AP-Daybook-Wed-Congress-House

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AP WASHINGTON DAYBOOK, Wednesday, Feb. 26

CONGRESS-HOUSE

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NEW

9 a.m. CLOSED DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS MEETING — Stakeout is okay HVC-210 Alcove. No avail planned. Location: HVC-215

Location: HVC-215

10 a.m. REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP STAKEOUT — Time approximate. Speaker John Boehner (R-OH); Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA); Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA); Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA); Conference Vice Chair Lynn Jenkins (R-KS); Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam (R-IL).

Location: HC-8.

Contacts: Conference Communications Ofc, conferencepress@mail.house.gov, 202-226-9000

11 a.m. REP. FITZPATRICK - EXECUTIVE ORDERS — Congressman Fitzpatrick and Congressional Republicans will join Dr. Larry Kawa, a Florida orthodontist who's filed a ciivil lawsuit against the unilateral delay of the ACA's employer mandate, in urging President Obama to rein in his use of executive fiats which are "hurting businesses and families and usurping the traditional role of Congress in the legislative process."

Location: House Triangle.

Contacts: Aaron Clark, 215-579-8102

1:30 p.m. REP. CAMP - TAX REFORM PLAN — Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) will unveil draft legislation "to fix America's broken tax code by lowering tax rates while making the code simpler and fairer for families and job creators."

Location: HVC-110, Radio and TV Gallery, Studio A.

Contacts: n/a, 202-226-4774

Notes: There will be a 4:00 p.m. media briefing by tax policy staff on Wednesday, February 26 in Rayburn B-318. This briefing is limited to credentialed media, ID is required to gain entry.

2 p.m. DEMOCRATS - MINIMUM WAGE VOTE — House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn, and Members of Congress will hold a press event to announce a discharge petition on the minimum wage. Leader Pelosi and House Democratic Members will be joined by business owners and advocates who will call on Congress to RaiseTheWage to $10.10 and pass H.R. 1010, the Fair Minimum Wage Act.

Location: Capitol Visitor's Center, Gabe Zimmerman Room, HVC-215.

Contacts: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Notes: Camera crews must RSVP to Evangeline George at evangeline.george@mail.house.gov.

3 p.m. - 4 p.m. ITIF - TELEHEALTH — Realizing the Promise of Telehealth. Participants: Bill Johnson, United States Congress (OH-6); Doris Matsui, United States Congress (CA-6); Daniel Castro, Senior Analyst, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; Krista Drobac, Policy Advisor, DLA Piper; Kofi Jones, Vice President of Public Relations and Government Affairs, American Well. http://www.itif.org/events/realizing-promise-telehealth

Location: 334 Cannon.

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FLOOR SCHEDULE

UPDATED

10 a.m. — The House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. H.R. 3308 - Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2014, as amended (Suspension, 40 Minutes of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Billy Long / Oversight and Government Reform Committee) H.R. 3865 - Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2014 (Closed Rule, One Hour of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Dave Camp / Ways and Means Committee) Begin Consideration of H.R. 2804 - All Economic Regulations Are Transparent Act of 2014, Rules Committee Print (Structured Rule, One Hour of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. George Holding / Judiciary Committee / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

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COMMITTEE MEETINGS

10 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS — Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Oversight Hearing - Internal Revenue Service. Witnesses: John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service; J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Internal Revenue Service; Nina E. Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service. http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=369912

Location: 2359 Rayburn.

10 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS — The Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) Subcommittee will hold a hearing on human trafficking. Witnesses: Stephanie Vu, Human trafficking survivor and anti-trafficking advocate who frequently works with Shared Hope International and Youth for Tomorrow; Detective William Woolf, Fairfax County Police Department; John D. Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Cindy McCain, Co-Chairperson, Arizona Governor's Task Force on Human Trafficking. http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=370030

Location: H-309.

10 a.m. ARMED SERVICES — Full Committee Hearing, "The Posture of the U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command." Witnesses: General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr, USA, Commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command; General John F. Kelly, USMC, Commander, U.S. Southern Command. http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/hearings-display?ContentRecord\_id=15824C89-2A17-4D30-A67D-2EBEC81EC454

Location: 2118 Rayburn.

10 a.m. EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE — Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Hearing, "Providing Access to Affordable, Flexible Health Plans through Self-Insurance." Witnesses: Michael Ferguson, President and CEO, Self-Insurance Institute of America (SIIA), Simpsonville, SC; Wes Kelley, Executive Director, Columbia Power and Water Systems, Columbia, TN; Maura Calsyn, Director of Health Policy, Center for American Progress; Robert Melillo, National Vice President of Risk Financing Solutions, USI Insurance, Glastonbury, CT. http://edworkforce.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=362695

Location: 2175 Rayburn.

