[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 57 (Thursday, April 14, 2016)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D372-D375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOCUS ON THE FARM ECONOMY: GROWING FARM FINANCIAL PRESSURE
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing entitled ``Focus on the Farm Economy: 
Growing Farm Financial Pressure''. Testimony was heard from Rob 
Johansson, Chief Economist, Department of Agriculture; and public 
witnesses.
UNITED STATES PACIFIC COMMAND
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held an oversight 
hearing on United States Pacific Command. Testimony was heard from 
Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., Commander, United States Pacific Command; 
and General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, Commander, United Nations Command, 
Combined Forces Command, United States Forces Korea. This hearing was 
closed.
THE MISSILE DEFEAT POSTURE AND STRATEGY OF THE UNITED STATES--THE FY17 
PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing entitled ``The Missile Defeat Posture and Strategy of the 
United States--the FY17 President's Budget Request''. Testimony was 
heard from Brian McKeon, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense 
for Policy, Department of Defense; Admiral Bill Gortney, USN, 
Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern 
Command; Vice Admiral James Syring, USN, Director, Missile Defense 
Agency; Barry Pike, Deputy Director, U.S. Army, PEO Missiles and Space; 
and Rear Admiral Edward Cashman, USN, Director, Joint Integrated Air 
and Missile Defense Organization.

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INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH CARE: EXPLORING FREE-MARKET SOLUTIONS FOR A 
HEALTHY WORKFORCE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``Innovations 
in Health Care: Exploring Free-Market Solutions for a Healthy 
Workforce''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration''. Testimony was heard 
from Mark Rosekind, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy and Power held 
a hearing on H.R. 4775, the ``Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 
2016''. Testimony was heard from Misael Cabrera, Director, Arizona 
Department of Environmental Quality; Alan Matheson, Executive Director, 
Utah Department of Environmental Quality; Ali Mirzakhalili, Director, 
Division of Air Quality, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and 
Environmental Control; Seyed Sadredin, Executive Director/Air Pollution 
Control Officer, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District; and 
Bryan W. Shaw, Chairman, Texas Commission of Environmental Quality.
THE JOBS ACT AT FOUR: EXAMINING ITS IMPACT AND PROPOSALS TO FURTHER 
ENHANCE CAPITAL FORMATION
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``The JOBS Act 
at Four: Examining Its Impact and Proposals to Further Enhance Capital 
Formation''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION PATENT LITIGATION
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``International 
Trade Commission Patent Litigation''. Testimony was heard from Dominic 
Bianchi, General Counsel, U.S. International Trade Commission; and 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil 
Justice held a hearing on the ``Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) 
of 2016''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 4901, the ``Scholarships for Opportunity and Results 
Reauthorization Act''; H.R. 4902, to amend title 5, United States Code, 
to expand law enforcement availability pay to employees of U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations; H.R. 4906, to amend 
title 5, United States Code, to clarify the eligibility of employees of 
a land management agency in a time-limited appointment to compete for a 
permanent appointment at any Federal agency, and for other purposes; 
H.R. 4921, the ``Ditto Act of 2016''; H.R. 4904, the ``Making 
Electronic Government Accountable By Yielding Tangible Efficiencies Act 
of 2016''; and H.R. 4465, the ``Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 
2016''. H.R. 4465 was ordered reported, as amended. The following bills 
were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 4901, H.R. 4921, H.R. 
4902, H.R. 4906, and H.R. 4904.
CONNECTING VETERANS WITH PTSD WITH SERVICE DOGS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Connecting Veterans with PTSD with 
Service Dogs''. Testimony was heard from Michael Fallon, Chief 
Veterinary Medical Officer, Office of Research and Development, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; Chris Crowe, Senior Mental Health 
Consultant/Liaison to the Defense Centers of Excellence for 
Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.
PROPOSED REFORMS TO RULE XXI AND THE MODERN AUTHORIZATION AND 
APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS
Committee on Rules: Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House 
held a hearing on proposed reforms to Rule XXI and the modern 
authorization and appropriations process. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives McClintock, Griffith of Virginia, Price of North 
Carolina, and Cole.
CAN THE IRS PROTECT TAXPAYERS' PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Research 
and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Can the IRS Protect Taxpayers' 
Personal Information?''. Testimony was heard from John Koskinen, 
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service; J. Russell George, Inspector 
General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and Gregory

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Wilshusen, Director, Information Security Issues, Government 
Accountability Office.
REGULATION: THE HIDDEN SMALL BUSINESS TAX
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Regulation: The Hidden Small Business Tax''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MARITIME TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``Maritime 
Transportation Safety and Stewardship Programs''. Testimony was heard 
from Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, Deputy Commandant for Prevention Policy, 
U.S. Coast Guard; and public witnesses.
BLACKOUT! ARE WE PREPARED TO MANAGE THE AFTERMATH OF A CYBER-ATTACK OR 
OTHER FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL GRID?
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a 
hearing entitled ``Blackout! Are We Prepared to Manage the Aftermath of 
a Cyber-Attack or Other Failure of the Electrical Grid?''. Testimony 
was heard from W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency; Patricia A. Hoffman, Assistant Secretary, Office of 
Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability; Caitlin A. Durkovich, 
Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, National Protection 
and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; Richard 
Campbell, Specialist in Energy Policy, Congressional Research Service; 
and public witnesses.
EVALUATING VA IT: SCHEDULING MODERNIZATION AND CHOICE CONSOLIDATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health; and 
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, held a joint hearing 
entitled ``Evaluating VA IT: Scheduling Modernization and Choice 
Consolidation''. Testimony was heard from David Shulkin, M.D., Under 
Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and LaVerne Council, Assistant Secretary for 
Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer, Office of 
Information Technology, Department of Veterans Affairs.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on H.R. 748, the ``GI Bill STEM Extension Act of 2015''; 
H.R. 2551, the ``Veterans' Entry to Apprenticeship Act''; H.R. 3286, 
the ``HIRE Vets Act''; H.R. 3419, the ``Support for Student Veterans 
with Families Act''; H.R. 4138, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to recoup relocation expenses paid to or on behalf of employees 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs; a draft bill to make certain 
improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs relating to educational assistance, and for other purposes; a 
draft of the ``Veterans Success on Campus Act of 2016''; a draft of the 
``GI Bill Oversight Act of 2016''; and a draft bill to direct the 
Secretary of Labor to carry out a research program to evaluate the 
effectiveness of Transition Assistance Program in addressing needs of 
certain minority veterans. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
McKinley; Cook; and McSally; Curtis L. Coy, Deputy Under Secretary for 
Economic Opportunity, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Sam Shellenberger, Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Operations, Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Department of 
Labor; and public witnesses.
THE TAX TREATMENT OF HEALTH CARE
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Tax Treatment of Health Care''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS TARIFF BILL: HELPING U.S. MANUFACTURERS THROUGH TAX CUTS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Trade held an 
organizational meeting; and a hearing entitled ``Miscellaneous Tariff 
Bill: Helping U.S. Manufacturers through Tax Cuts''. The Subcommittee 
on Trade successfully organized. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
GENERAL DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM BUDGET HEARING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``General Defense Intelligence Program Budget 
Hearing''. This hearing was closed.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.

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