“Senate Committee Meetings” published by Congressional Record on Sept. 26, 2018

Volume 164, No. 159 covering the 2nd Session of the 115th Congress (2017 - 2018) 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 D1057-D1060 on Sept. 26, 2018.

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)

CYBER OPERATIONAL READINESS

Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Personnel concluded open and closed hearings with the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity to examine the cyber operational readiness of the Department of Defense, after receiving testimony from Essye B. Miller, Principal Deputy, Chief Information Officer, Lieutenant General Vincent R. Stewart, USMC, Deputy Commander, United States Cyber Command, Lieutenant General Stephen G. Fogarty, USA, Commander, United States Army Cyber Command, and Brigadier General Dennis A. Crall, USMC, Principal Deputy Cyber Advisor and Senior Military Advisor for Cyber Policy, all of the Department of Defense.

CONSUMER DATA PRIVACY

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a hearing to examine safeguards for consumer data privacy, after receiving testimony from Leonard Cali, AT&T, and Rachel Welch, Charter Communications, both of Washington, D.C.; Andrew DeVore, Amazon.com, Inc., Seattle, Washington; Keith Enright, Google, and Damien Kieran, Twitter, Inc., both of San Francisco, California; and Bud Tribble, Apple, Cupertino, California.

GLOBAL SPACE RACE

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competiveness concluded a hearing to examine the global space race, focusing on ensuring the United States remains the leader in space, after receiving testimony from James F. Bridenstine, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

CLEANING UP THE OCEANS

Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to examine cleaning up the oceans, focusing on reducing the impact of man-made trash on the environment, wildlife, and human health, after receiving testimony from Jonathan Baillie, National Geographic Society, and Cal Dooley, American Chemistry Council, both of Washington, D.C.; Bruce Karas, Coca-Cola Company North America, Atlanta, Georgia; and Kara Lavender Law, Sea Education Association, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

IMPACT OF TARIFFS ON THE U.S. AUTO INDUSTRY

Committee on Finance: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the impact of tariffs on the United States automotive industry, after receiving testimony from H. David Britt, County of Spartanburg, Spartanburg, South Carolina; Steve Gates, Gates Auto Family, Richmond, Kentucky, on behalf of the American International Automobile Dealers Association; Michael Haughey, North American Stamping Group, Portland, Tennessee; Josh Nassar, United Auto Workers, Detroit, Michigan; and Rick Schostek, Honda North America, Inc., Marysville, Ohio.

BUSINESS MEETING

Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:

S. 1862, to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to modify the criteria for determining whether countries are meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

H.R. 2200, to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 2736, to develop a long-term strategic vision and a comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States policy for the Indo-Pacific region, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3233, to impose sanctions with respect to persons responsible for violence and human rights abuses in Nicaragua, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

H.R. 600, to promote Internet access in developing countries and update foreign policy toward the Internet, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

H.R. 1677, to halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people, encourage a negotiated political settlement, and hold Syrian human rights abusers accountable for their crimes, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3257, to impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for serious violations of international law regarding the protection of civilians during armed conflict, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3476, to extend certain authorities relating to United States efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria globally;

S. Res. 435, expressing the sense of the Senate that the 85th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as the Holodomor, should serve as a reminder of repressive Soviet policies against the people of Ukraine;

S. Res. 481, calling upon the leadership of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to dismantle its labor camp system, with an amendment;

S. Res. 602, supporting the agreement between Prime Minister Tsipras of Greece and Prime Minister Zaev of Macedonia to resolve longstanding bilateral disputes, with amendments;

S. Res. 634, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift and honoring the veterans of Operation Vittles, with an amendment; and

The nominations of Francisco Luis Palmieri, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Honduras, Department of State, and Senators Johnson and Merkley, both to be a Representative to the Seventy-third Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

NOMINATIONS

Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Craig Lewis Cloud, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Botswana, Michael Peter Pelletier, of Maine, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Union of the Comoros, Dennis B. Hankins, of Minnesota, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mali, Robert K. Scott, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi, Simon Henshaw, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea, Eric Williams Stromayer, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Togolese Republic, Lucy Tamlyn, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Central African Republic, and Dennis Walter Hearne, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique, all of the Department of State, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.

BUSINESS MEETING

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:

S. 3405, to reauthorize the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program of the Department of Homeland Security, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3137, to provide for reforming agencies of the Federal Government to improve efficiency and effectiveness, with an amendment;

S. 3208, to provide agencies with discretion in securing information technology and information systems, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3487, to amend the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to improve the orderly transfer of the executive power during Presidential transitions, with an amendment;

S. 3050, to improve executive agency digital services, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3484, to modernize Federal grant reporting, with an amendment;

S. 278, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for innovative research and development, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3085, to establish a Federal Acquisition Security Council and to provide executive agencies with authorities relating to mitigating supply chain risks in the procurement of information technology, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3437, to establish a Federal rotational cyber workforce program for the Federal cyber workforce, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3251, to require executive agencies to consider rental in any analysis for equipment acquisition;

