[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 24, 2019)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D906-D908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
OVERSIGHT OF THE UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN PROGRAM: ENSURING THE SAFETY OF 
CHILDREN IN HHS CARE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Unaccompanied Children Program: 
Ensuring the Safety of Children in HHS Care''. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Shalala, Wasserman Schultz, Higgins of Louisiana, and 
Burgess; Jonathan Hayes, Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement, 
Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and 
Human Services; Lynn Johnson, Assistant Secretary, Administration for 
Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services; and 
public witnesses.
APPROPRIATIONS--WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a budget and oversight hearing on 
the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Testimony was 
heard from Kelvin Droegemeier, Director, White House Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President.
U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION--BORDER PATROL
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on the Department of Homeland 
Security held an oversight hearing on the U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection--Border Patrol. Testimony was heard from Carla Provost, 
Chief, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
Department of Homeland Security.
BUREAU OF INDIAN EDUCATION, EDUCATION CONSTRUCTION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a hearing entitled ``Bureau of Indian Education, 
Education Construction''. Testimony was heard from Jason Freihage, 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior.
THE COSTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE: FROM COASTS TO HEARTLAND, HEALTH TO 
SECURITY
Committee on the Budget: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``The 
Costs of Climate Change: From Coasts to Heartland, Health to 
Security''. Testimony was heard from Rear Admiral Lower Half Ann C. 
Phillips, Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and 
Protection, Office of the Governor, Virginia; and public witnesses.
BUILDING AMERICA'S CLEAN FUTURE: PATHWAYS TO DECARBONIZE THE ECONOMY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Climate Change held a hearing entitled ``Building America's Clean 
Future: Pathways to Decarbonize the Economy''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
LEGISLATION TO MAKE CARS IN AMERICA SAFER
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Consumer Protection 
and Commerce held a hearing entitled ``Legislation to Make Cars in 
America Safer''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE NEXT MEGABANK? EXAMINING THE PROPOSED MERGER OF SUNTRUST AND BB&T
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``The Next Megabank? Examining the Proposed Merger of SunTrust and 
BB&T''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE FY20 BUDGET: STATE DEPARTMENT COUNTERTERRORISM AND COUNTERING 
VIOLENT EXTREMISM BUREAU
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East, North 
Africa, and International Terrorism held a hearing entitled ``The FY20 
Budget: State Department Counterterrorism and Countering Violent 
Extremism Bureau''. Testimony was heard from Nathan Sales, Acting Under 
Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, 
Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador-at-Large, Bureau of 
Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, Department of State.
OVERSIGHT OF THE REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE 
IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT S. 
MUELLER, III
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Oversight of the Report on the Investigation into Russian 
Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election: Former Special Counsel 
Robert S. Mueller, III''. Testimony was heard from a public witness.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing on H.R. 934, the ``Health Benefits for Miners 
Act of 2019'';

[[Page D907]]

