Daily Schedule
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2009 House will not be in session. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009 House meets at 2:00 p.m. Recorded Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. Suspensions (7 Bills) 1. H.R. 3634 – To designate the “George Kell Post Office” in Swifton, Arkansas (Rep. Berry – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 2. H.R. 3667 – To designate the “Clyde L. Hillhouse Post Office Building” in White Springs, Florida (Rep. Crenshaw – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 3. H.Res. 727 – Expressing support for greater awareness of ovarian cancer (Rep. Israel – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 4. H.Res. 742 – Congratulating the Warner Robins Little League softball team from Warner Robins, Georgia, on winning the 2009 Little League Softball World Series (Rep. Marshall – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 5. H.Res. 743 – Honoring the life of Frank McCourt for his many contributions to American literature, education, and culture (Rep. Murphy (CT) – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 6. H.R. 3029 – To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle power generation systems (Rep. Tonko – Science and technology) Y N 7. H.R. 3598 – Energy and Water Research Integration Act (Rep. Gordon – Science and Technology) Y N
CapHillWomen Tweets on 2009-11-30
RT @nytimes: Leftist Wins Uruguay Presidential Vote http://bit.ly/8×5UOs #
RT @nytimes: Conservative Appears to Have Won in Honduras http://bit.ly/5OZXma #
RT @nytimes: Advocating for Girls’ Sports With a Sharp Tongue http://bit.ly/4SdEW7 #
RT @thehill: 7 issues to watch as Senate begins amending healthcare bill. http://bit.ly/4VTlsk #
RT @nytimes: ’00 Clemency May Be Issue for Huckabee http://bit.ly/6Ur3pH #
RT @thehill: [...]
THE DAILY LEADER: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009
Suspensions
GAO-10-40, Information Technology: Actions Needed to Fully Establish Program Management Capability for VA’s Financial and Logistics Initiative,…
Since 2005, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been undertaking an initiative to develop an integrated financial and asset management system known as the Financial and Logistics Integrated Technology Enterprise (FLITE). FLITE is the successor to an earlier initiative known as the Core Financial and Logistics System (CoreFLS) that the department undertook in 1998 and discontinued in 2004 because it failed to support VA’s operations. …
GAO-10-5, Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program: Performance Measurement Would Strengthen Accountability and Enhance Awareness among Potential…
In 1976, Congress established the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program, which is administered by the Department of Justice (Justice) and provides lump-sum payments to eligible public safety officers and their survivors after a line-of-duty death or permanent and total disability. The program also provides educational benefits to an eligible officer’s spouse and children. GAO was asked to determine (1) the extent to which claimants …
GAO-10-216R, Recovery Act: Contract Oversight Activities of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and Observations on Contract Spending…
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was enacted on February 17, 2009, to help stimulate the United States economy by creating new jobs, as well as saving existing ones, and investing in projects that will provide long-term economic benefits. Estimates show that the Recovery Act’s combined spending and tax provisions will cost $787 billion over 10 years–about $207 billion in tax reductions plus about $580 billion …
Weekly Schedule
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2009 House will not be in session. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2009 House meets at 2:00 p.m. Recorded Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. Suspensions (7 Bills) 1. H.R. 3634 – To designate the “George Kell Post Office” in Swifton, Arkansas (Rep. Berry – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 2. H.R. 3667 – To designate the “Clyde L. Hillhouse Post Office Building” in White Springs, Florida (Rep. Crenshaw – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 3. H.Res. 727 – Expressing support for greater awareness of ovarian cancer (Rep. Israel – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 4. H.Res. 742 – Congratulating the Warner Robins Little League softball team from Warner Robins, Georgia, on winning the 2009 Little League Softball World Series (Rep. Marshall – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 5. H.Res. 743 – Honoring the life of Frank McCourt for his many contributions to American literature, education, and culture (Rep. Murphy (CT) – Oversight and Government Reform) Y N 6. H.R. 3029 – To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle power generation systems (Rep. Tonko – Science and technology) Y N 7. H.R. 3598 – Energy and Water Research Integration Act (Rep. Gordon – Science and Technology) Y N WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK Wednesday, House meets at 10:00 a.m. Thursday,
H.R. 3548, Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009
Direct spending and revenues effects estimate for the bill as cleared by the Congress on November 5, 2009, and signed by the President on November 6, 2009
Army Future Combat System (FCS) "Spin-Outs" and Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV): Background and Issues for Congress
