[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 22, 2019)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D582-D585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
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 
2020 for the Department of the Interior, after receiving testimony from 
David Bernhardt, Secretary of the Interior.
APPROPRIATIONS: MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Department of Defense 
concluded a closed hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and 
justification for fiscal year 2020 for the Missile Defense Agency, 
after receiving testimony from Lieutenant General Samuel A. Greaves, 
Director, Missile Defense Agency, Department of Defense.
AUTHORIZATION: DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Committee ordered favorably reported an 
original bill entitled, ``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2020''.
PFAS RISKS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine legislation to address the risks associated with 
per- and

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polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), after receiving testimony from Lisa 
Daniels, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of 
Safe Drinking Water, Harrisburg, on behalf of the Association of State 
Drinking Water Administrators; and Kimberly W. White, American 
Chemistry Council, Scott Faber, Environmental Working Group, and G. 
Tracy Mehan, III, American Water Works Association, all of Washington, 
D.C.
RECONCILIATION PROCESS IN AFGHANISTAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a closed hearing to 
examine the reconciliation process in Afghanistan, after receiving 
testimony from Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan 
Reconciliation, Department of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  S. 178, to condemn gross human rights violations of ethnic Turkic 
Muslims in Xinjiang, and calling for an end to arbitrary detention, 
torture, and harassment of these communities inside and outside China, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 249, to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to 
regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1025, to provide humanitarian relief to the Venezuelan people and 
Venezuelan migrants, to advance a constitutional and democratic 
solution to Venezuela's political crisis, to address Venezuela's 
economic reconstruction, to combat public corruption, narcotics 
trafficking, and money laundering, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 1340, to authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  H.R. 31, to require certain additional actions in connection with the 
national emergency with respect to Syria, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. Res. 74, marking the fifth anniversary of Ukraine's Revolution of 
Dignity by honoring the bravery, determination, and sacrifice of the 
people of Ukraine during and since the Revolution, and condemning 
continued Russian aggression against Ukraine, with an amendment;
  S. Res. 81, calling for accountability and justice for the 
assassination of Boris Nemtsov, with amendments;
  S. Res. 135, expressing the gratitude and appreciation of the Senate 
for the acts of heroism and valor by the members of the United States 
Armed Forces who participated in the June 6, 1944, amphibious landing 
at Normandy, France, and commending those individuals for leadership 
and bravery in an operation that helped bring an end to World War II, 
with an amendment;
  S. Res. 184, condemning the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri 
Lanka, offering sincere condolences to the victims, to their families 
and friends, and to the people and nation of Sri Lanka, and expressing 
solidarity and support for Sri Lanka, with amendments;
  S. Res. 188, encouraging a swift transfer of power by the military to 
a civilian-led political authority in the Republic of the Sudan, with 
amendments; and
  The nominations of Jeffrey L. Eberhardt, of Wisconsin, to be Special 
Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with the 
rank of Ambassador, Bridget A. Brink, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to 
the Slovak Republic, Kenneth A. Howery, of Texas, to be Ambassador to 
the Kingdom of Sweden, Matthew S. Klimow, of New York, to be Ambassador 
to Turkmenistan, and John Jefferson Daigle, of Louisiana, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Cabo Verde, all of Department of State, 
and routine lists in the Foreign Service.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Daniel Aaron Bress, of California, to be United 
States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, Michael S. Bogren, to be 
United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan, who 
was introduced by Senator Peters, Stephanie Dawkins Davis, to be United 
States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan, Jason K. 
Pulliam, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of 
Texas, Frank William Volk, to be United States District Judge for the 
Southern District of West Virginia, who was introduced by Senators 
Manchin and Capito, and David Austin Tapp, of Kentucky, to be a Judge 
of the United States Court of Federal Claims, who was introduced by 
Senator McConnell, after the nominees testified and answered questions 
in their own behalf.
SBA OFFICE OF ADVOCACY REAUTHORIZATION
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a 
joint hearing with the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management to 
examine reauthorization of the Small Business Administration Office of 
Advocacy, including S. 78, to ensure a complete analysis of the 
potential impacts of rules on small entities, S. 83, to amend section 
203 of Public Law 94-305 to ensure

