[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 13, 2016)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D363-D365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
ENERGY AND THE RURAL ECONOMY: THE IMPACTS OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Energy and the Rural Economy: The Impacts of Oil and Gas 
Production''. Testimony was heard from Martin T. Causer, Majority 
Chairman, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Pennsylvania House 
of Representatives; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the 
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill, FY 
2017, and Interim Report on the Suballocation of Budget Allocations for 
FY 2017. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations 
Bill, FY 2017, was ordered reported, as amended. The Interim Report on 
the Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2017 passed.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development held a markup on the Energy and Water Development 
Appropriations Bill, FY 2017. The Energy and Water Development 
Appropriations Bill, FY 2017, was forwarded to the full committee, 
without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
markup on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, FY 2017. The 
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, FY 2017, was forwarded to the 
full committee, without amendment.
BUILDING THE NAVY OF THE FUTURE: A LOOK AT NAVY FORCE STRUCTURE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection 
Forces held a hearing entitled ``Building the Navy of the Future: A 
Look at Navy Force Structure''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
FLINT WATER CRISIS: IMPACTS AND LESSONS LEARNED
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and the 
Economy; and Subcommittee on Health, held a joint hearing entitled 
``Flint Water Crisis: Impacts and Lessons Learned''. Testimony was 
heard from Joel Beauvais, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of 
Water, Environmental Protection Agency; Keith Creagh, Director, 
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; Nicole Lurie, Assistant 
Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human 
Services; Nick Lyon, Director, Michigan Department of Health and Human 
Services; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing on seven communications bills. Testimony was 
heard from Detective Sergeant B.A. Finley, Criminal Investigations 
Division, Johns Creek Police Department, Johns Creek, Georgia; and 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 
1486, the ``Taking Account of Bureaucrats' Spending Act of 2015''; and 
H.R. 4894, to repeal title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 
Consumer Protection Act, and for

[[Page D364]]

other purposes. H.R. 1486 was ordered reported, as amended. H.R. 4894 
was ordered reported, without amendment.
ASSESSING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA FY 2017 BUDGET 
REQUEST
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a hearing entitled ``Assessing President Obama's Middle 
East and North Africa FY 2017 Budget Request''. Testimony was heard 
from Anne W. Patterson, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern 
Affairs, Department of State; and Paige Alexander, Assistant 
Administrator, Bureau for the Middle East, U.S. Agency for 
International Development.
COUNTERING EXTREMISM AND THE THREAT OF ISIS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a hearing entitled ``Countering Extremism and the Threat of ISIS in 
Southeast Asia''. Testimony was heard from W. Patrick Murphy, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asia and the Pacific, Department of 
State; Marie Richards, Deputy Counterterrorism Coordinator for Regional 
and Multilateral Affairs, Bureau of Counterterrorism, Department of 
State; and Gloria Steele, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau 
for Asia, U.S. Agency for International Development.
PEACEKEEPERS: ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE AND ABSENCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE 
UNITED NATIONS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``Peacekeepers: Allegations of Abuse and Absence of 
Accountability at the United Nations''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 699, 
the ``Email Privacy Act''. H.R. 699 was ordered reported, as amended.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing on a 
discussion draft of the ``Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and 
Economic Stability Act''. Testimony was heard from Antonio Weiss, 
Counselor to the Secretary, Department of the Treasury; and public 
witnesses.
EMPOWERING STATES AND WESTERN WATER USERS THROUGH REGULATORY AND 
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans 
held a hearing entitled ``Empowering States and Western Water Users 
Through Regulatory and Administrative Reforms''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
4900, the ``Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability 
Act (PROMESA)''.
WASTE AND INEFFICIENCY IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: GAO'S 2016 
DUPLICATION REPORT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Waste and Inefficiency in the Federal Government: 
GAO's 2016 Duplication Report''. Testimony was heard from Gene L. 
Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Government 
Accountability Office; John Dalrymple, Deputy Commissioner, Services 
and Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury; 
David Tillotson, Deputy Director, Defense Chief Management Officer, 
Department of Defense; and Patrick H. Conway, Acting Principal Deputy 
Administrator, Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality, and 
Chief Medical Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Department of Health and Human Services.
EXAMINING THE SAFETY AND SERVICE OF D.C. METRO
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Transportation and Public Assets; and Subcommittee on Government 
Operations, held a joint hearing entitled ``Examining the Safety and 
Service of D.C. Metro''. Testimony was heard from Carolyn Flowers, 
Senior Advisor, Federal Transit Administration; Christopher Hart, 
Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; and public witnesses.
KEEP IT SIMPLE: SMALL BUSINESS TAX SIMPLIFICATION AND REFORM, MAIN 
STREET SPEAKS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and 
Capital Access held a hearing entitled ``Keep It Simple: Small Business 
Tax Simplification and Reform, Main Street Speaks''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.

