[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 125 (Tuesday, July 25, 2017)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D830-D833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
EVALUATING DOD EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORM PROCUREMENT IN IRAQ AND 
AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Evaluating DOD Equipment and 
Uniform Procurement in Iraq and Afghanistan''. Testimony was heard from 
Jessica Farb, Director, International Affairs and Trade, Government 
Accountability Office; John Sopko, Special Inspector General for 
Afghanistan Reconstruction; and the following Department of Defense 
officials: Colonel David W. Navratil, Country Director, Iraq, Office of 
the Under Secretary of Defense, Policy; Michael Roark, Assistant 
Inspector General; and Peter Velz, Director, Afghanistan (Resources and 
Transition), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Policy.
OVERSIGHT AND REAUTHORIZATION OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Oversight and Reauthorization of 
the Federal Communications Commission''. Testimony was heard from the 
following Federal Communications Commission officials: Mignon Clyburn, 
Commissioner; Michael O'Rielly, Commissioner; and Ajit Pai, Chairman.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 
1624, the ``Municipal Finance Support Act of 2017''; H.R. 2864, the 
``Improving Access to Capital Act''; H.R. 3110, the ``Financial 
Stability Oversight Council Insurance Member Continuity Act''; H.R. 
3326, the ``World Bank Accountability Act of 2017''; and H. Res. 442, 
of inquiry directing the Secretary of the Treasury to provide certain 
documents in the Secretary's possession to the House of Representatives 
relating to President

[[Page D831]]

Trump's financial connections to Russia, certain illegal financial 
schemes, and related information. H.R. 2864, H.R. 1624, and H.R. 3326 
were ordered reported, as amended. H.R. 3110 and H. Res. 442 were 
ordered reported, without amendment.
AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE AND CURRENT TERRORIST 
THREATS
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Authorization for the Use of Military Force and Current Terrorist 
Threats''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
EXAMINING THE PRESIDENT'S FY 2018 BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR EUROPE AND 
EURASIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and 
Emerging Threats held a hearing entitled ``Examining the President's FY 
2018 Budget Proposal for Europe and Eurasia''. Testimony was heard from 
John A. Heffern, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of 
European and Eurasian Affairs, Department of State; Daniel N. 
Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia, Bureau of South 
and Central Asian Affairs, Department of State; Margot Ellis, Acting 
Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, U.S. 
Agency for International Development; and Ann Marie Yastishock, Acting 
Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Asia, U.S. Agency for 
International Development.
HELD FOR RANSOM: THE FAMILIES OF IRAN'S HOSTAGES SPEAK OUT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a hearing entitled ``Held for Ransom: The Families of 
Iran's Hostages Speak Out''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DETER, DETECT AND INTERDICT: TECHNOLOGY'S ROLE IN SECURING THE BORDER
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border and Maritime 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Deter, Detect and Interdict: 
Technology's Role in Securing the Border''. Testimony was heard from 
Rebecca Gambler, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Government 
Accountability Office; and the following Department of Homeland 
Security officials: Dennis J. Michelini, Acting Executive Director of 
Operations, Air and Marine Operations, Customs and Border Protection; 
Todd C. Owens, Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field 
Operations, Customs and Border Protection; and Scott A. Luck, Acting 
Deputy Chief, Border Patrol.
SECURING AIR CARGO: INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation and 
Protective Security held a hearing entitled ``Securing Air Cargo: 
Industry Perspectives''. Testimony was heard from Bart Elias, 
Specialist in Aviation Policy, Resources, Science and Industry 
Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and 
public witnesses.
NO REGULATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION: H.R. 2887 AND THE GROWING PROBLEM 
OF STATES REGULATING BEYOND THEIR BORDERS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, 
Commercial and Antitrust Law held a hearing entitled ``No Regulation 
Without Representation: H.R. 2887 and the Growing Problem of States 
Regulating Beyond Their Borders''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
ASSESSING CURRENT CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES AT THE LYNDON B. JOHNSON 
TROPICAL MEDICAL CENTER IN AMERICAN SAMOA
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and 
Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Assessing Current 
Conditions and Challenges at the Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical 
Center in American Samoa''. Testimony was heard from Thomas Bussanich, 
Director of Budget, Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the 
Interior; Taufete'e John Faumuina, CEO, Director, Lyndon B. Johnson 
Tropical Medical Center; and Sandra King Young, Medicaid Director, 
American Samoa Medicaid Agency, Office of the Governor, American Samoa 
Government.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
825, the ``Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act''; H.R. 873, 
the ``Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act''; H.R. 965, the 
``Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park Redesignation Act''; H.R. 
1074, to repeal the Act entitled ``An Act to confer jurisdiction on the 
State of Iowa over offenses committed by or against Indians on the Sac 
and Fox Indian Reservation''; H.R. 1418, to amend the Alaska Native 
Claims Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek, Alaska, is and 
shall be recognized as an eligible Native village under that Act, and 
for other purposes; H.R. 1491, the ``Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians 
Land Affirmation Act of 2017''; H.R. 1547, the ``Udall Park Land 
Exchange Completion Act''; H.R. 2075, the ``Crooked River Ranch Fire 
Protection Act''; H.R. 2083, the

