[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 27, 2016)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D438-D441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOCUS ON THE FARM ECONOMY: FACTORS IMPACTING COST OF PRODUCTION
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, 
and Research held a hearing entitled ``Focus on the Farm Economy: 
Factors Impacting Cost of Production''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.

[[Page D439]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
4909, the ``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017''.
THE PERSUADER RULE: THE ADMINISTRATION'S LATEST ATTACK ON EMPLOYER FREE 
SPEECH AND WORKER FREE CHOICE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``The Persuader 
Rule: The Administration's Latest Attack on Employer Free Speech and 
Worker Free Choice''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee continued a markup on 
H.R. 4978, the ``Nurturing and Supporting Healthy Babies Act''; H.R. 
4641, to provide for the establishment of an inter-agency task force to 
review, modify, and update best practices for pain management and 
prescribing pain medication, and for other purposes; H.R. 3680, the 
``Co-Prescribing to Reduce Overdoses Act of 2015''; H.R. 3691, the 
``Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act''; H.R. 
1818, the ``Veteran Emergency Medical Technician Support Act of 2015''; 
H.R. 4981, the ``Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and 
Modernization Act''; H.R. 3250, the ``DXM Abuse Prevention Act of 
2015''; H.R. 4969, the ``John Thomas Decker Act of 2016''; H.R. 4586, 
the ``Lali's Law''; H.R. 4599, the ``Reducing Unused Medications Act of 
2016''; H.R. 4976, the ``Opioid Review Modernization Act of 2016''; 
H.R. 4982, the ``Examining Opioid Treatment Infrastructure Act of 
2016''; H.R. 4889, the ``Kelsey Smith Act of 2016''; H.R. 4167, the 
``Kari's Law Act of 2015''; 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 Act''; H.R. 2031, the ``Anti-Swatting Act of 2015''; H.R. 
2589, to amend the Communications Act of 1943 to require the Federal 
Communications Commission to publish on its Internet website changes to 
the rules of the Commission not later than 24 hours after adoption; 
H.R. 2592, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the 
Federal Communications Commission to publish on the website of the 
Commission documents to be voted on by the Commission; H.R. 2593, to 
amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require identification and 
description on the website of the Federal Communications Commission of 
items to be decided on authority delegated by the Commission; and H.R. 
5050, the ``Pipeline Safety Act of 2016''. The following bills were 
ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 5050, H.R. 4641, H.R. 4978, H.R. 
1818, H.R. 4981, H.R. 4969, H.R. 4599, and H.R. 4982. The following 
bills were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 4976 and H.R. 
3250.
HOW CAN THE U.S. MAKE DEVELOPMENT BANKS MORE ACCOUNTABLE?
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and 
Trade held a hearing entitled ``How Can the U.S. Make Development Banks 
More Accountable?''. Testimony was heard from Nathan Sheets, Under 
Secretary for International Affairs, Department of the Treasury.
ADVANCING U.S. INTERESTS: EXAMINING THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2017 BUDGET 
PROPOSAL FOR AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa; and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, held a joint hearing 
entitled ``Advancing U.S. Interests: Examining the President's FY 2017 
Budget Proposal for Afghanistan and Pakistan''. Testimony was heard 
from Richard Olson, Special Representative for Afghanistan and 
Pakistan, Department of State; and Donald L. Sampler, Jr., Assistant to 
the Administrator, Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, U.S. 
Agency for International Development.
EXAMINING FY 2017 FUNDING PRIORITIES IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere 
held a hearing entitled ``Examining FY 2017 Funding Priorities in the 
Western Hemisphere''. Testimony was heard from Francisco Palmieri, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere 
Affairs, Department of State; Luis Arreaga, Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 
Affairs, Department of State; and Elizabeth Hogan, Acting Assistant 
Administrator, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, U.S. Agency 
for International Development.
SOUTH SUDAN'S PROSPECTS FOR PEACE AND SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``South Sudan's Prospects for Peace and Security''. Testimony 
was heard from Donald Booth, Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, 
Department of State; Bob Leavitt, Deputy Assistant Administrator, 
Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian

