[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D537-D540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
MILITARY SPACE ORGANIZATION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded 
a hearing to examine military space organization, policy, and programs, 
including challenges of delayed delivery of critical space 
capabilities, after receiving testimony from Heather A. Wilson, 
Secretary of the Air Force, General David L. Goldfein, USAF, Chief of 
Staff of the Air Force, and

[[Page D538]]

General John W. Raymond, USAF, and General Samuel A. Greaves, USAF, 
Space and Missile Systems Center, both a Commander, both of Air Force 
Space Command, all of the Department of Defense; and Cristina T. 
Chaplain, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, Government 
Accountability Office.
U.S. MILITARY SMALL ARMS REQUIREMENTS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Airland concluded a 
hearing to examine United States military small arms requirements, 
after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General John M. Bednarek, USA 
(Ret.), former Chief, Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq; and Major 
General Robert H. Scales, Jr., USA (Ret.), former Commandant, U.S. Army 
War College.
RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT FOR LESS
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
running the government for less, after receiving testimony from Gene L. 
Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, Government 
Accountability Office; and Keith Hall, Director, Congressional Budget 
Office.
CURRENT ISSUES IN AMERICAN SPORTS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine current issues in American sports, focusing on 
protecting the health and safety of American athletes, after receiving 
testimony from Jay C. Butler, Alaska Department of Health and Social 
Services Chief Medical Officer, Anchorage; Shellie Pfohl, U.S. Center 
for SafeSport, Denver, Colorado; Scott R. Sailor, National Athletic 
Trainers' Association, Carrollton, Texas; Robert A. Stern, Boston 
University School of Medicine Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, 
Boston, Massachusetts; Lauryn Williams, United States Anti-Doping 
Agency, Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Maureen Deutscher, Sioux Falls, 
South Dakota.
AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine improving America's transportation infrastructure, 
after receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of 
Transportation.
NOMINATION
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nomination of Scott P. Brown, of New Hampshire, to be 
Ambassador to New Zealand, and to serve concurrently and without 
additional compensation as Ambassador to the Independent State of 
Samoa, Department of State, after the nominee, who was introduced by 
Senator Collins, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 34, to amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide 
for the en bloc consideration in resolutions of disapproval for 
``midnight rules'';
  S. 829, to reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program, 
the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants program, and the Staffing for 
Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 951, to reform the process by which Federal agencies analyze and 
formulate new regulations and guidance documents, S. 21, to amend 
chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that major rules 
of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint 
resolution of approval is enacted into law, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 577, to require each agency, in providing notice of a rule making, 
to include a link to a 100 word plain language summary of the proposed 
rule;
  S. 584, to amend chapter 6 of title 5, United States Code (commonly 
known as the Regulatory Flexibility Act), to ensure complete analysis 
of potential impacts on small entities of rules;
  S. 579, to require agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed 
rule making for major rules;
  S. 459, to designate the area between the intersections of Wisconsin 
Avenue, Northwest and Davis Street, Northwest and Wisconsin Avenue, 
Northwest and Edmunds Street, Northwest in Washington, District of 
Columbia, as ``Boris Nemtsov Plaza'';
  S. 595, to provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection with additional 
flexibility to expedite the hiring process for applicants for law 
enforcement positions, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 696, to amend title 5, United States Code, to appropriately limit 
the authority to award bonuses to Federal employees, with an amendment;
  S. 504, to permanently authorize the Asia-Pacific Economic 
Cooperation Business Travel Card Program;
  S. 842, to prohibit Federal agencies and Federal contractors from 
requesting that an applicant for employment disclose criminal history 
record information before the applicant has received a conditional 
offer;

[[Page D539]]


