[Daily Digest]
[Pages D813-D816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
USDA REORGANIZATION PROPOSAL
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Committee concluded 
a hearing to examine a review of the USDA reorganization proposal, 
after receiving testimony from Stephen Alexander Vaden, Deputy 
Secretary of Agriculture.
AI AND CAPITAL AND INSURANCE MARKETS
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on 
Securities, Insurance, and Investment concluded a hearing to examine 
guardrails and growth, focusing on AI's role in capital and insurance 
markets, after receiving testimony from Kevin Kalinich, Aon, Chicago, 
Illinois; Tal Cohen, Nasdaq, New York, New York; and David Cox, 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology IBM Watson AI Lab, Yorktown 
Heights, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 2314, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task 
force regarding shark depredation;
  S. 2318, to amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Act to require the periodic update to the strategic plan to guide the 
Manufacturing USA Program to align with the mandatory updates to the 
National Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 2351, to supplement existing lease authorities available to the 
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to 
support research, education, and training, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute; and
  The nominations of Neil Jacobs, of North Carolina, to be Under 
Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, Taylor Jordan, of the District of 
Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of 
Commerce, Paul Roberti, of Rhode Island, to be Administrator of the 
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Jonathan 
Morrison, of California, to be Administrator of the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration, Michael Rutherford, of Florida, to be an 
Assistant Secretary, Gregory Zerzan, of Texas, to be General Counsel, 
and Derek Barrs, of Florida, to be Administrator of the Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Administration, all of the Department of Transportation, 
and a promotion list in the Coast Guard.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably 
reported the nominations of Lanny Erdos, of Ohio, to be Director of the 
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and Audrey 
Robertson, of Colorado, to be an Assistant Secretary (Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy), and Timothy John Walsh, of Colorado, to be an 
Assistant Secretary (Environmental Management), both of the Department 
of Energy.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the nominations of Jason Evans, of Texas, to be an Under Secretary 
(Management), Thomas Rose, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Poland, and Peter Lamelas, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the 
Argentine Republic, all of the Department of State.
U.S.-AFRICA PARTNERSHIPS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Africa and Global 
Health Policy concluded a hearing to

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examine finding opportunities for U.S.-Africa partnerships, after 
receiving testimony from Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau 
of African Affairs, and Scott Woodward, Acting Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment, both of the 
Department of State.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee 
ordered favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 854, to amend title 31, United States Code, to establish the Life 
Sciences Research Security Board;
  S. 855, to require executive branch employees to report certain 
royalties;
  S. 269, to improve coordination between Federal and State agencies 
and the Do Not Pay working system;
  S. 81, to require a guidance clarity statement on certain agency 
guidance, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 861, to streamline the sharing of information among Federal 
disaster assistance agencies, to expedite the delivery of life-saving 
assistance to disaster survivors, to speed the recovery of communities 
from disasters, to protect the security and privacy of information 
provided by disaster survivors;
  S. 766, to require an annual report of taxpayer-funded projects that 
are over budget and behind schedule;
  S. 872, to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency 
Act of 2006 to ensure that other transaction agreements are reported to 
USAspending.gov;
  S. 727, to correct the inequitable denial of enhanced retirement and 
annuity benefits to certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
Officers, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 874, to ensure that whistleblowers, including contractors, are 
protected from retaliation when a Federal employee orders a reprisal, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 594, to amend the Post-Katrina Management Reform Act of 2006 to 
repeal certain obsolete requirements, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute;
  S. 865, to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require 
certain disclosures by registrants regarding exemptions under the 
Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended;
  S. 856, to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to clarify a 
provision relating to certain contents of registrations under that Act;
  S. 850, to amend the Northern Border Security Review Act to require 
updates to the northern border threat analysis and the northern border 
strategy;
  S. 848, to provide for joint reports by relevant Federal agencies to 
Congress regarding incidents of terrorism;
  S. 572, to enhance the effectiveness of the Shadow Wolves Program; to 
be immediately followed by a Committee ordered favorably reported to 
consider, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1498, to amend chapter 131 of title 5, United States Code, to 
prohibit transactions involving certain financial instruments by 
Members of Congress, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; 
and
  The nominations of Pedro Allende, of Florida, to be Under Secretary 
for Science and Technology, and Sean Plankey, of Pennsylvania, to be 
Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, both 
of the Department of Homeland Security, Christopher Fox, of Virginia, 
to be Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence, and Edward Aloysius O'Connell, of 
the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior 
Court of the District of Columbia.
THE REGULATORY LANDSCAPE
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee 
on Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs 
concluded a hearing to examine Loper Bright, focusing on Congress's 
role in the regulatory landscape, after receiving testimony from former 
Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz, Bipartisan Policy Center, Susan E. 
Dudley, George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public 
Policy and Public Administration Regulatory Studies Center, and Chad 
Squitieri, Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law, all 
of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered 
favorably reported the following business items:
  S. 2292, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise 
and extend the user fee program for over-the-counter monograph drugs, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1440, to amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to 
include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of 
the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave 
provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of 
the Army (or their beneficiaries);
  S. 2398, to reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2301, to reauthorize certain programs regarding rural health care;