[[Page D832]]

``Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act''; H.R. 
2199, the ``Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform Act of 2017''; H.R. 
2316, the ``Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act of 2017''; 
H.R. 2371, the ``Western Area Power Administration Transparency Act''; 
H.R. 2374, the ``Eastern Nevada Economic Development and Land 
Management Improvement Act''; H.R. 2423, the ``Washington County, Utah, 
Public Lands Management Implementation Act''; H.R. 2582, the 
``Confirming State Land Grants for Education Act''; H.R. 2611, the 
``Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Boundary 
Modification Act''; H.R. 2615, the ``Gulf Islands National Seashore 
Land Exchange Act of 2017''; H.R. 2768, the ``Fowler and Boskoff Peaks 
Designation Act''; H.R. 3115, the ``Superior National Forest Land 
Exchange Act of 2017''; H.R. 3279, the ``Helium Extraction Act of 
2017''; and H.R. 3281, the ``Reclamation Title Transfer and Non-Federal 
Infrastructure Incentivization Act''.
EXAMINING `SUE AND SETTLE' AGREEMENTS: PART II
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs; and Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy and 
Environment held a joint hearing entitled ``Examining 'Sue and Settle' 
Agreements: Part II''. Testimony was heard from Carl E. Geffken, City 
Administrator, Fort Smith, Arkansas; and public witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Committee on Rules: Full Committee began a hearing on H.R. 3219, the 
``Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018'' [Make America Secure 
Appropriations Act, 2018] [Meeting II]. The Committee granted, by 
record vote of 9-3, a structured rule for H.R. 3219. The rule provides 
two hours 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 provides that an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 115-30 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, for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI. The 
rule makes in order only those further amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report, amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the 
resolution, and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of the 
resolution. Each amendment printed in the report 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, may be withdrawn by the 
proponent at any time before action thereon, shall not be subject to 
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question. The rule waives all points of order against the amendments 
printed in the report or against amendments en bloc described in 
section 3 of the resolution. The rule provides that it shall be in 
order at any time for the chair of the Committee on Appropriations 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 Appropriations or their designees, shall not be subject to 
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question. The rule provides that the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees may 
offer up to 20 pro forma amendments each at any point for the purpose 
of debate. The rule provides that no further consideration of the bill 
shall be in order except pursuant to a subsequent order of the House. 
In section 6, the rule provides that during consideration of H.R. 3219, 
it shall not be in order 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, 
but does not apply to amendments between the Houses. Testimony was 
heard from Representatives Graves of Louisiana, Blumenauer, Courtney, 
and Jackson Lee.
EXAMINING ADVANCEMENTS IN BIOFUELS: BALANCING FEDERAL RESEARCH AND 
MARKET INNOVATION
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on 
Environment; and Subcommittee on Energy held a joint hearing entitled 
``Examining Advancements in Biofuels: Balancing Federal Research and 
Market Innovation''. Testimony was heard from Paul Gilna, Director, 
BioEnergy Science Center and Deputy-Division Director of Biosciences, 
Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and public witnesses.
BUILDING A 21ST CENTURY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR AMERICA: COAST GUARD SEA, 
LAND, AND AIR CAPABILITIES, PART II
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``Building a 
21st Century Infrastructure for America: Coast Guard Sea,

[[Page D833]]

Land, and Air Capabilities, Part II''. Testimony was heard from Admiral 
Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard; Rear Admiral Michael J. 
Haycock, Assistant Commandant for Acquisition, Chief Acquisition 
Officer, U.S. Coast Guard; Marie A. Mak, Director, Acquisition and 
Sourcing Management, Government Accountability Office; Ronald O'Rourke, 
Specialist in Naval Affairs, Congressional Research Service, Library of 
Congress; and a public witness.
PTSD CLAIMS: ASSESSING WHETHER VBA IS EFFECTIVELY SERVING VETERANS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing entitled ``PTSD Claims: Assessing 
Whether VBA is Effectively Serving Veterans''. Testimony was heard from 
Ronald S. Burke, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary, Office for Field 
Operations, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and public witnesses.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE'S ELECTRONIC RECORD RETENTION POLICIES: 
IMPROVING COMPLIANCE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing 
entitled ``Internal Revenue Service's Electronic Record Retention 
Policies: Improving Compliance''. Testimony was heard from Gregory 
Kutz, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Management Services and 
Exempt Organizations, Treasury Inspector General for Tax 
Administration; Jeffrey Tribiano, Deputy Commissioner for Operations 
Support, Internal Revenue Service; and Edward Killen, Director of 
Privacy, Governmental Liaison, and Disclosure, Internal Revenue 
Service.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.