[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 17, 2016)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D525-D529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
FOCUS ON THE FARM ECONOMY: IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS AND 
VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION SOLUTIONS
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry 
held a hearing entitled ``Focus on the Farm Economy: Impacts of 
Environmental Regulations and Voluntary Conservation Solutions''. 
Testimony was heard from Celia Gould, Director, Idaho State Department 
of Agriculture; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the 
Defense Appropriations Bill for FY

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2017; Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill for FY 2017; and the 
Revised Report on the Interim Suballocation of Budget Allocations for 
FY 2017. The Defense Appropriations Bill for FY 2017 and the 
Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill for FY 2017 were ordered 
reported, as amended. The Revised Report on the Interim Suballocation 
of Budget Allocations for FY 2017 passed.
ASSESSING THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S EXECUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN 
THE U.S. FOREIGN MILITARY SALES PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Assessing the Department of 
Defense's Execution of Responsibilities in the U.S. Foreign Military 
Sales Program''. Testimony was heard from Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey, 
U.S. Navy, Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Department of 
Defense; Claire Grady, Senior Executive Service, Director, Defense 
Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Undersecretary of Defense for 
Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics; and Beth McCormick, Senior 
Executive Service, Director, Defense Technology Security 
Administration, Office of the Secretary of Defense.
HELPING STUDENTS SUCCEED BY STRENGTHENING THE CARL D. PERKINS CAREER 
AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Helping Students Succeed by Strengthening the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act''. Testimony was heard from 
Senator Kaine and public witnesses.
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S MEDICARE DRUG EXPERIMENT: THE PATIENT AND 
DOCTOR PERSPECTIVE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``The Obama Administration's Medicare Drug Experiment: The 
Patient and Doctor Perspective''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
4775, the ``Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016''; and H.R. 
4979, the ``Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2016''.
INTEREST ON RESERVES AND THE FED'S BALANCE SHEET
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and 
Trade held a hearing entitled ``Interest on Reserves and the Fed's 
Balance Sheet''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO ENHANCE CAPITAL FORMATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND 
REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing entitled ``Legislative 
Proposals to Enhance Capital Formation, Transparency, and Regulatory 
Accountability''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE COUNTERTERRORISM BUREAU: FY 2017 BUDGET
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``U.S. Department 
of State Counterterrorism Bureau: FY 2017 Budget''. Testimony was heard 
from Justin Siberell, Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Bureau 
of Counterterrorism, Department of State.
OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL EFFORTS TO ADDRESS ELECTROMAGNETIC RISKS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Management Efficiency held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of Federal 
Efforts to Address Electromagnetic Risks''. Testimony was heard from 
Chris P. Currie, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; Brandon Wales, Director, Office of 
Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis, National Protection and Programs 
Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; Joseph McClelland, 
Director, Office of Energy Infrastructure Security, Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy; and a public witness.
FLYING BLIND: WHAT ARE THE SECURITY RISKS OF RESUMING U.S. COMMERCIAL 
AIR SERVICE TO CUBA?
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation Security 
held a hearing entitled ``Flying Blind: What are the security risks of 
resuming U.S. Commercial Air Service to Cuba?''. Testimony was heard 
from the following Department of Homeland Security officials: Larry 
Mizell, TSA Representative, Transportation Security Administration; 
Paul Fujimura, Assistant Administrator, Office of Global Strategies; 
John Wagner, Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner, Customs and 
Border Protection; and Seth Stodder, Assistant Secretary of Homeland 
Security, Border, Immigration and Trade Policy; and Kurt Tong, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary,

[[Page D527]]

Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of State.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on House Administration: Full Committee held a markup on 
Committee Resolution 114-17, regarding the House Safe Program; 
Committee Resolution 114-18, to Amend the Voucher Documentation 
Standards; H.R. 5160, to amend title 40, United States Code, to include 
as part of the buildings and grounds of the National Gallery of Art any 
buildings and other areas within the boundaries of any real estate or 
other property interests acquired by the National Gallery of Art; H.R. 
4511, the ``Gold Star Families Voices Act''; H.R. 4092, to reauthorize 
the sound recording and film preservation programs of the Library of 
Congress, and for other purposes; H.R. 4733, to permit the United 
States Capitol Police to accept certain property from other Federal 
agencies and to dispose of certain property in its possession; H.R. 
5227, to authorize the National Library Service for the Blind and 
Physically Handicapped to provide playback equipment in all forms, to 
establish a National Collection Stewardship Fund for the processing and 
storage of collection materials of the Library of Congress, and to 
provide for the continuation of service of returning members of Joint 
Committee on the Library at beginning of a Congress; and H.R. 4734, to 
amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit candidates 
for election for Federal office to designate an individual who will be 
authorized to disburse funds of the authorized campaign committees of 
the candidate in the event of the death of the candidate. The following 
bills were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 5160, H.R. 4511, 
H.R. 4092, H.R. 4733, H.R. 5227, and H.R. 4734. Committee Resolution 
114-17 and Committee Resolution 114-18 were adopted, without amendment.
SAFEGUARDING OUR SYMBOL OF DEMOCRACY: U.S. CAPITOL POLICE'S MANAGEMENT 
PLAN FOR 2017 AND BEYOND
Committee on House Administration: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Safeguarding our Symbol of Democracy: U.S. Capitol Police's 
Management Plan for 2017 and Beyond''. Testimony was heard from Matthew 
Verderosa, Chief of Police, U.S. Capitol Police.
SYNTHETIC DRUGS, REAL DANGER
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland 
Security, and Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Synthetic Drugs, 
Real Danger''. Testimony was heard from Louis Milione, Deputy Assistant 
Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, 
Commercial and Antitrust Law held a hearing on H.R. 4768, the 
``Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2016''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NATIONAL OCEAN POLICY
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans 
held a hearing entitled ``The Implications of President Obama's 
National Ocean Policy''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
WHITE HOUSE NARRATIVES ON THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``White House Narratives on the Iran Nuclear Deal''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 5233, the ``Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing 
for DC Home Rule Act of 2016''; H.R. 24, the ``Federal Reserve 
Transparency Act of 2015''; H.R. 5199, the ``Construction Consensus 
Procurement Improvement Act of 2016''; H.R. 5226, the ``Regulatory 
Integrity Act of 2016''; S. 1550, the ``Program Management Improvement 
Accountability Act''; H.R. 433, to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 523 East Railroad Street in Knox, 
Pennsylvania, as the ``Specialist Ross A. McGinnis Memorial Post 
Office''; H.R. 2607, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 7802 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, New 
York, as the ``Jeanne and Jules Manford Post Office Building''; H.R. 
3218, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 836 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, California as the 
``Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis 
`Lou' J. Langlais Post Office Building''; H.R. 3931, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 620 Central 
Avenue Suite 1A in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, as the ``Chief 
Petty Officer Adam Brown United States Post Office''; H.R. 3953, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
4122 Madison Street, Elfers, Florida, as the ``Private First Class 
Felton Roger Fussell Memorial Post Office''; H.R. 4010, to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 522 North 
Central