10 a.m. ENERGY AND COMMERCE — Subcommittee on Health Hearing entitled "Messing with Success: How CMS' Attack on the Part D Program Will Increase Costs and Reduce Choices for Seniors." Jonathan Blum, Principal Deputy Administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will testify. Witnesses: Panel I: Jonathan Blum, Principal Deputy Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Panel II: Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum; Carl Schmid, Deputy Executive Director, The AIDS Institute; Joe Baker, President, Medicare Rights Center. http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/messing-success-how-cms-attack-part-d-program-will-increase-costs-and-reduce-choicessthash.Ifp0dybT.dpuf

Location: 2123 Rayburn.

10 a.m. FINANCIAL SERVICES — The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing to review a recent report of investigation from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Inspector General regarding allegations of improper lobbying and obstruction at HUD. Witness: David Montoya, Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=370233

Location: 2128 Rayburn.

10 a.m. FOREIGN AFFAIRS — Hearing: "International Wildlife Trafficking Threats to Conservation and National Security." Witnesses include Daniel M. Ashe, Director. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Location: 2172 Rayburn.

10 a.m. HOMELAND SECURITY — Hearing, "The Secretary's Vision for the Future - Challenges and Priorities." Witness: Jeh Johnson, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. http://homeland.house.gov/hearing/hearing-secretary-s-vision-future-challenges-and-priorities

Location: 311 Cannon.

Notes: Rescheduled from Feb. 12.

10 a.m. JUDICIARY — Full committee hearing on Enforcing the President's Constitutional Duty to Faithfully Execute the Laws. Witness Panel 1: Jim Gerlach, United States House of Representatives; Tom Rice, United States House of Representatives; Diane Black, United States House of Representatives; Ron DeSantis, United States House of Representatives. Witness Panel 2: Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law School; Elizabeth Price Foley, Florida International University College of Law; Christopher Schroeder, Duke University Law School. http://judiciary.house.gov/index.cfm/hearings?ID=4B00641F-3944-4308-BF89-F68AA9FF4653

Location: 2141 Rayburn.

10 a.m. NATURAL RESOURCES — Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Oversight Hearing: "American Energy Jobs: Opportunities for Veterans. http://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=369787

Location: 1324 Longworth.

10 a.m. NATURAL RESOURCES — Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation legislative hearing on: H.R. 503 (Roe), To authorize the National Desert Storm Memorial Association to establish the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial as a commemorative work in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. "National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Act; H.R. 712 (Frelinghuysen), To extend the authorization of the Highlands Conservation Act through fiscal year 2024; H.R. 1192 (McClintock), To redesignate Mammoth Peak in Yosemite National Park as "Mount Jessie Benton Fre'mont"; H.R. 1501 (Jeffries), To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument in Fort Greene Park, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, as a unit of the National Park System. "Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument Preservation Act; H.R. 1744 (Horsford), To provide for the implementation of the multispecies habitat conservation plan for the Virgin River, Nevada, and Lincoln County, Nevada, to extend the authority to purchase certain parcels of public land, and for other purposes. "Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan Implementation Act; H.R. 2569 (Welch), To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Missisquoi River and the Trout River in the State of Vermont, as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. "Upper Missisquoi and Trout Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; H.R. 3222 (Meng), To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites associated with the 1657 signing of the Flushing Remonstrance in Queens, New York, and for other purposes. "Flushing Remonstrance Study Act; H.R. 3366 (Walden), To provide for the release of the property interests retained by the United States in certain land conveyed in 1954 by the United States, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, to the State of Oregon for the establishment of the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center of Oregon State University in Hermiston, Oregon; H.R. 3802 (Lynch), To extend the legislative authority of the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work in honor of former President John Adams and his legacy, and for other purposes. http://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=370123

Location: 1334 Longworth.

10 a.m. OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM — Full Committee Hearing, "Limitless Surveillance at the FDA: Protecting the Rights of Federal Whistleblowers." Witnesses include Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa. http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/limitless-surveillance-fda-protecting-rights-federal-whistleblowers/

Location: 2154 Rayburn.

10 a.m. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE — The Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will hold a roundtable policy discussion with representatives of the transportation community in preparation for the development of a surface transportation reauthorization bill. Participants: Bill Graves, President and CEO, American Trucking Associations; Greg Cohen, President and CEO, American Highway User Alliance; James Corless, Campaign Director, Transportation for America; Bill Hughes, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Retail Industry Leaders Association; Janet Kavinoky, Director, Transportation Infrastructure, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Pat Loftus, Chairman Emeritus, National Steel Bridge Alliance; Aric Newhouse, Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Relations, National Association of Manufacturers; Edward Wytkind, President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO. http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=370368

Location: 2167 Rayburn.

10 a.m. VETERAN'S AFFAIRS — Subcommittee on Health hearing on VA Accountability: Assessing Actions Taken in Response to Subcommittee Oversight. http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/va-accountability-assessing-actions-taken-in-response-to-subcommittee-oversight

Location: 334 Cannon.

