[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 11, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D131-D134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
STATE OF THE RURAL ECONOMY
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing to review the 
state of the rural economy. Testimony was heard from Tom Vilsack, 
Secretary, Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS--INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing on the Indian Health Service budget. 
Testimony was heard from Yvette Roubideaux, Senior Advisor to the 
Secretary for American Indians and Alaska Natives; and Robert McSwain, 
Acting Director, Indian Health Service.
APPROPRIATIONS--COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission budget. Testimony 
was heard from Timothy Massad, Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading 
Commission.
APPROPRIATIONS--ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, CIVIL WORKS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a hearing on Army Corps of Engineers, Civil Works 
budget. Testimony was heard from Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary,

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Army for Civil Works; and Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick, 
Commanding General and Chief of Engineers, Army Corps of Engineers.
FUNDING TO PREVENT, PREPARE FOR, AND RESPOND TO THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE 
OUTBREAK
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing on oversight of funding to prevent, 
prepare for, and respond to the Ebola virus disease outbreak. Testimony 
was heard from Steve Browning, Special Coordinator for Ebola, 
Department of State; Dirk Dijkerman, Executive Coordinator, Ebola Task 
Force, U.S. Agency for International Development; and Jeremy M. 
Konyndyk, Director, Office of United States Foreign Disaster 
Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development.
THE FY16 BUDGET REQUEST: A VIEW FROM OUTSIDE EXPERTS: ``ALTERNATIVE 
BUDGETS AND STRATEGIC CHOICES''
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The FY16 Budget Request: A View from Outside Experts: `Alternative 
Budgets and Strategic Choices' ''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MILITARY COMPENSATION AND RETIREMENT 
MODERNIZATION COMMISSION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing entitled ``Final Recommendations from the Military Compensation 
and Retirement Modernization Commission''. Testimony was heard from 
Alphonso Maldon, Jr., Chairman, Military Compensation and Retirement 
Modernization Commission; Stephen E. Buyer, Commissioner, Military 
Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission; Michael R. 
Higgins, Commissioner, Military Compensation and Retirement 
Modernization Commission; General Peter W. Chiarelli, USA (Retired), 
Commissioner, Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization 
Commission; and Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., USN (Retired), 
Commissioner, Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization 
Commission.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a markup 
on H.R. 5, the ``Student Success Act''. H.R. 5 was ordered reported, as 
amended.
FEDERAL EFFORTS ON MENTAL HEALTH: WHY GREATER HHS LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Federal Efforts on Mental 
Health: Why Greater HHS Leadership Is Needed''. Testimony was heard 
from Linda T. Kohn, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability 
Office; and Richard G. Frank, Assistant Secretary for Planning and 
Evaluation, Department of Health and Human Services.
EXAMINING ICD-10 IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining ICD-10 Implementation''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
THE FISCAL YEAR 2016 DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``The Fiscal Year 2016 Department of Energy 
Budget''. Testimony was heard from Ernest J. Moniz, Secretary, 
Department of Energy.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
734, the ``Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act 
of 2015''; H.R. 639, the ``Improving Regulatory Transparency for New 
Medical Therapies Act''; H.R. 471, the ``Ensuring Patient Access and 
Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2015''; H.R. 647, the ``Access to 
Life-Saving Trauma Care for All Americans Act''; H.R. 648, the ``Trauma 
Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act''; 
and H.R. 212, the ``Drinking Water Protection Act''.
THE FUTURE OF HOUSING IN AMERICA: OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING 
ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Future of Housing in America: Oversight of the Federal Housing 
Administration''. Testimony was heard from Julian Castro, Secretary, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR: THE GLOBAL THREAT OF IRAN
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``State Sponsor of 
Terror: The Global Threat of Iran''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.

