[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 70 (Wednesday, May 16, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D477-D480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FORMULATION OF THE 2012 FARM BILL: COMMODITY PROGRAMS AND CROP 
INSURANCE
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing entitled ``Formulation of the 2012 Farm 
Bill: Commodity Programs and Crop Insurance''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
BUDGET ALLOCATIONS; AND MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a meeting to consider 
Revised Suballocation of Budget Allocations for Fiscal Year 2013; Full 
Committee held a markup Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for 
Fiscal Year 2013; and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 2013. The Revised 
Suballocation of the Budget Allocations for Fiscal Year 2012 was agreed 
to. The Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2013; and 
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Bill for FY 2013 were ordered reported, as amended.
EXPLORING STATE SUCCESS IN EXPANDING PARENT AND STUDENT OPTIONS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled 
``Exploring State Success in Expanding Parent and Student Options''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
BROADBAND LOANS AND GRANTS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Broadband Loans and Grants''. 
Testimony was heard from Larry Strickling, Assistant Secretary for 
Communications and Information & Administrator, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Department of 
Commerce; Jonathan Adelstein, Administrator, Rural Utility Service 
(RUS), Department of Agriculture; Todd Zinser, Inspector General, 
Department of Commerce; and David Gray, Deputy Inspector, General, 
Department of Agriculture.
WHERE THE JOBS ARE: PROMOTING TOURISM TO AMERICA
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Where the Jobs Are: 
Promoting Tourism to America''. Testimony was heard from Representative 
Mazie K. Hirono; Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale, Assistant Secretary for 
Manufacturing and Services, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began a markup of H.R. 
4471, the ``Gasoline Regulations Act of 2012''; and H.R. 4480, the 
``Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012''.

[[Page D478]]


THE IMPACT OF THE DODD-FRANK ACT: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SYSTEMICALLY 
IMPORTANT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
held a hearing entitled ``The Impact of the Dodd-Frank Act: What It 
Means to be a Systemically Important Financial Institution''. Testimony 
was heard from Lance Auer, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial 
Institutions, Department of Commerce; Michael Gibson, Director, 
Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation, Board of Governors of 
the Federal Reserve System; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION'S STRUCTURED 
TRANSACTION PROGRAM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation's Structured Transaction Program''. 
Testimony was heard from Bret D. Edwards, Director, Division of 
Resolutions and Receiverships, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; 
Jon T. Rymer, Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation; and public witnesses.
INCREASING MARKET ACCESS FOR U.S. FINANCIAL FIRMS IN CHINA
Committee on Financial Institutions: Subcommittee on International 
Monetary Policy and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Increasing Market 
Access for U.S. Financial Firms in China: Update on Progress of the 
Strategic and Economic Dialogue''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
ASSESSING U.S. FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES AND NEEDS AMIDST ECONOMIC 
CHALLENGES IN SOUTH ASIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing entitled ``Assessing U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities 
and Needs Amidst Economic Challenges in South Asia''. Testimony was 
heard from Robert O. Blake, Assistant Secretary for South and Central 
Asian Affairs, Department of State; Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant 
Administrator for Asia, U.S. Agency for International Development; 
Daniel Feldman, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and 
Pakistan, Department of State; and Alexander Thier, Assistant to the, 
Administrator and Director, Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, 
U.S. Agency for International Development.
STATUS OF THE PROCESSING OF THE CAMP ASHRAF RESIDENTS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Status of the Processing of 
the Camp Ashraf Residents''. Testimony was heard from Daniel Fried, 
Special Advisor on Ashraf, Department of State.
ACCESS CONTROL POINT BREACHES AT OUR NATION'S AIRPORTS: ANOMALIES OR 
SYSTEMIC FAILURES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``Access Control Point Breaches at Our Nation's 
Airports: Anomalies or Systemic Failures?''. Testimony was heard from 
John P. Sammon Assistant Administrator, Office of Security Policy and 
Industry Engagement, Transportation Security Administration; Charles K. 
Edwards, Acting Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security; and 
public witnesses.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LEAHY-SMITH AMERICA INVENTS ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Implementation of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act''. Testimony 
was heard from David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Intellectual Property, Director of the United States Patent and 
Trademark Office (USPTO), Department of Commerce; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup of H.R. 5512, 
``Divisional Realignment Act of 2012''. H.R. 5512 was ordered reported, 
without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a markup of the 
following measures: H.R. 1192, the ``Soda Ash Royalty Extension, Job 
Creation, and Export Enhancement Act of 2011''; H.R. 3973, the ``Native 
American Energy Act''; H.R. 4043, the ``Military Readiness and Southern 
Sea Otter Conservation Act''; H.R. 4381, the ``Planning for American 
Energy Act of 2012''; H.R. 4382, the ``Providing Leasing Certainty for 
American Energy Act of 2012''; H.R. 4383, the ``Streamlining Permitting 
of American Energy Act of 2012''; and H.R. 4402, the ``National 
Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012''. The following 
measures were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 1192, H.R. 3973, H.R. 
4043, H.R. 4381, H.R. 4382, H.R. 4383, and H.R. 4402.

