[House Report 114-909]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 720
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 114-909
_______________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITIES
of the
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND
GOVERNMENT REFORM
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
JANUARY 3, 2017
(Pursuant to House Rule XI, 1(d)(1))
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov
http://www.house.gov/reform
January 3, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
23-223 WASHINGTON : 2017
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
JASON CHAFFETZ, Utah, Chairman
JOHN L. MICA, Florida ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland
MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York
JOHN J. DUNCAN, Jr., Tennessee ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of
JIM JORDAN, Ohio Columbia
TIM WALBERG, Michigan WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri
JUSTIN AMASH, Michigan STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts
PAUL A. GOSAR, Arizona JIM COOPER, Tennessee
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
TREY GOWDY, South Carolina TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
BLAKE FARENTHOLD, Texas ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois
CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming BRENDA L. LAWRENCE, Michigan
THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky TED LIEU, California
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN, New Jersey
RON DeSANTIS, Florida STACEY E. PLASKETT, Virgin Islands
MICK MULVANEY, South Carolina MARK DeSAULNIER, California
KEN BUCK, Colorado BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania
MARK WALKER, North Carolina PETER WELCH, Vermont
ROD BLUM, Iowa MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, New Mexico
JODY B. HICE, Georgia
STEVE RUSSELL, Oklahoma
EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER, Georgia
GLENN GROTHMAN, Wisconsin
WILL HURD, Texas
GARY J. PALMER, Alabama
Jennifer Hemingway, Staff Director
Andrew Dockham, Chief Counsel
Kathleen Loden, Parliamentarian
David Rapallo, Minority Staff Director
LETTER OF SUBMITTAL
----------
House of Representatives,
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Washington, DC, January 2, 2017.
Hon. Paul D. Ryan,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: In accordance with Rule XI(1)(d)(1) of
the Rules of the House of Representatives, I respectfully
submit the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's
activities report for the 114th Congress.
Sincerely,
Jason Chaffetz,
Chairman.
Union Calendar No. 720
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 114-909
======================================================================
ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
_______
January 3, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Chaffetz, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
During the 114th Congress, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform continued the work that began in previous
congresses--to conduct the meaningful oversight of the
Executive Branch, and offer substantive reform proposals to
save taxpayer money and improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the federal government.
In its efforts to highlight the federal government's waste,
fraud, mismanagement, and malfeasance, the Committee and its
Subcommittees held 179 hearings, conducted 75 transcribed
interviews and depositions, issued 14 investigative reports,
sent hundreds of bipartisan letters to federal agencies and
recipients of federal funding requesting documents and
information, and reviewed several million documents produced to
the Committee in response to requests and subpoenas.
Pursuant to House Rule XI, this report contains a detailed
list of legislative and oversight activities, as well as
summaries of actions taken with respect to the Committee's
adopted oversight plan, additional oversight and investigation
activities, and hearings held on items in the Government
Accountability Office's biannual High Risk list or the federal
government's financial statements.
I. Legislative Activities
BILLS ENACTED INTO LAW
H.R. 313, Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) on 1/13/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 1/27/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
180); passed House on 9/28/2015 (under suspension by voice
vote); passed Senate on 10/26/2015 (UC); became P.L. 114-75 on
11/5/2015.
H.R. 757, North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act
of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA) on 2/5/2015;
passed House on 1/12/2016 (under suspension by record vote of
418-2); passed Senate on 2/10/2016 (by record vote of 96-0);
passed House with Senate amendment on 2/12/2016 (under
suspension by record vote of 408-2); became P.L. 114-122 on 2/
18/2016.
*Committee on Foreign Affairs lead
H.R. 1150, Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom
Act. Introduced by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ) on 2/27/2015;
passed House on 5/16/2016 (under suspension by voice vote);
passed Senate on 12/10/2016 (UC); passed House with Senate
amendment on 12/13/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-281 on 12/16/
2016.
*Committee on Foreign Affairs lead
H.R. 1428, Judicial Redress Act of 2015. Introduced by Rep.
James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) on 3/18/2015; passed House on 10/20/
2015 (under suspension by voice vote); passed Senate on 2/9/
2016 (UC); passed House with Senate amendment on 2/10/2016
(UC); became P.L. 114-126 on 2/24/2016.
*Committee on the Judiciary lead
H.R. 1531, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
Introduced by Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) on 3/23/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
182); passed House on 7/7/2015 (under suspension by voice
vote); passed Senate on 8/5/2015 (UC); became P.L. 114-47 on 8/
7/2015.
H.R. 1831, Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) on 4/16/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 5/19/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
211); passed House on 7/27/2015 (under suspension by voice
vote); passed Senate on 3/16/2016 (UC); passed House with
Senate amendment on 3/17/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-140 on 3/
30/2016.
H.R. 2252, To clarify the effective date of certain
provisions of the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014,
and for other purposes. Introduced by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) on
5/12/2015; passed House on 5/14/2015 (UC); passed Senate on 5/
19/2015 (UC); became P.L. 114-13 on 5/19/2015.
H.R. 2615, Virgin Islands of the United States Centennial
Commission Act. Introduced by Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) on 6/
2/2015; ordered reported by Committee on 3/1/2016 by UC (H.
Rept. 114-486); passed House on 4/26/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote); passed Senate on 9/20/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-
224 on 9/29/2016.
H.R. 2908, National Bison Legacy Act. Introduced by Rep.
William Lacy Clay (D-MO) on 6/25/2015; ordered reported by
Committee on 3/1/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-483); passed House on
4/26/2016 (under suspension by voice vote); passed Senate on 4/
28/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-152 on 5/9/2016.
H.R. 3116, Quarterly Financial Report Reauthorization Act.
Introduced by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) on 7/20/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 7/23/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
237); passed House on 9/24/2015 (under suspension by voice
vote); passed Senate on 10/6/2015 (UC); passed House with
Senate amendment on 10/21/2015 (UC); became P.L. 114-72 on 10/
22/2015.
H.R. 4419, District of Columbia Judicial Financial
Transparency Act. Introduced by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-
DC) on 2/1/2016; ordered reported by Committee on 7/12/2016 by
voice vote (H. Rept. 114-745); passed House on 9/22/2016 (under
suspension by record vote of 414-0); passed Senate on 11/29/
2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-257 on 12/14/2016.
H.R. 4465, Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) on 2/4/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 4/14/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
578, Part II); passed House on 5/23/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote); passed Senate on 12/10/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-
287 on 12/16/2016.
H.R. 4875, United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act
of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA) on 3/23/2016;
passed House on 7/5/2016 (under suspension by voice vote);
passed Senate on 7/12/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-196 on 7/22/
2016.
H.R. 4902, To amend title 5, United States Code, to expand
law enforcement availability pay to employees of U.S. Customs
and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations. Introduced
by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) on 4/12/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 4/14/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-600); passed
House on 6/21/2016 (under suspension by voice vote); passed
Senate on 11/17/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-250 on 12/8/2016.
H.R. 4904, Making Electronic Government Accountable By
Yielding Tangible Efficiencies (MEGABYTE) Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) on 4/12/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 4/14/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
587); passed House on 6/7/2016 (under suspension by record vote
of 366-0); passed Senate on 7/14/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-210
on 7/29/2016.
H.R. 5687, GAO Mandates Revision Act of 2016. Introduced by
Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) on 7/8/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-760, Part
I); passed House on 9/20/2016 (under suspension by voice vote);
passed Senate on 12/10/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-301 on 12/16/
2016.
H.R. 5722, John F. Kennedy Centennial Commission Act.
Introduced by Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA) on 7/11/2016;
passed House on 7/13/2016 (UC); passed Senate on 7/14/2016
(UC); became P.L. 114-215 on 7/29/2016.
H.R. 5785, To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide
for an annuity supplement for certain air traffic controllers.
Introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) on 7/14/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-765);
passed House on 9/20/2016 (under suspension by record vote of
399-4); passed Senate on 11/29/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-251
on 12/8/2016.
H.R. 5790, Federal Bureau of Investigation Whistleblower
Protection Enhancement Act of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Jason
Chaffetz (R-UT) on 7/14/2016; ordered reported by Committee on
9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-835); passed House on 12/7/2016
(under suspension by record vote of 404-0); passed Senate on
12/10/2016 (voice vote); became P.L. 114-302 on 12/16/2016.
H.R. 5995, GAO Civilian Task and Delivery Order Protest
Authority Act of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC)
on 9/12/2016; ordered reported by Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC
(H. Rept. 114-779); passed House on 9/21/2016 (UC); passed
Senate on 11/30/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-260 on 12/14/2016.
H.R. 6297, Iran Sanctions Extension Act. Introduced by Rep.
Edward Royce (R-CA) on 11/14/2016; passed House on 11/15/2016
(under suspension by record vote of 419-1); passed Senate on
12/1/2016 (by record vote of 99-0); became P.L. 114-277 on 12/
15/2016.
*Committee on Foreign Affairs lead
H.R. 6302, Overtime Pay for Protective Services Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz on 11/14/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 11/16/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept.
114-837); passed House on 11/30/2016 (under suspension by voice
vote); passed Senate on 12/10/2016 (UC); passed House with
Senate amendment on 12/13/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-311 on 12/
16/2016.
H.R. 6450, Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz on 12/7/2016; passed House on
12/8/2016 (UC); passed Senate on 12/10/2016 (UC); became P.L.
114-317 on 12/16/2016.
H.R. 6451, Federal Property Management Reform Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) on 12/7/2016; passed
House on 12/8/2016 (UC); passed Senate on 12/10/2016 (UC);
became P.L. 114-318 on 12/16/2016.
S. 136, Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015. Introduced by Sen.
Ron Wyden (D-OR) on 1/8/2015; passed Senate on 5/11/2015 (UC);
ordered reported by Committee on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-263); passed House on 9/28/2015 (under suspension by
voice vote); became P.L. 114-62 on 10/7/2015.
S. 337, FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. Introduced by Sen.
John Cornyn (R-TX) on 2/2/2015; passed Senate on 3/15/2016
(UC); passed House on 6/13/2016 (under suspension by voice
vote); became P.L. 114-185 on 6/30/2016.
*House companion (H.R. 653, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA))
ordered reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-391); passed House on 1/11/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote).
S. 565, Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act of 2015.
Introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on 2/25/2015; passed
Senate on 6/15/2015 (UC); passed House on 9/28/2015 (under
suspension by voice vote); became P.L. 114-65 on 10/7/2015.
*House companion (H.R. 1613, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI))
ordered reported by Committee on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-266).
S. 614, Federal Improper Payments Coordination Act of 2015.
Introduced by Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) on 2/27/2015; passed
Senate on 7/28/2015 (UC); passed House on 12/7/2015 (under
suspension by voice vote); became P.L. 114-109 on 12/18/2015.
*House companion (H.R. 2320, Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC))
ordered reported by Committee on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-299).
S. 795, A bill to enhance whistleblower protection for
contractor and grantee employees. Introduced by Sen. Claire
McCaskill (D-MO) on 3/18/2015; passed Senate on 6/23/2016 (UC);
passed House on 12/5/2016 (under suspension by voice vote);
became P.L. 114-261 on 12/14/2016.
*House companion (H.R. 5920, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD))
ordered reported by Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-
836, Part I).
S. 1115, Grants Oversight and New Efficiency (GONE) Act.
Introduced by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) on 4/28/2015; passed
Senate on 12/18/2015 (UC); passed House on 1/11/2016 (under
suspension by voice vote); became P.L. 114-117 on 1/28/2016.
*House companion (H.R. 3089, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI))
ordered reported by Committee on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-264); passed House on 9/28/2015 (under suspension by
voice vote).
S. 1170, Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act
of 2015. Introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) on 4/30/
2015; passed Senate on 9/22/2015 (UC); passed House on 12/1/
2015 (under suspension by record vote of 422-1); became P.L.
114-99 on 12/11/2015.
S. 1172, Edward ``Ted'' Kaufman and Michael Leavitt
Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015. Introduced
by Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) on 4/30/2015; passed Senate on 7/
30/3015 (UC); ordered reported by Committee on 10/9/2015 by UC
(H. Rept. 114-384, Part I); passed House on 2/29/2016 (under
suspension by voice vote); passed Senate with House amendment
on 3/8/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-136 on 3/18/2016.
S. 1550, Program Management Improvement Accountability Act.
Introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA); passed Senate on 11/19/
2015 (UC); ordered reported by Committee on 5/17/2016 by voice
vote (H. Rept. 114-637); passed House on 9/22/2016 (under
suspension by record vote of 404-11); passed Senate with House
amendment on 11/30/2016 (UC); became P.L. 114-264 on 12/14/
2016.
S. 1580, Competitive Service Act of 2015. Introduced by
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) on 6/16/2015; passed Senate on 9/17/2015
(UC); ordered reported by Committee on 9/17/2015 by UC (H.
Rept. 114-367); passed House on 2/29/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote); passed Senate with House amendment on 3/8/2016
(UC); became P.L. 114-137 on 3/18/2016.
S. 1629, District of Columbia Courts, Public Defender
Service, and Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency Act
of 2015. Introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on 6/18/2015;
passed Senate on 9/10/2015 (UC); ordered reported by Committee
on 10/9/2015 by UC (H. Rept. 114-368); passed House on 1/11/
2016 (under suspension by voice vote); became P.L. 114-118 on
1/28/2016.
S. 1698, Treatment of Certain Payments in Eugenics
Compensation Act. Introduced by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on 6/
25/2015; passed Senate on 11/30/2015 (UC); ordered reported by
Committee on 12/9/2015 by UC (H. Rept. 114-418); passed House
on 9/27/2016 (under suspension by voice vote); became P.L. 114-
241 on 10/7/2016.
S. 2036, Equity in Government Compensation Act of 2015.
Introduced by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) on 9/15/2015; passed
Senate on 9/15/2015 (UC); passed House on 11/16/2015 (under
suspension by voice vote); became P.L. 114-93 on 11/25/2015.
*Committee on Financial Services lead
S. 2133, Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act of 2015.
Introduced by Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) on 10/5/2015; passed
Senate on 4/12/2016 (UC); passed House on 6/21/2016 (under
suspension by voice vote); became P.L. 114-186 on 6/30/2016.
*House companion (H.R. 4180, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC))
ordered reported by Committee on 12/9/2015 by UC (H. Rept. 114-
419).
BILLS PASSED BY THE HOUSE
H.J. Res 43, Disapproving the action of the District of
Columbia Council in approving the Reproductive Health Non-
Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014. Introduced by Rep. Diane
Black (R-TN) on 4/13/2015; ordered reported by Committee on 4/
21/2015 by record vote of 20-16 (H. Rept. 114-99); passed House
on 4/30/2015 (by record vote of 228-192).
H.R. 10, Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR)
Reauthorization Act. Introduced by Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) on
10/5/2015; ordered reported by Committee on 10/9/2015 by record
vote of 16-14 (H. Rept. 114-292); passed House on 10/21/2015
(by record vote of 240-191).
H.R. 50, Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act
of 2015. Introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on 1/6/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 1/27/2015 by record vote of
20-13 (H. Rept. 114-11, Part I); passed House on 2/4/2015 (by
record vote of 250-173).
H.R. 598, Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act. Introduced by Rep.
Tim Walberg (R-MI) on 1/28/2015; ordered reported by Committee
on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-298); passed House on
1/11/2016 (under suspension by record vote of 413-0).
H.R. 653, FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) on 2/2/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
391); passed House on 1/11/2016 (under suspension by voice
vote).
*Senate companion (S. 337, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)) became
P.L. 114-185 on 6/30/2016.
H.R. 901, Eliminating Pornography from Agencies Act.
Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 2/11/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
415); passed House on 7/7/2016 (by record vote of 241-181) as
part of H.R. 4361 package.
H.R. 1069, Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) on 2/25/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-181); passed House on 1/11/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote).
H.R. 1155, Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are
Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2015. Introduced by
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) on 2/27/2015; ordered reported by
Committee on 3/24/2015 by record vote of 17-12 (H. Rept. 114-
196, Part I); passed House on 1/7/2016 (by record vote of 245-
174).
H.R. 1557, Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on 3/24/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
117); passed House on 7/21/2015 (under suspension by record
vote of 403-0).
H.R. 1562, Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 3/24/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
72); passed House on 4/15/2015 (under suspension by record vote
of 424-0).
