Volume 167, No. 55 covering the 1st Session of the 117th Congress (2021 - 2022) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Senate Committee Meetings” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Daily Digest section on pages D296-D298 on March 24.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
DOD CYBER OPERATIONS
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity received a closed briefing on Department of Defense cyber operations from Mieke Eoyang, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy, Office of the Under Secretary for Policy, Jeffrey R. Jones, Vice Director, Command, Control, Communications and Computers/Cyber, Joint Staff, J-6, Major General Kevin B. Kennedy, Jr., USAF, Director of Operations, United States Cyber Command, and Rear Admiral Jeffrey J. Czerewko, USN, Deputy Director, Global Operations, J39, Joint Staff, J-3, all of the Department of Defense.
SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded a hearing to examine sexual assault in the military, including how continued Congressional oversight and an additional focus on prevention could aid the Department of Defense's efforts in this area, after receiving testimony from Brenda S. Farrell, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, Government Accountability Office; Eugene R. Fidell, Yale Law School and New York University Law School, New Haven, Connecticut; Colonel Don Christensen, USAF (Ret.), Protect our Defenders, Alexandria, Virginia; Colonel Lawrence J. Morris, USA
(Ret.), The Catholic University Of America, Washington, D.C.; Natalie Khawam, Whistleblower Law Firm, Tampa, Florida; Amy Braley Franck, Never Alone; Quinton M. McNair, USA (Ret.); and Amy Marsh.
CARES ACT
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the quarterly CARES Act report to Congress, after receiving testimony from Janet L. Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury; and Jerome H. Powell, Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered favorably reported the nomination of Polly Ellen Trottenberg, of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and a routine list in the Coast Guard.
REBUILDING AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a hearing to examine rebuilding America's transportation infrastructure, after receiving testimony from John D. Porcari, former Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Cheverly, Maryland; Mayor Toby Barker, Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Douglas R. Hooker, Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta, Georgia; and Mark McAndrews, Port of Pascagoula, Pascagoula, Mississippi.
WESTERN WATER MANAGEMENT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power concluded a hearing to examine the viability of incorporating natural infrastructure in western water management and policy to support economic development, protect watershed health, and build more resilient communities, after receiving testimony from Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Bobby Cochran, Willamette Partnership, Portland, Oregon, Troy Larson, Lewis and Clark Regional Water System, Tea, South Dakota; and Holly Richter, The Nature Conservancy, Hereford, Arizona.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:
S. 400, to designate the headquarters building of the Department of Transportation located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, in Washington, DC, as the ``William T. Coleman, Jr., Federal Building''; and
The nominations of Brenda Mallory, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality, and Janet Garvin McCabe, of Indiana, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page D296, March 24, 2021, the following language appears: BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items: S. 914, to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize programs under those Acts, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; S. 400, to designate the headquarters building of the Department of Transportation located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, in Washington, DC, as the ``William T. Coleman, Jr., Federal Building''; and The nominations of Brenda Mallory, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality, and Janet Garvin McCabe, of Indiana, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Online and Printed Record have been corrected to read: BUSINESS MEETING Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items: S. 400, to designate the headquarters building of the Department of Transportation located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, in Washington, DC, as the ``William T. Coleman, Jr., Federal Building''; and The nominations of Brenda Mallory, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Council on Environmental Quality, and Janet Garvin McCabe, of Indiana, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
========================= END NOTE =========================
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:
S. 615, to establish an interagency program to assist countries in North Africa and West Africa to improve immediate and long-term capabilities to counter terrorist threats, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 335, to reauthorize the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act of 1998;
S. Res. 22, reaffirming the partnership between the United States and the Republic of Ecuador and recognizing the restoration and advancement of economic relations, security, and development opportunities in both nations;
S. Res. 37, expressing solidarity with the San Isidro Movement in Cuba, condemning escalated attacks against artistic freedoms in Cuba, and calling for the repeal of laws that violate freedom of expression and the immediate release of arbitrarily detained artists, journalists, and activists, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 44, denouncing the Maduro regime's fraudulent legislative elections, the absence of acceptable conditions to ensure free, fair, and transparent electoral processes in Venezuela, and the further erosion of Venezuelan democracy;
S. Res. 81, honoring Las Damas de Blanco, a women-led nonviolent movement in support of freedom and human rights in Cuba, and calling for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba;
