[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 5, 2017)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D403-D405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE AND TAX REFORM: OPPORTUNITIES FOR RURAL AMERICA
Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Agriculture and Tax Reform: Opportunities for Rural America''. 
Testimony was heard from James M. Williamson, Economist, Economic 
Research Service, Department of Agriculture; and public witnesses.
FEDERAL RESPONSE TO THE OPIOID ABUSE CRISIS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing entitled 
``Federal Response to the Opioid Abuse Crisis''. Testimony was heard 
from Barbara Cimaglio, Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of 
Health; and public witnesses.
CONSEQUENCES TO THE MILITARY OF A CONTINUING RESOLUTION
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Consequences to the Military of a Continuing Resolution''. Testimony 
was heard from General David L. Goldfein, Chief of Staff, U.S. Air 
Force; General Mark A. Milley, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; General 
Robert B. Neller, Commandant of the Marine Corps; and Admiral John M. 
Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy.
THE CURRENT STATE OF THE U.S. MARINE CORPS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
entitled ``The Current State of the U.S. Marine Corps''. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials from U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters: 
Lieutenant General Ronald L. Bailey, Deputy Commandant for Plans, 
Policies, and Operations; Lieutenant General Michael G. Dana, Deputy 
Commandant for Installations and Logistics; and William E. Taylor, 
Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing on H.R. 1180, the ``Working Families 
Flexibility Act of 2017''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
FACILITATING THE 21ST CENTURY WIRELESS ECONOMY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Facilitating the 21st Century 
Wireless Economy''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE 2016 SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL 
PROTECTION
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The 2016 Semi-Annual Reports of the Bureau of Consumer Financial 
Protection''. Testimony was heard from Richard Cordray, Director, 
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
TURKEY'S DEMOCRACY UNDER CHALLENGE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing entitled ``Turkey's Democracy Under 
Challenge''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a markup on H. Res. 
235, directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to transmit certain 
documents to the House of Representatives relating to the Department of 
Homeland Security's research, integration, and analysis activities 
relating to Russian Government interference in the elections for 
Federal office

[[Page D404]]

held in 2016. H. Res. 235 was ordered reported, without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1842, 
the ``Strengthening Children's Safety Act of 2017''; H.R. 1862, the 
``Global Child Protection Act of 2017''; and H.R. 659, the ``Standard 
Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules Act of 2017''. H.R. 
1842, H.R. 1862, and H.R. 659 were ordered reported, without amendment.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURE
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing on H.R. 1731, the ``Revitalizing the Economy 
of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More 
Act of 2017''. Testimony was heard from Representative Rogers of 
Alabama and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a 
hearing on H.R. 218, the ``King Cove Road Land Exchange Act''; H.R. 
497, the ``Santa Ana River Wash Plan Land Exchange Act''; H.R. 1157, to 
clarify the United States interest in certain submerged lands in the 
area of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes; 
and H.R. 1728, to modify the boundaries of the Morley Nelson Snake 
River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, and for other purposes. 
Testimony was heard from Representatives Young of Alaska; Simpson; 
Keating; Cook; and Aguilar; Seth T. Taylor, Selectman, Chatham, 
Massachusetts; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY'S RESPONSE TO THE 
BATON ROUGE FLOOD DISASTER: PART II
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency's Response to the Baton Rouge Flood Disaster: Part II''. 
Testimony was heard from John Bel Edwards, Governor, Louisiana; Robert 
J. Fenton, Jr., Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; Mark Harrell, Emergency Coordinator, Livingston Parish, 
Louisiana; and a public witness.
IMPROVING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AT NATIONAL PARKS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on the 
Interior, Energy and Environment held a hearing entitled ``Improving 
the Visitor Experience at National Parks''. Testimony was heard from 
Glenn Casamassa, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest 
Service, Department of Agriculture; Linda Lanterman, Director, Division 
of State Parks, Kansas; and public witnesses.
ASSESSING THE IRAN DEAL
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Assessing the Iran Deal''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
TAKING CARE OF SMALL BUSINESS: WORKING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER SBA
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Taking Care of Small Business: Working Together for a Better SBA''. 
Testimony was heard from Linda McMahon, Administrator, Small Business 
Administration.
FAST ACT IMPLEMENTATION: STATE AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing entitled ``FAST Act Implementation: 
State and Local Perspectives''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 105, the ``Protect Veterans 
from Financial Fraud Act of 2017''; H.R. 299, the ``Blue Water Navy 
Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017''; H.R. 1328, the ``American Heroes COLA 
Act of 2017''; H.R. 1329, the ``Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living 
Adjustment Act of 2017''; H.R. 1390, to amend title 38, United States 
Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay costs 
relating to the transportation of certain deceased veterans to 
veterans' cemeteries owned by a State or tribal organization; H.R. 
1564, the ``VA Beneficiary Travel Act of 2017''; and a draft bill 
entitled ``Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery Act of 2017''. Testimony 
was heard from Representatives Bost; Brownley of California; Banks of 
Indiana; Bergman; and Valadao; Beth Murphy, Director, Compensation 
Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
DECLINE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE U.S.
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
decline of economic opportunity in the United States, focusing on 
causes and

[[Page D405]]

consequences, after receiving testimony from Timothy Kane, Hoover 
Institution JP Conte Fellow on Immigration Studies, Stanford, 
California; and John W. Lettieri, Economic Innovation Group, and Jared 
Bernstein, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, both of Washington, 
D.C.