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 D791-D792 on July 11, 2018.
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)
CYBERSECURITY VULNERABILITIES
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee concluded a hearing to examine complex cybersecurity vulnerabilities, focusing on lessons learned from Spectre and Meltdown, after receiving testimony from Donna Dodson, Chief Cybersecurity Advisor, and Director, National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce; Jose-Marie Griffiths, Dakota State University, Madison, South Dakota; Joyce Kim, Arm, San Jose, California; Art Manion, Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Sri Sridharan, University of South Florida Center for Cybersecurity, Tampa.
RESTORE OUR PARKS ACT
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks concluded a hearing to examine S. 3172, to amend title 54, United States Code, to establish, fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, after receiving testimony from Senator Warner; Lena McDowall, Deputy Director, Management and Administration, National Park Service, Department of the Interior; Marcia Argust, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Kristen Brengel, National Parks Conservation Association, both of Washington, D.C.; and Holly Fretwell, Property and Environment Research Center, Bozeman, Montana.
FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE LOANS
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the long-term value to United States taxpayers of low-cost Federal infrastructure loans, after receiving testimony from Douglas Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum, Washington, D.C.; Brian Motyl, DelDOT, Dover, Delaware; and Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Water District, Fountain Valley, California.
PAID FAMILY LEAVE
Committee on Finance: Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy concluded a hearing to examine the importance of paid family leave for American working families, after receiving testimony from Senators Ernst and Gillibrand; Andrew G. Biggs, American Enterprise Institute, and Vicki Shabo, National Partnership for Women and Families, both of Washington, D.C.; and Carolyn O'Boyle, Deloitte Services LP, Boston, Massachusetts.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:
S. Res. 557, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the strategic importance of NATO to the collective security of the transatlantic region and urging its member states to work together at the upcoming summit to strengthen the alliance, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
A routine list in the Foreign Service.
WARRANTLESS SMARTPHONE SEARCHES
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management concluded a hearing to examine warrantless smartphone searches at the border, including S. 823, to ensure the digital contents of electronic equipment and online accounts belonging to or in the possession of United States persons entering or exiting the United States are adequately protected at the border, after receiving testimony from Laura K. Donohue, Georgetown University Law Center, Neema Singh Guliani, American Civil Liberties Union, and Matthew Feeney, Cato Institute, all of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported H.R. 597, to take lands in Sonoma County, California, into trust as part of the reservation of the Lytton Rancheria of California.
LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE RESERVATION RESTORATION ACT
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine 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, after receiving testimony from Leslie Weldon, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, Forest Service, Department of Agriculture; and Faron Jackson, Sr., Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Cass Lake, Minnesota.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Ryan Douglas Nelson, of Idaho, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Risch, Stephen R. Clark, Sr., to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, who was introduced by Senator Blunt, John M. O'Connor, to be United States District Judge for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma, who was introduced by Senator Lankford, Joshua Wolson, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who was introduced by Senators Toomey and Casey, and James W. Carroll, Jr., of Virginia, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
ELECTION SECURITY PREPARATIONS
Committee on Rules and Administration: Committee concluded a hearing to examine election security preparations, focusing on Federal and vendor perspectives, after receiving testimony from Thomas Hicks, Chair, and Christy McCormick, Vice Chair, both a Commissioner, United States Election Assistance Commission; Charles H. Romine, Director, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce; Matt Masterson, Senior Cybersecurity Advisor, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; Scott Leiendecker, KNOWiNK, St. Louis, Missouri; Peter Lichtenheld, Hart InterCivic, Inc., Austin, Texas; and Bryan Finney, U.S. Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Council, Snoqualmie, Washington.
BUSINESS MEETING
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee met in closed session to consider pending intelligence matters.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
