[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 182 (Wednesday, November 8, 2017)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1193-D1195]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
CLOSE TO HOME: HOW OPIOIDS ARE IMPACTING COMMUNITIES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Early 
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education; and Subcommittee on 
Higher Education and Workforce Development held a joint hearing 
entitled ``Close to Home: How Opioids are Impacting Communities''. 
Testimony was heard from Leana Wen, Commissioner, Baltimore City Health 
Department; David Cox, Superintendent, Allegany County, Maryland; and 
public witnesses.
MACRA AND ALTERNATIVE PAYMENT MODELS: DEVELOPING OPTIONS FOR VALUE-
BASED CARE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``MACRA and Alternative Payment Models: Developing Options for 
Value-based Care''. Testimony was heard from Jeffrey Bailet, 
Chairperson, Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory 
Committee, Department of Health and Human Services; and public 
witnesses.
ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and 
Trade held a hearing entitled ``Administration Priorities for the 
International Financial Institutions''. Testimony was heard from David 
Malpass, Under Secretary for International Affairs, Department of the 
Treasury.
FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ENFORCEMENT: TREASURY'S ROLE IN SAFEGUARDING 
THE AMERICAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit 
Finance held a hearing entitled ``Financial Intelligence and 
Enforcement: Treasury's Role in Safeguarding the American Financial 
System''. Testimony was heard from Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary for 
Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Department of the Treasury.
THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN FOR AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN: OBJECTIVES AND 
RESOURCES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa; and Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific held a joint hearing 
entitled ``The President's Plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan: 
Objectives and Resources''. Testimony was heard from Alice G. Wells, 
Acting Assistant Secretary, Acting Special Representative for 
Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, 
Department of State; and Gregory Huger, Assistant to the Administrator, 
Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, U.S. Agency for 
International Development.
EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE KINGPIN DESIGNATION ACT IN THE 
WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere 
held a hearing entitled ``Examining the Effectiveness of the Kingpin 
Designation Act in the Western Hemisphere''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
PREVENTING THE NEXT ATTACK: TSA'S ROLE IN KEEPING OUR TRANSPORTATION 
SYSTEMS SECURE
Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Preventing the Next Attack: TSA's Role in Keeping Our Transportation 
Systems Secure''. Testimony was heard from David P. Pekoske, 
Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, Department of 
Homeland Security.

[[Page D1194]]


MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 3989, 
the ``USA Liberty Act of 2017''. H.R. 3989 was ordered reported, as 
amended.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee concluded a markup on 
H.R. 995, the ``21st Century Respect Act''; H.R. 1532, the ``Poarch 
Band of Creek Indians Land Reaffirmation Act''; H.R. 180, to direct the 
Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain Federal land to facilitate 
scientific research supporting Federal space and defense programs; H.R. 
2504, to ensure fair treatment in licensing requirements for the export 
of certain echinoderms; H.R. 2907, the ``Planning for American Energy 
Act of 2017''; H.R. 3469, to designate the bridge located in Blount 
County, Tennessee, on the Foothills Parkway (commonly known as ``Bridge 
2'') as the ``Dean Stone Bridge''; H.R. 3905, the ``Minnesota's 
Economic Rights in the Superior National Forest Act''; H.R. 4239, the 
``SECURE American Energy Act''; and S. 140, to amend the White Mountain 
Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify the use 
of amounts in the WMAT Settlement Fund. H.R. 995, H.R. 1800, and H.R. 
4239 were ordered reported, as amended. H.R. 1532, H.R. 2504, H.R. 
2907, H.R. 3469, H.R. 3905, and S. 140 were ordered reported, without 
amendment.
MOVING THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN ISRAEL TO JERUSALEM: CHALLENGES AND 
OPPORTUNITIES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on National 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Moving the American Embassy in 
Israel to Jerusalem: Challenges and Opportunities''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
GEOENGINEERING: INNOVATION, RESEARCH, AND TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on 
Environment; and Subcommittee on Energy held a joint hearing entitled 
``Geoengineering: Innovation, Research, and Technology''. Testimony was 
heard from Phil Rasch, Chief Scientist for Climate Science, Laboratory 
Fellow, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; and public witnesses.
HIRING MORE HEROES: A REVIEW OF SBA'S OFFICE OF VETERANS BUSINESS 
DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Hiring More Heroes: A Review of SBA's Office of Veterans Business 
Development''. Testimony was heard from Barbara Carson, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Veterans Business Development, Small Business 
Administration.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 
4243, the ``VA Asset and Infrastructure Review Act of 2017''. H.R. 4243 
was ordered reported, as amended.
A REVIEW OF THE INTERAGENCY TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE NEED 
FOR ENHANCED OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing entitled ``A Review of the Interagency Transition 
Assistance Program and the Need for Enhanced Outcome Measurements''. 
Testimony was heard from Cindy Brown Barnes, Director, Education, 
Workforce and Income Security, Government Accountability Office; 
Margarita Devlin, Executive Director, Benefits Assistance Service, 
Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Ivan 
E. Denton, Director, Office of National Programs, Veterans' Employment 
and Training Service, Department of Labor; Judd H. Lyons, Director, 
Defense Personnel and Family Support Center, Office of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of 
Defense; Brigadier General Robert Bennett, Adjutant General, U.S. Army; 
Rear Admiral Karl O. Thomas, Director, 21st Century Sailor Office, 
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy; Brigadier General 
Kathleen A. Cook, Director, Air Force Services, Manpower, Personnel and 
Services; and Brigadier General Kurt W. Stein, Director, Marine and 
Family Programs, U.S. Marine Corps.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee continued a markup on H.R. 
1, the ``Tax Cuts and Jobs Act''.

Joint Meetings
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
  Conferees agreed to file a conference report on the differences 
between the Senate and House passed versions of H.R. 2810, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year.

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