[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 26, 2023)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D790-D792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Lieutenant General Gregory M. Guillot, USAF, to be 
general and Commander, United States Northern Command/Commander, North 
American Aerospace Defense Command, and Lieutenant General Stephen N. 
Whiting, USSF, to be general and Commander, United States Space 
Command, both of the Department of Defense, after the nominees 
testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
DOD PERSONNEL PROGRAMS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a 
hearing to examine potential budgetary efficiencies achieved through 
improvement to management and planning processes within Department of 
Defense personnel programs, after receiving testimony from Michael J. 
Roark, Deputy Inspector General, Department of Defense; David E. 
Mosher, Director of National Security Analysis, Congressional Budget 
Office; and Elizabeth A. Field, Director, Defense Capabilities and 
Management, Government Accountability Office.
JUNK FEES
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection concluded a hearing to 
examine taking account of fees and tactics impacting Americans' 
wallets, after receiving testimony from Pennsylvania Attorney General 
Michelle A. Henry, Philadelphia; Lindsey Siegel, Atlanta Legal Aid 
Society, Atlanta, Georgia; and Brian Johnson, Patomak Global Partners, 
Washington, D.C.
FISCAL CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 
fiscal consequences of climate change on infrastructure, after 
receiving testimony from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, Baton 
Rouge; Susan F. Tierney, Analysis Group, Inc., Denver, Colorado; Jesse 
M. Keenan, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana; Linda Apsey, ITC 
Holdings Corp., Novi, Michigan; and Alexander Herrgott, The Permitting 
Institute, Washington, D.C.
ENERGY PERMITTING PROCESS
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine opportunities for Congress to reform the process for 
permitting electric transmission lines, pipelines, and energy 
production on Federal lands, after receiving testimony from Antonio 
Smyth, American Electric Power Company, Columbus, Ohio; Jason M. 
Stanek, formerly of the Maryland Public Service Commission, Riverdale; 
Chad Teply, The Williams Companies, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Erik Milito, 
National Ocean Industries Association, Washington, D.C.; Pete 
Obermueller, Petroleum Association of Wyoming, Casper; and Kelly 
Speakes-Backman, Invenergy, Chicago, Illinois.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the following business items:
  S. 2195, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize the 
diesel emissions reduction program;
  S. 2395, to reauthorize wildlife habitat and conservation programs;
  S. 1381, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the 
Coastal Program of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to work 
with willing partners and provide support to efforts to assess, 
protect, restore, and enhance important coastal landscapes

[[Page D791]]

that provide fish and wildlife habitat on which certain Federal trust 
species depend;
  S. 1278, to designate the Federal building located at 985 Michigan 
Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Rosa Parks Federal Building''; 
and
  16 General Services Administration resolutions.
CRITICAL MINERAL RECOVERY
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine improving capacity for critical mineral recovery 
through electronic waste recycling and reuse, after receiving testimony 
from Ajay Kochhar, Li-Cycle, Toronto, Canada; Craig Boswell, HOBI 
International, Inc., Dallas, Texas; Kitty McIlroy, Maryland Recycling 
Network, Baltimore; and Charles Pellicane, Human-I-T, Bell, California.
CLEANER TRAINS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Subcommittee on Clean Air, 
Climate, and Nuclear Safety concluded a hearing to examine cleaner 
trains, focusing on opportunities for reducing emissions from America's 
rail network, after receiving testimony from Carl Rosen, United 
Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America, Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania; Ivette Torres, People's Collective for Environmental 
Justice, San Bernardino, California; and Ian Jefferies, Association of 
American Railroads. Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original 
bill entitled, ``Modernizing and Ensuring PBM Accountability (MEPA) 
Act''.
U.S. ECONOMIC SECURITY
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine U.S. economic security, focusing on addressing economic 
coercion and increasing competitiveness, after receiving testimony from 
Jose Fernandez, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, 
and the Environment; and Jay Shambaugh, Under Secretary of the Treasury 
for International Affairs.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine the nominations of Dennis B. Hankins, of Minnesota, to be 
Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti, James C. O'Brien, of Nebraska, to 
be an Assistant Secretary (European and Eurasian Affairs), Nathalie 
Rayes, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, 
who was introduced by Senators Menendez and Padilla, and Tobin John 
Bradley, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala, 
all of the Department of State, after the nominees testified and 
answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 2251, to improve the cybersecurity of the Federal Government, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2291, to establish the Northern Border Coordination Center, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2248, to require a pilot program on the use of big data analytics 
to identify vessels evading sanctions and export controls and to 
require a report on the availability in the United States of emerging 
and foundational technologies subject to export controls, with 
amendments;
  S. 1332, to require the Office of Management and Budget to revise the 
Standard Occupational Classification system to establish a separate 
code for direct support professionals, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute;
  S. 2219, to amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to 
expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace;
  S. 2286, to improve the effectiveness and performance of certain 
Federal financial assistance programs, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute;
  S. 2283, to prohibit the procurement of certain items containing 
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 
prioritize the procurement of products not containing PFAS, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2293, to establish the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers 
Council, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers, and Artificial 
Intelligence Governance Boards, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 2073, to amend title 31, United States Code, to require agencies 
to include a list of outdated or duplicative reporting requirements in 
annual budget justifications, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 2032, to require the reduction of the reliance and expenditures of 
the Federal Government on legacy information technology systems, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1973, to require the purchase of domestically made flags of the 
United States of America for use by the Federal Government, with an 
amendment;
  S. 2256, to authorize the Director of the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency to establish an apprenticeship program 
and to establish a pilot program on cybersecurity training for veterans

