[Senate Report 113-5]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                      113-5
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     

                                     

                                     


                              R E P O R T

                           ON THE ACTIVITIES

                                 of the

                          COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

                                 of the

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                               during the

                             112th CONGRESS

                              pursuant to

                    Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules

                                 of the

                          UNITED STATES SENATE






                 March 21, 2013.--Ordered to be printed
?

                 [112th Congress--Committee Membership]

                          COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

                     MAX BAUCUS, Montana, Chairman

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West         ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah
Virginia                             CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa
KENT CONRAD, North Dakota            OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine
JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico            JON KYL, Arizona
JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts         MIKE CRAPO, Idaho
RON WYDEN, Oregon                    PAT ROBERTS, Kansas
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York         JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada\1\
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           JOHN CORNYN, Texas
BILL NELSON, Florida                 TOM COBURN, Oklahoma
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey          JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           RICHARD BURR, North 
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         Carolina\2\

                    Russell Sullivan, Staff Director

               Chris Campbell, Republican Staff Director

                             SUBCOMMITTEES

                                 ______

                              HEALTH CARE

            JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia, Chairman

JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico            JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada\1\
JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts         CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa
RON WYDEN, Oregon                    JON KYL, Arizona
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            PAT ROBERTS, Kansas
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey          JOHN CORNYN, Texas
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           TOM COBURN, Oklahoma
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         RICHARD BURR, North Carolina\3\

                                 ______

                       TAXATION AND IRS OVERSIGHT

                  KENT CONRAD, North Dakota, Chairman

MAX BAUCUS, Montana                  JON KYL, Arizona
JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts         OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York         MIKE CRAPO, Idaho
RON WYDEN, Oregon                    PAT ROBERTS, Kansas
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada\1\
BILL NELSON, Florida                 MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey          JOHN CORNYN, Texas
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           TOM COBURN, Oklahoma\3\
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         JOHN THUNE, South Dakota

                                  (ii)
?

             ENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND INFRASTRUCTURE

                  JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico, Chairman

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West         JOHN CORNYN, Texas
Virginia                             CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa
KENT CONRAD, North Dakota            PAT ROBERTS, Kansas
JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts         MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington           JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
BILL NELSON, Florida                 RICHARD BURR, North Carolina\3\
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware

                                 ______

        INTERNATIONAL TRADE, CUSTOMS, AND GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

                      RON WYDEN, Oregon, Chairman

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West         JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
Virginia                             ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah
JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts         CHUCK GRASSLEY, Iowa
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York         MIKE CRAPO, Idaho
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            PAT ROBERTS, Kansas
BILL NELSON, Florida
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey

                                 ______

              SOCIAL SECURITY, PENSIONS, AND FAMILY POLICY

                  DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan, Chairman

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West         TOM COBURN, Oklahoma
Virginia                             ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York         JON KYL, Arizona
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland

                                 ______

               FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

                     BILL NELSON, Florida, Chairman

MAX BAUCUS, Montana                  MIKE CRAPO, Idaho
KENT CONRAD, North Dakota            JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada\1\
JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico            TOM COBURN, Oklahoma
                                     RICHARD BURR, North Carolina\3\

----------
\1\Resigned from the Senate May 3, 2011.
\2\Joined committee May 11, 2011.
\3\Appointed May 11, 2011.

                                 (iii)
?

                         LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

                              ----------                              

                                       U.S. Senate,
                                      Committee on Finance,
                                    Washington, DC, March 31, 2013.
Honorable Nancy Erickson,
Secretary, U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Madam Secretary: In accordance with rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the United States Senate and the pertinent 
unanimous consent order pertaining to this rule, I am 
transmitting herewith a report on the activities of the 
Committee on Finance of the United States Senate for the 112th 
Congress.

            Sincerely,
                                              Max Baucus, Chairman.
      

                                  (v)
                                     



                            C O N T E N T S

                               __________
                                                                   Page

112th Congress--Committee Membership.............................    ii
Letter of Transmittal............................................     v
Committee Jurisdiction...........................................     1
Rules of Procedure...............................................     2
Tax--Summary of Activities.......................................     5
    Full Committee Hearings......................................     7
    Bicameral Hearings...........................................    14
    Roundtable, Joint Committee on Taxation......................    15
    Full Committee Executive Meetings............................    15
    Senators' Only Meetings......................................    16
    Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure    16
    Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth....    17
Trade--Summary of Activities.....................................    19
    Full Committee Hearings......................................    21
    Full Committee Executive Meetings............................    22
    Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global 
      Competitiveness............................................    22
Health--Summary of Activities....................................    25
    Full Committee Hearings......................................    27
    Full Committee Legislative Activities........................    30
    Roundtable Discussions.......................................    30
    Subcommittee on Health Care..................................    32
Social Security--Summary of Activities...........................    33
    Full Committee Hearings......................................    33
Oversight and Investigations--Summary of Activities..............    35
    TARP Oversight...............................................    35
    Health Care Conflicts of Interest............................    35
        Staff Report on Medtronic's Influence on Peer-Reviewed 
          Medical Journal Articles...............................    35
        Staff Report on For-Profit Home Health Companies Gaming 
          Medicare Payment System................................    35
        Investigation into Narcotic Painkiller Manufacturers' 
          Ties to Medical Groups.................................    36
        Staff Report on Sanofi-Aventis Use of Third Parties to 
          Lobby the FDA..........................................    36
        Potential Conflicts of Interest Among Medicare 
          Contractors............................................    36
    Non-Profit Tax Oversight.....................................    37
        Investigation of Disabled Veterans National Foundation...    37
        Letter to the IRS Concerning Non-Profit Campaign Activity    37
    Medical Device Industry......................................    38
        GAO Report on Medical Device Pricing Transparency........    38
Nominations......................................................    39
Bills and Resolutions Referred to the Committee..................    47
Reports, Prints, and Studies.....................................    49
Official Communications..........................................    51

                                 (vii)

  
113th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session                                                      113-5

======================================================================



 
 REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE DURING THE 112TH 
                                CONGRESS

                                _______
                                

                 March 21, 2013.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Baucus, from the Committee on Finance, submitted the following

                                 REPORT

    This report reviews the legislative and oversight 
activities of the Committee on Finance during the 112th 
Congress. These activities parallel the broad scope of 
responsibilities vested in the committee by the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended, rule XXV(k) of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, and additional authorizing 
resolutions.

                         COMMITTEE JURISDICTION

    Rule XXV(i) of the Standing Rules of the Senate requires 
reference to this committee of all proposed legislation, and 
other matters, dealing with (i) Committee on Finance, to which 
committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, 
petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the 
following subjects:
          1. Bonded debt of the United States, except as 
        provided in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
          2. Customs, collection districts, and ports of entry 
        and delivery.
          3. Deposit of public moneys.
          4. General revenue sharing.
          5. Health programs under the Social Security Act and 
        health programs financed by a specific tax or trust 
        fund.
          6. National social security.
          7. Reciprocal trade agreements.
          8. Revenue measures generally, except as provided in 
        the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
          9. Revenue measures relating to the insular 
        possessions.
          10. Tariffs and import quotas, and matters related 
        thereto.
          11. Transportation of dutiable goods.

                                  (1)

                            COMMITTEE RULES

                         I. RULES OF PROCEDURE

    Rule 1.  Regular Meeting Days.--The regular meeting day of the 
committee shall be the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, except 
that if there be no business before the committee the regular meeting 
shall be omitted.
    Rule 2.  Committee Meetings.--(a) Except as provided by paragraph 3 
of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate (relating to special 
meetings called by a majority of the committee) and subsection (b) of 
this rule, committee meetings, for the conduct of business, for the 
purpose of holding hearings, or for any other purpose, shall be called 
by the chairman. Members will be notified of committee meetings at 
least 48 hours in advance, unless the chairman determines that an 
emergency situation requires a meeting on shorter notice. The 
notification will include a written agenda together with materials 
prepared by the staff relating to that agenda. After the agenda for a 
committee meeting is published and distributed, no nongermane items may 
be brought up during that meeting unless at least two-thirds of the 
members present agree to consider those items.
      (b) In the absence of the chairman, meetings of the committee may 
be called by the ranking majority member of the committee who is 
present, provided authority to call meetings has been delegated to such 
member by the chairman.
    Rule 3.  Presiding Officer.--(a) The chairman shall preside at all 
meetings and hearings of the committee except that in his absence the 
ranking majority member who is present at the meeting shall preside.
      (b) Notwithstanding the rule prescribed by subsection (a) any 
member of the committee may preside over the conduct of a hearing.
    Rule 4.  Quorums.--(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) one-
third of the membership of the committee, including not less than one 
member of the majority party and one member of the minority party, 
shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business.
      (b) Notwithstanding the rule prescribed by subsection (a) one 
member shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting a 
hearing.
    Rule 5.  Reporting of Measures or Recommendations.--No measure or 
recommendation shall be reported from the committee unless a majority 
of the committee is actually present and a majority of those present 
concur.
    Rule 6.  Proxy Voting; Polling.--(a) Except as provided by 
paragraph 7(a)(3) of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate 
(relating to limitation on use of proxy voting to report a measure or 
matter), members who are unable to be present may have their vote 
recorded by proxy.
      (b) At the discretion of the committee, members who are unable to 
be present and whose vote has not been cast by proxy may be polled for 
the purpose of recording their vote on any rollcall taken by the 
committee.
    Rule 7.  Order of Motions.--When several motions are before the 
committee dealing with related or overlapping matters, the chairman may 
specify the order in which the motions shall be voted upon.
    Rule 8.  Bringing a Matter to a Vote.--If the chairman determines 
that a motion or amendment has been adequately debated, he may call for 
a vote on such motion or amendment, and the vote shall then be taken, 
unless the committee votes to continue debate on such motion or 
amendment, as the case may be. The vote on a motion to continue debate 
on any motion or amendment shall be taken without debate.
    Rule 9.  Public Announcement of Committee Votes.--Pursuant to 
paragraph 7(b) of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate 
(relating to public announcement of votes), the results of rollcall 
votes taken by the committee on any measure (or amendment thereto) or 
matter shall be announced publicly not later than the day on which such 
measure or matter is ordered reported from the committee.
    Rule 10.  Subpoenas.--Subpoenas for attendance of witnesses and the 
production of memoranda, documents, and records shall be issued by the 
chairman, or by any other member of the committee designated by him.
    Rule 11.  Nominations.--In considering a nomination, the committee 
may conduct an investigation or review of the nominee's experience, 
qualifications, and suitability, to serve in the position to which he 
or she has been nominated. To aid in such investigation or review, each 
nominee may be required to submit a sworn detailed statement including 
biographical, financial, policy, and other information which the 
committee may request. The committee may specify which items in such 
statement are to be received on a confidential basis. Witnesses called 
to testify on the nomination may be required to testify under oath.
    Rule 12.  Open Committee Hearings.--To the extent required by 
paragraph 5 of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate (relating 
to limitations on open hearings), each hearing conducted by the 
committee shall be open to the public.
    Rule 13.  Announcement of Hearings.--The committee shall undertake 
consistent with the provisions of paragraph 4(a) of Rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate (relating to public notice of committee 
hearings) to issue public announcements of hearings it intends to hold 
at least one week prior to the commencement of such hearings.
    Rule 14.  Witnesses at Hearings.--(a) Each witness who is scheduled 
to testify at any hearing must submit his written testimony to the 
staff director not later than noon of the business day immediately 
before the last business day preceding the day on which he is scheduled 
to appear. Such written testimony shall be accompanied by a brief 
summary of the principal points covered in the written testimony. 
Having submitted his written testimony, the witness shall be allowed 
not more than 10 minutes for oral presentation of his statement.
      (b) Witnesses may not read their entire written testimony, but 
must confine their oral presentation to a summarization of their 
arguments.
      (c) Witnesses shall observe proper standards of dignity, decorum 
and propriety while presenting their views to the committee. Any 
witness who violates this rule shall be dismissed, and his testimony 
(both oral and written) shall not appear in the record of the hearing.
      (d) In scheduling witnesses for hearings, the staff shall attempt 
to schedule witnesses so as to attain a balance of views early in the 
hearings. Every member of the committee may designate witnesses who 
will appear before the committee to testify. To the extent that a 
witness designated by a member cannot be scheduled to testify during 
the time set aside for the hearing, a special time will be set aside 
for the witness to testify if the member designating that witness is 
available at that time to chair the hearing.
    Rule 15.  Audiences.--Persons admitted into the audience for open 
hearings of the committee shall conduct themselves with the dignity, 
decorum, courtesy and propriety traditionally observed by the Senate. 
Demonstrations of approval or disapproval of any statement or act by 
any member or witness are not allowed. Persons creating confusion or 
distractions or otherwise disrupting the orderly proceeding of the 
hearing shall be expelled from the hearing.
    Rule 16.  Broadcasting of Hearings.--(a) Broadcasting of open 
hearings by television or radio coverage shall be allowed upon approval 
by the chairman of a request filed with the staff director not later 
than noon of the day before the day on which such coverage is desired.
      (b) If such approval is granted, broadcasting coverage of the 
hearing shall be conducted unobtrusively and in accordance with the 
standards of dignity, propriety, courtesy and decorum traditionally 
observed by the Senate.
      (c) Equipment necessary for coverage by television and radio 
media shall not be installed in, or removed from, the hearing room 
while the committee is in session.
      (d) Additional lighting may be installed in the hearing room by 
the media in order to raise the ambient lighting level to the lowest 
level necessary to provide adequate television coverage of the hearing 
at the then current state of the art of television coverage.
      (e) The additional lighting authorized by subsection (d) of this 
rule shall not be directed into the eyes of any members of the 
committee or of any witness, and at the request of any such member or 
witness, offending lighting shall be extinguished.
    Rule 17.  Subcommittees.--(a) The chairman, subject to the approval 
of the committee, shall appoint legislative subcommittees. All 
legislation shall be kept on the full committee calendar unless a 
majority of the members present and voting agree to refer specific 
legislation to an appropriate subcommittee.
      (b) The chairman may limit the period during which House-passed 
legislation referred to a subcommittee under paragraph (a) will remain 
in that subcommittee. At the end of that period, the legislation will 
be restored to the full committee calendar. The period referred to in 
the preceding sentences should be 6 weeks, but may be extended in the 
event that adjournment or a long recess is imminent.
      (c) All decisions of the chairman are subject to approval or 
modification by a majority vote of the committee.
      (d) The full committee may at any time by majority vote of those 
members present discharge a subcommittee from further consideration of 
a specific piece of legislation.
      (e) The chairman and ranking minority member shall serve as 
nonvoting ex officio members of the subcommittees on which they do not 
serve as voting members.
      (f) Any member of the committee may attend hearings held by any 
subcommittee and question witnesses testifying before that 
subcommittee.
      (g) Subcommittee meeting times shall be coordinated by the staff 
director to ensure that--
          (1) no subcommittee meeting will be held when the committee 
        is in executive session, except by unanimous consent;
          (2) no more than one subcommittee will meet when the full 
        committee is holding hearings; and
          (3) not more than two subcommittees will meet at the same 
        time.
    Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), a subcommittee may meet 
when the full committee is holding hearings and two subcommittees may 
meet at the same time only upon the approval of the chairman and the 
ranking minority member of the committee and subcommittees involved.
      (h) All nominations shall be considered by the full committee.
      (i) The chairman will attempt to schedule reasonably frequent 
meetings of the full committee to permit consideration of legislation 
reported favorably to the committee by the subcommittees.
    Rule 18.  Transcripts of Committee Meetings.--An accurate record 
shall be kept of all markups of the committee, whether they be open or 
closed to the public. A transcript, marked as ``uncorrected,'' shall be 
available for inspection by Members of the Senate, or members of the 
committee together with their staffs, at any time. Not later than 21 
business days after the meeting occurs, the committee shall make 
publicly available through the Internet--
      (a) a video recording;
      (b) an audio recording; or
      (c) after all members of the committee have had a reasonable 
opportunity to correct their remarks for grammatical errors or to 
accurately reflect statements, a corrected transcript;
and such record shall remain available until the end of the Congress 
following the date of the meeting.
    Notwithstanding the above, in the case of the record of an 
executive session of the committee that is closed to the public 
pursuant to Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the record 
shall not be published or made public in any way except by majority 
vote of the committee after all members of the committee have had a 
reasonable opportunity to correct their remarks for grammatical errors 
or to accurately reflect statements made.
    Rule 19.  Amendment of Rules.--The foregoing rules may be added to, 
modified, amended or suspended at any time.
                                  TAX