H.R. 1759, All Economic Regulations Are Transparent (ALERT)
Act of 2015. Introduced by Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) on 4/13/
2016; ordered reported by Committee on 5/19/2015 by record vote
of 20-17 (H. Rept. 114-238, Part I); passed House on 1/7/2016
(by record vote of 244-173) as part of H.R. 712 package.
H.R. 1777, Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 4/14/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 5/19/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-209); passed House on 1/11/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote); passed Senate on 6/21/2016 (UC); Passed House with
Senate amendment on 7/8/2016 (UC); vetoed by President on 7/22/
2016.
H.R. 2347, Federal Advisory Committee Act of Amendments of
2016. Introduced by Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO) on 5/15/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 10/9/2015 by UC (H. Rept. 114-
386, Part I); passed House on 3/1/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote).
H.R. 2395, Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 5/18/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 5/19/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
210); passed House on 6/21/2016 (under suspension by voice
vote).
H.R. 3023, To amend title 5, United States Code, to modify
probationary periods with respect to positions within the
competitive service and the Senior Executive Service, and for
other purposes. Introduced by Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) on 7/10/
2015; ordered reported by Committee on 1/12/2016 by record vote
of 20-16 (H. Rept. 114-472); passed House on 7/7/2016 (by
record vote of 241-181) as part of H.R. 4361 package.
H.R. 3089, Grants Oversight and New Efficiency (GONE) Act.
Introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) on 7/16/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
264); passed House on 9/28/2015 (under suspension by voice
vote).
*Senate companion (S. 1115, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)) became
P.L. 114-117 on 1/28/2016.
H.R. 3231, Federal Intern Protection Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on 7/28/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 10/9/2015 by UC (H. Rept. 114-383);
passed House on 1/11/2016 (under suspension by record vote of
414-0).
H.R. 3779, Social Security Fraud Prevention Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) on 10/21/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-789);
passed House on 9/26/2016 (under suspension by voice vote).
H.R. 4358, Senior Executive Service Accountability Act.
Introduced by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) on 1/8/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 1/12/2016 by record vote of 21-16;
passed House on 7/7/2016 (by record vote of 241-181) as part of
H.R. 4361 package.
H.R. 4359, Administrative Leave Reform Act. Introduced by
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 1/11/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 3/1/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-520); passed
House on 4/26/2016 (under suspension by voice vote).
H.R. 4360, Official Personnel File Enhancement Act.
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 1/11/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 1/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
454); passed House on 4/26/2016 (under suspension by voice
vote).
H.R. 4361, Federal Information Systems Safeguards Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) on 1/11/2016;
ordered reported by Committee on 3/1/2016 by record vote of 21-
16 (H. Rept. 114-599; passed House on 7/7/2016 (by record vote
of 241-181) as lead bill of Government Reform and Improvement
Act of 2016 package.
*Package includes: H.R. 901, H.R. 3023, H.R. 4358, H.R.
4392, H.R. 4612, H.R. 4921.
H.R. 4392, To amend title 5, United States Code, to require
that the Office of Personnel Management submit an annual report
to Congress relating to the use of official time by Federal
employees. Introduced by Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) on 1/13/2016;
ordered reported by Committee on 3/1/2016 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-484); passed House on 7/7/2016 (by record vote of
241-181) as part of H.R. 4361 package.
H.R. 4539, 400 Years of African-American History Commission
Act. Introduced by Rep. Robert ``Bobby'' Scott on 2/11/2016;
passed House on 7/5/2016 (under suspension by voice vote).
H.R. 4612, Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016. Introduced by
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) on 2/25/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 3/1/2016 by record vote of 20-17 (H. Rept. 114-
618, Part I); passed House on 7/7/2016 (by record vote of 241-
181) as part of H.R. 4361 package.
H.R. 4639, Thoroughly Investigating Retaliation Against
Whistleblowers Act. Introduced by Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA) on 2/26/
2016; ordered reported by Committee on 3/1/2016 by voice vote
(H. Rept. 114-521); passed House on 6/21/2016 (under suspension
by voice vote).
H.R. 4901, Scholarships for Opportunity and Results
Reauthorization Act. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz on 4/12/
2016; ordered reported by Committee on 4/14/2016 by voice vote
(H. Rept. 114-522); passed House on 4/29/2016 (by record vote
of 224-181).
H.R. 4906, To amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify
the eligibility of employees of a land management agency in a
time-limited appointment to compete for a permanent appointment
at any Federal agency, and for other purposes. Introduced by
Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) on 4/12/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 4/14/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-601); passed
House on 6/7/2016 (under suspension by record vote of 363-0).
H.R. 4921, Ditto Act of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Mark
Walker (R-NC) on 4/13/2016; ordered reported by Committee on 4/
14/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-636); passed House on 7/7/
2016 (by record vote of 241-181) as part of H.R. 4361 package.
H.R. 5037, District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender
Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act. Introduced
by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on 4/21/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
764); passed House on 9/22/2016 (under suspension by record
vote of 413-1).
H.R. 5226, Regulatory Integrity Act of 2016. Introduced by
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) on 5/13/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 5/17/2016 by record vote of 22-14 (H. Rept. 114-
729); passed House on 9/14/2016 (by record vote of 250-171).
H.R. 5233, Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for
DC Home Rule Act of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-
NC) on 5/13/2016; ordered reported by Committee on 5/17/2016 by
record vote of 22-14 (H. Rept. 114-586); passed House on 5/25/
2016 (by record vote of 240-179).
H.R. 5384, Federal Register Printing Savings Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) on 6/3/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 11/16/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-841,
Part I); passed House on 11/30/2016 (under suspension by voice
vote).
H.R. 5625, Modernizing Government Travel Act. Introduced by
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) on 7/5/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-766); passed House
on 9/22/2016 (under suspension by record vote of 415-0).
H.R. 5658, Tested Ability to Leverage Exceptional National
Talent (TALENT) Act of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Kevin McCarthy
(R-CA) on 7/7/2016; passed House on 7/12/2016 (by record vote
of 409-8).
H.R. 5690, GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016. Introduced
by Rep. Earl ``Buddy'' Carter (R-GA) on 7/8/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
758); passed House on 9/20/2016 (under suspension by record
vote of 404-0).
H.R. 6004, Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) on 9/13/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 9/15/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
783, Part I); passed House on 9/22/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote).
H.R. 6186, Follow the Rules Act. Introduced by Rep. Sean
Duffy (R-WI) on 9/27/2016; ordered reported by Committee on 11/
16/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-842); passed House on 11/
30/2016 (under suspension by voice vote).
H.R. 6303, To designate facilities of the United States
Postal Service, to establish new ZIP Codes, and for other
purposes. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 11/14/
2016; ordered reported by Committee on 11/16/2016 by voice vote
(H. Rept. 114-843); passed House on 11/30/2016 (under
suspension by voice vote).
H. Res. 827, Condemning the terrorist attack on the Pulse
Orlando nightclub, honoring the memory of the victims of the
attack, offering condolences to and expressing support for
their families and friends and all those affected, and
applauding the dedication and bravery of law enforcement,
emergency response, and counterterrorism officials in
responding to the attack. Introduced by Rep. Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen on 7/13/2016; passed House on 7/13/2016 (UC).
H. Res. 842, Expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives regarding the terrorist attacks launched
against the United States on September 11, 2001, on the 15th
anniversary of that date. Introduced by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-
CA) on 9/6/2016; passed House on 9/9/2016 (UC).
BILLS FAILED IN HOUSE
H.R. 1563, Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 3/24/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 3/25/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
73, Part I); failed House on 4/15/2015 (under suspension by a
vote of 266-160).
BILLS PASSED BY THE COMMITTEE
H.R. 24, Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on 1/6/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 5/17/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
692).
H.R. 451, Safe and Secure Federal Websites Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Charles Fleischmann (R-TN) on 1/21/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 5/19/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-390).
H.R. 1613, Federal Vehicle Repair Cost Savings Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) on 3/25/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
266).
*Senate companion (S. 565, Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)) became
P.L. 114-65 on 10/7/2015.
H.R. 1671, Government Neutrality in Contracting Act.
Introduced by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) on 3/26/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 1/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
471).
H.R. 2319, Electronic Message Preservation Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on 5/14/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
757).
H.R. 2320, Federal Improper Payments Coordination Act of
2015. Introduced by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) on 5/14/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 7/22/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-299).
*Senate companion (S. 614, Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE))
became P.L. 114-109 on 12/18/2015.
H.R. 2532, Employees of America Streamlining for Your
(EASY) Savings Act of 2015. Introduced by Rep. Charles
``Chuck'' Fleischmann (R-TN) on 5/21/2015; ordered reported by
Committee on 9/15/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-824).
H.R. 3387, Open and Transparent Smithsonian Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on 7/29/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 11/16/2016 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-864).
H.R. 4180, Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act of 2015.
Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 12/3/2015; ordered
reported by Committee on 12/9/2015 by unanimous consent (H.
Rept. 114-419).
*Senate companion (S. 2133, Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE))
became P.L. 114-186 on 6/30/2016.
H.R. 5033, Getting Results through Enhanced Accountability
and Transparency Act of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Tammy
Duckworth (D-IL) on 4/21/2016; ordered reported by Committee on
7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-853).
H.R. 5199, Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement
Act of 2016. Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 5/11/
2016; ordered reported by Committee on 5/17/2016 by voice vote
(H. Rept. 114-691).
H.R. 5341, To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide
for recalculation of basic annuity benefits for certain air
traffic controllers, and for other purposes. Introduced by Rep.
John Mica (R-FL) on 5/26/2016; ordered reported by Committee on
7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-823).
H.R. 5707, Postal Service Financial Improvement Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) on 7/11/2016;
ordered reported by Committee on 7/12/2016 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-859, Part I).
H.R. 5709, Federal Records Modernization Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 7/11/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-
759).
H.R. 5714, Postal Service Reform Act of 2016. Introduced by
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 7/11/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 7/12/2016 by voice vote (H. Rept. 114-858, Part
I).
H.R. 5920, Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act.
Introduced by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) on 7/21/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-836,
Part I).
*Senate companion (S. 795, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO))
became P.L. 114-261 on 12/14/2016.
H.R. 6008, Transit Benefits Modernization Act. Introduced
by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 9/13/2016; ordered reported by
Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-860, Part I).
H.R. 6009, Federal Agency Mail Management Act of 2016.
Introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) on 9/13/2016; ordered
reported by Committee on 9/15/2016 by UC (H. Rept. 114-825).
H. Res. 737, Condemning and censuring John A. Koskinen, the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Introduced by Rep. Jason
Chaffetz (R-UT) on 5/18/2016; ordered reported by Committee on
6/15/2016 by record vote of 23-15 (H. Rept. 114-635, Part I).
S. 1109, Truth in Settlements Act of 2015. Introduced by
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on 4/28/2015; passed Senate on 9/
21/2015 (UC); ordered reported by Committee on 3/1/2016 by
unanimous consent (H. Rept. 114-613).
S. 1576, Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act of 2015.
Introduced by Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on 6/15/2015; passed
Senate on 8/5/2015 (UC); ordered reported by Committee on 10/9/
2015 by unanimous consent (H. Rept. 114-695, Part I).
BILLS VETOED BY PRESIDENT
H.R. 1777, Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of
2016. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 4/14/2015;
ordered reported by Committee on 5/19/2015 by voice vote (H.
Rept. 114-209); passed House on 1/11/2016 (under suspension by
voice vote); passed Senate on 6/21/2016 (UC); Passed House with
Senate amendment on 7/8/2016 (UC); vetoed by President on 7/22/
2016.
POSTAL NAMING MEASURES
ENACTED
H.R. 136, Issa (R-CA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1103 USPS Building 1103
in Camp Pendleton, California, as the ``Camp Pendleton Medal of
Honor Post Office''.
H.R. 322, Wagner (R-MO), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 16105 Swingley Ridge
Road in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the ``Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher
Post Office''.
H.R. 323, Wagner (R-MO), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 55 Grasso Plaza in St.
Louis, Missouri, as the ``Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson Post Office''.
H.R. 324, Wagner (R-MO), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 11662 Gravois Road in
St. Louis, Missouri, as the ``Lt. Daniel P. Riordan Post
Office''.
H.R. 433, Thompson (R-PA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 523 East Railroad
Street in Knox, Pennsylvania, as the ``Specialist Ross A.
McGinnis Memorial Post Office''.
H.R. 558, Chabot (R-OH), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 55 South Pioneer
Boulevard in Springboro, Ohio, as the ``Richard `Dick' Chenault
Post Office Building.''
H.R. 651, Cicilline (D-RI), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 820 Elmwood Avenue
in Providence, Rhode Island, as the ``Sister Ann Keefe Post
Office''.
H.R. 728, Luetkemeyer (R-MO), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 7050 Highway BB in
Cedar Hill, Missouri, as the ``Sergeant First Class William B.
Woods, Jr. Post Office''.
H.R. 891, Cuellar (D-TX), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 141 Paloma Drive in
Floresville, Texas, as the ``Floresville Veterans Post Office
Building''.
H.R. 1132, McNerney (D-CA), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 1048 West Robinhood
Drive in Stockton, California, as the ``W. Ronald Coale
Memorial Post Office Building''.
H.R. 1326, Ross (R-FL), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 2000 Mulford Road in
Mulberry, Florida, as the ``Sergeant First Class Daniel M.
Ferguson Post Office''.
H.R. 1350, Serrano (D-NY), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 442 East 167th Street
in Bronx, New York, as the ``Herman Badillo Post Office
Building''.
H.R. 1442, Gibson (R-NY), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 90 Cornell Street in
Kingston, New York, as the ``Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz
Post Office Building''.
H.R. 1884, Slaughter (D-NY), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 206 West Commercial
Street in East Rochester, New York, as the ``Officer Daryl R.
Pierson Memorial Post Office Building''.
H.R. 2458, Richmond (D-LA), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 5351 Lapalco
Boulevard in Marrero, Louisiana, as the ``Lionel R. Collins,
Sr. Post Office Building''.
H.R. 2607, Crowley (D-NY), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 7802 37th Avenue in
Jackson Heights, New York, as the ``Jeanne and Jules Manford
Post Office Building''.
H.R. 2928, Hill (R-AR), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 201 B Street in
Perryville, Arkansas, as the ``Harold George Bennett Post
Office''.
H.R. 3059, Russell (R-OK), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 4500 SE 28th Street,
Del City, Oklahoma, as the ``James Robert Kalsu Post Office
Building''.
H.R. 3082, Richmond (D-LA), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 5919 Chef Menteur
Highway in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the ``Daryle Holloway
Post Office Building''.
H.R. 3218, Capps (D-CA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1221 State Street,
Suite 12, Santa Barbara, California, as the ``Special Warfare
Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis `Lou' J.
Langlais Post Office Building''.
H.R. 3274, Johnson (D-GA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 4567 Rockbridge Road in
Pine Lake, Georgia, as the ``Francis Manuel Ortega Post
Office''.
H.R. 3601, Langevin (D-RI), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 7715 Post Road,
North Kingstown, Rhode Island, as the ``Melvoid J. Benson Post
Office Building''.
H.R. 3735, Adams (D-NC), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 200 Town Run Lane in
Winston Salem, North Carolina, as the ``Maya Angelou Memorial
Post Office''.
H.R. 3866, Norcross (D-NJ), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 1265 Hurffville
Road in Deptford Township, New Jersey, as the ``First
Lieutenant Salvatore S. Corma II Post Office Building''.
H.R. 3931, Westerman (R-AR), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 620 Central Avenue
Suite 1A in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, as the ``Chief
Petty Officer Adam Brown United States Post Office''.
H.R. 3953, Bilirakis (R-FL), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 4122 Madison
Street, Elfers, Florida, as the ``Private First Class Felton
Roger Fussell Memorial Post Office''.
H.R. 4010, Gallego (D-AZ), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 522 North Central
Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona, as the ``Ed Pastor Post Office''.
H.R. 4046, Duffy (R-WI), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 220 East Oak Street,
Glenwood City, Wisconsin, as the ``Second Lt. Ellen Ainsworth
Memorial Post Office''.
H.R. 4372, Collins (R-NY), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 15 Rochester Street,
Bergen, New York, as the ``Barry G. Miller Post Office''.
