[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D743-D745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURE
Committee on Appropriations: Full Committee held a markup on the 
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies FY 
2024 Appropriations Bill. The Transportation, Housing and Urban 
Development, and Related Agencies FY 2024 Appropriations Bill was 
ordered reported, as amended.
MAN AND MACHINE: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Cyber, Information 
Technologies, and Innovation held a hearing entitled ``Man and Machine: 
Artificial Intelligence on the Battlefield''. Testimony was heard from 
public witnesses.
CUTTING CORNERS AT WHD: EXAMINING THE COST TO WORKERS, SMALL 
BUSINESSES, AND THE ECONOMY
Committee on Education and Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce 
Protections held a hearing entitled ``Cutting Corners at WHD: Examining 
the Cost to Workers, Small Businesses, and the Economy''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
AMERICAN NUCLEAR ENERGY EXPANSION: UPDATING POLICIES FOR EFFICIENT, 
PREDICTABLE LICENSING AND DEPLOYMENT
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and 
Grid Security held a hearing entitled ``American Nuclear Energy 
Expansion: Updating Policies for Efficient, Predictable Licensing and 
Deployment''. Testimony was heard from Daniel H. Dorman, Executive 
Director for Operations, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; K. Michael 
Goff, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, 
Department of Energy; and public witnesses.
INNOVATION SAVES LIVES: EVALUATING MEDICARE COVERAGE PATHWAYS FOR 
INNOVATIVE DRUGS, MEDICAL DEVICES, AND TECHNOLOGY
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Innovation Saves Lives: Evaluating Medicare Coverage 
Pathways for Innovative Drugs, Medical Devices, and Technology''. 
Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
EXAMINING EMERGING THREATS TO ELECTRIC ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Examining Emerging Threats to 
Electric Energy Infrastructure''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
OVERSIGHT OF THE SEC'S DIVISION OF CORPORATION FINANCE
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a 
hearing entitled ``Oversight of the SEC's Division of Corporation 
Finance''. Testimony was heard from Erik Gerding, Director, Division of 
Corporation Finance, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
CLIMATE-RISK: ARE FINANCIAL REGULATORS POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Monetary Policy held a hearing entitled ``Climate-Risk: Are 
Financial Regulators Politically Independent''. Testimony was heard 
from Michael S. Gibson, Director, Division of Supervision and 
Regulation, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Greg 
Coleman, Senior Deputy Comptroller for Large Bank Supervision, Office 
of the Comptroller of the Currency; Doreen Eberley, Director, Division 
of Risk Management and Supervision, Federal Deposit Insurance 
Corporation; Sarah Benatar, Treasurer, Coconino County, Arizona; and

[[Page D744]]

Rendell L. Jones, Deputy Executive Director, National Credit Union 
Administration.
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF FINCEN'S BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP RULEMAKING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on National Security, 
Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions held a 
hearing entitled ``Potential Consequences of FinCEN's Beneficial 
Ownership Rulemaking''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
ACHIEVING PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: EXAMINING THE 
FY24 BUDGET PRIORITIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific held a 
hearing entitled ``Achieving Peace through Strength in the Indo-
Pacific: Examining the FY24 Budget Priorities''. Testimony was heard 
from Daniel J. Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian 
and Pacific Affairs, Department of State; and Michael Ronning, Acting 
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Asia Bureau, U.S. Agency for 
International Development.
THE DIRE STATE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Global Health, Global 
Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing entitled 
``The Dire State of Religious Freedom Around the World''. Testimony was 
heard from Abraham Cooper, Chair, U.S. Commission on International 
Religious Freedom; Rashad Hussain, Ambassador-at-Large for 
International Religious Freedom, Department of State; and public 
witnesses.
STABILITY AND SECURITY IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: ASSESSING U.S. POLICY
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Europe held a hearing 
entitled ``Stability and Security in the Western Balkans: Assessing 
U.S. Policy''. Testimony was heard from Gabriel Escobar, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, 
Department of State.
GREAT POWER COMPETITION IMPLICATIONS IN AFRICA: THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
AND ITS PROXIES
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing 
entitled ``Great Power Competition Implications in Africa: The Russian 
Federation and its Proxies''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
STRATEGIC COMPETITION IN THE ARCTIC
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Transportation and 
Maritime Security held a hearing entitled ``Strategic Competition in 
the Arctic''. Testimony was heard from Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in 
Naval Affairs, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; and 
public witnesses.
OPENING THE FLOOD GATES: BIDEN'S BROKEN BORDER BARRIER
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border Security and 
Enforcement; and Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and 
Accountability held a joint hearing entitled ``Opening the Flood Gates: 
Biden's Broken Border Barrier''. Testimony was heard from Ntina Cooper, 
Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (Acting), Enterprise Services, 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; 
Colonel Jason K. Jefferis, Head of Contracting Activities, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense; Rebecca Gambler, Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office; and 
public witnesses.
HEARING ON COMPLIANCE WITH COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Responsiveness and 
Accountability to Oversight held a hearing entitled ``Hearing on 
Compliance with Committee Oversight''. Testimony was heard from Melanie 
Egorin, Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Bureau of Legislative 
Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services; and Naz Durakoglu, 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Department of 
State.
IS THERE A RIGHT TO REPAIR?
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual 
Property, and the Internet held a hearing entitled ``Is There a Right 
to Repair?''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
THE BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSED COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION 
AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2023
Committee on Natural Resources: Indo-Pacific Task Force held a hearing 
entitled ``The Biden's Administration's Proposed Compact of Free 
Association Amendments Act of 2023''. Testimony was heard from Joseph 
Y. Yun, Special Envoy for Compact Negotiations; Keone Nakoa, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary--Insular and International Affairs, Department of 
the Interior; Siddharth Mohandas, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense 
for East Asia, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.

