[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 135 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D893-D894]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
VIEWS ON H.R. 4298: VIETNAM HELICOPTER CREW MEMORIAL ACT AND H.R. 5458: 
VETERAN'S TRICARE CHOICE ACT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing entitled ``Views on H.R. 4298: Vietnam Helicopter Crew Memorial 
Act and H.R. 5458: Veteran's TRICARE Choice Act''. Testimony was heard 
from Representative Amodei; Patrick Hallinan, Executive Director, 
Arlington National Cemetery; and public witnesses.
EXAMINING LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Examining Legislation to Improve Public Health''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
RURAL CALL QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Rural Call Quality and 
Reliability''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FUELING TERROR: THE DANGERS OF RANSOM PAYMENTS TO IRAN
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Fueling Terror: The Dangers of 
Ransom Payments to Iran''. Testimony was heard from Lisa Grosh, State 
Assistant Legal Advisor, Office of International Claims and Investment 
Disputes, Department of State; Christopher R. Backemeyer, State Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Iranian Affairs, Department of State; Mary McCord, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, National Security 
Division, Department of Justice; Paul Ahern, Assistant General Counsel, 
Enforcement and Intelligence, Department of the Treasury; and public 
witnesses.
REFORMING THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Reforming the National Security Council: Efficiency and 
Accountability''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ENERGY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S. 
REGIONAL PRIORITIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa; and the Subcommittee on Energy of the House Committee on

[[Page D894]]

Science, Space, and Technology, held a joint hearing entitled ``Eastern 
Mediterranean Energy: Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Regional 
Priorities''. Testimony was heard from Amos J. Hochstein, Special Envoy 
and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, Bureau of Energy 
Resources, Department of State; and Jonathan Elkind, Assistant 
Secretary for International Affairs, Department of Energy.
ASIA'S GROWING HUNGER FOR ENERGY: U.S. POLICY AND SUPPLY OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held 
a hearing entitled ``Asia's Growing Hunger for Energy: U.S. Policy and 
Supply Opportunities''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
STATE AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVES ON FEDERAL INFORMATION SHARING
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and 
Intelligence held a hearing entitled ``State and Local Perspectives on 
Federal Information Sharing''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 3438, 
the ``Require Evaluation before Implementing Executive Wishlists Act of 
2015''. H.R. 3438 was ordered reported, as amended.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee concluded a markup on 
H.R. 3764, the ``Tribal Recognition Act of 2015''; H.R. 4564, the 
``Robert Emmet Park Act of 2016''; H.R. 5032, to allow certain property 
in the town of Louisa, Virginia, to be used for purposes related to 
compliance with water quality standards, and for other purposes; and 
H.R. 5259, the ``Certainty for States and Tribes Act''. The following 
bills were ordered reported, as amended: H.R. 3764 and H.R. 5259. The 
following bills were ordered reported, without amendment: H.R. 4564 and 
H.R. 5032.
EXAMINING FOIA COMPLIANCE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Examining FOIA Compliance at the Department of 
State''. Testimony was heard from the following Department of State 
officials: Patrick F. Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management; Janice 
Jacobs, Transparency Coordinator; Karin Lang, Director, Executive 
Secretariat; and Clarence N. Finney, Jr., Deputy Director for 
Correspondence, Records, and Staffing Division, Executive Secretariat.
STRUGGLING TO GROW: ASSESSING THE CHALLENGES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN 
RURAL AMERICA
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and 
Capital Access held a hearing entitled ``Struggling to Grow: Assessing 
the Challenges for Small Businesses in Rural America''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a markup H.R. 5942, to 
amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a 
demonstration program to provide integrated care for Medicare 
beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease, and for other purposes; and 
H.R. 954, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt from the 
individual mandate certain individuals who had coverage under a 
terminated qualified health plan funded through the Consumer Operated 
and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) program. H.R. 954 and H.R. 5942 were ordered 
reported, as amended.

Joint Meetings
FEDERAL DEBT
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
Federal debt, focusing on direction, drivers, and dangers, after 
receiving testimony from former Senator Judd Gregg, Campaign to Fix the 
Debt, and Alice M. Rivlin, Brookings Institution, both of Washington, 
D.C.; and Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., Purdue University, West Lafayette, 
Indiana.
ENERGY POLICY MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2016
Conferees met to resolve the differences between the Senate and House 
adopted versions of S. 2012, to provide for the modernization of the 
energy policy of the United States, but did not complete action 
thereon.