[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 42 (Thursday, March 13, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D282-D285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a markup to consider 
Budget Views and Estimates Letter of the Committee on Agriculture for 
the agencies and programs under jurisdiction of the Committee for FY 
2015; H.R. 935, the ``Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2013''; and H. 
Con. Res. 86, Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the enactment of the 
Smith-Lever Act, which established the nationwide Cooperative Extension 
Service. The Committee approved the Budget Views and Estimates letter; 
and H.R. 935 and H. Con. Res. 86 were ordered reported, without 
amendment.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on 
Department of Defense FY 2015 Budget. Testimony was heard from Chuck 
Hagel, Secretary, Department of Defense; General Martin Dempsey, USA, 
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Robert Hale, Undersecretary of 
Defense, Comptroller.
APPROPRIATIONS--U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FY 2015 Budget. 
Testimony was heard from Daniel Ragsdale, Deputy Director, Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement; Peter Edge, Deputy Associate Director, 
Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; 
and Thomas Homan, Executive Associate Director Enforcement and Removal 
Operations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education and related Agencies held a hearing on 
Department of Health and Human Services FY 2015 Budget. Testimony was 
heard from Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, Department of Health and Human 
Services.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Recent Developments in Afghanistan''. Testimony was heard from 
General Joseph Dunford, USMC, Commander, International Security and 
Assistance Force.
THE FISCAL YEAR 2015 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BUDGET REQUEST FROM 
THE U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND AND THE POSTURE OF U.S. SPECIAL 
OPERATIONS FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging 
Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on The Fiscal Year 2015 
National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the U.S. Special 
Operations Command and the Posture of U.S. Special Operations Forces. 
Testimony was heard from Michael D. Lumpkin, Assistant Secretary of 
Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Office of 
the Secretary of Defense; and Admiral William McRaven, USN, Commander, 
U.S. Special Operations Command.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing on H.R. 3633, the ``Protecting Health Care 
Providers from Increased Administrative Burdens Act''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
KEEPING THE PROMISE: ALLOWING SENIORS TO KEEP THEIR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE 
PLANS IF THEY LIKE THEM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Keeping the Promise: Allowing Seniors to Keep Their Medicare 
Advantage Plans If They Like Them''. Testimony was heard from the 
following Representatives: Ross; Paulsen; Denham; Walorski; and 
Rothfus; and public witnesses.
IMPROVING SPORTS SAFETY: A MULTIFACETED APPROACH
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Improving Sports 
Safety: A Multifaceted Approach''. Testimony was heard from Richard 
Cleland, Assistant Director, Advertising Practices, Federal Trade 
Commission; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee began a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 3623, the ``Improving Access to Capital for 
Emerging Growth Companies Act''; H.R. 4164, the ``Small Company 
Disclosure Simplification Act''; H.R. 4167, the ``Restoring Proven 
Financing for American Employers Act''; H.R. 2672, the ``CFPB Rural 
Designation Petition and Correction Act''; H.R. 3584, the ``Capital 
Access for Small Community Financial Institutions Act of 2013''; and 
Committee Views and Estimates on the President's FY 2015 Budget 
Submission.
ADVANCING U.S. INTERESTS ABROAD: THE FY 2015 FOREIGN AFFAIRS BUDGET
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Advancing U.S. Interests Abroad: The FY 2015 Foreign Affairs 
Budget''. Testimony was heard from John F. Kerry, Secretary, Department 
of State.
THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2015 BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The President's FY 2015 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland 
Security''. Testimony was heard from Jeh C. Johnson, Secretary, 
Department of Homeland Security.
SECTION 512 OF TITLE 17
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property and the Internet held a hearing on Section 512 of Title 17. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 1192, to redesignate Mammoth Peak in 
Yosemite National Park as ``Mount Jessie Benton Fremont'; H.R. 1501, 
the ``Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument Preservation Act; H.R. 3222, the 
``Flushing Remonstrance Study Act; H.R. 3366, to provide for the 
release of the property interests retained by the United States in 
certain land conveyed in 1954 by the United States, acting through the 
Director of the Bureau of Land

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Management, to the State of Oregon for the establishment of the 
Hermiston Agriculture Research and Extension Center of Oregon State 
University in Hermiston, Oregon; and H.R. 4032, the ``North Texas 
Invasive Species Barrier Act of 2014''. The following bills were 
ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 1192; and H.R. 4032. The 
following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 1501; H.R. 
3222; and H.R. 3366.
STATUS OF U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN IN ANTICIPATION OF THE 
U.S. TROOP WITHDRAWAL
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Status of U.S. Foreign Assistance to 
Afghanistan in Anticipation of the U.S. Troop Withdrawal''. Testimony 
was heard from Donald Sampler, Assistant to the Administrator, Office 
of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, U.S. Agency for International 
Development; and Charles M. Johnson, Director, International Affairs 
and Trade, Government Accountability Office.
AT A CROSSROADS: THE POSTAL SERVICE'S $100 BILLION IN UNFUNDED 
LIABILITIES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and the Census held a hearing entitled 
``At a Crossroads: the Postal Service's $100 Billion in Unfunded 
Liabilities''. Testimony was heard from Frank Todisco, Chief Actuary, 
Government Accountability Office; Jeffrey Williamson, Chief Human 
Resources Officer and Executive Vice President, U.S. Postal Service; 
Robert Moss, Chief, Budget and Resource Management, Defense Health 
Agency; and Joel Sitrin, Chief Actuary, Office of the Actuary, 
Department of Defense.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Research 
and Technology held a markup on H.R. 4186, the ``Frontiers in 
Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology Act of 2014''. H.R. 4186 
was ordered reported, as amended, to the full committee.
MADE IN THE U.S.A.: SMALL BUSINESS AND A NEW DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING 
RENAISSANCE
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and 
Capital Access held a hearing entitled ``Made in the U.S.A.: Small 
Business and a New Domestic Manufacturing Renaissance''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee held a 
markup on the following legislation: Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Views and 
Estimates of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; H.R. 
3678, to redesignate the lock and dam located in Modoc, Illinois, 
commonly known as the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam, as the ``Jerry F. 
Costello Lock and Dam'', and for other purposes; H.R. 3786, 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. 3998, 
the ``Albuquerque, New Mexico, Federal Land Conveyance Act of 2014''; 
H. Con. Res. 88, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 
Greater Washington Soap Box Derby; H. Con. Res. 92, authorizing the use 
of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service 
and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition; and General 
Services Administration Capital Investment and Leasing Program 
resolutions. H.R. 3786 and H.R. 3998 were ordered reported, as amended. 
H.R. 3678; H. Con. Res. 88 and H. Con. Res. 92 were ordered reported, 
without amendment. The General Services Administration Capital 
Investment and Leasing Program resolutions were approved. The Fiscal 
Year 2015 Budget Views and Estimates were approved.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BUDGET REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Year 
2015''. Testimony was heard from Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary, 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
ONGOING INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Ongoing Intelligence Activities; and meeting on 
Committee Views and Estimates on the President's Budget for FY 2015; 
and member access requests. The Views and Estimates letter on the 
President's Budget for FY 2015 was adopted; and three member access 
requests were approved. A portion of this hearing was closed.

Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
Economic Report of the President 2014, after receiving testimony from 
Jason Furman, Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers.

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