[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 19, 2016)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D397-D399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOCUS ON THE FARM ECONOMY: TIGHTENING CREDIT CONDITIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, 
and Credit held a hearing entitled ``Focus on the Farm Economy: 
Tightening Credit Conditions''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on 
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 2017; Energy and Water 
Development Appropriations Bill for FY 2017; and Revised Report on the 
Interim Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2017. The 
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for FY 2017 and the Energy and 
Water Development Appropriations Bill for FY 2017 were ordered 
reported, as amended. The Revised Report on the Interim Suballocation 
of Budget Allocations for FY 2017 passed.
REVIEWING RECENT CHANGES TO OSHA'S SILICA STANDARDS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing entitled ``Reviewing Recent Changes to 
OSHA's Silica Standards''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DECIPHERING THE DEBATE OVER ENCRYPTION: INDUSTRY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 
PERSPECTIVES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Deciphering the Debate Over 
Encryption: Industry and Law Enforcement Perspectives''. Testimony was 
heard from Captain Charles Cohen, Commander, Office of Intelligence and 
Investigative Technologies, Indiana State Police; Chief Thomas Galati, 
Chief, Intelligence Bureau, New York City Police Department; Amy Hess, 
Executive Assistant Director for Science and Technology, Federal Bureau 
of Investigations; and public witnesses.

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MEDICARE ACCESS AND CHIP REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2015: EXAMINING 
PHYSICIAN EFFORTS TO PREPARE FOR MEDICARE PAYMENT REFORMS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015: 
Examining Physician Efforts to Prepare for Medicare Payment Reforms''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology concluded a markup on H.R. 4889, the ``Kelsey Smith Act of 
2016''; H.R. 4167, the ``Kari's Law Act of 2015''; H.R. 4884, the 
``Controlling the Unchecked and Reckless Ballooning of the Lifeline 
Fund Act (CURB Lifeline)''; H.R. 4111, the ``Rural Health Care 
Connectivity Act of 2015''; H.R. 4190, the ``Spectrum Challenge Prize 
Act of 2015''; H.R. 3998, the ``Securing Access to Networks in 
Disasters (SANDy) Act''; and H.R. 2031, the ``Anti-Swatting Act of 
2015''. The following bills were forwarded to the full committee, as 
amended: H.R. 4889 and H.R. 4884. The following bills were forwarded to 
the full committee, without amendment: H.R. 4167, H.R. 4111, H.R. 4190, 
H.R. 3998, and H.R. 2031.
PREVENTING CULTURAL GENOCIDE: COUNTERING THE PLUNDER AND SALE OF 
PRICELESS CULTURAL ANTIQUITIES BY ISIS
Committee on Financial Services: Task Force to Investigate Terrorism 
Financing held a hearing entitled ``Preventing Cultural Genocide: 
Countering the Plunder and Sale of Priceless Cultural Antiquities by 
ISIS''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FY 2017 BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR EAST ASIA: ENGAGEMENT, INTEGRATION, AND 
DEMOCRACY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a hearing entitled ``FY 2017 Budget Priorities for East Asia: 
Engagement, Integration, and Democracy''. Testimony was heard from 
Daniel R. Russel, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific 
Affairs, Department of State; and Jonathan Stivers, Assistant 
Administrator, Bureau for Asia, U.S. Agency for International 
Development.
ISRAEL IMPERILED: THREATS TO THE JEWISH STATE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade; and Subcommittee on the Middle East and 
North Africa, held a joint hearing entitled ``Israel Imperiled: Threats 
to the Jewish State''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
KEEPING PACE WITH TRADE, TRAVEL, AND SECURITY: HOW DOES CBP PRIORITIZE 
AND IMPROVE STAFFING AND INFRASTRUCTURE?
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border and Maritime 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Keeping Pace with Trade, Travel, and 
Security: How does CBP Prioritize and Improve Staffing and 
Infrastructure?''. Testimony was heard from the following Customs and 
Border Protection officials: Eugene Schied, Acting Executive Assistant 
Commissioner, Office of Enterprise Services; Linda Jacksta, Assistant 
Commissioner, Office of Human Resources Management; and John P. Wagner, 
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations; Michael 
Gelber, Deputy Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services 
Administration; and a public witness.
PIPELINES: SECURING THE VEINS OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``Pipelines: Securing the Veins of the American 
Economy''. Testimony was heard from Sonya Proctor, Surface Division 
Director, Office of Security Policy and Industry Engagement, 
Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland 
Security; Paul W. Parfomak, Specialist in Energy and Infrastructure 
Policy, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and public 
witnesses.
THE REAL VICTIMS OF A RECKLESS AND LAWLESS IMMIGRATION POLICY: FAMILIES 
AND SURVIVORS SPEAK OUT ON THE REAL COST OF THIS ADMINISTRATION'S 
POLICIES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration and Border 
Security held a hearing entitled ``The Real Victims of a Reckless and 
Lawless Immigration Policy: Families and Survivors Speak Out on the 
Real Cost of This Administration's Policies''. Testimony was heard from 
Charles Jenkins, Sheriff, Frederick County, Maryland; and public 
witnesses.
EXECUTIVE OVERREACH IN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS PART II--IRS ABUSE, WELFARE 
REFORM, AND OTHER ISSUES
Committee on the Judiciary: Task Force on Executive Overreach held a 
hearing entitled ``Executive Overreach in Domestic Affairs Part II--IRS 
Abuse, Welfare Reform, and Other Issues''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.