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Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona, as the ``Ed Pastor Post Office''; H.R. 
4425, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 110 East Powerhouse Road in Collegeville, Minnesota, as the 
``Eugene J. McCarthy Post Office''; H.R. 4747, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6691 Church 
Street in Riverdale, Georgia, as the ``Major Gregory E. Barney Post 
Office Building''; H.R. 4761, to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 61 South Baldwin Avenue in Sierra 
Madre, California, as the ``Louis Van Iersel Post Office''; H.R. 4777, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 1301 Alabama Avenue in Selma, Alabama as the ``Amelia Boynton 
Robinson Post Office Building''; H.R. 4877, to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 3130 Grants Lake 
Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as the ``LCpl Garrett W. Gamble, USMC 
Post Office Building''; H.R. 4925, to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 229 West Main Cross Street, in 
Findlay, Ohio, as the ``Michael Garver Oxley Memorial Post Office 
Building''; H.R. 4960, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 525 N Broadway in Aurora, Illinois, as the 
``Kenneth M. Christy Post Office Building''; H.R. 4975, to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5720 South 
142nd Street in Omaha, Nebraska, as the ``Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb 
A. Nelson Post Office Building''; H.R. 4987, to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 3957 2nd Avenue in 
Laurel Hill, Florida, as the ``Sergeant First Class William `Kelly' 
Lacey Post Office''; and H.R. 5028, to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 10721 E Jefferson Ave in 
Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Mary Eleanora McCoy Post Office Building''. 
The following bills were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 
5233, H.R. 5226, H.R. 433, H.R. 2607, H.R. 3931, H.R. 3953, H.R. 4010, 
H.R. 4425, H.R. 4747, H.R. 4761, H.R. 4777, H.R. 4877, H.R. 4925, H.R. 
4960, H.R. 4975, and H.R. 4987. The following bills were ordered 
reported, as amended: H.R. 24, H.R. 5199, S. 1550, H.R. 3218, and H.R. 
5028.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017; MILITARY 
CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS 
ACT, 2017; ZIKA RESPONSE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2016
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4909, the 
``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017'' [amendment 
consideration]; H.R. 4974, the ``Military Construction and Veterans 
Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017''; and H.R. 5243, 
the ``Zika Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2016''. The 
committee granted, by voice vote, a modified-open rule for H.R. 4974. 
The rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill. The rule waives points of order against 
provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI. 
The rule provides that clause 2(e) of rule XXI shall not apply during 
consideration of the bill. The rule provides that after general debate 
the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule 
except that: 1) amendments shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally 
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent; and 2) no pro 
forma amendments shall be in order except that the chair and ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective 
designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for 
the purpose of debate. The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority 
in recognition to Members who have pre-printed their amendments in the 
Congressional Record. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions. Additionally, the rule granted a closed rule for 
H.R. 5243. The rule provides one hour of debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Appropriations. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill and provides that it shall be considered as 
read. The rule waives all points of order against provisions in the 
bill. The rule provides that clause 2(e) of rule XXI shall not apply 
during consideration of the bill. The rule provides one motion to 
recommit. In section 3, the rule provides that section 514 of H.R. 4974 
shall be considered to be a spending reduction account for purposes of 
section 3(d) of House Resolution 5. In section 4, the rule provides 
that during consideration of H.R. 4974 pursuant to the rule, it shall 
not be in order in the Committee of the Whole to use a decrease in 
Overseas Contingency Operations funds to offset an amendment that 
increases an appropriation not designated as Overseas Contingency 
Operations funds or vice versa. Lastly, in section 5, the rule provides 
that during consideration of H.R. 4974, 1) section 310 of House 
Concurrent Resolution 125, as reported in the House, shall have force 
and effect in the Committee of the Whole; and 2) section 3304 of Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 11 shall not apply. The Committee granted, by 
record vote of 9-3, a structured rule for

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further consideration of H.R. 4909. The rule provides no further 
general debate. The rule makes in order only those further amendments 
printed in the Rules Committee report and amendments en bloc described 
in section 3 of the resolution. Each such amendment may be offered only 
in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member 
designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be 
debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and 
controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to 
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question. Waives all points of order against the amendments printed in 
the report or against amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the 
rule. Section 3 provides that it shall be in order at any time for the 
chair of the Committee on Armed Services or his designee to offer 
amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in the report not 
earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc shall be considered as read, 
shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the 
chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services or 
their designees, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be 
subject to a demand for division of the question. Provides one motion 
to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Rogers of Kentucky, and Representatives Lowey, Al Green of 
Texas, Dent, Bishop of Georgia, Fleming, Bordallo, Davis of California, 
Gabbard, Garamendi, Langevin, Walz, McGovern, Polis, Barr, Boustany, 
Clyburn, Carter of Georgia, Jackson Lee, Gosar, Foster, Rigell, Lee, 
Rohrabacher, Price of North Carolina, Schiff, Sanford, Maxine Waters of 
California, Welch, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Hanna, Griffith of 
Virginia, Yoho, Gibson, Rangel, and Mulvaney.
A REVIEW OF RECENTLY COMPLETED UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 
CHIEF'S REPORTS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water 
Resources and Environment held a hearing entitled ``A Review of 
Recently Completed United States Army Corps of Engineers Chief's 
Reports''. Testimony was heard from Major General Donald ``Ed'' 
Jackson, Deputy Commanding General, Civil and Emergency Operations, 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
VETERANS IN TECH: INNOVATIVE CAREERS FOR ALL GENERATIONS OF VETERANS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing entitled ``Veterans in Tech: Innovative Careers for All 
Generations of Veterans''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MEMBER DAY ON TAX-RELATED PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a Member Day 
hearing entitled ``Tax-Related Proposals to Improve Health Care''. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Jenkins of Kansas, Smith of 
Nebraska, Paulsen, Noem, Messer, Meadows, Kelly of Pennsylvania, Bera 
of California, Thompson of California, Boustany, Stewart, Meng, 
McSally, and DelBene.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.