[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 19, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D622-D624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup of 
Agriculture Appropriations Bill, FY 2013; and the Transportation, 
Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Bill, FY 2013. The bills 
were ordered reported, as amended.
ACTIVITIES AND SUMMARY REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a markup of Activities and 
Summary Report of the Committee on the Budget. The Activities and 
Summary Report of the Committee on the Budget was passed.
AMERICAN ENERGY INITIATIVE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``The American Energy Initiative''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
FEDERAL GREEN JOBS AGENDA
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Federal Green Jobs 
Agenda''. Testimony was heard from Molly F. Sherlock, Specialist in 
Public Finance Government and Finance Division, Congressional Research 
Service; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began markup of H.R. 
5859, to repeal an obsolete provision in title 49, United States Code, 
requiring motor vehicle insurance cost reporting; H.R. 5865, the 
``American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2012''; H.R. 4273, the 
``Resolving Environmental and Grid Reliability Conflicts Act of 2012''; 
H.R. 5892, the ``Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2012''; H. 
Con. Res. 127, providing for the acceptance of a statue of Gerald R. 
Ford from the people of Michigan for placement in the United States 
Capitol; and Semi-Annual Committee Activity Report.
JPMORGAN CHASE'S TRADING LOSS
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Examining Bank Supervision and Risk Management in Light of JPMorgan 
Chase's Trading Loss''. Testimony was heard from Thomas J. Curry, 
Comptroller of the Currency, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; 
Mary Schapiro, Chairman, Securities and Exchange Commission; Gary 
Gensler, Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Martin J. 
Gruenberg, Acting Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; 
Scott Alvarez, General Counsel, Federal Reserve Board of Governors; and 
a public witness.
BORDER SECURITY THREATS TO THE HOMELAND: DHS' RESPONSE TO INNOVATIVE 
TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border and Maritime 
Security held a hearing ``Border Security Threats to the Homeland: DHS' 
Response to Innovative Tactics and Techniques''. Testimony was heard 
from Donna A. Bucella, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Intelligence 
and Investigative Liaison, Customs and Border Protection, Department of 
Homeland Security; James A. Dinkins, Executive Associate Director, 
Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 
Department of Homeland Security; Rear Admiral William D. Lee, Deputy 
for Operations Policy and Capabilities, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of 
Homeland Security; and Rear Admiral Charles D. Michel Director, Joint 
Interagency Task Force South.
TSA'S PLANNED PURCHASE OF CAT/BPSS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``Is TSA's Planned Purchase of CAT/BPSS a Wise 
Use of Taxpayer Dollars?''. Testimony was heard from Kelly Hoggan, 
Assistant Administrator for the Office of Security Capabilities, 
Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland 
Security; and Stephen M. Lord, Director of Homeland Security and 
Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS IN THE MOBILE AND ONLINE SPACE, AND 
THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC POLICY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, 
Competition, and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``New 
Technologies and Innovations in the Mobile and Online space, and the 
Implications for Public Policy''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup of H.R. 5949, 
the ``FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012''. The bill was 
ordered reported, without amendment.
TAXPAYER-FUNDED LITIGATION: BENEFITTING LAWYERS AND HARMING SPECIES, 
JOBS AND SCHOOLS
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Taxpayer-Funded Litigation: Benefitting Lawyers and Harming Species, 
Jobs and Schools''. Testimony was heard from Senator Sessions and 
Representative Lummis; Jerry Patterson, Commissioner, Texas General 
Land Office, Austin, Texas;

[[Page D623]]

John Stokes, Facilities Development Project Coordinator, San Diego 
Unified School District, San Diego, California; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, 
Oceans and Insular Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 2706, the ``Billfish 
Conservation Act of 2011''; H.R. 3472, the ``Pirate Fishing Vessel 
Disposal Act of 2011''; and H.R. 4100, the ``Illegal, Unreported, and 
Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2011''. Testimony was heard from 
Eric Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration; John Graves, Chair, International 
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, Advisory Committee; 
and public witnesses.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S GREEN ENERGY GAMBLE PART II
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending held a 
hearing entitled ``The Obama Administration's Green Energy Gamble Part 
II: Were All the Taxpayer Subsidies Necessary?''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
STRATEGIC ENERGY PRODUCTION ACT OF 2012
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4480, the 
``Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012''. The Committee granted, by 
a record vote, a structured rule providing two hours of general debate 
equally divided among and controlled by the chair and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the chair and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources. 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 112-24 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. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Gardner, Rush, Gene Green (TX), Lamborn, Markey, 
Hanabusa, Hastings (FL), Polis, Jackson Lee (TX), Langevin, and 
Ellison.
BEST PRACTICES IN TRANSFORMING RESEARCH INTO INNOVATION: CREATIVE 
APPROACHES TO THE BAYH-DOLE ACT
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Technology 
and Innovation held a hearing entitled ``Best Practices in Transforming 
Research into Innovation: Creative Approaches to the Bayh-Dole Act''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SCIENCE OF HOW HUNTING ASSISTS SPECIES CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on 
Investigation and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``The Science of 
How Hunting Assists Species Conservation and Management''. Testimony 
was heard from Daniel Ashe, Director, Fish and Wildlife Service; Nick 
Wiley, Executive Director, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation 
Commission; and public witnesses.
VBA CLAIMS TRANSFORMATION PLAN AS A MEANS TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE OUR 
VETERANS; AND ACTIVITIES REPORT FOR THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Reclaiming the Process: Examining the VBA Claims Transformation Plan 
as a Means to Effectively Serve our Veterans''; and Approval of the 
Activities Report for the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Testimony was 
heard from William J. Bosanko, Executive for Agency Services, National 
Archives and Records Administration; Linda Halliday, Assistant 
Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations, Office of the Inspector 
General, Department of Veterans Affairs; General Allison Hickey, Under 
Secretary for Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public 
witnesses. The Activities Report for The Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
was agreed to.
MEDPAC'S JUNE 2012 REPORT TO CONGRESS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``MedPAC's June 2012 Report to Congress''. Testimony was heard 
from Glen M. Hackbarth, Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

[[Page D624]]



Joint Meetings
GOVERNMENT STATISTICS FUNDING
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
economic impact of ending or reducing funding for the American 
Community Survey and other government statistics, after receiving 
testimony from Kenneth D. Simonson, Associated General Contractors of 
America, Andrew Reamer, George Washington University Institute of 
Public Policy, and Grant D. Aldonas, Split Rock International, Inc., 
all of Washington, D.C.; and Keith Hall, George Mason University 
Mercatus Center, Arlington, Virginia.