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KEEP IT SIMPLE: SMALL BUSINESS TAX SIMPLIFICATION AND REFORM, THE 
COMMISSIONER RESPONDS
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Keep It Simple: Small Business Tax Simplification and Reform, the 
Commissioner Responds''. Testimony was heard from John Koskinen, 
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 3936, the ``VET Act''; H.R. 
4087, the ``Fair Treatment for Families of Veterans Act''; H.R. 4757, 
to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for 
headstones, markers, and medallions furnished by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs for deceased individuals who were awarded the Medal of 
Honor and are buried in private cemeteries; H.R. 4758, to amend title 
38, United States Code, to authorize the award of the Presidential 
Memorial Certificate to certain deceased members of the reserve 
components of the Armed Forces and certain deceased members of the 
Reserve Officers' Training Corps; H.R. 4759, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay 
costs relating to the transportation of certain deceased veterans to 
veterans' cemeteries owned by a State or tribal organization; H.R. 
4782, the ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 
2016''; H.R. 3715, the ``Final Farewell Act of 2015''; a draft of the 
``Medal of Honor Legacy Act''; a draft of the ``Love Lives On Act of 
2016''; a draft bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve 
the consideration of evidence by Board of Veterans' Appeals; and a 
draft bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to pay special 
compensation to certain veterans with the loss or loss of use of 
creative organs. Testimony was heard from Chairman Miller of Florida; 
and Representatives Brown of Florida; Costello; and Love; and David R. 
McLenachen, Deputy Under Secretary for Disability Assistance, Veterans 
Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Patrick K. 
Hallinan, Executive Director, Army National Military Cemeteries, 
Department of the Army; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 3724, 
the ``Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act of 2015''; H.R. 4890, 
to impose a ban on the payment of bonuses to employees of the Internal 
Revenue Service until the Secretary of the Treasury develops and 
implements a comprehensive customer service strategy; H.R. 4885, the 
``IRS Oversight While Eliminating Spending (OWES) Act of 2016''; H.R. 
1206, the ``No Hires for the Delinquent IRS Act''. H.R. 3724, H.R. 
4890, H.R. 4885, and H.R. 1206 were ordered reported, as amended.
MEMBER PROPOSALS RELATING TO FUNDAMENTAL REFORM OF THE INCOME TAX 
SYSTEM
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Tax Policy held a hearing 
on Member proposals relating to fundamental reform of the income tax 
system. Testimony was heard from Chairman Goodlatte; Representative 
Williams; and Thomas Barthold, Staff Director, Joint Committee on 
Taxation.
ONGOING INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Department 
of Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture held a hearing 
entitled ``Ongoing Intelligence Activities''. This hearing was closed.

Joint Meetings
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies--2016: Committee 
announced the following membership: Senator Blunt (Chairman), Senator 
McConnell, Senator Schumer, Representative Paul Ryan, Representative 
McCarthy, and Representative Pelosi.
  Also, Committee approved its budget.