[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                               MEMBER DAY

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                              COMMITTEE ON
                      OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION
                               __________

                           DECEMBER 11, 2023
                               __________

                           Serial No. 118-81
                               __________

  Printed for the use of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability
  

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                       Available on: govinfo.gov,
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                             docs.house.gov
                             
                               __________

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                    
54-393 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2024                                
                             
                             
               COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

                    JAMES COMER, Kentucky, Chairman

Jim Jordan, Ohio                     Jamie Raskin, Maryland, Ranking 
Mike Turner, Ohio                        Minority Member
Paul Gosar, Arizona                  Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of 
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina            Columbia
Glenn Grothman, Wisconsin            Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts
Michael Cloud, Texas                 Gerald E. Connolly, Virginia
Gary Palmer, Alabama                 Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois
Clay Higgins, Louisiana              Ro Khanna, California
Pete Sessions, Texas                 Kweisi Mfume, Maryland
Andy Biggs, Arizona                  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York
Nancy Mace, South Carolina           Katie Porter, California
Jake LaTurner, Kansas                Cori Bush, Missouri
Pat Fallon, Texas                    Jimmy Gomez, California
Byron Donalds, Florida               Shontel Brown, Ohio
Scott Perry, Pennsylvania            Melanie Stansbury, New Mexico
William Timmons, South Carolina      Robert Garcia, California
Tim Burchett, Tennessee              Maxwell Frost, Florida
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia      Summer Lee, Pennsylvania
Lisa McClain, Michigan               Greg Casar, Texas
Lauren Boebert, Colorado             Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Russell Fry, South Carolina          Dan Goldman, New York
Anna Paulina Luna, Florida           Jared Moskowitz, Florida
Nick Langworthy, New York            Rashida Tlaib, Michigan
Eric Burlison, Missouri
Mike Waltz, Florida

                                 ------                                
                       Mark Marin, Staff Director
       Jessica Donlon, Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel
                        Ryan Giachetti, Counsel
                   Christian Hoehner, Policy Director
                Lauren Lombardo, Deputy Policy Director
               Lauren Hassett, Professional Staff Member
                       Mallory Cogar, Chief Clerk

                      Contact Number: 202-225-5074

                  Julie Tagen, Minority Staff Director
                      Contact Number: 202-225-5051

                                 ------                                
                         C  O  N  T  E  N  T  S

                              ----------                              

                                                                   Page

Hearing held on December 11, 2023................................     1

                               WITNESSES

                              ----------                              

The Honorable Mike Ezell, Member of Congress, (MS-04)
    Oral Statement...............................................     2

The Honorable Lucy McBath, Member of Congress, (GA-07)
    Oral Statement...............................................     3

The Honorable Katie Porter, Member of Congress, (CA-47)
    Oral Statement...............................................     5

 Opening statements and the prepared statements for the witnesses 
  are available in the U.S. House of Representatives Repository 
  at: docs.house.gov.

                           INDEX OF DOCUMENTS

                              ----------                              

  * Member Day Follow Up Letter; submitted by Rep. Langworth.

  * Witness Statement; submitted by Rep. Ezell.

  * Witness Statement; submitted by Rep. McBath.

  * Witness Statement; submitted by Rep. Mfume.

  * Witness Statement; submitted by Rep. Porter.

The documents listed are available at: docs.house.gov.

 
                               MEMBER DAY

                              ----------                              


                       Monday, December 11, 2023

                     U.S. House of Representatives

               Committee on Oversight and Accountability

                                           Washington, D.C.