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proper authority for the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration, S. 1120, to amend chapter 6 of title 5, United States 
Code (commonly known as the ``Regulatory Flexibility Act''), to ensure 
complete analysis of potential impacts on small entities of rules, S. 
1339, to require greater transparency for Federal regulatory decisions 
that impact small businesses, S. 1420, to amend title 5, United States 
Code, to improve the effectiveness of major rules in accomplishing 
their regulatory objectives by promoting retrospective review, S. 1419, 
to require agencies to publish an advance notice of proposed rule 
making for major rules, S. 1409, to enhance the ability of the Office 
of the National Ombudsman to assist small businesses in meeting 
regulatory requirements and develop outreach initiatives to promote 
awareness of the services the Office of the National Ombudsman 
provides, after receiving testimony from Major L. Clark, III, Acting 
Chief Counsel, Office of Advocacy, Small Business Administration; 
Winslow Sargeant, International Council for Small Business, Great 
Falls, Virginia; John Arensmeyer, Small Business Majority, Washington 
D.C.; Jeanette Hernandez Prenger, ECCO Select, Kansas City, Missouri, 
on behalf of Women Impacting Public Policy; and Rick Baumann, Murrells 
Inlet Seafood, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
VETERANS' AFFAIRS LEGISLATION
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine S. 123, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter 
into a contract or other agreement with a third party to review 
appointees in the Veterans Health Administration who had a license 
terminated for cause by a State licensing board for care or services 
rendered at a non-Veterans Health Administration facility and to 
provide individuals treated by such an appointee with notice if it is 
determined that an episode of care or services to which they received 
was below the standard of care, S. 221, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to require the Under Secretary of Health to report major 
adverse personnel actions involving certain health care employees to 
the National Practitioner Data Bank and to applicable State licensing 
boards, S. 318, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
furnish medically necessary transportation for newborn children of 
certain women veterans, S. 450, to require the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to carry out a pilot program to expedite the onboarding process 
for new medical providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, to 
reduce the duration of the hiring process for such medical providers, 
S. 514, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the benefits 
and services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to women 
veterans, S. 524, to establish the Department of Veterans Affairs 
Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs, S. 711, to amend title 
38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for mental health 
services from the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of 
the reserve components of the Armed Forces, S. 746, to require the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the accessibility 
of websites of the Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals with 
disabilities, S. 785, to improve mental health care provided by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, S. 805, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to improve the processing of veterans benefits by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, to limit the authority of the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs to recover overpayments made by the Department and 
other amounts owed by veterans to the United States, to improve the due 
process accorded veterans with respect to such recovery, S. 850, to 
extend the authorization of appropriations to the Department of 
Veterans Affairs for purposes of awarding grants to veterans service 
organizations for the transportation of highly rural veterans, S. 857, 
to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount of 
special pension for Medal of Honor recipients, S. 980, to amend title 
38, United States Code, to improve the provision of services for 
homeless veterans, S. 1101, to ensure that only licensed health care 
providers furnish disability examinations under a certain Department of 
Veterans Affairs pilot program for use of contract physicians for 
disability examinations, S. 1154, to amend title 38, United States 
Code, to establish an advisory committee on the implementation by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs of an electronic health record, an 
original bill entitled, ``Janey Ensminger Act of 2019'', and an 
original bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the 
authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to continue to pay 
educational assistance or subsistence allowances to eligible persons 
when educational institutions are temporarily closed, after receiving 
testimony from Teresa Boyd, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for 
Health, and David Carroll, Executive Director, Mental Health and 
Suicide Prevention, both of the Veterans Health Administration, and 
Beth Murphy, Executive Director, Compensation Service, Veterans 
Benefits Administration, all of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
Melissa Bryant, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Michael C. 
Richardson, Wounded Warrior Project, Greg Nebhard, The American Legion, 
and Major General Jeffrey E. Phillips, USA (Ret.), Reserve Officers 
Association, all of Washington, D.C.

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AGING AND DISABILITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
aging and disability in the 21st century, focusing on how technology 
can help maintain health and quality of life, after receiving testimony 
from Cara McCarty, Director of Curatorial, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian 
Design Museum; Joseph F. Coughlin, Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology AgeLab, Cambridge; Brenda Gallant, Maine Long-Term Care 
Ombudsman Program, Augusta; and Robert A. Mecca, Life and Independence 
for Today, St. Mary's, Pennsylvania.