H.R. 4425, Emmer (R-MN), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 110 East Powerhouse
Road in Collegeville, Minnesota, as the ``Eugene J. McCarthy
Post Office''.
H.R. 4605, Blum (R-IA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 615 6th Avenue SE in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa as the ``Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. Pasker
Post Office Building''.
H.R. 4747, Scott (D-GA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 6691 Church Street in
Riverdale, Georgia, as the ``Major Gregory E. Barney Post
Office Building''.
H.R. 4761, Chu (D-CA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 61 South Baldwin Avenue
in Sierra Madre, California, as the ``Louis Van Iersel Post
Office''.
H.R. 4777, Sewell (D-AL), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1301 Alabama Avenue in
Selma, Alabama as the ``Amelia Boynton Robinson Post Office
Building''.
H.R. 4877, Olson (R-TX), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 3130 Grants Lake
Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as the ``LCpl Garrett W.
Gamble, USMC Post Office Building''.
H.R. 4887, Visclosky (D-IN), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 23323 Shelby Road
in Shelby, Indiana, as the ``Richard Allen Cable Post Office''.
H.R. 4925, Latta (R-OH), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 229 West Main Cross
Street, in Findlay, Ohio, as the ``Michael Garver Oxley
Memorial Post Office Building''.
H.R. 4960, Foster (D-IL), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 525 N. Broadway in
Aurora, Illinois, as the ``Kenneth M. Christy Post Office
Building''.
H.R. 4975, Ashford (D-NE), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 5720 South 142nd Street
in Omaha, Nebraska, as the ``Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb A.
Nelson Post Office Building''.
H.R. 4987, Miller (R-FL), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 3957 2nd Avenue in
Laurel Hill, Florida, as the ``Sergeant First Class William
`Kelly' Lacey Post Office''.
H.R. 5028, Lawrence (D-MI), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 10721 E Jefferson
Ave in Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Mary Eleanora McCoy Post
Office Building''.
H.R. 5150, Donovan (R-NY), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 3031 Veterans Road West
in Staten Island, New York, as the ``Leonard Montalto Post
Office Building''.
H.R. 5309, Kelly (R-MS), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 401 McElroy Drive in
Oxford, Mississippi, as the ``Army First Lieutenant Donald C.
Carwile Post Office Building''.
H.R. 5356, Brady (R-TX), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 14231 TX-150 in
Coldspring, Texas, as the ``E. Marie Youngblood Post Office''.
H.R. 5591, Cuellar (D-TX), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 810 N. US Highway 83 in
Zapata, Texas, as the ``Zapata Veterans Post Office''.
H.R. 5612, Price (R-GA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 2886 Sandy Plains Road
in Marietta, Georgia, as the ``Marine Lance Corporal Squire
`Skip' Wells Post Office Building''.
H.R. 5676, Quigley (D-IL), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 6300 N. Northwest
Highway in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``Officer Joseph P. Cali
Post Office Building''.
H.R. 5798, Schakowsky (D-IL), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 1101 Davis Street
in Evanston, Illinois, as the ``Abner J. Mikva Post Office
Building''.
H.R. 5889, Sablan (D-MP), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1 Chalan Kanoa VLG in
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, as the ``Segundo T. Sablan
and CNMI Fallen Military Heroes Post Office Building''.
H.R. 5948, Davis (D-CA), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 830 Kuhn Drive in Chula
Vista, California, as the ``Jonathan `J.D.' De Guzman Post
Office Building''.
H.R. 6138, Brownley (D-CA), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 560 East Pleasant
Valley Road, Port Hueneme, California, as the U.S. Naval
Construction Battalion ``Seabees'' Fallen Heroes Post Office
Building.
H.R. 6282, Serrano (D-NY), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 2024 Jerome Avenue, in
Bronx, New York, as the ``Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. Post Office
Building''.
H.R. 6304, Gosar (R-AZ), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 501 North Main Street
in Florence, Arizona, as the ``Adolfo `Harpo' Celaya Post
Office''.
S. 179, Klobuchar (D-MN), A bill to designate the facility
of the United States Postal Service located at 14 3rd Avenue,
NW, in Chisholm, Minnesota, as the ``James L. Oberstar Memorial
Post Office Building''.
S. 994, Booker (D-NJ), A bill to designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 1 Walter Hammond
Place in Waldwick, New Jersey, as the ``Staff Sergeant Joseph
D'Augustine Post Office Building''.
S. 1596, Portman (R-OH), A bill to designate the facility
of the United States Postal Service located at 2082 Stringtown
Road in Grove City, Ohio, as the ``Specialist Joseph W. Riley
Post Office Building''.
S. 1826, Johnson (R-WI), A bill to designate the facility
of the United States Postal Service located at 99 West 2nd
Street in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, as the ``Lieutenant Colonel
James `Maggie' Megellas Post Office''.
PASSED BY COMMITTEE
H.R. 1524, Garrett (R-NJ), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1 Walter Hammond Place
in Waldwick, New Jersey, as the ``Staff Sergeant Joseph
D'Augustine Post Office Building''.
*Senate companion (S. 994, Booker (D-NJ)) enacted.
II. Oversight Activities
FULL COMMITTEE HEARINGS HELD
January 22, 2015, 10:15 p.m. Full Committee hearing
entitled, ``Inspectors General: Independence, Access and
Authority.''
February 11, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``GAO's High Risk Report: 25 Years of Problematic Practices.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General,
U.S. Government Accountability Office; Dr. Shantanu Agrawal,
Deputy Administrator and Director, Centers for Program
Integrity, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services; The Honorable Alan F.
Estevez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, U.S. Department of
Defense; The Honorable John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal
Revenue Service; Mr. Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr., Associate
Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
Mr. John J. MacWilliams, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, U.S.
Department of Energy.
February 12, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``U.S. Secret Service: Identifying Steps to Restore the
Protective Agency.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Mark Filip,
Member, U.S. Secret Service Protective Mission Panel; The
Honorable Danielle C. Gray, Member, U.S. Secret Service
Protective Mission Panel; The Honorable Joseph W. Hagin,
Member, U.S. Secret Service Protective Mission Panel; Thomas J.
Perrelli, Member, U.S. Secret Service Protective Mission Panel.
February 26, 2015, 7:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``IRS: TIGTA Update.'' Witnesses: The Honorable J. Russell
George, Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration; Mr. Tim Camus, Deputy Inspector General for
Investigations, Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration.
March 4, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Rebuilding the Chemical Safety Board: Finding a Solution to
the CSB's Governance and Management Challenges.'' Witnesses:
The Honorable Manuel Ehrlich, Board Member, U.S. Chemical
Safety Board; The Honorable Richard Engler, Board Member, U.S.
Chemical Safety Board; The Honorable Mark Griffon, Board
Member, U.S. Chemical Safety Board; The Honorable Rafael Moure-
Eraso, Chairman, U.S. Chemical Safety Board; Mr. Patrick
Sullivan, Assistant Inspector General for Investigation, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General.
March 17, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``FCC: Process and Transparency.'' Witness: The Honorable
Thomas Wheeler, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission.
March 19, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``A Review of the Department of Homeland Security's Policies
and Procedures for the Apprehension, Detention, and Release of
Non-Citizens Unlawfully Present in the United States (Part
II).'' Witness: The Honorable Sarah R. Saldana, Director, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
March 24, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``USSS: Holding the Protectors Accountable.'' Witness: The
Honorable Joseph P. Clancy, Director, U.S. Secret Service.
April 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``DOJ IG: Handling of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct
Allegations.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice; The Honorable
Michele M. Leonhart, Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration; Mr. Kevin L. Perkins, Associate Deputy
Director, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
April 14, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``GAO's Duplication Report at Five Years: Recommendations
Remain Unaddressed.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Beth Cobert,
Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and
Budget; The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
April 22, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Enhancing Cybersecurity of Third-Party Contractors and
Vendors.'' Witnesses: Dr. Eric A. Fisher, Senior Specialist in
Science and Technology, Congressional Research Service; Mr.
Tony Scott, Chief Information Officer & Administrator, Office
of Management and Budget, Office of Electronic Government and
Information Technology; Ms. Donna K. Seymour, Chief Information
Officer, Office of Personnel Management; Mr. Gregory C.
Wilshusen, Director of Information Security Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
April 29, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Flying Under the Radar: Securing Washington D.C. Airspace.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Joseph P. Clancy, Director, U.S.
Secret Service; Mr. Kim C. Dine, Chief, U.S. Capitol Police;
Admiral William E. Gortney, Commander, NORAD/USNORTHCOM; The
Honorable Michael P. Huerta, Administrator, Federal Aviation
Administration; Paul D. Irving, Sergeant at Arms, U.S. House of
Representatives; Mr. Robert D. MacLean, Chief, U.S. Park
Police; Mr. Robert G. Salesses, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense, U.S. Department of Defense, Homeland Defense
Integration and Defense Support of Civil Authorities.
April 30, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``EPA Mismanagement.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Arthur Elkins,
Junior, Inspector General, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Inspector General; Mr. Stanley Meiburg,
Acting Deputy Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; Mr. John Reeder, Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. Patrick Sullivan,
Assistant Inspector General for Investigation, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General.
May 13, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Transportation Security: Are Our Airports Safe?'' Witnesses:
Ms. Jennifer Grover, Acting Director, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Homeland Security and Justice; Mr. Rafi
Ron, President & CEO, New Age Security Solutions; The Honorable
John Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security.
May 14, 2015, 9:30 a.m. Full Committee field hearing
titled, ``D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program: Making the
American Dream Possible.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Tim Scott,
United States Senate; Ms. Megan Gallagher, Senior Research
Associate, Urban Institute; Ms. Seferash Teferra, Parent of OSP
Scholarship Recipient; Ms. Shirley-Ann Tomdio, Former OSP
Scholarship Recipient, Current student at the George Washington
University; Dr. Patrick J. Wolf, Professor and 21st Century
Chair in School Choice, College of Education and Health
Professions, on behalf of University of Arkansas.
May 14, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``U.S. Secret Service: Accountability for March 4, 2015
Incident.'' Witness: The Honorable John Roth, Inspector
General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
June 2, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Ensuring Transparency through the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA).'' Witnesses: Mr. Terry Anderson, Retired Journalist,
AP, Adjunct Professor, University of Florida; Ms. Sharyl
Attkisson, Investigative Journalist; Ms. Leah Goodman,
Investigative Reporter, Newsweek; Mr. Jason Leopold,
Investigative Reporter, Vice News; Mr. David E. McCraw, Vice
President and Assistant General Counsel, The New York Times;
Mr. Tom Fitton, President, Judicial Watch; Ms. Lisette Garcia,
FOIA Resource Center; Mr. Nate Jones, Director of the Freedom
of Information Act Project, National Security Archive; Ms.
Cleta Mitchell, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP; Mr. Gabriel
Rottman, Legislative Counsel/Policy Advisor, American Civil
Liberties Union; Ms. Anne Weismann, Executive Director,
Campaign for Accountability.
June 3, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Ensuring Agency Compliance with the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA).'' Witnesses: The Honorable Joyce A. Barr, Chief
FOIA Officer, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Brodi Fontenot,
Chief FOIA Officer, U.S. Department of Treasury; Mrs. Mary
Howard, Director, Privacy, Governmental Liaison, and
Disclosure, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of
Treasury; Ms. Karen Neuman, Chief FOIA Officer, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security; Ms. Melanie Anne Pustay, Director, Office
of Information Policy, U.S. Department of Justice.
June 16, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``OPM: Data Breach.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Katherine
Archuleta, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Ms.
Sylvia Burns, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of the
Interior; Mr. Michael R. Esser, Assistant Inspector General for
Audits, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Dr. Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary, Office of
Cybersecurity and Communications, National Program Preparedness
Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Tony
Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-Government
and Information Technology, U.S. Office of Management and
Budget; Ms. Donna K. Seymour, Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Office of Personnel Management.
June 17, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Drones: The Next Generation of Commerce?'' Witnesses: Dr.
John Cavolowsky, Director, Airspace Operations and Safety
Program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Mr.
Harley Geiger, Advocacy Director and Senior Counsel, Center for
Democracy and Technology; Mr. Paul E. Misener, Vice President
of Global Public Policy, Amazon.com, Inc; The Honorable Michael
Whitaker, Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; Mr. Brian
Wynne, President & CEO, Association for Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International.
June 24, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``OPM Data Breach: Part II.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Katherine Archuleta, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Ms. Ann Barron-DiCamillo, Director, U.S. Computer
Emergency Readiness Team, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
Mr. Rob Giannetta, Chief Information Officer, US Investigations
Services, LLC; Mr. Eric A. Hess, Chief Executive Officer,
KeyPoint Government Solutions; The Honorable Patrick E.
McFarland, Inspector General, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Ms. Donna K. Seymour, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
June 25, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``IRS: TIGTA Update Part II. Witnesses: Mr. Tim Camus, Deputy
Inspector General for Investigations, Treasury Inspector
General for Tax Administration; Mr. J. Russell George,
Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax
Administration.
July 9, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Construction Costs and Delays at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.''
Witnesses: Mr. Jarrett Blanc, Principal Deputy Special,
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, on behalf of U.S.
Department of State; Mr. Michael J. Courts, Director,
International Affairs and Trade, on behalf of U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Mr. Michael L. Gulino, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Aegis LLC; The Honorable Donald S.
Hays, Senior Inspector, Office of the Inspector General, on
behalf of U.S. Department of State; Ms. Lydia Muniz, Director,
Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, on behalf of U.S.
Department of State; The Honorable Gregory B. Starr, Assistant
Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, on behalf of U.S.
Department of State.
July 14, 2015, 9:45 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Criminal Justice: Part I.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Cory
Booker, Senator, New Jersey; The Honorable John Cornyn,
Senator, Texas; The Honorable Cedric L. Richmond, Member of
Congress, Washington D.C.; The Honorable Robert C. ``Bobby''
Scott, Member of Congress, Washington D.C.; The Honorable F.
James Sensenbrenner, Member of Congress, Washington D.C.; The
Honorable Robert Bentley, Governor, Alabama; The Honorable Jack
Markell, Governor, Delaware.
July 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Criminal Justice: Part II.'' Witnesses: Mr. Marc A. Levin,
Right on Crime and Center for Effective Justice, Texas Public
Policy Foundation; Mr. John G. Malcolm, Director, Edwin Meese
III Center for Legal & Judicial Studies, The Heritage
Foundation; Mr. Kevin Ring, Director of Strategic Initiatives,
Families Against Mandatory Minimums; Ms. Liz Ryan, President
and CEO, Youth First! Initiative; Mr. Brett L. Tolman, Co-
Chair, White Collar Criminal Defense and Corporate Compliance
Practice Group, Ray Quinney & Nebeker.
July 29, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``EPA Mismanagement Part II.'' Witnesses: Ms. Carolyn Bohlen,
Chief of Enforcement Services Section #2, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Superfund Division; Mr. Ronald Harris, Equal
Employment Opportunity Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; Ms. Karen Kellen, President AFGE Council 238, American
Federation of Government Employees; Mr. Ross Tuttle, Senior
Supervisor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; The Honorable
Gina McCarthy, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
September 9, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Violence on the Border: Keeping U.S. Personnel
Safe.'' Mr. Robert L. Harris, Joint Task Force--West, U.S.
Customs and Border Protection; Mr. Brandon Judd, President,
National Border Patrol Council, American Federation of
Government Employees; Mr. William H. Moser, Deputy Director,
Bureau of Overseas Building Operations; Ms. Sue Saarnio, Deputy
Assistant Secretary, Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S.
Department of State; Mr. Gregory B. Starr, Assistant Secretary,
Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Department of State.
September 10, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``GSA: Army Fee Assistance.'' Witnesses: Mr. Gerard
Badorrek, Chief Financial Officer, U.S. General Services
Administration, Ms. Karmon Dyches, Army Captain appearing in
personal capacity; Ms. Kaela Hensley, Army Spouse; Ms.
Stephanie L. Hoehne, Director, Family and Morale, Welfare &
Recreation, G9, Installation Management Command, U.S. Army; The
Honorable Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General, Office of the
Inspector General, U.S. General Services Administration.
September 17, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee joint hearing
with Natural Resources Committee hearing titled, ``EPA's Animas
Spill.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Gina McCarthy, Administrator,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. Russell Begaye,
President, Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona; Mr. Ryan Flynn,
Secretary of Environment & Natural Resources Trustee,
Environment Department, State of New Mexico; Mr. James M.
