[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 9, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D445-D447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
markup of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill FY 2013. The bill was 
forwarded, without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a markup of State, Foreign Operations, and 
Related Programs Appropriations Bill FY 2013. The bill was forwarded, 
without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee began a markup of H.R. 
4310, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for fiscal year 2013, and for other purposes.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began a markup of H.R. 
5651, the ``Food and Drug Administration Reform Act of 2012''.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE; AND HYDROPOWER REGULATORY EFFICIENCY ACT OF 2012
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing on H.R. 4273, the ``Resolving Environmental and Grid 
Reliability Conflicts Act of 2012''; and discussion draft of the 
``Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2012''. Testimony was heard 
from Patricia Hoffman, Assistant Secretary for the Office of 
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Department of Energy; Gina 
McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and 
Radiation,Environmental Protection Agency; Phillip D. Moeller, 
Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Jeffrey C. Wright, 
Director, Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission; Betty Ann Kane,Chairman, D.C. Public Service Commission; 
and public witnesses.
BUDGET AND SPENDING CONCERNS AT HHS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigation held a hearing entitled ``Budget and Spending Concerns at 
HHS''. Testimony was heard from Norris Cochran, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Office of Budget, Department of Health and Human Services; 
Carolyn L. Yocom, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability 
Office; and James C. Cosgrove, Director, Health Care, Government 
Accountability Office.
RISING REGULATORY COMPLIANCE COSTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE HEALTH OF 
SMALL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Rising Regulatory 
Compliance Costs and Their Impact on the Health of Small Financial 
Institutions''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION'S REVERSE MORTGAGE 
PROGRAM FOR SENIORS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and 
Community Opportunity held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
Federal Housing Administration's Reverse Mortgage Program for 
Seniors''. Testimony was heard from Charles Coulter, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Single Family Programs, Office of Housing, Federal 
Housing Administration; and public witnesses.
ASSESSING U.S. FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES AND NEEDS AMIDST ECONOMIC 
CHALLENGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing entitled ``Assessing U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities 
and Needs Amidst Economic Challenges in the Middle East''. Testimony 
was heard from Jeffrey D. Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau 
of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State; Mara Rudman, Assistant 
Administrator for the Middle East Bureau, U.S. Agency for International 
Development; and Mark Ward, Deputy Special Coordinator for Middle East 
Transitions, Department of State.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a markup of H.R. 
3857, the ``Public Transit Security and Local Law Enforcement Support 
Act''; H.R. 4005, the ``Gauging American Port Security Act''; H.R. 
3173, to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to reform the 
process for the enrollment, activation, issuance, and renewal of a 
Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to require, in 
total, not more than one in-person visit to a designated enrollment 
center; and H.R. 2356, the ``WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 
2011''.

[[Page D446]]

The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 3857; H.R. 
4005; H.R. 3173; and H.R. 2356.
FIRST RESPONDER TECHNOLOGIES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, 
Response, and Communications; and Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technology held a joint hearing 
entitled ``First Responder Technologies: Ensuring a Prioritized 
Approach for Homeland Security Research and Development''. Testimony 
was heard from Robert Griffin, Director of First Responder Programs, 
Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; 
Mary H. Saunders, Director, Standards Coordination Office, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology; Edward Kilduff, Chief of 
Department, New York City Fire Department; Annette Doyin, Director, 
Office of Emergency Management, Pasco County, Florida; and public 
witness.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing on the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Testimony was heard from Robert S. 
Mueller III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S OFFSHORE DRILLING PLAN
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Evaluating President Obama's Offshore Drilling Plan and Impacts on 
Our Future''. Testimony was heard from Tommy Beaudreau, Director, 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
TSA OVERSIGHT PART IV: IS TSA EFFECTIVELY PROCURING, DEPLOYING, AND 
STORING AVIATION SECURITY EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY?
  Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; and Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure: Held a joint hearing entitled 
``TSA Oversight Part IV: Is TSA Effectively Procuring, Deploying, 
and Storing Aviation Security Equipment and Technology?'' Testimony 
was heard from David R. Nicholson, Assistant Administrator for 
Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer, 
Transportation Security Administration; Charles K. Edwards, Acting 
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security; and Stephen M. 
Lord, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government 
Accountability Office.
SEQUESTER REPLACEMENT RECONCILIATION ACT OF 2012
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 5652, the 
``Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012''. The Committee 
granted, by a record vote of 8 to 3, a closed rule providing two hours 
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 an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text 
of Rules Committee Print 112-21 shall be considered as adopted and the 
bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. The rule waives all 
points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended. Finally, 
the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Ryan (WI) and Van Hollen.
ENSURING THE BEST STEWARDSHIP OF AMERICAN TAXPAYER DOLLARS AT THE 
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Research 
and Science Education held a hearing entitled ``Ensuring the Best 
Stewardship of American Taxpayer Dollars at the National Science 
Foundation''. Testimony was heard from Allison C. Lerner, Inspector 
General, National Science Foundation.
EFFECTS OF HIGH GASOLINE PRICES ON SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Running on Empty: The Effects of High Gasoline Prices on Small 
Businesses''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MEDICARE DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROGRAM
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Competitive Bidding 
Program''. Testimony was heard from Laurence Wilson, Director of the 
Chronic Care Policy Group, Center for Medicare, Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services; Kathleen King, Director, Health Care, Government 
Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
SOCIAL SECURITY'S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Social Security held a 
hearing entitled ``The State of Social Security's Information 
Technology''. Testimony was heard from G. Kelly Croft, Deputy 
Commissioner of Systems and Chief Information Officer, Social Security 
Administration, Valerie C. Melvin, Director, Information Management and 
Technology Resources Issues, Government Accountability Office; and 
public witnesses.

[[Page D447]]



Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.