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Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development; and public 
witnesses.
ISIS IN THE PACIFIC: ASSESSING TERRORISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE 
THREAT TO THE HOMELAND
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and 
Intelligence held a hearing entitled ``ISIS in the Pacific: Assessing 
Terrorism in Southeast Asia and the Threat to the Homeland''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 5046, 
the ``Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016''; H.R. 5052, 
the ``Opioid Program Evaluation Act''; H.R. 2137, the ``Federal Law 
Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act of 2015''; H.R. 5048, to 
require a study by the Comptroller General of the United States on Good 
Samaritan laws that pertain to treatment of opioid overdoses, and for 
other purposes; and H.R. 3394, the ``Clarifying Amendment to Provide 
Terrorism Victims Equity (CAPTIVE) Act''. The following bills were 
ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 5046, H.R. 5052, H.R. 2137, 
and H.R. 5048. H.R. 3394 was ordered reported, as amended.
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT'S REGULATORY OVERREACH INTO METHANE EMISSIONS 
REGULATION
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``Bureau of Land Management's 
Regulatory Overreach into Methane Emissions Regulation''. Testimony was 
heard from Shawn Bolton, Commissioner, Rio Blanco County, Colorado; 
Lynn D. Helms, Director, North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources; 
Gwen Lachelt, Commissioner, La Plata County, Colorado; Amanda Leiter, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management, Department of 
the Interior; and Mark Watson, Oil and Gas Supervisor, Wyoming Oil and 
Gas Conservation Commission.
REALIZING THE POTENTIAL OF HYDROPOWER AS A CLEAN, RENEWABLE AND 
DOMESTIC ENERGY RESOURCE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans 
held a hearing entitled ``Realizing the Potential of Hydropower as a 
Clean, Renewable and Domestic Energy Resource''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
EXAMINING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND MISCONDUCT AT TSA: PART I
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at 
TSA: Part I''. Testimony was heard from the following Transportation 
Security Administration officials: Jay Brainard, Federal Security 
Director--Kansas, Office of Security Operations; Mark Livingston, 
Program Manager, Office of the Chief Risk Officer; and Andrew Rhoades, 
Assistant Federal Security Director, Office of Security Operations.
THE BEST AND WORST PLACES TO WORK IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Government Operations held a hearing entitled ``The Best and Worst 
Places to Work in the Federal Government''. Testimony was heard from 
Lauren Leo, Chief Human Capital Officer, National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration; Angela Bailey, Chief Human Capital Officer, Department 
of Homeland Security; Sydney Rose, Chief Human Capital Officer, 
Department of Labor; Towanda Brooks, Chief Human Capital Officer, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; and a public witness.
SOAR REAUTHORIZATION ACT; HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION DISAPPROVING THE RULE 
SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF THE 
TERM ``FIDUCIARY''
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4901, the 
``SOAR Reauthorization Act''; and H.J. Res. 88, disapproving the rule 
submitted by the Department of Labor relating to the definition of the 
term ``Fiduciary''. The committee granted, by record vote of 7-4, a 
structured rule for H.R. 4901. The rule provides one hour of debate 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 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. Additionally, the rule grants a closed rule for 
H.J. Res. 88. The rule provides one hour of debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the joint resolution. The rule provides that 
the joint resolution shall be considered as read. The rule waives all 
points of order against provisions in the joint resolution. The rule 
provides

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one motion to recommit. In section 3, the rule provides that on any 
legislative day during the period from May 2, 2016, through May 9, 
2016: the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day shall be 
considered as approved; and the Chair may at any time declare the House 
adjourned to meet at a date and time to be announced by the Chair in 
declaring the adjournment. In section 4, the rule provides that the 
Speaker may appoint Members to perform the duties of the Chair for the 
duration of the period addressed by section 3. Finally, in section 5 
the rule provides that the Committee on Armed Services may, at any time 
before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, file a report to accompany 
H.R. 4909. Testimony was heard from Chairman Chaffetz and 
Representatives Norton, Roe of Tennessee, and Scott of Virginia.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 5049, the ``NSF Major Research Facility Reform Act of 
2016''. H.R. 5049 was ordered reported, as amended.
S IS FOR SAVINGS: PRO-GROWTH BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE-OWNED S CORPORATIONS
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``S 
is for Savings: Pro-Growth Benefits of Employee-Owned S Corporations''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.