[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D975-D977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 4022 OF THE AGRICULTURAL ACT OF 2014
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing to review the 
implementation of Section 4022 of the Agricultural Act of 2014: pilot 
projects to reduce dependency and increase work requirements and work 
effort under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Testimony 
was heard from Tom Vilsack, Secretary, Department of Agriculture.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing on the following legislation: H.R. 4959, the 
``EEOC Transparency and Accountability Act''; H.R. 5422, the 
``Litigation Oversight Act of 2014''; and H.R. 5423, the ``Certainty in 
Enforcement Act of 2014''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``A hearing on H.R. 4526, the 21st Century Energy 
Workforce Development Jobs Initiative Act of 2014''. Testimony was 
heard from LaDoris ``Dot'' Harris, Director, Office of Economic Impact 
and Diversity, Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF FCC BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of FCC Budget and 
Management''. Testimony was heard from Jon Wilkins, Managing Director, 
Federal Communications Commission; and David Hunt, Inspector General, 
Federal Communications Commission.
CROSS BORDER DATA FLOWS: COULD FOREIGN PROTECTIONISM HURT U.S. JOBS?
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Cross Border Data 
Flows: Could Foreign Protectionism Hurt U.S. Jobs?''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OVERSIGHT COUNCIL
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Financial 
Stability Oversight Council''. Testimony was heard from Patrick 
Pinschmidt, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Financial Stability Oversight 
Council; and A. Nicole Clowers, Director, Financial Markets and 
Community Investment, Government Accountability Office.
GLOBAL EFFORTS TO FIGHT EBOLA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``Global Efforts to Fight Ebola''. Testimony was heard from 
the following Department of Health and Human Services officials: 
Anthony S. Fauci, Director, National Institute of Allergy and 
Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health; Luciana Borio, 
Director, Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats, Office of 
the Chief Scientist, Food and Drug Administration; and Beth P. Bell, 
Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious 
Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Nancy Lindborg, 
Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and 
Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development; and 
public witnesses.

[[Page D976]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a markup on H. Res. 714, reaffirming the peaceful and collaborative 
resolution of maritime and jurisdictional disputes in the South China 
Sea and the East China Sea as provided for by universally recognized 
principles of international law, and reaffirming the strong support of 
the United States Government for freedom of navigation and other 
internationally lawful uses of sea and airspace in the Asia-Pacific 
region. H. Res. 714 was forwarded to the Full Committee, without 
amendment.
A NEW ERA OF U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS?
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a hearing entitled ``A New Era of U.S.-China Relations?''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
WORLDWIDE THREATS TO THE HOMELAND
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Worldwide Threats to the Homeland''. Testimony was heard from Jeh 
Johnson, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security; James B. Comey, 
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice; and 
Matthew G. Olsen, Director, National Counterterrorism Center.
CHAPTER 12 OF TITLE 17
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet held a hearing on Chapter 12 of Title 17. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 5233, 
the ``Trade Secrets Protection Act of 2014''. H.R. 5233 was ordered 
reported, as amended.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing on H.R. 5066, the ``Data Preservation Act of 
2014''; and H.R. 5176, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
retire coal preference right lease applications for which the Secretary 
has made an affirmative commercial quantities determination, and for 
other purposes. Testimony was heard from Michael Nedd, Assistant 
Director, Energy, Minerals, and Realty Management, Bureau of Land 
Management, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
markup on the following legislation: H.R. 5142, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 113 West 
Jackson Street in Rich Square, North Carolina, as the ``Chief Joseph E. 
White, Jr. Post Office Building''; H.R. 5331, to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 73839 Gorgonio Drive in 
Twentynine Palms, California, as the ``Colonel M.J. `Mac' Dube, USMC 
Post Office Building''; H.R. 5386, to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 11662 Gravois Road in St. 
Louis, Missouri, as the ``Lt. Daniel P. Riordan Post Office''; H.R. 
5468, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 1103 USPS Building 1103 in Camp Pendleton, California, as 
the ''Camp Pendleton Medal of Honor Post Office''; H.R. 5229, the 
``Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2014''; and H.R. 5492, the 
``Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2014''. H.R. 5492 was ordered 
reported, as amended. The following legislation was ordered reported, 
without amendment: H.R. 5229, H.R. 5468, H.R. 5142, H.R. 5331, and H.R. 
5386.
THE IRS TARGETING SCANDAL: CHANGING STORIES OF MISSING E-MAILS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Economic 
Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing entitled 
``The IRS Targeting Scandal: Changing Stories of Missing E-mails''. 
Testimony was heard from John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal Revenue 
Service.
MEMBERS' DAY ON PROPOSED RULES CHANGES FOR THE 114TH CONGRESS
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a Members' Day hearing on 
proposed rules changes for the 114th Congress. Testimony was heard from 
the following: Chairman Goodlatte and Representatives Scalise, Young of 
Alaska, Lummis, McClintock, Amash, Griffith of Virginia, Stivers, 
Woodall, Cooper, Norton, Larson of Connecticut, Honda, Speier, 
Cicilline, and Swalwell of California.
THE ADMINISTRATION'S CLIMATE PLAN: FAILURE BY DESIGN
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``The Administration's Climate Plan: Failure by 
Design''. Testimony was heard from John Holdren, Director, Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President; and 
Janet McCabe, Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and 
Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency.

[[Page D977]]


AUTHORIZING THE CHAIRMAN TO ISSUE SUBPOENAS
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Oversight 
held a meeting on a resolution authorizing the Chairman to issue 
subpoenas. The subcommittee approved the resolution.
IS THE FCC RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF SMALL BUSINESS AND RURAL AMERICA?
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Is the FCC Responding to the Needs of Small Business and Rural 
America?''. Testimony was heard from Thomas Wheeler, Chairman, Federal 
Communications Commission.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee held a 
markup on the following legislation: General Services Administration 
Capital Investment and Leasing Program Resolutions; H.R. 5449, the 
``Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2014''; H.R. 5146, to 
designate the United States courthouse located at 700 Grant Street in 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the ``Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States 
Courthouse''; H.R. 5448, the ``John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization 
Act of 2014''; H.R. 5266, to reauthorize the National Estuary Programs, 
and for other purposes; H.R. 4926, to designate the ``James L. Oberstar 
Memorial Highway'' and the ``James L. Oberstar National Scenic Byway'' 
in the State of Minnesota. The following legislation was ordered 
reported, as amended: H.R. 5266 and H.R. 4926. The following 
legislation was ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 5449, H.R. 
5448, and H.R. 5146. The General Services Administration Capital 
Investment and Leasing Program Resolutions were approved.
SCHEDULING MANIPULATION AND VETERAN DEATHS IN PHOENIX: EXAMINATION OF 
THE OIG'S FINAL REPORT
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Scheduling Manipulation and Veteran Deaths in Phoenix: Examination of 
the OIG's Final Report''. Testimony was heard from the following 
Department of Veterans Affairs officials: Richard J. Griffin, Acting 
Inspector General; Robert A. McDonald, Secretary; and Lisa Thomas, 
Chief of Staff, Veterans Health Administration; Katherine L. Mitchell, 
Medical Director, Iraq and Afghanistan Post-Deployment Center, Phoenix 
VA Health Care System; and a public witness.
DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS OFFERED BY PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures 
held a hearing on defined benefit pension plans offered by private 
sector employers. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
HEARING 1
Select Committee on Benghazi: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Hearing 1'', relating to Accountability Review Board implementation. 
Testimony was heard from Greg Starr, Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic 
Security; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.