[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D572-D575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
ADDRESSING WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE IN FEDERAL CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled 
``Addressing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Federal Child Nutrition 
Programs''. Testimony was heard from Kay E. Brown, Director, Education, 
Workforce, and Income Security, Government Accountability Office; Gil 
Harden, Assistant Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, 
Department of Agriculture; Jessica Lucas-Judy, Acting Director, 
Forensic Audits and Investigating Service, Government Accountability 
Office; and a public witness.
DISCUSSION DRAFT ADDRESSING ENERGY RELIABILITY AND SECURITY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``Discussion Draft Addressing Energy Reliability and 
Security''. Testimony was heard from Michael Bardee, Director, Office 
of Electric Reliability, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and 
public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
Consumer Product Safety Commission''. Testimony was heard from Elliot 
F. Kaye, Chairman, Consumer Product Safety Commission; Robert S. Adler, 
Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission; Ann Marie Buerkle, 
Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission; Joseph Mohorovic, 
Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission; public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
6, the ``21st Century Cures Act''.
THE FUTURE OF HOUSING IN AMERICA: OVERSIGHT OF THE RURAL HOUSING 
SERVICE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance 
held a hearing entitled ``The Future of Housing in America: Oversight 
of the Rural Housing Service''. Testimony was heard from Tony 
Hernandez, Administrator, Rural Housing Service, Department of 
Agriculture; and Mathew Scire, Director, Financial Markets and 
Community Investment, Government Accountability Office.
PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: HOW THE FINANCIAL SECTOR ADDRESSES 
CYBER THREATS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Protecting Critical 
Infrastructure: How the Financial Sector Addresses Cyber Threats''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TRADE PROMOTION AGENCIES AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Trade Promotion 
Agencies and U.S. Foreign Policy''. Testimony was heard from Fred P. 
Hochberg, Chairman and President, Export-Import Bank of the United 
States; Elizabeth L. Littlefield,

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President and Chief Executive Officer, Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation; Leocadia I. Zak, Director, U.S. Trade and Development 
Agency; and public witnesses.
THE FUTURE OF U.S.-HUNGARY RELATIONS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing entitled ``The Future of U.S.-Hungary 
Relations''. Testimony was heard from Hoyt Brian Yee, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Department of 
State; and public witnesses.
EXAMINING DHS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE'S ENGAGEMENT WITH 
ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining DHS Science and Technology Directorate's 
Engagement with Academia and Industry''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
POLICING STRATEGIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Policing Strategies for the 21st Century''. Testimony was heard from 
Sheriff David A. Clarke, Jr., Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office; Susan 
Lee Rahr, Executive Director, Washington State Criminal Justice 
Training Commission, and Member of President Obama's Task Force on 21st 
Century Policing; and public witnesses.
ONGOING OVERSIGHT: MONITORING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE JUSTICE 
DEPARTMENT'S CIVIL, TAX AND ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISIONS 
AND THE U.S. TRUSTEE PROGRAM
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, 
Commercial and Antitrust Law held a hearing entitled ``Ongoing 
Oversight: Monitoring the Activities of the Justice Department's Civil, 
Tax and Environment and Natural Resources Divisions and the U.S. 
Trustee Program''. Testimony was heard from the following Department of 
Justice officials: Benjamin C. Mizer, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Attorney General, Civil Division; John C. Cruden, Assistant Attorney 
General, Environment and Natural Resources Division; Caroline D. 
Ciraolo, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division; Clifford J. 
White III, Director, U.S. Trustee Program; and public witnesses.
EMPOWERING STATE MANAGEMENT OF GREATER SAGE GROUSE
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Empowering State Management of Greater Sage Grouse''. Testimony was 
heard from Kathleen Clarke, Director, Utah Public Lands Policy 
Coordinating Office, State of Utah; Dustin Miller, Administrator, Idaho 
Office of Species Conservation, State of Idaho; John Swartout, Senior 
Policy Advisor, Office of Governor John Hickenlooper, State of 
Colorado; and a public witness.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 2395, the ``Inspector General Reform Act of 2015''; H.R. 
