[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 11, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D129-D131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE 
INTERIOR
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates 
and justification for fiscal year 2016 for the United States Army Corps 
of Engineers and the Department of the Interior, after receiving 
testimony from Jennifer Gimbel, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Water and Science, and Estevan Lopez, Commissioner, Bureau of 
Reclamation, both of the Department of the Interior; and Jo-Ellen 
Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Lieutenant 
General Thomas P. Bostick, Chief of Engineers, United States Army Corps 
of Engineers, both of the Department of Defense.
SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the situation in Afghanistan, after receiving testimony from James B. 
Cunningham, Mineville, New York, and Ryan C. Crocker, Texas A&M 
University George Bush School of Government and Public Service, College 
Station, both a former Ambassador to Afghanistan, Department of State; 
Admiral Eric T. Olson, USN (Ret.), former Commander, United States 
Special Operations Command, Department of Defense, Baltimore, Maryland; 
and Michael E. Leiter, former Director, United States National 
Counterterrorism Center, Reston, Virginia.
WORLD-WIDE NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces received 
a closed briefing on world-wide nuclear capabilities from Douglas S. 
Wade, Senior Defense Intelligence Analyst for Korea and North East 
Asia, Dionisio Aquino de Leon III, Senior Defense Intelligence Analyst 
for Russia and Eurasia, Daniel K. Taylor, Acting Senior Defense 
Intelligence Analyst for China, Kent A. Breedlove, Senior Defense 
Intelligence Analyst for South Asia, Richard A. Williams, Senior 
Intelligence Officer for Levant Branch, and Roy E. Boone, Acting Senior 
Defense Intelligence Analyst for Weapons of Mass Destruction and 
Nuclear, all of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense.
MILITARY COMPENSATION AND RETIREMENT MODERNIZATION COMMISSION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a 
hearing to examine the retirement and compensation proposals of the 
Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, after 
receiving testimony from Alphonso Maldon, Jr., Chairman, and former 
Senator Larry L. Pressler, Dov S. Zakheim, Michael R. Higgins, General 
Peter W. Chiarelli, USA (Ret.), and Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, 
Jr., USN (Ret.), each a Commissioner, all of the Military Compensation 
and Retirement Modernization Commission; Robert L. Frank, Air Force 
Sergeants Association, Suitland, Maryland; Richard A. Jones, National 
Association for Uniformed Services, Springfield, Virginia; Deirdre 
Parke Holleman, The Retired Enlisted Association, Alexandria, Virginia; 
and Alexander Nicholson, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 
Washington, DC.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY TRUST FUND INSOLVENCY
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
Social Security disability trust fund insolvency, after receiving 
testimony from Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner, Social Security

[[Page D130]]

Administration; Mark G. Duggan, Stanford University, Stanford, 
California; Philip R. de Jong, University of Amsterdam, The Hague, 
Netherlands; and Kate Lang, National Senior Citizens Law Center, 
Washington, DC.
INTERNET OF THINGS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the Internet of things, after receiving testimony 
from Mike Abbott, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Menlo Park, 
California; Doug Davis, Intel Corporation, Chandler, Arizona; Lance 
Donny, OnFarm, Fresno, California; Adam D. Thierer, George Mason 
University Mercatus Center, Arlington, Virginia; and Justin Brookman, 
Center for Democracy and Technology, Washington, DC.
PROPOSED CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS RULES
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an 
oversight hearing to examine the Environmental Protection Agency's 
(EPA) proposed carbon dioxide emissions rules from new, modified, and 
existing power plants, after receiving testimony from Janet McCabe, 
Acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, 
Environmental Protection Agency.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  An original bill relating to access and administration of the U.S. 
Tax Court;
  An original bill to remove alcohol bonding requirements for certain 
taxpayers;
  An original bill relating to modifications to alternative tax for 
certain small insurance companies;
  An original bill to modify the excise tax on cider;
  An original bill to truncate the collection period for taxpayers 
hospitalized for combat zone injuries;
  An original bill to provide special rules concerning charitable 
contributions to, and public charity status of, agricultural research 
organizations;
  An original bill to provide an exception to the private foundation 
excess business holdings rules for certain philanthropic business 
holdings;
  An original bill to clarify a special rules for certain governmental 
plans;
  An original bill to modify the treatment of income received under 
student work-learning-service programs;
  An original bill for a waste-heat-to-power investment tax credit;
  An original bill to allow enrolled agents who meet certain 
requirements to use specified designations;
  An original bill relating to real estate investment trusts (REITs), 
regulated investment companies (RICs) and the Foreign Investment in 
Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA);
  An original bill to exclude from gross income certain compensation 
received by public safety officers and their dependents;
  An original bill to convert the tax on liquefied natural gas and 
liquefied petroleum gas to an energy equivalent basis;
  An original bill to require the Internal Revenue Service to notify 
exempt organizations before revoking exempt status for failing to file 
information returns;
  An original bill to exclude from gross income certain clean coal 
power grants; and
  An original bill to create a military spouse job continuity credit.
ENDING MODERN DAY SLAVERY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine ending modern day slavery, focusing on the role of United 
States leadership, after receiving testimony from Sarah Sewall, Under 
Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.
GAO 2015 LIST OF HIGH-RISK GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the Government Accountability Office's 
(GAO) 2015 list of high-risk government programs, including solutions 
to high-risk problems which offer the potential to save billions of 
dollars, improve service to the public, and strengthen government 
performance and accountability, after receiving testimony from Gene L. 
Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Cynthia Bascetta, 
Managing Director, and Deborah Draper, Director, both of Health Care, 
Phillip Herr, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Dave Maurer, 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, J. Chris Mihm, Managing 
Director, and James White, Director, both of Strategic Issues, Dave 
Powner, Director, and Gregory Wilshusen, Director, both of Information 
Technology, all of the Government Accountability Office.
NLRB NEW ELECTION RULE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the National Labor Relations Board's 
(NLRB) new election rule, focusing on employers and employees, after 
receiving testimony from Charles I. Cohen, Morgan, Lewis and Bockius 
LLP, and Elizabeth Milito, NFIB Small Business Legal Center, both of 
Washington, DC; Mark A. Carter, Dinsmore and Shohl LLP,

[[Page D131]]

Charleston, West Virginia, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; 
and Caren P. Sencer, Weinberg, Roger and Rosenfeld, Alameda, 
California.