[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D229-D232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Department of Agriculture FY 2015 Budget. Testimony was 
heard from Phyllis Fong, Inspector General, Department of Agriculture; 
Karen Ellis, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Department 
of Agriculture; Gil Harden, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, 
Department of Agriculture.

[[Page D230]]


APPROPRIATIONS--LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on Library of Congress FY 2015 Budget. Testimony was heard from 
James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress; and Robert Dizard, Deputy 
Librarian of Congress.
APPROPRIATIONS--GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Legislative Branch held a 
hearing on Government Accountability Office FY 2015 Budget. Testimony 
was heard from Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General, Government 
Accountability Office.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUESTS FROM THE U.S. PACIFIC 
COMMAND, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND, AND U.S. AFRICA COMMAND FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Budget Requests 
from the U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Africa 
Command''. Testimony was heard from General Lloyd J. Austin III, USA, 
Commander, U.S. Central Command; and General David M. Rodriguez, USA, 
Commander, U.S. Africa Command.
PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2015 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The 
President's Fiscal Year 2015 Budget''. Testimony was heard from Sylvia 
M. Burwell, Director, Office of Management and Budget.
CULTURE OF UNION FAVORITISM: THE RETURN OF THE NLRB'S AMBUSH ELECTION 
RULE
Committee on Education and The Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Culture of Union Favoritism: The Return of the NLRB's Ambush 
Election Rule''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DATA SECURITY: EXAMINING EFFORTS TO PROTECT AMERICANS' FINANCIAL 
INFORMATION
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Data Security: Examining 
Efforts to Protect Americans' Financial Information''. Testimony was 
heard from William Noonan, Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Criminal 
Investigation Division, Cyber Operations, United States Secret Service; 
Larry Zelvin, Director, National Cybersecurity and Communications 
Integration Center, Department of Homeland Security; and public 
witnesses.
GROWTH OF FINANCIAL REGULATION AND ITS IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL 
COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Growth of Financial 
Regulation and its Impact on International Competitiveness''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
THREATS TO ISRAEL: TERRORIST FUNDING AND TRADE BOYCOTTS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Threats to 
Israel: Terrorist Funding and Trade Boycotts''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 3732, the ``Immigration Compliance 
Enforcement Act''; H.R. 3973, the ``Faithful Execution of the Law Act 
of 2014''; and H.R. 4138, the ``Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe 
and Respect Congressional Enactments Act''. The bill H.R. 3732 was 
ordered reported, as amended. The following bills were ordered 
reported, without amendment: H.R. 3973 and H.R. 4138.



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  March 5, 2014, on page D230, the following appeared: Committee 
on the Judiciary: Full Committee began a . . .
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: Committee on the 
Judiciary: Full Committee held a . . .


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 




 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  March 5, 2014, on page D230, the following appeared: . . . 
Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments Act."
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: . . . Faithfully 
Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments Act." The bill H.R. 
3732 was ordered reported, as amended. The following bills were 
ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 3973 and H.R. 4138.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

            NATIONAL FISH HATCHERY SYSTEM: STRATEGIC HATCHERY AND 
                                         WORKFORCE PLANNING REPORT
 Committee on Natural Resources:  Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, 
  Oceans and Insular Affairs held a hearing entitled ``National Fish 
 Hatchery System: Strategic Hatchery and Workforce Planning Report''. 
   Testimony was heard from the following Representatives: Roe (TN); 
Crawford; and Collins (GA); David Hoskins, Assistant Director, Fish and 
 Aquatic Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Service; Diane Parks, Acting 
  Deputy Chief of Operations and Regulations, Headquarters, U.S. Army 
               Corps of Engineers; and a public witness.
              IRS: TARGETING AMERICANS FOR THEIR POLITICAL BELIEFS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee continued 
 a hearing from May 22, 2013, entitled ``The IRS: Targeting Americans 
for Their Political Beliefs''. Lois Lerner, Former Director, IRS Exempt 
     Organizations, was sworn in as a witness, but did not testify.

