[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 17, 2025)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D944-D946] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of Neil Jacobs, of North Carolina, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. NOMINATIONS Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Michael Graham, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board, Ethan Klein, of New Jersey, to be an Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Joyce Meyer, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS OVERSIGHT Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, after receiving testimony from Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary for Civil Works, and Lieutenant General William H. Graham, Jr., Chief of Engineers, both of the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, Department of Defense. BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of Thomas [[Page D945]] DiNanno, of Florida, to be Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, Michael DeSombre, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Secretary (East Asian and Pacific Affairs), Jacob Helberg, of Florida, to be an Under Secretary (Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment), Benjamin Black, of New York, to be Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation, Paul Kapur, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Nicole McGraw, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, Somers Farkas, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malta, Kenneth Howery, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, Chris Pratt, of Utah, to be an Assistant Secretary (Political-Military Affairs), Stacey Feinberg, of California, to be Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Leandro Rizzuto, of Florida, to be Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador, Howard Brodie, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Finland, Arthur Fisher, of North Carolina, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Austria, Nicholas Merrick, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Roman Pipko, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, Anjani Sinha, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore, Thomas Rose, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Poland, Lynda Blanchard, of Alabama, to be U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, with the rank of Ambassador, Sarah Rogers, of New York, to be Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Caleb Orr, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary (Economic and Business Affairs), Michael G. Waltz, of Florida, to be the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the Rank of Ambassador, and the Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations, and to be Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, Richard Buchan III, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, John Giordano, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia, Michel Issa, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Lebanese Republic, Sean O'Neill, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, Julie Stufft, of Ohio, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Bill Bazzi, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, Melinda Hildebrand, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica, Todd Wilcox, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary (Diplomatic Security), Riley Barnes, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Dan Negrea, of Connecticut, to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, William White, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Sergio Gor, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of India, Herschel Walker, of Georgia, to be Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, James Holtsnider, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Stephanie Hallett, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, all of the Department of State. CDC AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a hearing to examine reviewing recent events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and implications for children's health, after receiving testimony from Susan Coller Monarez, former Director, and Debra Houry, former Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science, both of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. INDIAN SELF-DETERMINATION AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT OVERSIGHT Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act successes and opportunities at the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service, after receiving testimony from Kennis Bellmard, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development--Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior; Benjamin P. Smith, Acting Director, Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services; Chuck Hoskin, Jr., Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma; Victor Joseph, Tanana Tribal Council, Tanana, Alaska; and Jay Spaan, Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium, Tulsa, Oklahoma. NOMINATIONS Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Rebecca L. Taibleson, of Wisconsin, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Johnson, Lindsey Ann Freeman, and David A. Bragdon, both to be a United States District Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Matthew E. Orso, and Susan Courtwright [[Page D946]] Rodriguez, both to be a United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, who were each introduced by Senator Budd, and Sara Bailey, of Texas, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf. MISSING UNACCOMPANIED ALIEN CHILDREN Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration concluded a hearing to examine missing unaccompanied alien children and criminal sponsors, after receiving testimony from Chris Clem, retired Chief Patrol Agent, Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, Red Rock, Arizona; Mary Giovagnoli, former Ombuds for Unaccompanied Children at the Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.; and Ali Hopper, GUARD Against Trafficking, Venice, Florida. 504 PROGRAM Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded a hearing to examine using the 504 program to build America's manufacturing future, including S. 2659, to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to enhance the Office of Credit Risk Management, to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue rules relating to environmental obligations of certified development companies, S. 2662, to amend the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to improve the loan guaranty program, enhance the ability of small manufacturers to access affordable capital, and S. 1555, to increase loan limits for loans made to small manufacturers, after receiving testimony from Karl E. Swanson, PCT Ebeam and Integration, Davenport, Iowa; David P. Raccio, CDC New England, Wakefield, Massachusetts; Jean Wojtowicz, Indiana Statewide CDC, Indianapolis; and Hilda Kennedy, AmPac Business Capital, Ontario, California. VETERANS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY AND DISORDER Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine strengthening services for veterans with spinal cord injury and disorder, after receiving testimony from Erica M. Scavella, Assistant Under Secretary of Health for Clinical Services, and Manosha Wickremasinghe, Executive Director of VA's Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders (SCI/D) System of Care, both of the Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Mandi Bailey, ALS Hope Foundation's Veteran ALS Action Committee, Gulf Breeze, Florida; Mary Ward, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Wilmington, North Carolina; Robert Thomas, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Cleveland, Ohio; and Shelly Hoover, Clayton, North Carolina. INTELLIGENCE Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence community. DRUG SAFETY Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine drug safety, supply chains, and the risk to aging Americans, after receiving testimony from Peter E. Baker, Live Oak Quality Assurance, Austin, Texas; George P. Ball, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Bloomington; and Brandon Daniels, Exiger, and Ronald Piervincenzi, U.S. Pharmacopeia, both of Washington, D.C.