[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D791-D794] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill for FY 2017. The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill for FY 2017 was ordered reported, as amended. STRENGTHENING OUR NATIONAL TRAUMA SYSTEM Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing entitled ``Strengthening Our National Trauma System''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission''. Testimony was heard from the following Federal Communications Commission officials: Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner; Michael [[Page D792]] O'Rielly, Commissioner; Ajit Pai, Commissioner; Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner; and Tom Wheeler, Chairman. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 5510, the ``FTC Process and Transparency Reform Act of 2016''; H.R. 5111, the ``Consumer Review Fairness Act''; H.R. 5092, the ``Reinforcing American Made Products Act''; H.R. 5104, the ``Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act''; H.R. 1301, the ``Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2015''; H.R. 3299, the ``Strengthening Public Health Emergency Response Act of 2015''; H.R. 921, the ``Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act of 2015''; and H.R. 670, the ``Special Needs Trust Fairness Act of 2015''. MAKING A FINANCIAL CHOICE: MORE CAPITAL OR MORE GOVERNMENT CONTROL? Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Making a Financial Choice: More Capital or More Government Control?''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. EXAMINING THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES WITH FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY: THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONLINE MARKETPLACE LENDING Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit held a hearing entitled ``Examining the Opportunities and Challenges with Financial Technology (`FinTech'): The Development of Online Marketplace Lending''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. HUMAN RIGHTS UNDER SIEGE WORLDWIDE Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Human Rights Under Siege Worldwide''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. PAKISTAN: FRIEND OR FOE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM? Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade; and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, held a joint hearing entitled ``Pakistan: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism?''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. ACCOUNTABILITY OVER POLITICS: SCRUTINIZING THE TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing entitled ``Accountability Over Politics: Scrutinizing the Trafficking in Persons Report''. Testimony was heard from Susan Coppedge, Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Department of State; and a public witness. VALUE OF DHS' VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS IN PROTECTING OUR NATION'S CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies held a hearing entitled ``Value of DHS' Vulnerability Assessments in Protecting our Nation's Critical Infrastructure''. Testimony was heard from Chris P. Currie, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office; Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; Caitlin Durkovich, Assistant Secretary, Office of Infrastructure Protection, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; and Marcus L. Brown, Homeland Security Advisor, Director of the Office of Homeland Security, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. OVERSIGHT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Department of Justice''. Testimony was heard from Loretta Lynch, Attorney General, Department of Justice. EXECUTIVE OVERREACH IN REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE Committee on the Judiciary: Task Force on Executive Overreach held a hearing entitled ``Executive Overreach in Regulatory Enforcement and Infrastructure''. Testimony was heard from Gary Ridley, Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation; and public witnesses. CHANGING DEMANDS AND WATER SUPPLY UNCERTAINTY IN CALIFORNIA Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held a hearing entitled ``Changing Demands and Water Supply Uncertainty in California''. Testimony was heard from David Murillo, Mid-Pacific Regional Director, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF DEVELOPING THE MANCOS SHALE RESOURCE Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing entitled [[Page D793]] ``Opportunities and Challenges of Developing the Mancos Shale Resource''. Testimony was heard from Walter Guidroz, Program Coordinator, Energy Resources Program, U.S. Geological Survey; Rose Pugliese, Commissioner, Mesa County, Grand Junction, Colorado; and public witnesses. LEGISLATIVE MEASURE Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 5406, the ``Helping Ensure Accountability, Leadership, and Trust in Tribal Healthcare Act''. Testimony was heard from Representative Noem; Mary Smith, Principal Deputy Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services; and public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 1157, the ``Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2015''; H.R. 2333, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain property related to the Fort Scott National Historic Site in Fort Scott, Kansas; H.R. 2817, the ``National Historic Preservation Amendments Act of 2015''; H.R. 4576, the ``Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries Act''; H.R. 5468, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to allow for prepayment of repayment obligations under Repayment Contracts between the United States and the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District; H.R. 5577, the ``Innovation in Offshore Leasing Act''; S. 246, the ``Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act''; and S. 1579, the ``Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act''. