Technology to 
Solve Cold Cases Act of 2011''. Testimony was heard from Dennis Kilcoyne, 
Detective, Robbery and Homicide Division, Los Angeles Police Department; 
Peter M. Marone, Director, Virginia Department of Forensic Science; and 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and 
Administrative Law held a hearing on H.R. 4377, the ``Responsibly and 
Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2012''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup of Committee Print 
of material to be transmitted to the Committee on the Budget pursuant to 
Section 201 of H. Con. Res. 112; and H.R. 365, the ``National Blue Alert Act 
of 2011''. The motion to transmit the Committee Print to the Committee on 
the Budget was agreed to; and H.R. 365 was ordered reported, as amended.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a markup of the 
following measures: H.R. 460, the ``Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower 
Facilitation Act''; H.R. 1237, to provide for a land exchange with the 
Trinity Public Utilities District of Trinity County, California, involving 
the transfer of land to

[[Page D403]]

the Bureau of Land Management and the Six Rivers National Forest in exchange 
for National Forest System land in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, and 
for other purposes; H.R. 1272, the ``Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Judgment Fund 
Distribution Act of 2011''; H.R. 1818, the ``Mt. Andrea Lawrence Designation 
Act of 2011''; H.R. 2467, the ``Bridgeport Indian Colony Land Trust, Health, 
and Economic Development Act of 2011''; H.R. 2489, the ``American 
Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2011''; H.R. 2621, the 
``Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act''; H.R. 3874, the ``Black 
Hills Cemetery Act''; H.R. 4027, to clarify authority granted under the Act 
entitled ``An Act to define the exterior boundary of the Uintah and Ouray 
Indian Reservation in the State of Utah, and for other purposes''; H.R. 
4222, to provide for the conveyance of certain land inholdings owned by the 
United States to the Tucson Unified School District and to the Pascua Yaqui 
Tribe of Arizona, and for other purposes; S. 363, to authorize the Secretary 
of Commerce to convey property of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to the City of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and for other 
purposes; and S. 925, the ``Mt. Andrea Lawrence Designation Act of 2011''. 
The following measures were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 460; H.R. 
1272; measures were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 1237; H.R. 
1818; H.R. 4027; S. 363; and S. 925.
ADEQUATELY PROTECTING TAXPAYERS FROM MEDICAID FRAUD
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Health Care, 
District of Columbia, Census and National Archives; and Subcommittee on 
Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending held a joint 
hearing entitled ``Is Government Adequately Protecting Taxpayers from 
Medicaid Fraud?''. Testimony was heard from Senator Charles E. Grassley and 
Representative Michele Bachmann; Gabriel Feldman, Local Medicaid Director 
for the Personal Care Services Program, New York County Health Services 
Review Organization; Cindy Mann, Director, Center for Medicaid and State 
Operations, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Lucinda Jesson, 
Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Services; and Carolyn L. Yocom, 
Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office.
CYBER INTELLIGENCE SHARING & PROTECTION ACT AND INTEREST RATE REDUCTION ACT
Committee on Rules: Granted, by voice vote, a structured rule for H.R. 3523, 
Cyber Intelligence Sharing & Protection Act. The rule provides one hour of 
general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule makes 
in order as original text for purpose of amendment the amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 112-
20 and provides that it 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 printed in the Rules Committee 
report. 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. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions.
  The rule further provides that it shall be in order at any time through 
the legislative day of April 27, 2012, for the Speaker to entertain motions 
that the House suspend the rules, as though under clause 1 of rule XV, 
relating to the following measures: H.R. 2096, the Cybersecurity Enhancement 
Act of 2011; H.R. 3834, the Advancing America's Networking and Information 
Technology Research and Development Act of 2012; and H.R. 4257, the Federal 
Information Security Amendments Act of 2012.
  The rule provides further for a closed rule for consideration of H.R. 
4628, Interest Rate Reduction Act. The rule provides one hour of debate 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The rule waives all points of 
order against consideration of the bill and provides that it 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 provides that the Committee on Appropriations may, at 
any time before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, file privileged reports to 
accompany measures making appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2013. Testimony was heard on H.R. 3523 from Chairman Mike 
Rogers (MI) and Representatives Barton (TX), Mulvaney, Ruppersberger, 
Schakowsky, Langevin, Schiff, Jackson Lee (TX), Thompson (MS), and 
Richardson. Testimony was heard on H.R. 4628 from Representatives Biggert 
and Tierney.
HOW THE REPORT ON CARCINOGENS USES SCIENCE TO MEET ITS STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Investigations 
and Oversight; and Subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology held a joint 
hearing entitled ``How the Report on Carcinogens Uses Science to Meet its 
Statutory Obligations, and its Impact on Small Business Jobs''. Testimony 
was heard from Linda S. Birnbaum, Director, National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences

[[Page D404]]

and National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services; 
Charles A. Maresca, Director of Interagency Affairs, Office of Advocacy, 
Small Business Administration; and public witnesses.
AVIATION SAFETY IN THE UNITED STATES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Aviation 
held a hearing entitled ``A Review of Aviation Safety in the United 
States''. Testimony was heard from Margaret Gilligan, Associate 
Administrator for Aviation Safety, Federal Aviation Administration; David 
Grizzle, Chief Operating Officer, Air Traffic Organization, Federal Aviation 
Administration; Jeffrey B. Guizetti, Assistant Inspector General for 
Aviation and Special Programs Audit, Inspector General, Department of 
Transportation; Gerald L. Dillingham, Director, Physical Infrastructure 
Division, Government Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
MOVING FROM UNEMPLOYMENT CHECKS TO PAYCHECKS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing 
entitled ``Moving from Unemployment Checks to Paychecks: Implementing Recent 
Reforms''. Testimony was heard from Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary, 
Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor; Darrell Gates, 
Deputy Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Employment Security; Larry 
Temple, Executive Director, Texas Workforce Commission; and public 
witnesses.
IMPACT OF LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF TAX-ADVANTAGED ACCOUNTS FOR THE PURCHASE 
OF OVER-THE-COUNTER-MEDICATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
entitled ``Impact of Limitations on the Use of Tax-Advantaged Accounts for 
the Purchase of Over-the-Counter Medication''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
Joint Meetings

  No joint committee meetings were held.
F