[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 33 (Thursday, February 27, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D191-D194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH OVERSIGHT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a

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hearing on the Federal Investments in Neuroscience Research Oversight. 
Testimony was heard from John P. Holdren, Director, Office of Science 
and Technology Policy; and John C. Wingfield, Assistant Director for 
the Directorate of Biological Sciences, National Science Foundation.
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURE ENTERPRISE OVERSIGHT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human 
Services, and Education held a hearing on Public Health Emergency 
Medical Countermeasure Enterprise Oversight. Testimony was heard from 
Dr. George W. Korch Jr., Senior Science Advisor to the Assistant 
Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Dr. Robin Robinson, Director 
of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; Dr. Dan 
Sosin, Deputy Director, Office of the Public Health Preparedness and 
Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Luciana 
Borio, Assistant Commissioner, Counterterrorism Policy, Food and Drug 
Administration; Michael Kurilla, Director, Office of Biodefense 
Research Resources and Translational Research, National Institutes of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health.
POSTURE OF THE U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND AND U.S. TRANSPORTATION 
COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Posture of the U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. 
Transportation Command''. Testimony was heard from General William M. 
Fraser, III, USAF, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command; and Admiral 
William H. McRaven, USN, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.
POSTURE OF THE U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND AND U.S. TRANSPORTATION 
COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection 
Forces held a hearing entitled ``Seapower and Projection Forces 
Capabilities to Support the Asia Pacific Rebalance''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
EXPLORING EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Committee on Education and the Workforce:  Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education; and the Subcommittee on 
Higher Education and Workforce Training held a joint hearing entitled 
``Exploring Efforts to Strengthen the Teaching Profession''. Testimony 
was heard from Deborah A. Gist, Commissioner, Rhode Island Department 
of Elementary and Secondary Education; Heather G. Peske, Associate 
Commissioner, Educator Quality, Massachusetts Department of Elementary 
and Secondary Education; and public witnesses.
COUNTERFEIT DRUGS: FIGHTING ILLEGAL SUPPLY CHAINS
Committee on Energy and Commerce:  Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Counterfeit Drugs: Fighting 
Illegal Supply Chains''. Testimony was heard from Howard Sklamberg, 
Deputy Commissioner, Global Regulatory Operations and Policy, Food and 
Drug Administration; Lev Kubiak, Director, National Intellectual 
Property Rights Coordination Center, Department of Homeland Security 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Marcia Crosse, Director, Health 
Care, Government Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
BENEFITS OF AND CHALLENGES TO ENERGY ACCESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: 
ELECTRICITY
Committee on Energy and Commerce:  Subcommittee on Energy and Power 
held a hearing entitled ``Benefits of and Challenges to Energy Access 
in the 21st Century: Electricity''. Testimony was heard from Edward S. 
Finley, Jr., Chairman North Carolina Utilities Commission; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce:  Subcommittee on Health held a markup 
on the following legislation: H.R. 3548, the ``Improving Trauma Care 
Act of 2013''; H.R. 1281, the ``Newborn Screening Saves Lives 
Reauthorization Act of 2013''; H.R. 1528, the ``Veterinary Medicine 
Mobility Act of 2013''; and H.R. 4080, the ``Trauma Systems and 
Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act''. The following 
bills were forwarded, as amended: H.R. 3548; H.R. 1281; H.R. 1528; and 
H.R. 4080.
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 
2548, the ``Electrify African Act''. The bill was ordered reported, as 
amended.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Homeland Security:  Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies held a hearing on 
H.R. 4007, the ``Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards 
Authorization and Accountability Act of 2014''. Testimony was heard 
from Caitlin Durkovich, Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security; Stephen L. Caldwell, Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office; Marcia 
Hodges, Chief Inspector,

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Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security; and 
public witnesses.
BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES' USE OF STOREFRONT 
OPERATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary:  Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland 
Security, and Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Use of Storefront 
Operations''. Testimony was heard from Thomas Brandon, Deputy Director, 
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources:  Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 1103, to amend the Alaska Native Claims 
Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek, Alaska, is and shall be 
recognized as an eligible Native village under that Act, and for other 
purposes; H.R. 1259, the ``Coltsville National Historical Park Act''; 
H.R. 3110, the ``Huna Tlingit Traditional Gull Egg Use Act''; and H.R. 
3605, the ``Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical Amendment Act''. The 
following bills were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 1103; 
and H.R. 3605. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: 
H.R. 1259; and H.R. 3110.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, 
Oceans and Insular Affairs held a hearing on the following legislation: 
H.R. 3105, the ``Aquaculture Risk Reduction Act''; H.R. 3280, the 
``Lacey Act Clarifying Amendments Act''; H.R. 3324, the ``Lacey Act 
Paperwork Reduction Act''; and H.R. 4032, the ``North Texas Invasive 
Species Barrier Act''. Testimony was heard from William C. Woody, 
Chief, Office of Law Enforcement, Fish and Wildlife Service; Michael 
Watson, Executive Director, Plant Health Programs, Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service; and public witnesses.
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OVERSIGHT: GAO REPORT--INTERIOR HIRING AND 
RETENTION CHALLENGES
Committee on Natural Resources:  Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``Obama Administration Oversight: GAO 
Report--Interior Hiring and Retention Challenges''. Testimony was heard 
from Frank Rusco, Director, Natural Resources and Environment, 
Government Accountability Office; Ned Farquhar, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, Department of Interior.
THE ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSED RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL SPEECH: 
DOUBLING DOWN ON IRS TARGETING
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Economic 
Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing entitled 
``The Administration's Proposed Restrictions on Political Speech: 
Doubling Down on IRS Targeting''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
AFGHANISTAN: HONORING THE HEROES OF EXTORTION 17
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Afghanistan: Honoring the Heroes of 
Extortion 17''. Testimony was heard from Garry Reid, Principal Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations and Law Intensity 
Conflict, Department of Defense; Deborah Skillman, Director, Casualty 
and Mortuary Affairs, Department of Defense; Colonel John Devillier, 
USAF, Commander, Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, Department of 
Defense; Colonel Kerk Brown, USA, Director, Army Casualty and Mortuary 
Affairs, Department of Defense; and Commander Aaron Brodsky, USN, 
Director, Navy Casualty Services, Department of Defense.
EXAMINING THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy 
Policy, Health Care, and Entitlements held a hearing entitled 
``Examining the Endangered Species Act''. Testimony was heard from 
Michael Bean, Counselor, Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of 
Interior; and Samuel Rauch, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Regulatory 
Programs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fisheries 
Services, Department of Commerce.
FIRST DEEP SPACE MISSION FOR THE ORION AND SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Mars Flyby 2021: The First Deep Space Mission for 
the Orion and Space Launch System?''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
IMPROVING THE NATION'S HIGHWAY FREIGHT NETWORK
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing entitled ``Improving the Nation's 
Highway Freight Network''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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REVIEW OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VA'S VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND 
EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing entitled ``Review of the Effectiveness of VA's 
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program''. Testimony was heard 
from Daniel Bertoni, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income 
Security, Government Accountability Office; Jack Kammerer, Director, 
Vocation Rehabilitation and Employment Service, Veterans Benefits 
Administration; and public witnesses.
ONGOING INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Ongoing Intelligence Activities''. This was a closed 
hearing.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.