[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 97 (Wednesday, June 17, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D722-D724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 2647, 
the ``Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015''; and H.R. 2620, to amend 
the United States Cotton Futures Act to exclude certain cotton futures 
contracts from coverage under such Act. H.R. 2647 and H.R. 2620 were 
both ordered reported, as amended.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education held a markup on the Labor, Health and Human 
Services, and Education Appropriations Bill, FY 2016. The Labor, Health 
and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill, FY 2016, was 
forwarded to the full committee, without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the 
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill for FY 
2016. The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill 
for FY 2016 was ordered reported, as amended.
U.S. POLICY AND STRATEGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``U.S. Policy and Strategy in the Middle East''. Testimony was heard 
from Ashton B. Carter, Secretary, Department of Defense; and General 
Martin E. Dempsey, USA, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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CAPACITY OF U.S. NAVY TO PROJECT POWER WITH LARGE SURFACE COMBATANTS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection 
Forces held a hearing entitled ``Capacity of U.S. Navy to Project Power 
with Large Surface Combatants''. Testimony was heard from Rear Admiral 
Victorino G. ``Vic'' Mercado, USN, Director, Assessment Division (N81); 
and Rear Admiral Peter Fanta, USN, Director, Surface Warfare (N96).
WHY CONGRESS MUST BALANCE THE BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Why 
Congress Must Balance the Budget''. Testimony was heard from Ryan 
Silvey, Senator, Missouri State Senate; and public witnesses.
RESTRICTING ACCESS TO FINANCIAL ADVICE: EVALUATING THE COSTS AND 
CONSEQUENCES FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND RETIREES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``Restricting 
Access to Financial Advice: Evaluating the Costs and Consequences for 
Working Families and Retirees''. Testimony was heard from Thomas E. 
Perez, Secretary, Department of Labor; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Energy And Commerce: Full Committee concluded a markup on 
H.R. 805, the ``Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters Act 
of 2015''. H.R. 805 was ordered reported, as amended.
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OVERSIGHT COUNCIL
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Annual Report of the Financial Stability Oversight Council''. 
Testimony was heard from Jacob J. Lew, Secretary, Department of the 
Treasury.
THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: ECONOMIC STABILITY OR 
MORAL HAZARD?
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and 
Trade held a hearing entitled ``The Impact of the International 
Monetary Fund: Economic Stability or Moral Hazard?''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
ASSAD'S ABHORRENT CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACKS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Assad's Abhorrent Chemical Weapons Attacks''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
CHINA'S RISE: THE STRATEGIC IMPACT OF ITS ECONOMIC AND MILITARY GROWTH
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a hearing entitled ``China's Rise: The Strategic Impact of its Economic 
and Military Growth''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE IRAN, NORTH KOREA, AND SYRIA NONPROLIFERATION ACT: STATE 
DEPARTMENT'S NON-COMPLIANCE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a hearing entitled ``The Iran, North Korea, and Syria 
Nonproliferation Act: State Department's Non-Compliance''. Testimony 
was heard from Thomas Melito, Director, International Affairs and 
Trade, Government Accountability Office.
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``Human Rights Abuses by Vietnamese Authorities''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
THE STATE OF THE SMITHSONIAN
Committee on House Administration: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``The State of the Smithsonian''. Testimony was heard from 
Albert G. Horvath, Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 2315, 
the ``Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2015''; 
H.R. 1643, the ``Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act of 2015''; 
and H.R. 2584, the ``Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 
2015''. The following bills were ordered reported, without amendment: 
H.R. 2315 and H.R. 2584. The following bill was ordered reported, as 
amended: H.R. 1643.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and 
Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 1157, the ``Santa Ynez 
Band of Chumash Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2015''; H.R. 2386, 
the ``Unrecognized Southeast

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Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act''; and H.R. 
2538, the ``Lytton Rancheria Homelands Act of 2015''. Testimony was 
heard from Michael Black, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Department of the Interior; Mona Miyasato, Executive Officer, County of 
Santa Barbara, on behalf of the County of Santa Barbara Board of 
Supervisors; Steve Lavagnino, County Supervisor, Fifth District, Santa 
Barbara County; and public witnesses.
DRONES: THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMMERCE?
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Drones: The Next Generation of Commerce?''. 
Testimony was heard from Michael Whitaker, Deputy Administrator, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation; John 
Cavolowsky, Director of the Airspace Systems Program Office, National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration; and public witnesses.
A REVIEW OF THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON IMMIGRATION
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security; and Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative 
Rules, held a joint hearing entitled ``A Review of the President's 
Executive Actions on Immigration''. Testimony was heard from Sarah R. 
Saldana, Director, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Leon Rodriguez, 
Director, Citizenship and Immigration Services; and John Roth, 
Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security.
SENATE AMENDMENT TO THE DEFENDING PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT 
ACT
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on the Senate 
Amendment to H.R. 2146, the ``Defending Public Safety Employees' 
Retirement Act''. The committee granted, by record vote of 7-3, a rule 
that provides for the consideration of the Senate amendment. The rule 
makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the Committee on Ways 
and Means or his designee that the House concur in the Senate amendment 
with the amendment printed in the Rules Committee report. The rule 
waives all points of order against consideration of the motion and 
provides that the motion is not subject to a demand for division of the 
question. The rule provides that the Senate amendment and the motion 
shall be considered as read. The rule provides one hour of debate on 
the motion equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OVERSIGHT: ENERGY INNOVATION HUBS
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy 
held a hearing entitled ``Department of Energy Oversight: Energy 
Innovation Hubs''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CRUDE INTENTIONS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE BAN, THE OIL INDUSTRY, AND 
AMERICA'S SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Crude Intentions: The Untold Story of the Ban, the Oil Industry, and 
America's Small Businesses''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
LONG-TERM FINANCING OF THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Long-Term Financing of the Highway Trust Fund''. Testimony was heard 
from Chad Shirley, Deputy Assistant Director, Microeconomic Studies 
Team, Congressional Budget Office; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
FEDERAL CREDIT PROGRAMS
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
economic exposure of Federal credit programs, after receiving testimony 
from Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum, Jason Delisle, New 
America Federal Education Budget Project, Douglas J. Elliott, Brookings 
Institution, and Paul Van de Water, Center on Budget and Policy 
Priorities, all of Washington, D.C.