                         SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

    During the 112th Congress, the Senate Finance Committee 
played a critical role in passing legislation to make permanent 
the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 for most taxpayers, 
provide permanent AMT relief, and provide permanent estate tax 
relief. It also played a critical role in extending tax cuts 
enacted in 2009 related to children, work and education, the 
payroll tax rate reduction, excise taxes that finance 
transportation-related trust funds, and expiring tax provisions 
for individuals, businesses, and the energy sector.
    A series of hearings held by the Senate Finance Committee 
during the 112th Congress evaluated a number of options related 
to deficit reduction and tax reform. For example, hearings 
evaluated tax reform options related to business and 
international tax reform, and incentives for investment, 
innovation, homeownership, charitable giving, and education.
2011 Legislation
    On February 8, 2011, the committee considered and reported 
a Chairman's Mark entitled, ``Airport and Airway Trust Fund 
Reauthorization Act of 2011.'' Portions of this bill passed the 
Senate as H.R. 1079, the ``Airport and Airway Extension Act of 
2011,'' on March 29, 2011. The act extends the increased excise 
taxes on aviation fuels and the excise tax on air 
transportation of persons and property. It became law on March 
31, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-7).
    On April 5, 2011, H.R. 4, the ``Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer 
Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act 
of 2011,'' was passed in the Senate. The act repeals 
information reporting requirements for payments made by 
businesses for goods and property, and payments made to 
corporations. It also increases the amounts required for 
repayment on reconciliation of advance premium assistance tax 
credits associated with health insurance exchanges. It became 
law on April 14, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-9).
    On May 24, 2011, H.R. 1893, the ``Airport and Airway 
Extension Act of 2011, Part II,'' was passed in the Senate. The 
act extends the increased excise taxes on aviation fuels and 
the excise tax on air transportation of persons and property. 
It became law on May 31, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-16).
    On June 27, 2011, H.R. 2279, the ``Airport and Airway 
Extension Act of 2011, Part III,'' was passed in the Senate. 
The act extends the increased excise taxes on aviation fuels 
and the excise tax on air transportation of persons and 
property. It became law on June 29, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-21).
    On August 5, 2011, H.R. 2553, the ``Airport and Airway 
Extension Act of 2011, Part IV,'' was passed in the Senate. The 
act extends the increased excise taxes on aviation fuels and 
the excise tax on air transportation of persons and property. 
It became law on August 5, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-27).
    On September 15, 2011, H.R. 2887, the ``Surface and Air 
Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011,'' was passed in 
the Senate. The act extends excise taxes on gasoline and other 
fuels, certain heavy vehicles, and tires. The act also extends 
the increased excise taxes on aviation fuels and the excise tax 
on air transportation of persons and property. It became law on 
September 16, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-30).
    On October 12, 2011, H.R. 3080, the ``United States-Korea 
Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act,'' was passed in the 
Senate. Tax provisions in the act increase penalties on paid 
preparers who fail to comply with earned income credit due 
diligence requirements, require additional information related 
to prison inmates, increase certain customs user fees, extend 
user fees for certain customs services, and increase required 
estimated tax payments for certain corporations. It became law 
on October 21, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-41).
    On November 10, 2011, H.R. 674, a bill to ``To amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the imposition of 3 
percent withholding on certain payments made to vendors by 
government entities, to modify the calculation of modified 
adjusted gross income for purposes of determining eligibility 
for certain healthcare-related programs, and for other 
purposes'' was passed in the Senate. It became law on November 
21, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-56).
    On December 23, 2011, H.R. 3765, the ``Temporary Payroll 
Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011,'' was passed in the Senate. 
The act extends the 2 percentage point reduction in employment 
tax rates for employees and self-employed individuals. It 
became law on December 23, 2011 (Pub. L. No. 112-78).
2012 Legislation
    On January 26, 2012, H.R. 3800, the ``Airport and Airway 
Extension Act of 2012,'' was passed in the Senate. The act 
extends the increased excise taxes on aviation fuels and the 
excise tax on air transportation of persons and property. It 
became law on January 31, 2012 (Pub. L. No. 112-91).
    On February 6, 2012, H.R. 658, the ``FAA Modernization and 
Reform Act of 2012,'' was passed in the Senate. The act extends 
excise taxes collected for the Airport and Airway Trust Fund 
and extends the authorization to make expenditures from the 
fund. The act also clarifies the taxation of aircraft operating 
on a non-established line, fixed wing emergency aircraft, as 
well as fractional aircraft while also imposing an additional 
surtax on fractional aircraft. Finally, the act allows airline 
workers to rollover bankruptcy settlements into a traditional 
individual retirement account and limits the ability to take a 
deduction for stock purchases for certain indirect ownership 
structures. It became law on February 14, 2012 (Pub. L. No. 
112-95).
    On February 7, 2012, the committee considered and reported 
a Chairman's Mark entitled, ``The Highway Investment, Job 
Creation, and Economic Growth Act of 2012.'' Portions of this 
bill were later passed in the Senate on June 29, 2012, in H.R. 
4348, the ``Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century 
Act.'' The act extends highway excise taxes, provides for 
pension funding interest rate stabilization, enhances the 
ability of employers to transfer excess pension assets to fund 
retiree health benefits, and expands the definition of a 
tobacco manufacturer to include businesses operating roll-your-
own cigarette machines. It became law on July 6, 2012 (Pub. L. 
No. 112-141).
    On February 17, 2012, H.R. 3630, the ``Middle Class Tax 
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012,'' was passed in the 
Senate. The act extends the 2 percentage point reduction in 
employment tax rates for employees and self-employed 
individuals. It became law on February 22, 2012 (Pub. L. No. 
112-96).
    On March 29, 2012, H.R. 4281, the ``Surface Transportation 
Extension Act of 2012,'' was passed in the Senate. The act 
extends excise taxes on gasoline and other fuels, certain heavy 
vehicles, and tires. It became law on March 30, 2012 (Pub. L. 
No. 112-102).
    On June 29, 2012, H.R. 6064, the ``Temporary Surface 
Transportation Extension Act of 2012,'' passed in the Senate. 
The act extends excise taxes on gasoline and other fuels, 
certain heavy vehicles, and tires. It became law on June 29, 
2012 (Pub. L. No. 112-140).
    On August 28, 2012, S. 3521, the ``Family and Business Tax 
Cut Certainty Act of 2012,'' was reported to the Senate out of 
the Committee on Finance. The act extends through 2013 numerous 
expiring provisions for individuals, including AMT relief, as 
well as expiring provisions for businesses and the energy 
sector. It became part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 
2012, passed on January 2, 2013.
    On January 1, 2013, H.R. 8, the ``American Taxpayer Relief 
Act of 2012,'' was passed in the Senate. The act permanently 
extends the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 for most 
taxpayers, provides permanent AMT relief, and provides 
permanent estate tax relief. It also extends other tax cuts 
expiring in 2011 and 2012, through the end of 2013, including 
bonus depreciation for businesses and those provisions 
contained in the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act. The 
bill also extended through 2017 certain expiring provisions 
enacted in 2009, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit 
and modifications to the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income 
Tax Credit. It became law on January 2, 2013 (Pub. L. No. 112-
240).

