[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 12, 2025)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D257-D258] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) JOINT FORCE READINESS Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support concluded a hearing to examine the current readiness of the Joint Force, after receiving testimony from General James J. Mingus, USA, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, Department of the Army, Admiral James W. Kilby, USN, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and General Christopher J. Mahoney, USMC, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, both of the Department of the Navy, and General Michael A. Guetlein, USSF, Vice Chief of Space Operations, and Lieutenant General Adrian L. Spain, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, both of the Department of the Air Force, all of the Department of Defense; and Diana C. Maurer, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, Government Accountability Office. HOUSING ROADBLOCKS Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine housing roadblocks, focusing on paving a new way to address affordability, after receiving testimony from Mayor Eric L. Johnson, Dallas, Texas; Lee Jelenic, United Wholesale Mortgage, Pontiac, Michigan; Edward Glaeser, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Renee Willis, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Washington, D.C. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on the Budget: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of James Bishop, of North Carolina, to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items: S. 28, to require the disclosure of a camera or recording capability in certain internet-connected devices; S. 97, to require SelectUSA to coordinate with State-level economic development organizations to increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production; S. 244, to direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, to conduct a study of the national security risks posed by consumer routers, modems, and devices that combine a modem and router, with an amendment; S. 289, to ban the sale of products with a high concentration of sodium nitrate to individuals; S. 323, to direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to develop a National Strategy to Synchronize Federal Broadband Programs, with an amendment; S. 389, to establish consumer standards for lithium-ion batteries; S. 414, to require covered digital advertising platforms to report their public service advertisements, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 428, to promote space situational awareness and space traffic coordination and to modify the functions and leadership of the Office of Space Commerce, with an amendment; S. 433, to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the National Manufacturing Advisory Council within the Department of Commerce; S. 582, to provide for the authorized use of Federal vehicle transportation by certain astronauts; [[Page D258]] S. 613, to require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to maintain the National Mesonet Program; S. 759, to provide for standardization, publication, and accessibility of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of Federal waterways, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 841, to require online dating service providers to provide fraud ban notifications to online dating service members, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 843, to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Grant Program; and The nominations of Mark Meador, of Virginia, to be a Federal Trade Commissioner, and Michael Kratsios, of South Carolina, to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. MINERAL BILLS Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 362, to allow certain Federal minerals to be mined consistent with the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification, S. 544, to provide for the location of multiple hardrock mining mill sites, to establish the Abandoned Hardrock Mine Fund, S. 596, to establish a pilot program to support domestic critical material processing, S. 714, to amend the Energy Act of 2020 to include critical materials in the definition of critical mineral, S. 789, to require reports on critical mineral and rare earth element resources around the world and a strategy for the development of advanced mining, refining, separation, and processing technologies, and S. 859, to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public domain land, after receiving testimony from Rich Haddock, Barrick Gold Corporation, Bountiful, Utah; Brian Somers, Utah Mining Association, Salt Lake City; and Chris Wood, Trout Unlimited, Arlington, Virginia. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of Christopher Landau, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary, Michael Rigas, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, and Matthew Whitaker, of Iowa, to be United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador, all of the Department of State. NOMINATION Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of William Briggs, of Texas, to be Deputy Administrator, and Casey Mulligan, of Illinois, to be Chief Counsel for Advocacy, both of the Small Business Administration. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the following the nomination of Paul Lawrence, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Also, committee approved Major Medical Lease Committee Resolution FY25, and Major Medical Lease Committee Resolution PACT Act. INTELLIGENCE Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence community. SENIOR LONELINESS Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine breaking the cycle of senior loneliness, focusing on strengthening family and community support, after receiving testimony from Andrew MacPherson, Foundation for Social Connection Action Network, and James Balda, Argentum, both of Washington, D.C.; Suzanne McCormick, YMCA of the USA, Tampa, Florida; and Tori Strawter-Tanks, Georgia Association of Senior Centers, Jonesboro.