Congressional Record
111th Congress (2009-2010)
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Daily Digest - Friday, December 4, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Daily Digest
[Page: D1403] GPO's PDF
Senate
Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S12355-S12460
Measures Introduced:
Five bills and one resolution were introduced, as follows: S. 2836-2840, and S. Res. 370.
Page S12413
Measures Passed:
Supporting Civilians Affected by Conflict in Yemen:
Senate agreed to S. Res. 341, supporting peace, security, and innocent civilians affected by conflict in Yemen.
Pages S12459-60
Honoring Former Senator Paula F. Hawkins: Senate agreed to S. Res. 370, relative to the death of Paula F. Hawkins, former United States Senator for the State of Florida.
Page S12460
Measures Considered:
Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act--Agreement:
Senate continued consideration of H.R. 3590, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the case of members of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal employees, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto:
Pages S12356-S12408
Adopted:
By a unanimous vote of 98 yeas (Vote No. 359), Whitehouse Amendment No. 2870 (to Amendment No. 2786), to promote fiscal responsibility by protecting the Social Security surplus and CLASS program savings in this Act. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having achieved 60 affirmatives votes, be agreed to).
Pages S12356, S12395
By 97 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 361), Stabenow Amendment No. 2899 (to Amendment No. 2786), to ensure that there is no reduction or elimination of any benefits guaranteed by law to participants in Medicare Advantage plans. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having achieved 60 affirmatives votes, be agreed to).
Pages S12391-95, S12396
Withdrawn:
By 51 yeas to 47 nays (Vote No. 360), Thune Amendment No. 2901 (to Amendment No. 2786), to eliminate new entitlement programs and limit the government control over the health care of American families. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, the amendment be withdrawn).
Page S12395
By 41 yeas to 57 nays (Vote No. 362), Hatch motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, the motion be withdrawn).
Pages S12356, S12396-97
Pending:
Reid Amendment No. 2786, in the nature of a substitute.
Pages S12356-S12408
Lincoln Amendment No. 2905 (to Amendment No. 2786), to modify the limit on excessive remuneration paid by certain health insurance providers to set the limit at the same level as the salary of the President of the United States.
Page S12397
Johanns motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions.
Pages S12397-S12408
A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the bill at approximately 10 a.m., on Saturday, December 5, 2009, with the first three hours following any Leader remarks equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees, and controlled in 45 minute alternating blocks of time, with the Majority controlling the first block, and with no other motions or amendments in order during the controlled time.
Page S12460
National Women's History Museum Act--Referral Agreement:
A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 2129, to authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property in the District of Columbia to provide for the establishment of a National Women's History Museum, and the bill then be referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Page S12459D1404
Nominations Received:
Senate received the following nominations:
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David L. Strickland, of Georgia, to be Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
William B. Sansom, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2014.
Judith Ann Stewart Stock, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Educational and Cultural Affairs).
3 Army nominations in the rank of general.
Page S12460
Executive Communications:
Pages S12412-13
Additional Cosponsors:
Pages S12413-14
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
Pages S12414-15
Additional Statements:
Pages S12411-12
Amendments Submitted
Pages S12415-59
Privileges of the Floor:
Page S12459
Record Votes:
Four record votes were taken today. (Total--362)
Pages S12395, S12396, S12396-97
Adjournment:
Senate convened at 9:31 a.m. and adjourned, in accordance with S. Res. 370, at 6:50 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 5, 2009. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S12460.)
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
No committee meetings were held.
House of Representatives
Chamber Action
The House was not in session today. The House is scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, December 7, 2009.
Committee Meetings
No committee meetings were held.
Joint Meetings
EMPLOYMENT
Joint Economic Committee:
Committee concluded hearings to examine the employment-unemployment situation for November 2009, after receiving testimony from Keith Hall, Commissioner, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
No meetings/hearings scheduled.
No committee meetings are scheduled.
Senate will continue consideration of H.R. 3590, Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act.