[[Page D231]]


      RESPONSIBLY AND PROFESSIONALLY INVIGORATING DEVELOPMENT ACT 
     OF 2013; AND PREVENTING GOVERNMENT WASTE AND PROTECTING COAL 
                                            MINING JOBS IN AMERICA
  Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 2641, the 
   ``Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 
2013''; and H.R. 2824, the ``Preventing Government Waste and Protecting 
Coal Mining Jobs in America''. The Committee granted, by record vote of 
  7-4, a structured rule for H.R. 2824. The rule provides one hour of 
general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources. The rule waives 
 all points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule makes 
in order as original text for the purpose of amendment an amendment in 
 the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee 
Print 113-41, modified by the amendment printed in part A of the Rules 
Committee report, and provides that it shall be considered as read. The 
rule waives all points of order against that amendment in the nature of 
a substitute. The rule makes in order only those further amendments to 
 H.R. 2824 printed in part B of the Rules Committee report. Each such 
 amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may 
    be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be 
 considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the 
report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, 
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand 
   for division of the question. The rule waives all points of order 
   against the amendments printed in part B of the report. The rule 
   provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. In 
section 2, the rule provides a structured rule for H.R. 2641. The rule 
 provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by 
     the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the 
Judiciary. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
 the bill. The rule makes in order as original text for the purpose of 
amendment an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the 
  text of Rules Committee Print 113-39 and provides that it shall be 
 considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against that 
 amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule makes in order only 
 those further amendments to H.R. 2641 printed in part C of the Rules 
Committee report. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order 
 printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in 
  the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the 
  time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall 
   not be subject to a demand for division of the question. The rule 
waives all points of order against the amendments printed in part C of 
 the report. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. In section 3, the rule provides that it shall be in order 
at any time on the legislative day of March 6, 2014, for the Speaker to 
   entertain motions that the House suspend the rules relating to a 
measure addressing loan guarantees to Ukraine. Testimony was heard from 
   Chairman Hastings (WA), and Representatives Cartwright, Yarmuth, 
                       Marino, and Johnson (GA).
                                            MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
   Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 4093, the ``Greater Opportunities for Small 
Business Act of 2014''; H.R. 4094, the ``Contracting Data and Bundling 
Accountability Act of 2014''; H.R. 2751, the ``Commonsense Construction 
Contracting Act of 2013''; H.R. 2882, the ``Improving Opportunities for 
  Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses Act of 2013''; H.R. 
776, the ``Security in Bonding Act of 2013''; H.R. 2452, the ``Women's 
  Procurement Program Equalization Act of 2013''; and H.R. 4121, the 
 ``Small Business Development Centers Improvements Act of 2014''. The 
following bills ordered reported as amended: H.R. 4094; H.R. 2882; and 
H.R. 4121. The following bills were ordered reported without amendment: 
 H.R. 4093; H.R. 2751 and H.R. 2452. H.R. 776, as amended, was agreed 
                         to, but not reported.



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  March 5, 2014, on page D231, the following appeared: The 
following bills ordered reported as amended: H.R. 4094; H.R. 2882; 
H.R. 776; and H.R. 4121.
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: The following 
bills ordered reported as amended: H.R. 4094; H.R. 2882; and H.R. 
4121.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 




 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  March 5, 2014, on page D231, the following appeared: The 
following bills were ordered reported without amendment: H.R. 
4093; H.R. 2751 and H.R. 2452.
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: The following 
bills were ordered reported without amendment: H.R. 4093; H.R. 
2751 and H.R. 2452. H.R. 776, as amended, was agreed to, but not 
reported.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR HIGHWAY AND TRANSIT 
PROJECTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Panel on Public-Private 
Partnership, hearing entitled ``Overview of Public-Private Partnerships 
for Highway and Transit Projects''. Testimony was heard from Joseph 
Kile, Assistant Director for Microeconomic Studies, Congressional 
Budget Office; James M. Bass, Interim Executive Director and Chief 
Financial Officer, Texas Department of Transportation; and public 
witnesses.

Joint Meetings
LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Senate committee concluded a joint 
hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the 
legislative presentation of Veterans of Foreign Wars, after receiving 
testimony from William A. Thien, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United 
States, Georgetown, Indiana.

[[Page D232]]


WESTERN BALKANS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine developments in the Western Balkans and policy 
responses, focusing on policy approaches of the United States toward 
the countries of the Western Balkans, including H. Con. Res. 61, 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
execution-style murders of United States citizens Ylli, Agron, and 
Mehmet Bytyqi in the Republic of Serbia in July 1999, after receiving 
testimony from Hoyt Yee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for 
European and Eurasian Affairs; Tanja Fajon, Member, European 
Parliament, Llubljana, Slovenia; and Kurt Volker, McCain Institute for 
International Leadership, Washington, D.C.