[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 65 (Thursday, April 15, 2021)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D356-D359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
INCREASING RISKS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND NOAA'S ROLE IN PROVIDING CLIMATE 
SERVICES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing entitled ``Increasing 
Risks of Climate Change and NOAA's Role in Providing Climate

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Services''. Testimony was heard from Nicole LeBoeuf, Acting Assistant 
Administrator, Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; and 
Stephen Volz, Assistant Administrator, National Environmental Satellite 
Data and Information Service, and performing the duties of Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of 
Commerce.
APPROPRIATIONS--U.S. SOUTHERN COMMAND
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a budget 
hearing on the U.S. Southern Command. Testimony was heard from Admiral 
Craig S. Faller, Commander, U.S. Southern Command.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the 
Department of Health and Human Services. Testimony was heard from 
Xavier Becerra, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. Testimony was heard from Denis R 
McDonough, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs; and Jon 
Rychalski, Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial 
Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs.
APPROPRIATIONS--U.S. FOREST SERVICE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the U.S. Forest Service. 
Testimony was heard from Victoria Christiansen, Chief, U.S. Forest 
Service, Department of Agriculture; and Andria Weeks, Acting Director 
of Strategic Planning, Budget, and Accountability, U.S. Forest Service, 
Department of Agriculture.
APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Transportation, and 
Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a budget 
hearing on the Department of Transportation. Testimony was heard from 
Pete Buttigieg, Secretary, Department of Transportation.
NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES AND U.S. MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activities in 
Europe''. Testimony was heard from Laura Cooper, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, Department of 
Defense; and General Tod Wolters, U.S. Air Force, Commander, U.S. 
European Command.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THE SERVICES INSPECTOR 
GENERALS: ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a 
hearing entitled ``Department of Defense Inspector General and the 
Services Inspector Generals: Roles, Responsibilities and Opportunities 
for Improvement''. Testimony was heard from Sean O'Donnell, Acting 
Inspector General, Department of Defense; Lieutenant General Leslie C. 
Smith, Inspector General of the Army; Lieutenant General Sami D. Said, 
Inspector General of the Air Force; Vice Admiral Richard P. Snyder, 
Naval Inspector General; and Major General Robert F. Castellvi, 
Inspector General of the Marine Corps.
MEETING THE MOMENT: IMPROVING ACCESS TO BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH 
CARE
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Health, Employment, 
Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``Meeting the Moment: 
Improving Access to Behavioral and Mental Health Care''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
THE CLEAN FUTURE ACT AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: PROTECTING FRONTLINE 
COMMUNITIES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment and 
Climate Change held a hearing entitled ``The CLEAN Future Act and 
Environmental Justice: Protecting Frontline Communities''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
BANKING INNOVATION OR REGULATORY EVASION? EXPLORING TRENDS IN FINANCIAL 
INSTITUTION CHARTERS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Consumer Protection 
and Financial Institutions held a hearing entitled ``Banking Innovation 
or Regulatory Evasion? Exploring Trends in Financial Institution 
Charters''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.

