[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 178 (Wednesday, December 9, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1300-D1302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
COMMODITY IN FOCUS: STRESS IN COTTON COUNTRY
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing entitled ``Commodity in Focus: Stress in 
Cotton Country''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF USDA'S USE OF CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE AUTHORITY TO ACQUIRE 
FARMERS' PERSONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, 
and Research held a hearing on oversight of USDA's use of Census of 
Agriculture authority to acquire farmers' personal financial 
information. Testimony was heard from Joseph T. Reilly, Administrator, 
National Agriculture Statistics Service, Department of Agriculture.

[[Page D1301]]


CONCURRENT RECEIPT OF SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN AND DEPENDENCY AND 
INDEMNITY COMPENSATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing entitled ``Concurrent Receipt of Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) 
and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
GAME CHANGING INNOVATIONS AND THE FUTURE OF SURFACE WARFARE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection 
Forces held a hearing entitled ``Game Changing Innovations and the 
Future of Surface Warfare''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
HOW THE ADMINISTRATION'S REGULATORY ONSLAUGHT IS AFFECTING WORKERS AND 
JOB CREATORS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing entitled ``How the Administration's 
Regulatory Onslaught is Affecting Workers and Job Creators''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
EXAMINING LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE AND TREATMENT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining Legislation to Improve Health Care and 
Treatment''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee concluded a markup on 
H.R. 2187, the ``Fair Investment Opportunities for Professional Experts 
Act''; H.R. 2205, the ``Data Security Act of 2015''; H.R. 2287, the 
``National Credit Union Administration Budget Transparency Act''; H.R. 
3700, the ``Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2015''; 
H.R. 3784, the ``SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2015''; H.R. 3791, 
to raise the consolidated assets threshold under the small bank holding 
company policy statement, and for other purposes; H.R. 4168, the 
``Small Business Capital Formation Enhancement Act''; and Task Force to 
Investigate Terrorism Financing Resolution of 2016. The Task Force to 
Investigate Terrorism Financing Resolution of 2016 passed. The 
following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 3700, H.R. 
2205, H.R. 2187, and H.R. 3784. The following bills were ordered 
reported, without amendment: H.R. 3791, H.R. 2287, and H.R. 4168.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 
1654, to authorize the direct provision of defense articles, defense 
services, and related training to the Kurdistan Regional Government, 
and for other purposes; H.R. 3654, the ``Combat Terrorist Use of Social 
Media Act of 2015''; and H.R. 4154, the ``Taiwan Naval Support Act'', 
H. Res. 346, condemning the use of toxic chemicals as weapons in the 
Syrian Arab Republic; and H. Res. 536, supporting freedom of the press 
in Latin America and the Caribbean and condemning violations of press 
freedom and violence against journalists, bloggers, and individuals 
exercising their right to freedom of speech. The following legislation 
was ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 1654, H.R. 3654, H. Res. 346, 
and H. Res. 536. H.R. 4154 was ordered reported, without amendment.
YEAR IN REVIEW: U.S. POLICY TOWARD A CHANGING WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere 
held a hearing entitled ``Year in Review: U.S. Policy Toward a Changing 
Western Hemisphere''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FULFILLING THE HUMANITARIAN IMPERATIVE: ASSISTING VICTIMS OF ISIS 
VIOLENCE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``Fulfilling the Humanitarian Imperative: Assisting Victims of 
ISIS Violence''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES
Committee on The Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Border 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the United States 
Citizenship and Immigration Services''. Testimony was heard from Leon 
Rodriguez, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR'S ROLE IN THE EPA'S ANIMAS SPILL
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Department of the Interior's Role in the EPA's Animas Spill''. 
Testimony was heard from Sally Jewell, Secretary, Department of the 
Interior.

[[Page D1302]]


LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a 
hearing on H.R. 1838, the ``Clear Creek National Recreation Area and 
Conservation Act''; and H.R. 3668, the ``California Minerals, Off-Road 
Recreation, and Conservation Act''. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Farr; and Cook; Kristin Bail, Assistant Director, 
National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships, 
Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior; Robert Lovingood, 
Supervisor, District 1, San Bernardino County, California; and Jerry 
Muenzer, Supervisor, District 4, San Benito County, California.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
markup on a committee report entitled ``United States Secret Service: 
An Agency in Crisis''; H.R. 4180, to improve Federal agency financial 
and administrative controls and procedures to assess and mitigate fraud 
risks, and to improve Federal agencies' development and use of data 
analytics for the purpose of identifying, preventing, and responding to 
fraud, including improper payments; S. 1698, the ``Treatment of Certain 
Payments in Eugenics Compensation Act''; H.R. 1132, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1048 West 
Robinhood Drive in Stockton, California, as the ``W. Ronald Coale 
Memorial Post Office Building''; H.R. 2458, to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 5351 Lapalco Boulevard 
in Marrero, Louisiana, as the ``Lionel R. Collins, Sr. Post Office 
Building''; H.R. 3735, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 200 Town Run Lane in Winston Salem, North 
Carolina, as the ``Maya Angelou Memorial Post Office''; and H.R. 4046, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 220 East Oak Street, Glenwood City, Wisconsin, as the Second Lt. 
Ellen Ainsworth Memorial Post Office. The following items were ordered 
reported, without amendment: committee report entitled ``United States 
Secret Service: An Agency in Crisis''; H.R. 4180; H.R. 1132; H.R. 2458; 
H.R. 3735; H.R. 4046; and S. 1698.
A CASINO IN EVERY SMARTPHONE--LAW ENFORCEMENT IMPLICATIONS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``A Casino in Every Smartphone--Law Enforcement 
Implications''. Testimony was heard from Mark Lipparelli, State 
Senator, Senate of Nevada; Joseph S. Campbell, Assistant Director, 
Criminal Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Alan 
M. Wilson, Attorney General, South Carolina; and Donald W. Kleine, 
Douglas County Attorney, Nebraska.
SUPPORTING SUCCESS: EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATES
Committee On Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 
held a hearing entitled ``Supporting Success: Empowering Small Business 
Advocates''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FACT CHECK: AN END OF YEAR REVIEW OF ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Fact Check: An End of Year Review of Accountability at the Department 
of Veterans Affairs''. Testimony was heard from Sloan Gibson, Deputy 
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs.

Joint Meetings
TRADE FACILITATION AND TRADE ENFORCEMENT ACT
Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences between 
the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 644, to reauthorize trade 
facilitation and trade enforcement functions and activities.