10 a.m. WAYS AND MEANS — Subcommittee on Social Security Hearing on ways to prevent conspiracy fraud in the Social Security Disability Insurance program. Witnesses: PANEL 1: Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner, Social Security Administration. PANEL 2: J. Matthew Royal, Vice President and Chief Auditor, Unum Group, Chattanooga, Tennessee; William B. Zielinski, Deputy Commissioner of Systems and Chief Information Officer, Social Security Administration; Alan R. Shark, Fellow, National Academy of Public Administration. http://waysandmeans.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=370200

Location: B-318 Rayburn.

10:30 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS — Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Oversight Hearing - Quality of Life in the Military. Witnesses: Sergeant Major Raymond F. Chandler, III, United States Army; Master Chief Petty Officer Michael D. Stevens, United States Navy; Sergeant Major Michael P. Barrett, United States Marine Corps; Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cody, United States Air Force. http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=370045

Location: 2358-A Rayburn.

10:30 a.m. APPROPRIATIONS - CLOSED — Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearings CLOSED: Oversight Hearing - United States Assistance to Promote Freedom and Democracy in Countries with Repressive Environments. Witnesses: Uzra Zeya, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Department of State; Sara Mendelson, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Democracy Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, United States Agency for International Development; Andre Mendes, Director of Global Operations, Broadcasting Board of Governors. http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=369914

Location: H-140 The Capitol.

1:30 p.m. OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM — Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs Hearing, "Is the Obama Administration Conducting a Serious Investigation of IRS Targeting?" http://oversight.house.gov/hearing/obama-administration-conducting-serious-investigation-irs-targeting/

Location: 2154 Rayburn.

2 p.m. ARMED SERVICES — Subcommittee on Military Personnel Hearing, "Defense Health Agency." Witnesses: Brenda S. Farrell, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Lieutenant General Douglas J. Robb, Director, Defense Health Agency, U.S. Air Force; Dr. Jonathan Woodson , Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Department of Defense. http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/hearings-display?ContentRecord\_id=53239C44-F783-44A4-9A27-9484FBC330FD

Location: 2212 Rayburn.

2 p.m. FINANCIAL SERVICES — The Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Dodd-Frank Act's impact on asset-backed securities markets. The hearing will also review potential legislation dealing with the Volcker Rule's impact on collateralized loan obligations (CLOs). Witnesses: Meredith Coffey, Executive Vice President, Research and Analysis, Loan Syndications and Trading Association, professor Adam J. Levitin, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center; Tom Quaadman, Vice President, Center For Capital Markets Competitiveness, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Paul Vanderslice, Managing Director, Citigroup, on behalf of the CRE Finance Council; Neil Weidner, Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, on behalf of the Structured Finance Industry Group. http://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=370234

Location: 2128 Rayburn.

2 p.m. FOREIGN AFFAIRS — Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Sudan and South Sudan. Witnesses: Panel I: Donald Booth, Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, U.S. Department of State. Panel II: John Prendergast, Co-founder, Enough Project; Walid Phares, Ph.D., Co-Secretary General, Transatlantic Legislative Group on Counter Terrorism; Adotei Akwei, Managing Director for Government Relations, Amnesty International USA. http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-hearing-us-policy-toward-sudan-and-south-sudan

Location: 2172 Rayburn.

POSTPONED

2 p.m. HOMELAND SECURITY — Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies hearing on Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP): Threat to Critical Infrastructure. http://homeland.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-hearing-electromagnetic-pulse-emp-threat-critical-infrastructure

Location: 311 Cannon.

Notes: HAS BEEN POSTPONED to a date and time to be announced.

2 p.m. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE — Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials hearing on Oversight of Passenger and Freight Rail Safety. Witnesses: Joseph Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration; Cynthia L. Quarterman, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; Robert L. Sumwalt, Member, National Transportation Safety Board; John Tolman, Vice President & National Legislative Representative, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; Jack N. Gerard, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Petroleum Institute; Michael Melaniphy, President, American Public, Transportation Association; Edward R. Hamberger, President and Chief Executive Officer, Association of American Railroads. http://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=369313

Location: 2167 Rayburn.

3 p.m. RULES — Full committee hearing on H.R. 899 - Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2013. http://rules.house.gov/bill/113/hr-899

Location: H-313 Capitol.

4 p.m. JUDICIARY — Full committee hearing on H.R. 2992, the "Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2013. Witnesses: Pete Vegas, Founder and President, Sage V Foods, Los Angeles, California; Tony Simmons, President and Chief Executive Officer; McIlhenny Company, Avery Island, Louisiana; Joseph Henchman, Vice President of Legal and State Projects, Tax Foundation; David Quam, Director of Federal Relations, National Governors Association.

Location: 2141 Rayburn.

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