[[Page D792]]

and members of the Armed Forces transitioning to civilian life, and
  S. 2260, to require transparency in notices of funding opportunity.
FARM BILL
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
Native priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization, after 
receiving testimony from Richard Peterson, Central Council Tlingit and 
Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Juneau; Jay Spaan, Self-Governance 
Communication and Education Tribal Consortium, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Davis 
Price, NDN Collective, Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Abi Fain, Intertribal 
Agriculture Council, Billings, Montana; Trenton Kissee, Muscogee 
(Creek) Nation, Okmulgee, Oklahoma; and Cody Desautel, Intertribal 
Timber Council, Portland, Oregon.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Margaret M. Garnett, to be United States District 
Judge for the Southern District of New York, who was introduced by 
Senator Schumer, Jennifer L. Hall, of Pennsylvania, to be United States 
District Judge for the District of Delaware, who was introduced by 
Senators Carper and Coons, Brandy R. McMillion, to be United States 
District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan, who was introduced 
by Senator Stabenow, Karoline Mehalchick, to be United States District 
Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, who was introduced by 
Senator Casey, and Joseph Albert Laroski, Jr., of Maryland, and Lisa W. 
Wang, of the District of Columbia, both to be a Judge of the United 
States Court of International Trade, who were both introduced by 
Senator Coons, after the nominees testified and answered questions in 
their own behalf.
PTO OVERSIGHT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property 
concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Patent and Trademark 
Office, after receiving testimony from Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Intellectual Property, and Director, Patent and Trademark 
Office.
WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a 
hearing to examine pathways to women's entrepreneurship, focusing on 
understanding opportunities and barriers, including S. 673, to allow 
nonprofit child care providers to participate in certain loan programs 
of the Small Business Administration, S. 1411, to amend title 5, United 
States Code, to require greater transparency for Federal regulatory 
decisions that impact small businesses, S. 1744, to amend the Small 
Business Act to reauthorize the SCORE program, S. 1896, to reauthorize 
the SCORE program, S. 2184, to amend the Small Business Act to improve 
the Women's Business Center Program, and an original bill entitled, 
``Community Advantage Loan Program Act of 2023'', after receiving 
testimony from Adrienne M. Somerville, Somerville Consulting Group, 
Hughesville, Maryland; Patrice Onwuka, Independent Women's Forum Center 
for Economic Opportunity, Washington, D.C.; Nik Sweeney, Amani Nicol 
Wellness, Baltimore, Maryland; and Catherine Koch, K-Tec Systems, St. 
Ferndale, Michigan.
PACT ACT
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to 
examine implementing the PACT Act, after receiving testimony from 
Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, and Joshua D. Jacobs, 
Under Secretary for Benefits, both of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nomination of Michael Colin Casey, of Kentucky, to be Director of 
the National Counterintelligence and Security Center.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of 
the intelligence community.