``Mike'' Olguin, Council Member, Southern Ute Indian Tribe,
Ignacio, Colorado; Dr. Larry Wolk, Executive Director and Chief
Medical Officer, Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment.
September 17, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Federal Air Marshal Service: Oversight.'' Witnesses:
Mr. Roderick Allison, Director, Office of Law Enforcement/
Federal Air Marshal Service, Transportation Security
Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Ms.
Heather Book, Assistant Administrator, Office of Professional
Responsibility, Transportation Security Administration, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security.
September 29, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Planned Parenthood's Taxpayer Funding.'' Witness: Ms.
Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of
America.
October 21, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Secure Credentials Issued by the Government Publishing
Office.'' Witnesses: Mr. James N. Albers, Senior Vice President
of Government Operations, MorphoTrust USA; Ms. Kathleen M.
Carroll, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, HID Global, Inc.;
The Honorable Michael A. Raponi, Inspector General, U.S.
Government Publishing Office; Ms. Davita Vance-Cooks, Director,
U.S. Government Publishing Office.
November 3, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``TSA: Security Gaps.'' Witnesses: Ms. Jennifer Grover,
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Vice-Admiral Peter Neffenger (Ret),
Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable John Roth,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
November 17, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``U.S. Department of Education: Information Security
Review.'' Witnesses: Danny A. Harris, Ph.D., Chief Information
Officer, U.S. Department of Education; The Honorable Kathleen
S. Tighe, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education; Mr.
Greg Wilshusen, Director, Information Security Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
December 8, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Review of the New London Embassy Project.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Steve A. Linick, Inspector General, Office of the
Inspector General, U.S. Department of State; Ms. Lydia Muniz,
Director, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, on behalf of
U.S. Department of State; The Honorable Gregory B. Starr,
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, on behalf
of U.S. Department of State.
December 9, 2015, 1:00 p.m.Full Committee hearing titled,
``A Casino in Every Smartphone--Law Enforcement Implications.''
Witnesses: Mr. Joseph S. Campbell, Assistant Director, Criminal
Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; The
Honorable Alan M. Kleine, Douglas County Attorney, State of
Nebraska; The Honorable Mark Lipparelli, Senator, State of
Nevada; The Honorable Alan M. Wilson, Attorney General, State
of South Carolina.
December 17, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing,
``Terrorist Travel: Vetting for National Security Concern.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary for
International Affairs, Chief Diplomatic Officer for the Office
of Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable
Leon Rodriguez, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable
Michele Thoren Bond, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular
Affairs, U.S. Department of State; The Honorable Anne C.
Richard, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees,
and Migration, U.S. Department of State.
January 7, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee Hearing,
``Document Production Status Update'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Julia Frifield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Legislative
Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Ms. Tamara Fucile, Associate
Director for Legislative Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget; The Honorable Tia Johnson, Assistant Secretary, Office
of Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
The Honorable Peter J. Kadzik, Assistant Attorney General for
Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice; Mr. Jason
Levine, Director, Office of Congressional, Legislative, and
Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
February 2, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``U.S. Department of Education: Investigation of the CIO''
Witnesses: Ms. Sandra Bruce, Deputy Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Education; Dr. Danny A. Harris, Ph. D., Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Education; Mr. John B.
King, Jr., Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Education; Ms.
Susan Winchell, Assistant General Counsel for Ethics, U.S.
Department of Education.
February 3, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water
Act in Flint, Michigan'' Witnesses: The Honorable Daniel T.
Kildee, Member of Congress, Washington D.C.; Mr. Joel Beauvais,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. Keith Creagh, Director,
Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan; Dr.
Marc Edwards, Ph. D., Charles P. Lundsford Professor of
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University; Ms. LeeAnne
Walters, Resident of Flint, Michigan.
February 4, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Developments in the Prescription Drug Market: Oversight''
Witnesses: Mr. Keith Flanagan, Director, Office of Generic Drug
Policy, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Mr. Mark Merritt,
President and Chief Executive Officer, Pharmaceutical Care
Management Association; Ms. Nancy Retzlaff, Chief Commercial
Officer, Turing Pharmaceuticals LLC; Mr. Howard B. Schiller,
Interim Chief Executive Officer/Corporate Director, Valeant
Pharmaceuticals International, Inc; Mr. Martin Shkreli, Former
Chief Executive Officer, Turing Pharmaceuticals LLC; Dr. Janet
Woodcock, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research,
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
February 11, 2016, 1:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``IRS: Reviewing its Legal Obligations, Document Preservation,
and Data Security'' Witnesses: Mr. Ed Killen, Director of
Privacy, Governmental Liaison, and Disclosure, Internal Revenue
Service; Mr. Terry Milholland, Chief Technology Officer,
Internal Revenue Service; Mr. Jeff Tribiano, Deputy
Commissioner, Operations, Internal Revenue Service.
February 25, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Security Clearance Reform: The Performance
Accountability Council's Path Forward'' Witnesses: Ms. Beth
Cobert, Acting Director, Office of Personnel Management; Mr.
Terry Halvorson, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of
Defense; Mr. Tony Scott, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Office
of Management and Budget; Mr. William Evanina, Director of
National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Office of the
Director of National Intelligence.
March 2, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Geolocation Technology and Privacy'' Witnesses: Mr. Richard
W. Downing, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S.
Department of Justice, Criminal Division; Mr. Michael R.
Doucette, Commonwealth's Attorney, City of Lynchburg, VA; Mr.
Paul J. Larkin Jr., Senior Legal Research Fellow, The Heritage
Foundation, Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial
Studies; Ms. Neema Singh Guliani, Legislative Counsel, American
Civil Liberties Union.
March 15, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water
Act in Flint, Michigan, Part II'' Witnesses: Mr. Darnell
Earley, Former Emergency Manager, Flint, Michigan; Dr. Marc
Edwards, Ph. D., Charles P. Lundsford Professor of
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University; Ms. Susan Hedman,
Former Region 5 Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; Mr. Dayne Walling, Former Mayor, Flint, Michigan.
March 16, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Rebuilding Afghanistan: Oversight of Defense Department
Infrastructure Projects'' Witnesses: The Honorable John Sopko,
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction;
Christine S. Abizaid, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, U.S. Department of
Defense; Howard Stickley, Programs Director, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Transatlantic Division (TAD), U.S. Department of
Defense; Randy Brown, Director, Air Force Civil Engineering
Center, U.S. Department of Defense.
March 17, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water
Act in Flint, Michigan, Part III'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Gina McCarthy, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; The Honorable Rick Snyder, Governor of Michigan.
March 22, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``America's Heroin and Opioid Abuse Epidemic'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Michael Botticelli, Director, Office of National Drug
Control Policy, The White House; Ms. Kana Enomoto, Principal
Deputy Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; The Honorable Teresa Jacobs, Mayor of Orange County,
Florida; Mr. Lou Milione, Deputy Assistant Administrator for
Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S.
Department of Justice; Dr. Leana S. Wen, M.D., MSc., FAAEM,
Health Commissioner, Baltimore City Health Department.
April 13, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Waste and Inefficiency in the Federal Government: GAO's 2016
Duplication Report'' Witnesses: Dr. Patrick H. Conway, MD, MSc,
Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality and Chief
Medical Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. John
Dalrymple, Deputy Commissioner, Services and Enforcement,
Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury; The
Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Mr. David Tillotson III, Assistant
Deputy Chief Management Officer, U.S. Department of Defense.
April 19, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Documents Production Status Update, Part II'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Jim R. Esquea, Assistant Secretary for Legislation,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. Johnathan E.
Meyer, Deputy General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable Howard
Shelanski, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.
April 27, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at TSA: Part
I'' Witnesses: Mr. Jay Brainard, Federal Security Director for
the State of Kansas, Office of Security Operations,
Transportation Security Administration; Dr. Mark Livingston,
D.M., Program Manager, Office of the Chief Risk Officer,
Transportation Security Administration; Mr. Andrew Rhoades,
Assistant Federal Security Director for Mission Support at
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Office of Security
Operations, Transportation Security Administration.
April 28, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Criminal Aliens Released by the Department of Homeland
Security'' Witnesses: Sarah R. Saldana, Director, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Ralph Martin, Chief of
Police, Santa Maria Police Department; Wendy Hartling, Mother
of Casey Chadwick; Scott Root, Father of Sarah Root; Chris
Burbank, Director of Law Enforcement Engagement, Center for
Policing Equity.
May 11, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Reforming the Postal Service: Finding a Viable Solution''
Witnesses: The Honorable Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General,
United States Postal Service; Ms. Jessica Lowrance, President-
Elect, Association for Postal Commerce; Ms. Lori Rectanus,
Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Mr. Fredric V. Rolando, President,
National Association of Letter Carriers; The Honorable Robert
G. Taub, Acting Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission.
May 12, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at TSA: Part
II'' Witnesses: Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger (Ret.),
Administrator, Transportation Security Administration; The
Honorable John Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security.
May 17, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``White House Narratives on the Iran Nuclear Deal'' Witnesses:
Mr. Benjamin Rhodes, Assistant to the President and Deputy
National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and
Speechwriting (Invited), The White House; Mr. Michael Rubin,
Resident Scholar, The American Enterprise Institute; Mr.
Michael Doran, Senior Fellow Hudson Institute; Mr. John Hannah,
Senior Counselor, Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
May 18, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining Employee Misconduct at EPA'' Witnesses: Mr. Stanley
Meiburg, Acting Deputy Administrator, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency; Mr. Patrick Sullivan, Assistant Inspector
General for Investigations, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
May 25, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Federal Agencies' Reliance on Outdated and Unsupported
Information Technology: A Ticking Time Bomb'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Tony Scott, Federal Chief Information Officer, Office
of Management and Budget; Mr. Terry Halvorsen, Chief
Information Officer, Department of Defense; Ms. Beth Killoran,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Technology
and Chief Information Officer, Department of Health and Human
Services; Mr. Terry Milholland, Chief Technology Officer,
Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury; Mr. Dave
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
May 26, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Social Security Administration: Information Systems Review''
Witness: The Honorable Carolyn W. Colvin, Acting Commissioner,
Social Security Administration; Ms. Marti A. Eckert, Associate
Commissioner, Information Security, and Chief Information
Security Officer, Social Security Administration; Mr. Robert
Klopp, Deputy Commissioner, Systems, and Chief Information
Officer, Social Security Administration; Ms. Gale Stallworth
Stone, Deputy Inspector General, Social Security
Administration.
June 9, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Census 2020: Examining the Readiness of Key Aspects of the
Census Bureau's 2020 Census Preparation'' Witnesses: Mr. Steve
I. Cooper, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of
Commerce; Ms. Carol Cha Harris, Director, Information
Technology Acquisition Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Mr. Harry A. Lee, Acting Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Census Bureau; Ms. Carol N. Rice,
Assistant Inspector General, Office of Economic and Statistical
Program Assessment, U.S. Department of Commerce; The Honorable
John H. Thompson, Director, U.S. Census Bureau.
June 14, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Oversight of the National Park Service'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Jonathan Jarvis, Director, National Park Service,
U.S. Department of the Interior; Ms. Mary Kendall, Deputy
Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, U.S.
Department of the Interior.
July 6, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Firearms and Munitions at Risk: Examining Inadequate
Safeguards'' Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz,
Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Justice; Mr. Thomas R. Kane Ph. D., Acting
Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons; Mr. Steven A. Ellis,
Deputy Director of Operations, Bureau of Land Management; Mr.
Jeffery Orner, Chief Readiness Support Officer, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security.
July 7, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Oversight of the State Department'' Witness: The Honorable
James Comey, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigations.
July 12, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Religious Liberty and H.R. 2802, The First Amendment Defense
Act (FADA)'' Witnesses: The Honorable Mike Lee, U.S. Senator,
Utah, The Honorable Raul Labrador, U.S. Congressman, Idaho 1st
Congressional District, Mr. Kelvin Cochran, Former Fire Chief,
Atlanta Fire Department, Mr. Jim Obergefell, Appearing in
personal capacity, Ms. Kristen Waggoner, Senior Counsel and
Senior Vice President, U.S. Legal Advocacy, Alliance Defending
Freedom, Ms. Katherine Franke, Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher
Professor of Law Director, Center for Gender and Sexuality Law,
Columbia School of Law, Mr. Matthew J. Franck, Ph.D., appearing
in personal capacity.
July 13, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Oversight of the FDIC Application Process'' The Honorable
Martin J. Gruenberg, Chairman, United States Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation; Mr. Matthew Browning, Former Board
Member, National Association of Industrial Bankers; Dr. Simon
Johnson, Professor of Global Economics and Management, MIT
Sloan School of Management; Mr. Guy Williams, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company.
July 14, 2016, 9:30 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Recalcitrant Countries: Denying Visas to Countries that
Refuse to take back their Deported Nationals'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Michele Thoren Bond, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of
Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Daniel
Ragsdale, Deputy Director, Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
September 8, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Examining FOIA compliance at the Department of
State'' Witnesses: The Honorable Ambassador Patrick F. Kennedy,
Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of State; The
Honorable Janice Jacobs, Transparency Coordinator, U.S.
Department of State; Ms. Karin Lang, Director of the Executive
Secretariat, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Clarence Finney,
Jr., Deputy Director for Correspondence, Records, and Staffing
Division of the Executive Secretariat, U.S. Department of
State.
September 12, 2016, 5:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Classifications and Redactions in FBI's Investigative
File'' Witnesses: The Honorable Peter Kadzik, Assistant
Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, Department of
Justice; The Honorable Julia Frifield, Assistant Secretary of
the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Department of State; Mr.
Jason Herring, Acting Assistant Director for Congressional
Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Ms. Deirdre Walsh,
Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs, Office of the
Director of National Intelligence; Mr. Neal Higgins, Director
of Congressional Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency; James
Samuel, Jr., Chief of Congressional Affairs, National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; Mr. Trumbull Soule, Director of
Legislative Affairs, National Security Agency.
September 13, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Examining Preservation of State Department Records''
Witnesses: Mr. Justin Cooper, former employee of President Bill
Clinton and the Clinton Foundation; Mr. Paul Combetta, Platte
River Networks; Mr. Bill Thornton, Platte River Networks; Mr.
Bryan Pagliano, Former Senior Advisor for Information Resource
Management, U.S. Department of State.
September 14, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee Hearing
titled, ``Examining the Affordable Care Act's Premium
Increases'' Witnesses: Dr. Mandy Cohen, Chief Operating
Officer, Office of the Administrator, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services; Mr. Al Redmer, Jr., Commissioner of the
Maryland Insurance Administration, National Association of
Insurance Commissioners; Mr. Chris Carlson, Principal at Oliver
Wyman, America's Health Insurance Plans; Mr. Kurt Giesa, Head
of Actuarial Healthcare Practice at Oliver Wyman, Blue Cross
Blue Shield Association; Mr. Topher Spiro, Vice President of
Health Policy, Center for American Progress.
September 21, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Reviewing the Rising Price of Epipens'' Witnesses:
Mr. Douglas Throckmorton, Deputy Director of Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Ms.
Heather Bresch, Chief Executive Officer, Mylan.
September 22, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee titled,
``Examining Preservation of State Department Federal Records''
September 22, 2016, 1:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Examining Misconduct and Mismanagement at the
National Park Service'' Witnesses: Mr. Michael Reynolds, Deputy
Director for Operations, National Park Service, U.S. Department
of Interior; Ms. Kelly Martin, Chief of Fire and Aviation
Management at Yosemite National Park, U.S. Department of
Interior; Mr. Brian Healy, Fisheries Program Manager at the
Grand Canyon National Park, U.S. Department of Interior.
November 15, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Oversight of the Secret Service'' Witnesses: The
Honorable John Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security; Mr. Tom Dougherty, Chief Strategy Officer,
U.S. Secret Service; B.Gen. Kevin Nally, Ret., Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Secret Service.
November 30, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``Oversight of DEA's Confidential Source Program''
Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector
General, U.S. Department of Justice; Mr. Robert W. Patterson,
Chief Inspector, Assistant Administrator, Drug Enforcement
Administration, U.S. Department of Justice.