    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 4:13 p.m., in 
room 2154, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. James Comer 
[Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
    Present: Representatives Comer, Raskin, Norton, and Porter.
    Chairman Comer. The Committee on Oversight and 
Accountability will come to order. I want to welcome everyone 
here.
    Without objection, the Chair may declare a recess at any 
time.
    Pursuant to Subsection (h) of House Resolution 5, the 
Committee convenes this Member Day hearing of the 118th 
Congress. A member day hearing provides Members an opportunity 
to discuss legislation and Member priorities within the 
jurisdiction of this Committee. Today, I look forward to 
hearing from members of the House, my colleagues, on the 
proposals they wish to bring before the consideration of this 
Committee.
    The first order of business is to welcome Representative 
Waltz of Florida to the Committee and to welcome back 
Representative Cloud of Texas. Congressman Waltz has served in 
the House since 2018. Prior to the House, Congressman Waltz 
spent 27 years serving his country both in the U.S. Army and 
the National Guard, serving as a Green Beret in multiple tours 
of duty across the world. He has also served as a defense 
policy director at the Pentagon for Secretaries Rumsfeld and 
Gates, as well as Counterterrorism Advisor to then Vice 
President Cheney. We want to welcome Congressman Waltz to the 
Committee.
    Congressman Cloud is a familiar face, having previously 
served on the Committee. Congressman Cloud has served in the 
House since 2018. Last Congress, he served on this committee as 
the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer 
Policy. We want to welcome Representative Cloud back.
    Congressman Waltz and Cloud are replacing Congressman Chuck 
Edwards of North Carolina and Congressman Kelly Armstrong of 
North Dakota. I would like to thank both Congressmen for their 
invaluable service to this Committee.
    Next order of business is ratifying the new Subcommittee 
roster. The clerks have distributed the roster electronically. 
I ask unanimous consent that the Committee approve the 
appointments and assignments as shown on the roster.
    Without objection, the Subcommittee roster is approved.
    I now recognize Ranking Member Raskin for any opening 
statement he would like to make.
    Mr. Raskin. I just want to welcome the witnesses and thank 
them for their testimony, and thank you for calling the 
hearing, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
    Chairman Comer. The gentleman yields back. We have 
circulated a list of Members who will be testifying today, and 
any written testimony provided by those Members will be added 
to the official record. Each Member will be given 5 minutes to 
discuss their proposals and field questions as needed.
    I now recognize Mr. Ezell of Mississippi for 5 minutes.

                      STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE EZELL

                      A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS

                     FROM THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

    Mr. Ezell. Thank you, sir. I want to express my gratitude 
to the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on 
Oversight and Accountability for giving me the opportunity to 
address critical issues in Mississippi's 4th congressional 
District.
    Mr. Chairman, to say the least, I am frustrated. For 708 
days, the residents of Poplarville, Mississippi have been 
without a permanent post office. This started when the 
Poplarville Post Office's roof collapsed on January 2, 2022 due 
to termite damage. Almost a year later, the original post 
office was deemed unable to save. In the meantime, the United 
States Post office has set up two temporary mobile vans, 
similar to ice cream trucks, at the bottom of the hill. 
Unfortunately, these vans are essentially inaccessible to most 
of the population. Additionally, postal workers are working in 
substandard conditions, including no restroom and a broken air 
conditioner amid Mississippi summer heat.
    But my constituents were told not to worry, that this will 
be just a short-term situation while a permanent building is 
located. Well, I am here to tell you that I must have a 
different definition of ``short term'' because temporary trucks 
are still in use. And just today, I received information that 
the heater in the truck died, forcing postal workers to work 
without heat, and it was 31 degrees this morning in 
Poplarville, Mississippi, and several of the senior citizens 
fell walking up the hill trying to get to the mail. This is not 
the first time elderly have fallen since this temporary deal 
has been set up. As you can see, over these 708 days, my 
constituents have faced nearly unimaginable challenges, yet the 
post office still claims they are providing convenient access 
to postal services.
    I recently visited the city, and I witnessed the horrible 
conditions firsthand. That particular day, rain made the 
situation worse, creating a somehow even more dangerous 
environment. As you can imagine, I have attempted numerous 
times to get updates from the post office. I have requested a 
briefing on the situation, sought a meeting with the vice 
president of facilities, and consistently asked for updates, 
yet I sit here today with still no information as to when a 
permanent, adequate building will be ready and have not been 
granted one meeting request, which includes being denied any 
meeting at all with these folks. This process is taking 
forever, and I am committed to ensuring it has to come to an 
end. Equally frustrating, the post office apparently is 
ignoring the severity of the situation or simply does not care.
    I urge the Committee to seriously consider implementing 
some guidelines for situations like Poplarville. Such 
guidelines could include mandating the United States Postal 
Service to communicate with local leaders and requiring that a 
solution must be agreed upon within 180 days of determining 
that an old post office is no longer usable. The residents of 
Poplarville, Mississippi deserve better than this.
    Thank you again, Chairman Comer and Ranking Member Raskin. 
I stand ready to assist.
    Chairman Comer. The gentlemen yields back, and I want to 
thank you for being here and sharing your frustrations with the 
Committee. Your constituents deserve a convenient place to 
receive their mail, and Postal Service employees in your 
district deserve a safe place to work. Like you, I represent a 
rural district, mine in Southern Kentucky. I understand the 
challenges and importance rural constituents have in trying to 
access a suitable post office.
    So, my staff is scheduling a briefing with the Postal 
Service where they will inquire about the use of temporary 
suspensions and prioritize your district's challenges, 
specifically. I also want to thank you and your staff for their 
helpful outreach and diligent work with my staff on this issue. 
While we cannot immediately promise a timeline for finding an 
adequate replacement property, we will work to keep this 
process transparent for you and your constituents.
    Do any other Members wish to speak or ask questions for 
Congressman Ezell? The Chair recognizes the Ranking Member.
    Mr. Raskin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to 
associate myself with your remarks, and, Mr. Ezell, thank you 
so much for joining us and for your great representation of 
your constituents. And we will do everything in our power to 
see the situation is rectified. I yield back.
    Mr. Ezell. Thank you very much.
    Chairman Comer. Seeing no further questions, I now 
recognize Mrs. McBath of Georgia for 5 minutes.

