[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 14, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D822-D824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1599, 
the ``Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015''. H.R. 1599 was 
ordered reported, as amended.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the 
Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for FY 2016. The Homeland 
Security Appropriations Bill for FY 2016 was ordered reported, as 
amended.
OVERSIGHT OF PIPELINE SAFETY, REGULATORY CERTAINTY, AND JOB CREATION 
ACT OF 2011 AND RELATED ISSUES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``Oversight of Pipeline Safety, Regulatory 
Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 and Related Issues''. Testimony 
was heard from Stacy Cummings, Interim Executive Director, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; Dianne Black, Assistant 
Director of Planning and Development, County of Santa Barbara, 
California; and public witnesses.

[[Page D823]]


MEDICARE PART D: MEASURES NEEDED TO STRENGTHEN PROGRAM INTEGRITY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Medicare Part D: Measures 
Needed to Strengthen Program Integrity''. Testimony was heard from Ann 
Maxwell, Assistant Inspector General, Evaluation and Inspections, 
Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services; 
and Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., Deputy Administrator and Director, Center 
for Program Integrity, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Department of Health and Human Services.
FED OVERSIGHT: LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Fed Oversight: Lack of 
Transparency and Accountability''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
IMPLICATIONS OF A NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WITH IRAN: PART II
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Implications of a Nuclear Agreement with Iran: Part II''. Testimony 
was heard from former Senator Lieberman; and public witnesses.
THE EUROPEAN UNION'S FUTURE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing entitled ``The European Union's 
Future''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
TUNISIA'S FRAGILE DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a hearing entitled ``Tunisia's Fragile Democratic 
Transition''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SECURING THE MARITIME BORDER: THE FUTURE OF CBP AIR AND MARINE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border and Maritime 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Securing the Maritime Border: The 
Future of CBP Air and Marine''. Testimony was heard from Randolph D. 
Alles, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Air and Marine, U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; and John Roth, 
Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland 
Security.
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: BOLSTERING DHS TO COMBAT PERSISTENT 
THREATS TO AMERICA
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies; and Subcommittee 
on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, held a joint 
hearing entitled ``Weapons of Mass Destruction: Bolstering DHS to 
Combat Persistent Threats to America''. Testimony was heard from the 
following Department of Homeland Security officials: Reginald Brothers, 
Under Secretary for Science and Technology; Kathryn Brinsfield, 
Assistant Secretary, Office of Health Affairs; and Huban Gowadia, 
Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Oversight of the United States Department of Homeland Security''. 
Testimony was heard from Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, 
Department of Homeland Security.
THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF SAFE SEISMIC SURVEYING IN OCS ENERGY 
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``The Fundamental Role of Safe 
Seismic Surveying in OCS Energy Exploration and Development''. 
Testimony was heard from Abigail Ross Hopper, Director, Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a 
hearing on H.R. 2270, the ``Billy Frank Jr. Tell Your Story Act''; and 
a discussion draft of the ``Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2015''. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Heck of Washington and Amodei; 
Leslie Weldon, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, U.S. Forest 
Service, Department of Agriculture; and a public witness.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM, PART I
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Criminal Justice Reform, Part I''. Testimony was 
heard from Senators Cornyn and Booker; Representatives Sensenbrenner 
and Scott of Virginia; Robert Bentley, Governor, Alabama; and Jack 
Markell, Governor, Delaware.

[[Page D824]]


WESTERN WATER AND AMERICAN FOOD SECURITY ACT OF 2015; HIGHWAY AND 
TRANSPORTATION FUNDING ACT OF 2015, PART II
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 2898, the 
``Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015''; and H.R. 
3038, the ``Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, Part II''. 
The committee granted, by voice vote, a structured rule for H.R. 2898. 
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 114-23 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, 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. Additionally, the rule granted a closed rule for H.R. 
3038. The rule provides one hour of debate equally divided among and 
controlled by the chairs and ranking minority members of the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Ways and 
Means. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the 
bill. The rule provides that the bill shall be considered as read. The 
rule waives all points of order against provisions in the bill. The 
rule provides one motion to recommit. Testimony was heard from Chairman 
Shuster, Chairman Ryan of Wisconsin, and Representatives McClintock, 
Huffman, Costa, and Levin.
ADVANCING COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA: COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE 
FORECASTS, PART II
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on 
Environment held a hearing entitled ``Advancing Commercial Weather 
Data: Collaborative Efforts to Improve Forecasts, Part II''. Testimony 
was heard from Manson Brown, Deputy Administrator, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on H.R. 272, the ``Medal of Honor Priority Care Act''; H.R. 353, the 
``Veterans' Access to Hearing Health Act of 2015''; H.R. 359, the 
``Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act''; H.R. 421, the ``Classified 
Veterans Access to Care Act''; H.R. 423, the ``Newborn Care Improvement 
Act''; H.R. 1356, the ``Women Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 
2015''; H.R. 1688, to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
Accountability Act of 2014 to designate 20 graduate medical education 
residency positions specifically for the study of optometry; H.R. 1862, 
the ``Veterans' Credit Protection Act''; H.R. 2464, the ``Demanding 
Accountability for Veterans Act of 2015''; H.R. 2914, the ``Build a 
Better VA Act''; H.R. 2915, the ``Female Veteran Suicide Prevention 
Act''; H.R. 3016, to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the 
role of podiatrists in the Department of Veterans Affairs; and draft 
legislation to authorize VA major medical facility construction 
projects for FY 2015 and to make certain improvements in the 
administration of VA medical facility construction projects. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Walberg, Duffy, Stivers, Sinema, Collins 
of Georgia, Coffman, Denham, Boustany, and Wenstrup; Madhulika Agarwal, 
M.D., Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Services, 
Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Janet 
P. Murphy, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and 
Management, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.