[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 9, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D404-D406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 4413, 
the ``Customer Protection and End User Relief Act''. The bill was 
ordered reported, without amendment.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Department of Commerce 
FY 2015 Budget. Testimony was heard from Penny Pritzker, Secretary, 
Department of Commerce.
APPROPRIATIONS--OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET FY 2015 BUDGET
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on Office of Management and Budget FY 
2015 Budget. Testimony was heard from Sylvia M. Burwell, Director, 
Office of Management and Budget.
APPROPRIATIONS--MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on Military 
Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill, FY 2015; and 
Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, FY 2015; and Report on the 
Interim Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2015. Legislative 
Branch Appropriations Bill, FY 2015 was ordered reported, without 
amendment; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations 
Bill, FY 2015 was ordered reported, as amended; and the Report on the 
Interim Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2015 was agreed to.
NATIONAL DEFENSE PRIORITIES FROM MEMBERS FOR THE FY 2015 NATIONAL 
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``National Defense Priorities from Members for the FY 2015 National 
Defense Authorization Act''. Testimony was heard from the following 
Representatives: O'Rourke; Ellmers; Collins (GA); Posey; Pierluisi; 
Nunes; DeSantis; Graves; Tonko; Hanna; Broun (GA); Blackburn; Heck 
(WA); Chu; Meng; Lowenthal; Barr; Ribble; Wagner; Perry; and Crawford.
BENEFICIARY AND ADVOCACY OVERVIEW OF THE FY15 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing entitled ``Beneficiary and Advocacy Overview of the FY15 
President's Budget''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 4320, 
the ``Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act''; and H.R. 4321, the 
``Employee Privacy Protection Act''. The bills were ordered reported, 
as amended.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power 
concluded a markup on H.R. 6, the ``Domestic Prosperity and Global 
Freedom Act''. The bill was forwarded, as amended.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology began a markup on H.R. 4342, the ``Domain Openness Through 
Continued Oversight Matters (DOTCOM) Act of 2014''.
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO ENHANCE CAPITAL FORMATION FOR SMALL AND 
EMERGING GROWTH COMPANIES
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``Legislative 
Proposals to Enhance Capital Formation for Small and Emerging

[[Page D405]]

Growth Companies''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE IN FY 2015: WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES, HOW 
EFFECTIVE?
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``U.S. Foreign Assistance in FY 2015: What Are the Priorities, How 
Effective?''. Testimony was heard from Rajiv Shah, Administrator, U.S. 
Agency for International Development.
ADVANCING U.S. INTERESTS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: THE FY 2015 FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS BUDGET
Committee on Foreign Affairs:  Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere 
held a hearing entitled ``Advancing U.S. Interests in the Western 
Hemisphere: The FY 2015 Foreign Affairs Budget''. Testimony was heard 
from Roberta S. Jacobson, Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Western 
Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State; and Elizabeth Hogan, Acting 
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, 
U.S. Agency for International Development.
U.S. POLICY TOWARDS MOROCCO
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a hearing entitled ``U.S. Policy Towards Morocco''. 
Testimony was heard from William Roebuck, Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
State for Egypt and Maghreb Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, 
Department of State.
THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS, ONE YEAR ON: A LOOK BACK TO LOOK FORWARD
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Boston Marathon Bombings, One Year On: A Look Back to Look 
Forward''. Testimony was heard from Edward P. Deveau, Chief of Police, 
Watertown Police Department; Jeffrey J. Pugliese, Sergeant, Watertown 
Police Department; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 503, the ``National Desert Storm and Desert 
Shield War Memorial Act''; H.R. 863, the ``Commission to Study the 
Potential Creation of a National Women's History Museum Act of 2013''; 
H.R. 2208, the ``North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act of 
2013''; H.R. 2430, the ``Hinchliffe Stadium Heritage Act of 2013''; 
H.R. 3802, to extend the legislative authority of the Adams Memorial 
Foundation to establish a commemorative work in honor of former 
President John Adams and his legacy, and for other purposes; H.R. 4002, 
to revoke the charter of incorporation of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma 
at the request of that tribe, and for other purposes; H.R. 4017, to 
designate a peak located in Nevada as ``Mount Reagan''; H.R. 4120, to 
amend the National Law Enforcement Museum Act to extend the termination 
date; H.R. 4253, the ``Bureau of Land Management Withdrawn Military 
Lands Efficiency and Savings Act''; and H.R. 4309, to amend the Sikes 
Act to make certain improvements to the administration of cooperative 
agreements for land management related to Department of Defense 
readiness activities, and for other purposes. The following bills were 
ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 503; H.R. 863; H.R. 2208; H.R. 2430; 
H.R. 4309; and H.R. 3802. The following bills were ordered reported, 
without amendment: H.R. 4002; H.R. 4017; H.R. 4120; and H.R. 4253.
EXAMINING WAYS THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION CAN IMPROVE THE 
DISABILITY REVIEW PROCESS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy 
Policy, Health Care and Entitlements held a hearing entitled 
``Examining Ways the Social Security Administration Can Improve the 
Disability Review Process''. Testimony was heard from Marianna 
LaCanfora, Acting Deputy Commissioner, Office of Retirement and 
Disability Policy, Social Security Administration; Patrick P. 
O'Carroll, Jr., Inspector General, Social Security Administration; 
Bertoni, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Space held 
a markup on H.R. 4412, the ``National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration Authorization Act of 2014''. The bill H.R. 4412 was 
ordered reported, as amended, to the Full Committee.
PRIZES TO SPUR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGHS
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Research 
and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Prizes to Spur Innovation and 
Technology Breakthroughs''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
BIGGEST TAX PROBLEMS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Biggest Tax Problems for