                     STATEMENT OF HON. LUCY MCBATH

                      A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS

                       FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA

    Mrs. McBath. Good afternoon, and thank you, Chair Comer and 
Ranking Member Raskin, for hosting today's Member Day for the 
Oversight Committee. I am here to discuss the Federal Prison 
Oversight Act. My bill, co-led by Representative Armstrong, is 
currently awaiting consideration by this Committee.
    The Federal Prison Oversight is a bipartisan and bicameral 
bill with just one goal in mind: increasing transparency and 
accountability across our Federal prison system. My legislation 
will establish a Federal framework for comprehensive, risk-
based inspections of Federal prisons to identify areas of 
improvement to make our Federal prisons safer for staff and 
also for the inmates. As we evaluate and improve our Federal 
prison system, it is absolutely necessary that we take a 
wholesome approach and identify the best and most effective 
Federal prison practices implemented at the administrative 
staff and inmate levels.
    This bill provides for recommendations in many areas, such 
as revamping our recidivism reduction programs, improving 
working conditions for staff, and adequately responding to 
incidents of violence and abuse against both staff and inmates. 
Moreover, this legislation prioritizes the safety of everyone. 
The inspector general at the Department of Justice can analyze 
a long list of areas and include them in their report. Our 
prison system has a notorious reputation for unhealthy 
conditions, abuse, and neglect, and this bill aims to combat 
that. Our Federal prison system, holding over 150,000 
individuals and employing about 35,000 individuals, should be 
transparent, should be accountable, effective, but, more so, 
safe.
    So many of our criminal justice issues could be improved if 
our prisons had more accountability and more transparency. The 
caliber of improvements that could arise from this oversight 
would be life changing for everyone encountering our Federal 
prison system. Staff would face better working conditions, and 
inmates would have a better opportunity to have humane 
treatment.
    I encourage the Oversight Committee to consider the Federal 
Prison Oversight Act, which, I might add, has no effect on 
direct spending or revenues, as estimated by the Congressional 
Budget Office. I look forward to working with this committee to 
bring accountability and transparency to our Federal prison 
systems. Thank you.
    Chairman Comer. Thank you, Congresswoman McBath. Your lead 
co-sponsor, Congressman Armstrong, has also spoken with me 
about this legislation. This Committee is dedicated to 
providing the American people with oversight and transparency 
into every government agency, and that includes the Bureau of 
Prisons.
    Members on both sides care about the basic health and 
safety of inmates, as well as improving rehabilitation, with 
the goal of making our communities safer. Friends and family 
members of incarcerated individuals should have a mechanism to 
submit complaints if they feel their loved ones are not being 
treated with respect and dignity. More oversight mechanisms 
within the Federal prison system could also create a safer 
environment for correctional officers and staff. So, I am 
interested in exploring the bill's reporting requirements and 
the creation of an independent ombudsman. I invite my 
colleagues and the Ranking Member to further explore this with 
me and my staff.
    Do any other Members wish to speak or ask questions of 
Congresswoman McBath?
    [No response.]
    Chairman Comer. Well, thank you very much, Congresswoman.
    Mrs. McBath. Thank you.
    Chairman Comer. I now recognize Ms. Porter of California 
for 5 minutes.

