[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 19, 2013)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D243-D246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on Department of Energy, Environmental 
Management. Testimony was heard from Dave Huizenga, Acting Assistant 
Secretary, Environmental Management, Department of Energy.
APPROPRIATIONS--HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OFFICERS FY 2014 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request for House of Representatives 
Officers. Testimony was heard from Daniel J. Strodel, Chief 
Administrative Officer; Karen L. Haas, Clerk; and Paul D. Irving, 
Sergeant at Arms.
APPROPRIATIONS--GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION OVERSIGHT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on General Services Administration 
Oversight. Testimony was heard from Dan Tangherlini, Acting 
Administrator, General Services Administration.
APPROPRIATIONS--TOP MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on Top Management Challenges at 
the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education: 
Perspective from the Inspector Generals. Testimony was heard from 
Elliot P. Lewis, Assistant Inspector General, Office of Audit, 
Department of Labor; Kathleen S. Tighe, Inspector General, Department 
of Education; Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General, Department of 
Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION BUDGET; AND YOUTH VIOLENCE 
RESEARCH
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on National Science 
Foundation Budget; and Youth Violence Research. Testimony

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was heard from Subra Suresh, Director, National Science Foundation; and 
a public witness.
APPROPRIATIONS--STATE AND FOREIGN OPERATION, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
PUBLIC AND OUTSIDE WITNESSES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State and Foreign 
Operation and Related Programs held a hearing for public and outside 
witnesses.
APPROPRIATIONS--INDIAN HEALTH OVERSIGHT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior held a hearing on 
Indian Health Oversight. Testimony was heard from Yvette Roudibeaux, 
M.D., Indian Health Service; and public witnesses.
APPROPRIATIONS--QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE MILITARY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction and 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Quality of 
Life in the Military. Testimony was heard from Sergeant Major Raymond 
F. Chandler III, Sergeant Major of the Army; Master Chief Petty Officer 
Michael D. Stevens, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy; Sergeant 
Major Michael P. Barrett, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps; and Chief 
Master Sergeant James A. Cody, Sergeant of the Air Force.
APPROPRIATIONS--FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Federal Bureau of 
Investigation Budget. Testimony was heard from Robert S. Mueller III, 
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
EQUIPPING, MODERNIZING, AND SUSTAINING THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE 
COMPONENTS AS AN OPERATIONAL FORCE IN A TIME OF BUDGET UNCERTAINTY
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces held a hearing on Equipping, Modernizing, and Sustaining the 
National Guard and Reserve Components as an Operational Force in a time 
of Budget Uncertainty. Testimony was heard from Lieutenant General 
Stanley E. Clarke III, Director, Air National Guard, USAF; Lieutenant 
General William E. Ingram Jr., Director, Army National Guard, USA; 
Lieutenant General James ``JJ'' Jackson, Chief, U.S. Air Force Reserve, 
USAF; and Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley, Chief, U.S. Army 
Reserve and Commanding General, USAR.
NUCLEAR DETERRENT: WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STRONG DETERRENT IN 
AN ERA OF DEFENSE SEQUESTER
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent: What Are the Requirements for A 
Strong Deterrent in an Era of Defense Sequester? Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
AMERICAN ENERGY SECURITY AND INNOVATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``American Energy Security and Innovation: The Role 
of Regulators and Grid Operators in Meeting Natural Gas and Electric 
Coordination Challenges''. Testimony was heard from Philip D. Moeller, 
Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Cheryl A. LaFleur, 
Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and public 
witnesses.
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: HARNESSING WIRELESS INNOVATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Health Information Technologies: 
Harnessing Wireless Innovation''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING FINANCE
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing 
``Sustainable Housing Finance: An Update from the Federal Housing 
Finance Agency on the GSE Conservatorships''. Testimony was heard from 
Edward J. DeMarco, Acting Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency.
THE WAY FORWARD IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Middle East and North 
Africa; and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held a hearing 
entitled ``After the Withdrawal: The Way Forward in Afghanistan and 
Pakistan'' (Part I). Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY GRANTS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, 
Response, and Communications held a hearing entitled ``Homeland 
Security Grants: Measuring Our Investments''. Testimony was heard from 
Tim Manning, Deputy Administrator, Protection and National 
Preparedness, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Anne Richards, 
Assistant Inspector General for Audits, Office of Inspector General, 
Department of Homeland Security; David

