[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D698-D699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Department of Homeland 
Security approved for full committee consideration an original bill 
making appropriations for Homeland Security for fiscal year 2015.
APPROPRIATIONS: FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government approved for full committee consideration an 
original bill making appropriations for Financial Services and General 
Government for fiscal year 2015.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of Miranda A. A. Ballentine, of the District of Columbia, 
to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, 
Environment, and Energy, Laura Junor, of Virginia, to be a Principal 
Deputy Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, Gordon O. Tanner, 
of Alabama, to be General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force, 
and Debra S. Wada, of Hawaii, to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for 
Manpower and Reserve Affairs, all of the Department of Defense, Monica 
C. Regalbuto, of Illinois, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for 
Environmental Management, and 1,815 nominations in the Army, Navy, Air 
Force, and Marine Corps.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nomination of Shaun L. S. Donovan, of New York, to be Director of the 
Office of Management and Budget.
STUDENT DEBT
Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine less 
student debt from the start, focusing on what role the tax system 
should play, after receiving testimony from Mark J. Mazur, Assistant 
Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy; Jayne Caflin Fonash, Loudoun 
Academy of Science, Sterling, Virginia; Scott A. Hodge, Tax Foundation, 
and Dean A. Zerbe, alliantgroup, both of Washington, DC; and Amber Lee, 
Eugene, Oregon.
COMBATING VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on International 
Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global 
Women's Issues concluded a hearing to examine combating violence and 
discrimination against women, focusing on a global call to action, 
after receiving testimony from Senators Warren, Hirono, Heitkamp, 
Baldwin, Stabenow, Klobuchar, and Murray; Catherine M. Russell, 
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, Department of State; 
Susan Markham, Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's 
Empowerment, U.S. Agency for International Development; Gary Barker, 
Promundo-US, and Jacqueline O'Neill, The Institute for Inclusive 
Security, both of Washington, DC; and Hauwa Ibrahim, Harvard University 
Radcliffe Institute, Abuja, Nigeria.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  H.R. 3212, to ensure compliance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the 
Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction by countries with which 
the United States enjoys reciprocal obligations, to establish 
procedures for the prompt return of children abducted to other 
countries, with an amendment;
  S. 2508, to establish a comprehensive United States Government policy 
to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa to improve access to and the 
affordability, reliability, and sustainability of power, with an 
amendment;
  S. 1933, to impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons 
responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human 
rights, with an amendment;
  S. 1104, to measure the progress of recovery and development efforts 
in Haiti following the earthquake of January 12, 2010, with an 
amendment;
  S. Res. 447, recognizing the threats to freedom of the press and 
expression around the world and reaffirming freedom of the press as a 
priority in the efforts of the United States Government to promote 
democracy and good governance, with amendments;
  S. Res. 462, recognizing the Khmer and Lao/Hmong Freedom Fighters of 
Cambodia and Laos for supporting and defending the United States Armed 
Forces during the conflict in Southeast Asia and for their continued 
support and defense of the United States, with an amendment; and
  The nominations of Robert Stephen Beecroft, of California, to be 
Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dana Shell Smith, of 
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Stuart E. Jones, of 
Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq,

[[Page D699]]

James D. Nealon, of New Hampshire, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Honduras, Noah Bryson Mamet, of California, to be Ambassador to the 
Argentine Republic, Gentry O. Smith, of North Carolina, to be Director 
of the Office of Foreign Missions, and to have the rank of Ambassador 
during his tenure of service, Mark William Lippert, of Ohio, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Joan A. Polaschik, of Virginia, to 
be Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, and 
Theodore G. Osius III, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Socialist 
Republic of Vietnam, all of the Department of State, Karen Kornbluh, of 
New York, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and 
Jonathan Nicholas Stivers, of the District of Columbia, to be an 
Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development.
OLMSTEAD AT 15
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine moving toward greater community 
inclusion, focusing on Olmstead at 15, after receiving testimony from 
Emmanuel Smith, Disability Rights Iowa, Des Moines; Norma Robertson-
Dabrowski, Liberty Resources, Inc. (LRI), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 
Gail Godwin, Shared Support Maryland, Baltimore; Troy R. Justesen, Utah 
Developmental Disabilities Council, Orangeville; and Ricardo Thornton, 
and Donna Thornton, both of Washington, DC.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Pamela Harris, of Maryland, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, who was introduced by Senators 
Mikulski and Cardin, Pamela Pepper, to be United States District Judge 
for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, who was introduced by Senators 
Baldwin and Johnson (WI), Brenda K. Sannes, to be United States 
District Judge for the Northern District of New York, who was 
introduced by Senator Schumer, and Patricia M. McCarthy, of Maryland, 
and Jeri Kaylene Somers, of Virginia, both to be a Judge of the United 
States Court of Federal Claims, after the nominees testified and 
answered questions in their own behalf.
AT&T AND DIRECTV MERGER
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition 
Policy and Consumer Rights concluded a hearing to examine the AT&T and 
DIRECTV merger, focusing on the impact on competition and consumers in 
the video market and beyond, after receiving testimony from Randall 
Stephenson, AT&T Inc., Dallas, Texas; Michael White, DIRECTV, El 
Segundo, California; Christopher Keyser, Writers Guild of America, West 
Inc., Los Angeles, California; and Matthew F. Wood, Free Press, Larry 
Downes, Georgetown University Center for Business and Public Policy, 
and Ross J. Lieberman, American Cable Association, all of Washington, 
DC.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.