[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D796-D798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
ENERGY AND THE RURAL ECONOMY: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF EXPORTING CRUDE 
OIL
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Energy and the Rural Economy: the Economic Impact of Exporting Crude 
Oil''. Testimony was heard from David J. Porter, Chairman, Texas 
Railroad Commission; Frank Rusco, Director for Natural Resources and 
Environment, Government Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the 
Agriculture Appropriations Bill for FY 2016; and Revised Report on the 
Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2016. The Agriculture 
Appropriations Bill for FY 2016 was ordered reported, as amended. The 
Revised Report on the Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2016 
was agreed to.
INTERNET GOVERNANCE PROGRESS AFTER ICANN 53
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Internet Governance Progress After 
ICANN 53''. Testimony was heard from Larry Strickling, Administrator, 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration; and a 
public witness.
MEDICAID AT 50: STRENGTHENING AND SUSTAINING THE PROGRAM
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Medicaid at 50: Strengthening and Sustaining the Program''. 
Testimony was heard from Vikki Wachino, Deputy Administrator, Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Director, Center for Medicaid 
and CHIP Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Carolyn 
Yocom, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office; and 
Anne Schwartz, Executive Director, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access 
Commission.
EXAMINING THE DESIGNATION AND REGULATION OF BANK HOLDING COMPANY SIFIs
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Examining the Designation 
and Regulation of Bank Holding Company SIFIs''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
EXAMINING DHS'S MISPLACED FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Management Efficiency held a hearing entitled ``Examining DHS's 
Misplaced Focus on Climate Change''. Testimony was heard from the 
following Department of Homeland Security officials: Thomas Smith, 
Acting Assistant Secretary, Strategy, Planning, Analysis, and Risk, 
Office of Policy; Roy Wright, Deputy Associate Administrator, Federal 
Insurance and Mitigation Administration, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; and Robert Kolasky, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure 
Protection, National Protection and Programs Directorate; and a public 
witness.

[[Page D797]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 2329, 
the ``Ensuring Access to Justice for Claims Against the United States 
Act''; and H.R. 2604, the ``Need-Based Educational Aid Act of 2015''. 
H.R. 2329 and H.R. 2604 were ordered reported, without amendment.
THE HELIUM STEWARDSHIP ACT AND THE PATH FORWARD
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``The Helium Stewardship Act and the 
Path Forward''. Testimony was heard from Anne-Marie Fennell, Director, 
Natural Resources and Environment Team, Government Accountability 
Office; Tim Spisak, Senior Advisor for Minerals and Realty Management, 
Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; and public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
487, to allow the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to lease or transfer certain 
lands; H.R. 959, the ``Medgar Evers House Study Act''; H.R. 1554, the 
``Elkhorn Ranch and White River National Forest Conveyance Act of 
2015''; H.R. 1937, the ``National Strategic and Critical Minerals 
Production Act of 2015''; H.R. 1949, the ``The National Liberty 
Memorial Clarification Act of 2015''; H.R. 2223, the ``Crags, Colorado 
Land Exchange Act of 2015''; H.R. 2791, the ``Western Oregon Tribal 
Fairness Act''; H.R. 2898, the ``Western Water and American Food 
Security Act of 2015''; S. 501, the ``New Mexico Water Settlement 
Technical Corrections Act''; and H.R. 1138, the ``Sawtooth National 
Recreation Area and Jerry Peak Wilderness Additions Act''.
21ST CENTURY CURES ACT
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 6, the ``21st 
Century Cures Act''. The committee granted, by voice vote, a structured 
rule for H.R. 6. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. The rule provides that an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee 
Print 114-22 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 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, 
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. Testimony was heard 
from Chairman Upton and Representatives DeGette, Griffith of Virginia, 
Schakowsky, Welch, Slaughter, Polis, Gosar, Jackson Lee, Fitzpatrick, 
Adams, and Brat.
IS THE OPM DATA BREACH THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG?
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Research 
and Technology; and Subcommittee on Oversight, held a joint hearing 
entitled ``Is the OPM Data Breach the Tip of the Iceberg?''. Testimony 
was heard from Michael R. Esser, Assistant Inspector General for 
Audits, Office of Personnel Management; Charles Romine, Director, 
Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology; Gregory Wilshusen, Director, Information Security Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; and a public witness.
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM: OVERSIGHT OF THE SBA'S DISASTER LOAN PROGRAM
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Calm Before the Storm: Oversight of the SBA's Disaster Loan 
Program''. Testimony was heard from Representative Smith of New Jersey; 
James Rivera, Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance, 
Small Business Administration; William Shear, Director, Financial 
Markets and Community Investment, Government Accountability Office.
A REVIEW OF VA'S VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing entitled ``A Review of VA's Vocational Rehabilitation 
and Employment Program''. Testimony was heard from Jack Kammerer, 
Director, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service, Veterans 
Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Ralph Charlip, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations and Management, Veterans' 
Employment and Training Service, Department of Labor; and public 
witnesses.

[[Page D798]]



Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.