[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 13, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D531-D533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FEDERAL COORDINATION AND RESPONSE REGARDING POLLINATOR HEALTH
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, 
and Research held a hearing to review the federal coordination and 
response regarding pollinator health. Testimony was heard from Robert 
Johansson, Acting Chief Economist, Department of Agriculture; and Jim 
Jones, Assistant Administrator, Office of Safety and Pollution 
Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency.
APPROPRIATIONS--TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
RELATED AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on 
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Bill for FY 2016 and Revised Report on the Suballocation 
of Budget Allocations for FY 2016. The Transportation, Housing and 
Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 2016 
was ordered reported, as amended. The Revised Report on the 
Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2016 was approved.
DISCUSSION DRAFTS ADDRESSING HYDROPOWER REGULATORY MODERNIZATION AND 
FERC PROCESS COORDINATION UNDER THE NATURAL GAS ACT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``Discussion Drafts Addressing Hydropower Regulatory 
Modernization and FERC Process Coordination under the Natural Gas 
Act''. Testimony was heard from Paul R. LePage, Governor of Maine; Ann 
F. Miles, Director, Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission; and public witnesses.
STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON THE IANA TRANSITION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Stakeholder Perspectives on the 
IANA Transition''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE DODD-FRANK ACT AND REGULATORY OVERREACH
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Dodd-Frank Act and 
Regulatory Overreach''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO ENHANCE CAPITAL FORMATION AND REDUCE 
REGULATORY BURDENS, PART II
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``Legislative 
Proposals to Enhance Capital Formation and Reduce Regulatory Burdens, 
Part II''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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ANCIENT COMMUNITIES UNDER ATTACK: ISIS'S WAR ON RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Ancient Communities Under Attack: ISIS's War on Religious 
Minorities''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Management Efficiency held a markup on H.R. 1615, the ``DHS FOIA 
Efficiency Act of 2015''; H.R. 1626, the ``DHS IT Duplication Reduction 
Act of 2015''; H.R. 1633, the ``DHS Paid Administrative Leave 
Accountability Act of 2015''; H.R. 1640, the ``Department of Homeland 
Security Headquarters Consolidation Accountability Act of 2015''; and 
H.R. 1646, the ``Homeland Security Drone Assessment and Analysis Act''. 
The following bills were ordered reported to the full committee, as 
amended: H.R. 1615, H.R. 1626, H.R. 1633, H.R. 1640, and H.R. 1646.
STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON ICANN: THE .SUCKS DOMAIN AND ESSENTIAL 
STEPS TO GUARANTEE TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE INTERNET'S OPERATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Stakeholder 
Perspectives on ICANN: The .Sucks Domain and Essential Steps to 
Guarantee Trust and Accountability in the Internet's Operation''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S CEQ RECENTLY REVISED DRAFT GUIDANCE FOR GHG 
EMISSIONS AND THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Obama Administration's CEQ Recently Revised Draft Guidance for 
GHG Emissions and the Effects of Climate Change''. Testimony was heard 
from Christy Goldfuss, Managing Director, Council on Environmental 
Quality; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE; TRANSPORTATION SECURITY: ARE OUR AIRPORTS SAFE?
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
markup on a bill to clarify the effective date of the Border Patrol 
Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014; and a hearing entitled ``Transportation 
Security: Are Our Airports Safe?''. The bill to clarify the effective 
date of the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014 was ordered 
reported, without amendment. Testimony was heard from John Roth, 
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security; Jennifer Grover, 
Acting Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Government 
Accountability Office; and a public witness.
THE EMP THREAT: THE STATE OF PREPAREDNESS AGAINST THE THREAT OF AN 
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE (EMP) EVENT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security; and Subcommittee on the Interior, held a joint hearing 
entitled ``The EMP Threat: The State of Preparedness Against the Threat 
of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Event''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 1735, the 
``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016'' (Amendment 
Consideration). The committee granted, by a record vote of 8-3, a 
structured rule for further consideration of H.R. 1735. The rule 
provides no further general debate. The rule makes in order as original 
text for purpose of amendment an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 114-14 and 
provides that it shall be considered as read. The rule waives all 
points of order against that amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
The rule makes in order only those further amendments printed in the 
report and amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the resolution. 
Each such amendment printed in the report may be offered only in the 
order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated 
in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the 
time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the 
proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall 
not be subject to a demand for division of the question. The rule 
waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the report 
or against amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the resolution. 
In section 3, the rule provides that it shall be in order at any time 
for the chair of the Committee on Armed Services or his designee to 
offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in the report 
not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc shall be considered as 
read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled 
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed 
Services or their designees, shall not be subject to amendment, and 
shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. The

[[Page D533]]

rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. 
Testimony was heard from Chairman Chabot and Representatives Coffman, 
Cooper, Brooks of Alabama, Johnson of Georgia, Fleming, Walz, Nugent, 
Takai, Bridenstine, Russell, McGovern, Polis, Hastings, Young of 
Alaska, Maxine Waters of California, Rohrabacher, Jackson Lee, Lee, 
Fitzpatrick, Pascrell, Thompson of Pennsylvania, Langevin, Dold, 
Schiff, Perry, Cicilline, Rothfus, Hahn, Brat, Adams of North Carolina, 
Clawson of Florida, Dingell, Sanford, Hardy, and Walker.
NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION AND THE NATIONAL LABS
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy 
held a hearing entitled ``Nuclear Energy Innovation and the National 
Labs''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 2262, the ``Spurring Private Aerospace Competitiveness 
and Entrepreneurship Act of 2015''; H.R. 1508, the ``Space Resource 
Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015''; H.R. 2261, the ``Commercial 
Remote Sensing Act of 2015''; and H.R. 2263, the ``Office of Space 
Commerce Act''. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: 
H.R. 2262, H.R. 1508, and H.R. 2261. H.R. 2263 was ordered reported, 
without amendment.
BRIDGING THE SMALL BUSINESS CAPITAL GAP: PEER-TO-PEER LENDING
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Bridging the Small Business Capital Gap: Peer-to-Peer Lending''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STAGGERS RAIL ACT: RAILROAD DEREGULATION 
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials held a hearing entitled 
``The 35th Anniversary of the Staggers Rail Act: Railroad Deregulation 
Past, Present, and Future''. Testimony was heard from Debra Miller, 
Acting Chairman, Surface Transportation Board; and public witnesses.
ASSESSING THE PROMISE AND PROGRESS OF THE CHOICE PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Assessing the Promise and Progress of the Choice Program''. Testimony 
was heard from Sloan Gibson, Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.