December 1, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination at the
U.S. Department of Agriculture'' Witnesses: Ms. Lesa Donnelly,
Vice President, U.S. Department of Agriculture Coalition of
Minority Employees; Ms. Lenise Lago, Deputy Chief, Business
Operations, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture; The Honorable Joe Leonard, Jr., Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Ms.
Denice Rice, Fire Prevention Technician, Region 5, Eldorado
National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
December 7, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Examining the Costs of Overclassification on Transparency and
Security'' Witnesses: Mr. J. William Leonard, Former Director,
Information Security Oversight Office; Mr. Steven Aftergood,
Director, Project on Government Secrecy, Federation of American
Scientists; Mr. Tom Blanton, Director, National Security
Archive, The George Washington University, Mr. Scott Amey,
General Counsel, Project on Government Oversight.
HEARINGS--SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
February 27, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Ensuring Government Transparency
Through FOIA Reform.'' Witnesses: Ms. Miriam Nisbet, Former
Director, Office of Government Information Services, National
Archives & Records Administration; Mr. Frederick J. Sadler,
Former FOIA Officer, Food and Drug Administration; Mr. Rick
Blum, Director, Sunshine in Government Initiative.
March 18, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Federal Workforce Tax
Accountability.'' Witnesses: Mr. Brad Huther, Chief Financial
Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Mr.
E.J. Holland, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. Seto Bagdoyan,
Director, Forensic Audits and Investigative Service, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Alan L. Chvotkin,
Executive Vice President and Counsel, Professional Services
Council; Ms. Maureen Gilman, Legislative and Political
Director, National Treasury Employees Union.
April 15, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``The Taxpayer Advocate's Annual
Report.'' Witness: Ms. Nina Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate,
Internal Revenue Service.
April 16, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``The Worst Places to Work in the
Federal Government.'' Witnesses: The Honorable David S.
Ferriero, Archivist, National Archives and Records
Administration; The Honorable Manuel Ehrlich, Board Member,
U.S. Chemical Safety Board; Ms. Catherine V. Emerson, Chief
Human Capital Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, Director of Strategic Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
May 1, 2015, 9:30 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Is the Railroad Retirement Board
Doing Enough to Protect Against Fraud?'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Martin J. Dickman, Inspector General, Railroad
Retirement Board; The Honorable Michael S. Schwartz, Chairman,
Railroad Retirement Board; Mr. Daniel Bertoni, Director,
Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Government
Accountability Office.
May 21, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Issues Facing Civilian and Postal
Service Vehicle Fleet Procurement.'' Witnesses: Mr. Joseph
Corbett, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President,
United States Postal Service; Mr. William Toth Jr., Director,
Office of Motor Vehicle Management, General Services
Administration; Ms. Kate M. Vigneau, Director of Professional
Development, NAFA Fleet Management Association; Ms. Lori
Rectanus, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
June 16, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Fair Competition in International
Shipping.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Robert Taub, Acting
Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission; Mr. Robert Faucher,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International
Organization Affairs, United States Department of State; Mr.
Randy Miskanic, Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice
President, United States Postal Service; Ms. Nancy Sparks,
Managing Director, Regulatory Affairs, FedEx Express; Mr. Paul
Misener, Vice President for Global Public Policy, Amazon; The
Honorable David C. Williams, Inspector General, United States
Postal Service.
December 2, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Office of National Drug Control
Policy: Reauthorization.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Michael
Botticelli, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy;
Mr. David Kelley, Congressional Liaison, National High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Directors Association; Mr.
David Maurer, Director of Justice and Law Enforcement Issues,
Government Accountability Office.
December 16, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Merit Systems Protection Board
(MSPB), Office of Government Ethics (OGE), and Office of
Special Counsel (OSC) Reauthorization.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Susan Tsui Grundmann, Chairman, U.S. Merit Systems
Protection Board; The Honorable Walter M. Shaub, Jr., Director,
U.S. Office of Government Ethics; The Honorable Carolyn N.
Lerner, Special Counsel, U.S. Office of Special Counsel.
January 6, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing: ``Army Fee Assistance Program: Part II''
Witnesses: The Honorable Michael Botticelli, Director, Office
of National Drug Control Policy; Mr. David Kelley,
Congressional Liaison, National High Intensity Drug Trafficking
Areas Directors Association; Mr. David Maurer, Director of
Justice and Law Enforcement Issues, Government Accountability
Office.
March 2, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Firearms Lost: GSA's
Administration of the Surplus Firearm Donation Program''
Witnesses: The Honorable Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector
General, U.S. General Services Administration; Mr. William
Sisk, Acting Assistant Commissioner, Office of General Supplies
and Services, U.S. General Services Administration; Mr. Steve
Ekin, President, National Association of State Agencies for
Surplus Property.
March 15, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Accountability and Transparency
Reform at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs''
Witnesses: The Honorable Howard Shelanski, Administrator,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget; Michelle Sager, Director, Strategic
Issues, Government Accountability Office; Richard Williams,
Vice President of Policy Research, Director of Regulatory
Studies Program, Mercatus Center, George Mason University; Sam
Batkins, Director of Regulatory Policy, American Action Forum.
April 15, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``The Taxpayer Advocate Annual
Report to Congress'' Witnesses: Ms. Nina Olson, National
Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service; Mr. James
Buttonow, Chairman, Electronic Tax Administration Advisory
Committee, Internal Revenue Service.
April 27, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations Subcommittee hearing titled, ``The Best and Worst
Places to Work in the Federal Government'' Witnesses: Ms.
Lauren Leo, Chief Human Capital Officer, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration; Ms. Angela Bailey, Chief Human
Capital Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Ms.
Sydney Rose, Chief Human Capital Officer, U.S. Department of
Labor; Ms. Towanda Brooks, Chief Human Capital Officer, U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development; Mr. Max Stier,
President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service.
May 12, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``D.C. Home Rule: Examining the
Intent of Congress in the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of
1973'' Witnesses: Ms. Edda Emmanuelli Perez, Managing Associate
General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Mr. Jacques DePuy, Partner (Retired),
Greenstein Delorme & Luchs, P.C., Former Counsel (1971-1974),
Subcommittee on Government Operations and Reorganization; Mr.
Philip H. Mendelson, Chairman, Council of the District of
Columbia; Mr. Irvin B. Nathan, Senior Counsel, Arnold & Porter,
Former Attorney General, District of Columbia; Mr. Brian
Netter, Partner, Mayer Brown.
July 8, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Contacting Fairness'' Witnesses:
Ms. Angela B. Styles, Partner, Crowell & Moring; Mr. John
Palatiello, President, Business Coalition for Fair Contracting;
Mr. Maurice McTigue, Vice President, Outreach, Mercatus Center;
Donald F. Kettl, Ph.D., Professor, School of Public Policy,
University of Maryland.
July 14, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Examining Mismanagement in Office
of Justice Programs Grantmaking'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Justice; Ms. Beth McGarry, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney
General for Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of
Justice; Gretta L. Goodwin, Ph.D., Acting Director, Homeland
Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office;
Jeffrey Sedgwick, Ph.D., Executive Director, Justice Research
and Statistics Association.
September 22, 2016, 3:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Examining Billion Dollar Waste
Through Improper Payments'' Witnesses: The Honorable David
Mader, Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, The
Office of Management and Budget; Ms. Sheila Conley, Deputy
Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; Ms. Laurie Park, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Finance, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Ms. Marianna
LaCanfora, Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Chair
of the Improper Payments Board, U.S. Social Security
Administration; Mr. Jeff Schramek, Assistant Commissioner, Debt
Management Services, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, U.S.
Department of the Treasury.
September 23, 2016, 9:30 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Reviewing the Tennessee Valley
Authority's Prohibition on Houseboats'' Witnesses: Mr. William
(Bill) D. Johnson, President and CEO, Tennessee; Valley
Authority; Ms. Laura Sneed, Founder, Fontana Families for
Floating Houses; Mr. David Monteith, Vice Chairman, Swain
County Board of Commissioners; Mr. Michael Wilks, President,
Tennessee Valley Floating Home Alliance; Mr. Michael Butler,
Chief Executive Officer, Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
November 16, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``2020 Census: Outcomes of the 2016
Site Test.'' Witnesses: The Honorable John H. Thompson,
Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. Kevin B. Smith, Associate
Director for Information Technology and Chief Information
Officer, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. David Powner, Director,
Information Technology Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, Director,
Strategic Issues--Census Issues, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
November 16, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``2020 Census: Outcomes of the 2016
Site Test.'' Witnesses: The Honorable John H. Thompson,
Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. Kevin B. Smith, Associate
Director for Information Technology and Chief Information
Officer, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. David Powner, Director,
Information Technology Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, Director,
Strategic Issues--Census Issues, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
November 30, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. the Subcommittee on
Government Operations hearing titled, ``Federal Long-Term Care
Insurance Program: Examining Premium Increases.'' Witnesses:
Mr. Michael Doughty, President and General Manager, John
Hancock Insurance, Mr. John O'Brien, Senior Advisor for Health
Policy, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Ms. Laurel
Kastrup, Chair of the Health Financial Reporting and Solvency
Committee, American Academy of Actuaries, Mr. Richard G.
Thissen, National President, National Active and Retired
Federal Employees Association, Marc A. Cohen, Ph.D., Clinical
Professor of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts--Boston.
December 7, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Time and Attendance Abuse at the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Russell Slifer, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for
Intellectual Property, Deputy Director, United States Patent
and Trademark Office, Mr. David Smith, Acting Deputy Inspector
General, U.S. Department of Commerce, Ms. Pamela R. Schwartz,
President, Patent Office Professional Association, Mr. David
Chu, Panel Chair, National Academy of Public Administration.
December 8, 2016, at 9:00 a.m., Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``DATA Act Implementation Check-
in.'' Witnesses Ms. Paula Rascona, Director, Financial
Management and Assurance, U.S. Government Accountability
Office, The Honorable David Mader, Controller, Office of
Federal Financial Management, The Office of Management and
Budget, Mr. David A. Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, U.S.
Department of the Treasury, Ms. Courtney Timberlake, Deputy
Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Mr. Timothy E. Gribben, Chief Financial Officer
and Associate Administrator for Performance Management, U.S.
Small Business Administration.
HEARINGS--SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE, BENEFITS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE
RULES
February 26, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Health Care,
Benefits and Administrative Rules hearing titled, ``From Health
Care Enrollment to Tax Filing: A PPACA Update.'' Witness: Mr.
Kevin Counihan, Director of Marketplace, Chief Executive
Officer of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance
Oversight, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
June 11, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Health Care,
Benefits and Administrative Rules hearing titled, ``Examining
Fraud, Waste, and Abuse at the Export-Import Bank.'' Witness:
The Honorable Fred Hochberg, Chairman and President, U.S.
Export-Import Bank.
February 25, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Health Care,
Benefits, and Administrative Rules hearing titled, ``Review of
Obamacare Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs)''
Witnesses: Dr. Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, Chief Operating Officer
and Chief Staff, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. Al Redmer,
Jr., Commissioner, Maryland Insurance Administration.
July 13, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Health Care,
Benefits, and Administrative Rules hearing titled, ``From
Premium Increases to Failing CO-OPs: An Obamacare Checkup''
Witnesses: Mr. Kevin Counihan, Deputy Administrator and
Director, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance
Oversight, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; Ms. Linda Blumberg,
Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Urban Institute.
HEARINGS--SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE INTERIOR
February 26, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``Examining the Impacts of the EPA Air and
Water Regulations on the States and the American People.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Tim Fox, Attorney General for the
State of Montana, The Honorable Leslie Rutledge, Attorney
General for the State of Arkansas; Ms. Anne E. Smith, Ph.D.,
Senior Vice President, NERA Economic Consulting; Mr. David
Harrison, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, NERA Economic
Consulting; Ms. Susan F. Tierney, Ph.D., Senior Advisor,
Analysis Group.
April 22, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``Examining the Department of Energy's Excess
Uranium Management Plan.'' Witnesses: Mr. John Kotek, Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary, The Office of Nuclear Energy, U.S.
Department of Energy; Mr. David Trimble, Director, Natural
Resources and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability
Office; Mr. Scott Melbye, Executive Vice President, Uranium
Energy Corporation.
June 10, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``The Impact of Executive Order 13658 on Public
Land Guides and Outfitters.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Chris
Stewart, U.S. House of Representatives, Utah's 2nd District;
Mr. Michael Lazzeri, Assistant Administrator for Government
Contracts; Mr. Mike Cottingham, Owner, Wilderness Ventures; Mr.
David Brown, Executive Director, American Outdoors Association.
July 23, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``Modernizing the National Park Service
Concession Program.'' Witnesses: Ms. Lena McDowall, Chief
Financial Officer, National Park Service, U.S. Department of
the Interior; Mr. Terry MacRae, Chairman & Chief Executive
Officer, Hornblower, Inc.; Mr. Alex Klein, Vice President and
General Manager, Grand Teton Lodge Company and Flagg Ranch
Company; Mr. Christopher C. Belland, Chief Executive Officer,
Historic Tours of America.
August 6, 2015, at 12:00 p.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
field hearing titled, ``Threats to Grazing from Federal
Regulatory Overreach'' at Uinta County Library, Evanston,
Wyoming.
December 1, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``Examining Invasive Species Policy.''
Witnesses: Mr. Jamie Reaser, Ph. D., Executive Director,
National Invasive Species Council, U.S. Department of the
Interior; Mr. Scott J. Cameron, President, Reduce Risks from
Invasive Species Coalition; Mr. Alan D. Steinman, Ph.D.,
Director and Professor, Robert B. Annis Water Resources
Institute, Grand Valley State University; Mr. George Beck,
Ph.D., Professor of Weed Science, Colorado State University.
March 23, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``Bureau of Land Management Public Lands.''
Witness: The Honorable Neil Kornze, Director of the Bureau of
Land Management, Department of Interior.
April 20, 2016, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``Barriers to Endangered Species Act Delisting,
Part I'' Witnesses: Mr. Lowell Baier, Attorney at Law,
Environmental Historian; Mr. Robert Thorton, Partner, Nossaman,
LLP; Mr. Joel Bousman, Chairman, Board of County Commissioners,
Sublette County, WY; Mr. Robert Glicksman, J.B. and Maurice C.
Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law, The George Washington
University Law School; Ms. Karen Budd-Falen, Senior Partner,
Budd-Falen Law Offices.
May 24, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Interior hearing
titled, ``Examining the Future of Recreation.Gov.'' Witnesses:
Mr. Joe Mead, Director of Recreation, Heritage, and Volunteer
Resources, National Forest System; Mr. Rick DeLappe, Program
Manager Recreation One Stop, U.S. Forest Service.
June 10, 2016, Subcommittee on the Interior hearing titled,
``The Impact of Executive Order 13658 on Public Land Guides and
Outfitters.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Chris Stewart, U.S.
House of Representatives; Mr. Michael Lazzeri, Assistant
Administrator for Government Contracts, United States
Department of Labor; Mr. Mike Cottingham, Owner, Wilderness
Ventures; Mr. David L. Brown, Executive Director, America
Outdoors Association.
September 13, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
hearing titled, ``21st Century Conservation Practices.''
Witnesses: Ms. Judith Schwartz, Author Cows Save the Planet:
And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth;
Mr. Byron Shelton, Senior Program Director, Savory Institute.
HEARINGS--SUBCOMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
March 18, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``Cybersecurity: The Evolving Nature
of Cyber Threats Facing the Private Sector.'' Witnesses: Mr.
Richard Bejtlich, Chief Security Strategist, FireEye, Inc.; Mr.
David French, Senior Vice President, Government Relations,
National Retail Federation; Mr. Daniel Nutkis, Chief Executive
Officer, Health Information Trust Alliance; Mr. Doug Johnson,
Senior Vice President and Chief Advisor, Payments and
Cybersecurity Policy, American Bankers Association; Mr. Ed
Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director & Senior Fellow, United
States Public Interest Research Group.
April 29, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``Encryption Technology and
Potential U.S. Policy Responses.'' Witnesses: Mr. Kevin S.
Bankston, Policy Director, New America's Open Technology
Institute; Dr. Matthew Blaze, Associate Professor, Computer and
Information Science, School of Engineering and Applied Science,
University of Pennsylvania; Mr. Daniel F. Conley, District
Attorney, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; Ms. Amy S. Hess,
Executive Assistant Director, Science and Technology Branch,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice;
Mr. Jon Potter, President, Application Developers Alliance.