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND H.R. 2802, THE FIRST AMENDMENT DEFENSE ACT Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Religious Liberty and H.R. 2802, the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA)''. Testimony was heard from Senator Lee; Representative Labrador; Former Representative Barney Frank; and public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 2319, the ``Electronic Message Preservation Act of 2015''; H.R. 5037, the ``District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act''; H.R. 5341, to amend title 5, United States Code, to recalculate annuity benefits for certain air traffic controllers, and for other purposes; H.R. 5714, the ``Postal Service Reform Act of 2016''; H.R. 5707, the ``Postal Service Financial Improvement Act of 2016''; H.R. 5709, the ``Federal Records Modernization Act''; H.R. 5690, the ``GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016''; H.R. 5341, to amend title 5, United States Code, to recalculate annuity benefits for certain air traffic controllers, and for other purposes; H.R. 5687, the ``GAO Mandates Revision Act of 2016''; H.R. 5033, the ``Getting Results through Enhanced Accountability and Transparency Act of 2016''; H.R. 4419, the ``District of Columbia Judicial Financial Transparency Act''; H.R. 4887, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 23323 Shelby Road in Shelby, Indiana, as the ``Richard Allen Cable Post Office''; H.R. 5356, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14231 TX-150 in Coldspring, Texas, as the ``E. Marie Youngblood Post Office''; H.R. 5612, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2886 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta, Georgia, as the ``Marine Lance Corporal Squire `Skip' Wells Post Office Building''. The following bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 5037, H.R. 5033, and H.R. 4419. The following bills were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 2319, H.R. 5341, H.R. 5714, H.R. 5707, H.R. 5709, H.R. 5690, H.R. 5341, H.R. 5687, H.R. 4887, H.R. 5356, and H.R. 5612. MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY WHISTLEBLOWER ACT; SENATE AMENDMENT TO THE HOUSE AMENDMENT TO A SENATE BILL TO REAUTHORIZE AND AMEND THE NATIONAL SEA GRANT COLLEGE PROGRAM ACT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on S. 304, the ``Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act''; and the Senate amendment to the House amendment to S. 764, to reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes. The committee granted, by voice vote, a rule that provides for the consideration of the Senate amendment to the House amendment to S. 764. The rule makes in order a motion offered by the chair of the Committee on Agriculture or his designee that the House concur in the Senate amendment to the House Amendment to S. 764. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the motion. The rule provides that the Senate amendment and the motion shall be considered as read. The rule provides one hour of debate on the motion equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, the rule grants a closed rule for S. 304. The rule provides one hour of debate [[Page D794]] equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. The rule provides that an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 114-61 shall be considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Lastly, the rule waives clause 6(a) of rule XIII (requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee) against any resolution reported on the legislative day of July 14, 2016 or July 15, 2016. Testimony was heard from Chairman Conaway, and Representatives Pitts, Schakowsky, Black, and Peterson. ASTRONOMY, ASTROPHYSICS, AND ASTROBIOLOGY Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Space; and Subcommittee on Research and Technology, held a joint hearing entitled ``Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Astrobiology''. Testimony was heard from Paul Hertz, Director, Astrophysics Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Jim Ulvestad, Director, Division of Astronomical Sciences, National Science Foundation; and public witnesses. READY FOR LIFTOFF: THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE NASA SUPPLY CHAIN Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Ready for Liftoff: The Importance of Small Businesses in the NASA Supply Chain''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. COAST GUARD ARCTIC IMPLEMENTATION CAPABILITIES Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``Coast Guard Arctic Implementation Capabilities''. Testimony was heard from Admiral Charles Michel, Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard; Allison Stiller, Principal Civilian Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Research, Development and Acquisition, U.S. Navy, Department of Defense; Jennifer Grover, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, Government Accountability Office; and Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs, Congressional Research Service; and public witnesses. RISING COSTS OF HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a hearing on the rising costs of health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. Joint Meetings ENCOURAGING ENTREPRENEURSHIP Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine encouraging entrepreneurship, focusing on growing business, not bureaucracy, after receiving testimony from Tim Kane, Stanford University Hoover Institution, Stanford, California; Tom Walker, Rev1 Ventures, and Jamie Richardson, White Castle System, Inc., on behalf of the National Restaurant Association, both of Columbus, Ohio; and Carla Harris, Morgan Stanley, New York, New York, on behalf of the National Women's Business Council.