[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 20, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D315-D318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the Department 
of Commerce.

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Testimony was heard from Wilbur Ross, Secretary, Department of 
Commerce.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on 
the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Testimony was heard 
from Ben Carson, Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the 
Department of Education. Testimony was heard from Betsy DeVos, 
Secretary, Department of Education.
APPROPRIATIONS--NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the National 
Nuclear Security Administration. Testimony was heard from the following 
Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security officials: Lisa Gordon-
Hagerty, Administrator, and Under Secretary for National Security; Phil 
Calbos, Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs; 
Dave Huizenga, Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense 
Nuclear Nonproliferation; and Adm. James Caldwell, Deputy Administrator 
for Naval Reactors.
ASSESSING THE FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET REQUEST AND ACQUISITION REFORM 
PROGRESS
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Assessing the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request and Acquisition Reform 
Progress''. Testimony was heard from Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the 
Army; Richard V. Spencer, Secretary of the Navy; and Heather Wilson, 
Secretary of the Air Force.
SUBMARINE INDUSTRIAL BASE: OPTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection 
Forces held a hearing entitled ``Submarine Industrial Base: Options for 
Construction''. Testimony was heard from James F. Geurts, Assistant 
Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, 
Department of the Navy, Headquarters, U.S. Navy; Rear Admiral Upper 
Half Michael E. Jabaley, Program Executive Officer for Submarines, 
Department of the Navy; and Rear Admiral Upper Half John W. Tammen, 
Jr., Director, Undersea Warfare Division (OPNAV 97), Department of the 
Navy.
NAVY READINESS POSTURE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
entitled ``Navy Readiness Posture''. Testimony was heard from the 
following U.S. Navy Headquarters officials: Vice Admiral William K. 
Lescher, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Integration of Capabilities 
and Resources (N8); Vice Admiral Andrew L. Lewis, Deputy Chief of Naval 
Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5); and Vice Admiral 
Luke M. McCollum, Chief of Navy Reserve, Commander, Navy Reserve Force.
EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE OPTIONS: EXAMINING THE DEPARTMENT OF 
LABOR'S PROPOSED RULE ON ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS
Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``Expanding 
Affordable Health Care Options: Examining the Department of Labor's 
Proposed Rule on Association Health Plans''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
FISCAL YEAR 2019 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy; and 
Subcommittee on Environment held a joint hearing entitled ``Fiscal Year 
2019 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Budget''. Testimony was heard from 
the following Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials: Jeff Baran, 
Commissioner; Stephen Burns, Commissioner; and Kristine Svinicki, 
Chairman.
THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION'S ROLE IN COMBATING THE OPIOID 
EPIDEMIC
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Drug Enforcement 
Administration's Role in Combating the Opioid Epidemic''. Testimony was 
heard from Robert W. Patterson, Acting Administrator, Drug Enforcement 
Administration.
EXPLORING THE FINANCIAL NEXUS OF TERRORISM, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND 
ORGANIZED CRIME
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit 
Finance held a hearing entitled ``Exploring the Financial Nexus of 
Terrorism, Drug Trafficking, and Organized Crime''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.

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CDM: GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVES ON SECURITY AND MODERNIZATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Protection; and the Subcommittee on Information 
Technology of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a 
joint hearing entitled ``CDM: Government Perspectives on Security and 
Modernization''. Testimony was heard from Max Everett, Chief 
Information Officer, Department of Energy; Scott Blackburn, Executive 
in Charge, Office of Information and Technology, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; David Garcia, Chief Information Officer, Office of Personnel 
Management; and Kevin Cox, Program Manager, Continuous Diagnostics and 
Mitigation, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, National 
Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security.
PREVENTABLE VIOLENCE IN AMERICA: AN EXAMINATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT 
INFORMATION SHARING AND MISGUIDED PUBLIC POLICY
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland 
Security, and Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Preventable 
Violence in America: An Examination of Law Enforcement Information 
Sharing and Misguided Public Policy''. Testimony was heard from David 
Bowdich, Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Timothy 
Carter, Sherriff, Shenandoah County, Virginia; and public witnesses.
ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM FOR COVERED 
BUSINESS METHOD PATENTS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Assessing the 
Effectiveness of the Transitional Program for Covered Business Method 
Patents''. Testimony was heard from John Neumann, Director, Natural 
Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office; and public 
witnesses.
POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION'S FY 2019 BUDGET FOR INDIAN 
AFFAIRS AND INSULAR AREAS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and 
Alaska Native Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Policy Priorities for 
the Administration's FY 2019 Budget for Indian Affairs and Insular 
Areas''. Testimony was heard from Doug Domenech, Assistant Secretary, 
Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior; John Tahsuda, Acting 
Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; and 
RADM Michael D. Weahkee, Acting Director, Indian Health Service, 
Department of Health and Human Services.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a 
hearing on H.R. 5210, to establish the National Park Restoration Fund, 
and for other purposes; and H.R. 2584, the ``National Park Service 
Legacy Act of 2017''. Testimony was heard from Representatives Simpson 
and Hurd; P. Daniel Smith, Deputy Director, National Parks Service, 
Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: ADVANCING APPRENTICESHIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce 
held a hearing entitled ``Workforce Development: Advancing 
Apprenticeships for Small Business''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
IMPACTS OF THE 2017 WILDFIRES IN THE UNITED STATES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a 
hearing entitled ``Impacts of the 2017 Wildfires in the United 
States''. Testimony was heard from Robert J. Fenton, Jr., Regional 
Administrator, Region IX, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Mark 
Ghilarducci, Director, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, 
California; Susan Gorin, Supervisor, First District, Sonoma County, 
California; Eric Holly, Deputy Fire Warden, Deputy Director of 
Emergency Services, Stanislaus County, California; and a public 
witness.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Disability Assistance 
and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 888, to amend title 38, 
United States Code, to improve dependency and indemnity compensation 
for survivors of certain totally disabled veterans; H.R. 4335, the 
``Servicemember Family Burial Act''; H.R. 4910, the ``Veterans Cemetery 
Benefit Correction Act''; and H.R. 4958, the ``Veterans' Compensation 
Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2018''. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Bost, Correa, and Austin Scott of Georgia; Cheryl 
Rawls, Director, Pension and Fiduciary Service, Veterans Benefits 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on H.R. 1206, the ``Reducing Barriers for Veterans 
Education Act of 2017''; H.R. 3023, to amend title 38, United

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States Code, to eliminate the authority of the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to pay reporting fees to educational institutions; H.R. 3940, 
the ``Veterans Education Disaster Assistance Act''; H.R. 4451, the 
``Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act of 
2017''; H.R. 4830, the ``SIT-REP Act''; H.R. 4835, the ``Job TOOLS for 
Veterans Act''; H.R. 5044, the ``Service-Disabled Veterans Small 
Business Continuation Act''; legislation on the VA Home Loan 
Improvement Act of 2018; and legislation to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to establish the Veterans Economic Opportunity and 
Transition Administration, and for other purposes. Testimony was heard 
from Representatives Bilirakis, Wenstrup, Poe of Texas, Messer, and 
Russell; MG Robert M. Worley II, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), Director, 
Education Service, Veterans Benefit Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.