The Future Combat System (FCS) was a multiyear, multibillion dollar program at the heart of the Army's transformation efforts. It was to be the Army's major research, development, and acquisition program, consisting of 14 manned and unmanned systems tied together by an extensive communications and information network. FCS was intended to replace current systems such as the M-1 Abrams tank and the M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. The FCS program has been characterized by the Army and others as a high-risk venture because of the advanced technologies involved and the challenge of networking all of the FCS subsystems together so that FCS-equipped units could function as intended. On April 6, 2009, Secretary of Defense Gates announced that he intended to significantly restructure the FCS program. The Department of Defense (DOD) would then plan to accelerate the spin out of selected FCS technologies to all brigade combat teams (BCTs). Gates also recommended cancelling the manned ground vehicle (MGV) component of the program, which was intended to field eight separate tracked combat vehicle variants built on a common chassis that would eventually replace combat vehicles such as the M-1 Abrams tank, the M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, and the M-109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system. In October 2009, the Army announced a new BCT modernization strategy to implement Gates's restructuring announcement. Some of the key tenets of this strategy are as follows: • Deliver capability packages consisting of key FCS technologies and warfighter urgent requirements in two year increments. The Army plans to expand the fielding of these capability packages to all BCTs by 2025. • Get some FCS spin-outs–capabilities from the FCS program aimed at the current force–to the field in the FY2011-FY2012 capabilities package. • Upgrade select core Army systems. • Fully integrate Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) Vehicles into formations. • Develop a Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) concept focused on building a versatile platform incorporating combat lessons learned, and field the system by 2017. The Army states that a “new Ground Combat Vehicle, synchronized with upgrades, reset and divestiture of current vehicles is the most effective and affordable way to improve capability in the mid-term, mitigate risk associated with identified operational shortfalls and provide our Army the agility to adapt and versatility to meet the challenges of an ever-changing operational environment.” The Army's restructured FCS program and the new plan for modernizing BCTs pose several oversight issues for Congress. Congressional decisions regarding these new plans may significantly affect Army capabilities and funding requirements, and the ground combat portion of the defense industrial base. .
The German Economy and U.S.-German Economic Relations
Germany is the world's fifth largest economy and the largest in Europe, accounting for about one-fifth of the European Union's (EU) GDP. Germany is also the largest European trade and investment partner of the United States. Mutually profitable and growing U.S.-German commercial ties historically have been facilitated by a strong German economy. The health and functioning of the German economy, as well as its approaches to international economic policy issues, thus, are of considerable importance to the United States as well as to the rest of Europe. By most standards, post-war West Germany registered impressive economic performance in the first decades of its existence. But beginning in the mid-1990s, the German economy has been on a much lower growth path, averaging about 1.5% of GDP per year. Unemployment has also risen steadily. These trends, which are expected to be exacerbated by a steep decline in German GDP growth in 2009, raise questions about the long-term vitality and strength of the German economy. A number of factors help explain Germany's declining growth rate. One factor has been the high cost associated with integrating the formerly communist East German economy into the Federal Republic since reunification in 1990. A second has been the growing cost of Germany's generous social security and welfare programs and associated regulations which some believe may undercut incentives for work and entrepreneurship. A third is an economy that is more geared towards exporting than domestic investment and consumption. With few exceptions, German governments have generally been reluctant to advance what many economists consider necessary but unpopular economic policy reforms, including cut-backs in welfare programs and labor market protections. Some believe that Chancellor Angela Merkel's September 2009 reelection in coalition with the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) could increase the likelihood of market-friendly reforms being enacted, but any radical restructuring of Germany's social market economy is considered unlikely. With declining economic growth and rising expenditures on social protections, Germany faces significant budgetary and resource constraints. This resource crunch could limit Germany's flexibility in pursuing domestic and international policy goals, arguably making Germany less capable of compromise on matters of potential economic advantage. In this regard, Germany's domestic economic challenges could limit its policymaking flexibility. This has affected not only the economic and trade leadership role Germany has traditionally played in Europe, but also its position on issues that directly affect U.S. interests such as the global economic downturn and economic sanctions. A prosperous German state remains critical to both the U.S. and European economies. Difficulties Germany may have in regaining a stronger economic position are important concerns, affecting the U.S.-German partnership's ability to mutually address and manage a range of bilateral, regional, and global challenges. This report elaborates on these themes in three parts: the first section examines Germany's economic performance in historical perspective and assesses some of the domestic factors that may be contributing to Germany's less than optimal performance; the second discusses the reform challenges facing Germany's political leaders; and the third section evaluates a few salient U.S.-German economic policy differences and strains that seem to be influenced by Germany's weakened economic situation.
