[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2026)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D213-D215] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs held an oversight hearing on the National Endowment for Democracy. Testimony was heard from Damon Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Endowment for Democracy. MODERNIZATION OF THE ORGANIC INDUSTRIAL BASE Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces; and Subcommittee on Readiness held a joint hearing entitled ``Modernization of the Organic Industrial Base''. Testimony was heard from Brent Ingraham, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, Department of the Army; Lieutenant General Chris Mohan, U.S. Army, Commanding Officer, Army Materiel Command; and Major General John Reim, U.S. Army, Joint Program Executive Office, Armaments and Ammunition, and Commanding General, Picatinny Arsenal, Department of the Army. BALANCING CAREERS AND CARE: EXAMINING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO PAID LEAVE Committee on Education and Workforce: Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled ``Balancing Careers and Care: Examining Innovative Approaches to Paid Leave''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. BUILDING AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-READY AMERICA: TEACHING IN THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AGE Committee on Education and Workforce: Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled ``Building an AI-Ready America: Teaching in the AI Age''. Testimony was heard from Michele Blatt, State Superintendent of Schools, West Virginia Department of Education; and public witnesses. FROM SOURCE TO TAP: A HEARING TO EXAMINE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAFE, RELIABLE, AND AFFORDABLE DRINKING WATER Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing entitled ``From Source to Tap: A Hearing to Examine Challenges and Opportunities for Safe, Reliable, and Affordable Drinking Water''. Testimony was heard from Nicole N. [[Page D214]] Murley, Acting Inspector General, Environmental Protection Agency; and public witnesses. ADVANCING NATIONAL SECURITY THROUGH COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Advancing National Security through Commercial Diplomacy''. Testimony was heard from Jacob Helberg, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Department of State. STRENGTHENING EXPORT CONTROL ENFORCEMENT Committee on Foreign Affairs: South and Central Asia Subcommittee held a hearing entitled ``Strengthening Export Control Enforcement''. Testimony was heard from David Peters, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce. BEFORE THE WHISTLE: ASSESSING INFORMATION SHARING AND SECURITY COLLABORATION AHEAD OF MAJOR EVENTS Committee on Homeland Security: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Before the Whistle: Assessing Information Sharing and Security Collaboration Ahead of Major Events''. Testimony was heard from Joseph Mabin, Deputy Chief, Police Department, Kansas City, Missouri; Travis Nelson, Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor, Office of the Governor, Maryland; and public witnesses. BUREAUCRATIC DELAYS AND THE COSTS TO RATEPAYERS AND ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries hearing entitled ``Bureaucratic Delays and the Costs to Ratepayers and Electric Power Systems''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. LEGISLATIVE MEASURES Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing on H.R. 1501, the ``Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025''; H.R. 2969, the ``Finding ORE Act''; H.R. 4781, the ``RESCUE Act of 2025''; H.R. 5929, the ``Critical Minerals Supply Chain Resiliency Act''; H.R. 7126, the ``SECURE Minerals Act of 2026''; and H.R. 7458, the ``Domestic ORE Act''. Testimony was heard from Representatives Barr, Hageman, and Wittman; and public witnesses. AN UPDATE ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S STRUGGLING BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing entitled ``An Update on DoD's Struggling Background Check System''. Testimony was heard from Alissa Czyz, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, Government Accountability Office; and Justin Overbaugh, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, and Acting Director, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, U.S. Department of War. POWERING AMERICA'S AI FUTURE: ASSESSING POLICY OPTIONS TO INCREASE DATA CENTER INFRASTRUCTURE Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a hearing entitled ``Powering America's AI Future: Assessing Policy Options to Increase Data Center Infrastructure''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION: DEVELOPING THE FUTURE OF MAIN STREET SUCCESS Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Career and Technical Education: Developing the Future of Main Street Success''. Testimony was heard from Keith Gunuskey, Superintendent of Schools, Wallenpaupack Area School District, Pennsylvania; Nikki Nix, Chief Academic Officer, Godley Independent School District, Texas; and public witnesses. PROPOSALS FOR A WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2026--ADMINISTRATION PRIORITIES Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a hearing entitled ``Proposals for a Water Resources Development Act of 2026--Administration Priorities''. Testimony was heard from Adam R. Telle, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Army (Civil Works); and Lieutenant General William H. Butch Graham, Jr., Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a markup on H.R. 7049, the ``Improving Mental Health Care and Coordination for Homeless Veterans Act''; H.R. 3159, the ``Improving SCRA Benefit Utilization Act''; H.R. 5436, to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit an educational institution from withholding a [[Page D215]] transcript from an individual who pursued a course or program of education at such institution using Post-9/11 educational assistance; H.R. 7150, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a quarterly report on housing loans insured, guaranteed, or under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes. H.R. 1957, the ``End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2025''; H.R. 1965, the ``Veteran Education Assistance Adjustment Act''; H.R. 7083, the ``CRUISE Act''; H.R. 7141, the ``Affordable Housing Guarantee Act''; H.R. 982, the ``Warriors to Workforce Act''; H.R. 5634, the ``Veterans Flight Training Responsibility Act of 2025''; H.R. 7103, the ``Improving Emerging Tech Opportunities for Veterans Act''; and H.R. 1803, the ``Fair Access to Co-ops for Veterans Act of 2025''. H.R. 7049, H.R. 3159, H.R. 5436, H.R. 7150, H.R. 1957, H.R. 1965, H.R. 7083, H.R. 7141, and H.R. 982 were forwarded to the Full Committee, without amendment. H.R 5634, H.R. 7103, and H.R. 1803 were forwarded to the Full Committee, as amended. ADVANCING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICA'S HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing entitled ``Advancing the Next Generation of America's Health Care Workforce''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. Joint Meetings DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS AND MULTI VSOs LEGISLATVE PRESENTATION Joint Hearing: Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs concluded a joint hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation of Disabled American Veterans and multi VSOs, after receiving testimony from Coleman Nee, Barry Jesinoski, Bryan VanBoxel, Jim Marszalek, Scott Hope, Jon Retzer, John Kleindienst, Ron Minter, and Melissa Pierce, all of the Disabled American Veterans; Lieutenant General Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret.), Military Officers Association of America; Lindsay Knight, Blue Star Families; Tom Burke, Vietnam Veterans of America; Larry Wright, Jr., National Congress of American Indians; Rita Graham, Service Women's Action Network; Barbara Burt, Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.; and Richard Brookshire, Black Veterans Project.