S. Res. 120, recognizing the Ninth Summit of the Americas and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to a more prosperous, secure, and democratic Western Hemisphere;
S. Res. 34, recognizing the 200th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States;
S. Res. 117, expressing support for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, or the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent agreements and arrangements for implementation to support peace on the island of Ireland, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 35, condemning the military coup that took place on February 1, 2021, in Burma and the Burmese military's detention of civilian leaders, calling for an immediate and unconditional release of all those detained and for those elected to serve in parliament to resume their duties without impediment, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 36, reaffirming the strategic partnership between the United States and Mongolia and recognizing the 30th anniversary of democracy in Mongolia, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 99, observing the 10th anniversary of the uprising in Syria;
S. Res. 97, calling on the Government of Ethiopia, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, and other belligerents to cease all hostilities, protect human rights, allow unfettered humanitarian access, and cooperate with independent investigations of credible atrocity allegations pertaining to the conflict in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. Res. 114, commending the United States African Development Foundation on the occasion of its 40th anniversary for creating pathways to prosperity for underserved communities on the African continent through community-led development; and
S. Res. 122, reaffirming the importance of United States alliances and partnerships, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the state of democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean, after receiving testimony from Secretary General Luis Almagro, Organization of American States, Deborah Ullmer, National Democratic Institute, and Ryan C. Berg, American Enterprise Institute, all of Washington, D.C.
NATIONAL RESPONSE ENTERPRISE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight concluded a hearing to examine the National Response Enterprise, focusing on preparing for future crises, after receiving testimony from General Joseph L. Votel, USA (Ret.), Business Executives for National Security, and Kristi M. Rogers, Principal to Principal LLC, both of Washington, D.C.; W. Craig Fugate, former Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Gainesville, Florida; and Michael Capps, Diveplane Corporation, Raleigh, North Carolina.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of Cynthia Minette Marten, of California, to be Deputy Secretary of Education, after the nominee, who was introduced by former Representative Susan Davis, testified and answered questions in her own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the following bills:
S. 421, to amend the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 to expand the Indian reservation drinking water program; and
S. 789, to repeal certain obsolete laws relating to Indians.
NATIVE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine water infrastructure needs for Native communities, after receiving testimony from Raymond Tsumpti, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Warm Springs, Oregon; Amelia Flores, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Parker, Arizona; Valerie Nurr'Araaluk Davidson, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage; and Jason John, Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, Ft. Defiance, Arizona.
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1, to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, after receiving testimony from former Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., National Democratic Redistricting Committee, Washington, D.C.; Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lansing; West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, Charleston; Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Indianapolis; Lee E. Goodman, former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, Trevor Potter, Campaign Legal Center, Fred Wertheimer, Democracy 21, and Tiffany Muller, End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund, all of Washington, D.C.; Michael Waldman, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, New York, New York; and Bradley A. Smith, Institute for Free Speech, Columbus, Ohio.
SBA'S COVID-19 RELIEF PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine Small Business Administration's COVID-
19 relief programs, including S. 723, to amend the Small Business Act and the CARES Act to extend the covered period for the paycheck protection program, after receiving testimony from Patrick Kelly, Associate Administrator, Office of Capital Access, James Rivera, Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Assistance, Hannibal Ware, Inspector General, all of the Small Business Administration; and William B. Shear, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government Accountability Office.
VETERANS' MENTAL HEALTH AND THE HANNON ACT
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine veterans' mental health and implementation of the Hannon Act, focusing on coping during COVID, after receiving testimony from David Carroll, Executive Director, and Lisa K. Kearney, Acting Director, Veterans Crisis Line, Deputy Director, and Matthew A. Miller, Director, both of Suicide Prevention, Clifford A. Smith, Director, Field Support and Analytics, all of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs; Chad Bradford, Director, Mental Health Policy and Oversight, and Karin A. Orvis, Director, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, both of the Department of Defense; Tammy Barlet, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and Tom Porter, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, both of Washington, D.C.; and Lieutenant Colonel James Lorraine, USAF (Ret.), America's Warrior Partnership, Augusta, Georgia.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence community.
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