                     STATEMENT OF HON. KATIE PORTER

                      A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS

                      FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

    Ms. Porter. Thank you very much, Chairman Comer. When 
Democrats and Republicans cast their ballots in November 2024, 
what is the one thing that they will agree on? This is not a 
riddle. It is not even a clever joke. Really, there is 
something. Regardless of party affiliation, every voting 
American wants to be confident that their ballot will get 
processed, will be counted. No matter who we vote for, we all 
want our ballots to get smoothly to their final destination. 
After all, this desire applies to anything important that we 
want processed.
    When was the last time anyone here sent a family heirloom 
through the mail to a relative without getting a tracking 
number, and who has not tracked their order of clothing or 
medicine at least once? Heck, which kids do not watch Santa 
Claus on the tracker? I do not know about you, but for me, it 
is comforting to know where my purchases are and when they are 
being shipped. That way, I know they are truly on their way, 
and I can anticipate their timely arrival.
    When something is important, Republicans and Democrats 
alike want to know it is in good hands, and our ballots are no 
exception. Fortunately, the United States Postal Service 
created a tracking barcode for mail-in ballots, but 
unfortunately, not everyone gets to use ballot envelopes that 
meet the U.S. Postal Service design requirements, and we need 
to fix this problem. That is why I joined with Representatives 
Mace, Mfume, Donalds, Connolly, Fitzpatrick, Norton, and 
Ciscomani to introduce the Vote by Mail Tracking Act.
    Under our bill, every ballot envelope will meet Postal 
Service standards and get a tracking barcode. Voters of all 
political stripes can then do the oversight to be sure that 
their vote reaches its final destination. That transparency is 
a necessary step to make Republicans and Democrats alike 
confident in our elections, and that is exactly why this bill 
is led by four Republicans and four Democrats. It is not 
partisan. It is just good policy. If I can track that my 
purchase is on its way, we should all certainly be able to do 
the same for our ballots. And this bill does not just make 
things more streamlined for the American people, it also makes 
processing easier for the Postal Service, reducing its burden 
and making efficient use of tax dollars.
    Chairman Comer and Ranking Member Raskin, I thank you both 
for your support of this commonsense legislation. I know this 
is a priority for you as well, and I look forward to working 
with you to pass this bill through our Committee and onto the 
House Floor early in the New Year. And to my fellow Committee 
Members, you would be in great company, joining eight 
bipartisan Members and both the Chairman and Ranking Member in 
supporting this bill. I urge every Member of the Committee who 
has not done so to co-sponsor this legislation.
    I thank the Committee for its time and consideration of the 
Vote by Mail Tracking Act, and I yield back.
    Chairman Comer. Thank you, Congresswoman Porter, for 
sharing your views on your bill, the Vote by Mail Tracking Act. 
And you and I have spoken about this bill a number of times on 
the House Floor. I have also supported this bill in the past, 
which requires all mailed ballots to use a Postal Service 
barcode. I believe such a requirement for barcodes will allow 
the Postal Service to better track each ballot through the 
mail.
    I have to say this, we all have horror stories with the 
post office, but the post office has done a commendable job 
delivering election mail in recent elections. According to a 
report from the Postal Inspector General, the Postal Service 
has consistently delivered election mail on time in recent 
years. In 2018, over 95 percent of election mail was delivered 
on time, and over 96 percent of election mail was delivered on 
time in 2020, and over 97 percent of election mail was 
delivered on time during the 2022 election. Still, I am in 
favor of making this process more transparent. American 
citizens should have confidence that their ballot has securely 
traveled through the postal system to the board of elections. I 
will work with staff to advance this bill's reforms.
    And, you know, one thing, people get nervous when you talk 
about mail-in ballots for various reasons. Where I grew up in 
the foothills of Appalachia, there were always, it seems like, 
every other election cycle, local elections, there was some 
type of election contest, lawsuits, election fraud allegations, 
sometimes credible allegations, and almost a hundred percent of 
the time, the election fraud was through absentee ballots. And 
I think that the more transparency we have, because, as you 
mentioned earlier, the old way of doing things, putting a stamp 
on something important and hoping it gets there, that business 
model is kind of obsolete now. And then there are a lot of 
questions about absentee ballots and validity and things like 
that.
    So, I think that this is a good step, and, again, it is 
transparent. I know my predecessor, Chairwoman Maloney, 
supported this legislation as well, so you have my commitment. 
We will continue to work to try to see this bipartisan bill 
through. With that, I yield to the Ranking Member.
    Mr. Raskin. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much, and, Ms. 
Porter, thank you for this terrific initiative, which is 
drawing support from all across the aisle and all across the 
country. I hope the idea of having a verifiable barcode 
connected to every postal ballot just makes great sense and 
will help us to get past a lot of the fear and suspicion and 
paranoia that has spread around voting by mail. So, I will 
associate myself with the remarks of the Chairman and yield 
back to you.
    Chairman Comer. Does any other Member wish to speak on 
Representative Porter's bill?
    [No response.]
    Chairman Comer. All right. Thank you very much. In closing, 
I want to thank the Members for their testimony today. Mr. 
Raskin, do you have any closing remarks?
    Mr. Raskin. I have no closing, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for 
calling the hearing. Oh, actually, I do have one unanimous 
consent request, which is Congressman Mfume's testimony, which 
he was hoping to give in person. He was unable to do it, and I 
would just ask that we submit it to the record.
    Chairman Comer. Without objection, so ordered.
    Chairman Comer. With that and without objection, all 
Members will have 5 legislative days within which to submit 
additional testimony.
    If there is no further business, without objection, the 
Committee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 4:31 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]

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