[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 16, 2019)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D850-D852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATION
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nomination of Mark T. Esper, of Virginia, to be Secretary of 
Defense, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Kaine, 
testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
FACEBOOK'S PROPOSED DIGITAL CURRENCY
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine Facebook's proposed digital currency and data 
privacy considerations, including S. 1060, to deter foreign 
interference in United States elections, after receiving testimony from 
David Marcus, Calibra, Facebook, San Francisco, California.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  S. 143, to authorize the Department of Energy to conduct 
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs in order 
to improve healthcare services for veterans in the United States;
  S. 174, to provide for the establishment of a pilot program to 
identify security vulnerabilities of certain entities in the energy 
sector, with an amendment;
  S. 253, to coordinate the provision of energy retrofitting assistance 
to schools, with an amendment;

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  S. 520, to require the Secretary of Energy to establish an energy 
efficiency materials pilot program, with an amendment;
  S. 715, to improve the productivity and energy efficiency of the 
manufacturing sector by directing the Secretary of Energy, in 
coordination with the National Academies and other appropriate Federal 
agencies, to develop a national smart manufacturing plan and to provide 
assistance to small- and medium-sized manufacturers in implementing 
smart manufacturing programs;
  S. 816, to amend the Natural Gas Act to expedite approval of exports 
of small volumes of natural gas;
  S. 859, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize 
hydroelectric production incentives and hydroelectric efficiency 
improvement incentives, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 903, to direct the Secretary of Energy to establish advanced 
nuclear goals, provide for a versatile, reactor-based fast neutron 
source, make available high-assay, low-enriched uranium for research, 
development, and demonstration of advanced nuclear reactor concepts, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 983, to amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to 
reauthorize the weatherization assistance program;
  S. 1052, to authorize the Office of Fossil Energy to develop advanced 
separation technologies for the extraction and recovery of rare earth 
elements and minerals from coal and coal byproducts, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1064, to require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study on the 
national security implications of building ethane and other natural-
gas-liquids-related petrochemical infrastructure in the United States, 
with an amendment;
  S. 1085, to support research, development, and other activities to 
develop innovative vehicle technologies;
  S. 1201, to amend the fossil energy research and development 
provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to enhance fossil fuel 
technology, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1245, to improve energy performance in Federal buildings, with an 
amendment;
  S. 1286, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to facilitate the 
commercialization of energy and related technologies developed at 
Department of Energy facilities with promising commercial potential;
  S. 1317, to facilitate the availability, development, and 
environmentally responsible production of domestic resources to meet 
national material or critical mineral needs, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 1685, to require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program 
for the research, development, and demonstration of commercially viable 
technologies for the capture of carbon dioxide produced during the 
generation of natural gas-generated power, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 1706, to amend the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to 
encourage the increased use of performance contracting in Federal 
facilities;
  S. 1857, to amend the National Energy Conservation Policy Act to 
improve Federal energy and water performance requirements for Federal 
buildings and establish a Federal Energy Management Program, with an 
amendment;
  H.R. 347, to extend the authorization of the Uranium Mill Tailings 
Radiation Control Act of 1978 relating to the disposal site in Mesa 
County, Colorado;
  H.R. 762, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide 
for the dissemination of information regarding available Federal 
programs relating to energy efficiency projects for schools, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
  H.R. 1138, to reauthorize the West Valley demonstration project.
WILD HORSE AND BURRO PROGRAM
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Public 
Lands, Forests, and Mining concluded a hearing to examine long-term 
management options for the Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and 
Burro Program, after receiving testimony from Steve Tryon, Deputy 
Assistant Director for Resources and Planning, Bureau of Land 
Management, Department of the Interior; Julian J. Goicoechea, Eureka 
County Board of Commissioners, Eureka, Nevada; Ethan L. Lane, National 
Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition, and Nancy Perry, 
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, both of 
Washington, D.C.; and Eric Thacker, Utah State University, Logan.
IRAQ
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, 
Central Asia, and Counterterrorism concluded a hearing to examine Iraq, 
focusing on a crossroads of United States policy, after receiving 
testimony from Joan A. Polaschik, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs; and Michael P. 
Mulroy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Ann C. Fisher, of the 
District of Columbia, who was introduced by Senator Carper, and

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Ashley Jay Elizabeth Poling, of North Carolina, who was introduced by 
Representative Meadows, both to be a Commissioner of the Postal 
Regulatory Commission, Catherine Bird, of Texas, to be General Counsel 
of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Rainey R. Brandt, and 
Shana Frost Matini, both to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court 
of the District of Columbia, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
2020 CENSUS
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine the 2020 Census, focusing on conducting 
a secure and accurate count, after receiving testimony from Steven 
Dillingham, Director, Census Bureau, Department of Commerce; and Robert 
Goldenkoff, Director, Strategic Issues, and Nick Marinos, Director, 
Information Technology and Cybersecurity, both of the Government 
Accountability Office.
CENSORSHIP THROUGH SEARCH ENGINES
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution concluded 
a hearing to examine Google and censorship through search engines, 
after receiving testimony from Karan Bhatia, Google, Washington, D.C.; 
Dennis Prager, Prager University, Los Angeles, California; Jason Kint, 
Digital Content Next, New York, New York; Francesca Tripodi, James 
Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Robert Epstein, American 
Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, Vista, California; 
and Andy Parker, Collinsville, Virginia.
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.