                        Full Committee Hearings

2011
February 3, 2011--``Status of the Airport and Airway Trust 
    Fund.'' The purpose of this hearing was to examine the 
    state of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), and 
    provide background on tax issues related to FAA 
    reauthorization. Testimony was received from Gerald 
    Dillingham, Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues, 
    U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC.
February 16, 2011--``The President's Budget for Fiscal Year 
    2012.'' The purpose of this hearing was to examine the 
    plans in the President's 2013 budget proposal to continue 
    the economic recovery, create jobs, reform the tax code and 
    reduce the deficit. Testimony was heard from Honorable 
    Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, United States 
    Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC.
March 1, 2011--``How Did We Get Here? Changes in the Law and 
    Tax Environment Since the Tax Reform Act of 1986.'' The 
    purpose of the hearing was to discuss how the tax law and 
    the environment in which the tax system operates have 
    changed since the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. 
    Testimony was received from Honorable Fred Goldberg, Jr., 
    Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy, 
    1992, United States Department of the Treasury, Washington, 
    DC, and Former Commissioner, 1989-1992, Internal Revenue 
    Service, Washington, DC; Honorable Jonathan Talisman, 
    Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy, 
    2000-2001, United States Department of the Treasury, 
    Washington, DC; Honorable Mark Weinberger, Former Assistant 
    Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy, 2001-2002, United 
    States Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC; 
    Honorable Pamela Olson, Former Assistant Secretary of the 
    Treasury for Tax Policy, 2002-2004, United States 
    Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC; and Honorable 
    Eric Solomon, Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury 
    for Tax Policy, 2006-2009, United States Department of the 
    Treasury, Washington, DC.
March 8, 2011--``Does the Tax System Support Economic 
    Efficiency, Job Creation, and Broad-Based Economic 
    Growth?'' The purpose of the hearing was to analyze to what 
    extent the current tax system distorts the economic 
    decisions of individuals, families and businesses, and how 
    these distortions affect economic efficiency, including job 
    creation and broad-based economic growth. Testimony was 
    received from Alan Auerbach, Robert D. Burch Professor of 
    Economics and Law, University of California Berkeley, 
    Berkeley, CA; R. Glenn Hubbard, Dean and Russell L. Carson 
    Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia University 
    Graduate School of Business, New York, NY; James K. 
    Galbraith, Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. Chair in Government/
    Business Relations and Professor of Government, The 
    University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX; and Michael 
    Graetz, Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law, 
    Columbia Law School, New York, NY.
March 30, 2011--``How Do Complexity, Uncertainty, and Other 
    Factors Impact Responses to Tax Incentives?'' This hearing 
    focused on factors that affect how taxpayers (both 
    businesses and individuals) understand and respond to 
    incentives intentionally created in the tax code. Some 
    factors affecting responsiveness that the hearing addressed 
    included: how complex or uncertain a tax incentive is, how 
    they are framed and administered, and whether they are 
    delivered in a timely manner and marketed. Testimony was 
    heard from Raj Chetty, Professor, Department of Economics, 
    Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; Robert Carroll, 
    Principal, Quantitative Economics and Statistics, Ernst and 
    Young LLP, Washington, DC; and Eric J. Toder, Institute 
    Fellow, Urban Institute, and Co-Director, Urban Institute-
    Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center, Washington, DC.
April 12, 2011--``Best Practices in Tax Administration: A Look 
    Across the Globe.'' The purpose of the hearing was to 
    discuss how various revenue authorities are improving tax 
    administration--what is working well, how new approaches 
    have been implemented, and what are best practices. 
    Testimony was received from Michael Brostek, Director, Tax 
    Policy and Administration, Strategic Issues, U.S. 
    Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC; Brian 
    Erard, B.E. and Associates, Reston, VA; and Michael 
    Gaffney, Tax Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, New York, NY.
April 13, 2011--``Perspectives on Deficit Reduction.'' The 
    purpose of this hearing was to examine and discuss several 
    different plausible strategies of deficit reduction. 
    Testimony was heard from J.D. Foster, Norman B. Ture Senior 
    Fellow, Economics of Fiscal Policy, The Heritage 
    Foundation, Washington, DC; Honorable David Walker, Former 
    U.S. Comptroller General, Founder and CEO, Comeback America 
    Initiative, Bridgeport, CT; and Alan S. Blinder, Gordon S. 
    Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public 
    Affairs, Princeton University, and Vice-Chairman, 
    Promontory Interfinancial Network, Princeton, NJ.
May 3, 2011--``Is the Distribution of Tax Burdens and Tax 
    Benefits Equitable?'' The purpose of the hearing was to 
    provide the committee with some background on the 
    distribution of tax burdens and tax benefits on individuals 
    and whether such distribution of income is equitable in 
    light of broader socioeconomic, historical, and comparative 
    trends. Testimony was heard from Daniel Shaviro, Wayne 
    Perry Professor of Taxation, New York University School of 
    Law, New York, NY; Scott Hodge, President, Tax Foundation, 
    Washington, DC; Aviva Aron-Dine, Ph.D. Candidate, 
    Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of 
    Technology, Cambridge, MA; and Alan Reynolds, Senior 
    Fellow, Cato Institute, Washington, DC.
May 4, 2011--``Budget Enforcement Mechanisms.'' The purpose of 
    this hearing was to evaluate the need for and potential 
    efficacy of a budget enforcement mechanism as a deficit 
    reduction strategy. Testimony was received from Susan J. 
    Irving, Director for Federal Budget Analysis, Strategic 
    Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, 
    DC; Paul Van de Water, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and 
    Policy Priorities, Washington, DC; and Honorable Phil 
    Gramm, Vice Chairman, UBS Investment Bank, UBS AG, New 
    York, NY.
May 12, 2011--``Oil and Gas Tax Incentives and Rising Energy 
    Prices.'' The purpose of this hearing was to evaluate 
    current tax provisions pertaining to the oil and gas 
    industry in the context of rising energy prices. Testimony 
    was received from John Watson, Chairman of the Board and 
    Chief Executive Officer, Chevron Corporation, San Ramon, 
    CA; Marvin Odum, U.S. President, Shell Oil Company, 
    Houston, TX; H. Lamar McKay, Chairman and President, BP 
    America Inc., Houston, TX; James Mulva, Chairman and Chief 
    Executive Officer, ConocoPhillips, Houston, TX; and Rex 
    Tillerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Exxon 
    Mobil Corporation, Irving, TX.
May 17, 2011--``Financing 21st-Century Infrastructure.'' The 
    purpose of the hearing was to examine the current state of 
    public financing of transportation infrastructure and 
    discuss options to improve our infrastructure funding 
    system in light of the expiration of the highway trust fund 
    on September 30, 2011. Testimony was heard from Joseph 
    Kile, Assistant Director for Microeconomic Studies, 
    Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC; Honorable Ed 
    Rendell, Co-Chair, Building America's Future Educational 
    Fund, Washington, DC; Matthew Posner, Director, Municipal 
    Market Advisors, Chicago, IL; and Gabriel Roth, Civil 
    Engineer and Transport Economist, Chevy Chase, MD.
June 28, 2011--``Complexity and the Tax Gap: Making Tax 
    Compliance Easier and Collecting What's Due.'' This hearing 
    examined the burden faced by individuals and small 
    businesses in complying with our Nation's tax laws. 
    Additionally, it focused on how large these compliance 
    burdens are, who bears the burdens, and the major sources 
    of compliance costs. The hearing also addressed the tax 
    gap, including the major sources of noncompliance and 
    evasion, the extent to which the tax gap is related to tax 
    complexity and the effect of the tax gap on the economy in 
    general and the fairness of the tax system specifically. 
    Testimony was heard from Michael Brostek, Director, Tax 
    Policy and Administration, Strategic Issues, U.S. 
    Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC; Nina E. 
    Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue 
    Service, Washington, DC; David Kirkham, President, Kirkham 
    Motorsports, Provo, UT; and Kris Carpenter, Founder/CEO, 
    Sanctuary Spa and Salon, Billings, MT.
July 26, 2011--``Perspectives on Deficit Reduction: A Review of 
    Key Issues.'' This hearing covered a range of pertinent 
    political and policy-related issues and strategies 
    pertaining to deficit reduction. Testimony was heard from 
    Robert Greenstein, President, Center on Budget and Policy 
    Priorities, Washington, DC; Lawrence B. Lindsey, President 
    and Chief Executive Officer, The Lindsey Group, and former 
    Director of the National Economic Council 2001-2002, 
    Fairfax, VA; Michael Ettlinger, Vice President for Economic 
    Policy, Center for American Progress, Washington, DC; and 
    Chris Edwards, Director, Tax Policy Studies, Cato 
    Institute, Washington, DC.
July 27, 2011--``CEO Perspectives on How the Tax Code Affects 
    Hiring, Business, and Economic Growth.'' The purpose of the 
    hearing was to examine how the tax laws affect business 
    decisions, including hiring, investment in capital assets, 
    and other business transactions. Testimony was heard from 
    Michael T. Duke, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
    Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR; Thomas J. Falk, 
    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kimberly-Clark 
    Corporation, Irving, TX; Gregory S. Lang, President and 
    Chief Executive Officer, PMC-Sierra, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA; 
    and Larry J. Merlo, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
    CVS Caremark Corporation.
September 8, 2011--``Tax Reform Options: International 
    Issues.'' The purpose of the hearing was to examine 
    potential improvements to the tax laws affecting 
    international business, investment, and employment, 
    including both investment by U.S. businesses in foreign 
    countries (outbound investment) and investment by foreign 
    businesses in the U.S. (inbound investment). Testimony was 
    heard from Philip R. West, Partner, Steptoe and Johnson 
    LLP, Washington, DC; James R. Hines, Jr., L. Hart Wright 
    Collegiate Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law 
    School, Ann Arbor, MI; Scott Naatjes, Vice President and 
    General Tax Counsel, Cargill, Incorporated, Wayzata, MN; 
    and Reuven S. Avi-Yonah, Irwin I. Cohn Professor of Law, 
    University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, MI.
September 14, 2011--``Tax Reform Options: Marginal Rates on 
    High-Income Taxpayers, Capital Gains, and Dividends.'' The 
    purpose of the hearing was to examine tax reform options 
    related to marginal tax rates for high-income taxpayers, 
    capital gains, and dividends. Testimony was received from 
    Dennis Mehiel, Chairman of the Board, U.S. Corrugated, 
    Inc., Valhalla, NY; Stephen J. Entin, President and 
    Executive Director, Institute for Research on the Economics 
    of Taxation, Washington, DC; Bill Rys, Tax Counsel, 
    National Federation of Independent Business, Washington, 
    DC; and Leonard E. Burman, Daniel Patrick Moynihan 
    Professor of Public Affairs at the Maxwell School of 
    Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.
September 15, 2011--``Tax Reform Options: Promoting Retirement 
    Security.'' The purpose of the hearing was to discuss how 
    the incentives to save for retirement in the tax code are 
    functioning and potential adjustments to these incentives 
    in the context of comprehensive tax reform. Testimony was 
    heard from Jack VanDerhei, Research Director, Employee 
    Benefit Research Institute, Washington, DC; William G. 
    Gale, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC; 
    Judy A. Miller, Chief of Actuarial Issues/Director of 
    Retirement Policy, American Society of Pension 
    Professionals and Actuaries, Arlington, VA; and Karen 
    Friedman, Executive Vice President and Policy Director, 
    Pension Rights Center, Washington, DC.
September 20, 2011--``Tax Reform Options: Incentives for 
    Innovation.'' The purpose of the hearing was to discuss tax 
    reform options related to the proper and most effective 
    role of government in incentivizing R&D. Testimony was 
    received from Scott Wallsten, Vice President for Research 
    and Senior Fellow, Technology Policy Institute and Senior 
    Policy Fellow, Georgetown Center for Business and Public 
    Policy, Washington, DC; Michael D. Rashkin, Author, 
    Practical Guide to Research and Development Tax Incentives: 
    Federal, State, and Foreign, Saratoga, CA; Annette Nellen, 
    Professor, Department of Accounting and Finance, College of 
    Business at San Jose State University, San Jose, CA; and 
    Dirk Pilat, Head, Structural Policy Division, Organization 
    for Economic Cooperation and Development Directorate for 
    Science, Technology, and Industry, Paris, France.
October 6, 2011--``Tax Reform Options: Incentives for 
    Homeownership.'' The purpose of the hearing was to examine 
    the effectiveness of tax incentives for homeownership and 
    potentials reforms of these incentives in the context of 
    comprehensive tax reform. Testimony was heard from 
    Honorable John B. Breaux, Senior Counsel, Patton Boggs LLP, 
    Washington, DC; Karl ``Chip'' Case, Professor of Economics 
    Emeritus, Wellesley College and Senior Fellow, Joint Center 
    for Housing Studies, Harvard University, Wellesley, MA; 
    Robert D. Dietz, Assistant Vice President for Tax and 
    Policy Issues, National Association of Home Builders, 
    Washington, DC; Richard Green, Director of Lusk Center for 
    Real Estate, University Southern California, Los Angeles, 
    CA; and Gregory M. Nelson, Vice President and Assistant 
    Secretary, Pulte Group, Inc., Bloomfield, MI.
October 18, 2011--``Tax Reform Options: Incentives for 
    Charitable Giving.'' The purpose of the hearing was to 
    examine the effectiveness of the tax deduction for 
    charitable giving in incentivizing contributions and 
    potential reform options in the context of comprehensive 
    tax reform. Testimony was received from Frank Sammartino, 
    Assistant Director for Tax Analysis, Congressional Budget 
    Office, Washington, DC; Elder Dallin H. Oaks, The Quorum of 
    the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
    day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT; Eugene Steuerle, Richard B. 
    Fisher Chair and Institute Fellow, The Urban Institute, 
    Washington, DC; Brian A. Gallagher, President and CEO, 
    United Way Worldwide, Alexandria, VA; and Roger Colinvaux, 
    Associate Professor, The Catholic University of America, 
    Columbus School of Law, Washington, DC.
2012
January 31, 2012--``Extenders and Tax Reform: Seeking Long-Term 
    Solutions.'' The purpose of the hearing was to examine how 
    best to approach the traditional tax extenders in order to 
    create certainty and allow businesses to invest confidently 
    and create jobs. The hearing also evaluated traditional 
    extenders through the lens of tax reform. Testimony was 
    received from Rosanne Altshuler, Professor and Chair of the 
    Economics Department, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 
    NJ; Jason J. Fichtner, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus 
    Center, George Mason University, Arlington, VA; Calvin H. 
    Johnson, Andrews and Kurth Centennial Professor of Law, The 
    University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX; and Caroline 
    L. Harris, Chief Tax Counsel and Director of Tax Policy, 
    U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC.
February 14, 2012--``President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2013.'' 
    The purpose of this hearing was to discuss job creation and 
    the President's budget for Fiscal Year 2013. Testimony was 
    received from Honorable Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the 
    Treasury, United States Department of the Treasury, 
    Washington, DC.
March 6, 2012--``Tax Reform Options: Incentives for Capital 
    Investment and Manufacturing.'' The purpose of the hearing 
    was to examine the effectiveness of existing tax incentives 
    for capital investment and manufacturing, and potential 
    reform options in the context of comprehensive tax reform. 
    Testimony was received from Jane G. Gravelle, Senior 
    Specialist in Economic Policy, Congressional Research 
    Service, Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Ike Brannon, 
    Director of Economic Policy and Congressional Relations, 
    American Action Forum, Washington, DC; Robert D. Atkinson, 
    President, Information Technology and Innovation 
    Foundation, Washington, DC; J.D. Foster, Norman B. Ture 
    Senior Fellow, Economics of Fiscal Policy, The Heritage 
    Foundation, Washington, DC; and Michelle Hanlon, Associate 
    Professor of Accounting, Massachusetts Institute of 
    Technology, Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, MA.
April 25, 2012--``Tax Reform: What It Means for State and Local 
    Tax and Fiscal Policy.'' The purpose of the hearing was to 
    examine the effects of Federal tax reform on state and 
    local tax and fiscal policy. Testimony was received from 
    Frank Sammartino, Assistant Director for Tax Analysis, 
    Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC; Kim Rueben, 
    Senior Fellow, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, 
    Washington, DC; Walter Hellerstein, Francis Shackelford 
    Distinguished Professor of Taxation Law, University of 
    Georgia School of Law, Athens, GA; Joseph Henchman, Vice 
    President of Legal and State Projects, Tax Foundation, 
    Washington, DC; and Sanford Zinman, Owner, Zinman 
    Accounting, White Plains, NY.
April 26, 2012--``Tax Filing Season: Improving the Taxpayer 
    Experience.'' The purpose of the hearing was to examine the 
    hurdles taxpayers face during tax filing season and discuss 
    ways to simplify and improve the taxpayer experience. 
    Testimony was received from James White, Director, Tax 
    Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, 
    DC; Troy Lewis, Lewis and Associates, CPAs LLC, Draper, UT; 
    Beth Tucker, Deputy Commissioner, Operations Support, 
    Internal Revenue Service, Washington, DC; and Teresa 
    Thompson, Local Taxpayer Advocate for Montana, Taxpayer 
    Advocate Service, Helena, MT.
May 15, 2012--``Tax Reform: What it Could Mean for Tribes and 
    Territories.'' The purpose of the hearing was to review how 
    tax reform could affect U.S. territories and tribes. 
    Testimony was received from Sarah Hall Ingram, 
    Commissioner, Tax Exempt and Government Entities, Internal 
    Revenue Service, Washington, DC; Honorable Robert Odawi 
    Porter, President, Seneca Nation of Indians, Salamanca, NY; 
    Lindsay G. Robertson, Professor of Law, University of 
    Oklahoma College of Law, Norman, OK; and Steven Maguire, 
    Specialist in Public Finance, Congressional Research 
    Service, Washington, DC.
June 12, 2012--``Tax Reform: Impact on U.S. Energy Policy.'' 
    The purpose of the hearing was to discuss three issues: the 
    impact the U.S. tax code has on energy policy, given that 
    the tax code provides 85 percent of government support for 
    energy in the U.S.; the role the U.S. tax code should play 
    in U.S. energy policy; and options for energy tax reform. 
    Testimony was received from Honorable Don Nickles, Chairman 
    and CEO, The Nickles Group, LLC, Washington, DC; Honorable 
    Phillip Sharp, President, Resource for the Future, 
    Washington, DC; Dale Jorgenson, Samuel W. Morris University 
    Professor, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; and Harold 
    Hamm, Chief Executive Officer, Continental Resources Inc., 
    Oklahoma City, OK.
June 19, 2012--``Confronting the Looming Fiscal Crisis.'' The 
    purpose of this hearing was to discuss plans for deficit 
    reduction and the year-end fiscal crisis. Testimony was 
    received from Honorable Pete Domenici, Senior Fellow and 
    Co-Chair, Debt Reduction Task Force, Bipartisan Policy 
    Center, Washington, DC; and Honorable Alice Rivlin, Co-
    Chair, Debt Reduction Task Force, Bipartisan Policy Center, 
    and Senior Fellow in the Economic Studies Program, 
    Brookings Institution, Washington, DC.
July 10, 2012--``Boosting Opportunities and Growth Through Tax 
    Reform: Helping More Young People Achieve the American 
    Dream.'' The purpose of the hearing was to explore the ways 
    tax reform can boost economic opportunity and help secure 
    the American Dream for young people and future generations. 
    Testimony was heard from. Katherine S. Newman, James B. 
    Knapp Dean of The Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and 
    Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; 
    Miles Corak, Graduate School of Public and International 
    Affairs, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; 
    Lars J. Lefgren, Associate Professor, Department of 
    Economics, Brigham Young University, Salt Lake City, UT; 
    Erin Currier, Project Manager, Economic Mobility Project, 
    The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC; and Eugene 
    Steuerle, Richard B. Fisher Chair and Institute Fellow, The 
    Urban Institute, Washington, DC.
July 25, 2012--``Education Tax Incentives and Tax Reform.'' The 
    purpose of the hearing was to examine how education tax 
    incentives should be treated in tax reform. Testimony was 
    received from Waded Cruzado, President, Montana State 
    University, Bozeman, MT; Lynne Munson, President and 
    Executive Director, Common Core, Washington, DC; Susan 
    Dynarski, Professor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; 
    Scott Hodge, President, Tax Foundation, Washington, DC; and 
    James White, Director, Tax Issues, U.S. Government 
    Accountability Office, Washington, DC.
August 1, 2012--``Tax Reform: Examining the Taxation of 
    Business Entities.'' The purpose of the hearing was to 
    examine the different taxation of business entities 
    structured as corporations versus pass-throughs and to 
    consider proposals to alter those rules. Testimony was 
    received from Harrison T. LeFrak, Vice Chairman, The LeFrak 
    Organization, New York, NY; Dana L. Trier, Adjunct 
    Professor in Taxation, University of Miami School of Law 
    and Columbia Law School, New York, NY; Alvin C. Warren, 
    Ropes and Gray Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, 
    Cambridge, MA; and Fred C. De Hosson, Partner, Baker and 
    McKenzie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

