[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 29, 2017)] [Daily Digest] [Pages D363-D365] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] Committee Meetings REVIEW OF THE FARM CREDIT SYSTEM Committee on Agriculture: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Review of the Farm Credit System''. Testimony was heard from Dallas P. Tonsager, Chairman and CEO, Farm Credit Administration; Jeffery S. Hall, Member of the Board, Farm Credit Administration; and public witnesses. U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Defense held a closed hearing on U.S. European Command. Testimony was heard from General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, U.S. Army. APPROPRIATIONS--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services. Testimony was heard from Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services. PUBLIC WITNESS DAY Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing for public witnesses. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MILITARY ASSESSMENT OF THE SECURITY CHALLENGES IN THE GREATER MIDDLE EAST Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Military Assessment of the Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East''. Testimony was heard from General Joseph Votel, Commander, U.S. Central Command. THREATS TO SPACE ASSETS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HOMELAND SECURITY Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces; and Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications of the Committee on Homeland Security held a joint hearing entitled ``Threats to Space Assets and Implications for Homeland Security''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MILITARY PILOT SHORTAGE Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Military Personnel held a hearing entitled ``Military Pilot Shortage''. Testimony was heard from Lieutenant General Mark A. Brilakis, Deputy Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Marine Corps; Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke, Chief Personnel, U.S. Navy; Lieutenant General Gina M. Grosso, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Personnel Services, U.S. Air Force; and Major General Erik C. Peterson, Director, Aviation, U.S. Army. LEGISLATIVE MEASURE Committee on Education and the Workforce: Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on H.R. 986, the ``Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2017''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. REALIZING NATIONWIDE NEXT-GENERATION 911 Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing entitled ``Realizing Nationwide Next- Generation 911''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. FEDERAL ENERGY RELATED TAX POLICY AND ITS EFFECTS ON MARKETS, PRICES, AND CONSUMERS Committee on Energy and Commerce: Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing entitled ``Federal Energy Related Tax Policy and its Effects on Markets, Prices, and Consumers''. Testimony was heard from Terry Dinan, Senior Advisor, Congressional Budget Office; and public witnesses. EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF THE VOLCKER RULE ON THE MARKETS, BUSINESSES, INVESTORS, AND JOB CREATORS Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment held a hearing entitled ``Examining the Impact of the Volcker Rule on the Markets, Businesses, Investors, and Job Creators''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. [[Page D364]] MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a markup on H. Res. 54, reaffirming the United States-Argentina partnership and recognizing Argentina's economic reforms; H. Res. 92, condemning North Korea's development of multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles, and for other purposes; H. Res. 137, honoring the life of Shimon Peres; H. Res. 145, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the fight against corruption in Central America; H. Res. 187, relating to efforts to respond to the famine in South Sudan; H.R. 390, the ``Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017''; H.R. 479, the ``North Korea State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act of 2017''; H.R. 672, the ``Combating European Anti-Semitism Act of 2017''; and H.R. 1644, the ``Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act of 2017''. H. Res. 137 was ordered reported, without amendment. H. Res. 54, H. Res. 145, H. Res. 187, H. Res. 92, H.R. 390, H.R. 672 H.R. 479, and H.R. 1644 were ordered reported, as amended. TESTING THE LIMITS: IRAN'S BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM, SANCTIONS, AND THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa held a hearing entitled ``Testing the Limits: Iran's Ballistic Missile Program, Sanctions, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps''. Testimony was heard from Kenneth Katzman, Specialist, Middle Eastern Affairs, Congressional Research Service; and public witnesses. TERRORISM IN NORTH AFRICA: AN EXAMINATION OF THE THREAT Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence held a hearing entitled ``Terrorism in North Africa: An Examination of the Threat''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on the Judiciary: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1667, the ``Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act of 2017''; H.R. 1695, the ``Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017''; H. Res. 184, a resolution of inquiry requesting the President and directing the Attorney General to transmit, respectively, certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to communications with the government of Russia; and H. Res. 203, a resolution of inquiry requesting the President, and directing the Attorney General, to transmit, respectively, certain documents to the House of Representatives relating to certain communications by the President of the United States. H.R. 1667 was ordered reported, without amendment. H.R. 1695, H. Res. 184, and H. Res. 203 were ordered reported, as amended. FEDERALLY FUNDED CANCER RESEARCH: COORDINATION AND INNOVATION Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Federally Funded Cancer Research: Coordination and Innovation''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. WMATA AFTER SAFETRACK Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing entitled ``WMATA After SafeTrack''. Testimony was heard from Paul Wiedefeld, General Manager, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Dennis Anosike, Chief Financial Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; and Mark L. Goldstein, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office. CLIMATE SCIENCE: ASSUMPTIONS, POLICY IMPLICATIONS, AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Climate Science: Assumptions, Policy Implications, and the Scientific Method''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. EVALUATING THE PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT: ARE BURDENS BEING REDUCED? Committee on Small Business: Full Committee held a hearing entitled ``Evaluating the Paperwork Reduction Act: Are Burdens Being Reduced?''. Testimony was heard from public witnesses. MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Full Committee held a markup on H.R. 1346, to repeal the rule issued by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration entitled ``Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination and Planning Area Reform''; H.R. 1726, the ``Coast Guard Improvement and Reform Act of 2017''; H.R. 1093, to require the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Transit Authority to provide appropriate Congressional notice of safety audits conducted with respect to railroads and rail transit agencies; H.R. 1665, to ensure that Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency considers severe local impact in making a recommendation to the President for a major disaster declaration; [[Page D365]] H.R. 1678, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act concerning the statute of limitations for actions to recover disaster or emergency assistance payments, and for other purposes; H.R. 1679, the ``FEMA Accountability, Modernization and Transparency Act of 2017''; H. Con. Res. 35, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition; H. Con. Res. 36, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby; and H.R. 455, to designate the United States courthouse located at 501 East Court Street in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''. H.R. 1346, H.R. 1726, H.R. 1678, H.R. 1679, H. Con. Res. 35, H. Con. Res. 36, and H.R. 455 were ordered reported, without amendment. H.R. 1093 and H.R. 1665 were ordered reported, as amended. LEGISLATIVE MEASURES Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on a draft of the ``Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017''; H.R. 91, the ``Building Supportive Networks for Women Veterans Act''; H.R. 95, the ``Veterans' Access to Child Care Act''; H.R. 467, the ``VA Scheduling Accountability Act''; H.R. 907, the ``Newborn Care Improvement Act''; H.R. 918, the ``Veterans Urgent Access to Mental Health Care Act''; H.R. 1005, to improve the provision of adult day health care services for veterans; H.R. 1162, the ``No Hero Left Untreated Act''; H.R. 1545, to clarify VA's authority to disclose certain patient information to State controlled substance monitoring programs; and H.R. 1662, to prohibit smoking in any facility of the Veterans Health Administration. Testimony was heard from Chairman Roe of Tennessee, Representatives Walorski, Collins of Georgia, Coffman, Knight, and Kuster of New Hampshire; Jennifer S. Lee, M.D., Deputy Under Secretary, Health for Policy and Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; and public witnesses. Joint Meetings No joint committee meetings were held.