[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 14, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D269-D271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--U.S. AIR FORCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a budget 
hearing on the U.S. Air Force. Testimony was heard from Heather Wilson, 
Secretary of the Air Force; and General David L. Goldfein, Chief of 
Staff of the Air Force.
APPROPRIATIONS--U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. Testimony was 
heard from R.D. James, Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, U.S. Army 
Corp of Engineers; Timothy Petty, Assistant Secretary for Water and 
Science, Department of the Interior; Lieutenant General Todd Semonite, 
Commanding General and Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers; 
and Brenda Burman, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.
SPACE WARFIGHTING READINESS: POLICIES, AUTHORITIES, AND CAPABILITIES
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Space Warfighting Readiness: Policies, Authorities, and 
Capabilities''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE FY 2018 BUDGET REQUEST FOR SEA POWER AND 
PROJECTION FORCES
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection 
Forces held a hearing entitled ``Department of the Air Force FY 2018 
Budget Request for Sea Power and Projection Forces''. Testimony was 
heard from Lieutenant General Jerry D. Harris, Jr., Deputy Chief of 
Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force; 
Lieutenant General Mark C. Nowland, Deputy Chief of Staff for 
Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force; and 
William Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, 
Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
A REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET REQUEST FOR 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and 
Capabilities held a hearing entitled ``A Review and Assessment of the 
Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request for Department of Defense Science and 
Technology Programs''. Testimony was heard from Rear Admiral Upper Half 
David Hahn, Chief of Naval Research; Mary Miller, Performing the Duties 
of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, 
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; 
Tom Russell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and 
Technology; Jeff Stanley, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force 
for Science, Technology, and Engineering; and Steve Walker, Director, 
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
CBO OVERSIGHT: PERSPECTIVES FROM OUTSIDE EXPERTS
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``CBO 
Oversight: Perspectives from Outside Experts''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
DOE MODERNIZATION: LEGISLATION ADDRESSING CYBERSECURITY AND EMERGENCY 
RESPONSE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing 
entitled ``DOE Modernization: Legislation Addressing Cybersecurity and 
Emergency Response''. Testimony was heard from Mark Menezes, Under 
Secretary, Department of Energy; Zachary Tudor, Associate Laboratory 
Director for National and Homeland Security, Idaho National Laboratory; 
Tristan Vance, Director, Chief Energy Officer, Office of Energy 
Development, Indiana; and public witnesses.
REAUTHORIZATION OF ANIMAL DRUG USER FEES: ADUFA AND AGDUFA
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Reauthorization of Animal Drug User Fees: ADUFA and 
AGDUFA''. Testimony was heard from Steven Solomon, Director,

[[Page D270]]

Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration; and 
public witnesses.
EXAMINING THE CRYPTOCURRENCIES AND ICO MARKETS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, 
Securities, and Investment held a hearing entitled ``Examining the 
Cryptocurrencies and ICO Markets''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
MODERNIZING EXPORT CONTROLS: PROTECTING CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY AND 
U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Modernizing Export Controls: Protecting Cutting-Edge Technology and 
U.S. National Security''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 
401, to designate the mountain at the Devils Tower National Monument, 
Wyoming, as Devils Tower, and for other purposes; H.R. 3008, the 
``George W. Bush Childhood Home Study Act''; H.R. 4609, the ``West Fork 
Fire Station Act of 2017''; H.R. 4851, the ``Kennedy-King Establishment 
Act of 2018''; S. 35, the ``Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary 
Expansion Act''; and S. 466, a bill to clarify the description of 
certain Federal land under the Northern Arizona Land Exchange and Verde 
River Basin Partnership Act of 2005 to include additional land in the 
Kaibab National Forest. H.R. 401, H.R. 3008, H.R. 4609, and S. 35 were 
ordered reported, without amendment. H.R. 4851 and S. 466 were ordered 
reported, as amended.
SHINING LIGHT ON THE FEDERAL REGULATORY PROCESS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Shining Light on the Federal Regulatory Process''. 
Testimony was heard from Kris Nguyen, Acting Director, Strategic Issues 
Division, Government Accountability Office; and public witnesses.
STATE OF PLAY: FEDERAL IT IN 2018
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on 
Information Technology; and Subcommittee on Government Operations held 
a joint hearing entitled ``State of Play: Federal IT in 2018''. 
Testimony was heard from David Powner, Director of IT Management 
Issues, Government Accountability Office; Margaret Weichert, Deputy 
Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget; Bill 
Zielinski, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the IT Category, General 
Services Administration; and Jeanette Manfra, Assistant Secretary for 
the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, Department of Homeland 
Security.
FINANCIAL STABILITY OVERSIGHT COUNCIL IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2017; STRESS 
TEST IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2017
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 4061, the 
``Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act of 2017''; and 
H.R. 4293, the ``Stress Test Improvement Act of 2017''. The Committee 
granted, by voice vote, a closed rule for H.R. 4061. 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 115-64, modified by the 
amendment printed in part A of the Rules Committee report, 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. In section 2, the rule provides for the 
consideration of H.R. 4293 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 115-63, modified by the amendment 
printed in part B of the Rules Committee report, 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 was heard from Chairman Hensarling and Representative Lynch.
NATIONAL LABORATORIES: WORLD-LEADING INNOVATION IN SCIENCE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``National Laboratories: World-Leading Innovation in 
Science''. Testimony was heard from Paul Kearns, Director, Argonne 
National Laboratory; Chi-Chang Kao, Director, Stanford Linear 
Accelerator Center, National Accelerator Laboratory; Mark Peters, 
Director, Idaho National Laboratory; Susan Seestrom, Advanced Science 
and Technology Associate Labs Director and Chief Research Officer, 
Sandia National Laboratory,

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and Mary E. Mixon, Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences, 
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 4743, 
the ``Small Business 7(a) Lending Oversight Reform Act of 2018''; H.R. 
5178, the ``Puerto Rico Small Business Contracting Assistance Act of 
2018''; H.R. 3170, the ``Small Business Development Center Cyber 
Training Act of 2017''; H.R. 4668, the ``Small Business Advanced 
Cybersecurity Enhancements Act of 2017''; H.R. 2655, the ``Small 
Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017''; and H.R. 5236, the ``Main 
Street Employee Ownership Act of 2018''. H.R. 4743, H.R. 4668, and H.R. 
5236 were ordered reported, as amended. H.R. 5178, H.R. 3170, and H.R. 
2655 were ordered reported, without amendment.
REVIEW OF FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE COAST GUARD AND 
MARITIME TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``Review of 
Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request for the Coast Guard and Maritime 
Transportation Programs''. Testimony was heard from Admiral Paul F. 
Zukunft, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard; Master Chief Steven W. Cantrell, 
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard; Rear Admiral Mark H. 
Buzby, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Administrator, Maritime Administration, 
Department of Transportation; and Michael A. Khouri, Acting Chairman, 
Federal Maritime Commission.
POST TAX REFORM EVALUATION OF RECENTLY EXPIRED TAX PROVISIONS
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Tax Policy held a hearing 
entitled ``Post Tax Reform Evaluation of Recently Expired Tax 
Provisions''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS LEGISLATIVE PRESENTATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
concluded a joint hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
to examine the legislative presentation of multiple veterans service 
organizations, after receiving testimony from Verdie Bowen, Alaska 
Office of Veterans Affairs, Anchorage, on behalf of the National 
Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs; William E. Starkey, 
Fleet Reserve Association, Glassboro, New Jersey; Paul D. Warner, 
Jewish War Veterans, Eastchester, New York; Chief Master Sergeant 
Jeffrey Ledoux, USAF (Ret.), Air Force Sergeants Association, Benton, 
Louisiana; Paul L. Mimms, Blinded Veterans Association, Kansas City, 
Missouri; Neil Van Ess, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Totowa, New 
Jersey; Commander Rene A. Campos, USN (Ret.), Military Officers 
Association of America, Alexandria, Virginia; Master Sergeant John 
Adams, USAF (Ret.), The Retired Enlisted Association, Colorado Springs, 
Colorado; and Cyndie Gibson, Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., Cibolo, 
Texas.
BUSINESS MEETING
Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans: 
Committee adopted its rules of procedure for the 115th Congress.