[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 30 (Thursday, February 15, 2024)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D161-D163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
OUTPACING CHINA: EXPEDITING THE FIELDING OF INNOVATION
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Outpacing China: Expediting the Fielding of Innovation''. Testimony 
was heard from the following Department of Defense officials: William 
LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; 
Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; 
and Doug Beck, Director of the Defense Innovation Unit.
PROTECTING AMERICAN SAVERS AND RETIREES FROM DOL'S REGULATORY OVERREACH
Committee on Education and Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, 
Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled ``Protecting 
American Savers and Retirees from DOL's Regulatory Overreach''. 
Testimony was heard from Doug Ommen, Insurance Commissioner, Iowa 
Insurance Division; and public witnesses.
SECURING COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS FROM FOREIGN ADVERSARIES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and 
Technology held a hearing entitled ``Securing Communications Networks 
from Foreign Adversaries''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN PROSPERITY AND PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOODS: LEGISLATION 
TO MODERNIZE AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment, 
Manufacturing, and Critical Materials held a hearing entitled 
``Safeguarding American Prosperity and People's Livelihoods: 
Legislation to Modernize Air Quality Standards''. Testimony was heard 
from John Eunice, Deputy Director, Environmental Protection Division, 
Department of Natural Resources, Georgia; and public witnesses.
LENDER OF LAST RESORT: ISSUES WITH THE FED DISCOUNT WINDOW AND 
EMERGENCY LENDING
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Financial Institutions 
and Monetary Policy held a hearing entitled ``Lender of Last Resort: 
Issues with the Fed Discount Window and Emergency Lending''. Testimony 
was heard from public witnesses.
CRYPTO CRIME IN CONTEXT PART II: EXAMINING APPROACHES TO COMBAT ILLICIT 
ACTIVITY
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Digital Assets, 
Financial Technology and Inclusion held a hearing entitled ``Crypto 
Crime in Context Part II: Examining Approaches to Combat Illicit 
Activity''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
BEHIND THE SCENES: HOW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO ENFORCE THE 
DOHA AGREEMENT
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Behind the Scenes: How the Biden Administration Failed to Enforce the 
Doha Agreement''. Testimony was heard from a public witness.
EXAMINING FIRE HAZARDS: LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES AND OTHER THREATS TO FIRE 
SAFETY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Emergency Management 
and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Examining Fire Hazards: 
Lithium-Ion Batteries and Other Threats to Fire Safety''. Testimony was 
heard from Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator, U.S. Fire 
Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of 
Homeland Security; Daniel E. Flynn, Chief Fire Marshal, Fire 
Department, New York City, New York; and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 6824, 
the ``NICS Data Reporting Act''; H.R. 7322, the ``Standing Up to the 
Executive branch for Immigration Enforcement Act''; H.R. 7326, to amend 
chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary to 
keep those chapters current and to correct related technical errors; 
H.R. 7324, to make improvements in the enactment of title 41, United 
States Code, into a positive law title and to improve the Code; H.R. 
7341, to make technical amendments to title 49, United States Code, as 
necessary to improve the Code; H.R. 7339, to make revisions in Title 
51, United States Code, as necessary to keep the title current, and to 
make technical amendments to improve the United States Code; and H.R. 
7316, to make improvements in the enactment of title 54, United States 
Code, into a positive law title and to correct related technical 
errors. H.R. 6824 and H.R. 7322 were ordered reported, as amended. H.R. 
7326, H.R. 7324, H.R. 7341, H.R. 7339, and H.R. 7316 were ordered 
reported, without amendment.

[[Page D162]]


ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION TO CREATE PROSPEROUS TRIBAL ECONOMIES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Insular 
Affairs held a hearing entitled ``Economic Diversification to Create 
Prosperous Tribal Economies''. Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
BIDENOMICS AND LAND MANAGEMENT: THE MISGUIDED NATIONAL STRATEGY TO 
DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC DECISIONS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Oversight and 
Investigations held a hearing entitled ``Bidenomics and Land 
Management: The Misguided National Strategy to Develop Environmental 
Economic Decisions''. Testimony was heard from Henry Wykowski, Advisor, 
Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.
ASSESSING AMERICA'S VACCINE SAFETY SYSTEMS, PART 1
Committee on Oversight and Accountability: Select Subcommittee on the 
Coronavirus Pandemic held a hearing entitled ``Assessing America's 
Vaccine Safety Systems, Part 1''. Testimony was heard from the 
following Department of Health and Human Services officials: Daniel 
Jernigan, M.D., Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic 
Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Peter 
Marks, M.D., Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, 
Food and Drug Administration; and George Reed Grimes, M.D., Director, 
Division of Injury Compensation Programs, Health Resources and Services 
Administration.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF CATCH AND RELEASE AT THE BORDER
Committee on Oversight and Accountability: Subcommittee on National 
Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled ``The 
Consequences of Catch and Release at the Border''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
EXAMINING FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY ACTIONS TO SECURE THE U.S. SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Examining Federal Science Agency Actions to Secure 
the U.S. Science and Technology Enterprise''. Testimony was heard from 
Arati Prabhakar, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology 
Policy; Rebecca Keiser, Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy, 
National Science Foundation; Geri Richmond, Under Secretary for Science 
and Innovation, Department of Energy; and Michael Lauer, Deputy 
Director for Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health, 
Department of Health and Human Services.
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD: CHALLENGES FACING SMALL BUSINESS 
CONTRACTING
Committee on Small Business: Subcommittee on Contracting and 
Infrastructure held a hearing entitled ``Leveling the Playing Field: 
Challenges Facing Small Business Contracting''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
IMPLEMENTATION OF BUY AMERICA PROVISIONS: STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing entitled ``Implementation of Buy 
America Provisions: Stakeholder Perspectives''. Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD MODERNIZATION DEEP DIVE: CAN THE ORACLE 
PHARMACY SOFTWARE BE MADE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE?
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Technology 
Modernization held a hearing entitled ``Electronic Health Record 
Modernization Deep Dive: Can the Oracle Pharmacy Software Be Made Safe 
and Effective?''. Testimony was heard from Neil Evans, M.D., Acting 
Program Executive Director, Electronic Health Records Modernization 
Integration Office, Department of Veterans Affairs; David Case, Deputy 
Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; and a public witness.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AT VA: EXPLORING ITS CURRENT STATE AND FUTURE 
POSSIBILITIES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing 
entitled ``Artificial Intelligence at VA: Exploring its Current State 
and Future Possibilities''. Testimony was heard from Charles 
Worthington, Chief Technology Officer/Chief Artificial Intelligence 
Officer, Office of Information and Technology, Department of Veterans 
Affairs; Gil Alterovitz, Director, Veterans Affairs National Artificial 
Intelligence Institute, Veterans Health Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Carolyn Clancy, M.D., Assistant Under Secretary for 
Health, Office of Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, Veterans 
Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public 
witnesses.

[[Page D163]]


SINK OR SWIM? A DEEP DIVE INTO THE CURRENT STATE OF VA'S HOME LOAN 
PROGRAM IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity 
held a hearing entitled ``Sink or Swim? A Deep Dive into the Current 
State of VA's Home Loan Program in a Competitive Market''. Testimony 
was heard from John E. Bell, Executive Director, Loan Guaranty Service, 
Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
public witnesses.
HEARING WITH COMMISSIONER OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DANIEL 
WERFEL
Committee on Ways and Means: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Hearing with Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Daniel 
Werfel''. Testimony was heard from Daniel Werfel, Commissioner, 
Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.