September 22, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology field hearing titled, ``The State of the Cloud'' at
the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas.''
October 21, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``Examining Law Enforcement Use of
Cell Phone Tracking Devices.'' Witnesses: Ms. Elana Tyrangiel,
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal
Policy, U.S. Department of Justice; Mr. Seth Stodder, Assistant
Secretary, Threat Prevention and Security Policy, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security.
March 16, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``VA Cybersecurity and IT
Oversight'' Witnesses: The Honorable LaVerne H. Council,
Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, Chief
Information Officer, Office of Information and Technology, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Brian Burns, Deputy
Assistant Secretary, Information Security, Office of
Information and Technology, U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs; Mr. Brent Arronte, Deputy Assistant Inspector General
for Audits and Evaluations, Office of Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Michael W. Bowman, Director
of the Information Technology and Security Audits Division,
Office of Audits and Evaluations, Office of Inspector General,
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
April 20, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``Federal Cybersecurity Detection,
Response, and Mitigation'' Witnesses: Mr. Sanjeev Bhagowalia,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Systems & Chief
Information Officer, Department of the Treasury; Mr. Steven C.
Taylor, Chief Information Officer, Department of State; Mr.
Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity &
Communications, Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Richard
Barger, Chief Intelligence Officer, ThreatConnect, Inc.
June 20, 2016, 10:30 a.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology field hearing titled, ``Federal Efforts to Improve
Cybersecurity.''
September 22, 2016, 3:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``Closing the Talent Gap in Federal
IT'' Witnesses: Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Assistant Director,
Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation; Mr.
Scott Montgomery, Vice President & Chief Technical Strategist,
Intel Security; Mr. Gene Bowman, Executive Director, Alamo
Academies; Mr. Emile Cambry, Founder, Blue 1647.
September 28, 2016 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``Cybersecurity: Ensuring the
Integrity of the Ballot Box'' Witnesses: Mr. Andy Ozment,
Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security; Commissioner Thomas Hicks,
Chairman, U.S. Election Assistance Commission; The Honorable
Brian P. Kemp, Secretary of State, State of Georgia; Mr. Andrew
W. Appel, Eugene Higgins Professor of Computer Science,
Princeton University; Mr. Lawrence Norden, Deputy Director,
Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice, New York
University School of Law.
November 16, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology hearing titled, ``Federal Cybersecurity After the
OPM Data Breach: Have Agencies Learned their Lesson?''
Witnesses: Ms. Renee P. Wynn, Chief Information Officer,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Mr. Jonathan
Alboum, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of
Agriculture; Mr. Robert Klopp, Deputy Commissioner and Chief
Information Officer, Social Security Administration.
HEARINGS--SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY
April 29, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
hearing titled, ``Following the Trail of U.S. Taxpayers'
Dollars Abroad: On-Budget Assistance in Afghanistan.''
Witnesses: The Honorable John F. Sopko, Special Inspector
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
June 25, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
hearing titled, ``A Review of Veterans Affairs Major Lease
Procurement.'' Witnesses: Mrs. Stella Fiotes, Executive
Director, Office of Construction and Facilities Management,
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Norbert Doyle, Chief
Procurement and Logistics Officer, Veterans Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Dave
Wise, Director of the Physical Infrastructure Team, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Jerry Cameron, Assistant
County Administrator, St. Johns County, Florida.
July 28, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
titled, ``Impact of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions
Movement.'' Witnesses: Mr. Daniel Birnbaum, Chief Executive
Officer, SodaStream International Ltd.; Mr. Mark Dubowitz,
Executive Director, Foundation for Defense of Democracies,
Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance; Mr. Eugene
Kontorovich, Professor of Law, Northwestern University, School
of Law; Mr. Matthew Duss, President, Foundation for Middle East
Peace.
October 28, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on National
Security hearing titled, ``Radicalization: Social Media and the
Rise of Terrorism.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Mark D. Wallace,
Chief Executive Officer, Counter Extremism Project (former U.S.
Ambassador to the UN); Mr. Walter Purdy, President, Terrorism
Research Center; Dr. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Senior Fellow,
Foundation for Defense of Democracies; The Honorable Alberto M.
Fernandez, Vice President, Middle East Media Research Institute
(former U.S. Ambassador to the Equatorial Guinea).
November 5, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on National
Security titled, ``Iran's Power Projection Capabilities.''
Witnesses: Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, USAF (Ret.), Member of
the Iran Policy Committee; Mr. Jonathan Schanzer, Vice
President for Research, Foundation for Defense of Democracies;
Steven Bucci, Ph.D., Director, Center for Foreign and National
Security Policy, The Heritage Foundation; Mr. Alireza Nader,
Senior International Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation.
February 2, 2016 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National
Security hearing titled, ``Seeking Justice for Victims of
Palestinian Terrorism in Israel'' Witnesses: Mr. Brad Wiegmann,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division,
U.S. Department of Justice; Ms. Sarri Singer, Founder and
Director, Strength to Strength; Mr. Peter Schwartz, Uncle to a
Victim of Terrorism; Mr. Arnold Roth, Father to a Victim of
Terrorism.
April 14, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
hearing titled, ``Connecting Veterans with PTSD with Service
Dogs'' Witnesses: Dr. Michael Fallon, Chief Veterinary Medical
Officer, Office of Research and Development, Department of
Veterans Affairs; Rory Diamond, Executive Director, K9s for
Warriors; Cole Lyle, Veteran with PTSD; Steve Feldman,
Executive Director, Human Animal Bond Research Initiative
(HABRI) Foundation.
May 24, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
hearing titled, ``Guantanamo Bay: The Remaining Detainees''
Witnesses: Mr. Thomas Joscelyn, Senior Fellos, Foundation for
Defense of Democracies; Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret.),
Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Cole; Mr. Jay Alan Liotta,
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Detainee Affairs, U.S.
Department of Defense; Mr. Alberto Mora, Senior Fellow, Carr
Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School.
September 7, 2016 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National
Security hearing titled, ``Oversight of the Department of
Defense Office of Inspector General's Military Whistleblower
Reprisal Investigations'' Witnesses: The Honorable Ryan Zinke,
Member of Congress, Montana (At-Large); The Honorable Glenn
Fine, Principal Deputy Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Defense; Ms. Lori Atkinson, Assistant Director, Defense
Capabilities and Management, U.S. Government Accountability
Office; Ms. Mandy Smithberger, Director, Straus Military Reform
Project, Project On Government Oversight.
HEARINGS--SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC ASSETS
February 25, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on
Transportation and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Preventing
Another MH370: Setting International Standards for Airline
Flight Tracking.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Michael A. Lawson,
American Ambassador, The United States Mission to ICAO; The
Honorable Christopher A. Hart, Acting Chairman, National
Transportation Safety Board; Mr. Kevin Hiatt, Senior Vice
President for Safety and Flight Operations, International Air
Transport Association.
June 8, 2015, 2:30 p.m. Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets field briefing titled, ``Oversight of Major
Transportation and Infrastructure Projects in New York City,''
at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 5th Floor Board
Room, 347 Madison Avenue, New York, New York.
September 30, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on
Transportation and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Status of
Toll Interoperability.'' Witnesses: Mr. James J. Eden,
President, Alliance for Toll Interoperability; Mr. Patrick
Jones, Executive Director and CEO, International Bridge, Tunnel
and Turnpike Association; Mr. Thomas S. Knuckey, Volunteer
Member, Interoperability Steering Committee, International
Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, Chair, Roadside
Operations Subcommittee; Mr. Jeffrey Lindley, Associate
Administrator, Office of Operations, Federal Highway
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
December 8, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on
Transportation and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Moving Ahead
for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) Program
Consolidation.'' Witnesses: Mr. Thomas G. Echikson, Chief
Counsel, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation; Mr. Brian Bezio, Chief Financial Officer,
Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation; Mr. Peter Stephanos, Director, Office of
Transportation Performance Management, Federal Highway
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; Mr. David S.
Zachry, Chairman, American Road & Transportation Builders
Association; The Honorable Carlos Swonke, Director,
Environmental Affairs, Texas Department of Transportation.
February 3, 2016, 1:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets Hearing titled, ``Securing our Skies:
Oversight of Aviation Credentials'' Witnesses: Darby LaJoye,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Security
Operations, Transportation Security Administration; The
Honorable John Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security; Margaret Gilligan, Associate Administrator
for Aviation Safety, FAA, Department of Transportation;
Kathleen Carroll, Vice President of Government Affairs, HID
Global.
February 24, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets hearing titled, ``The Zika Virus:
Coordination of a Multi-Agency Response'' Witnesses: Dr. Anne
Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health; Dr. John Armstrong, Surgeon General and
Secretary of Health, State of Florida; Dr. Bill Moreau,
Managing Director for Sports Medicine, United States Olympic
Committee.
February 26, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Oversight of Federal
Vehicles'' Witnesses: Ms. Lori Rectanus, Director, Physical
Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office; Mr.
Bill Toth, Director, Office of Fleet Management, General
Services Administration; Mr. Tom Howard, Inspector General,
Amtrak; Mr. Joseph H. Boardman, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Amtrak.
July 14, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets hearing titled, ``Lagging Behind: The State of
High Speed Rail in the United States'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Sarah Feinberg, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration;
Mr. Baruch Feigenbaum, Assistant Director, Transportation
Policy, Reason Foundation; Mr. Thomas Hart, Jr., President,
Rail Forward; Mr. Chris Koos, Mayor, Normal, IL.
September 9, 2016, 8:30 a.m. Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Oversight of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency's Response to the Baton Rouge Flood
Disaster'' Witnesses: The Honorable John Bel Edwards, Governor,
Louisiana; Tony Robinson, Regional Administrator, Federal
Emergency Management Agency; The Honorable Jr. Shelton, Mayor,
Central, Louisiana; The Honorable Gerard Landry, Mayor, Denham
Springs, Louisiana; The Honorable Rick Ramsey, Mayor, Walker,
Louisiana.
September 23, 2016, 9:15 a.m. The Subcommittee on
Transportation and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Vacant
Federal Properties'' Witnesses: The Honorable David Mader,
Controller, Office of Management and Budget; The Honorable
Gregory Parham, Assistant Secretary for Administration,
Department of Agriculture; Mr. Michael Gelber, Deputy
Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services
Administration; Mr. David Wise, Director, Physical
Infrastructure, Government Accountability Office.
SUBCOMMITTEE JOINT HEARINGS
February 12, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National
Security and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and
Administrative Rules joint hearing titled, ``The President's
Executive Actions on Immigration and Their Impact on Federal
and State Elections.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Jon Husted,
Ohio Secretary of State; The Honorable Kris Kobach, Kansas
Secretary of State; The Honorable Hans von Spakovsky, Senior
Legal Fellow, Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial
Studies, The Heritage Foundation; The Honorable Matthew Dunlap,
Maine Secretary of State.
February 13, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public
Assets joint hearing titled, ``D.C. Metro: Is there a Safety
Gap?'' Witnesses: Mr. Mortimer L. Downey III, Board of
Directors, Chairman, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority; The Honorable Christopher A. Hart, Acting Chairman,
National Transportation Safety Board; Ms. Jackie L. Jeter,
President and Business Agent, Amalgamated Transit Union, Local
689; Mr. Edward R. Mills, Assistant Fire Chief Operations, DC
Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department; Mr. Jonathan
Rogers, January 12, 2015 Metrorail Passenger.
February 25, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on National
Security and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and
Administrative Rules joint hearing titled, ``A Review of the
Dept. of Homeland Security's Policies and Procedures for the
Apprehension, Detention, and Release of Non-Citizens Unlawfully
Present in the U.S.'' Witnesses: Mr. Scott R. Jones, Sheriff,
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department; Mr. Jamiel Shaw, Sr.,
Father of Jamiel Shaw II; Mr. Michael Ronnebeck, Uncle of Grant
Ronnebeck; Ms. Jessica M. Vaughn, Director of Policy Studies,
Center for Immigration Studies; Mr. Gregory Z. Chen, Director
of Advocacy, American Immigration Lawyer Association.
March 3, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and
Administrative Rules joint hearing titled, ``Challenges Facing
OIRA in Ensuring Transparency and Effective Rulemaking.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Howard Shelanski, Administrator,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget.
March 17, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and
Administrative Rules joint hearing titled, ``The Fiscal Costs
of the President's Executive Actions on Immigration.''
Witnesses: Mr. Robert Rector, Senior Research Fellow, Domestic
Policy Studies, DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society,
Heritage Foundation; Steven A. Camarota, Ph.D., Director of
Research, Center for Immigration Studies; Eileen O'Connor,
Esq., Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Ms. Avideh
Moussavian, Economic Justice Policy Attorney, National
Immigration Law Center.
April 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Health Care,
Benefits and Administrative Rules the and Committee on
Financial Services' Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade
joint hearing titled, ``Oversight of Efforts to Reform the
Export-Import Bank of the United States.'' Witnesses: Ms.
Kimberly Gianopoulos, Director, International Affairs and
Trade, Government Accountability Office; The Honorable Fred
Hochberg, Chairman and President, U.S. Export-Import Bank; Mr.
Mike McCarthy, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Export-Import
Bank; The Honorable Nathan Sheets, Under Secretary for
International Affairs, U.S. Department of Treasury; Mr. Mike
Thorum, Assistant Inspector General for Inspections and
Evaluations, U.S. Export-Import Bank.
April 30, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Health Care,
Benefits and Administrative Rules and the Committee on
Financial Services' Subcommittee on Monetary Policy and Trade
joint hearing titled, ``Examining the Export-Import Bank's
Mandates.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Fred Hochberg, Chairman
and President, U.S. Export-Import Bank.
May 13, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
and Subcommittee on the Interior joint hearing titled, ``The
EMP Threat: The State of Preparedness Against the Threat of an
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Event.'' Witnesses: Congressman
Trent Franks, Representative of Arizona's 8th District; Dr.
George Baker, Professor Emeritus at James Madison University;
Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, Executive Director of the Task Force on
National and Homeland Security; Mr. Mike Caruso, Director,
Government and Specialty Business Development, ETS-Lindgren.
June 10, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform
Act's Role in Reducing IT Acquisition Risk.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Anne Rung, Administrator, Office of Federal
Procurement Policy, The Office of Management and Budget; Mr.
Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-
Government and Information Technology, The Office of Management
and Budget; Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT Management
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Richard
Spires, Chief Executive Officer, Resilient Network Systems,
Inc.
June 17, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits and
Administrative Rules joint hearing titled, ``A Review of the
President's Executive Actions on Immigration.'' Witnesses: Ms.
Sarah R. Saldana, Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Leon
Rodriguez, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. John Roth, Inspector
General, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security.
July 15, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and Subcommittee on the Interior joint hearing
titled, ``Cybersecurity: The Department of the Interior.''
Witnesses: Ms. Sylvia Burns, Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of the Interior; Ms. Mary Kendall, Deputy Inspector
General, U.S. Department of the Interior; Mr. Jefferson
Gilkeson, Director of IT Audits, Office of the Inspector
General, U.S. Department of the Interior; Mr. Bernard Mazer,
Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Inspector General, U.S.
Department of the Interior.
July 21, 2015, 5:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets and the Subcommittee on Government Operations
joint hearing titled, ``D.C. Metro: Update.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, Vice Chairman, National
Transportation Safety Board; Mr. Jack Requa, Interim General
Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority; Mr. Denis Anosike, Chief Financial Officer,
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Ms. Helen Lew,
Inspector General, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority.
July 29, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``DATA Act Implementation.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United
States, U.S. Government Accountability Office; The Honorable
David Mader, Controller, Office of Federal Financial
Management, The Office of Management and Budget; Mr. David A.
Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the
Treasury; Mr. Robert A. Taylor, Deputy Assistant Inspector
General for Audit, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
October 27, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs' Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations joint hearing titled, ``VA and
DoD IT: Electronic Health Records Interoperability.''
Witnesses: The Honorable LaVerne Council, Assistant Secretary
for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Brian P. Burns, Deputy
Director, Warfighter Systems Integration, Office of Information
Dominance, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. David
DeVries, Principle Deputy Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of Defense; Ms. Valerie C. Melvin, Director of
Information Management and Technology Resources Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Christopher A. Miller,
Program Executive Officer, Defense Healthcare Management
Systems.
