[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D701-D703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on State, 
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill FY 2015. 
The bill was ordered reported, as amended.
CASE STUDIES IN DOD ACQUISITION: FINDING WHAT WORKS
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Case Studies in DOD Acquisition: Finding What Works''. Testimony was 
heard from Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist, National Defense, Congressional 
Research Service; and public witnesses.
FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY COMPENSATION FUND
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Filipino Veterans Equity 
Compensation Fund: Examining the Department of Defense and Interagency 
Process for Verifying Eligibility''. Testimony was heard from Brad 
Flohr, Senior Advisor, Compensation Service, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; Scott Levins, Director, National Personnel Records Center, 
National Archives and Records Administration; Brigadier General David 
K. ``Mac'' MacEwan, 59th Adjutant General of the Army, Department of 
the Army; and public witnesses.
WHAT SHOULD WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS EXPECT NEXT FROM THE NATIONAL LABOR 
RELATIONS BOARD; AND MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a meeting 
to assign recently elected Members to subcommittees. The Committee 
announced and accepted subcommittee assignments. The Subcommittee on 
Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``What 
Should Workers and Employers Expect Next From the National Labor 
Relations Board?''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OVERSIGHT COUNCIL
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Annual Report of the Financial Stability Oversight Council''. 
Testimony was heard from Jacob J. Lew, Secretary, Department of the 
Treasury.
THAILAND: A DEMOCRACY IN PERIL
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a hearing entitled ``Thailand: A Democracy in Peril''. Testimony was 
heard from Scot

[[Page D702]]

Marciel, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and 
Pacific Affairs, Department of State.
GROWING PROBLEM OF UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN CROSSING THE BORDER
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Dangerous Passage: The Growing Problem of Unaccompanied Children 
Crossing the Border''. Testimony was heard from Jeh Johnson, Secretary, 
Department of Homeland Security; W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security; 
and Ronald D. Vitiello, Deputy Chief, Customs and Border Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security.
UTILIZING CANINE TEAMS TO DETECT EXPLOSIVES AND MITIGATE THREATS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``Utilizing Canine Teams to Detect Explosives 
and Mitigate Threats''. Testimony was heard from Annmarie Lontz, 
Division Director, Office of Security Services and Assessments, 
Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland 
Security; Melanie Harvey, Director, Threat Assessment Division, 
Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland 
Security; Jenny Grover, Acting Director, Homeland Security and Justice, 
Government Accountability Office; and a public witness.
PROPOSED MERGER OF AT&T AND DIRECTV
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, 
Commercial and Antitrust Law held a hearing entitled ``The Proposed 
Merger of AT&T and DIRECTV''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
PROMOTING AND PROTECTING AMERICAN INNOVATION, COMPETITIVENESS AND 
MARKET ACCESS IN FOREIGN MARKETS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Trade Secrets: 
Promoting and Protecting American Innovation, Competitiveness and 
Market Access in Foreign Markets''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
AMERICAN ENERGY JOBS: OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``American Energy Jobs: Opportunities 
for Education''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
NEW FEDERAL SCHEMES TO SOAK UP WATER AUTHORITY: IMPACTS ON STATES, 
WATER USERS, RECREATION, AND JOBS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a 
hearing on ``New Federal Schemes to Soak Up Water Authority: Impacts on 
States, Water Users, Recreation, and Jobs''. Testimony was heard from 
Tom Tidwell, Chief, Forest Service; Lowell Pimley, Acting Commissioner, 
Bureau of Reclamation; Patrick Tyrrell, State Engineer, State of 
Wyoming; and public witnesses.
CHILD PROTECTION AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM ON THE SPIRIT LAKE INDIAN 
RESERVATION
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska 
Native Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Child Protection and the 
Justice System on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation''. Testimony was 
heard from Michael S. Black, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Department of the Interior; Joo Yeum Chang, Associate Commissioner, 
Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, Department 
of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE'S PLAN TO IMPLEMENT A BAN ON THE 
COMMERCIAL TRADE IN ELEPHANT IVORY
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, 
Oceans and Insular Affairs held a hearing entitled ``The U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service's Plan to Implement a Ban on the Commercial Trade in 
Elephant Ivory''. Testimony was heard from Robert G. Dreher, Associate 
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service; and public witnesses.
IRS OBSTRUCTION: LOIS LERNER'S MISSING E-MAILS, PART II
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``IRS Obstruction: Lois Lerner's Missing E-mails, Part 
II''. Testimony was heard from Jennifer O'Connor, Office of the White 
House Counsel, The White House; and David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the 
United States, National Archives and Records Administration.
LOWERING GASOLINE PRICES TO FUEL AN AMERICA THAT WORKS ACT OF 2014; AND 
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT FY 
2015
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4899, the 
``Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act of 2014''; 
and H.R. 4923, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act FY 2015. The

[[Page D703]]

Committee granted by record vote of 9-3 a structured rule for H.R. 
4899. 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 
purpose of amendment an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 113-50 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 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. Additionally, the rule grants a modified-open rule for 
H.R. 4923. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided 
and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. The rule waives points of order 
against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of 
rule XXI. The rule provides that after general debate the bill shall be 
considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. During 
consideration of the bill for amendment: (1) amendments shall be 
debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent and shall not be subject to amendment; and 
(2) no pro forma amendments shall be in order except that the chair and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their 
respective designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at 
any point for the purpose of debate. The rule provides that under the 
rules of the House the bill shall be read for amendment by paragraph. 
The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to 
Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the Congressional 
Record. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. In section 3, the rule provides that on any legislative 
day during the period from June 27, 2014, through July 7, 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 4, 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 3. In section 5, the rule provides for 
consideration of concurrent resolutions providing for adjournment 
during the month of July. In section 6, the rule provides that the 
Committee on Appropriations may, at any time before 5 p.m. on Thursday, 
July 3, 2014, file privileged reports to accompany measures making 
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Simpson, Kaptur, Hastings (WA), Sanford, 
and Jackson Lee.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 4012, the ``Secret Science Reform Act of 2014''. The 
bill was ordered reported, without amendment.

Joint Meetings
NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
economic impact of increased natural gas production, after receiving 
testimony from Daniel Yergin, IHS, Jim Bruce, UPS, Diana Furchtgott-
Roth, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and Elgie Holstein, 
Environmental Defense Fund, all of Washington, DC; and Charles A. 
Meloy, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, The Woodlands, Texas.
VETERANS' ACCESS TO CARE THROUGH CHOICE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND 
TRANSPARENCY ACT
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of H.R. 3230, to improve the access of veterans to 
medical services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, but did not 
complete action thereon, and recessed subject to the call.