[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 11, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D369-D371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Appropriations: Committee announced the following 
subcommittee assignments:
  Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies: Senators Hoeven (Chair), 
McConnell, Collins, Blunt, Moran, Rubio, Hyde-Smith, Merkley, 
Feinstein, Tester, Udall, Leahy, and Baldwin.
  Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: 
Senators Moran (Chair), Alexander, Murkowski, Collins, Graham, Boozman, 
Capito, Lankford, Kennedy, Shaheen, Leahy, Feinstein, Reed, Coons, 
Schatz, Manchin, and Van Hollen.
  Subcommittee on Department of Defense: Senators Shelby (Chair), 
McConnell, Alexander, Collins, Murkowski, Graham, Blunt, Daines, Moran, 
Hoeven, Durbin, Leahy, Feinstein, Murray, Reed, Tester, Udall, Schatz, 
and Baldwin.
  Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development: Senators Alexander 
(Chair), McConnell, Shelby, Collins, Murkowski, Graham, Hoeven, 
Kennedy, Lankford, Feinstein, Murray, Tester, Durbin, Udall, Shaheen, 
Merkley, and Coons.
  Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government: Senators 
Lankford (Chair), Moran, Boozman, Daines, Kennedy, Coons, Durbin, 
Manchin, and Van Hollen.
  Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security: Senators Capito 
(Chair), Shelby, Murkowski, Boozman, Hoeven, Lankford, Kennedy, Tester, 
Shaheen, Leahy, Murray, Baldwin, and Manchin.
  Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related 
Agencies: Senators Murkowski (Chair), Alexander, Blunt, McConnell, 
Daines, Capito, Rubio, Hyde-Smith, Udall, Feinstein, Leahy, Reed, 
Tester, Merkley, and Van Hollen.
  Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education, and Related Agencies: Senators Blunt (Chair), Shelby, 
Alexander, Graham, Moran, Capito, Lankford, Kennedy, Rubio, Hyde-Smith, 
Murray, Durbin, Reed, Shaheen, Merkley, Schatz, Baldwin, Murphy, and 
Manchin.
  Subcommittee on Legislative Branch: Senators Daines (Chair), Hyde-
Smith, Shelby, Murphy, and Van Hollen.
  Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and 
Related Agencies: Senators Boozman (Chair), McConnell, Murkowski, 
Hoeven, Collins, Capito, Moran, Rubio, Schatz, Tester, Murray, Reed, 
Udall, Baldwin, and Murphy.
  Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: 
Senators Graham (Chair), McConnell, Blunt, Boozman, Lankford, Daines, 
Rubio, Hyde-Smith, Leahy, Durbin, Shaheen, Coons, Merkley, Murphy, and 
Van Hollen.
  Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and 
Related Agencies: Senators Collins (Chair), Shelby, Alexander, Blunt, 
Boozman, Capito, Daines, Graham, Hoeven, Reed, Murray, Durbin, 
Feinstein, Coons, Schatz, Murphy, and Manchin.
  Senators Shelby and Leahy are ex officio members of each 
subcommittee.
APPROPRIATIONS: MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Department of Defense 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and 
justification for fiscal year 2019 for the Missile Defense Agency, 
after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Samuel A. Greaves, 
USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and 
justification for fiscal year 2019 for the Department of Agriculture, 
after receiving testimony from Sonny Perdue, Secretary, Robert 
Johansson, Chief Economist, and Diem-Linh Jones, Acting Budget Officer, 
all of the Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates 
and justification for fiscal year 2019 for the Department of Energy, 
including the National Nuclear Security Administration, after receiving 
testimony from Rick Perry, Secretary, Lisa E. Gordon-Hagerty, 
Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration, and Paul M. 
Dabbar, Under Secretary for Science, all of the Department of Energy.
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and

[[Page D370]]

Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget 
estimates and justification for fiscal year 2019 for the Department of 
Transportation, after receiving testimony from Elaine L. Chao, 
Secretary of Transportation.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and 
Capabilities concluded open and closed hearings to examine Special 
Operations Command's efforts to transform the force for future security 
challenges, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Scott A. 
Howell, USAF, Vice Commander, Special Operations Command, Lieutenant 
General Kenneth E. Tovo, USA, Commanding General, Army Special 
Operations Command, Lieutenant General Marshall B. Webb, USAF, 
Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Rear Admiral Timothy 
G. Szymanski, USN, Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, and Major 
General Carl E. Mundy III, USMC, Commander, Marine Corps Forces Special 
Operations Command, all of the Department of Defense.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management 
Support concluded a hearing to examine the health of the Department of 
Defense industrial base and its role in providing readiness to the 
warfighter, after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Edward M. 
Daly, USA, Deputy Commanding General, Army Materiel Command, Vice 
Admiral Paul A. Grosklags, USN, Commander, Naval Air Systems Command, 
Vice Admiral Thomas J. Moore, USN, Commander, Naval Sea Systems 
Command, Lieutenant General Lee K. Levy II, USAF, Commander, Air Force 
Sustainment Center, Air Force Materiel Command, and Major General Craig 
C. Crenshaw, USMC, Commanding General, Marine Corps Logistics Command, 
all of the Department of Defense.
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUEST AND FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces concluded 
a hearing to examine United States nuclear weapons policy, programs, 
and strategy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal 
year 2019 and the Future Years Defense Program, after receiving 
testimony from Guy B. Roberts, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear, 
Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs, Robert M. Soofer, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy, General 
Robin Rand, USAF, Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, and Vice 
Admiral Terry J. Benedict, USN, Director, Strategic Systems Programs, 
all of the Department of Defense.
CBO BUDGET AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
Congressional Budget Office's budget and economic outlook, focusing on 
fiscal years 2018-2028, after receiving testimony from Keith Hall, 
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the nominations of Patrick Fuchs, of Wisconsin, 
and Michelle A. Schultz, of Pennsylvania, both to be a Member of the 
Surface Transportation Board, Department of Transportation, and Rebecca 
Kelly Slaughter, of Maryland, to be a Federal Trade Commissioner, who 
was introduced by Senator Schumer, after the nominees testified and 
answered questions in their own behalf.
UTILIZING SIGNIFICANT EMISSIONS WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ACT
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine S. 2602, to support carbon dioxide utilization and 
direct air capture research, to facilitate the permitting and 
development of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration projects 
and carbon dioxide pipelines, after receiving testimony from Senator 
Heitkamp; Mark Northam, University of Wyoming School of Energy 
Resources, Laramie; S. Julio Friedmann, CarbonWrangler LLC, Livermore, 
California; Noah Deich, Center for Carbon Removal, Oakland, California; 
and Feng Jiao, University of Delaware Center for Catalytic Science and 
Technology, Newark.
MARKET ACCESS CHALLENGES IN CHINA
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and 
Global Competitiveness concluded a hearing to examine market access 
challenges in China, after receiving testimony from Dean Garfield, 
Information Technology Industry Council, Christine Bliss, Coalition of 
Services Industries, Linda Menghetti Dempsey, National Association of 
Manufacturers, and Thea Mei Lee, Economic Policy Institute, all of 
Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Kirsten Dawn Madison, of Florida, to be an 
Assistant Secretary (International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 
Affairs), and Thomas J. Hushek, of Wisconsin, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of South Sudan, both of

[[Page D371]]

the Department of State, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
FEMA PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
focusing on prioritizing a culture of preparedness, after receiving 
testimony from William B. Long, Administrator, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
OPIOID CRISIS RESPONSE ACT
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine an original bill entitled, ``The Opioid 
Crisis Response Act of 2018'', after receiving testimony from Jennifer 
Donahue, Delaware Office of the Child Advocate, Georgetown; and Robert 
Morrison, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse 
Directors, and Jessica Hulsey Nickel, Addiction Policy Forum, both of 
Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 1250, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to improve 
the recruitment and retention of employees in the Indian Health 
Service, restore accountability in the Indian Health Service, improve 
health services, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  S. 2515, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act to provide further self-governance by Indian Tribes.
INDIAN PROGRAMS BUDGET
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing 
to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2019 
for Indian Programs, after receiving testimony from John Tahsuda, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian 
Affairs; Rear Admiral Michael D. Weahkee, Acting Director, Indian 
Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services; Aaron Payment, 
National Congress of American Indians, Washington, D.C.; and Robert 
McGhee, United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund, 
Nashville, Tennessee.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Mark Jeremy Bennett, of Hawaii, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, who was introduced by Senator 
Schatz, Nancy E. Brasel, and Eric C. Tostrud, both to be a United 
States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, who were 
introduced by Senator Smith, and Robert R. Summerhays, to be United 
States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, and Wendy 
Vitter, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of 
Louisiana, who were introduced by Senator Cassidy, after the nominees 
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
DEFEATING FENTANYL
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism 
concluded a hearing to examine defeating fentanyl, focusing on 
addressing the deadliest drugs fueling the opioid crisis, including S. 
2635, to amend the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled 
Substances Import and Export Act to modify the offenses relating to 
fentanyl, S. 2481, to increase the penalties for fentanyl trafficking, 
S. 2456, to reauthorize and expand the Comprehensive Addiction and 
Recovery Act of 2016, and S. 207, to amend the Controlled Substances 
Act relating to controlled substance analogues, after receiving 
testimony from Christina E. Nolan, United States Attorney for the 
District of Vermont, Department of Justice; Kemp Chester, National 
Heroin Coordination Group, Office of National Drug Control Policy; 
Kenneth C. Miller, Greenville Police Department, Greenville, South 
Carolina; Josiah D. Rich, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode 
Island; and Brian J. Browne, University of Maryland School of Medicine 
Department of Emergency Medicine, Baltimore.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Paul R. Lawrence, of Virginia, to be Under 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits, and Joseph L. Falvey, Jr., 
of Michigan, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for 
Veterans Claims, after the nominees testified and answered questions in 
their own behalf.