1777, the ``Presidential Allowance Modernization Act''; H.R. 1831, the 
``Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2015''; H.R. 451, the 
``Safe and Secure Federal Websites Act of 2015''; H.R. 1759, the ``All 
Economic Regulations are Transparent (ALERT) Act of 2015''; H.R. 728, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill, Missouri, as the ``Sergeant First 
Class William B. Woods, Jr. Post Office''; H.R. 891, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 141 Paloma 
Drive in Floresville, Texas, as the ``Floresville Veterans Post Office 
Building''; H.R. 1326, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 2000 Mulford Road in Mulberry, Florida, as 
the ``Sergeant First Class Daniel M. Ferguson Post Office''; H.R. 1350, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 442 East 167th Street in Bronx, New York, as the ``Herman Badillo 
Post Office Building''; H.R. 1442, to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 90 Cornell Street in Kingston, 
New York, as the ``Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz Post Office 
Building''; H.R. 1524, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 1 Walter Hammond Place in Waldwick, New 
Jersey, as the ``Staff Sergeant Joseph D'Augustine Post Office 
Building''. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 
1777, H.R. 1831, and H.R. 451. The following bills were ordered 
reported, without amendment: H.R. 2395, H.R. 1759, H.R. 728, H.R. 891, 
H.R. 1326, H.R. 1350, H.R. 1442, and H.R. 1524.

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AMERICAN RESEARCH AND COMPETITIVENESS ACT OF 2015; STRENGTHENING 
FISHING COMMUNITIES AND INCREASING FLEXIBILITY IN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT 
ACT; SPACE ACT OF 2015
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 880, the 
``American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2015''; H.R. 1335, the 
``Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in 
Fisheries Management Act''; and H.R. 2262, the ``SPACE Act of 2015''. 
The committee granted, by a record vote of 9-4, a structured rule for 
H.R. 1335. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided 
and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Natural Resources. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. 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 114-16 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 
Rules Committee report. Each such amendment 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, may be withdrawn by the proponent at any 
time before action thereon, 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. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. The Committee granted, by voice vote, a structured rule 
for H.R. 2262. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology or their respective 
designees. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of 
the bill. 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 114-17 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 part A of the Rules Committee 
report. Each such amendment 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 part A of the report. The rule 
provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. 
Additionally, the rule granted a closed rule for H.R. 880. The rule 
provides one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. The 
rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The 
rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Ways and Means, modified by the 
amendment printed in part B of the Rules Committee report, shall be 
considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as 
read. The rule waives all points of order against provisions in the 
bill, as amended. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions. In section 3, the rule provides that it shall be 
in order at any time on the legislative day of May 21, 2015, for the 
Speaker to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules. In 
section 4, the rule provides that the Committee on Appropriations may, 
at any time before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2015, file privileged 
reports to accompany measures making appropriations for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2016. In section 5, the rule provides that on any 
legislative day during the period from May 22, 2015, through May 29, 
2015: the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day shall be 
considered as approved; and the Chair may at any time declare the House 
adjourned to meet at a date and time to be announced by the Chair in 
declaring the adjournment. In section 6, the rule provides that the 
Speaker may appoint Members to perform the duties of the Chair for the 
duration of the period addressed by section 5. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Bishop of Utah, Chairman Ryan of Wisconsin, Chairman Smith of 
Texas, and Representatives Huffman, Young of Alaska, Graves of 
Louisiana, Jones, Austin Scott of Georgia, Crowley, and Eddie Bernice 
Johnson of Texas.
IMPROVING CAPITAL ACCESS PROGRAMS WITHIN THE SBA
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and 
Capital Access held a hearing entitled ``Improving Capital Access 
Programs within the SBA''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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PACIFIC NORTHWEST SEISMIC HAZARDS: PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR THE NEXT 
DISASTER
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a 
hearing entitled ``Pacific Northwest Seismic Hazards: Planning and 
Preparing for the Next Disaster''. Testimony was heard from Robert J. 
Fenton, Jr., Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Response and 
Recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency; and public witnesses.
IMPROVING COMPETITION IN MEDICARE: REMOVING MORATORIA AND EXPANDING 
ACCESS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Improving Competition in Medicare: Removing Moratoria and 
Expanding Access''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.