[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 123 (Thursday, September 13, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Page D859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine holding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 
accountable, focusing on a review of the semi-annual report to 
Congress, after receiving testimony from Richard Cordray, Director, 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Stephen D. Mull, of Virginia, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, and Dawn M. Liberi, of Florida, 
to be Ambassador to the Republic of Burundi, both of the Department of 
State, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own 
behalf.
QUALITY OF DISABILITY BENEFIT AWARDS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations concluded a hearing to examine issues 
related to the quality of disability benefit awards involving 300 case 
files of claimants under the Social Security Disability Insurance 
(SSDI) and Supplement Security Income (SSI) programs involving initial 
applications and subsequent levels of appeal, after receiving testimony 
from Patricia Jonas, Executive Director, Office of Appellate 
Operations, Debra Bice, Chief Administrative Law Judge, Douglas Stults, 
Hearing Office Chief Administrative Law Judge, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
Hearing Office, Thomas Erwin, Hearing Office Chief Administrative Law 
Judge, Roanoke, Virginia Hearing Office, and Ollie L. Garmon III, 
Regional Chief Administrative Law Judge, Atlanta Region, all of the 
Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, Social Security 
Administration.
IMPROVING COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine improving college affordability, 
focusing on a view from the states, after receiving testimony from 
Camille Preus, Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce 
Development Commissioner, Salem; John G. Morgan, Tennessee Board of 
Regents Chancellor, Nashville; Muriel A. Howard, American Association 
of State Colleges and Universities, Washington, DC; and David 
Longanecker, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 
Boulder, Colorado.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 675, to express the policy of the United States regarding the 
United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a 
process for the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian 
governing entity, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1345, to provide for equitable compensation to the Spokane Tribe 
of Indians of the Spokane Reservation for the use of tribal land for 
the production of hydropower by the Grand Coulee Dam, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute; and
  S. 1684, to amend the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-
Determination Act of 2005, with amendments.
IMPACTS OF THE CARCIERI AND PATCHAK DECISIONS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing 
to examine the impacts of the Carcieri and Patchak decisions, after 
receiving testimony from Donald Laverdure, Acting Assistant Secretary 
of the Interior for Indian Affairs; Jefferson Keel, National Congress 
of American Indians (NCAI), Washington, DC; John Echohawk, Native 
American Rights Fund (NARF), Boulder, Colorado; and Colette Routel, 
William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 
645, to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to establish a 
permanent background check system, with amendments.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.