[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 13, 2022)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D743-D744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
APPROPRIATIONS: DOI
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and 
Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget 
estimates and justification for fiscal year 2023 for the Department of 
the Interior, after receiving testimony from Deb Haaland, Secretary of 
the Interior.
NOMINATION
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine the nomination of David P. Pekoske, of Maryland, 
to be Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, 
Department of Homeland Security, after the nominee testified and 
answered questions in his own behalf.
LOWERING ENERGY PRICES
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy 
concluded a hearing to examine pathways to lower energy prices in the 
United States, after receiving testimony from Julie Fedorchak, North 
Dakota Public Service Commission, and Ron Ness, North Dakota Petroleum 
Council, both of Bismarck; David J. Bissell, Kaua`i Island Utility 
Cooperative, Lihue, Hawaii; and John Larsen, Rhodium Group, Pelham, 
Massachusetts.
AIR QUALITY MONITORING LEGISLATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine S. 1345, to establish a national mercury monitoring 
program, S. 2476, to require the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency to establish a pilot program for hyperlocal air 
quality monitoring projects in environmental justice communities, and 
an original bill entitled, ``Public Health Air Quality Act'', after 
receiving testimony from Senator Collins; Representative Blunt 
Rochester; J. Alfredo Gomez, Director, Natural Resources and 
Environment, Government Accountability Office; Kathy Fallon, Clean Air 
Task Force, Boston, Massachusetts; Jason Isaac, Life:Powered, Austin, 
Texas; Dana Johnson, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Washington, 
D.C.; and Bart Eklund, Haley and Aldrich, McLean, Virginia.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Dean R. Thompson, of Maryland, to be 
Ambassador to Nepal, who was introduced by Senator Van Hollen, Robert 
F. Godec, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, 
Yohannes Abraham, of Virginia, to be Representative of the United 
States of America to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with 
the rank and status of Ambassador, Richard Lee Buangan, of California, 
to be Ambassador to Mongolia, and Marie C. Damour, of Virginia, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Fiji, and to serve concurrently and 
without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of 
Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga, and Tuvalu, all 
of the Department of State, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
REPRODUCTIVE CARE
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee 
concluded a hearing to examine reproductive care in a post-Roe America, 
focusing on barriers, challenges, and threats to women's health, after 
receiving testimony from Kristyn Brandi, Physicians for Reproductive 
Health, New Jersey; Samie Detzer, Planned Parenthood Federation of 
America, New York; Jamila K. Taylor, The Century Foundation, D.C.; and 
Brandi Swindell, Stanton Healthcare, Idaho.

[[Page D744]]


BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the 
nomination of Roselyn Tso, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian 
Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Roopali H. Desai, of Arizona, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, who was introduced by Senator 
Sinema, Doris L. Pryor, of Indiana, to be United States Circuit Judge 
for the Seventh Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Young, and Maria 
del R. Antongiorgi-Jordan, Gina R. Mendez-Miro, and Camille L. Velez-
Rive, all of Puerto Rico, each to be a United States District Judge for 
the District of Puerto Rico, after the nominees testified and answered 
questions in their own behalf.
OFFICE OF DISASTER ASSISTANCE OVERISGHT
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded 
an oversight hearing to examine the Small Business Administration's 
Office of Disaster Assistance, after receiving testimony from Francisco 
Sanchez, Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance, Small 
Business Administration.
LEGISLATIVE HEARING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine S. 3372, to amend title 38, United States Code, to strengthen 
benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, S. 
3548, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption 
of service-connection for certain veterans with tinnitus or hearing 
loss, S. 3606, to amend title 38, United States Code, to eliminate the 
requirement to specify an effective period of transfer of Post-9/11 
educational assistance to a dependent, S. 3994, to amend title 38, 
United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
repay the estates of deceased beneficiaries for certain benefits paid 
by the Secretary and misused by fiduciaries of such beneficiaries, S. 
4141, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the 
Department of Veterans Affairs an Advisory Committee on United States 
Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States, S. 4208, to require the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update the appraisal requirements for 
certain loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, S. 
4223, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2022, the rates of 
compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 
rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
certain disabled veterans, S. 4308, to amend title 38, United States 
Code, to modify the definition of spouse and surviving spouse to 
include all individuals lawfully married, S. 4319, to amend title 38, 
United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
regularly promote programs under chapter 31 of such title, S. 4458, to 
amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the process by which the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines whether an educational 
institution meets requirements relating to the percentage of students 
who receive educational assistance furnished by the Secretary, an 
original bill entitled, ``Native American Direct Loan Improvement 
Act'', an original bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
address the operation and maintenance of veterans' cemeteries on trust 
land owned by, or held in trust for, tribal organizations, and an 
original bill entitled, ``No Bonuses For Bad Exams Act'', after 
receiving testimony from Beth Murphy, Executive Director, and Jocelyn 
Moses, Senior Principal Advisor, both of the Compensation Service, 
Veterans Benefits Administration, and James Ruhlman, Deputy Director 
for Program Management, Education Service, all of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Kristina Keenan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the 
United States, and Anne H. Meehan, American Council on Education, both 
of Washington, D.C.; and Michael McLaughlin, National Association of 
County Veterans Service Officers, Blue Earth County, Minnesota.