[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 48 (Thursday, April 11, 2013)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D300-D303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on the Department of Education. 
Testimony was heard from Arne Duncan, Secretary, Department of 
Education.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on FY 2014 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland 
Security. Testimony was heard from Janet Napolitano, Secretary, 
Department of Homeland Security.

[[Page D301]]


APPROPRIATIONS--NUCLEAR WASTE PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on Oversight Hearing: Nuclear Waste Programs 
and Strategies. Testimony was heard from Peter B. Lyons, Assistant 
Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy; Michael Weber, 
Deputy Executive Director for Operations for Materials, Waste, 
Research, State, Tribal, and Compliance Programs, Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission; Frank Rusco, Director of Natural Resources and Environment, 
Energy and Science, Government Accountability Office; Rodney C. Ewing, 
Chairman, Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board; and public witnesses.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department of Commerce Budget 
Request. Testimony was heard from Rebecca M. Blank, Acting Secretary, 
Department of Commerce.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on Department of the Interior Budget 
Request for Fiscal Year 2014. Testimony was heard from Ken Salazar, 
Secretary, Department of the Interior.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing on Fiscal 
Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the 
Department of Defense. Testimony was heard from General Martin Dempsey, 
USA, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Chuck Hagel, Secretary of 
Defense, Department of Defense.
EQUIPPING THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER AND MARINE: CURRENT AND FUTURE YEAR 
ACQUISITION AND MODERNIZATION STRATEGIES AND THE FISCAL YEAR 2014 
BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land 
Forces held a hearing on Equipping the Individual Soldier and Marine: 
Current and Future Year Acquisition and Modernization Strategies and 
the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request. Testimony was heard from Peter B. 
Bechtel, Director, Capabilities Integration, Prioritization, and 
Analysis, Department of the Army; Brigadier General Paul Ostrowski, 
USA, Program Executive Officer, Soldier, U.S. Army; Brigadier General 
Frank Kelley, USMC, Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command, U.S. 
Marine Corps.
PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The 
President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget''. Testimony was heard from Jeffrey 
Zients, Acting Director and Deputy Director for Management, Office of 
Management and Budget.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing on H.R. 1406, the ``Working Families 
Flexibility Act of 2013''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
STRENGTHENING MEDICARE FOR SENIORS: UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES OF 
TRADITIONAL MEDICARE'S BENEFIT DESIGN
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Strengthening Medicare for Seniors: Understanding the 
Challenges of Traditional Medicare's Benefit Design''. Testimony was 
heard from a public witness.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and the 
Economy held a hearing on a draft discussion on the ``Coal Ash 
Recycling and Oversight Act of 2013''. Testimony was heard from Mathy 
Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for Office of Solid Waste and 
Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency; Robert J. 
Martineau, Jr., Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Environment and 
Conservation; Stephen A. Cobb, Chief, Governmental Hazardous Waste 
Branch Land Division, Alabama Department of Environmental Management; 
and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a markup on legislation to affirm the policy of the 
United States regarding Internet governance. The discussion draft to 
affirm the policy of the United States regarding Internet governance 
was passed without amendment.
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS REGARDING DERIVATIVES AND SEC ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a 
hearing entitled ``Legislative Proposals Regarding Derivatives and SEC 
Economic Analysis''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D302]]


HIGHLIGHTING VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ADVANCE 
OF THE U.S.-VIETNAM DIALOGUE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``Highlighting Vietnamese Government Human Rights Violations 
in Advance of the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
BREAKING THE IRAN, NORTH KOREA, AND SYRIA NEXUS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa; Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific; and Subcommittee on 
Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade held a hearing entitled 
``Breaking the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nexus''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere held a 
hearing entitled ``Energy Opportunities in Latin America and the 
Caribbean''. Testimony was heard from Carlos Pascual, Special Envoy and 
Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, Department of State; 
Matthew M. Rooney, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western 
Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State; and public witnesses.
COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS TO COMBAT A CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, 
RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR ATTACK ON THE HOMELAND
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and 
Intelligence held a hearing entitled ``Counterterrorism Efforts to 
Combat a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Attack on the 
Homeland''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TSA'S EFFORTS TO ADVANCE RISK-BASED SECURITY: STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``TSA's Efforts to Advance Risk-Based Security: 
Stakeholder Perspectives''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 367, 
the ``Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013''. 
The bill was ordered reported, as amended.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public Lands and 
Environmental Regulation held a hearing on the following: legislation 
regarding ``Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act''; 
H.R. 1294, the ``Self-Sufficient Community Lands Act''; H.R. 818, the 
``Healthy Forest Management and Wildfire Prevention Act''; H.R. 1345, 
the ``Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2013''; legislation 
regarding the ``O&C Trust, Conservation, and Jobs Act''; and H.R. 1442, 
the ``Depleting Risk from Insect Infestation, Soil Erosion, and 
Catastrophic Fire Act of 2013''. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Hastings (WA); and Representatives Labrador, Tipton, Gosar, Markey, 
DeFazio, Walden, Schrader, and Tom Tidwell, Chief, Forest Service, 
Department of Agriculture; Ray Campbell, Commissioner, Okanogan County, 
WA; Judy Morris, Supervisor, Trinity County, CA; Skip Brandt, 
Commissioner, Idaho County, ID; John Maisch, State Forester and 
Director, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry; 
John Martin, Commissioner, Garfield County, CO; Cindy Dozier, 
Commissioner, Hinsdale County, CO; Tommie Martin, District Supervisor 
and Vice Chair, Gila County, AZ; Tom Tuchmann, Forestry and 
Conservation Finance Advisor, Office of the Governor, State of Oregon; 
Doug Robertson, Commissioner, Douglas County, OR; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFIT PROGRAM: IS IT A GOOD VALUE FOR 
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and the Census held a hearing entitled 
``The Federal Employees Health Benefit Program: Is It a Good Value for 
Federal Employees?''. Testimony was heard from Jonathan Foley, 
Director, Planning and Policy Analysis, Office of Personnel Management; 
and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 875, to provide for a comprehensive assessment of the 
scientific and technical research on the implications of the use of 
mid-level ethanol blends, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1422, the 
``EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013''. The bills, H.R. 875 
and H.R. 1422, were ordered reported, as amended.
JOBS ACT IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight 
and Regulations held a hearing

[[Page D303]]

entitled ``JOBS Act Implementation Update''. Testimony was heard from 
Lona Nallengara, Acting Director, Division of Corporation Finance, 
Securities and Exchange Commission; John Ramsay, Acting Director, 
Division of Trading and Markets, Securities and Exchange Commission; 
and public witnesses.
AMTRAK'S FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET: THE STARTING POINT FOR 
REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a hearing entitled 
``Amtrak's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget: The Starting Point for 
Reauthorization''. Testimony was heard from Joseph H. Boardman, 
President and CEO, Amtrak; and Joseph C. Szabo, Administrator, Federal 
Railroad Administration.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BUDGET REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing on 
Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2014. 
Testimony was heard from Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary, Department of 
Veterans Affairs.
PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET PROPOSAL WITH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 
THE TREASURY
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a hearing on 
President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Proposal with U.S. Department of 
the Treasury. Testimony was heard from Jacob Lew, Secretary, Department 
of Treasury.
WORLDWIDE THREATS
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Worldwide Threats''. Testimony was heard from James 
R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence; John O. Brennan, 
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Lieutenant General Michael 
T. Flynn, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of 
Defense; Robert S. Meuller, Director of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.