[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 130 (Wednesday, August 1, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D900-D902]
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 Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 3277, to reduce regulatory burdens and streamline processes 
related to commercial space activities, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute;
  S. 2242, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to 
clarify the authority of the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration with respect to post-storm assessments, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2861, to prosecute, as a Federal crime, the assault or 
intimidation of a passenger train crew member to the same extent as 
such actions against aircraft crew members are prosecuted, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3119, to allow for the taking of sea lions on the Columbia River 
and its tributaries to protect endangered and threatened species of 
salmon and other nonlisted fish species, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;

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  S. 3143, to provide for a coordinated Federal program to accelerate 
quantum research and development for the economic and national security 
of the United States, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 3265, to require the Secretary of Commerce to undertake certain 
activities to support waterfront community revitalization and 
resiliency;
  S. 3273, to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the 
movement of goods through ports and intermodal connections to ports, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  The nomination Martin J. Oberman, of Illinois, to be a Member of the 
Surface Transportation Board.
THE SEARCH FOR LIFE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on 
Space, Science, and Competiveness concluded a hearing to examine the 
search for life, focusing on utilizing science to explore our solar 
system and make new discoveries, after receiving testimony from Ellen 
R. Stofan, John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian National Air 
and Space Museum; Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the 
Science Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration; Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 
Cambridge; and David Spergel, Princeton University, Princeton, New 
Jersey.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  H.R. 5772, to designate the J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and 
Courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, as the ``J. Marvin Jones Federal 
Building and Mary Lou Robinson United States Courthouse'';
  S. 3021, to designate the United States courthouse located at 300 
South Fourth Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the ``Diana E. Murphy 
United States Courthouse'';
  6 General Services Resolutions; and
  The nominations of William Charles McIntosh, of Michigan, to be an 
Assistant Administrator, and Peter C. Wright, of Michigan, to be 
Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste, both of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, Mary Bridget Neumayr, of Virginia, to 
be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality, and John Fleming, 
of Louisiana, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic 
Development.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AGENDA
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine the Environmental Protection Agency's agenda, 
focusing on protecting the environment and allowing America's economy 
to grow, after receiving testimony from Andrew Wheeler, Acting 
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nominations of Justin George Muzinich, of New York, to be Deputy 
Secretary, and Michael J. Desmond, of California, to be Chief Counsel 
for the Internal Revenue Service and an Assistant General Counsel, both 
of the Department of the Treasury.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of R. Clarke Cooper, of Florida, to be an 
Assistant Secretary (Political-Military Affairs), and John Cotton 
Richmond, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office to Monitor and 
Combat Trafficking, with the rank of Ambassador at Large, both of the 
Department of State, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Richard J. Sullivan, of New York, to be United 
States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit, Diane Gujarati, Eric Ross 
Komitee, and Rachel P. Kovner, each to be a United States District 
Judge for the Eastern District of New York, John L. Sinatra, Jr., to be 
United States District Judge for the Western District of New York, and 
Lewis J. Liman, and Mary Kay Vyskocil, both to be a United States 
District Judge for the Southern District of New York, after the 
nominees, who were introduced by Senator Gillibrand, testified and 
answered questions in their own behalf.
VETERANS AFFAIRS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine S. 3184, to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the 
requirements for applications for construction of State home facilities 
to increase the maximum percentage of nonveterans allowed to be treated 
at such facilities, S. 1596, to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
increase certain funeral benefits for veterans, S. 2881, to direct the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with 
the city of Vallejo, California, for the transfer of Mare Island Naval 
Cemetery in Vallejo, California, S. 1952, to improve oversight and 
accountability of the financial processes of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, S. 1990, to amend

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title 38, United States Code, to increase the amounts payable by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for dependency and indemnity 
compensation, to modify the requirements for dependency and indemnity 
compensation for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled 
at the time of death, S. 2485, to amend title 38, United States Code, 
to provide payment of Medal of Honor special pension under such title 
to the surviving spouse of a deceased Medal of Honor recipient, S. 
2748, to amend title 10, United States Code, to require members of the 
Armed Forces to receive additional training under the Transition 
Assistance Program, S. 514, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to carry out a pilot program to provide access to magnetic EEG/EKG-
guided resonance therapy to veterans, H.R. 299, to amend title 38, 
United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of 
certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, 
H.R. 5418, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out the 
Medical Surgical Prime Vendor program using multiple prime vendors, an 
original bill entitled, ``Veterans Dental Care Eligibility Expansion 
and Enhancement Act of 2018'', an original bill entitled, ``VA Hiring 
Enhancement Act'', an original bill to require the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to establish a program to award grants to persons to 
provide and coordinate the provision of suicide prevention services for 
veterans transitioning from service in the Armed Forces who are at risk 
of suicide and for their families, and an original bill entitled, 
``Modernization of Medical Records Access for Veterans Act'', after 
receiving testimony from Paul R. Lawrence, Under Secretary for 
Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs; Chanin Nuntavong, The 
American Legion, Pacifica, California; Gerald T. Manar, Veterans of 
Foreign Wars of the United States, Warrenton, Virginia; Thomas J. Snee, 
Fleet Reserve Association, Burke, Virginia; and Rick Weidman, Vietnam 
Veterans of America, Silver Spring, Maryland.
FOREIGN INFLUENCE OPERATIONS
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine foreign influence operations and their use of social media 
platforms, after receiving testimony from Todd C. Helmus, Rand 
Corporation, and Laura Rosenberger, Alliance for Securing Democracy, 
both of Washington, D.C.; Renee DiResta, New Knowledge, San Francisco, 
Calfiornia; John W. Kelly, Graphika, New York, New York; and Philip N. 
Howard, Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford, United Kingdom.