November 3, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Information Technology joint
hearing titled, ``Preparing for 2020 Census: Will the
Technology Be Ready?'' Witnesses: The Honorable John H.
Thompson, Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. Steven I. Cooper,
Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce; Mr.
Robert Goldenkoff, Director, Strategic Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Ms. Carol R. Cha, Director, Information
Technology Acquisition Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
November 4, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform
Act's (FITARA) Role in Reducing the IT Acquisition Risk, Part
II--Measuring Agencies; FITARA Implementation.'' Witnesses: Mr.
Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-
Government and Information Technology, The Office of Management
and Budget; Mr. Sonny Bhagowalia, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Department of Treasury; Mr. Richard McKinney, Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Transportation; Mr.
David Shive, Chief Information Officer, U.S. General Services
Administration; Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT Management
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
November 18, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and Committee on Education and Workforce's
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training joint
hearing titled, ``Federal Student Aid: Performance Based
Organization Review.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Kathleen Tighe,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education; Mr. James
Runcie, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Department of Education;
Mr. Ben Miller, Senior Director, Postsecondary Education,
Center for American Progress; Ms. Melissa Emrey-Arras,
Director, Education Workforce and Income Security, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Justin Draeger,
President, National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators.
November 18, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets and the Subcommittee on Information
Technology joint hearing titled, ``The Internet of Cars.''
Witnesses: Mr. Nathaniel Beuse, Associate Administrator for
Vehicle Safety Research, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation; Mr. Harry M.
Lightsey, III, Executive Director, Global Connected Customer
Experience, Global Public Policy, General Motors Company; Mr.
Sandy Lobenstein, Vice President, Connected Services and
Product Planning, Toyota Motor Sales, USA; Mr. Diarmuid
O'Connell, Vice President of Corporate and Business
Development, Tesla Motors Inc.; Mr. Dean C. Garfield, President
and CEO, Information Technology Industry Council; Ms. Khaliah
Barnes, Associate Director, Administrative Law Counsel,
Electronic Privacy Information Center.
December 8, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on the Interior
and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and
Administrative Rules joint hearing titled, ``Examining the
Stream Protection Rule.'' Witness: The Honorable Janice
Schneider, Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals
Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.
December 10, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on National
Security and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and
Administrative Rules joint hearing titled, ``Terrorism and the
Visa Waiver Program.'' Witnesses: Ms. Kelli Ann Burriesci,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Screening Coordination, Office of
Policy, Department of Homeland Security; Ms. Janice Kephart,
Director, Homeland Security Solutions, MorphoTrak, LLC; Mr.
Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor and President, RAND
Corporation; Mr. Ken Gude, Senior Fellow, National Security
Team, Center for American Progress.
January 12, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology, and Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee
on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security
Technologies, joint hearing titled, ``Wassenaar: Cybersecurity
and Export Control'' Witnesses: Mr. Vann Van Diepen, Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International
Security and Nonproliferation, U.S. Department of State; Ms.
AnnGanzer, Director of Conventional Arms Threat Reduction for
the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, U.S.
Department of State; The Honorable Kevin Wolf, Assistant
Secretary for Export Administration at the U.S. Department of
Commerce; Dr. Phyllis Schneck, Deputy Under Secretary for
Cybersecurity and Communications for the National Protection
and Programs Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
Ms. Cheri Flynn McGuire, Vice President for Global Government
Affairs and Cybersecurity Policy, Symantec; Mr. Iain
Mulholland, Vice President for Engineering Trust and Assurance,
VMware; Ms. Cristin Flynn Goodwin, Assistant General Counsel
for Cybersecurity, Microsoft; Mr. Dean Garfield, President and
CEO, Information Technology Industry Council.
February 10, 2016, 3:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National
Security and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The President's Waiver of Restrictions on the
Visa Waiver Program'' Witnesses: The Honorable Gil Kerlikowske,
Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Department of
Homeland Security; Ms. Hillary Batjer Johnson, Deputy
Coordinator for Homeland Security, Screening, and Designations,
Bureau of Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State; Ms.
Jessica Vaughan, Director of Policy Studies at the Center for
Immigration Studies; Mr. Emanuele Ottolenghi, Senior Fellow at
the Foundation for Defense and Democracies; Mr. Stephen
Heifetz, Partner at Steptoe and Johnson, LLP; Mr. Ken Gude,
Senior Fellow, National Security Team, Center for American
Progress.
March 16, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on the Interior and
the Subcommittee Health Care Benefits and Administrative Rules
joint hearing titled, ``Examining the Renewable Fuel Standard''
Witnesses: Mr. Christopher Grundler, Director, Office of
Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency; Mr. John M. DeCicco, Ph.D., Research Professor,
University of Michigan Energy Institute; Ms. Kelly Stone,
Policy Analyst, ActionAid USA; Mr. Wallace E. Tyner, Ph.D.,
James and Lois Ackerman Professor, Department of Agricultural
Economics, Purdue University; Mr. Nicolas D. Loris, Herbert and
Joyce Morgan Fellow, The Heritage Foundation.
March 22, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and Health Care Benefits and Administrative Rules
joint hearing titled, ``Opportunities and Challenges in
Advancing Health Information Technology'' Witnesses: Dr. Karen
DeSalvo, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Ms.
Jessica Rich, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, U.S.
Federal Trade Commission; Mr. Matthew Quinn, Federal Managing
Director, Intel Healthcare and Life Sciences; Mr. Neil
DeCrescenzo, Member, Executive Committee, Healthcare Leadership
Council; Mr. Mark Savage, Director of Health IT Policy and
Programs, National Partnership for Women and Families.
March 23, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on National Security
and Government Operations joint hearing titled, ``National
Security: Threats at Our Borders'' Witnesses: Mr. Ronald D.
Vitiello, Acting Chief, U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border
Patrol, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Steve McCraw,
Director, Texas Department of Public Safety; Mr. Brandon Judd,
President, National Border Patrol Council; Mr. Jan C. Ting,
Professor of Law, Temple University Beasley School of Law; Ms.
Eleanor Acer, Senior Director, Refugee Protection, Human Rights
First.
April 13, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets and Subcommittee on Government Operations
joint hearing titled, ``Examining the Safety and Service of the
D.C. Metro.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Jack Evans, Chairman of
the Board, Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority; Mr. Paul
Wiedefeld, General Manager, Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority; The Honorable Christopher A. Hart, Acting
Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; Ms. Carolyn
Flowers, Senior Advisor, Federal Transit Administration.
April 19, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Information Technology joint
hearing titled, ``DATA ACT: Monitoring Implementation
Progress'' Witnesses: Ms. Michelle Sager, Director, Strategic
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; The Honorable
David Mader, Controller, Office of Federal Financial
Management, The Office of Management and Budget; Mr. David A.
Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the
Treasury; Mr. Michael Peckham, Executive Director, DATA Act
Management Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service.
April 21, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on the Interior and
the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative
Rules joint hearing titled, ``Barriers to Endangered Species
Act Delisting. Part II'' Witnesses: The Honorable Daniel M.
Ashe, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
May 13, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on National Security joint
hearing titled, ``Incorporating Social Media into Federal
Background Investigations'' Witnesses: Mr. William Evanina,
Director of National Counterintelligence and Security Center,
Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Ms. Beth
Cobert, Acting Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management;
Mr. Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, The Office of
Management and Budget.
May 18, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform Act
(FITARA) Scorecard 2.0'' Witnesses: Mr. Steven I. Cooper, Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce; Ms. Dawn
Leaf, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Labor; Mr.
Michael M. Johnson, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department
of Energy; Ms. Renee P. Wynn, Chief Information Officer,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Mr. David A.
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
June 9, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on the Interior joint hearing
titled, ``SNAP: Examining Efforts to Combat Fraud and Improve
Program Integrity'' Witnesses: Mr. Kevin Concannon, Under
Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, U.S.
Department of Agriculture; Ms. Kay Brown, Director, Education,
Workforce, and Income Security, U.S. Government Accountability
Office; Ms. Mary Mayhew, Commissioner, Maine Department of
Health and Human Services; Mr. Mike Carroll, Secretary, Florida
Department of Children and Family Services; Ms. Stacy Dean,
Vice President for Food Assistance Policy, Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities.
June 10, 2016, 9:30 a.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``18F and U.S. Digital Service Oversight''
Witnesses: Mr. Mikey Dickerson, Administrator, U.S. Digital
Service; Ms. Phaedra S. Chrousos, Commissioner, Technology
Transformation Service, U.S. General Services Administration;
Mr. David Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. A.R. ``Trey'' Hodgkins,
Senior Vice President, Public Sector, Information Technology
Alliance for Public Sector, Information Technology Industry
Council; Mr. David LeDuc, Senior Director of Public Policy,
Software and Information Industry Association.
July 13, 2016, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
and the Subcommittee on Information Technology joint hearing
titled, ``Digital Acts of War: Evolving the Cybersecurity
Conversation'' Witnesses: Mr. Aaron Hughes, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, U.S. Department of
Defense; Mr. Chris Painter, Coordinator for Cyber Issues, U.S.
Department of State; Gen. (Ret.) Keith Alexander, CEO and
President, IronNet Cybersecurity; Mr. Sean Kanuck, Counsel,
Legal and Strategic Consulting Services (former National
Intelligence Officer for Cyber); Mr. Peter Warren Singer,
Strategist and Senior Fellow, New America.
July 15, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets and the Subcommittee on National Security joint
hearing titled, ``Oversight of the Urban Area Security
Initiative Grant Program'' Witnesses: Sheriff Jerry Demings,
Orange County Sheriff's Office Chief John Mica, Orlando Police
Department; Mr. Walter Purdy, President, Terrorism Research
Center; Mr. Brian E. Kamoie, Assistant Administrator of Grant
Program, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
September 14, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National
Security and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``Radicalization in the U.S. and the Rise of
Terrorism'' Witnesses: Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Ph.D., Senior
Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Mr. Matt A.
Mayer, Visiting Fellow, Homeland Security Studies, American
Enterprise Institute; Mr. David Inserra, Policy Analyst,
Foreign and National Security Policy, The Heritage Foundation;
Mr. Richard Cohen, President, Southern Poverty Law Center.
December 1, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and
Administrative Rules hearing titled, ``Restoring the Power of
the Purse: Legislative Options.'' Witnesses: Ms. Heather
Krause, Acting Director, Strategic Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Mr. Kevin Kosar, Senior Fellow and
Governance Project Director, R Street Institute, Mr. Hudson
Hollister, Executive Director, Data Coalition, Mr. Stephen M.
Kohn, Executive Director, National Whistleblower Center.
December 2, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public
Assets will hold a joint hearing entitle ``Oversight of the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.'' Witnesses:
Mr. Paul Wiedefeld, General Manager, Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority, The Honorable Christopher A. Hart,
Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board, Mr. Mathew
Welbes, Executive Director, Federal Transit Administration.
December 6, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations will
hold a hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology
Reform Act (FITARA) Scorecard 3.0.'' Witnesses: Mr. Luke J.
McCormack, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, Chief Financial Officer, Designated Senior
Official responsible for FITARA implementation, Mr. Frontis
Wiggins, U.S. Department of State, Chief Information Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, Designated Senior Official responsible
for FITARA implementation, Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT
Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
FULL COMMITTEE BUSINESS MEETINGS HELD
January 27, 2015--Organization Meeting
Committee rules passed by a vote of 23-14.
H.R. 50, Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act
of 2015--reported favorably to the House by a vote of 20-13.
H.R. 313, Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015--
reported favorably to House by voice vote.
February 11, 2015
Committee oversight plan was passed by voice vote.
March 25, 2015
1) H.R. 653 (Issa), the FOIA Oversight and Implementation
Act of 2015:
Mr. Meadows offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS);
Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment to the ANS to amend FOIA
exemption five which exempts deliberative and pre decisional
records from disclosure. The amendment excludes from the
exemption: 1) controlling legal interpretations; 2) reports or
memoranda created by an outside party at the request of an
agency which is used to make a final policy; and 3) final
guidance documents. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment to the ANS to requires
agencies to pay attorney fees and litigation costs for any case
in which they do not prevail. The amendment was agreed to by
voice vote;
Ms. Maloney offered an amendment to the ANS to clarify that
the presumption of openness would not be applied to records
exempt under FOIA exemption eight. Ms. Maloney withdrew her
amendment;
The Meadows ANS, as amended, was agreed to by voice vote.
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
2) H.R. 901 (Meadows), the Eliminating Pornography from
Agencies Act:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
3) H.R. 1069 (Duncan), the Presidential Library Donation
Reform Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
4) H.R. 1562 (Chaffetz), the Contracting and Tax
Accountability Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
5) H.R. 1563 (Chaffetz), the Federal Employee Tax
Accountability Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
6) H.R. 1557 (Cummings), the Federal Employee
Antidiscrimination Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
7) H.R. 1531 (Connolly), the Land Management Workforce
Flexibility Act:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
8) H.R. 651 (Cicilline), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 820 Elmwood Avenue in
Providence, Rhode Island, as the ``Sister Ann Keefe Post
Office'':
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
April 21, 2015
1) H.J. Res. 43, Disapproving the action of the District of
Columbia Council in approving the Reproductive Health Non-
Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014:
The resolution was ordered favorably reported to the House
by a record vote of 20 ayes to 16 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Duncan, Jordan, Walberg, Amash,
Gosar, Gowdy, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney,
Buck, Walker, Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter, Palmer. Voting Nay:
Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Lynch, Cooper, Connolly, Cartwright,
Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson Coleman, DeSaulnier,
Boyle, Welch, Lujan Grisham.
May 19, 2015
1) H.R. 2395 (Chaffetz), the Inspector General Empowerment
Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
2) H.R. 1777 (Chaffetz), the Presidential Allowance
Modernization Act:
Mr. Meadows offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS);
The Meadows ANS was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, as
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House by voice
vote.
3) H.R. 1831 (Ryan (WI)), the Evidence-Based Policymaking
Commission Act of 2015:
Mr. Meadows offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS);
The Meadows ANS was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, as
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House by voice
vote.
4) H.R. 451 (Fleischmann), the Safe and Secure Federal
Websites Act of 2015:
Ms. Kelly offered an amendment to require agencies to
encrypt, mask, or otherwise protect personally identifiable
information (PII) collected by the federal government through
its websites, and to limit the number of personnel with access
to PII. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
5) H.R. 1759 (Ratcliffe), the All Economic Regulations Are
Transparent (ALERT) Act of 2015:
Mr. Lynch offered an amendment to require the reporting of
benefits in the monthly and annual reports in addition to the
costs, which the bill requires;
Mr. Cummings offered an amendment to strike the six-month
provision in the underlying bill;
The Lynch amendment was defeated by a record vote of 17
ayes to 18 nays:
Voting Aye: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson
Coleman, Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Welch, Lujan Grisham;
Voting Nay: Duncan, Jordan, Walberg, Amash, Gosar,
DesJarlais, Gowdy, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, Mulvaney, Walker,
Blum, Hice, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
The Cummings amendment was defeated by a record vote of 18
ayes to 19 nays:
Voting Aye: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson
Coleman, Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Welch, and Lujan Grisham;
Voting Nay: Jordan, Walberg, Amash, Gosar, DesJarlais,
Gowdy, Farenthold, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney,
Walker, Blum, Hice, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a
record vote of 20 ayes to 17 nays:
Voting Aye: Duncan, Jordan, Walberg, Amash, Gosar,
DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold, Lummis, Massie, Meadows,
DeSantis, Mulvaney, Walker, Blum, Hice, Carter, Grothman, Hurd,
Palmer;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson
Coleman, Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Welch, Lujan Grisham.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
6) H.R. 728, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 7050 Highway BB in Cedar Hill,
Missouri, as the ``Sergeant First Class William B. Woods, Jr.
Post Office'';
7) H.R. 891, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 141 Paloma Drive in Floresville,
Texas, as the ``Floresville Veterans Post Office Building'';
8) H.R. 1326, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 2000 Mulford Road in Mulberry,
Florida, as the ``Sergeant First Class Daniel M. Ferguson Post
Office'';
9) H.R. 1350, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 442 East 167th Street in
Bronx, New York, as the ``Herman Badillo Post Office
Building'';
10) H.R. 1442, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 90 Cornell Street in Kingston,
New York, as the ``Staff Sergeant Robert H. Dietz Post Office
Building''; and
11) H.R. 1524, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 1 Walter Hammond Place in
Waldwick, New Jersey, as the ``Staff Sergeant Joseph
D'Augustine Post Office Building''.