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THE END OF LIBOR: TRANSITIONING TO AN ALTERNATIVE INTEREST RATE 
CALCULATION FOR MORTGAGES, STUDENT LOANS, BUSINESS BORROWING, AND OTHER 
FINANCIAL PRODUCTS
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Investor Protection, 
Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets held a hearing entitled ``The End 
of LIBOR: Transitioning to an Alternative Interest Rate Calculation for 
Mortgages, Student Loans, Business Borrowing, and Other Financial 
Products''. Testimony was heard from Dan Coates, Senior Associate 
Director, Office of Risk Analysis and Modeling, Federal Housing Finance 
Agency; John Coates, Acting Director, Division of Corporation Finance, 
Securities and Exchange Commission; Brian Smith, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Federal Finance, Department of the Treasury; Mark Van Der 
Weide, General Counsel, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System; and Kevin Walsh, Deputy Comptroller, Market Risk Policy, Office 
of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury.
10 YEARS OF WAR: EXAMINING THE ONGOING CONFLICT IN SYRIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East, North 
Africa, and Global Counterterrorism held a hearing entitled ``10 Years 
of War: Examining the Ongoing Conflict in Syria''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on House Administration: Full Committee held a business 
meeting on H. Res. 316, providing for the expenses of certain 
committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred 
Seventeenth Congress; and Committee Resolution 117-13, a Resolution to 
Approve Franked Mail Allowances for Committees for the 117th Congress. 
H. Res. 316 and Committee Resolution 117-13 were agreed to.
OVERSIGHT OF THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE AND PREPARATIONS FOR AND 
RESPONSE TO THE ATTACK OF JANUARY 6TH
Committee on Administration: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Oversight of the United States Capitol Police and Preparations for 
and Response to the Attack of January 6th''. Testimony was heard from 
Michael A. Bolton, Inspector General, U.S. Capitol Police.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: On April 14, 2021, Full Committee held 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''; and the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial 
and Administrative Law report on Final Report on Investigation of 
Competition in Digital Markets. The report on Investigation of 
Competition in Digital Markets was ordered reported, without amendment. 
H.R. 1333, H.R. 1573, and H.R. 40 were ordered reported, as amended.
BUILDING BACK BETTER: CREATING JOBS AND REDUCING POLLUTION BY PLUGGING 
AND RECLAIMING ORPHANED WELLS
Committee On Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held a hearing entitled ``Building Back Better: Creating Jobs 
and Reducing Pollution by Plugging and Reclaiming Orphaned Wells''. 
Testimony was heard from Representative Leger Fernandez and public 
witnesses.
REACHING THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: A SCIENCE-DRIVEN APPROACH 
TO SWIFTLY AND SAFELY ENDING THE PANDEMIC
Committee on Oversight and Reform: Select Subcommittee on the 
Coronavirus Crisis held a hearing entitled ``Reaching the Light at the 
End of the Tunnel: A Science-Driven Approach to Swiftly and Safely 
Ending the Pandemic''. Testimony was heard from the following 
Department of Health and Human Services officials: Anthony S. Fauci, 
M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 
National Institute of Health; David Kessler, M.D., Chief Science 
Officer, COVID Response; and Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., Director, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
REIMAGINING OUR INNOVATION FUTURE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Reimagining our Innovation Future''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARD A CARBON-FREE MARITIME INDUSTRY: UPDATES ON 
FUELS, PORTS, AND TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Coast 
Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing entitled ``Practical 
Steps Toward a Carbon-Free Maritime Industry: Updates on Fuels, Ports, 
and Technology''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
on H.R. 234, the ``Korean

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American VALOR Act''; H.R. 344, the ``Women Veterans TRUST Act''; H.R. 
958, the ``Protecting Moms Who Served Act''; H.R. 1448, the ``PAWS for 
Veterans Therapy Act''; H.R. 1510, the ``Veterans' Camera Reporting 
Act''; legislation on DOULA for VA Act; legislation on Sgt. Ketchum 
Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021; legislation to clarify the 
role of doctors of podiatric medicine in the Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and legislation on Providing Benefits Information in Spanish 
and Tagalog for Veterans and Families Act. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Takano, and Representatives Underwood, Stivers, Jeffries, 
Axne, and Lawrence; Clifford A. Smith, Director, Analytics, Innovations 
and Collaborations, Veterans Health Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
WORLD WIDE THREATS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``World Wide Threats''. Testimony was heard from 
Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, Director, Defense Intelligence 
Agency; William Burns, Director, Central Intelligence Agency; Avril 
Haines, Director, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; 
General Paul Nakasone, Director, National Security Agency, Department 
of Defense; and Christopher Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of 
Investigation. Part of this hearing was closed.
MAKING THE CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION: THE GROWING RISKS AND COSTS OF 
INACTION
Select Committee on the Climate Crisis: Select Committee on the Climate 
Crisis held a hearing entitled ``Making the Case for Climate Action: 
The Growing Risks and Costs of Inaction''. Testimony was heard from 
Shawn Gillen, City Manager, Tybee Island, Georgia; and public 
witnesses.
MEMBER DAY HEARING
Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress: Full Committee held 
a hearing entitled ``Member Day Hearing''. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Takano, and Representatives Davids of Kansas, Aguilar, Taylor, 
Scanlon, Arrington, Jacobs, Lee, Case, Schrier, Cicilline, McCollum, 
Jeffries, LaMalfa, Hoyer, Clark of Massachusetts, Hinson, Obernolte, 
Gottheimer, Scalise, Rice of New York, Moulton, Smith of Missouri, and 
Meijer.

Joint Meetings
VACCINATIONS AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Joint Economic Committee: On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine vaccinations and economic recovery, 
after receiving testimony from Paul Romer, New York University, Celine 
Gounder, New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital, 
and Belinda Archibong, Barnard College, all of New York, New York; and 
Alexander Tabarrok, George Mason University Mercatus Center, Fairfax, 
Virginia.