[[Page D745]]


ESA AT 50: THE DESTRUCTIVE COST OF THE ESA
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and 
Fisheries held a hearing entitled ``Oversight Hearing on ``ESA at 50: 
The Destructive Cost of the ESA''. Testimony was heard from Janet Coit, 
Deputy Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
Department of Commerce; Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior; and public witnesses.
CANCELLING CONSUMER CHOICE: EXAMINING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S 
REGULATORY ASSAULT ON AMERICANS' HOME APPLIANCES
Committee on Oversight and Accountability: Subcommittee on Economic 
Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing entitled 
``Cancelling Consumer Choice: Examining the Biden Administration's 
Regulatory Assault on Americans' Home Appliances''. Testimony was heard 
from Geraldine Richmond, Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, 
Department of Energy.
WHY EXPANDING MEDICAID TO DACA RECIPIENTS WILL EXACERBATE THE BORDER 
CRISIS
Committee on Oversight and Accountability: Subcommittee on Health Care 
and Financial Services held a hearing entitled ``Why Expanding Medicaid 
to DACA Recipients Will Exacerbate the Border Crisis''. Testimony was 
heard from Ellen Montz, Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for 
Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 4667, 
the ``RECLAIM Taxpayer Funds Act''; H.R 4666, a bill to require the SBA 
OIG to submit quarterly reports on PPP/EIDL fraud; H.R. 3995, the 
``Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act''; H.R. 4669, the ``DOE and 
SBA Research Act''; H.R. 4668, the ``POST IT Act''; and H.R. 4671, the 
``Corrective Action Report Oversight and Accountability Act''. H.R. 
3995, H.R. 4671 were ordered reported, as amended. H.R. 4667, H.R 4666, 
H.R. 4668, H.R. 4669 were ordered reported, without amendment.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a markup on 
H.R. 3520, the ``Veteran Care Improvement Act of 2023''; H.R. 3581, the 
``COPE Act''; H.R. 1278, the ``DRIVE Act''; H.R. 1639, the ``VA Zero 
Suicide Demonstration Act of 2023''; H.R. 1774, the ``VA Emergency 
Transportation Act''; H.R. 1815, the ``Expanding Veterans' Options for 
Long Term Care Act''; H.R. 2683, the ``VA Flood Preparedness Act''; 
H.R. 2768, the ``PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act''; and 
H.R. 2818, the ``Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act''. H.R. 1278, H.R. 
1639, H.R. 2683, H.R. 2768, and H.R. 3581 were forwarded to the full 
Committee, without amendment. H.R. 3520, H.R. 1815, H.R. 1774, and H.R. 
2818 were forwarded to the full Committee, as amended.
LEGISLATIVE MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing on H.R. 
705, the ``Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act''; and legislation on 
the Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act. Testimony was heard 
from Ron Burke, Deputy Under Secretary, Policy and Oversight, Veterans 
Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Dave Barrans, 
Chief Counsel, Benefits Law Group, Office of General Counsel, 
Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses.
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PRC) THREATS TO THE HOMELAND
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``People's Republic of China (PRC) Threats to the 
Homeland''. This hearing was closed.

Joint Meetings
RUSSIA'S ALPINE ASSETS
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Commission concluded 
a hearing to examine Russia's alpine assets, focusing on money 
laundering and sanctions evasion in Switzerland, after receiving 
testimony from Bill Browder, Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign; Drew 
Sullivan, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project; and Olena 
Tregub, Independent Defense Anti-Corruption Committee.