The German Economy and U.S.-German Economic Relations
Germany is the world's fifth largest economy and the largest in Europe, accounting for about one-fifth of the European Union's (EU) GDP. Germany is also the largest European trade and investment partner of the United States. Mutually profitable and growing U.S.-German commercial ties historically have been facilitated by a strong German economy. The health and functioning of the German economy, as well as its approaches to international economic policy issues, thus, are of considerable importance to the United States as well as to the rest of Europe. By most standards, post-war West Germany registered impressive economic performance in the first decades of its existence. But beginning in the mid-1990s, the German economy has been on a much lower growth path, averaging about 1.5% of GDP per year. Unemployment has also risen steadily. These trends, which are expected to be exacerbated by a steep decline in German GDP growth in 2009, raise questions about the long-term vitality and strength of the German economy. A number of factors help explain Germany's declining growth rate. One factor has been the high cost associated with integrating the formerly communist East German economy into the Federal Republic since reunification in 1990. A second has been the growing cost of Germany's generous social security and welfare programs and associated regulations which some believe may undercut incentives for work and entrepreneurship. A third is an economy that is more geared towards exporting than domestic investment and consumption. With few exceptions, German governments have generally been reluctant to advance what many economists consider necessary but unpopular economic policy reforms, including cut-backs in welfare programs and labor market protections. Some believe that Chancellor Angela Merkel's September 2009 reelection in coalition with the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) could increase the likelihood of market-friendly reforms being enacted, but any radical restructuring of Germany's social market economy is considered unlikely. With declining economic growth and rising expenditures on social protections, Germany faces significant budgetary and resource constraints. This resource crunch could limit Germany's flexibility in pursuing domestic and international policy goals, arguably making Germany less capable of compromise on matters of potential economic advantage. In this regard, Germany's domestic economic challenges could limit its policymaking flexibility. This has affected not only the economic and trade leadership role Germany has traditionally played in Europe, but also its position on issues that directly affect U.S. interests such as the global economic downturn and economic sanctions. A prosperous German state remains critical to both the U.S. and European economies. Difficulties Germany may have in regaining a stronger economic position are important concerns, affecting the U.S.-German partnership's ability to mutually address and manage a range of bilateral, regional, and global challenges. This report elaborates on these themes in three parts: the first section examines Germany's economic performance in historical perspective and assesses some of the domestic factors that may be contributing to Germany's less than optimal performance; the second discusses the reform challenges facing Germany's political leaders; and the third section evaluates a few salient U.S.-German economic policy differences and strains that seem to be influenced by Germany's weakened economic situation.
The Copyright Registration Requirement and Federal Court Jurisdiction: A Legal Analysis of Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick
Although an author need not register his or her work with the U.S. Copyright Office to obtain copyright protection, registration is a statutory prerequisite to bringing suit for infringement of the copyright, as mandated by 17 U.S.C. §411(a). The question in Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick, currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, is whether this section of the Copyright Act restricts the subject matter jurisdiction of the federal courts over copyright infringement actions. The plaintiffs in Reed Elsevier, consisting of individual authors and trade groups representing authors, brought a class action lawsuit against several publishers when those publishers licensed the authors' articles for print publication but failed to secure an additional license to reproduce them electronically. The Supreme Court had earlier affirmed the plaintiffs' right to control electronic reproduction of their copyrighted works in its 2001 opinion New York Times, Co. v. Tasini. After this opinion, the district court in Reed Elsevier referred the parties to mediation. Following almost four years of negotiations, the parties reached an agreement that sorted the plaintiffs into three categories based, in part, on whether or not their copyrights had been registered. The settlement assigned a different damages formula to each category, with owners of registered copyrights receiving more than owners whose copyrights were unregistered. Several freelance authors who fell within “Category C” (composed of unregistered copyrights) objected to the settlement agreement, arguing that the settlement was unfair and inadequate because they were paid too little. Proponents of the settlement responded that “Category C” claimants were treated fairly because, as owners of unregistered copyrights, they would normally be barred from bringing infringement suits at all under 17 U.S.C. §411(a). The district court granted final class certification and approved the settlement in September of 2005. The objectors appealed the district court's decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Before oral argument, the Second Circuit asked the parties to address whether the district court had subject matter jurisdiction over claims concerning the infringement of unregistered copyrights, or whether §411(a) restricted the court's jurisdiction. Both the authors and publishers argued that §411(a) is not jurisdictional in nature. However, a divided panel of the Second Circuit disagreed, holding that the requirement of copyright registration prior to an infringement suit is jurisdictional and therefore, because many of the plaintiff's copyrights were unregistered, the district court lacked the power to certify the class. The publishers appealed the appellate court's decision, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari on March, 2, 2009. Oral argument was heard in Reed Elsevier on October 7, 2009. The outcome of this case will not only affect the particular settlement at issue, but may well have broader implications for authors, publishers, and the general public.
This letter provides the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) comments on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Auditing Standards Board’s (ASB) proposed Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) on auditing accounting estimates.
GAO-10-89, Federal Aviation Administration: Human Capital System Incorporates Many Leading Practices, but Improving Employees’ Satisfaction with Their…
Aviation is critical to the nation’s economic well-being, global competitiveness, and national security. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 48,000 employees guide aircraft, oversee safety, and maintain air traffic control equipment. FAA will need these skills and additional expertise to address evolving missions. As requested, GAO reviewed (1) how FAA’s human capital system compares with practices of leading organizations and (2) …
GAO-10-145, Information Technology: U.S. Postal Service Needs to Strengthen System Acquisition and Management Capabilities to Improve Its Intelligent…
In 2003, the United States Postal Service (USPS) initiated the Intelligent Mail program, which is intended to use information-rich standardized barcodes to track mail and thus provide USPS and mailers with better and timely information. A major component of this program is the Full Service program, which, among other things, is intended to build a system that improves the visibility into end-to-end mail processing operations through the …