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Maurer, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues; Government 
Accountability Office.
DHS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Management Efficiency held a hearing entitled ``DHS Information 
Technology: How Effectively Has DHS Harnessed IT to Secure Our Borders 
and Uphold Immigration Laws?''. Testimony was heard from Margie Graves, 
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Department of Homeland Security; 
David Powner, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; and Charles K. Edwards, Deputy 
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS PRIVACY ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland 
Security and Investigation held a hearing entitled ``The Electronic 
Communications Privacy Act, Part 1''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
RELEASE OF CRIMINAL DETAINEES BY U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS 
ENFORCEMENT: POLICY OR POLITICS?
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Release of Criminal Detainees by U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement: Policy or Politics?''. Testimony was heard from John 
Morton, Director, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and 
Environment Regulations held a hearing on H.R. 1126, to facilitate the 
completion of an appropriate national memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Issa; Carl W. Reddel, Executive 
Director, Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission; and public 
witnesses.
AUTHORIZATION, STANDARDS, AND PROCEDURES FOR WHETHER, HOW, AND WHEN 
INDIAN TRIBES SHOULD BE NEWLY RECOGNIZED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska 
Native Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Authorization, standards, and 
procedures for whether, how, and when Indian tribes should be newly 
recognized by the federal government: Perspective of the Department of 
the Interior''. Testimony was heard from Kevin Washburn, Assistant 
Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior.
IMPLEMENTING AGENCY WATCHDOGS' RECOMMENDATIONS COULD SAVE TAXPAYERS 
BILLIONS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``DOD and DHS: Implementing Agency Watchdogs' 
Recommendations Could Save Taxpayers Billions''. Testimony was heard 
from Robert Hale, Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller and CFO, 
Department of Defense; Lynne Halbrooks, Principal Deputy Inspector 
General, Department of Defense; Rafael Borras; Under Secretary for 
Management, Department of Homeland Security; and Charles Edward, Deputy 
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security.
UNDERSTANDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S DECISIONS ON SPENDING CUTS AND 
FURLOUGHS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Economic 
Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs and the Subcommittee on 
Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census joint 
subcommittee held a hearing entitled, ``Sequestration Oversight: 
Understanding the Administration's Decisions on Spending Cuts and 
Furloughs''. Testimony was heard from David Robbins, Managing Director, 
Federal Communications Commission; Michael Young, USDA Budget Director, 
Department of Agriculture; Hari Sastry, Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Resource Management, Department of Commerce.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S STRATEGY FOR EXPORTING LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy 
Policy, Health Care and Entitlements held a hearing entitled ``The 
Department of Energy's Strategy for Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas''. 
Testimony was heard from Chris Smith, Acting Assistant Secretary for 
Fossil Energy, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
REVIEW OF U.S. GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO TRACK AND MITIGATE ASTEROIDS AND 
METEORS
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Threats from Space: A Review of U.S. Government 
Efforts to Track and Mitigate Asteroids and Meteors, Part 1''. 
Testimony was heard from John P. Holdren, Director, Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President; William L. 
Shelton, Commander, U.S. Air Force Space Command; Charles F. Bolden, 
Jr.,

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Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
CHALLENGES FOR SERVICE-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce; 
and Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a joint subcommittee hearing entitled 
``Consistently Inconsistent: Challenges for Service-Disabled Veteran-
Owned Small Businesses''. Testimony was heard from William Shear, 
Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government 
Accountability Office; A. John Shoraka, Associate Administrator, Office 
of Government Contracting and Business Development, Small Business 
Administration; Tom Leney, Executive Director, Veterans and Small 
Business Programs, Department of Veterans Affairs.
TAX REFORM AND TAX PROVISIONS AFFECTING STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Tax Reform and Tax Provisions Affecting State and Local 
Governments''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
HUNGARY
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine the trajectory of democracy in Hungary, focusing 
on Hungary's constitutional changes with a particular view to the 
independence of the judiciary, present-day Hungary's relationship to 
its Holocaust-era past, and the implications of Hungary's sweeping 
legal changes for civil society, including an independent media and 
religious organizations, after receiving testimony from Brent Hartley, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs; 
Jozsef Szajer, Hungarian Member of the European Parliament, Fidesz-
Hungarian Civic Union, Budapest; Kim Lane, Princeton University, 
Princeton, New Jersey; Sylvana Habdank-Kolaczkowska, Freedom House, New 
York, New York; and Paul A. Shapiro, United States Holocaust Memorial 
Museum, Washington, D.C.