S. 3309, to authorize cyber incident response teams at the Department of Homeland Security, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3191, to provide for the expeditious disclosure of records related to civil rights cold cases, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 594, to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to work with cybersecurity consortia for training, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 3209, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 413 Washington Avenue in Belleville, New Jersey, as the ``Private Henry Svehla Post Office Building'';

S. 3237, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 120 12th Street Lobby in Columbus, Georgia, as the

``Richard W. Williams Chapter of the Triple Nickles (555th P.I.A.) Post Office'';

S. 3414, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 20 Ferry Road in Saunderstown, Rhode Island, as the

``Captain Matthew J. August Post Office'';

S. 3442, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 105 Duff Street in Macon, Missouri, as the ``Arla W. Harrell Post Office'';

H.R. 50, to provide for additional safeguards with respect to imposing Federal mandates; with an amendment;

H.R. 2196, to amend title 5, United States Code, to allow whistleblowers to disclose information to certain recipients;

H.R. 1132, to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for a 2-

year prohibition on employment in a career civil service position for any former political appointee, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

H.R. 6439, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Department of Homeland Security the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program, with an amendment;

H.R. 5206, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Office of Biometric Identity Management, with an amendment;

H.R. 606, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1025 Nevin Avenue in Richmond, California, as the

``Harold D. McCraw, Sr., Post Office Building'';

H.R. 1209, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 901 N. Francisco Avenue, Mission, Texas, as the

``Mission Veterans Post Office Building'';

H.R. 2979, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 390 West 5th Street in San Bernardino, California, as the ``Jack H. Brown Post Office Building'';

H.R. 3230, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 915 Center Avenue in Payette, Idaho, as the ``Harmon Killebrew Post Office Building'';

H.R. 4407, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3s101 Rockwell Street in Warrenville, Illinois, as the ``Corporal Jeffery Allen Williams Post Office Building'';

H.R. 4890, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9801 Apollo Drive in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, as the ``Wayne K. Curry Post Office Building'';

H.R. 4913, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 816 East Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury, Maryland, as the ``Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner Post Office Building'';

H.R. 4946, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1075 North Tustin Street in Orange, California, as the ``Specialist Trevor A. Win'E Post Office'';

H.R. 4960, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 511 East Walnut Street in Columbia, Missouri, as the

``Spc. Sterling William Wyatt Post Office Building'';

H.R. 5349, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1325 Autumn Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, as the

``Judge Russell B. Sugarmon Post Office Building'';

H.R. 5504, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4801 West Van Giesen Street in West Richland, Washington, as the ``Sergeant Dietrich Schmieman Post Office Building'';

H.R. 5737, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 108 West D Street in Alpha, Illinois, as the

``Captain Joshua E. Steele Post Office'';

H.R. 5784, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 North Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shall be known and designated as the ``Vel R. Phillips Post Office Building'';

H.R. 5868, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 530 Claremont Avenue in Ashland, Ohio, as the ``Bill Harris Post Office'';

H.R. 5935, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1355 North Meridian Road in Harristown, Illinois, as the ``Logan S. Palmer Post Office'';

H.R. 6116, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 362 North Ross Street in Beaverton, Michigan, as the

``Colonel Alfred Asch Post Office''; and

The nomination of Peter Gaynor, of Rhode Island, to be Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.

TOXIC PFAS CHEMICAL CRISIS

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management concluded a hearing to examine the Federal role in the toxic PFAS chemical crisis, including the status of Department of Defense efforts to address drinking water contaminants used in firefighting foam, after receiving testimony from Peter C. Grevatt, Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, Environmental Protection Agency; Maureen Sullivan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Environment); Linda S. Birnbaum, Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Brian J. Lepore, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, Government Accountability Office; Andrea Amico, Testing for Pease, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Arnie Leriche, Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board, Oskada, Michigan; and Timothy Putnam, Tidewater Federal Fire Fighters, Washington, D.C., on behalf of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

BUSINESS MEETING

Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:

S. 465, to provide for an independent outside audit of the Indian Health Service, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;

S. 2154, to approve the Kickapoo Tribe Water Rights Settlement Agreement, with an amendment; and

S. 2599, to provide for the transfer of certain Federal land in the State of Minnesota for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, with an amendment.

JUSTICE FOR NATIVE YOUTH

Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine justice for Native youth, focusing on the Government Accountability Office report on ``Native American Youth Involvement in Justice Systems and Information on Grants to Help Address Juvenile Delinquency'', after receiving testimony from Gretta L. Goodwin, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Government Accountability Office; Caren Harp, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice; John Tahsuda, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs; Abby Abinanti, Yurok Tribal Court, Klamath, California; and Addie C. Rolnick, University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law.

REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS SELECTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to examine S. 1010 and H.R. 1695, bills to amend title 17, United States Code, to provide additional responsibilities for the Register of Copyrights, after receiving testimony from Keith Kupferschmid, Copyright Alliance, and Jonathan Band, Georgetown University Law Center, both of Washington, D.C.

STATE OF THE VA

Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the state of the Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on a 60 day report, after receiving testimony from Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 164, No. 159