[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 [[Page D939]] 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 [[Page D940]] 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.