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COUNTERING VIOLENT ISLAMIST EXTREMISM: THE URGENT THREAT OF FOREIGN 
FIGHTERS AND HOMEGROWN TERROR
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Countering Violent Islamist Extremism: The Urgent Threat of Foreign 
Fighters and Homegrown Terror''. Testimony was heard from Francis X. 
Taylor, Under Secretary, Intelligence and Analysis, Department of 
Homeland Security; Nicholas J. Rasmussen, Director, National 
Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence; and Michael B. Steinbach, Assistant Director, 
Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department 
of Justice.
COMMITTEE FUNDING FOR THE 114TH CONGRESS
Committee on House Administration: Full Committee held a hearing on 
committee funding for the 114th Congress. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Bishop of Utah, Chairman Royce, Chairman Upton, Chairman 
Chaffetz, Chairman Thornberry, Chairman McCaul, Chairman Hensarling, 
Chairman Dent, and Representatives Grijalva, Engel, Pallone, Cummings, 
Smith of Washington, Thompson of Mississippi, Maxine Waters of 
California, and Linda T. Sanchez of California.
FEDERAL ASSET FORFEITURE: USES AND REFORMS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland 
Security, and Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Federal Asset 
Forfeiture: Uses and Reforms''. Testimony was heard from Kenneth A. 
Blanco, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, 
Department of Justice; Keith Henderson, Prosecuting Attorney, Floyd 
County, Indiana; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE HEARING
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Border 
Security held a hearing on a bill to improve immigration law 
enforcement within the interior of the United States, and for other 
purposes; a bill to modify the treatment of unaccompanied alien 
children who are in Federal custody by reason of their immigration 
status, and for other purposes; and a bill to amend the William 
Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 
to provide for the expedited removal of unaccompanied alien children 
who are not victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons and who 
do not have a fear of returning to their country of nationality or last 
habitual residence, and for other purposes. Testimony was heard from 
Sam S. Page, Sheriff, Rockingham County, North Carolina; and public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT PLAN FOR THE 114TH CONGRESS; GAO'S HIGH RISK REPORT: 25 YEARS 
OF PROBLEMATIC PRACTICES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
markup on the committee's oversight plan for the 114th Congress and a 
hearing entitled ``GAO's High Risk Report: 25 Years of Problematic 
Practices''. The committee's oversight plan for the 114th Congress was 
adopted. Testimony was heard from John J. MacWilliams, Senior Advisor 
to the Secretary, Department of Energy; Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller 
General, Government Accountability Office; Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr., 
Associate Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; 
Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for 
Program Integrity, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Alan F. 
Estevez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, 
Technology and Logistics, Department of Defense; and John Koskinen, 
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service.
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILL: LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR 
U.S. ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOB CREATION PART I
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill: Laying 
the Foundation for U.S. Economic Growth and Job Creation Part I''. 
Testimony was heard from Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation, 
Department of Transportation.
BUSINESS MEETING; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BUDGET REQUEST 
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a business meeting 
to designate Rep. Jerry McNerney and Rep. Tim Walz to subcommittees and 
a hearing entitled ``U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request 
for Fiscal Year 2016''. Representative Jerry McNerney and 
Representative Tim Walz were designated to subcommittees. Testimony was 
heard from Robert A. McDonald, Secretary, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.

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ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING; IRS'S USE OF CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE LAWS TO 
SEIZE THE BANK ACCOUNTS OF LAW ABIDING SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THE 
SETTLEMENT TACTICS EMPLOYED BY THE AGENCY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held an 
organizational meeting for the 114th Congress and a hearing on the 
IRS's use of civil asset forfeiture laws to seize the bank accounts of 
law abiding small businesses, and the settlement tactics employed by 
the agency. The subcommittee successfully organized. Testimony was 
heard from John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service; and 
public witnesses.
ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING; CHALLENGES FACING LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND 
FAMILIES IN TODAY'S ECONOMY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held an 
organizational meeting for the 114th Congress and a hearing on 
challenges facing low-income individuals and families in today's 
economy. The subcommittee successfully organized. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.