[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 16, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D530-D531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: EPA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Department of the 
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to 
examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 
2019 for the Environmental Protection Agency, after receiving testimony 
from Scott Pruitt, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
APPROPRIATIONS: FBI
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies concluded open and closed hearings to 
examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 
2019 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after receiving testimony 
from Christopher A. Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
Department of Justice.
ROLE OF DHS IN STOPPING FLOW OF DRUGS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Department of Homeland 
Security concluded a hearing to examine the role of the Department of 
Homeland Security in stopping the flow of opioids, methamphetamines, 
and other dangerous drugs, after receiving testimony from Todd Owen, 
Executive Assistant Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, Office 
of Field Operations, Derek Benner, Acting Executive Associate Director, 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, 
and Andre L. Hentz, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Science and 
Technology, Science and Technology Directorate, all of the Department 
of Homeland Security.
RAILROAD SAFETY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing 
and Urban Development, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to 
examine railroad safety initiatives, after receiving testimony from 
Ronald L. Batory, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, 
Department of Transportation; Stephen J. Gardner, Amtrak, Washington, 
D.C.; Arthur Leahy, Southern California Regional Rail Authority 
(Metrolink), Los Angeles, California; and Patricia Quinn, Northern New 
England Passenger Rail Authority, Portland, Maine.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the nominations of Joseph Ryan Gruters, of 
Florida, to

[[Page D531]]

be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors, who was introduced by 
Representative Ronney; Jennifer L. Homendy, of Virginia, to be a Member 
of the National Transportation Safety Board, who was introduced by 
Senator Blumenthal, and Heidi R. King, of California, to be 
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 
Department of Transportation, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Space, Science, and Competiveness concluded a hearing to examine the 
future of the International Space Station; focusing on Administration 
perspectives, after receiving testimony from William H. Gerstenmaier, 
Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, and Paul 
K. Martin, Inspector General, both of the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nominations of Francis R. Fannon, of Virginia, to be an Assistant 
Secretary (Energy Resources), Jonathan R. Cohen, of California, to be 
the Deputy Representative of the United States of America to the United 
Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador, and the Deputy 
Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council 
of the United Nations, and to be Representative of the United States of 
America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, 
during his tenure of service as Deputy Representative of the United 
States of America to the United Nations, and David B. Cornstein, of New 
York, to be Ambassador to Hungary, all of the Department of State, 
Eliot Pedrosa, of Florida, to be United States Alternate Executive 
Director of the Inter-American Development Bank, and Jackie Wolcott, of 
Virginia, to be Representative of the United States of America to the 
International Atomic Energy Agency, with the rank of Ambassador, and to 
be Representative of the United States of America to the Vienna Office 
of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador.
AUTHORIZATION OF THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine S.J. Res. 59, to authorize the use of military force against 
the Taliban, al Qaeda, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and 
designated associated forces, and to provide an updated, transparent, 
and sustainable statutory basis for counterterrorism operations, after 
receiving testimony from John B. Bellinger III, Council on Foreign 
Relations, and Rita M. Siemion, Human Rights First, both of Washington, 
D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
following business items:
  S. 1400, to amend title 18, United States Code, to enhance 
protections of Native American tangible cultural heritage; and
  S. 2804, to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural 
and other programs of the Department of Agriculture for Indian Country.
SAFETY AND SECURITY AT BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION SCHOOLS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing 
to examine safety and security at Bureau of Indian Education schools, 
after receiving testimony from Tony Dearman, Director, Bureau of Indian 
Education, Department of the Interior; Cecelia Firethunder, Oglala 
Lakota Nation Education Coalition, Pine Ridge, South Dakota; and Gary 
J. Lujan, Santa Fe Indian School, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
Cambridge Analytica and the future of data privacy, after receiving 
testimony from Eitan Hersh, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts; 
Mark A. Jamison, American Enterprise Institute, Gainesville, Florida; 
and Christopher Wylie, London, United Kingdom.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nomination of Gina Haspel, of Kentucky, to be Director of the 
Central Intelligence Agency.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on 
intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the 
intelligence community.
  Committee recessed subject to the call.