                           Bicameral Hearings

2011
July 13, 2011--Joint Hearing with U.S. House Committee on Ways 
    and Means on ``Tax Reform and the Tax Treatment of Debt and 
    Equity.'' The purpose of the hearing was to review the tax 
    treatment of debt and equity and the potential impacts of 
    such treatment on the economy, job creation and household 
    and business debt levels. Testimony was received from 
    Thomas Barthold, Chief of Staff, Joint Committee on 
    Taxation, Washington, DC; Honorable Pamela Olson, Partner, 
    Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom, and former 
    Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy, 
    Washington, DC; Victor Fleischer, Associate Professor of 
    Law, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, CO; Mihir 
    A. Desai, Mizuho Financial Group Professor of Finance, 
    Harvard Business School, Boston, MA; and Simon Johnson, 
    Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship, and former 
    Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department 
    at the International Monetary Fund, Massachusetts Institute 
    of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, MA.
December 6, 2011--Joint Hearing with U.S. House Committee on 
    Ways and Means on ``Tax Reform and the Tax Treatment of 
    Financial Products.'' The purpose of the hearing was to 
    review the tax treatment of financial products. Testimony 
    was received from Thomas Barthold, Chief of Staff, Joint 
    Committee on Taxation, Washington, DC; Alex Raskolnikov, 
    Charles Evans Gerber Professor of Law and Co-chair of the 
    Charles E. Gerber Transactional Studies Program, Columbia 
    Law School, New York, NY; Andrea S. Kramer, Partner, 
    McDermott Will and Emery LLP, Chicago, IL; and David S. 
    Miller, Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham, and Taft LLP, New 
    York, NY.
2012
September 20, 2012--Joint Hearing with U.S. House Committee on 
    Ways and Means on ``Tax Reform and the Tax Treatment of 
    Capital Gains.'' The purpose of the hearing was to examine 
    the tax treatment of capital gains in the context of broad 
    tax reform. Testimony was received from David H. Brockway, 
    Partner, Bingham McCutchen LLP, Washington, DC; Lawrence B. 
    Lindsey, President and CEO, The Lindsey Group, Fairfax, VA; 
    Leonard E. Burman, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Professor of 
    Public Affairs, Maxwell School, University of Syracuse, 
    Syracuse, NY; David L. Verrill, Founder, Hub Angels 
    Investment Group LLC, Cambridge, MA; and William D. 
    Stanfill, General Partner, Montegra Capital Income Fund, 
    Denver, CO.

                Roundtable, Joint Committee on Taxation

2011
April 6, 2011--U.S. Joint Committee on Taxation hearing on 
    ``Ideas on Reforming the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.'' The 
    purpose of this hearing was to examine lessons from the 
    1986 tax reform for comprehensive tax reform today. 
    Testimony was received from Honorable James Baker III, 
    Former Secretary of the Treasury 1985-1988, United States 
    Department of the Treasury, Houston, TX; and Honorable 
    Richard A. Gephardt, Former Minority Leader, United States 
    House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

                   Full Committee Executive Meetings

2011
February 8, 2011--Open Executive Session to consider a 
    Chairman's Mark entitled ``Airport and Airway Trust Fund 
    Reauthorization Act of 2011.''
2012
January 24, 2012--Conference Committee on H.R. 3630: Temporary 
    Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011.
February 1, 2012--Continuation of the Conference Committee on 
    H.R. 3630: Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 
    2011.
February 2, 2012--Continuation of the Conference Committee on 
    H.R. 3630: Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 
    2011.
February 7, 2012--Continuation of the Conference Committee on 
    H.R. 3630: Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 
    2011.
February 7, 2012--Open Executive Session to consider a 
    Chairman's Mark entitled, ``The Highway Investment, Job 
    Creation, and Economic Growth Act of 2012.''
August 2, 2012--Open Executive Session to consider the Family 
    and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012.

                        Senators' Only Meetings

2011
December 1, 2011--Senators' Meeting to discuss year-end 
    legislation.
2012
February 1, 2012--Senators' Meeting to discuss transportation 
    issues.
February 25, 2012--Senators' Meeting to discuss tax extenders.
June 12, 2012--Senators' Meeting to discuss Russia permanent 
    normal trade relations (PNTR), tax extenders, and other 
    committee matters.
July 30, 2012--Senators' Meeting to discuss tax extenders.
July 31, 2012--Senators' Meeting to discuss tax extenders.
September 19, 2012--Senators' Meeting with Tom Barthold to 
    discuss fiscal cliff.

               Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources,
                           and Infrastructure

2011
December 14, 2011--``Alternative Energy Tax Incentives: The 
    Effect of Short-Term Extensions on Alternative Technology 
    Investment, Domestic Manufacturing, and Jobs.'' This 
    hearing focused on the frequent short-term extensions and 
    expiration of alternative energy tax policies as well as 
    the effect this has had on the alternative energy industry 
    including manufacturing facilities, supply chain issues and 
    employment. Testimony was heard from Molly Sherlock, 
    Analyst Economics, Congressional Research Service, 
    Washington, DC; Will Coleman, Partner, Mohr Davidow 
    Ventures, Menlo Park, CA; Martha Wyrsch, President, Vestas-
    American Wind Technology, Portland, OR; Paul Soanes, 
    President and CEO, Renewable Biofuels, Houston, TX; and 
    Margo Thorning, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, 
    American Council for Capital Formation, Washington, DC.
2012
March 27, 2012--``Renewable Energy Tax Incentives: How Have the 
    Recent and Pending Expirations of Key Incentives Affected 
    the Renewable Energy Industry in the United States?'' This 
    hearing focused on how the recent and pending expirations 
    of energy tax policies affects deployment of renewable 
    energy facilities, energy efficiency measures, and advanced 
    biofuels. Testimony was heard from Ethan Zindler, Head of 
    Policy Analysis, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Washington, 
    DC; John Purcell, Vice President-Wind Energy, Leeco Steel, 
    Lisle, IL; Benjamin Zycher, Visiting Scholar, American 
    Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC; and John P. Ragan, 
    Vice President of Business Development and Government 
    Affairs, TPI Composites, Scottsdale, AZ.
December 12, 2012--``Tax Reform and Federal Energy Policy: 
    Incentives to Promote Energy Efficiency.'' This hearing 
    focused on understanding the opportunities presented to our 
    economy, our energy infrastructure, and to the environment 
    that result from the efficient use of our resources; 
    considering if creating incentives through the tax code is 
    a sensible and efficient way of promoting energy efficiency 
    investments; and examining how we can improve our existing 
    incentives to make them more effective, easier to use, and 
    less expensive to the federal government. Testimony was 
    heard from Dan Arvizu, Director, National Renewable Energy 
    Laboratory, Golden, CO; Steve Nadel, Executive Director, 
    American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 
    Washington, DC; Mark F. Wagner, Vice President Government 
    Relations, Johnson Controls, Inc, Washington, DC; and Matt 
    Golden, Principal, Efficiency.org, Policy Chair, Efficiency 
    First, San Francisco, CA.

       Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth

2011
May 25, 2011--``The Spread of Tax Fraud by Identity Theft: A 
    Threat to Taxpayers, A Drain on the Public Treasury.'' This 
    hearing focused on the growing problem of tax fraud through 
    identity theft and allowed members of the subcommittee to 
    hear firsthand from taxpayers who have fallen victim to 
    complex, identity-related tax scams. The hearing explored 
    the scope and magnitude of identity theft in the tax 
    system; common fact patterns in tax fraud and ID theft 
    cases; and laws, regulations, and administrative practices 
    in place to prevent the processing of fraudulent tax 
    returns and protect victims. Testimony was heard from 
    Sharon Hawa, victim of tax-related identity theft, Bronx, 
    NY; Terry McClung, Jr., victim of tax-related identity 
    theft, Finksburg, MD; Anonymous Witness, victim of tax-
    related identity theft, Miami, FL; Nina Olsen, National 
    Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service, Washington, 
    DC; James White, Director, Tax Issues, United States 
    Government Accountability Office, Washington, DC; and Beth 
    Tucker, Deputy Commissioner, Operations Support, Internal 
    Revenue Service, Washington, DC.
September 13, 2011--``Examining Whether There is a Role for Tax 
    Reform in Comprehensive Deficit Reduction and U.S. Fiscal 
    Policy.'' This hearing focused on whether tax reform should 
    play a role in any ``grand bargain'' to bring down the 
    federal budget deficit. Testimony was heard from Alan C. 
    Greenspan, President, Greenspan Associates LLC, Washington, 
    DC; John B. Taylor, Mary and Robert Raymond Professor of 
    Economics and George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics, 
    Stanford University, Hoover Institution, Stanford, CA; 
    Martin S. Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of 
    Economics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; The Honorable 
    John M. Engler, President, Business Roundtable, Washington, 
    DC; and Edward D. Kleinbard, Professor of Law, USC Gould 
    School of Law, Los Angeles, CA.
2012
March 20, 2012--``Tax Fraud by Identity Theft, Part 2: Status, 
    Progress, and Potential Solutions.'' This hearing focused 
    on evaluating the IRS's response to the increasing problem 
    of tax fraud through identity theft and examining what more 
    could be done to help victims and protect taxpayer money. 
    Testimony was heard from Steven T. Miller, Deputy 
    Commissioner for Services and Enforcement, Internal Revenue 
    Service, Washington, DC; Ronald A. Cimino, Deputy Assistant 
    Attorney General for Criminal Matters, Tax Division, United 
    States Department of Justice, Washington, DC; Nina E. 
    Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue 
    Service, Washington, DC; Sal Augeri, Detective, Criminal 
    Intelligence Bureau, Tampa Police Department, Tampa, FL; 
    Bernard F. McKay, Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs, 
    Intuit, Inc., Washington, DC; and Kirsten Trusko, President 
    and Executive Director, Network Branded Prepaid Card 
    Association, Montvale, NJ.
                                 TRADE

                         SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

    During the 112th Congress, the committee exercised its 
oversight responsibilities and enacted important legislation 
related to international trade and customs law and the American 
economy. A brief summary of the committee's activity is 
provided below.
    During the first session, the committee held several 
hearings including a hearing on the 2011 trade agenda, 
receiving testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk. 
The committee also convened a hearing on Asia-Pacific Economic 
Cooperation (APEC), which the United States hosted in 2011. The 
hearing focused on creating economic growth by removing 
barriers to trade. During that hearing, testimony was received 
from the Office of the United States Trade Representative and 
manufacturing and services industry representatives. The 
committee also held hearings on three free trade agreements: 
the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, the U.S.-Panama 
Trade Promotion Agreement, and the U.S.-Korea Free Trade 
Agreement. During these hearings, the committee received 
testimony from the Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, the Department of Labor, and other 
stakeholders, including agricultural, manufacturing and labor 
union representatives. The committee also conducted a hearing 
to consider four trade nominees.
    The committee convened in open executive session to 
consider, review, and make recommendations on proposed 
legislation implementing the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion 
Agreement, the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, and the 
U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. The committee held a second 
open executive session to consider S. 1641, S. 1642, and S. 
1643, the bills to implement the three free trade agreements, 
as well as the associated Statements of Administrative Action. 
During this executive session the committee also considered the 
nominations of Michael W. Punke to be a Deputy United States 
Trade Representative, Islam A. Siddiqui to be Chief 
Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative, Paul Piquado to be an Assistant Secretary 
of Commerce, and David S. Johanson to be a Commissioner of the 
United States International Trade Commission.
    The Chairman and Ranking Member worked together to pass, on 
October 21, 2011, the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement 
(Pub. L. 112-42), which also renewed and extended the Andean 
Trade Promotion Act through July 31, 2013, the U.S.-Panama 
Trade Promotion Agreement (Pub. L. 112-43), and the U.S.-Korea 
Free Trade Agreement (Pub. L. 112-41). The committee also 
extended Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) through December 31, 
2013, and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) through 
July 31, 2013 (Pub. L. 112-40).
    In the second session, the committee held a hearing on the 
2012 trade agenda, receiving testimony from U.S. Trade 
Representative Ronald Kirk. The committee also convened two 
hearings on Russia's World Trade Organization accession. The 
first focused on manufacturing, agriculture, intellectual 
property rights, and transparency concerns and featured 
testimony from private sector representatives. The second 
Russia hearing focused on the administration's views of the 
implications of Russia's WTO accession for the United States. 
At this hearing, testimony was received from the Office of the 
United States Trade Representative and the Departments of 
Agriculture and State. In addition, the committee held a 
hearing on the confirmation of Meredith M. Broadbent to be a 
Member of the United States International Trade Commission.
    The committee convened in open executive session to 
consider the Chairman's mark of the Enforcing Orders and 
Reducing Customs Evasion (ENFORCE) Act; the Citrus, Cotton, and 
Wool Trust Funds; the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) 
third-country fabric Amendments, Dominican Republic-Central 
America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) Technical 
Corrections, and Burma Sanctions extension; and Russia 
Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) and Moldova PNTR. The 
updated ENFORCE Act would establish specific procedures for 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to follow when 
investigating allegations of evasion of antidumping or 
countervailing duties, and it would increase the ability of CBP 
to obtain information and collect such duties. Russia and 
Moldova PNTR authorized the extension of permanent 
nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of Russia and 
Moldova so that the United States could secure the full 
benefits of their accessions to the WTO. The legislation 
includes strong enforcement tools to ensure Russia lives up to 
its international trade obligations, and provisions to help 
advance human rights and the rule of law in Russia including 
the imposition of sanctions on persons responsible for gross 
violations of human rights.
    The Chairman and Ranking Member worked together to pass 
trade legislation on August 2, 2012 to extend until September 
2015 the AGOA provision allowing duty-free access to the U.S. 
market for apparel produced in sub-Saharan African countries 
made from third-country fabric, to make technical corrections 
and modifications to the rules of origin for certain textile 
and apparel products under CAFTA-DR, and to renew import 
sanctions against Burma for one year and reauthorize for three 
years a fast-track process for Congress to approve annual 
renewal of sanctions (Pub. L. 112-163).
    The Chairman and Ranking Member also worked together to 
pass trade legislation on December 6, 2012 to authorize the 
extension of permanent nondiscriminatory treatment to the 
products of Russia and Moldova, require reports on the 
compliance of the Russian Federation with its obligations as a 
member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and impose 
sanctions on persons responsible for gross violations of human 
rights (Pub. L. 112-208).

                        Full Committee Hearings

2011
March 9, 2011--``President's 2011 Trade Agenda.'' Received 
    testimony from Ambassador Ronald Kirk, United States Trade 
    Representative.
March 31 2011--``APEC 2011: Breaking Down Barriers, Creating 
    Economic Growth.'' Received testimony from Ambassador John 
    Veroneau, Partner, Covington and Burling, Washington DC; 
    Ambassador Peter Scher, Executive Vice President for Global 
    Government Relations and Public Policy, JPMorgan Chase, 
    Washington DC; Bert Robins, Vice President and Co-Founder, 
    SeaCast, Inc.; Butte, MT and Richard M. Hartvigsen, Vice 
    President, Global Government Affairs, Nu Skin 
    International, Inc., Provo, UT.
May 11, 2011--``The U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.'' 
    Received testimony from Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, Deputy 
    United States Trade Representative; Sandra Polaski, Deputy 
    Under Secretary for International Labor Affairs, United 
    States Department of Labor; General James T. Hill, U.S. 
    Army (Ret.) and former commander of the United States 
    Southern Command, Coral Gables, FL; Jeff Vogt, Deputy 
    Director, International Affairs Department,, AFL-CIO, 
    Washington, DC; and Gordon Stoner, President, Montana Grain 
    Growers Association, Great Falls, MT.
May 25, 2011--``The U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement.'' 
    Received testimony from Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, Deputy 
    U.S. Trade Representative for Europe, the Middle East, and 
    the Americas; Jason Speer, Vice President, Quality Float 
    Works, Inc., Schaumburg, IL; and Garry Niemeyer, First Vice 
    President, National Corn Growers Association, Auburn, IL.
May 26, 2011--``The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.'' Received 
    testimony from Ambassador Demetrios Marantis, Deputy U.S. 
    Trade Representative; Errol Rice, Executive Vice President, 
    Montana Stockgrowers Association, Helena, MT; Thea Lee, 
    Deputy Chief of Staff, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC; and Timothy 
    Guertin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Varian 
    Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA.
2012
March 7, 2012--``The President's 2012 Trade Agenda.'' Received 
    testimony from Ambassador Ronald Kirk, United States Trade 
    Representative.
March 15, 2012--``Russia's WTO Accession: Implications for the 
    United States.'' Received testimony from Samuel Allen, 
    Chairman and CEO, Deere and Company, Moline, IL; Ronald 
    Pollett, President and CEO, GE Russia/CIS, Moscow, Russia; 
    Watty Taylor, President, Montana Stockgrowers Association, 
    Helena, MT; Paul Williams, President and Chairman of the 
    Board, American Society of Composers, Authors and 
    Publishers, New York, NY; and The Honorable Alan Larson, 
    Chairman of the Board, Transparency International USA, 
    Washington, DC.
June 21, 2012--``Russia's WTO Accession: Administration's Views 
    on the Implications for the United States.'' Received 
    testimony from Ambassador Ronald Kirk, United States Trade 
    Representative; The Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary of 
    Agriculture; and The Honorable William J. Burns, Deputy 
    Secretary of State.

                   Full Committee Executive Meetings

2011
July 7, 2011--Open Executive Session to review and make 
    recommendations on proposed legislation implementing the 
    U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Panama Trade 
    Promotion Agreement, the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion 
    Agreement, as well as the Associated Proposed Statements of 
    Administrative Action.
October 11, 2011--Open Executive Session to consider S. 1641, a 
    bill to implement the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion 
    Agreement; S. 1642, a bill to implement the U.S.-Korea Free 
    Trade Agreement; S. 1643, a bill to implement the U.S.-
    Panama Trade Promotion Agreement; as well as the associated 
    Statements of Administrative Action; and to consider 
    favorably reporting the nominations of Michael W. Punke, of 
    Montana, to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative, 
    with the rank of Ambassador, Executive Office of the 
    President; Islam A. Siddiqui, of Virginia, to be Chief 
    Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade 
    Representative, with the rank of Ambassador, Executive 
    Office of the President; Paul Piquado, of the District of 
    Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, United 
    States Department of Commerce; and David S. Johanson, of 
    Texas, to be a Member of the United States International 
    Trade Commission, for a term expiring December 16, 2018.
2012
July 18, 2012--Open Executive Session to consider the Enforcing 
    Orders and Reducing Customs Evasion (ENFORCE) Act; Citrus, 
    Cotton, and Wool Trust Funds; African Growth and 
    Opportunity Act (AGOA) Amendments, Dominican Republic-
    Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-
    DR) Technical Corrections, Burma Sanctions; and Russia 
    Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) and Moldova PNTR.

             Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs,
                       and Global Competitiveness

2011
May 5, 2011--``Enforcing America's Trade Laws in the Face of 
    Customs Fraud and Duty Evasion.'' Received testimony from 
    the Honorable Sherrod Brown, Senator from Ohio; The 
    Honorable Claire McCaskill, Senator from Missouri; The 
    Honorable Roy Blunt, Senator from Missouri; Robert Mahoney, 
    President, Tubular Products Group, Northwest Pipe Company, 
    Portland, OR; Richard Adee, Owner, Chairman, Adee Honey 
    Farms, American Honey Producers Associate Legislative 
    Committee, Bruce, SD; Karl Glassman, Executive Vice 
    President and Chief Operating Officer, Leggett and Platt 
    Incorporated, Carthage, MO; Marguerite E. Trossevin, Jochum 
    Shore and Trossevin on behalf of the Retail Industry 
    Leaders Association, Alexandria, VA; Roger Schagrin, 
    Chairman, Government Affairs Committee, Committee to 
    Support U.S. Trade Laws, Annapolis, MD; J. Scott Ballman, 
    Deputy Assistant Director, Homeland Security 
    Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Allen Gina, Assistant 
    Commissioner of International Trade, U.S. Customs and 
    Border Protection; Ronald Lorentzen, Deputy Assistant 
    Secretary for Import Administration, U.S. Department of 
    Commerce.
2012
April 18, 2012--``The Asia Pacific: Trade Opportunities for 
    Agriculture and Food Producers from the Great Plains to the 
    Pacific Northwest.'' Received testimony from Ambassador Isi 
    Siddiqui, Chief Agriculture Negotiator, Office of the 
    United States Trade Representative; The Honorable Robert 
    Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and 
    the Environment, U.S. Department of State; Darci Vetter, 
    Deputy Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agriculture 
    Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Mark Powers, Vice 
    President, Northwest Horticultural Council, Yakima, WA; 
    Paul Casper, President, South Dakota Soybean Association, 
    Lake Preston, SD; Steve Crider, International Sales 
    Manager, Amy's Kitchen, Burlington, WA; and Steve Thomson, 
    Executive Vice President, King Estate Winery, Eugene, OR.
                                 HEALTH