  S. 760, to expand the Government's use and administration of data to 
facilitate transparency, effective governance, and innovation;
  S. 831, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 120 West Pike Street in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, as the 
``Police Officer Scott Bashioum Post Office Building'';
  S. 1103, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the 
Secretary of Homeland Security to issue Department-wide guidance and to 
develop training programs as part of the Department of Homeland 
Security Blue Campaign;
  S. 1088, to require the collection of voluntary feedback on services 
provided by agencies; and
  S. 1099, to provide for the identification and prevention of improper 
payments and the identification of strategic sourcing opportunities by 
reviewing and analyzing the use of Federal agency charge cards.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 458, to support the education of Indian children, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 691, to extend Federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian 
Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe-Eastern Division, the Upper 
Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian 
Nation, and the Nansemond Indian Tribe; and
  S. 1116, to amend the Native American Business Development, Trade 
Promotion, and Tourism Act of 2000, the Buy Indian Act, and the Native 
American Programs Act of 1974 to provide industry and economic 
development opportunities to Indian communities, with an amendment.
HIGH RISK LIST FOR INDIAN PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing 
to examine the Government Accountability Office's high risk list for 
Indian programs, including actions needed to address serious weaknesses 
in Federal management of programs serving Indian tribes, after 
receiving testimony from Melissa Emrey-Arras, Director, Education, 
Workforce, and Income Security, Government Accountability Office; 
Michael Black, Acting Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, and Tony 
Dearman, Director, Bureau of Indian Education, both of the Department 
of the Interior; and Rear Admiral Chris Buchanan, Assistant Surgeon 
General, Public Health Service, Acting Director, Indian Health Service, 
Department of Health and Human Services.
VETERANS AFFAIRS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine S. 23, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to adopt and implement a standard 
identification protocol for use in the tracking and procurement of 
biological implants by the Department of Veterans Affairs, S. 112, to 
amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize per diem payments 
under comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans to furnish 
care to dependents of homeless veterans, S. 324, to amend title 38, 
United States Code, to improve the provision of adult day health care 
services for veterans, S. 543, to amend title 38, United States Code, 
to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include in each 
contract into which the Secretary enters for necessary services 
authorities and mechanism for appropriate oversight, S. 591, to expand 
eligibility for the program of comprehensive assistance for family 
caregivers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to expand benefits 
available to participants under such program, to enhance special 
compensation for members of the uniformed services who require 
assistance in everyday life, S. 609, to amend the Department of 
Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 and title 
38, United States Code, to require the provision of chiropractic care 
and services to veterans at all Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
centers and to expand access to such care and services, S. 681, to 
amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the benefits and 
services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to women 
veterans, S. 764, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
enrollment of veterans in certain courses of education, S. 784, to 
provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2017, in the rates of 
compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 
rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
certain disabled veterans, S. 804, to improve the provision of health 
care for women veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs, S. 899, 
to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the requirements 
that new Federal employees who are veterans with service-connected 
disabilities are provided leave for purposes of undergoing medical 
treatment for such disabilities apply to certain employees of the 
Veterans Health Administration, S. 1024, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to reform the rights and processes relating to appeals of 
decisions regarding claims for benefits under the laws administered by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, S. 1094, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to improve the accountability of employees of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, an original bill entitled, ``Serving 
our Rural Veterans Act'', and an

[[Page D540]]

original bill entitled, ``Veteran Partners' Efforts to Enhance 
Reintegration Act'', after receiving testimony from Jennifer S. Lee, 
Deputy Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health for Policy and 
Services, Veterans Health Administration; Louis J. Celli, Jr., The 
American Legion, Kayda Keleher, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United 
States, Adrian M. Atizado, Disabled American Veterans, Allison Jaslow, 
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and J. David Cox, Sr., 
American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, all of 
Washington, D.C.
AGING WITH COMMUNITY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
aging with community, focusing on building connections that last a 
lifetime, after receiving testimony from Lindsay Goldman, The New York 
Academy of Medicine, Rye Brook; Meg Callaway, Piscataquis Thriving in 
Place Collaborative, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine; Cathy A. Bollinger, 
Embracing Aging York County Community Foundation, Spring Grove, 
Pennsylvania; and Anamarie Garces, Miami-Dade Age-Friendly Initiative, 
Miami, Florida.