and H.R. 935, the ``Miners Pension Protection Act''. Testimony was 
heard from Representative McKinley and public witnesses.
THE STATUS OF THE RECLAMATION FUND AND THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION'S 
FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING NEEDS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``The Status of the Reclamation 
Fund and the Bureau of Reclamation's Future Infrastructure Funding 
Needs''. Testimony was heard from Grayford Payne, Deputy Commissioner, 
Policy, Administration and Budget, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of 
the Interior; Tony Willardson, Executive Director, Western States Water 
Council, Murray, Utah; Federico Barajas, Executive Director, San Luis 
and Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Los Banos, California; and a public 
witness.
EXAMINING JUUL'S ROLE IN THE YOUTH NICOTINE EPIDEMIC: PART I
Committee on Oversight and Reform: Subcommittee on Economic and 
Consumer Policy held a hearing entitled ``Examining JUUL's Role in the 
Youth Nicotine Epidemic: Part I''. Testimony was heard from Senator 
Durbin; and public witnesses.
BEYOND THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION: REPAIRING THE DAMAGE AND PREPARING TO 
COUNT `WE THE PEOPLE'
Committee on Oversight and Reform: Subcommittee on Civil Rights and 
Civil Liberties held a hearing entitled ``Beyond the Citizenship 
Question: Repairing the Damage and Preparing to Count `We the People' 
''. Testimony was heard from Steven Dillingham, Director, U.S. Census 
Bureau; Robert Goldenkoff, Director of Strategic Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; and Nicholas Marinos, Director of Information 
Technology and Cybersecurity, Government Accountability Office.
THE DEVIL THEY KNEW--PFAS CONTAMINATION AND THE NEED FOR CORPORATE 
ACCOUNTABILITY
Committee on Oversight and Reform: Subcommittee on Environment held a 
hearing entitled ``The Devil They Knew--PFAS Contamination and the Need 
for Corporate Accountability''. Testimony was heard from Catherine R. 
McCabe, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental 
Protection; Robert R. Scott, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of 
Environmental Services; Steve Sliver, Executive Director, Michigan PFAS 
Action Response Team, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, 
and Energy; and public witnesses.
HOMELAND SECURITY IMPROVEMENT ACT; BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019; 
VENEZUELA TPS ACT OF 2019
Committee on Rules: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 2203, the 
``Homeland Security Improvement Act''; H.R. 3877, the ``Bipartisan 
Budget Act of 2019''; and H.R. 549, the ``Venezuela TPS Act of 2019''. 
The Committee granted, by record vote of 8-4, a rule providing for 
consideration of H.R. 3877, the ``Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019'', and 
H.R. 549, the ``Venezuela TPS Act of 2019''. The rule provides for 
consideration of H.R. 3877, the ``Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019'', 
under a closed rule. The rule provides one hour of debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on the Budget. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill, provides that the bill shall be considered 
as read, and waives all points of order against provisions in the bill. 
The rule provides one motion to recommit. The rule provides for 
consideration of H.R. 549, the ``Venezuela TPS Act of 2019'', under a 
closed rule. The rule provides thirty minutes of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on the Judiciary. The rule waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill and provides that an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 116-28 
shall be considered as adopted and the bill, as amended, shall be 
considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against 
provisions in the bill, as amended, and provides one motion to recommit 
with or without instructions. The rule waives clause 6(a) of Rule XIII, 
requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is 
reported from the Rules Committee against any resolution reported 
through the legislative day of July 26, 2019. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Thompson of Mississippi and Representative Rogers of Alabama.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
markup on H.R. 3597, the ``Solar Energy Research and Development Act of 
2019''; H.R. 3607, the ``Fossil Energy Research and Development Act of 
2019''; H.R. 3609, the ``Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 
2019''; and H.R. 335, the ``South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 
2019''. H.R. 3597, H.R. 3607, H.R. 3609, and H.R. 335 were ordered 
reported, as amended.
IS THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT A HELP OR HINDRANCE TO MAIN STREET?
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Is the 
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act a

[[Page D908]]

Help or Hindrance to Main Street?''. Testimony was heard from Jane Gravelle, 
Senior Specialist in Economic Policy, Congressional Research Service, 
Library of Congress; and public witnesses.
TRUE TRANSPARENCY? ASSESSING WAIT TIMES FIVE YEARS AFTER PHOENIX
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``True Transparency? Assessing Wait Times Five Years after Phoenix''. 
Testimony was heard from Debra A. Draper, Director, Health Care Team, 
Government Accountability Office; Teresa S. Boyd, Assistant Deputy Under 
Secretary for Health for Clinical Operations, Veterans Health 
Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT S. MUELLER, III ON THE INVESTIGATION INTO 
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a hearing 
entitled ``Former Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III on the 
Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MODERNIZING LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: LESSONS FROM THE STATES
Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Modernizing Legislative Information Technologies: Lessons 
from the States''. Testimony was heard from Diane Boyer-Vine, Legislative 
Counsel, California; Nelson P. Moe, Chief Information Officer, Virginia; 
Mike Rohrbach, Chief Information Officer and Director of Information 
Technology, State Legislature, Washington.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.