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  S. 1728, to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 
to expand the membership of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare 
and Pension Benefit Plans to include representatives of employee 
ownership organizations, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute; and
  S. 2403, to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 
to provide a clear definition of adequate consideration for certain 
closely held stock, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
the nominations of Joshua D. Dunlap, of Maine, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the First Circuit, who was introduced by Senator 
Collins, Eric Chunyee Tung, of California, to be United States Circuit 
Judge for the Ninth Circuit, William W. Mercer, to be United States 
District Judge for the District of Montana, who was introduced by 
Senator Daines, and Stephen Chad Meredith, to be United States District 
Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky, who was introduced by 
Senator McConnell, after the nominees testified and answered questions 
in their own behalf.
AMERICANS' ONLINE DATA
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and 
the Law concluded a hearing to examine protecting and safeguarding 
Americans' online data, after receiving testimony from Kate Goodloe, 
Business Software Alliance, Paul Martino, Main Street Privacy 
Coalition, Joel Thayer, Digital Progress Institute, and Alan Butler, 
Electronic Privacy Information Center, all of Washington, D.C.; and 
Samuel Levine, Berkeley Center for Consumer Law and Economic Justice, 
New York, New York.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported 
the following business items:
  S. 275, to improve the provision of care and services under the 
Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 506, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a 
pilot program to coordinate, navigate, and manage care and benefits for 
veterans enrolled in both the Medicare program and the system of annual 
patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 607, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an 
integrated project team to improve the process for scheduling 
appointments for health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 610, to expand the VetSuccess on Campus program of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs;
  S. 635, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recognize nurse registries for 
purposes of the Veterans Community Care Program, with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute;
  S. 654, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an 
external provider scheduling program to assist the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under 
the Veterans Community Care Program, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute;
  S. 702, to require a study on the quality of care difference between 
mental health and addiction therapy care provided by health care 
providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs compared to non-
Department providers;
  S. 778, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation 
space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 787, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a 
commission to review operations at the Veterans Health Administration 
and submit to Congress reports with respect to that review, and for 
other programs, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 800, to modify the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute;
  S. 827, to extend and modify the transportation grant program of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 831, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve telephone communication by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 879, to expand medical, employment, and other benefits for 
individuals serving as family caregivers for certain veterans, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 972, to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs repays members of the Armed Forces for 
certain contributions made by such members towards Post-9/11 
Educational Assistance, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute;
  S. 1139, to amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental 
Health Care Improvement

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Act of 2019 to modify and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon 
Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1245, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand health care 
and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for military 
sexual trauma, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1318, to direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to 
establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried 
in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that 
incorrectly represent their religion and heritage;
  S. 1320, to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to 
menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, with amendments;
  S. 1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal 
Access, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1441, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants 
to nonprofit entities to assist such entities in carrying out programs 
to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute;
  S. 1533, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and 
codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability 
examinations, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 1591, to amend title 38, United States Code, to reorganize the 
acquisition structure of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to 
establish the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the 
Department, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
  S. 2392, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2025, the rates of 
compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the 
rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of 
certain disabled veterans; and
  S. 2393, to authorize a major medical facility project for the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026 in St. Louis, 
Missouri.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to 
receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of 
the intelligence community.
COMBATING ELDER ABUSE
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 
awareness to action, focusing on combating elder abuse and neglect, 
after receiving testimony from Maricela Morado, Area Agency on Aging 
for Southwest Florida, Fort Myers; Nelson Bunn, National District 
Attorneys Association, Arlington, Virginia; Sean Voskuhl, AARP, Edmond, 
Oklahoma; and Lori Smetanka, National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-
Term Care, Washington, D.C.