[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 14, 2021)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D346-D348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE--THE YEAR AHEAD
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing entitled ``The U.S. Department of Agriculture--The Year 
Ahead''. Testimony was heard from Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary, 
Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the National 
Science Foundation. Testimony was heard from Sethuraman Panchanathan, 
Director, National Science Foundation.
CRITICAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES--U.S. DIPLOMATIC AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs held a hearing entitled ``Critical Management 
Issues--U.S. Diplomatic and Development Agencies''. Testimony was heard 
from Diana R. Shaw, Acting Inspector General, Department of State; 
Thomas J. Ullom, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Agency for 
International Development; and Anthony Zakel, Inspector General, U.S. 
International Development Finance Corporation.
NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES AND U.S. MILITARY ACTIVITY IN NORTH AND 
SOUTH AMERICA
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activity in North and 
South America''. Testimony was heard from Robert G. Salesses, 
Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland 
Defense and Global Security, Office of the Secretary of Defense; 
Admiral Craig S. Faller, U.S. Navy, Commander, U.S. Southern Command; 
and General Glen D. VanHerck, U.S. Air Force, Commander, U.S. Northern 
Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command.
AN EPIDEMIC WITHIN A PANDEMIC: UNDERSTANDING SUBSTANCE USE AND MISUSE 
IN AMERICA
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``An Epidemic within a Pandemic: Understanding Substance Use 
and Misuse in America''. Testimony was heard from Regina M. LaBelle, 
Acting Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive 
Office of the President; and public witnesses.
BUILD BACK BETTER: INVESTING IN EQUITABLE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING 
INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Financial Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
Build Back Better: Investing in Equitable and Affordable Housing 
Infrastructure''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
RENEWING THE UNITED STATES' COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES OF 
MIGRATION FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, 
Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy held a 
hearing entitled ``Renewing the United States' Commitment to Addressing 
the Root Causes of Migration from Central America''. Testimony was 
heard from Ricardo Zuniga, Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle, 
Department of State; and Peter Natiello, Deputy Assistant, Bureau for 
Latin America and the Caribbean, U.S. Agency for International 
Development.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee began a markup on H.R. 1333, 
the ``National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act''; 
H.R. 1573, the ``Access to Counsel Act of 2021''; H.R. 40, the 
``Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African 
Americans Act''; H.R. 2393, ``No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels 
Act

[[Page D347]]

of 2021''; and the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and 
Administrative Law report entitled ``Final Report on Investigation of 
Competition in Digital Markets''.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee Office of Insular 
Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 1522, the ``Puerto Rico Statehood 
Admission Act''; and H.R. 2070, the ``Puerto Rico Self-Determination 
Act of 2021''. Testimony was heard from Pedro R. Pierluisi, Governor, 
Puerto Rico; Rafael Hernandez, Speaker, Puerto Rico House of 
Representatives; Maria de Lourdes Santiago, Senator, Senate of Puerto 
Rico; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Oversight and Reform: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 
51, the ``D.C. Admissions Act''; H.R. 1170, to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1 League in Irvine, 
California, as the ``Tuskegee Airman Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. 
Friend Memorial Post Office Building''; H.R. 1444, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 132 North 
Loudoun Street, Suite 1 in Winchester, Virginia, as the ``Patsy Cline 
Post Office''; H.R. 1298, to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 1233 North Cedar Street in Owasso, 
Oklahoma, as the ``Staff Sergeant Marshal Roberts Post Office 
Building''; H.R. 960, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 3493 Burnet Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio, as 
the ``John H. Leahr and Herbert M. Heilbrun Post Office''; H.R. 767, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
40 Fulton Street in Middletown, New York, as the ``Benjamin A. Gilman 
Post Office Building''; H.R. 92, to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 110 Johnson Street in Pickens, 
South Carolina, as the ``Specialist Four Charles Johnson Post Office''; 
H.R. 91, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 810 South Pendleton Street in Easley, South Carolina, as the 
``Private First-Class Barrett Lyle Austin Post Office Building''; and 
H.R. 2044, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 17 East Main Street in Herington, Kansas, as the 
``Captain Emil J. Kapaun Post Office Building''. H.R. 51 was ordered 
reported, as amended. H.R. 1170, H.R. 1444, H.R. 1298, H.R. 960, H.R. 
767, H.R. 92, H.R. 91, and H.R. 2044 were ordered reported, without 
amendment.
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE MEMBERS' DAY HEARING
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
Members' Day Hearing''. Testimony was heard from Chairman Lofgren, 
Chairman Kilmer, Chairman Scott of Virginia, Chairman DeLauro, and 
Representatives Wittman, Kaptur, Larson of Connecticut, Blumenauer, 
Pascrell, Bucshon, Peters, Costa, Arrington, Schrader, Porter, 
Phillips, Bustos, Meng, Hagedorn, Cloud, Gottheimer, Keller, Fletcher, 
Quigley, Foxx, Kim, Bass, Adams, Sherman, Schrier, Jacobs, Mann, 
Higgins of New York, Luria, Case, Escobar, Espaillat, Cicilline, 
Sherrill, Barragan, Jones, Fernandez, Green of Texas, Bowman, 
Underwood, Levin of California, Jayapal, Craig, Neguse, Tonko, Stevens, 
Sanchez, Rosendale, Scanlon, O'Halleran, Levin of Michigan, Lawrence, 
Trahan, Ryan, Plaskett, Schneider, Mrvan, and Moore of Wisconsin.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing on H.R. 147, the ``Bringing Registered Apprenticeships 
to Veterans Education Act''; H.R. 219, the ``Protecting the Employment 
Rights of Service Members Act''; legislation on Value Added Homes for 
Veterans Act; legislation on Homeless Veterans Credit Repair, 
Enhancement, and Debt Improvement for Tomorrow Act; legislation on 
Native VetSuccess Pilot; legislation on Time Extension for Use of 
Educational Assistance in Emergencies; legislation on GI and Veterans 
Education Empowerment Act; legislation on Expanding Eligibility for 
Additional Adapted Vehicles; legislation on Rounding Out Affordable 
Housing for Homeless Veterans Act of 2021; legislation on In-State 
Tuition for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program; 
legislation on Increased Authorized Appropriation for VET TEC; 
legislation on Modern IT Service for Educational Assistance Claims; 
legislation on Short-Term Fellowships; legislation on Establish Veteran 
Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, and legislation on 
Time Period Eligibility Elimination for Survivors' and Dependents' 
Educational Assistance Program. Testimony was heard from 
Representatives Gallego, Mann, Sherrill, Mace, Cawthorn, Miller-Meeks, 
and Wenstrup; Mike Freuh, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for 
Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; James Ruhlman, Deputy Director for Program Management, 
Veterans Benefits Administration, Education Service, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Michael W. Fisher, Chief Readjustment Counseling 
Officer, Readjustment

[[Page D348]]

Counseling Service, 10RCS, Veterans Health Administration, Department 
of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
STRATEGIC REVIEW: EVALUATING CONCERNS ABOUT THE ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION 
OF THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD MODERNIZATION PROGRAM
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Technology 
Modernization held a hearing entitled ``Strategic Review: Evaluating 
Concerns About the Ongoing Implementation of the Electronic Health 
Record Modernization Program''. Testimony was heard from Carolyn 
Clancy, Acting Deputy Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs; and a 
public witness.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.