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 in the Daily Digest section section on pages D587-D589 on May 25.
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)
APPROPRIATIONS: FBI
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2023 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after receiving testimony from Christopher A. Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice.
APPROPRIATIONS: USAID
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs concluded a hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2023 for the United States Agency for International Development, after receiving testimony from Samantha Power, Administrator, United States Agency for International Development.
RURAL HOUSING SERVICE
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development concluded a hearing to examine the Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service, including S. 2092, to permanently authorize the Native Community Development Financial Institutions lending program of the Department of Agriculture, after receiving testimony from Xochitl Torres Small, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Committee ordered favorably reported the following business items:
S. 4101, to require the Secretary of Commerce to provide training and guidance relating to human rights abuses, including such abuses perpetrated against the Uyghur population by the Government of the People's Republic of China;
S. 4109, to authorize the development of a national strategy for the research and development of distributed ledger technologies and their applications, to authorize awards to support research on distributed ledger technologies and their applications, and to authorize an applied research project on distributed ledger technologies in commerce, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 4217, to ensure transparent and competitive transportation fuel markets in order to protect consumers from unwarranted price increases, with amendments;
S. 4237, to establish and maintain a coordinated program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that improves wildfire, fire weather, fire risk, and smoke related forecasting, detection, modeling, observations, and service delivery, and to address growing needs in the wildland-urban interface, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
S. 4246, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program to provide grants related to advance air mobility infrastructure, with amendments.
WATER AND POWER LEGISLATION
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power concluded a hearing to examine S. 737, to establish a Federal cost share percentage for the Milk River Project in the State of Montana, S. 953, to provide for drought preparedness and improved water supply reliability, S. 1179, to provide financial assistance for projects to address certain subsidence impacts in the State of California, S. 1554, to make certain irrigation districts eligible for Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program pumping power, S. 2334, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to provide grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for large-scale water recycling and reuse projects, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to make certain modifications to the Cooperative Watershed Management Program, to provide emergency drought funding, S. 2693, to amend the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 to authorize additional projects related to the Salton Sea, S. 3450, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct, operate, and maintain facilities in the Sun River project, Montana, for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation, S. 3539, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out watershed pilots, S. 3693 and H.R. 5001, bills to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to continue to implement endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins, S. 3971, to amend the America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 to modify a provision relating to cost-sharing requirements applicable to certain Bureau of Reclamation dams and dikes, S. 4175, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to authorize certain extraordinary operation and maintenance work for urban canals of concern, S. 4176, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to modify the eligibility requirements for certain small water storage and groundwater storage projects and to authorize the use of funds for certain additional Carey Act projects, S. 4231, to support water infrastructure in Reclamation States, and other purposes, S. 4232, to address the recovery of certain costs with respect to certain Reclamation facilities in the Colorado River Basin, S. 4233, to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to provide for critical maintenance and repair of certain Bureau of Reclamation reserved or transferred works, and S. 4236, to provide for a national water data framework, to provide for the water security of the Rio Grande Basin, to reauthorize irrigation infrastructure grants, after receiving testimony from Senators Tester, Feinstein, and Padilla; and Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior.
NOMINATION
Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of Joseph Goffman, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, after the nominee, who was introduced by Senator Casey, testified and answered questions in his own behalf.
JCPOA NEGOTIATIONS
Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the JCPOA negotiations and United States' policy on Iran moving forward, after receiving testimony from Robert Malley, Special Envoy for Iran, Department of State; and Karim Sadjadpour, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Mark Dubowitz, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, both of Washington, D.C.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee ordered favorably reported the following bills:
S. 4000, to require the establishment of cybersecurity information sharing agreements between the Department of Homeland Security and Congress, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 4128, to require the Comptroller General of the United States to provide certain information with respect to unimplemented priority recommendations as part of the Comptroller General's annual reporting to Congress, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 4166, to authorize preparedness programs to support communities containing technological hazards and emerging threats, with an amendment;
S. 471, to allow Members of Congress to opt out of the Federal Employees Retirement System, and allow Members who opt out of the Federal Employees Retirement System to continue to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan;
S. 4057, to develop a comprehensive, strategic plan for Federal electric vehicle fleet battery management, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 3905, to prevent organizational conflicts of interest in Federal acquisition, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 4167, to improve performance and accountability in the Federal Government;
S. 3552, to provide an increased allocation of funding under certain programs for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 1116, to amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to create a presumption that a disability or death of a Federal employee in fire protection activities caused by any of certain diseases is the result of the performance of such employees duty, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 4205, to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish a working group relating to best practices and Federal guidance for animals in emergencies and disasters, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 4243, to establish the Department of Homeland Security Trade and Economic Security Council and the position of Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security within the Department of Homeland Security, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute;
S. 4254, to amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to clarify a provision relating to certain contents of registrations under that Act;
H.R. 5343, to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress on case management personnel turnover of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
H.R. 2142, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 170 Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo, New York, as the
``Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building''.
BUSINESS MEETING
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of LaWanda Amaker Toney, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach, and Nasser H. Paydar, of Indiana, to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, both of the Department of Education, and Rita M. Landgraf, of Delaware, to be Assistant Secretary for Aging, Department of Health and Human Services.
NOMINATION
Committee on Indian Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nomination of Roselyn Tso, of Oregon, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, after the nominee testified and answered questions in her own behalf.
NOMINATIONS
Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Sarah A.L. Merriam, of Connecticut, to be United States Circuit Court Judge for the Second Circuit, who was introduced by Senators Murphy and Blumenthal, Lara E. Montecalvo, of Rhode Island, to be United States Circuit Court Judge for the First Circuit, who was introduced by Senator Whitehouse, Tiffany M. Cartwright, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington, who was introduced by Senator Murray, Nina Nin-Yuen Wang, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado, who was introduced by Senator Bennet, and Steven M. Dettelbach, of Ohio, to be Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, who was introduced by Senator Brown, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
INTELLIGENCE
Select Committee on Intelligence: Committee held closed hearings on intelligence matters, receiving testimony from officials of the intelligence community.
Committee recessed subject to the call.