[[Page D479]]


OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S GREEN ENERGY GAMBLE
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus and Government Spending held a hearing 
entitled ``The Obama Administration's Green Energy Gamble: What Have 
All the Taxpayer Subsidies Achieved?''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
HATCH ACT: OPTIONS FOR REFORM
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy held a hearing entitled 
``Hatch Act: Options for Reform''. Testimony was heard from Carolyn 
Lerner, Special Counsel, U.S. Office of Special Counsel; Irvin Nathan, 
Attorney General, District of Columbia; and public witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4310, the 
``National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2013'' (amendment 
testimony). The Committee granted, by a record vote, a rule providing 
for further consideration of H.R. 4310 under a structured rule. The 
rule provides no additional general debate. The rule makes in order as 
original text for purpose of amendment an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute consisting of Rules Committee Print 112-22 and provides that 
it shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points against the 
amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule makes in order only 
those amendments printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the 
resolution and amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the 
resolution. The rule provides that the amendments printed in the report 
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 or against amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the 
resolution. Section 3 of the resolution provides that it shall be in 
order at any time for the chair of the Committee on Armed Services or 
his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments 
printed in the report not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc shall 
be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Armed Services or their designees, shall not be subject to 
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question. The original proponent of an amendment included in such 
amendment en bloc may insert a statement in the Congressional Record. 
Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Representatives Bartlett, Smith 
(WA), Franks (AZ), Langevin, Wittman, Bordallo, Coffman (CO), Speier, 
Garamendi, McGovern, Polis, Young (AK), Markey, Gingrey (GA), Jackson 
Lee (TX), Murphy (PA), Lee (CA), Gohmert, Schiff, Mulvaney, Welch, 
Pearce, Yarmuth, Rivera, Tonko, Chu, and Amash.
U.S. TRADE STRATEGY: WHAT'S NEXT FOR SMALL BUSINESS EXPORTERS
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``U.S. Trade Strategy: What's Next for Small Business Exporters?''. 
Testimony was heard from Miriam Sapiro, Deputy United States Trade 
Representative, Office of the United States Trade Representative; and 
public witnesses.
CREATING AMERICAN JOBS AND ASSURING THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF 
AMERICA'S WATERWAYS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``Creating 
American Jobs and Assuring the Safety and Security of America's 
Waterways: A Review of the Coast Guard's 5-year Capital Improvement 
Plan''. Testimony was heard from Vice Admiral John Currier, Deputy 
Commandant for Mission Support, United States Coast Guard.
OPTIMIZING CARE FOR VETERANS WITH PROSTHETICS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Optimizing Care for Veterans with Prosthetics''. Testimony 
was heard from Linda A. Halliday, Assistant Inspector General for 
Audits and Evaluations, Office of the Inspector General, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Lucille Beck, Acting Chief Consultant, Prosthetics 
and Sensory Aids Service, Veterans Health Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
EXAMINING OPERATIONS AND OVERSIGHT OF TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining Operations and Oversight of Tax-Exempt 
Organizations''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D480]]



Joint Meetings
TAXATION OF LABOR AND TRANSFER PAYMENTS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine how 
the taxation of labor and transfer payments affect growth and 
employment, after receiving testimony from Richard Rogerson, Princeton 
University, Princeton, New Jersey; Andrew G. Biggs, American Enterprise 
Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Simon Johnson, Massachusetts Institute 
of Technology Sloan School of Management, Cambridge.