[[Page D406]]

Small Businesses''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 524, to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to 
clarify that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 
does not have the authority to disapprove a permit after it has been 
issued by the Secretary of the Army under section 404 of such Act; and 
H.R. 4156, the ``Transparent Airfares Act of 2014''. The bills, H.R. 
4156 and H.R. 524, were ordered reported, without amendment.
CONTINUED ASSESSMENT OF DELAYS IN VA MEDICAL CARE AND PREVENTABLE 
VETERAN DEATHS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``A Continued Assessment of Delays in VA Medical Care and Preventable 
Veteran Deaths''. Testimony was heard from Debra A. Draper, Director, 
Health Care, Government Accountability Office; John D. Daigh, Jr. M.D., 
Assistant Inspector General for Healthcare Inspections, Office of the 
Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs; Thomas Lynch, M.D., 
Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Clinical Operations, 
Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
public witnesses.
REFERRAL TO THE HONORABLE ERIC H. HOLDER, JR., ATTORNEY GENERAL, OF 
FORMER INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS DIVISION DIRECTOR 
LOIS G. LERNER FOR POSSIBLE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR VIOLATIONS OF ONE 
OR MORE CRIMINAL STATUTES BASED ON EVIDENCE THE COMMITTEE HAS UNCOVERED 
IN THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION OF IRS ABUSES
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a markup on referral 
to Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, of former Internal Revenue 
Service Exempt Organizations Division Director Lois G. Lerner for 
possible criminal prosecution for violations of one or more criminal 
statutes based on evidence the Committee has uncovered in the course of 
the investigation of IRS abuses. Testimony was heard from Mike Epley, 
Staff Director, Subcommittee on Oversight, Committee on Ways and Means. 
The motion for the Committee to go into executive session for 
consideration of referring for criminal prosecution Lois Lerner, the 
former IRS Director of Exempt Organizations, by the United States 
Attorney General was agreed to; the motion offered by Mr. Doggett was 
agreed to; and the motion for the Committee to submit the referral to 
the Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, of former Internal 
Revenue Services Exempt Organizations Division Director Lois G. Lerner 
for possible criminal prosecution for violations of one or more 
criminal statutes based on evidence the Committee has uncovered in the 
course of the investigation of IRS abuses to the House of 
Representatives was agreed to.
TRADE IMPLICATIONS OF U.S. ENERGY POLICY AND THE EXPORT OF LIQUEFIED 
NATURAL GAS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing 
entitled ``Trade Implications of U.S. Energy Policy and the Export of 
Liquefied Natural Gas''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
UKRAINE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine Ukraine, focusing on confronting internal 
challenges and external threats, including Russia's seizure of Crimea, 
including H.R. 4152, to provide for the costs of loan guarantees for 
Ukraine, after receiving testimony from Victoria Nuland, Assistant 
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.