During the balance of the week, Senate may consider any cleared legislative and executive business.
Committee on Armed Services: December 8, to hold hearings to examine Afghanistan, 1:30 p.m., SH-216.
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: December 9, Subcommittee on Economic Policy, to hold hearings to examine creating jobs in the recession, 2 p.m., SD-538.
December 10, Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development, to hold hearings to examine the Federal role in overseeing the safety of public transportation systems, 9:30 a.m., SD-538.
Committee on the Budget:
December 10, to hold hearings to examine data-driven performance, focusing on using technology to deliver results, 10 a.m., SD-608.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:
December 9, to hold hearings to examine research parks and job creation, focusing on innovation through cooperation, 2:30 p.m., SR-253.
December 10, Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security, to hold an oversight hearing to examine aviation safety, focusing on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety initiatives, 10 a.m., SR-253.
[Page: D1405] GPO's PDF
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources:
December 8, Subcommittee on Energy, to hold hearings to examine H.R. 957, to authorize higher education curriculum development and graduate training in advanced energy and green building technologies, H.R. 2729, to authorize the designation of National Environmental Research Parks by the Secretary of Energy, H.R. 3165, to provide for a program of wind energy research, development, and demonstration, H.R. 3246, to provide for a program of research, development, demonstration and commercial application in vehicle technologies at the Department of Energy, H.R. 3585, to guide and provide for United States research, development, and demonstration of solar energy technologies, S. 737, to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to conduct research, development, and demonstration to make biofuels more compatible with small nonroad engines, S. 1617, to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program for the award of grants to States to establish revolving loan funds for small and medium-sized manufacturers to improve energy efficiency and produce clean energy technology, S. 2744, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expand the authority for awarding technology prizes by the Secretary of Energy to include a financial award for separation of carbon dioxide from dilute sources, and S. 2773, to require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program to support the research, demonstration, and development of commercial applications for offshore wind energy, 2:30 p.m., SD-366.
December 10, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the role of grid-scale energy storage in meeting our energy and climate goals, 10 a.m., SD-366.
Committee on Environment and Public Works:
December 8, to hold an oversight hearing to examine Federal drinking water programs, 10 a.m., SD-406.
Committee on Finance:
December 9, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, to hold hearings to examine exports' place on the path of economic recovery, 2:30 p.m., SD-215.
Committee on Foreign Relations:
December 8, business meeting to consider S. 1559, to consolidate democracy and security in the Western Balkans by supporting the Governments and people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro in reaching their goal of eventual NATO membership, and to welcome further NATO partnership with the Republic of Serbia, and the nominations of Rajiv J. Shah, of Washington, to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, and Mary Burce Warlick, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, James B. Warlick, Jr., of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria, Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary, Leslie V. Rowe, of Washington, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique, Alberto M. Fernandez, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Mary Jo Wills, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles, Jide J. Zeitlin, of New York, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, and to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador, Anne Slaughter Andrew, of Indiana, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica, David Daniel Nelson, of Minnesota, to be Ambassador to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Betty E. King, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador, Laura E. Kennedy, of New York, for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service as U.S. Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, and Bill Delahunt, of Massachusetts, Elaine Schuster, of Florida, and Christopher H. Smith, of New Jersey, all to be a Representative, and Laura Gore Ross, of New York, and Wellington E. Webb, of Colorado, both to be an Alternate Representative, all of the United States of America to the Sixty-fourth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, all of the Department of State, and any pending calendar business, 2:15 p.m., S-116, Capitol.
December 9, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the new Afghanistan strategy, focusing on the view from the ground, 10 a.m., SD-419.
December 9, Subcommittee on European Affairs, to hold hearings to examine strengthening the transatlantic economy, 2:30 p.m., SD-419.
December 10, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Concerning Defense Trade Cooperation, done at Washington and London on June 21 and 26, 2007 (Treaty Doc. 110-07), and Treaty Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Australia Concerning Defense Trade Cooperation, done at Sydney, September 5, 2007 (Treaty Doc.110-10), 10 a.m., SD-419.
