[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 147 (Wednesday, October 7, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1072-D1074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2015 DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing to review the 
development of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Testimony was 
heard from Tom Vilsack, Secretary, Department of Agriculture; and 
Sylvia Burwell, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
PLUTONIUM DISPOSITION AND THE MOX PROJECT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing entitled ``Plutonium Disposition and the MOX Project''. 
Testimony was heard from Frank G. Klotz, Administrator, National 
Nuclear Security Administration; John J. MacWilliams, Senior Advisor to 
the Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy; and a public witness.
STRENGTHENING HEAD START FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Strengthening Head Start for Current and Future 
Generations''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
PROTECTING AMERICA'S WORKERS: AN ENFORCEMENT UPDATE FROM THE 
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing entitled ``Protecting America's Workers: An 
Enforcement Update from the Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration''. Testimony was heard from David Michaels, Assistant 
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Department of 
Labor.
EPA'S CO2 REGULATIONS FOR NEW AND EXISTING POWER PLANTS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing entitled ``EPA's CO2 Regulations for New and Existing Power 
Plants''. Testimony was heard from Janet McCabe, Acting EPA 
Administrator for Air and Radiation, Environmental Protection Agency.

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IMPROVING FEDERAL SPECTRUM SYSTEMS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Improving Federal Spectrum 
Systems''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
REFORMING FOOD AID: DESPERATE NEED TO DO BETTER
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Reforming Food Aid: Desperate Need to Do Better''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION PROGRAMS IN AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``Food Security and Nutrition Programs in Africa''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
REVIEWING PRESIDENT XI'S STATE VISIT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a hearing entitled ``Reviewing President Xi's State Visit''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
EXAMINING THE MISSION, STRUCTURE, AND REORGANIZATION EFFORT OF THE 
NATIONAL PROTECTION AND PROGRAMS DIRECTORATE
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, 
Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining the Mission, Structure, and Reorganization Effort 
of the National Protection and Programs Directorate''. Testimony was 
heard from the following Department of Homeland Security officials: 
Suzanne Spaulding, Under Secretary, National Protection and Programs 
Directorate; Phyllis Schneck, Deputy Under Secretary, Cybersecurity and 
Communications, National Protections and Programs Directorate; and 
Ronald J. Clark, Deputy Under Secretary, National Protections and 
Programs Directorate; and Chris P. Currie, Director, Emergency 
Management National Preparedness and Critical Infrastructure Protection 
Homeland Security and Justice Team, Government Accountability Office.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
974, the ``Yellowstone and Grand Teton Paddling Act''; H.R. 1107, the 
``Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act''; H.R. 1452, to authorize 
Escambia County, Florida, to convey certain property that was formerly 
part of Santa Rosa Island National Monument and that was conveyed to 
Escambia County subject to restrictions on use and reconveyance; H.R. 
1820, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to retire coal 
preference right lease applications for which the Secretary has made an 
affirmative commercial quantities determination, and for other 
purposes; H.R. 2212, to take certain Federal lands located in Lassen 
County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Susanville Indian 
Rancheria, and for other purposes; H.R. 2270, the ``Billy Frank Jr. 
Tell Your Story Act''; H.R. 2406, the ``SHARE Act''; and H.R. 3382, the 
``Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2015''.
NATIVE AMERICAN ENERGY ACT; BILL TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CRUDE OIL MARKET 
CONDITIONS
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 538, the 
``Native American Energy Act''; and H.R. 702, to adapt to changing 
crude oil market conditions. The committee granted, by voice vote, a 
structured rule for H.R. 538. The rule provides one hour of 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 the purpose of amendment an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 114-30 
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 grants a 
structured rule for H.R. 702. 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 makes in 
order as original text for the purpose of amendment an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 
114-29 and provides that it shall be considered as read. The rule 
waives all points of order

[[Page D1074]]

against that amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule makes in 
order only those further amendments printed in part B 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 B of 
the report. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without 
instructions. Testimony was heard from Chairman Bishop of Utah, and 
Representatives Polis, Young of Alaska, Barton, Rush, Gene Green of 
Texas, Curbelo of Florida, and Jackson Lee.
THE EMV DEADLINE AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The EMV Deadline and What It Means for Small Businesses''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
ENSURING AVIATION SAFETY IN THE ERA OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing entitled ``Ensuring Aviation Safety in the Era 
of Unmanned Aircraft Systems''. Testimony was heard from Michael G. 
Whitaker, Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration; James 
Hubbard, Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, U.S. Forest Service; 
and public witnesses.
A CALL FOR SYSTEM-WIDE CHANGE: EVALUATING THE INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF 
THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``A Call for System-Wide Change: Evaluating the Independent Assessment 
of the Veterans Health Administration''. Testimony was heard from 
Robert A. McDonald, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
public witnesses.
RISING COSTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TAX POLICY
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the rising costs of higher education and tax policy. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.