                         SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

    Throughout the 112th Congress, the committee acted several 
times to prevent significant reductions in Medicare physician 
payments. H.R. 3765, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation 
Act of 2011. The bill included two-month extensions of the 1.0 
floor in the Work Geographic Index for any locality in which 
the Index is less than 1.0, the exceptions process for therapy 
caps, direct payments to independent laboratories for physician 
pathology services, ambulance add-on payments, the outpatient 
hold harmless provision, the minimum payment for bone mass 
measurement, the Transitional Medical Assistance program, the 
Qualified Individual program, and of the Section 508 hospital 
program, and the mental health add-on payment. The bill also 
prevented, for two months, a schedule reduction in Medicare 
physician payments. H.R. 3765 passed the Senate by unanimous 
consent on December 23, 2011. The House passed the identical 
bill on December 23, 2011.
    The committee further extended certain Medicare and 
Medicaid provisions in the Conference Report for H.R. 3630, the 
Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The bill 
included a provision extending the 1.0 floor in the Work 
Geographic Index for any locality in which the Index is less 
than 1.0 for ten months, an extension of the outpatient hold 
harmless provision for ten months, an extension of the 
exceptions process for therapy caps for ten months, a provision 
continuing direct payments to independent laboratories for 
physician pathology services for ten months, an extension of 
ambulance add-on payments for ten months, an extension of the 
Transitional Medical Assistance program for ten months, and an 
extension of the Qualified Individual program for ten months. 
The bill phased out the Section 508 hospital program and the 
mental health add-on payment after four month extensions of 
both. The bill also prevented, for ten months, a schedule 
reduction in Medicare physician payments. A number of health-
related offsets were part of the bill including, a reduction of 
bad debt treated as an allowable cost in Medicare, rebasing 
Medicare clinical laboratory payment rates, rebasing Medicaid 
Disproportionate Share Hospital allotments for fiscal year 
2021, a technical correction to the disaster recovery Federal 
Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) provision of the 
Affordable Care Act, and a reduction of the Prevention and 
Public Health Fund. The Conference Report was agreed to by the 
Senate on February 17, 2012. The House also agreed to the 
Conference Report on February 17, 2012.
    H.R. 674, the 3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act, 
used a health provision as an off-set. The bill required the 
definition of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) to include 
Social Security benefits for Medicaid eligibility and Exchange 
tax credits starting in 2014. H.R. 674 passed in the Senate on 
November 10, 2011. The House passed the bill on November 16, 
2011.
    H.R. 2832, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 
2011, also included a health provision as an off-set. The bill 
expanded the geographic scope of Medicare Quality Improvement 
Organization (QIO) state contracts to include national entities 
and multiple QIOs within a geographic area. H.R. 2832 was 
passed in the Senate on September 22, 2011. The House passed an 
identical bill on October 12, 2011.
    In H.R. 4348, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st 
Century Act, another health off-set was used. The bill required 
that the corrected disaster-recovery FMAP be applied in October 
of 2012 rather than October of 2013. The Conference Report was 
agreed to in the Senate and the House on June 29, 2012.
    The committee also achieved multiple extensions of the 
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. H.R. 
2943, the Short-Term TANF Extension Act, extended basic TANF 
funding for three months, through December 31, 2011. H.R. 2943 
was passed in the Senate on September 23, 2011. The House 
passed the identical bill on September 21, 2011.
    H.R. 3765, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act 
of 2011, extended basic TANF funding for two months through 
February 29, 2012.
    H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 
of 2012, extended basic TANF funding until September 30, 2012, 
and prevented electronic benefit transaction access to TANF 
cash at liquor stores, casinos, and adult entertainment clubs. 
The bill also required states to report TANF data in a manner 
that facilitates the exchange of that data with other programs' 
data systems.
    H.J. Res 117, Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013, 
extended TANF funding through March 2013 at fiscal year 2012 
levels. The Senate passed the Continuing Resolution on 
September 22, 2012. The House passed the Continuing Resolution 
on September 13, 2012.
    The committee was also very active on Unemployment 
Insurance during the 112th Congress. H.R. 2832, the Trade 
Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011, added new federal 
requirements for state Unemployment Compensation programs 
related to overpayment penalties for employers and claimants, 
as well as to the reporting of rehired employees.
    H.R. 3765, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act 
of 2011, extended the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) 
program through March 6, 2012 and postponed the termination of 
the program until August 15, 2012. The bill also extended 
requirements that federal payments to states cover 100 percent 
of EUC, and the three-year lookback trigger option for 
emergency benefits.
    H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act 
of 2012, extended the EUC program through December 2012, while 
reducing the duration and availability of EUC benefits over 
calendar year 2012. The bill also made reforms to state 
Unemployment Compensation programs, provided EUC claimants with 
additional reemployment services, and expanded programs to 
provide alternatives to Unemployment Insurance benefits.
    The committee also achieved an extension of child welfare 
programs. H.R. 2883, the Child and Family Services Improvement 
and Innovation Act, extended funding authorization for the 
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program and the 
Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program for five years. The 
bill was passed in the Senate on September 22, 2011. The House 
passed an identical bill on September 21, 2011.

                        Full Committee Hearings

2011
February 15, 2011--``The President's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget 
    Proposal.'' The purpose of this hearing was to introduce to 
    the committee the President's FY2012 proposed budget. 
    Testimony was received from the Honorable Kathleen 
    Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
    Washington, DC.
March 2, 2011--``Preventing Health Care Fraud: New Tools and 
    Approaches to Combat Old Challenges.'' This hearing focused 
    on recent activities by the Centers for Medicare and 
    Medicaid Services and the Department of Health and Human 
    Services Inspector General related to preventing health 
    care fraud as well as receiving an update on the 
    implementation of Medicare and Medicaid program integrity 
    policies enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act. 
    Testimony was received by the Honorable Daniel R. Levinson, 
    Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human 
    Services, Washington, DC; and Peter Budetti, MD, J.D., 
    Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
    Services, Washington, DC.
March 10, 2011--``Innovations in Child Welfare Waivers: 
    Starting on the Pathway to Reform.'' The objective of this 
    hearing was to explore the ways in which state innovation, 
    facilitated by an expansion of child welfare waivers, can 
    improve outcomes for youth in foster care or at risk of 
    entering foster care. The witnesses included Charlie 
    McNeely, a former foster youth from Oregon; Joscelynn 
    Murdock, a former foster youth and an active advocate for 
    youth in foster care from California; Crystal Ward Allen, 
    MSW, LSW, the Executive Director of Public Children 
    Services Associate of Ohio; and William C. Bell, Ph.D., the 
    President and Chief Executive Officer of Casey Family 
    Programs.
March 16, 2011--``Health Reform: Lessons Learned During the 
    First Year.'' This hearing focused on the progress of 
    implementing the health reform law. The hearing marked the 
    one-year anniversary of enactment of the Affordable Care 
    Act, and witnesses discussed progress made in implementing 
    the law as well as highlighting benefits. The witnesses 
    included the Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of 
    Health and Human Services, Washington, DC; Paul Van de 
    Water, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy 
    Priorities, Washington, DC; and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Ph.D., 
    President, American Action Forum, Washington, DC.
June 22, 2011--``Preserving Integrity, Preventing Overpayments, 
    and Eliminating Fraud in the Unemployment Insurance 
    System.'' This hearing examined ways to reduce inefficiency 
    and errors in the Unemployment Insurance system and to 
    assure that benefits are targeted to those who are entitled 
    to receive benefits. The witnesses included Jane Oates, 
    M.Ed., the Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, 
    United States Department of Labor, Washington, DC; Kristen 
    Cox, the Executive Director of the Utah Department of 
    Workforce Services, Salt Lake City, UT; Paul Trause, the 
    Commissioner of the Washington Employment Security 
    Department, Olympia, WA; and Mike Cullen, the Managing 
    Director of On Point Technology, Inc., Oak Brook, Illinois.
June 23, 2011--``Health Care Entitlements: The Road Forward.'' 
    This hearing focused on the effects Medicare and Medicaid 
    have on federal spending and their impact on the federal 
    budget deficit. Testimony was received from the Honorable 
    Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts; the Honorable 
    Ernie Fletcher, former Governor of Kentucky; the Honorable 
    Bruce Vladeck, former Administrator of the Health Care 
    Financing Administration (now known as the Centers for 
    Medicare and Medicaid Services); and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, 
    former Director of the Congressional Budget Office.
July 14, 2011--Field Hearing on ``Perspectives on Medicaid from 
    Select Governors.'' The Finance Committee held a field 
    hearing at the Utah State Capitol. The hearing focused on 
    program administration and state budgets, highlighting some 
    of the challenges governors face in designing and running 
    their Medicaid programs. The witnesses were the Honorable 
    Gary Herbert, Governor of Utah; and the Honorable Haley 
    Barbour, Governor of Mississippi.
September 21, 2011--``Dually-Eligible Beneficiaries: Improving 
    Care While Lowering Costs.'' The Finance Committee held a 
    hearing focused on dually-eligible beneficiaries, those who 
    are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. The hearing 
    was held to: (1) highlight the work of the Medicare-
    Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO), which was created by 
    the Affordable Care Act to streamline the administration of 
    Medicare and Medicaid and (2) identify next steps for 
    Congress and the Administration that would further improve 
    care for these beneficiaries. Melanie Bella, the Director 
    of MMCO at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
    was the sole witness.
November 10, 2011--``Unemployment Insurance: The Path Back to 
    Work.'' The purpose of this hearing was to serve as a 
    catalyst for changing the Unemployment Insurance 
    conversation from a discussion focused solely on benefit 
    extensions, to a conversation that also included policies 
    that would assist unemployed Americans return to work. The 
    witnesses were Stephen Wander, Ph.D., a Visiting Fellow 
    from The Urban Institute, Washington, DC; Larry Temple, the 
    Executive Director of the Texas Workforce Commission, 
    Austin, TX; Charles J. Fogarty, the Director of Rhode 
    Island Department of Labor and Training, Cranston, RI; and 
    Don Peitersen, the Director of Unemployment Insurance and 
    Workforce Projects from the American Institute for Full 
    Employment, Aurora, CO.
December 7, 2011--``Drug Shortages: Why They Happen and What 
    They Mean.'' The purpose of this hearing was to examine the 
    causes of drug shortages, how drug shortages affect federal 
    health care programs and what, if any, tools are available 
    to policy makers to prevent or alleviate drug shortages. 
    Testimony was received from Kasey Thompson, PharmD, Vice 
    President of the American Society of Health-System 
    Pharmacists, Bethesda, MD; Patrick Cobb, MD, Oncologist 
    with the Frontier Cancer Center and Blood Institute, 
    Billings, MT; Scott Gottlieb, MD, Resident Fellow at the 
    American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 
    Washington, DC; and Rena Conti, Ph.D., Assistant Professor 
    at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
2012
February 15, 2012--``The President's Budget for Fiscal Year 
    2013.'' The purpose of this hearing was to introduce to the 
    committee the President's FY2013 proposed budget. Testimony 
    was received from the Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, 
    Secretary of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
April 24, 2012--``Anatomy of a Fraud Bust: From Investigation 
    to Conviction.'' The purpose of this hearing was to walk 
    through how a health care fraud and abuse case is developed 
    from the initial discovery of aberrant activity all the way 
    through to investigation and prosecution. The hearing 
    focused on an investigation that resulted, at the time, in 
    the largest prosecution for false Medicare and Medicaid 
    billing. Testimony was received from the Honorable Daniel 
    R. Levinson, Inspector General, Department of Health and 
    Human Services, Washington, DC; Peter Budetti, MD, J.D., 
    Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
    Services, Washington, DC; the Honorable Wifredo A. Ferrer, 
    United States Attorney, Southern District of Florida, 
    Department of Justice, Miami, FL; and Kathleen King, 
    Director, Health Care, United States Government 
    Accountability Office, Washington, DC.
May 23, 2012--``Progress in Health Care Delivery: Innovations 
    from the Field.'' This hearing focused on health care 
    delivery reforms. The witnesses discussed innovative 
    efforts throughout the health care system to improve 
    quality and lower costs to patients and to payers. The 
    hearing also highlighted collaboration within the provider 
    community, and collaboration between providers and the 
    federal government. The witnesses were Richard Migliori, 
    MD, Executive Vice President of Health Services, 
    UnitedHealth Group, Minnetonka, MN; Lee Sacks, MD, 
    Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, 
    Advocate Health Care, Oak Brook, IL; Marc Malloy, Chief 
    Executive Officer, Renaissance Medical Management Company, 
    Wayne, PA; and Paul Diaz, J.D., Chief Executive Officer, 
    Kindred Healthcare, Louisville, KY.
June 5, 2012--``Combating Poverty: Understanding New Challenges 
    for Families.'' The purpose of this hearing was to 
    facilitate a broad conversation focused on poverty in the 
    United States. In addition, this hearing offered an 
    opportunity for committee members to learn about the state 
    of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, 
    which was scheduled to expire on September 30, 2012. The 
    witnesses were Ron Haskins, Ph.D., a Senior Fellow in the 
    Economic Studies Program and Co-Director of the Center on 
    Children and Families at the Brookings Institution, 
    Washington, DC; Laura Lein, Ph.D., Dean of the University 
    of Michigan School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI; and Kay 
    Brown, MPA, the Director of the United States Government 
    Accountability Office's Education, Workforce and Income 
    Security team, Washington, DC.
August 8, 2012--``Healing in Indian Country: Ensuring Access to 
    Quality Health Care.'' The Finance Committee held a field 
    hearing at the Crow-Northern Cheyenne Hospital on the Crow 
    Reservation in Montana. The hearing was held to explore 
    solutions for improving health care in Indian Country. The 
    witnesses explained why American Indians and Alaska Natives 
    have a life expectancy that is five years shorter than that 
    of the general population and why it is so difficult to 
    recruit and retain doctors and nurses on reservations. The 
    hearing also focused on a response plan compiled by the 
    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as an important 
    source of solutions at the Crow-Northern Cheyenne Hospital. 
    The witnesses were Cedric Black Eagle, Chairman, Crow 
    Nation, Crow Agency, MT; Henry Pretty On Top, Cabinet Head, 
    Crow Agency Health and Human Services, Crow Agency, MT; and 
    Robert McSwain, MPA, Deputy Director for Management 
    Operations, Indian Health Service, Rockville, MD.

