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 Department of Interior was published in the Daily Digest section on pages D1049-D1052 on Oct. 4, 2017.
The Department oversees more than 500 million acres of land. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the department has contributed to a growing water crisis and holds many lands which could be better managed.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Committee Meetings
(Committees not listed did not meet)
EQUIFAX CYBERSECURITY BREACH
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Equifax cybersecurity breach, after receiving testimony from Richard F. Smith, formerly of Equifax, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia.
2018 BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Committee began consideration of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018, but did not complete action thereon, and will meet again at 11 a.m., on Thursday, October 5, 2017.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:
S. 1885, to support the development of highly automated vehicle safety technologies, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1872, to authorize the programs of the Transportation Security Administration relating to transportation security, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1015, to require the Federal Communications Commission to study the feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
The nominations of Ann Marie Buerkle, of New York, to be Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and to be a Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Howard R. Elliott, of Indiana, to be Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, and Walter G. Copan, of Colorado, to be Under Secretary for Standards and Technology, Timothy Gallaudet, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere, and David J. Redl, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, all of the Department of Commerce.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of Bruce J. Walker, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, and Steven E. Winberg, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, both of the Department of Energy.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Michael Dourson, of Ohio, to be Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances, who was introduced by Representative Chabot, and Matthew Z. Leopold, of Florida, who was introduced by Representative Dunn, David Ross, of Wisconsin, who was introduced by Senator Barrasso, and William L. Wehrum, of Delaware, who was introduced by Senator Inhofe, each to be an Assistant Administrator, all of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Jeffery Martin Baran, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Finance: Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill entitled, ``Keep Kids' Insurance Dependable and Secure (KIDS) Act of 2017''.
PERSONNEL DEPARTURE FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY IN CUBA
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee received a closed briefing regarding the ordered departure of personnel from the United States Embassy in Havana, Cuba from Christian J. Schurman, Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director for International Programs, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, John S. Creamer, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Charles Rosenfarb, Medical Director, Bureau of Medical Services, all of the Department of State; and an official of the intelligence community.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Samuel Dale Brownback, of Kansas, to be Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, who was introduced by former Representative Frank R. Wolf, and Michele Jeanne Sison, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti, both of the Department of State, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
FUTURE OF IRAQ'S MINORITIES
Committee on Foreign Relations: Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues concluded a hearing to examine the future of Iraq's minorities, focusing on what's next after ISIS, after receiving testimony from former Representative Frank R. Wolf, 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, Falls Church, Virginia; and Denise Natali, National Defense University Institute for National Strategic Studies, Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:
S. 146, to strengthen accountability for deployment of border security technology at the Department of Homeland Security;
S. 1887, to grant expedited hiring authority to the head of an agency to appoint college graduates and post-secondary students, with an amendment;
S. 1886, to amend subchapter I of chapter 31 of title 5, United States Code, to authorize agencies to make noncompetitive temporary and term appointments in the competitive service, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1888, to amend title 5, United States Code, to increase the maximum amount of a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment and to include an annual adjustment in accordance with the Consumer Price Index, with an amendment;
S. 1847, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that the needs of children are considered in homeland security, trafficking, and disaster recovery planning, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1867, to amend title 40, United States Code, to eliminate the sunset of certain provisions relating to information technology, to amend the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 to extend the sunset relating to the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative;
S. 1884, to provide for joint reports by relevant Federal agencies to Congress regarding incidents of terrorism, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1281, to establish a bug bounty pilot program within the Department of Homeland Security, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1769, to require a new or updated Federal website that is intended for use by the public to be mobile friendly, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1869, to reauthorize and rename the position of Whistleblower Ombudsman to be the Whistleblower Protection Coordinator;
S. 1305, to provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection with adequate flexibility in its employment authorities, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1791, to amend the Act of August 25, 1958, commonly known as the
``Former Presidents Act of 1958'', with respect to the monetary allowance payable to a former President;
H.R. 3210, to require the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau to submit a report on the backlog of personnel security clearance investigations, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
H.R. 70, to amend the Federal Advisory Committee Act to increase the transparency of Federal advisory committees; and
The nomination of John Marshall Mitnick, of Virginia, to be General Counsel, Department of Homeland Security.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Cheryl Marie Stanton, of South Carolina, to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, who was introduced by Senator Scott, and David G. Zatezalo, of West Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health, both of the Department of Labor, and Peter B. Robb, of Vermont, to be General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported S. 943, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an accurate comprehensive student count for the purposes of calculating formula allocations for programs under the Johnson-O'Malley Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
INDIAN GAMING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine Indian gaming, focusing on new issues and opportunities for success in the next 30 years, after receiving testimony from Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission, and John Tahsuda III, Acting Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, both of the Department of the Interior; Keeny Escalanti, Sr., Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, Yuma, Arizona; Harold Frank, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Crandon, Wisconsin; Leonard Forsman, Suquamish Tribe, Suquamish, Washington; and Ernest Stevens, Jr., National Indian Gaming Association, Washington, D.C.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Stephanos Bibas, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Toomey, Liles Clifton Burke, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, who was introduced by Senators Shelby and Strange, Michael Joseph Juneau, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, who was introduced by Senator Cassidy, A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina, who was introduced by Senator Scott, Tilman Eugene Self III, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, who was introduced by Senators Isakson and Perdue, and John C. Demers, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
EQUIFAX
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law concluded a hearing to examine Equifax, focusing on continuing to monitor data-broker cybersecurity, after receiving testimony from Richard F. Smith, formerly of Equifax, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia; Jamie Winterton, Arizona State University Global Security Initiative, Tempe; and Tyler Moore, The University of Tulsa Tandy School of Computer Science, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Melissa Sue Glynn, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary (Enterprise Integration), Cheryl L. Mason, of Virginia, to be Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, and Randy Reeves, of Mississippi, to be Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, all of the Department of Veterans Affairs, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to receive a briefing on certain intelligence matters from officials of the intelligence community.
ROBOCALLS
Special Committee on Aging: Committee concluded a hearing to examine efforts to combat robocalls, after receiving testimony from Lois Greisman, Associate Director, Division of Marketing Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission; Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Harrisburg; Kevin Rupy, USTelecom, Washington, D.C.; and Genie Barton, BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Arlington, Virginia.
