[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 186 (Tuesday, November 14, 2017)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1214-D1215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Anthony Kurta, of Montana, to be a Principal Deputy 
Under Secretary, and James E. McPherson, of Virginia, to be General 
Counsel of the Department of the Army, who was introduced by Senator 
Strange, both of the Department of Defense, and Gregory E. Maggs, of 
Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 
Armed Forces, after the nominees testified and answered questions in 
their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of Robert H. McMahon, of Georgia, to be an Assistant 
Secretary, R. D. James, of Missouri, and Bruce D. Jette, of Virginia, 
both to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army, and Shon J. Manasco, of 
Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, all of the 
Department of Defense.
TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security 
concluded a hearing to examine technology in agriculture, focusing on 
data-driven farming, after receiving testimony from Justin Knopf, 
Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Gypsum; Jason G. Tatge, Farmobile, 
Leawood, Kansas; Shannon L. Ferrell, Oklahoma State University 
Department of Agricultural Economics, Stillwater; Todd J. Janzen, 
Janzen Agricultural Law LLC, Indianapolis, Indiana; and Dorota Haman, 
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 
Gainesville.
HURRICANE RECOVERY OVERSIGHT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded an 
oversight hearing to examine hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico 
and the United States Virgin Islands, after receiving testimony from 
Bruce J. Walker, Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery 
and Energy Reliability, Department of Energy; Major General Ed Jackson, 
USA, Deputy Commanding General, Civil and Emergency Operations, Army 
Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense; United States Virgin Islands 
Governor Kenneth E. Mapp, St. Thomas; Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo 
Rossello, Ricardo Ramos, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, Natalie 
Jaresko, Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, and 
Jose Roman Morales, Puerto Rico Energy Commission, all of San Juan; and 
Julio A. Rhymer, Sr., Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, St. 
Croix.
EMISSIONS LEGISLATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air 
and Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine S. 1857, to establish 
a compliance deadline of May 15, 2023, for Step 2 emissions standards 
for new residential wood heaters, new residential hydronic heaters, and 
forced-air furnaces, S. 203, to reaffirm that the Environmental 
Protection Agency may not regulate vehicles used solely for 
competition, S. 839, to allow for judicial review of any final rule 
addressing national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for 
brick and structural clay products or for clay ceramics manufacturing 
before requiring compliance with such rule, and S. 1934, to prevent 
catastrophic failure or shutdown of remote diesel power engines due to 
emission control devices, after receiving testimony from Senator Burr; 
Davis Henry, Henry Brick, Selma, Alabama; Christopher J. Kersting, 
Specialty Equipment Market Association, Diamond Bar, California; Paul 
Williams, United States Stove Company, Bridgeport, Alabama; and Emily 
Hammond, The George Washington University Law School, and John D. 
Walke, Natural Resources Defense Council, both of Washington, D.C.

[[Page D1215]]


BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee continued consideration of an original 
bill entitled, ``Tax Cuts and Jobs Act'', but did not complete action 
thereon, and will meet again on Wednesday, November 15, 2017.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  S. 1928, to establish a review of United States multilateral aid, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Lisa A. Johnson, of Washington, to be Ambassador 
to the Republic of Namibia, Sean P. Lawler, of Maryland, to be Chief of 
Protocol, and to have the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of 
service, Irwin Steven Goldstein, of New York, to be Under Secretary for 
Public Diplomacy, Rebecca Eliza Gonzales, of Texas, to be Ambassador to 
the Kingdom of Lesotho, and routine lists in the Foreign Service, all 
of the Department of State.
USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons, after 
receiving testimony from General C. Robert Kehler, USAF (Ret.), former 
Commander, Strategic Command, Alexandria, Virginia, and Brian P. 
McKeon, former Acting Under Secretary for Policy, Washington, D.C., 
both of the Department of Defense; and Peter Feaver, Duke University, 
Durham, North Carolina.
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, 
and International Cybersecurity Policy concluded a hearing to examine 
American leadership in the Asia-Pacific, focusing on the view from 
Beijing, after receiving testimony from former Senator Max Baucus; 
Michael Pillsbury, The Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C.; and Graham 
T. Allison, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the nomination of Kirstjen Nielsen, of 
Virginia, to be Secretary of Homeland Security.
GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine gene editing technology, focusing on 
innovation and impact, after receiving testimony from Matthew Porteus, 
Stanford University, Palo Alto, California; Katrine S. Bosley, Editas 
Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Jeffrey Kahn, Johns 
Hopkins University Berman Institute of Bioethics, Baltimore, Maryland.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of 
the intelligence community.