December 10, Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, to hold hearings to examine principles for United States engagement in Asia, 2:30 p.m., SD-419.
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
December 9, business meeting to consider the nominations of Jacqueline A. Berrien, of New York, Victoria A. Lipnic, of Virginia, Chai Rachel Feldblum, of Maryland, all to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, P. David Lopez, of Arizona, to be General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Patrick Alfred Corvington, of Maryland, to be Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, Adele Logan Alexander, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities, and Lynnae M. Ruttledge, of Washington, to be Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education, 10 a.m., SD-430.
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Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs:
December 9, to hold hearings to examine five years after the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, focusing on stopping terrorist travel, 10 a.m., SD-342.
December 9, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, to hold hearings to examine the diplomat's shield, focusing on diplomatic security today, 2:30 p.m., SD-342.
December 10, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Grayling Grant Williams, of Maryland, to be Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement, and Elizabeth M. Harman, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, both of the Department of Homeland Security, 10 a.m., SD-342.
December 10, Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery, to hold hearings to examine children and disasters, focusing on a progress report on addressing needs, 2:30 p.m., SD-342.
Committee on Indian Affairs:
December 9, business meeting to consider pending calendar business; to be immediately followed by a hearing to examine S. 1690, to amend the Act of March 1, 1933, to transfer certain authority and resources to the Utah Dineh Corporation; to be immediately followed by an oversight hearing to examine Department of the Interior backlogs, 9:30 a.m., SD-628.
Committee on the Judiciary:
December 9, to hold an oversight hearing to examine the Department of Homeland Security, 10 a.m., SH-216.
December 9, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and the financial meltdown, focusing on prosecuting those responsible, 2 p.m., SD-226.
December 10, Full Committee, business meeting to consider S. 448, to maintain the free flow of information to the public by providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of information by certain persons connected with the news media, S. 714, to establish the National Criminal Justice Commission, S. 1624, to amend title 11 of the United States Code, to provide protection for medical debt homeowners, to restore bankruptcy protections for individuals experiencing economic distress as caregivers to ill, injured, or disabled family members, and to exempt from means testing debtors whose financial problems were caused by serious medical problems, S. 1765, to amend the Hate Crime Statistics Act to include crimes against the homeless, S. 678, to reauthorize and improve the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, S. 1554, to amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to prevent later delinquency and improve the health and well-being of maltreated infants and toddlers through the development of local Court Teams for Maltreated Infants and Toddlers and the creation of a National Court Teams Resource Center to assist such Court Teams, S. 1789, to restore fairness to Federal cocaine sentencing, and the nominations of Rosanna Malouf Peterson, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington, William M. Conley, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Wisconsin, and Denny Chin, of New York, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit, 10 a.m., SD-226.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs:
December 9, to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Robert A. Petzel, of Minnesota, to be Under Secretary for Health, and Raul Perea-Henze, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning, both of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 9:30 a.m., SR-418.
Select Committee on Intelligence:
December 8, to hold closed hearings to consider certain intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., S-407, Capitol.
December 10, Full Committee, to hold closed hearings to consider certain intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., S-407, Capitol.
Committee on Agriculture,
December 9, Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, hearing to review the regulatory and legislative strategies in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 10 a.m., 1300 Longworth.
Committee on Appropriations,
December 10, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, oversight hearing on the Smithsonian Institution, 10 a.m., B-308 Rayburn.
Committee on Armed Services,
December 8, to continue hearings on Afghanistan: The Results of the Strategic Review, Part II, 9:30 a.m., 210 HVC.
December 10, Subcommittee on Readiness, Air and Land Forces, and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, joint hearing on Status of Army and Marine Corps Reset Requirements, Part II, 10 a.m., 210 HVC.
Committee on the Budget,
December 9, hearing on The Social Safety Net:
Impact of the Recession and of the Recovery Act, 10 a.m., 210 Cannon.
