[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 77 (Thursday, May 9, 2019)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D513-D515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
REVIEWING THE STATE OF THE FARM ECONOMY
Committee on Agriculture: Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and 
Risk Management held a hearing entitled ``Reviewing the State of the 
Farm Economy''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the 
Legislative Branch Appropriation Bill, FY 2020; and the Military 
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Bill, FY 2020. The Legislative Branch Appropriation Bill, FY 2020, and 
the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Bill, FY 2020 were ordered reported, as amended.
FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET REQUEST FOR MILITARY READINESS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing 
entitled ``Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Request for Military Readiness''. 
Testimony was heard from Admiral Bill Moran, Vice Chief of Naval 
Operations, U.S. Navy; General Stephen W. Wilson, Vice Chief of Staff 
of the Air Force, U.S. Air Force; General James C. McConville, Vice 
Chief of Staff of the Army, U.S. Army; and General Gary L. Thomas, 
Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, U.S. Marine Corps.
THE COST OF NON-COMPLETION: IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES IN HIGHER 
EDUCATION
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Higher Education and 
Workforce Investment held a hearing entitled ``The Cost of Non-
Completion: Improving Student Outcomes in Higher Education''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES: DECONSTRUCTING THE DRUG SUPPLY CHAIN
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Lowering Prescription Drug Prices: Deconstructing the Drug 
Supply Chain''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 DOE BUDGET
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing 
entitled ``The Fiscal Year 2020 DOE Budget''. Testimony was heard from 
Rick Perry, Secretary, Department of Energy.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee concluded markup on 
H.R. 1988, the ``Protect Affordable Mortgages for Veterans Act of 
2019''; H.R. 2409, the ``Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job 
Creators Act''; H.R. 2514, the ``Coordinating Oversight, Upgrading and 
Innovating Technology, and Examiner Reform Act of 2019''; H.R. 2515, to 
amend the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 to amend the definition 
of whistleblower; H.R. 2534, the ``Insider Trading Prohibition Act of 
2019''; legislation on the Task Force on Financial Technology 
Resolution of 2019; and legislation on the Task Force on Artificial 
Intelligence Resolution of 2019. H.R. 2409, legislation on the Task 
Force on Financial Technology Resolution of 2019, and legislation on 
the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Resolution of 2019 were 
ordered reported, without amendment. H.R. 1988, H.R. 2534, H.R. 2515, 
and H.R. 2514 were ordered reported, as amended.
DOLLAR DIPLOMACY OR DEBT TRAP? EXAMINING CHINA'S ROLE IN THE WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, 
Civilian Security, and Trade held a hearing entitled ``Dollar Diplomacy 
or Debt Trap? Examining China's Role in the Western Hemisphere''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D514]]


CHINA'S EXPANDING INFLUENCE IN EUROPE AND EURASIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, 
and the Environment held a hearing entitled ``China's Expanding 
Influence in Europe and Eurasia''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
CHINESE AND RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East, North 
Africa, and International Terrorism held a hearing entitled ``Chinese 
and Russian Influence in the Middle East''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
FEMA CONTRACTING: REVIEWING LESSONS LEARNED FROM PAST DISASTERS TO 
IMPROVE PREPAREDNESS
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, 
Response, and Recovery; and Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and 
Accountability held a joint hearing entitled ``FEMA Contracting: 
Reviewing Lessons Learned from Past Disasters to Improve 
Preparedness''. Testimony was heard from Brian Kamoie, Associate 
Administrator for Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management Agency; 
Marie Mak, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, 
Government Accountability Office; and Katherine Trimble, Deputy 
Assistant Inspector General for Audits, Office of Inspector General, 
Department of Homeland Security.
A REVIEW OF THE FY 2020 BUDGET REQUEST FOR U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER 
PROTECTION, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT, AND U.S. 
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border Security, 
Facilitation, and Operations held a hearing entitled ``A Review of the 
FY 2020 Budget Request for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services''. Testimony was heard from Robert E. Perez, 
Deputy Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Matthew T. 
Albence, Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and 
Tracy Renaud, Acting Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Services.
OVERSIGHT OF THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the 
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office''. Testimony was heard from Andrei 
Ianci, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and 
Director, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
THE LONG OVERDUE NEED TO REFORM THE MINING LAW OF 1872
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``The Long Overdue Need to Reform the 
Mining Law of 1872''. Testimony was heard from Gwen Lachelt, County 
Commissioner, La Plata County, Colorado; and public witnesses.
WILDFIRE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing entitled ``Wildfire Resilient 
Communities''. Testimony was heard from Patti Hirami, Acting Deputy 
Chief for State and Private Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Department 
of Agriculture; Brian Veerkamp, District 3 Supervisor, El Dorado 
County, California; and public witnesses.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE TO THE DRUG CRISIS, PART II
Committee on Oversight and Reform: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``The Trump Administration's Response to the Drug Crisis, Part 
II''. Testimony was heard from James W. Carroll, Jr., Director, Office 
of National Drug Control Policy; Triana McNeil, Acting Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office; Karyl 
Thomas Rattay, M.D., Director and State Health Official, Delaware 
Division of Public Health; and Wayne Ivey, Sheriff, Brevard County, 
Florida.
ACHIEVING THE PROMISE OF A DIVERSE STEM WORKFORCE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Achieving the Promise of a Diverse STEM Workforce''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM: NEW PATHS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce 
Development held a hearing entitled ``The Digital Ecosystem: New Paths 
to Entrepreneurship''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

[[Page D515]]


EXAMINING ONGOING FOREVER GI BILL IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity; 
and Subcommittee on Technology and Modernization held a joint hearing 
entitled ``Examining Ongoing Forever GI Bill Implementation Efforts''. 
Testimony was heard from Paul R. Lawrence, Under Secretary for 
Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs; Michael J. Missal, Inspector 
General, Department of Veterans Affairs; and a public witness.
UNDERSTANDING THE TAX GAP AND TAXPAYER NONCOMPLIANCE
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Understanding the Tax Gap and Taxpayer Noncompliance''. Testimony was 
heard from J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax 
Administration, Department of the Treasury; James R. McTigue, Director, 
Tax Issues, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office; 
Benjamin Herndon, Chief Research and Analytics Officer, Internal 
Revenue Service; and a public witness.
FISCAL YEAR 2020 DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY AND MILITARY SERVICES 
BUDGET REQUEST HEARING
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Subcommittee on Defense 
Intelligence and Warfighter Support held a hearing entitled ``Fiscal 
Year 2020 Defense Intelligence Agency and Military Services Budget 
Request Hearing''. Testimony was heard from Joseph Kernan, 
Undersecretary of Defense (Intelligence), Department of Defense; 
Lieutenant General Robert Ashley, Director, Defense Intelligence 
Agency; Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, Deputy Chief of Staff for 
Intelligence, U.S. Army; Lieutenant General Lori Reynolds, Deputy 
Commandant for Information, U.S. Marine Corps; Vice Admiral Matthew 
Kohler, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, U.S. 
Navy; Brigadier General Michelle Schmidt, Director of Intelligence, 
U.S. Special Operations Command; and Mr. Kenneth Bray, Assistant Deputy 
Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance 
Effects Operations, U.S. Air Force. This hearing was closed.

Joint Meetings
HUNGARY AND RUSSIA
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission received a 
closed briefing on issues related to Hungary and Russia from 
Christopher Robinson, and Matthew G. Boyse, both a Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.
UKRAINE
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission received a 
briefing on the state of institutional resilience and political context 
for the election of Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Ukraine's next president 
from Michael Carpenter, Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global 
Engagement, and Natalie Sedletska, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 
Ukrainian Service.