The panel reviewed plans submitted by the Interior Department to construct the new monument in the center of Memorial Circle on the man-made Columbia Island.
The probe was sparked by reporting from the BBC which found individuals and organizations coach migrants on how to file false claims to avoid losing their legal status.
The secretary told lawmakers that he was not happy about his department's new budget proposal for the next fiscal year, which would slash $16 billion from the current budget.
The group of four astronauts, which included three NASA astronauts and one astronaut from Canada, consisted of Cmdr. Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
As of Thursday, Joint Task Force Southern Spear had destroyed 53 vessels in 52 strikes: 50 go-fast boats, two low-profile vessels, and one semi-submersible. Officials said 178 people have died in these operations.