[[Page D399]]


RECENT CHANGES TO ENDANGERED SPECIES CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION AND 
IMPLEMENTATION
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Recent Changes to Endangered Species Critical Habitat Designation and 
Implementation''. Testimony was heard from Dan Ashe, Director, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing on H.R. 3881, the ``Cooperative Management of 
Mineral Rights Act of 2015''. Testimony was heard from Glenn Casamassa, 
Association Deputy Chief, National Forest System, U.S. Forest Service; 
and public witnesses.
DOCUMENT PRODUCTION STATUS UPDATE, PART II
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Document Production Status Update, Part II''. 
Testimony was heard from Howard Shelanski, Administrator, Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget; 
Jim R. Esquea, Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and Jonathan E. Meyer, Deputy General 
Counsel, Office of General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security.
DATA ACT: MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Operations; and Subcommittee on Information Technology, held 
a joint hearing entitled ``DATA Act: Monitoring Implementation 
Progress''. Testimony was heard from Michelle Sager, Director, 
Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office; David Mader, 
Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of 
Management and Budget; David A. Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, 
Department of the Treasury; and Michael Peckham, Executive Director, 
DATA Act Program Management Office, Department of Health and Human 
Services.
THE COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH INDUSTRY: SMALL SATELLITE OPPORTUNITIES AND 
CHALLENGES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Space held 
a hearing entitled ``The Commercial Space Launch Industry: Small 
Satellite Opportunities and Challenges''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
A CONTINUED ASSESSMENT OF DELAYS IN VETERANS' ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``A Continued Assessment of Delays in Veterans' Access to Health 
Care''. Testimony was heard from David Shulkin, M.D., Under Secretary 
for Health, Department of Veterans Affairs; Larry Reinkemeyer, 
Director, Kansas City Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of 
Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs; and Debra Draper, 
Director, Health Care Team, Government Accountability Office.
TAX RETURN FILING SEASON
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
on the tax return filing season. Testimony was heard from 
Representative Renacci; John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal Revenue 
Service; Timothy Camus, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations and 
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Department of the 
Treasury; and Jessica Lucas-Judy, Acting Director, Strategic Issues, 
Government Accountability Office.

Joint Meetings
EUROPEAN JEWISH COMMUNITIES
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine anticipating and preventing deadly attacks on 
European Jewish communities, after receiving testimony from Rabbi 
Andrew Baker, Personal Representative of the Office for Security and 
Co-operation in Europe Chairman-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, 
Washington, D.C.; Jonathan Biermann, Crisis Cell for Belgian Jewish 
Community, Brussels, Belgium; John Farmer, Rutgers University Faith-
Based Communities Security Program, Newark, New Jersey; and Paul 
Goldenberg, Secure Community Network, Cream Ridge, New Jersey.