Committee on Education and Labor,
December 8, hearing on Improving Our Competitiveness: Common Core Education Standards, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
December 8, Subcommittee on Health, hearing entitled ``Prescription Drug Price Inflation: Are Prices Rising Too Fast?'' 9:30 a.m., 2123 Rayburn.
December 10, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, hearing entitled ``Drinking Water and Public Health Impacts of Coal Combustion Waste Disposal,'' 9:30 a.m., 2322 Rayburn.
Committee on Financial Services,
December 8, hearing entitled ``The Private Sector and Government Response to the Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis,'' 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn.
December 9, Subcommittee Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises, hearing entitled ``Additional Reforms to the Securities Investor Protection Act,'' 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn.
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
December 9, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, hearing on A Strategic and Economic Review of Aerospace Exports, 2 p.m., 2200 Rayburn.
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December 9, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, hearing on New Direction or Old Path? Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), 2 p.m., 2172 Rayburn.
December 10, full Committee, to continue hearings on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan, Part II, 9:30 a.m., 2172 Rayburn.
Committee on Homeland Security,
December 10, Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism, hearing entitled ``Moving More Effective Immigration Detention Management,'' 10 a.m., 311 Cannon.
Committee on the Judiciary,
December 8 and 10, Task Force on Judicial Impeachment, to consider possible Impeachment of United States District Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., Part II, 10 a.m., on December 8, and Part III, 10:30 a.m., on December 10, 2141 Rayburn.
December 8, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, hearing on the Impact of Federal Habeas Corpus Limitations on Death Penalty Appeals, 1 p.m., 2237 Rayburn.
December 10, Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy, hearing on Examining the State of Judicial Recusals after Caperton v. A.T. Massey, 1 p.m., 2237 Rayburn.
December 10, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, hearing on H.R. 1924, Tribal Law and Order Act of 2009, 10 a.m., 2237 Rayburn,
December 11, Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, hearing on Home Foreclosures: Will Voluntary Mortgage Modification Help Families Save Their Homes? Part II, 11 a.m., 2141 Rayburn.
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
December 9, Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement, hearing entitled ``Protecting Intellectual Property Rights in a Global Economy: Current Trends and Future Challenges,'' 10 a.m., 2247 Rayburn.
December 9, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, hearing entitled ``U.S. aid to Pakistan: Planning and Accountability,'' 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
December 10, full Committee, to consider pending business, 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
December 11, full Committee, and the Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, joint hearing entitled ``Bank of America and Merrill Lynch: How Did a Private Deal Turn Into a Federal Bailout? Part V,'' 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn.
Committee on Rules,
December 8, to consider the following:
H.R. 4173, Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009; and the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, 3 p.m., H-313 Capitol.
Committee on Science and Technology,
December 10, hearing on Decisions on the Future Direction and Funding for NASA: What Will They Mean for the U.S. Aerospace Workforce and Industrial Base? 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
December 8, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, hearing on Public Transit Safety: Examining the Federal Role, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.
December 9, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, hearing on Maritime Domain Awareness, 2 p.m., 2167 Rayburn.
December 9, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, hearing on the One-Year Anniversary of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Ash Slide: Evaluating Current Cleanup Progress and Assessing Future Environmental Goals, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.
December 10, full Committee, hearing on Recovery Act:
Progress Report for Transportation Infrastructure Investment, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
December 9, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing on Acquisition Deficiencies at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 10 a.m., 334 Cannon.
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,
December 8, executive, briefing on NSA Update, 4:30 p.m., 304 HVC.
December 9, executive, briefing on Afghanistan/Pakistan Update, 11 a.m., 304-HVC.
Joint Economic Committee:
December 10, to hold hearings to examine the challenge of creating jobs in the aftermath of the recession, 10 a.m., 210 Cannon Building.
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Program for Saturday:
Senate will continue consideration of H.R. 3590, Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act, with a series of rollcall votes expected after 1 p.m.
Program for Monday:
To be announced.
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