[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 10, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D938-D940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEW OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE'S PROPOSED GROUNDWATER DIRECTIVE
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and 
Forestry held a hearing to review the U.S. Forest Service's proposed 
groundwater directive. Testimony was heard from Thomas L. Tidwell, 
Chief, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; Scott A. Verhines, 
New Mexico State Engineer; and public witnesses.
IMPROVING DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THROUGH 
INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Higher 
Education and Workforce

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Training; and Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and 
Secondary Education, held a joint hearing entitled ``Improving 
Department of Education Policies and Programs Through Independent 
Oversight''. Testimony was heard from Kathleen Tighe, Inspector 
General, Department of Education; and Jacqueline Nowicki, Acting 
Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, Government 
Accountability Office.
AN OVERVIEW OF THE CREDIT REPORTING SYSTEM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``An Overview of the Credit 
Reporting System''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LIBYA'S DESCENT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Libya's Descent''. Testimony was heard from Gerald Feierstein, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, 
Department of State.
GENOCIDAL ATTACKS AGAINST CHRISTIAN AND OTHER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN 
SYRIA AND IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations; and Subcommittee 
on the Middle East and North Africa, held a joint subcommittee hearing 
entitled ``Genocidal Attacks Against Christian and Other Religious 
Minorities in Syria and Iraq''. Testimony was heard from Tom 
Malinowski, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and 
Labor, Department of State; Anne Richard, Assistant Secretary, Bureau 
of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Department of State; Thomas 
Staal, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, 
Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International 
Development; and public witnesses.
ONE FLIGHT AWAY: AN EXAMINATION OF THE THREAT POSED BY ISIS TERRORISTS 
WITH WESTERN PASSPORTS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border and Maritime 
Security held a hearing entitled ``One Flight Away: An Examination of 
the Threat posed by ISIS Terrorists with Western Passports''. Testimony 
was heard from the following Department of Homeland Security officials: 
John P. Wagner, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Troy Miller, Acting Assistant 
Commissioner, Intelligence and Investigative Liaison, U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection; and Jennifer A. Lasley, Deputy Under Secretary for 
Analysis, Office of Intelligence and Analysis; and Hillary Batjer 
Johnson, Acting Deputy Coordinator, Homeland Security and Multilateral 
Affairs, Bureau of Counterterrorism, Department of State.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 4771, the ``Designer Anabolic Steroid 
Control Act of 2014''; H.R. 4299, the ``Improving Regulatory 
Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act''; H.R. 5108, to establish 
the Law School Clinic Certification Program of the United States Patent 
and Trademark Office, and for other purposes; H.R. 5401, the 
``Protecting the Homeland Act''; H.R. 5421, the ``Financial Institution 
Bankruptcy Act of 2014''; and H.R. 5402, the ``Standard Merger and 
Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2014''. The following 
bills were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 5421, H.R. 5401, 
and H.R. 5402. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: 
H.R. 4771, H.R. 4299, and H.R. 5108.
THE STATUS OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE'S RESPONSES TO COMMITTEE 
SUBPOENAS AND THE CONTINUED LACK OF TRANSPARENCY ABOUT ITS 
IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF AMERICAN WILDLIFE LAWS, AND OVERSIGHT 
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR'S SOLICITOR'S OFFICE
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Status of the Fish and Wildlife Service's Responses to Committee 
Subpoenas and the Continued Lack of Transparency about Its 
Implementation and Enforcement of American Wildlife Laws, and Oversight 
of the Department of the Interior's Solicitor's Office''. Testimony was 
heard from Dan Ashe, Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of 
the Interior; and Hilary Tompkins, Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor, 
Department of the Interior.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a 
hearing on H.R. 5412, the ``Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage 
Streamlining Act''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska 
Native Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 1600, the ``Requirements, 
Expectations, and Standard Procedures for Executive Consultation with

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Tribes (RESPECT) Act''; and H.R. 4668, the ``Point Spencer Coast Guard 
and Public-Private Sector Infrastructure Development Facilitation and 
Land Conveyance Act''. Testimony was heard from Michael Black, Director 
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Kip 
Knudson, Director of State/Federal Relations, Office of Governor Sean 
Parnell, State of Alaska; and public witnesses.
OBSTRUCTING OVERSIGHT: CONCERNS FROM INSPECTORS GENERAL
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Obstructing Oversight: Concerns from Inspectors 
General''. Testimony was heard from Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector 
General, Department of Justice; Arthur A. Elkins, Jr., Inspector 
General, Environmental Protection Agency; and Kathy A. Buller, 
Inspector General, Peace Corps.
EXPLORING OUR SOLAR SYSTEM: THE ASTEROIDS ACT AS A KEY STEP
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Space held 
a hearing entitled ``Exploring Our Solar System: The ASTEROIDS Act as a 
Key Step''. Testimony was heard from Jim Green, Director, NASA 
Planetary Science Division; and public witnesses.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION: MANAGEMENT AND OUTLOOK
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Small Business Administration: Management and Outlook''. Testimony 
was heard from Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator, Small Business 
Administration.
THE STATUS OF THE MERCHANT MARINE
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``The Status 
of the Merchant Marine''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislation: H.R. 5404, to amend title 38, United States 
Code, to extend certain expiring provisions of law administered by the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; H.R. 3593, the 
``VA Construction Assistance Act of 2013''; H.R. 4276, the ``Veterans 
Traumatic Brain Injury Care Improvement Act of 2014''; H.R. 4399, the 
``Comprehensive Department of Veterans Affairs Performance Management 
and Accountability Reform Act of 2014''; H.R. 4862, the ``Our Vets 
Deserve Better Act''; H.R. 4971, the ``Ask Veterans Act''; and H.R. 
5094, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to recoup certain bonuses or awards paid to 
employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The following bills 
were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 5404 and H.R. 3593. The 
following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 5094, H.R. 
4399, H.R. 4276, and H.R. 4971. H.R. 4862 was pulled from the markup 
after the failure of an offered amendment.
METRICS, MEASUREMENTS AND MISMANAGEMENT IN THE BOARD OF VETERANS' 
APPEALS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Metrics, Measurements and 
Mismanagement in the Board of Veterans' Appeals''. Testimony was heard 
from Kelli Kordich, Senior Counsel, Board of Veterans' Appeals, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Laura Eskenazi, Executive in Charge and 
Vice Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.
STATUS OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on 
the status of Affordable Care Act implementation. Testimony was heard 
from John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service; and Andy 
Slavitt, Principal Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.