                 Full Committee Legislative Activities

2011
September 20, 2011--Mark-Up: ``The Child and Family Services 
    Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011.'' The purpose of 
    this mark-up was to review a bill designed to reauthorize 
    funding for Promoting Safe and Stable Families and the 
    ability of states to receive child welfare waivers. This 
    Act extends funding authorization for the Stephanie Tubbs 
    Jones Child Welfare Services Program and the Promoting Safe 
    and Stable Families Program for five years (FY2012-FY2016). 
    The programs are authorized under Title IV-B of the Social 
    Security Act and received combined funding of $709 million 
    in FY2011. On September 20, 2011, the committee held a 
    markup of S. 1542 and unanimously agreed to favorably 
    report S. 1542 (without amendment) to the full Senate. On 
    September 22, 2011, the full Senate passed H.R. 2883 (same 
    bill as S. 1542) by unanimous consent. The House passed the 
    identical bill on September 21, 2011.

                         Roundtable Discussions

2012
May 10, 2012--Roundtable Discussion on ``Medicare Physician 
    Payments: Understanding the Past So We Can Envision the 
    Future.'' This was the first of three roundtables that 
    examined potential changes to Medicare physician payment 
    policies. The four participants, former administrators of 
    the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and 
    its predecessor, the Health Care Financing Administration 
    (HCFA), discussed the history of the sustainable growth 
    rate (SGR) formula, which has mandated significant 
    reductions to Medicare physician payments over the past 
    several years. Congress has overridden these reductions 
    through legislation. The former Administrators discussed 
    the history of the SGR as well as potential short- and 
    long-term solutions to reforming the Medicare physician 
    payment system. Their suggestions included developing 
    alternatives to the current fee-for-
    service system that focus on reducing spending growth while 
    supporting patient-centered, coordinated care. The 
    panelists were Gail Wilensky, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Project 
    Hope, Bethesda, MD; Bruce Vladeck, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, 
    Nexera, New York, NY; Thomas Scully, J.D., Senior Counsel, 
    Alston and Bird, Washington, DC; and Mark McClellan, MD, 
    Ph.D., Director of the Engelberg Center for Health Reform, 
    Brookings Institution, Washington, DC.
June 14, 2012--Roundtable Discussion on ``Medicare Physician 
    Payment Policy: Lessons from the Private Sector.'' This 
    roundtable addressed efforts the private sector is 
    undertaking to incentivize physicians to provide high 
    quality care at lower costs. Participants were 
    representatives from health insurance companies and an 
    independent physician association. They discussed their 
    respective organization's successes and challenges and how 
    their experiences could inform changes to the Medicare 
    physician payment system. Participants emphasized the need 
    for timely data to provide feedback and incentives for 
    physicians based upon quality and cost metrics. The 
    panelists were Dana Safran, ScD, Senior Vice President, 
    Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston, MA; Peter 
    Edwards, President of Provider Development, Humana, 
    Lexington, KY; Lonny Reisman, MD, Senior Vice President and 
    Chief Medical Officer, Aetna, Hartford, CT; Chet Burrell, 
    President and Chief Executive Officer, CareFirst Blue Cross 
    Blue Shield of Maryland, Washington, DC; and Darryl 
    Cardoza, Chief Executive Officer, Hill Physician Medical 
    Group, San Ramon, CA.
July 11, 2012--Roundtable Discussion on ``Medicare Physician 
    Payments: Perspectives from Physicians.'' This roundtable 
    engaged committee members in a discussion with 
    representatives of the physician community about changes to 
    the Medicare payment system that would incentivize 
    physicians to provide high quality, high value care. In 
    addition to the American Medical Association (AMA), the 
    participants represented a diversity of physician 
    specialties: family medicine, general surgery, cardiology, 
    and oncology. The group discussed the need to move away 
    from a volume-based system to one that rewards quality. 
    They stressed the need for Medicare to provide timely, 
    reliable data to help physicians improve their performance. 
    The panelists were Ardis Hoven, MD, Board of Trustees, AMA, 
    Lexington, KY; Glen Stream, MD, President, American Academy 
    of Family Physicians, Spokane, WA; W. Douglas Weaver, MD, 
    MACC, Vice President, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, 
    MI; Frank Opelka, MD, FACS, Vice Chancellor of Clinical 
    Affairs and Professor of Surgery, Louisiana State 
    University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA; and 
    Barbara McAneny, MD, Chief Executive Officer, New Mexico 
    Oncology Hematology Consultants, Albuquerque, NM.

                      Subcommittee on Health Care

2012
March 22, 2012--``Prescription Drug Abuse: How are Medicare and 
    Medicaid Adapting to the Challenge.'' The Subcommittee on 
    Health Care held a hearing on the devastating epidemic of 
    prescription drug abuse in West Virginia and throughout the 
    country, and the role that Medicare and Medicaid can play 
    in preventing and treating prescription drug overdose and 
    addiction. The hearing examined what Medicare and Medicaid 
    can do to give doctors, nurses, and pharmacists better 
    tools and training so they can help avoid overprescribing, 
    misuse or diversion of prescription drugs. Testimony was 
    heard from Jeffrey Coben, MD, Director, Injury Control 
    Research Center, West Virginia University, Charleston, WV; 
    Timothy C. Schwab, MD, FACP, Chief Medical Officer, SCAN 
    Health Plan, Long Beach, CA; Billy Millwee, MHA, Medicaid 
    Director, State of Texas; and Alex Cahana, MD, Chief of 
    Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, 
    Seattle, WA.
                            SOCIAL SECURITY

                         SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

    During the 112th Congress, the committee held hearings 
about how Social Security benefits should be considered in 
efforts to reduce the federal budget deficit and how the Agency 
is administering the Social Security and SSI programs.

                        Full Committee Hearings

May 10, 2011--``Perspectives on Deficit Reduction: Social 
    Security.'' This hearing featured the testimony of James 
    Roosevelt, Jr., J.D., President and Chief Executive 
    Officer, Tufts Health Plan, Watertown, MA; Charles Blahous, 
    Ph.D., Research Fellow, Hoover Institute, Washington, DC; 
    Nancy Altman, Chair, Pension Rights Center, and Co-Chair, 
    Strengthen Social Security Campaign, Washington, DC; and 
    Alex Brill, Research Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, 
    Washington, DC. The testimony focused on how the Social 
    Security program should be considered in the context of 
    legislative efforts to reduce the federal deficit. Some 
    panel members testified that Social Security should not be 
    addressed as a part of deficit reduction because Social 
    Security is funded by a dedicated payroll tax and has 
    sufficient resources in the Social Security trust fund to 
    pay full benefits until 2036. Others felt that since Social 
    Security is currently paying out more in benefits than its 
    dedicated sources of revenue, changes to Social Security 
    should be considered in efforts to reduce the federal 
    deficit.
May 17, 2012--``The Social Security Administration: Is it 
    Meeting its Responsibilities to Save Taxpayer Dollars and 
    Serve the Public?'' This hearing featured the testimony of 
    The Honorable Michael Astrue, Commissioner, United States 
    Social Security Administration, Baltimore, MD. The hearing 
    focused on whether or not the Agency has made sufficient 
    progress on the backlog of disability claims and how the 
    level of administrative funding the Agency receives 
    directly impacts the Agency's ability to process claims 
    while also conducting program integrity work.
                      OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS

                         SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

                             TARP Oversight

    Chairman Baucus is continuing to monitor quarterly reports 
from the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset 
Relief Program (SIGTARP) which performs audits and 
investigations to safeguard the TARP program. In addition to 
bringing transparency and accountability to the TARP program 
through its auditing work, SIGTARP has assisted in delivering 
criminal charges and civil cases against companies and 
individuals attempting to defraud the program. Chairman Baucus 
fought to include the Special Inspector General for the 
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) requirement in the 
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to protect 
taxpayer interests and guard against waste, fraud and abuse in 
the Treasury's financial rescue program.

                   Health Care Conflicts of Interest

Staff Report on Medtronic's Influence on Peer-Reviewed Medical Journal 
        Articles
    In June 2011, Chairman Baucus and Senator Grassley 
initiated an investigation into Medtronic's financial 
relationship with its physician consultants concerning INFUSE, 
a product used in spinal fusion surgery, after it was reported 
that peer reviewed medical journal articles authored by 
Medtronic consultants did not report dangerous side effects 
experienced by patients. After analyzing thousands of documents 
provided to the committee by Medtronic, Senators Baucus and 
Grassley published a staff report in October 2012 showing that 
Medtronic employees collaborated with physician authors to edit 
and write segments of the medical journal articles without 
disclosure. In addition, the investigation found that 
physicians who authored studies about INFUSE received $210 
million in payments from Medtronic over a 15-year period.
Staff Report on For-Profit Home Health Companies Gaming Medicare 
        Payment System
    In October 2011, Chairman Baucus and Senator Grassley 
released a Finance Committee staff report showing tactics used 
by major for-profit home health companies to game Medicare. The 
result has been waste of taxpayer dollars and the delivery of 
what could be medically-unnecessary patient care to increase 
the companies' profits. The Senators initiated the 
investigation into the improper practices as part of the 
committee's oversight role of the Medicare and Medicaid 
programs and the Senators' ongoing commitment to protect 
patients and taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse. 
Senators Baucus and Grassley began their investigation into 
home health therapy practices in May 2010 in response to a 
media report that these home health companies took advantage of 
the Medicare therapy payment system by providing medically 
unnecessary patient care. The committee staff report examines 
documents provided by home health companies which show how 
therapists were encouraged to target the most profitable number 
of therapy visits, even when patient need may not have required 
such visits. In addition, therapy visit records for each 
company showed concentrated numbers of therapy visits at or 
just above the point at which a ``bonus'' payment was triggered 
by the Medicare program.
Investigation into Narcotic Painkiller Manufacturers' Ties to Medical 
        Groups
    In May 2012, Chairman Baucus and Senator Grassley initiated 
an ongoing investigation into the connections of drug 
manufacturers Purdue Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals, and Johnson 
and Johnson with medical groups and physicians who have 
advocated the increased use of narcotic painkillers, or 
opioids. The Senators also asked seven other medical groups to 
produce information about their financial ties and 
collaborations with opioid manufacturers. The inquiry will help 
to establish whether they have promoted misleading information 
about the risks and benefits of opioids while receiving 
financial support from opioid manufacturers. Senators Baucus 
and Grassley requested documents and financial information from 
the companies and noted that deaths resulting from opioid 
overdoses have recently skyrocketed, growing nearly 400 percent 
between 1999 and 2008. They also highlighted news reports 
suggesting the increase may be driven by misinformation and 
dubious marketing practices used by the pharmaceutical 
companies and the medical organizations they fund.
Staff Report on Sanofi-Aventis Use of Third Parties to Lobby the FDA
    In May 2011, an investigation led by Chairman Baucus and 
Senator Grassley found that the pharmaceutical company Sanofi 
planned a coordinated strategy to delay generic alternatives to 
its blockbuster blood-thinner drug Lovenox. The strategy took 
advantage of the FDA's citizen petition process, which allows 
individuals and experts to raise concerns about the 
alternatives. The Senators requested records from Sanofi 
following reports that it had financial ties with two medical 
groups, the Society of Hospital Medicine and the North American 
Thrombosis Forum, along with a Duke University medical 
professor, Dr. Victor Tapson. The documents reviewed by the 
committee staff showed that the groups involved each 
participated in the petition process following encouragement 
from Sanofi. And, the Society of Hospital Medicine and the 
North American Thrombosis Forum received more than two million 
dollars each from Sanofi, while Dr. Tapson received more than 
$200,000.
Potential Conflicts of Interest Among Medicare Contractors
    In March 2011, Chairman Baucus joined Senator Carper and 
Senator McCaskill in examining potential conflicts of interest 
among Medicare contracts. A survey by congressional staff found 
that some Medicare Administrative Contractors, which handle 
Medicare reimbursements, have financial relationships with Zone 
Program Integrity Contractors, which perform oversight on the 
work of the Medicare Administrative Contractors. Also, some of 
these oversight contractors have financial relationships with 
Medicare providers. In response to these concerns, the Senators 
requested that the HHS Inspector General conduct a review of 
relevant contracts to ensure compliance with federal 
regulations. In July 2012, the IG released a report finding 
that CMS did not have an adequate conflict of interest policy 
in place, which is standard practice among federal agencies. 
Many contractors' bids contained incomplete or inconsistent 
information, with some contractor bids failing to provide all 
relevant and required information regarding financial interests 
with other contractors. As a result of the Inspector General's 
review, CMS has improved its contractor bids review process, 
requiring contractors to provide more complete conflict of 
interest documents and information, as well as more consistent 
bid reviews. Additionally, the agency will implement its first 
written conflict of interest policy.

