[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 170 (Wednesday, November 18, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1234-D1236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF SNAP: THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON HUNGER
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Past, Present, and Future of SNAP: The National Commission on 
Hunger''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OUTSIDE VIEWS ON THE STRATEGY FOR IRAQ AND SYRIA
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Outside Views on the Strategy for Iraq and Syria''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
DOES BIENNIAL BUDGETING FIT IN A REWRITE OF THE BUDGET PROCESS?
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Does 
Biennial Budgeting Fit in a Rewrite of the Budget Process?''. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Ribble; and Price of North Carolina; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee concluded a markup on 
H.R. 1321, the ``Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015''; H.R. 2017, the 
``Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015''; H.R. 3014, the 
``Medical Controlled Substances Transportation Act''; H.R. 3716, the 
``Ensuring Terminated

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Providers Are Removed from Medicaid and CHIP Act''; H.R. 3821, the 
``Medicaid Directory of Caregivers Act''; H.J. Res. 71, providing for 
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States 
Code, of a rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency 
relating to ``Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric 
Utility Generating Units''; H.J. Res. 72, providing for congressional 
disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule 
submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to ``Carbon 
Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric 
Utility Generating Units''; and S. 611, the ``Grassroots Rural and 
Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act''. The following 
legislation was ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 2017, H.R. 
3014, H.J. Res. 71, H.J. Res. 72, and S. 611. The following legislation 
was ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 1321, H.R. 3716, and H.R. 3821.
EXAMINING THE SEC'S AGENDA, OPERATIONS, AND FY 2017 BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Examining the SEC's Agenda, Operations, and FY 2017 Budget Request''. 
Testimony was heard from Mary Jo White, Chair, Securities and Exchange 
Commission.
THE RISE OF RADICALISM: GROWING TERRORIST SANCTUARIES AND THE THREAT TO 
THE U.S. HOMELAND
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee; and the House Committee 
on Foreign Affairs, held a joint hearing entitled ``The Rise of 
Radicalism: Growing Terrorist Sanctuaries and the Threat to the U.S. 
Homeland''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 2830, 
to make technical amendments to update statutory references to certain 
provisions classified to title 2, United States Code; H.R. 3713, the 
``Sentencing Reform Act of 2015''; H.R. 4002, the ``Criminal Code 
Improvement Act of 2015''; H.R. 4003, the ``Regulatory Reporting Act of 
2015''; H.R. 4001, the ``Fix the Footnotes Act of 2015''; and H.R. 
4023, the ``Clean Up the Code Act of 2015''. H.R. 3713 was ordered 
reported, as amended. The following bills were ordered reported, 
without amendment: H.R. 4001, H.R. 4002, H.R. 4003, H.R. 4023, and H.R. 
2830.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing on a 
discussion draft of the ``Protecting America's Recreation and 
Conservation Act''. Testimony was heard from Kristen Sarri, Principal 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Policy Management and Budget, Department of 
the Interior; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL STUDENT AID: PERFORMANCE-BASED ORGANIZATION REVIEW
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Operations; and Subcommittee on Higher Education and 
Workforce Training of the House Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, held a joint hearing entitled ``Federal Student Aid: 
Performance-Based Organization Review''. Testimony was heard from James 
Runcie, Chief Operating Officer, Department of Education; Melissa 
Emrey-Arras, Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, 
Government Accountability Office; Kathleen Tighe, Inspector General, 
Department of Education; and public witnesses.
THE INTERNET OF CARS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Transportation and Public Assets; and Subcommittee on Information 
Technology, held a joint hearing entitled ``The Internet of Cars''. 
Testimony was heard from Nat Beuse, Associate Administrator, Vehicle 
Safety Research, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Department of Transportation; and public witnesses.
AMERICAN SAFE ACT OF 2015
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4038, the 
``American SAFE ACT of 2015''. The committee granted, by record vote of 
7-3, a closed rule for H.R. 4038. The rule provides one hour of debate 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on the Judiciary. 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 Goodlatte, Chairman McCaul, 
and Representatives Lofgren, Labrador, Babin, Thompson of Mississippi, 
Hill, Schweikert, and Austin Scott of Georgia.
THE ADMINISTRATION'S EMPTY PROMISES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE 
TREATY
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``The Administration's

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Empty Promises for the International Climate Treaty''. Testimony was 
heard from Katie Dykes, Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut Department of 
Energy and Environmental Protection and Chair, Regional Greenhouse Gas 
Initiative, Inc.; and public witnesses.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION TO REVIEW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE 
NATIONAL ENERGY LABORATORIES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Energy 
held a hearing entitled ``Recommendations of the Commission to Review 
the Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories''. Testimony was 
heard from TJ Glauthier, Co-Chair, Commission to Review the 
Effectiveness of the National Energy Laboratories; Jared Cohon, Co-
Chair, Commission to Review the Effectiveness of the National Energy 
Laboratories; and a public witness.
CONTINUING CHALLENGES FOR SMALL CONTRACTORS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 
held a hearing entitled ``Continuing Challenges for Small 
Contractors''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CHOICE CONSOLIDATION: ASSESSING VA'S PLAN TO IMPROVE CARE IN THE 
COMMUNITY
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Choice Consolidation: Assessing VA's Plan to Improve Care in the 
Community''. Testimony was heard from Sloan Gibson, Deputy Secretary, 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
EXAMINING VA'S ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing entitled ``Examining VA's On-the-Job Training and 
Apprenticeship Program''. Testimony was heard from Andrew Sherrill, 
Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Government 
Accountability Office; Major General Robert M. Worley II, USAF (Ret.), 
Director, Education Service, Veterans Benefit Administration, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Eric Seleznow, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor; 
and a public witness.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a business meeting to 
consider changes to the Committee's rules. The Committee's rules were 
successfully adopted, as amended.

Joint Meetings
ADVANCING THE AMERICAN DREAM
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
millennial voices on advancing the American dream, after receiving 
testimony from Representative Stefanik; Jared Meyer, Manhattan 
Institute for Policy Research, New York, New York; and Jennifer 
Mishory, Young Invincibles, Washington, D.C.
DRIVE ACT CONFERENCE
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of H.R. 22, an act to authorize funds for Federal-aid 
highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, but did not 
complete action thereon.
EVERY CHILD ACHIEVES ACT CONFERENCE
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
passed versions of S. 1177, to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 to ensure that every child achieves, but did not 
complete action thereon, and will meet again on Thursday, November 19, 
2015.