[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 194 (Wednesday, November 29, 2017)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1258-D1260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
USDA'S ROLE IN DISASTER RECOVERY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing entitled ``USDA's Role in Disaster Recovery''. Testimony was 
heard from the following Department of Agriculture officials: Rob 
Johansson, Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Farm Production and 
Conservation; Leonard Jordan, Acting Chief, Natural Resources 
Conservation Service; and Steve Peterson, Acting Administrator, Farm 
Service Agency.
U.S. FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Forest Service. 
Testimony was heard from Tony Tooke, Chief, U.S. Forest Service.
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held an oversight hearing on the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers. Testimony was heard from Ryan Fisher, Acting 
Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works); and Major General Donald 
E. Jackson, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency 
Operations.
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held an oversight hearing on the Small Business 
Administration and the General Services Administration. Testimony was 
heard from Timothy E. Gribben, Chief Financial Officer and Associate 
Administrator for Performance Management, Small Business 
Administration; and Timothy O. Horne, Acting Administrator, General 
Services Administration.
FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FACING THE PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION: 
IMPLICATIONS FOR PENSION PLANS, WORKERS, AND RETIREES
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``Financial 
Challenges Facing the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: 
Implications for Pension Plans, Workers, and Retirees''. Testimony was 
heard from W. Thomas Reeder, Jr., Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty 
Corporation.
POWERING AMERICA: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL TRADING IN THE 
ELECTRICITY MARKETS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing 
entitled ``Powering America: Examining the Role of Financial Trading in 
the Electricity Markets''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ALGORITHMS: HOW COMPANIES' DECISIONS ABOUT DATA AND CONTENT IMPACT 
CONSUMERS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology; and Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer 
Protection held a joint hearing entitled ``Algorithms: How Companies' 
Decisions About Data and Content Impact Consumers''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING FINANCE: THE ROLE OF GINNIE MAE IN THE HOUSING 
FINANCE SYSTEM
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance 
held a hearing entitled ``Sustainable Housing Finance: The Role of 
Ginnie Mae in the Housing Finance System''. Testimony was heard from 
Michael R. Bright, Acting President, Government National Mortgage 
Association.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Consumer Credit; and Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance 
held a joint hearing entitled ``Legislative Proposals to Counter 
Terrorism and Illicit Finance''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SAUDI ARABIA AND LEBANON
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North 
Africa held a hearing entitled ``The Latest Developments in Saudi 
Arabia and Lebanon''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
A GLOBAL UPDATE ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing 
entitled ``A Global Update on Alzheimer's Disease''. Testimony was 
heard from Marie Bernard, M.D., Deputy Director, National Institute on 
Aging, National Institutes

[[Page D1259]]

of Health; Roger Glass, M.D., Director, Fogarty International Center, 
National Institutes of Health; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 38, 
the ``Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017''; H.R. 4477, the ``Fix 
NICS Act of 2017''; and H.R. 2666, the ``AMBER Alert in Indian Country 
Act of 2017''. H.R. 38, H.R. 4477, and H.R. 2666 were ordered reported, 
as amended.
MODERNIZING NEPA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Modernizing NEPA for the 21st Century''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 
1778, to provide that an order by the Secretary of the Interior 
imposing a moratorium on Federal coal leasing shall not take effect 
unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted, and for other 
purposes; H.R. 2630, the ``La Paz County Land Conveyance Act''; H.R. 
3117, the ``Transparency and Honesty in Energy Regulations Act of 
2017''; H.R. 3607, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
establish fees for medical services provided in units of the National 
Park System, and for other purposes; H.R. 3979, the ``Keep America's 
Refuges Operational Act''; H.R. 4299, to provide for the indefinite 
duration of certain military land withdrawals, to improve the 
management of lands currently subject to such withdrawals and to make 
the management of such lands more transparent, and for other purposes; 
and H.R. 4300, the ``Admiral Lloyd R. `Joe' Vasey Pacific War 
Commemorative Display Establishment Act''.
REGULATORY REFORM TASK FORCES CHECK-IN: PART III
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on the 
Interior, Energy and Environment; and Subcommittee on Intergovernmental 
Affairs held a joint hearing entitled ``Regulatory Reform Task Forces 
Check-In: Part III''. Testimony was heard from David Bernhardt, Deputy 
Secretary, Department of the Interior; Brittany Bolen, Deputy Associate 
Administrator, Office of Policy, Environmental Protection Agency; and 
Daniel Simmons, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.
CYBERSECURITY OF VOTING MACHINES
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Technology; and Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs 
held a joint hearing entitled ``Cybersecurity of Voting Machines''. 
Testimony was heard from Christopher C. Krebs, Senior Official 
Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary, National Protection and 
Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; Tom Schedler, 
Secretary of State of Louisiana; Edgardo Cortes, Commissioner, Virginia 
Department of Elections; and public witnesses.
PRESERVING ACCESS TO MANUFACTURED HOUSING ACT OF 2017; ENSURING A 
QUALIFIED CIVIL SERVICE ACT OF 2017
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 1699, the 
``Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act of 2017''; and H.R. 
4182, the ``Ensuring a Qualified Civil Service Act of 2017''. The 
Committee granted, by record vote of 6-3, a structure rule for H.R. 
4182. The rule provides one hour of general debate equally divided and 
controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the bill 
shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order 
against provisions in the bill. The rule makes in order only those 
amendments printed in the Rules Committee report. Each such amendment 
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, 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. The rule provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions. In section 2, the rule provides for consideration 
of H.R. 1699 under a closed rule. The rule provides one hour of debate 
equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member 
of the Committee on Financial Services. 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 115-42 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. The rule provides one 
motion to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony

[[Page D1260]]

was heard from Chairman Hensarling, and Representatives Comer, 
Connolly, and Maxine Waters of California.
THE FUTURE OF WOTUS: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF STATES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on 
Environment held a hearing entitled ``The Future of WOTUS: Examining 
the Role of States''. Testimony was heard from Wesley Mehl, Deputy 
Commissioner, Arizona State Land Department; and public witnesses.
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS: EMERGING USES IN A CHANGING NATIONAL 
AIRSPACE
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Aviation held a hearing entitled ``Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Emerging 
Uses in a Changing National Airspace''. Testimony was heard from Daniel 
K. Elwell, Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration; and 
public witnesses.
EXAMINING VA'S FAILURE TO ADDRESS PROVIDER QUALITY AND SAFETY CONCERNS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Examining VA's Failure to 
Address Provider Quality and Safety Concerns''. Testimony was heard 
from Gerard R. Cox, M.D., Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Health for 
Organizational Excellence, Department of Veterans Affairs; Randall 
Williamson, Director, Health Care, Government Accountability Office; 
and a public witness.

Joint Meetings
THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Joint Economic Committee: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
economic outlook, after receiving testimony from Janet L. Yellen, 
Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.