[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 15, 2015)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D396-D399] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF SNAP: THE WORLD OF NUTRITION AND THE ROLE OF THE CHARITABLE SECTOR Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The Past, Present, and Future of SNAP: The World of Nutrition and the Role of the Charitable Sector''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MEMBERS' DAY Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing for Members of Congress. Testimony was heard from Chairman Miller of Florida and Representatives Lowenthal, Ted Lieu of California, Jolly, McGovern, Heck of Washington, Johnson of Georgia, Cook, Byrne, Carter of Georgia, Rothfus, Lawrence, and Wagner. APPROPRIATIONS--SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government held a hearing on Securities and Exchange Commission budget. Testimony was heard from Mary Jo White, Chair, Securities and Exchange Commission. APPROPRIATIONS--EBOLA Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education held a hearing on Ebola budget. Testimony was heard from Nicole Lurie, MD, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, United States Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services; Thomas R. Frieden, MD, Director, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention; Anthony S. Fauci, MD, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, National Institutes of Health; and Robin Robinson, Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development held a markup on appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016. The bill was forwarded to the full committee, without amendment. APPROPRIATIONS--IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a hearing on Immigration and Customs Enforcement budget. Testimony was heard from Sarah R. Saldanna, Director, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a markup on appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016. The bill was forwarded to the full committee, without amendment. APPROPRIATIONS--UNITED NATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a hearing on United Nations and International Organizations budget. Testimony was heard from Samantha Power, United States Ambassador to the United Nations. THE RISK OF LOSING MILITARY TECHNOLOGY SUPERIORITY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. POLICY, STRATEGY, AND POSTURE IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The Risk of Losing Military Technology Superiority and Its Implications for U.S. Policy, Strategy, and Posture in the Asia- Pacific''. Testimony was heard from Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, USN, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command; General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, USA, Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; and Christine E. Wormuth, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. THE ROLE OF SURFACE FORCES IN PRESENCE, DETERRENCE, AND WARFIGHTING Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces held a hearing entitled ``The Role of Surface Forces in Presence, Deterrence, and Warfighting''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. FISCAL YEAR 2016 NUCLEAR FORCES HEARING Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a hearing entitled ``Fiscal Year 2016 Nuclear Forces Hearing''. Testimony was heard from the following Department of Defense officials: Vice Admiral Terry J. Benedict, USN, Director, Strategic Systems Programs; Major General Garrett Harencak, USAF, Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration; Arthur T. Hopkins, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs; and Robert M. Scher, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities. [[Page D397]] SERVING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Serving Students and Families through Child Nutrition Programs''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1734, the ``Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015''; H.R. 906, to modify the efficiency standards for grid-enabled water heaters; and H.R. 1770, the ``Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015''. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 906 and H.R. 1770. The following bill was ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 1734. EXAMINING REGULATORY BURDENS ON NON-DEPOSITORY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Examining Regulatory Burdens on Non-Depository Financial Institutions''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. CONFRONTING RUSSIA'S WEAPONIZATION OF INFORMATION Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Confronting Russia's Weaponization of Information''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a markup on H.R. 1150, to amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the ability of the United States to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism worldwide, and for other purposes; and H. Res. 50, calling for the release of Ukrainian fighter pilot Nadiya Savchenko, who was captured by Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine and has been held illegally in a Russian prison since July 2014. H.R. 1150 was forwarded to the full committee, without amendment. H. Res. 50 was forwarded to the full committee, as amended. THE CONTINUING THREAT OF NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing entitled ``The Continuing Threat of Neglected Tropical Diseases''. Testimony was heard from Ariel Pablos-Meendez, M.D., Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development; and public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 427, the ``Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015''; H.R. 1759, the ``All Economic Regulations are Transparent Act of 2015''; and H.R. 758, the ``Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015''. The following bill was ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 427. The following bill was ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 1759. The committee began consideration of H.R. 758. ANALYZING MISCONDUCT IN FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Analyzing Misconduct in Federal Law Enforcement''. Testimony was heard from Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, Department of Justice; John Roth, Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security; Herman E. ``Chuck'' Whaley, Deputy Chief Inspector, Office of Professional Responsibility, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice; and Mark Hughes, Chief Integrity Officer, Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security. FEDERAL LAND ACQUISITION AND ITS IMPACTS ON COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing entitled ``Federal Land Acquisition and its Impacts on Communities and the Environment''. Testimony was heard from Robert A. Lovingood, Supervisor, First District San Bernardino County; and public witnesses. EXAMINING THE FUTURE IMPACTS OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S OFFSHORE ENERGY PLAN Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing entitled ``Examining the Future Impacts of President Obama's Offshore Energy Plan''. Testimony was heard from Pat McCrory, Governor, State of North Carolina; Abigail Hopper, Director, Bureau of Ocean [[Page D398]] Energy Management, Department of the Interior; Emilie Swearingen, Commissioner, Town of Kure Beach, North Carolina; and public witnesses. OVERSIGHT OF EFFORTS TO REFORM THE EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and Administrative Rules; and Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade of the Committee on Financial Services, held a joint hearing entitled ``Oversight of Efforts to Reform the Export-Import Bank of the United States''. Testimony was heard from the following Export-Import Bank of the United States officials: Michael T. McCarthy, Acting Inspector General, Office of Inspector General; Mark S. Thorum, Assistant Inspector General for Inspections and Evaluations, Office of Inspector General; Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman and President; and Nathan Sheets, Undersecretary for International Affairs, Department of Treasury; and Kimberly M. Gianopoulos, Director of Advocacy, International Affairs and Trade Team, Government Accountability Office. THE TAXPAYER ADVOCATE'S ANNUAL REPORT Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing entitled ``The Taxpayer Advocate's Annual Report''. Testimony was heard from Nina Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service. THE PRESIDENT'S UN CLIMATE PLEDGE: SCIENTIFICALLY JUSTIFIED OR A NEW TAX ON AMERICANS? Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The President's UN Climate Pledge: Scientifically Justified or a New Tax on Americans?''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. TAX REFORM: ENSURING THAT MAIN STREET ISN'T LEFT BEHIND Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Tax Reform: Ensuring that Main Street Isn't Left Behind''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1732, the ``Regulatory Integrity Protection Act''; H.R. 1471, the ``FEMA Disaster Assistance Reform Act of 2015''; H.R. 1472, the ``Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015''; H.R. 1473, the ``John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2015''; H.R. 944, to reauthorize the National Estuary Program, and for other purposes; H.R. 336, to direct the Administrator of General Services, on behalf of the Archivist of the United States, to convey certain Federal property located in the State of Alaska to the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska; H.R. 172, to designate the United States courthouse located at 501 East Court Street in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''; H. Con. Res. 21, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby; H. Con. Res. 25, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition; and H.R. 1690, to designate the United States courthouse located at 700 Grant Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the ``Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States Courthouse''. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 1732 and H.R. 1471. The following legislation was ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 1472, H.R. 944, H.R. 1473, H.R. 336, H.R. 172, H.R. 1690, H. Con. Res. 21, and H. Con. Res. 25. AN OVERVIEW OF THE U.S. COAST GUARD'S MISSIONS Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``An Overview of the U.S. Coast Guard's Missions''. Testimony was heard from Vice Admiral Charles Michel, United States Coast Guard Deputy Commandant for Operations. DENVER VA MEDICAL CENTER: CONSTRUCTING A WAY FORWARD Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Denver VA Medical Center: Constructing a Way Forward''. Testimony was heard from Lloyd C. Caldwell, Director of Military Programs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army; and Sloan D. Gibson, Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs. SPECIAL ACTIVITIES Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on the National Security Agency and Cybersecurity held a hearing on special activities. This hearing was closed. Joint Meetings SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine if taxes are holding back small business growth, after receiving testimony from Brian Reardon, S Corporation Association, and Holly [[Page D399]] Wade, National Federation of Independent Business, both of Washington, D.C.; Jody Fledderman, Batesville Tool and Die, Batesville, Indiana; Thomas A. Hoghaug, Signus Medical LLC, Chanhassen, Minnesota; and Martin A. Sullivan, Tax Analysts, Falls Church, Virginia.