[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 150 (Wednesday, December 10, 2014)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1111-D1113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EXAMINING FDA'S ROLE IN THE REGULATION OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD 
INGREDIENTS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining FDA's Role in the Regulation of Genetically 
Modified Food Ingredients''. Testimony was heard from Michael M. Landa, 
Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug 
Administration; and public witnesses.
COUNTERING ISIS: ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS?
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Countering ISIS: Are We Making Progress?''. Testimony was heard from 
Brett McGurk, Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for the Global 
Coalition to Counter ISIL, Department of State.
RUSSIAN ARMS CONTROL CHEATING AND THE ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade; and Subcommittee on Strategic Forces of 
the Committee on Armed Services, held a joint hearing entitled 
``Russian Arms Control Cheating and the Administration's Responses''. 
Testimony was heard from Rose Gottemoeller, Under Secretary for Arms 
Control and International Security, Department of State; and Brian 
McKeon, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Policy, Department of 
Defense.
THE UNITED STATES AS AN ARCTIC NATION: OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HIGH NORTH
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing entitled ``The United States as an 
Arctic Nation: Opportunities in the High North''. Testimony was heard 
from Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., USCG, Retired, Special Representative 
for the Arctic, Department of State; and public witnesses.
AFTER THE WITHDRAWAL: THE WAY FORWARD IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN (PART 
III)
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa; and the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, held a joint 
hearing entitled ``After the Withdrawal: The Way Forward in Afghanistan 
and Pakistan (Part III)''. Testimony was heard from Jarret Blanc, 
Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Department 
of State; Donald L. Sampler, Assistant to the Administrator, Office of 
Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, U.S. Agency for International 
Development; and Mr. James Soiles, Deputy Chief of Operations, Office 
of Global Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of 
Justice.
THE IMPACT ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES OF THE RELEASE OF UNACCOMPANIED ALIEN 
MINORS AND THE NEED FOR CONSULTATION AND NOTIFICATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Border 
Security held a hearing entitled ``The Impact on Local Communities of 
the Release

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of Unaccompanied Alien Minors and the Need for Consultation and 
Notification''. Testimony was heard from the following Representatives: 
Barletta, Olson, Smith of Nebraska, and Crowley; Leonard Scarcella, 
Mayor of Stafford, Texas; Thomas M. Hodgson, Sheriff of Bristol County, 
Massachusetts; and public witnesses.
EXAMINING EPA'S MANAGEMENT OF THE RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD PROGRAM
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Energy 
Policy, Health Care and Entitlements held a hearing entitled 
``Examining EPA's Management of the Renewable Fuel Standard Program''. 
Testimony was heard from Janet G. McCabe, Acting Assistant 
Administrator for Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency.
ADDRESSING THE BACKLOG IN THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PROCESS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, U.S. Postal Service, and the Census held a hearing entitled 
``Addressing the Backlog in the Federal Employee Retirement Process''. 
Testimony was heard from Kenneth J. Zawodny, Jr., Associate Director of 
Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management; Donna Seymour, 
Chief Information Officer, Office of Personnel Management; Valerie C. 
Melvin, Director, Information Management and Technology Resource 
Issues, Government Accountability Office; and a public witness.
SENATE AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL, TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF THE 
INTERIOR TO ASSEMBLE A TEAM OF TECHNICAL, POLICY, AND FINANCIAL EXPERTS 
TO ADDRESS THE ENERGY NEEDS OF THE INSULAR AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES 
AND THE FREELY ASSOCIATED STATES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY 
ACTION PLANS AIMED AT PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE ENERGY, 
INCLUDING INCREASING USE OF INDIGENOUS CLEAN-ENERGY RESOURCES, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on the Senate 
amendment to H.R. 83, to require the Secretary of the Interior to 
assemble a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to address 
the energy needs of the insular areas of the United States and the 
Freely Associated States through the development of energy action plans 
aimed at promoting access to affordable, reliable energy, including 
increasing use of indigenous clean-energy resources, and for other 
purposes [Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 
2015]. The committee granted, by record vote of 9-4, a rule that 
provides for the consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 83. The 
rule makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the Committee on 
Appropriations or his designee that the House concur in the Senate 
amendment to H.R. 83 with an amendment consisting of the text of Rules 
Committee Print 113-59 modified by the amendment printed in the Rules 
Committee report. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the motion. The rule provides that the Senate 
amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. The rule provides 
80 minutes of debate on the motion, with 60 minutes equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations and 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the 
chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce. In section 2, the rule provides that upon adoption of the 
motion specified in section 1, H. Con. Res. 122 (enrollment correction 
to the title) shall be considered as adopted. In section 3, the rule 
provides that the chair of the Committee on Appropriations may insert 
in the Congressional Record at any time during the remainder of the 
second session of the 113th Congress such material as he may deem 
explanatory of the Senate amendment and the motion specified in the 
first section of the resolution. In section 4, the rule waives clause 
6(a) of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on 
the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee) against any 
resolution reported from the Rules Committee through the legislative 
day of December 12, 2014. Testimony was heard from Chairman Rogers of 
Kentucky, Chairman Kline, and Representatives Lowey, Price of North 
Carolina, George Miller of California, Salmon, Polis, King of Iowa, 
Deutch, Gohmert, Norton, Bachmann, McClintock, Duncan of South 
Carolina, Gosar, Huelskamp, Mulvaney, Ribble, and Clawson.
AN UPDATE ON THE SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM AND ORION: MONITORING THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATION'S DEEP SPACE EXPLORATION CAPABILITIES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Space held 
a hearing entitled ``An Update on the Space Launch System and Orion: 
Monitoring the Development of the Nation's Deep Space Exploration 
Capabilities''. Testimony was heard from Bill Gerstenmaier, Associate 
Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and Cristina Chaplain, 
Director, Acquisition

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and Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office.
U.S. UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS: INTEGRATION, OVERSIGHT, AND 
COMPETITIVENESS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing entitled ``U.S. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: 
Integration, Oversight, and Competitiveness''. Testimony was heard from 
Peggy Gilligan, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, Federal 
Aviation Administration; Matthew Hampton, Assistant Inspector General 
for Aviation Audits, Department of Transportation; Gerald Dillingham, 
Director of Civil Aviation Issues, Government Accountability Office; 
and public witnesses.
HEARING 2
Select Committee on Benghazi: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Hearing 2'', relating to reviewing efforts to secure U.S. diplomatic 
facilities and personnel. Testimony was heard from Greg Starr, 
Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, Department of State; and 
Steve Linick, Inspector General, Department of State.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.