[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 142 (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1043-D1044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE ARMED SERVICES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing entitled ``Religious Accommodations in the Armed Services''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
EXAMINING MEDICAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN THE WAKE OF THE EBOLA EPIDEMIC
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining Medical Product Development in the Wake of the 
Ebola Epidemic''. Testimony was heard from Robin Robinson, Director, 
BARDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; 
Luciana Borio, Assistant Commissioner, Counterterrorism Policy, Food 
and Drug Administration; Rear Admiral Steve Redd, Senior Advisor for 
Ebola Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Anthony 
Fauci, Director, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious 
Diseases, National Institutes of Health.
CYANOTOXINS IN DRINKING WATER
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and the 
Economy held a hearing entitled ``Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water''. 
Testimony was heard from Craig W. Butler, Director, Ohio Environmental 
Protection Agency; Peter Grevatt, Director, Office of Ground Water and 
Drinking Water, Environmental Protection Agency; and public witnesses.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR A PRIVATE AND COMPETITIVE SUSTAINABLE FLOOD INSURANCE 
MARKET
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance 
held a hearing entitled ``Opportunities for a Private and Competitive 
Sustainable Flood Insurance Market''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a markup on H.R. 5648, to improve defense cooperation 
between the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. H.R. 
5648 was forwarded to the Full Committee, without amendment.
NEXT STEPS FOR U.S. FOREIGN POLICY ON SYRIA AND IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a hearing entitled ``Next Steps for U.S. Foreign Policy on 
Syria and Iraq''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Oversight of the United States Secret Service''. Testimony was heard 
from Joseph P. Clancy, Acting Director, Secret Service. A portion of 
this hearing was closed.
COPYRIGHT ISSUES IN EDUCATION AND FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Copyright Issues 
in Education and for the Visually Impaired''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following legislative measures: H.R. 1561, to authorize the Secretary 
of the Interior to make improvements to support facilities for National 
Historic Sites operated by the National Park Service, and for other 
purposes; H.R. 1785, the ``Mountains to Sound Greenway National 
Heritage Area Act''; H.R. 4220, the ``School District 318 Land Exchange 
Act''; H.R. 4668, the ``Point Spencer Coast Guard and Public-Private 
Sector Infrastructure Development Facilitation and Land Conveyance 
Act''; H.R. 4924, the ``Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Act 
of 2014''; H.R. 4979, the ``Red River Private Property Protection 
Act''; H.R. 5086, to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the 
Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of 
designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail, and for 
other purposes; 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; and H.R. 5699, the ``John Muir National 
Historic Site Expansion Act''. The following legislation was ordered 
reported, without amendment: H.R. 1561, H.R. 4220, H.R. 4668, H.R. 
5086, and H.R. 5176. The following legislation was ordered reported, as 
amended: H.R. 1785, H.R. 4924, H.R. 4979, and H.R. 5699.

[[Page D1044]]


VOLCANO HAZARDS: EXPLORING THE NATIONAL PREPARATION AND RESPONSE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``Volcano Hazards: Exploring the 
National Preparation and Response''. Testimony was heard from Charles 
Mandeville, Volcano Hazards Program Coordinator, U.S. Geological 
Survey; Tom Drean, Director and State Geologist, Wyoming State 
Geological Survey; Gordon Ito, Insurance Commissioner, State of Hawaii; 
Darryl Oliveira (via video conference), Director, Hawaii County Civil 
Defense; and a public witness.
EXAMINING DATA SECURITY AT THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and the Census held a hearing entitled 
``Examining Data Security at the United States Postal Service''. 
Testimony was heard from the following United States Postal Service 
officials: Randy Miskanic, Vice President of Secure Digital Solutions; 
Guy Cottrell, Chief Postal Inspector, Postal Service Inspection 
Service; and Tammy Whitcomb, Deputy Inspector General, Office of 
Inspector General; Charles Hamby, Narcotic Enforcement Division, Prince 
George's County Police Department; and a public witness.
THE ROLE OF THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER IN THE 
HEALTHCARE.GOV WEBSITE DEBACLE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Oversight 
held a hearing entitled ``The Role of the White House Chief Technology 
Officer in the HealthCare.gov Website Debacle''. Testimony was heard 
from a public witness.
THE ROLE OF THE STATE APPROVING AGENCIES IN ENSURING QUALITY EDUCATION 
PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing entitled ``The Role of the State Approving Agencies in 
Ensuring Quality Education Programs for Veterans''. Testimony was heard 
from Curtis L. Coy, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity, 
Veterans Benefit Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on the following legislative measures: H.R. 4720, the ``Medal of Honor 
Priority Care Act''; H.R. 4887, the ``Expanding Care for Veterans 
Act''; H.R. 4977, the ``COVER Act''; H.R. 5059, the ``Clay Hunt SAV 
Act''; H.R. 5475, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to newborn children; 
H.R. 5484, the ``Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2014''; and H.R. 5686, 
the ``Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act''. Testimony was heard 
from the following Representatives: Walberg, Bilirakis, Walz, Collins 
of Georgia, and Culberson; Rajiv Jain, M.D., Assistant Deputy Under 
Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
SECURITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine combating corruption in the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe region, focusing on the link between 
security and good governance, including a need to build effective 
institutions and the important role played by civil society in 
combating corruption, after receiving testimony from Halil Yurdakul 
Yigitguden, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
Coordinator for Economic and Environmental Affairs, Vienna, Austria; 
and Shaazka Beyerle, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced 
International Studies Center for Transatlantic Relations, and Anders 
Aslund, Peterson Institute for International Economics, both of 
Washington, DC.