                        Non-Profit Tax Oversight

Investigation of Disabled Veterans National Foundation
    In May 2012, Chairman Baucus and Senator Burr initiated an 
investigation into the potential abuses of tax-exempt nonprofit 
status by the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF), 
following reports of questionable financial ties between DVNF 
and Quadriga Art, a marketing firm that handles its direct 
mail. According to tax records, DVNF raised tens of millions of 
dollars over a two year period, yet reports indicate very 
little of the money went to directly help disabled veterans. 
Instead, DVNF apparently paid large sums to Quadriga Art in 
2009 and 2010. In a letter sent to DVNF President Precilla 
Wilkewitz, Baucus and Burr requested documents and information 
relating to DVNF's fundraising and marketing activities, 
services provided to disabled veterans, and connections to 
Quadriga. In addition, Chairman Baucus and Senator Burr sent a 
letter to Quadriga Art in September 2012 asking for additional 
information about the company's financial relationship with 
DVNF.
Letter to the IRS Concerning Non-Profit Campaign Activity
    In November 2010, Chairman Baucus asked the IRS to examine 
major 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) non-profit 
organizations to ensure that political activity was not their 
primary purpose and that they were not acting as a conduit to 
advance private interests. In early 2012, the IRS sent detailed 
questionnaires to some non-profit applicants to certify 
compliance with the requirement that political activity was not 
the groups' primary purpose. In addition the IRS briefed 
committee staff about the review process to ensure compliance 
with non-profit tax laws.

                        Medical Device Industry

GAO Report on Medical Device Pricing Transparency
    In February 2012, Chairman Baucus released the results of a 
GAO report he requested that found both a lack of medical 
device pricing transparency and hospital bargaining power and a 
lack of information presented to Medicare regarding the 
implantable devices. The report also found wide discrepancy in 
the prices hospitals paid for implantable medical devices. GAO 
noted that for one particular device, the difference between 
the lowest and highest price hospitals reported paying was as 
high as $9,000. In another example, one hospital paid 83 
percent more than another for the exact same knee implant. 
Chairman Baucus said the next step should be to find an 
effective mechanism to increase transparency that would help 
contain costs, preserve high-quality care and save taxpayer 
dollars.
                              NOMINATIONS

F. Scott Kieff, of Illinois, to be a Member of the United 
        States International Trade Commission for the term 
        expiring June 16, 2020, vice Daniel Pearson, term 
        expired.
  Sept. 11, 2012--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Jan. 3, 2013--Returned to the President under the provisions 
            of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing 
            Rules of the Senate.
Christopher J. Meade, of New York, to be General Counsel for 
        the Department of the Treasury, vice George Wheeler 
        Madison, resigned.
  Aug. 2, 2012--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Dec. 20, 2012--Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
  Jan. 3, 2013--Returned to the President under the provisions 
            of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing 
            Rules of the Senate.
William B. Shultz, of the District of Columbia, to be General 
        Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services, 
        vice Daniel Meron.
  Apr. 18, 2012--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Dec. 20, 2012--Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
  Jan. 3, 2013--Returned to the President under the provisions 
            of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing 
            Rules of the Senate.
Marilyn B. Tavenner, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the 
        Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, vice Donald 
        M. Berwick, resigned.
  Dec. 1, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Jan. 3, 2013--Returned to the President under the provisions 
            of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing 
            Rules of the Senate.
Mark J. Mazur, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
        the Treasury, vice Michael F. Mundaca, resigned.
  Nov. 15, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  May 8, 2012--Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
  June 29, 2012--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  June 29, 2012--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  June 29, 2012--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 827. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Aug. 2, 2012--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Meredith M. Broadbent, of Virginia, to be a Member of the 
        United States International Trade Commission for a term 
        expiring June 16, 2017, vice Deanna Tanner Okun, term 
        expired.
  Nov. 8, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  May 8, 2012--Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
  June 29, 2012--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  June 29, 2012--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  June 29, 2012--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 826. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Aug. 2, 2012--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Matthew S. Rutherford, of Illinois, to be an Assistant 
        Secretary of the Treasury, vice Mary John Miller.
  Sept. 23, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  May 8, 2012--Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
  June 29, 2012--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  June 29, 2012--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  June 29, 2012--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 825. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
Alastair M. Fitzpayne, of Maryland, to be a Deputy Under 
        Secretary of the Treasury, vice Kim N. Wallace.
  Sept. 15, 2011--Received in the Senate.
  Sept. 15, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar in the 
            Privileged Nomination section with nominee 
            information requested by the Committee on Finance, 
            pursuant to S. Res. 116, 112th Congress.
  Oct. 17, 2011--Referred to the Committee on Finance pursuant 
            to S. Res. 116, 112th Congress as requested by 
            Senator Grassley.
  Nov. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-657.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 544. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Mar. 29, 2012--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Ronald Lee Buch, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United 
        States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years, vice 
        David Laro, term expired.
  Sept. 15, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Dec. 11, 2012--Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
  Dec. 21, 2012--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Dec. 21, 2012--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Dec. 21, 2012--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 959. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Jan. 1, 2013--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Joseph H. Gale, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States 
        Tax Court for a term of fifteen years. (Reappointment)
  July 11, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Sept. 12, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-580.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 370. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Sept. 26, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Mary John Miller, of Maryland, to be an Under Secretary of the 
        Treasury, vice Jeffrey Alan Goldstein.
  July 5, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Nov. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-657.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 541. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Mar. 29, 2012--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Albert G. Lauber, of the District of Columbia, to be a Judge of 
        the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen 
        years, vice Stephen J. Swift, resigned.
  May 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Dec. 11, 2012--Committee on Finance. Hearings held.
  Dec. 21, 2012--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Dec. 21, 2012--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Dec. 21, 2012--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 958. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Jan. 1, 2013--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Kathleen Kerrigan, of Massachusetts, to be a Judge of the 
        United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years, 
        vice Harry A. Haines, term expired.
  May 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Nov. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-657.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 543. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Mar. 29, 2012--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Janice Eberly, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Secretary of the 
        Treasury, vice Alan B. Krueger, resigned.
  May 4, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  July 28, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-573.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 367. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Oct. 21, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
David S. Johanson, of Texas, to be a Member of the United 
        States International Trade Commission for a term 
        expiring December 16, 2018, vice Charlotte A. Lane, 
        term expired.
  Apr. 8, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Sept. 12, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-580.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 420. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Oct. 31, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Paul Piquado, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant 
        Secretary of Commerce, vice David M. Spooner, resigned.
  Mar. 4, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Sept. 12, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-580.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 419. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Oct. 21, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Henry J. Aaron, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of 
        the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring 
        September 30, 2014, vice Jeffrey Robert Brown, term 
        expired.
  Feb. 14, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Nov. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-657.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Dec. 17, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 542. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Jan. 3, 2013--Returned to the President under the provisions 
            of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing 
            Rules of the Senate.
David S. Cohen, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary for 
        Terrorism and Financial Crimes, vice Stuart Levey, 
        resigning.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Apr. 7, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-462.
  Apr. 13, 2011--By unanimous consent agreement, nomination to 
            be sequentially referred to the Committee on 
            Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Apr. 14, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Apr. 14, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Apr. 14, 2011--Referred sequentially to the Committee on 
            Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs under authority 
            of the order of the Senate of April 13, 2011.
  May 3, 2011--Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
            Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S. Hrg. 
            112-115.
  May 12, 2011--Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
            Affairs. Ordered to be reported favorably.
  May 12, 2011--Reported by Senator Johnson (SD), Committee on 
            Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, without 
            printed report.
  May 12, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 120. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  June 30, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Timothy Charles Scheve, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the 
        Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board for a term 
        expiring September 14, 2015, vice Nancy Killefer, term 
        expired.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Jan. 24, 2012--Received message of withdrawal of nomination 
            from the President.
Richard Sorian, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services, vice Christina H. Pearson, 
        resigned.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Dec. 16, 2011--Received message of withdrawal of nomination 
            from the President.
Juan F. Vasquez, of Texas, to be a Judge of the United States 
        Tax Court for a term of fifteen years. (Reappointment)
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  July 28, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-573.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 369. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Sept. 26, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Islam A. Siddiqui, of Virginia, to be Chief Agricultural 
        Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade 
        Representative, with the rank of Ambassador, vice 
        Richard T. Crowder.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Sept. 12, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-580.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 418. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Oct. 21, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Michael W. Punke, of Montana, to be a Deputy United States 
        Trade Representative, with the Rank of Ambassador, vice 
        Peter F. Allgeier, resigned.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Sept. 12, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-580.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Oct. 11, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 417. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Oct. 21, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Michael F. Mundaca, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary 
        of the Treasury, vice Eric Solomon, resigned.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  July 29, 2011--Received message of withdrawal of nomination 
            from the President.
Alan D. Bersin, of California, to be Commissioner of Customs, 
        Department of Homeland Security, vice W. Ralph Basham.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Feb. 1, 2012--Received message of withdrawal of nomination 
            from the President.
Donald M. Berwick, of Massachusetts, to be Administrator of the 
        Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, vice Mark 
        B. McClellan.
  Jan. 26, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Dec. 1, 2011--Received message of withdrawal of nomination 
            from the President.
Jenni Rane LeCompte, of the District of Columbia, to be an 
        Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, vice Michele A. 
        Davis, resigned.
  Jan. 5, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  Apr. 7, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-462.
  Apr. 14, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Apr. 14, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Apr. 14, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 102. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  June 30, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
Maurice B. Foley, of Maryland, to be a Judge of the United 
        States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years. 
        (Reappointment)
  Jan. 5, 2011--Received in the Senate and referred to the 
            Committee on Finance.
  July 28, 2011--Committee on Finance. Hearings held. Hearings 
            printed: S. Hrg. 112-573.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Committee on Finance. Ordered to be reported 
            favorably.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Reported by Senator Baucus, Committee on 
            Finance, without printed report.
  Sept. 20, 2011--Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar 
            No. 368. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond 
            to requests to appear and testify before any duly 
            constituted committee of the Senate.
  Sept. 26, 2011--Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.
                     BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS REFERRED
                            TO THE COMMITTEE

    There were 1349 Senate bills and 11 House bills referred to 
the committee for consideration during the 112th Congress. In 
addition, 20 Senate and House resolutions (joint, concurrent or 
simple resolutions) were referred to the committee.
                      REPORTS, PRINTS, AND STUDIES

    During the 112th Congress, the committee and supporting 
joint committees, prepared and issued 15 reports, special 
prints, and studies on the following topics:
          

------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Title                  Document no.        To accompany
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A BILL TO CREATE A CITRUS TRUST   112-227...........  S. 3568
 FUND, TO RENEW AND MODIFY THE
 COTTON TRUST FUND, AND TO
 MODIFY AND EXTEND THE WOOL
 TRUST FUND.
RUSSIA AND MOLDOVA JACKSON-VANIK  112-226...........  S. 3406
 REPEAL AND MAGNITSKY RULE OF
 LAW ACCOUNTABILITY ACT.
AMENDING THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND   112-225...........  S. 3326
 OPPORTUNITY ACT TO EXTEND THE
 THIRD-COUNTRY FABRIC PROGRAM
 AND TO ADD SOUTH SUDAN TO THE
 LIST OF COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE FOR
 DESIGNATION UNDER THE ACT, TO
 MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO
 THE HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE
 OF THE UNITED STATES RELATING
 TO THE TEXTILE AND APPAREL
 RULES OF ORIGIN FOR THE
 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-CENTRAL
 AMERICA-UNITED STATES FREE
 TRADE AGREEMENT, AND TO APPROVE
 THE RENEWAL OF IMPORT
 RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED IN THE
 BURMESE FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY
 ACT OF 2003.
UNITED STATES-PANAMA TRADE        112-224...........  S. 1643
 PROMOTION AGREEMENT
 IMPLEMENTATION ACT.
UNITED STATES-KOREA FREE TRADE    112-223...........  S. 1642
 AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT.
UNITED STATES-COLOMBIA TRADE      112-222...........  S. 1641
 PROMOTION AGREEMENT
 IMPLEMENTATION ACT.
ENFORCING ORDERS AND REDUCING     112-209...........  S. 3524
 CUSTOMS EVASION ACT OF 2012.
FAMILY AND BUSINESS TAX CUT       112-208...........  S. 3521
 CERTAINTY ACT OF 2012.
HIGHWAY INVESTMENT, JOB           112-152...........  S. 2132
 CREATION, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
 ACT OF 2012.
STAFF REPORT ON MEDTRONIC'S       112-38............  ..................
 INFLUENCE ON INFUSE CLINICAL
 STUDIES.
STAFF REPORT ON HOME HEALTH AND   112-24............  ..................
 THE MEDICARE THERAPY THRESHOLD.
STAFF REPORT ON SANOFI'S          112-20............  ..................
 STRATEGIC USE OF THIRD PARTIES
 TO INFLUENCE THE FDA.
REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE   112-11............  ..................
 COMMITTEE ON FINANCE OF THE
 UNITED STATES SENATE DURING THE
 111TH CONGRESS PURSUANT TO RULE
 XXVI OF THE STANDING RULES OF
 THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
RULES OF PROCEDURE, SENATE        112-8.............  ..................
 COMMITTEE ON FINANCE.
AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND     112-1.............  S. 340
 REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2011.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS

    During the 112th Congress, a total of 634 official 
communications were submitted to the committee. Of these, 12 
were Presidential Messages; 609 were Executive Communications--
these communications include reports to advise and inform the 
Congress, required annual or semi-annual agency budget and 
activities summaries, and requests for legislative action. The 
committee also received 13 Petitions and Memorials.

                                  
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