[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 7, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D476-D478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development and Related Agencies held a markup on 
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Bill FY 2015. The bill was ordered reported to the Full 
Committee, without amendment.
UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO COMBAT TRANSNATIONAL CRIME
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on United States Assistance to 
Combat Transnational Crime Budget. Testimony was heard from William 
Brownfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and 
Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of State; and Luis CdeBaca, Office 
to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Department of State.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 4435, 
the ``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015''. The 
bill was ordered reported, as amended.


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

  
  May 7, 2014, on page D476, the following appeared: Committee on 
Armed Services: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 4435, the 
``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015''.
  
  The online version should be corrected to read: Committee on 
Armed Services: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 4435, the 
``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015''. The 
bill was ordered reported, as amended.


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

NRC FY 2015 BUDGET AND POLICY ISSUES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``The NRC FY 2015 Budget and Policy Issues''. 
Testimony was heard from the following NRC officials: George 
Apostolakis, Commissioner; Allison Macfarlane, Chairman, William 
Magwood, Commissioner; William Ostendorff, Commissioner; and Kristine 
Svinicki, Commissioner.
PPACA ENROLLMENT AND THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``PPACA Enrollment and the 
Insurance Industry''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 3301, the ``North American Energy 
Infrastructure Act''; H.R. 4342, the ``Domain Openness Through 
Continued Oversight Matters Act of 2014''; and a bill to amend the 
Communications Act of 1934 to extend expiring provisions relating to 
the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations, and for 
other purposes.

[[Page D477]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 4200, the ``SBIC Advisers Relief Act''; 
H.R. 4554, the ``Restricted Securities Relief Act''; H.R. 2629, the 
``Fostering Innovation Act''; H.R. 1779, the ``Preserving Access to 
Manufactured Housing Act of 2013''; H.R. 2673, the ``Portfolio Lending 
and Mortgage Access Act''; H.R. 3211, the ``Mortgage Choice Act of 
2013''; H.R. 4466, the ``Financial Regulatory Clarity Act of 2014''; 
H.R. 4521, the ``Community Institution Mortgage Relief Act of 2014''; 
H.R. 4568, the ``Small Business Freedom and Growth Act''; a resolution 
to authorize the issuance of subpoenas to the Department of Justice and 
the Department of the Treasury for certain documents; legislation 
regarding the Securities and Exchange Commission to revise its rules so 
as to increase the threshold amount for requiring issuers to provide 
certain disclosures relating to compensatory benefit plans; legislation 
regarding the Disclosure Modernization and Simplification Act; 
legislation regarding the Private Placement Improvement Act; and 
legislation regarding the Securities and Exchange Commission to revise 
the definition of a well-known seasoned issuer to reduce the worldwide 
market value threshold under the definition. The bill, H.R. 3211, was 
ordered reported without amendment. All other bills that the committee 
considered today are pending roll call votes, which will be taken on 
date yet to be determined.
ASSESSING THE BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS THREAT: RUSSIA AND BEYOND
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing entitled ``Assessing the Biological 
Weapons Threat: Russia and Beyond''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
PREVENTING WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE AND MISMANAGEMENT IN HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Preventing Waste, Fraud, Abuse and Mismanagement in Homeland 
Security--A GAO High-Risk List Review''. Testimony was heard from 
Alejandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security; 
Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Government 
Accountability Office; and John Roth, Inspector General, Department of 
Homeland Security.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 3361, 
the ``USA FREEDOM Act''. The bill was ordered reported as amended.
PROPER MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRICITY RIGHTS OF WAY ON FEDERAL LANDS
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Keeping the Lights On and Reducing Catastrophic Forest Fire Risk: 
Proper Management of Electricity Rights of Way on Federal Lands''. 
Testimony was heard from Jim Penna, Associate Deputy Chief, National 
Forest System, Forest Service; Ed Roberson, Assistant Director for 
Renewable Resources and Planning, Bureau of Land Management; and public 
witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska 
Native Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 409, the ``Indian Trust Asset 
Reform Act''; and H.R. 4350, the ``Northern Cheyenne Lands Act''. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Simpson; Michael Black, 
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Interior; and public 
witnesses.
EPA LEADERSHIP
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Is EPA Leadership Obstructing Its Own Inspector 
General?''. Testimony was heard from the following Environmental 
Protection Agency officials: Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator; 
Patrick Sullivan, Assistant Inspector General, Investigations, Office 
of the Inspector General; Allan Williams, Deputy Assistant Inspector 
General, Investigations, Office of the Inspector General; and Elisabeth 
Heller Drake, Special Agent, Office of Investigations, Office of 
Inspector General.
SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITY THROUGH QUALITY CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT; AND 
PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE EVENTS 
SURROUNDING THE 2012 TERRORIST ATTACK IN BENGHAZI
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 10, the 
``Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act''; and H. 
Res. 567, Providing for the Establishment of the Select Committee on 
the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. The 
Committee granted, by record vote of 6-2, a structured rule for H.R. 
10. The rule provides 90 minutes of general debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce. 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 the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
now printed in the bill

[[Page D478]]

and provides that it shall be considered as read. The rule waives all 
points of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
The rule makes in order only those further amendments printed in 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 the 
report. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions.
  In section 2, the rule provides that on any legislative day during 
the period from May 12, 2014, through May 16, 2014: the Journal of the 
proceedings of the previous day shall be considered as approved; and 
the Chair may at any time declare the House adjourned to meet at a date 
and time to be announced by the Chair in declaring the adjournment.
  In section 3, the rule provides that the Speaker may appoint Members 
to perform the duties of the Chair for the duration of the period 
addressed by section 2.
  In section 4, the rule provides that it shall be in order at any time 
on the legislative day of May 8, 2014, for the Speaker to entertain 
motions that the House suspend the rules relating to H.R. 4366, the 
Strengthening Education through Research Act.
  In section 5, the rule provides that the Committee on Appropriations 
may, at any time before 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2014, file 
privileged reports to accompany measures making appropriations for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2015.
  In section 6, the rule provides that during consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 4438) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to simplify and 
make permanent the research credit, pursuant to House Resolution 569, 
the further amendment printed in part B of the report shall be 
considered as adopted.
  In section 7 of the rule provides that House Resolution 569 is 
amended by striking ``90 minutes'' and inserting ``one hour''.-
  H. Res. 567--Providing for the Establishment of the Select Committee 
on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. 
[ORIGINAL JURISDICTION MARKUP] The Committee favorably reported the 
resolution to the House by record vote of 7-4 without amendment.-
  H. Res. 567--Providing for the Establishment of the Select Committee 
on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. 
[ORIGINAL JURISDICTION HEARING]-
  The Committee granted, by record vote of 7-4, a closed rule for H. 
Res. 567. The rule provides one hour of debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Rules. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the 
resolution. The rule provides that the resolution shall be considered 
as read and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question.-
  Testimony on H.R. 10 was heard from Representatives Rokita, George 
Miller (CA), and Cassidy.
PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVES TO HELP VETERANS PURSUE BUSINESS 
OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Military to Entrepreneurship: Private Sector Initiatives to Help 
Veterans Pursue Business Opportunities''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
THE 2014 TAX RETURN FILING SEASON
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the 2014 tax return filing 
season. Testimony was heard from John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal 
Revenue Service.

Joint Meetings
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
economic outlook, after receiving testimony from Janet L. Yellen, 
Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.