July 22, 2015
1) H.R. 598 (Walberg), the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act:
Mr. Walberg offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Walberg ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
2) H.R. 2320 (Mulvaney), the Federal Improper Payments
Coordination Act of 2015:
Mr. Mulvaney offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Mulvaney ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
3) H.R. 3089 (Walberg), the Grants Oversight and New
Efficiency (GONE) Act:
Mr. Walberg offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Walberg ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
4) H.R. 1613 (Huizenga), the Federal Vehicle Repair Cost
Savings Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
5) S. 136, the Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
6) H.R. 3116 (Lieu), the Quarterly Financial Report
Reauthorization Act:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
7) H.R. 322, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 16105 Swingley Ridge Road in
Chesterfield, Missouri, as the ``Sgt. Zachary M. Fisher Post
Office'';
8) H.R. 323, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 55 Grasso Plaza in St. Louis,
Missouri, as the ``Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson Post Office'';
9) H.R. 324, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 11662 Gravois Road in St. Louis,
Missouri, as the ``Lt. Daniel P. Riordan Post Office'';
10) H.R. 558, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 55 South Pioneer Boulevard in
Springboro, Ohio, as the ``Richard `Dick' Chenault Post
Office'';
11) H.R. 1884, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 206 West Commercial Street in
East Rochester, New York, as the ``Officer Daryl R. Pierson
Memorial Post Office''; and
12) H.R. 3059, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 4500 SE 28th Street, Del City,
Oklahoma, as the ``James Robert Kalsu Post Office''.
October 9, 2015
1) H.R. 10 (Boehner), the Scholarships for Opportunity and
Results Reauthorization Act:
Mr. Chaffetz offered a manager's amendment to strengthen
the accreditation standards for participating schools; clarify
how rollover funds are to be used for the OSP; ensure the
Department of Education evaluates student satisfaction in its
review (as it had previously); make technical changes to
clarify certain terminology; and ensure that the evaluators
have access to necessary data to conduct the study. The
amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
Ms. Norton offered an amendment to cap OSP students to 50%
of a school's enrollment, without affecting current voucher
students or siblings, and restore the randomized control study
requirement. The amendment was defeated by voice vote;
Mr. Meadows offered an amendment to ensure that the
required evaluation includes performance data of currently
evaluated OSP students to ensure a more comprehensive review of
the program. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by a record vote of 16 ayes to 14 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Jordan, Walberg, Amash, Gosar,
DesJarlais, Lummis, Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney, Walker, Hice,
Russell, Carter, Hurd;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Watson Coleman,
Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Welch.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
2) H.R. 2347 (Clay), the Federal Advisory Committee Act
Amendments of 2015;
3) H.R. 3231 (Cummings), the Federal Intern Protection Act
of 2015 (as amended by an amendment in the nature of a
substitute offered by Mr. Cummings);
4) S. 1172 (Carper), the Edward ``Ted'' Kaufman and Michael
Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015 (as
amended by an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered
by Mr. Chaffetz and Mr. Cummings);
5) S. 1576 (Lankford), the Representative Payee Fraud
Prevention Act of 2015;
6) S. 1580 (Tester), the Competitive Service Act of 2015;
7) S. 1629 (Johnson), the District of Columbia Courts,
Public Defender Service, and Court Services and Offender
Supervision Agency Act of 2015;
8) H.R. 136, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1103 USPS Building 1103 in Camp
Pendleton, California, as the ``Camp Pendleton Medal of Honor
Post Office'';
9) H.R. 2928, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 201 B Street in Perryville,
Arkansas, as the ``Harold George Bennett Post Office'';
10) H.R. 3082, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 5919 Chef Menteur Highway in
New Orleans, Louisiana, as the ``Daryle Holloway Post Office
Building'';
11) H.R. 3274, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 4567 Rockbridge Road in Pine
Lake, Georgia, as the ``Francis Manuel Ortega Post Office'';
12) H.R. 3601, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 7715 Post Road, North
Kingstown, Rhode Island, as the ``Melvoid J. Benson Post Office
Building'';
13) S. 1596, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2082 Stringtown Road in Grove City,
Ohio, as the ``Specialist Joseph W. Riley Post Office
Building''; and
14) S. 1826, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 99 West 2nd Street in Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin, as the ``Lieutenant Colonel James `Maggie' Megellas
Post Office.''
December 9, 2015
Committee report: United States Secret Service: An Agency
in Crisis:
The report was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
1) H.R. 4180 (Meadows), the Fraud Reduction and Data
Analytics Act of 2015;
2) S. 1698 (Tillis), the Treatment of Certain Payments in
Eugenics Compensation Act;
3) H.R. 1132 (McNerney), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1048 West Robinhood
Drive in Stockton, California, as the ``W. Ronald Coale
Memorial Post Office Building'';
4) H.R. 2458 (Richmond), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 5351 Lapalco Boulevard
in Marrero, Louisiana, as the ``Lionel R. Collins, Sr. Post
Office Building'';
5) H.R. 3735 (Adams), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 200 Town Run Lane in
Winston Salem, North Carolina, as the ``Maya Angelou Memorial
Post Office''; and
6) H.R. 4046 (Duffy), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 220 East Oak Street,
Glenwood City, Wisconsin, as the Second Lt. Ellen Ainsworth
Memorial Post Office.
January 12, 2016
1) H.R. 1671 (Mulvaney), the Government Neutrality in
Contracting Act:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
2) H.R. 3023 (Buck), To amend title 5, United States Code,
to modify probationary periods with respect to positions within
the competitive service and the Senior Executive Service, and
for other purposes:
Ms. Lawrence offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Lawrence ANS was defeated by voice vote;
Mr. Cummings offered an amendment to require the
Comptroller General to conduct a study on the length of the
probationary period. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 14
ayes to 20 nays:
Voting Aye: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch,
Connolly, Cartwright, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson Coleman,
DeSaulnier, Boyle, Lujan Grisham;
Voting Nay: Chaffetz, Mica, Jordan, Walberg, Amash,
DesJarlais, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck,
Walker, Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a
record vote of 20 ayes to 16 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Jordan, Walberg, Amash,
DesJarlais, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck,
Walker, Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson
Coleman, Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Lujan Grisham.
3) H.R. 4358 (Walberg), the Senior Executive Service
Accountability Act:
Ms. Norton offered an amendment to strike sections 3, 6(b),
7, 8 and 9 of the bill. The amendment was defeated by voice
vote;
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a
record vote of 21 ayes to 16 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Duncan, Jordan, Walberg, Amash,
DesJarlais, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck,
Walker, Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson
Coleman, Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Lujan Grisham.
4) H.R. 4360 (Chaffetz), the Official Personnel File
Enhancement Act:
Mr. Connolly offered an amendment. The amendment was agreed
to by voice vote;
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
March 1, 2016
1) H.R. 4359 (Chaffetz), the Administrative Leave Reform
Act:
Mr. Lynch offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Lynch ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
2) H.R. 4639 (Blum), To reauthorize the Office of Special
Counsel, to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide
modifications to authorities relating to the Office of Special
Counsel, and for other purposes:
Mr. Meadows offered an amendment to require that the Office
of Special Counsel adopt regulations surrounding its prohibited
personnel practice investigations and its whistleblower
disclosure program. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
3) H.R. 4392 (Ross), To amend title 5, United States Code,
to require that the Office of Personnel Management submit an
annual report to Congress relating to the use of official time
by Federal employees:
Mr. Hice offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute
(ANS). The Hice ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
4) H.R. 4612 (Walberg), the Midnight Rule Relief Act of
2016:
Ms. Norton offered an amendment to strike the word
``imminent'' from Sec. 4(a)(1) of the bill. The amendment was
withdrawn;
Mr. Cummings offered an amendment to create an exception to
the moratorium for rules published in the regulatory
flexibility agenda and the Unified Regulatory Agenda for at
least a year. The amendment was defeated by a record vote of 16
ayes to 20 nays:
Voting Aye: Cummings, Maloney, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson Coleman,
Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Welch, Lujan Grisham;
Voting Nay: Chaffetz, Mica, Jordan, Walberg, Amash, Gosar,
DesJarlais, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Buck, Walker,
Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a
record vote of 20 ayes to 17 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Jordan, Walberg, Amash, Gosar,
DesJarlais, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Buck, Walker,
Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Lieu, Watson Coleman,
Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Welch, Lujan Grisham.
5) H.R. 4361 (Palmer), the Federal Information Systems
Safeguards Act of 2016:
Mr. Palmer offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Palmer ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by a record vote of 21 ayes to 16 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Jordan, Walberg, Amash, Gosar,
DesJarlais, Lummis, Massie, Meadows, DeSantis, Buck, Walker,
Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer, Lieu;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Watson Coleman,
Plaskett, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Welch, Lujan Grisham.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
6) H.R. 2615 (Plaskett), the Virgin Islands of the United
States Centennial Commission Act (as amended by an amendment in
the nature of a substitute offered by Ms. Plaskett);
7) H.R. 2908 (Clay), the National Bison Legacy Act (as
amended by an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered
by Ms. Lummis);
8) S. 1109 (Warren), the Truth in Settlements Act of 2015;
9) H.R. 3866 (Norcross), to designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1265 Hurffville Road in
Deptford Township, New Jersey, as the ``First Lieutenant
Salvatore S. Corma II Post Office Building'';
10) H.R. 4372 (Collins), to designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 15 Rochester Street,
Bergen, New York, as the ``Barry G. Miller Post Office''; and
11) H.R. 4605 (Blum), to designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 615 6th Avenue SE in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa as the ``Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. Pasker
Post Office Building''.
April 14, 2016
1) H.R. 4901 (Chaffetz), the Scholarships for Opportunity
and Results Reauthorization Act:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
2) H.R. 4921 (Walker), the Ditto Act of 2016:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
3) H.R. 4465 (Denham), the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer
Act of 2016:
Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS);
Ms. Lujan Grisham offered an amendment to the ANS to add a
requirement to consider whether public access to agency
services is maintained or enhanced in the standards and
criteria the Board used to develop its recommendations. The
Lujan Grisham amendment to the ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The Chaffetz ANS, as amended, was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
4) H.R. 4902 (Hurd), To amend title 5, United States Code,
to expand law enforcement availability pay to employees of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
5) H.R. 4906 (Connolly), To amend title 5, United States
Code, to clarify the eligibility of employees of a land
management agency in a time-limited appointment to compete for
a permanent appointment at any federal agency:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
6) H.R. 4904 (Cartwright), the Making Electronic Government
Accountable by Yielding Tangible Efficiencies (MEGABYTE) Act of
2016:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
May 17, 2016
1) H.R. 5233 (Meadows), the Clarifying Congressional Intent
in Providing for DC Home Rule Act of 2016:
Ms. Norton offered an amendment to strike the text of the
bill and replace it with language that would grant budget
autonomy to the District. The amendment was defeated by a
record vote of 12 ayes to 22 nays:
Voting Aye: Cummings, Norton, Clay, Connolly, Cartwright,
Duckworth, Lawrence, Watson Coleman, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Welch,
Lujan Grisham;
Voting Nay: Chaffetz, Mica, Turner, Duncan, Jordan,
Walberg, Amash, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold, Lummis, Massie,
Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck, Walker, Blum, Russell,
Carter, Grothman, Hurd;
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a
record vote of 22 ayes to 14 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Turner, Duncan, Jordan,
Walberg, Amash, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold, Lummis, Massie,
Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck, Walker, Blum, Russell,
Carter, Grothman, Hurd;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Lawrence, Watson Coleman,
DeSaulnier, Boyle, Welch, Lujan Grisham.
2) H.R. 5226 (Walberg), the Regulatory Integrity Act of
2016:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a
record vote of 22 ayes to 14 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Turner, Duncan, Jordan,
Walberg, Amash, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold, Lummis, Massie,
Meadows, DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck, Walker, Blum, Russell,
Carter, Grothman, Hurd;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Lawrence, Watson Coleman,
DeSaulnier, Boyle, Welch, Lujan Grisham.
3) H.R. 24 (Massie), the Federal Reserve Transparency Act
of 2015:
Mr. Massie offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Massie ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
4) H.R. 5199 (Meadows), the Construction Consensus
Procurement Improvement Act of 2016:
Mr. Cummings offered an amendment (on behalf of Mr. Lynch)
to raise the contract value threshold from $750,000 to $3
million on the requirement to use two-phase selection
procedures for design and construction contracts. The amendment
was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
5) S. 1550 (Ernst), the Program Management Improvement
Accountability Act:
Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment to clarify the potential
members of the Program Management Policy Council by limiting
the pool of persons the Chairman could appoint to federal
employees and removing the Federal Advisory Committee Act
provision, which would not apply to purely interagency
councils. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
6) H.R. 433 (Thompson (PA)), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 523 East Railroad
Street in Knox, Pennsylvania, as the ``Specialist Ross A.
McGinnis Memorial Post Office'';
7) H.R. 2607 (Crowley), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 7802 37th Avenue in
Jackson Heights, New York, as the ``Jeanne and Jules Manford
Post Office Building'';
8) H.R. 3218 (Capps), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 836 Anacapa Street,
Santa Barbara, California as the ``Special Warfare Operator
Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis `Lou' J. Langlais Post
Office Building'' (as amended by an amendment in the nature of
a substitute offered by Mr. Chaffetz);
9) H.R. 3931 (Westerman), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 620 Central Avenue
Suite 1A in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, as the ``Chief
Petty Officer Adam Brown United States Post Office'';
10) H.R. 3953 (Bilirakis), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 4122 Madison Street,
Elfers, Florida, as the ``Private First Class Felton Roger
Fussell Memorial Post Office'';
11) H.R. 4010 (Gallego), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 522 North Central
Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona, as the ``Ed Pastor Post Office'';
12) H.R. 4425 (Emmer), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 110 East Powerhouse
Road in Collegeville, Minnesota, as the ``Eugene J. McCarthy
Post Office'';
13) H.R. 4747 (Scott (GA)), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 6691 Church Street
in Riverdale, Georgia, as the ``Major Gregory E. Barney Post
Office Building'';
14) H.R. 4761 (Chu), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 61 South Baldwin Avenue
in Sierra Madre, California, as the ``Louis Van Iersel Post
Office'';
15) H.R. 4777 (Sewell), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1301 Alabama Avenue in
Selma, Alabama as the ``Amelia Boynton Robinson Post Office
Building'';
16) H.R. 4877 (Olson), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 3130 Grants Lake
Boulevard in Sugar Land, Texas, as the ``LCpl Garrett W.
Gamble, USMC Post Office Building'';
17) H.R. 4925 (Latta), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 229 West Main Cross
Street, in Findlay, Ohio, as the ``Michael Garver Oxley
Memorial Post Office Building'';
18) H.R. 4960 (Foster), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 525 N. Broadway in
Aurora, Illinois, as the ``Kenneth M. Christy Post Office
Building'';
19) H.R. 4975 (Ashford), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 5720 South 142nd Street
in Omaha, Nebraska, as the ``Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb A.
Nelson Post Office Building'';
20) H.R. 4987 (Miller (FL)), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 3957 2nd Avenue in
Laurel Hill, Florida, as the ``Sergeant First Class William
`Kelly' Lacey Post Office''; and
21) H.R. 5028 (Lawrence), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 10721 E Jefferson Ave
in Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Mary Eleanora McCoy Post Office
Building'' (as amended by an amendment in the nature of a
substitute offered by Ms. Lawrence).
June 15, 2016
1) H. Res. 737 (Chaffetz), Condemning and Censuring John A.
Koskinen, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue:
Mr. Cummings offered an amendment to make corrections to
the resolution;
Mr. Chaffetz offered a second degree amendment to the
Cummings amendment. The Chaffetz amendment was agreed to by
voice vote;
The Cummings amendment, as amended, was agreed to by voice
vote;
Mr. Cartwright offered an amendment to strike the entire
resolution and insert language related to J. Russell George,
the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)
and reports issued by his office in 2013 and 2015. The
amendment was defeated by a record vote of 15 ayes to 21 nays:
Voting Aye: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Watson
Coleman, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Lujan Grisham;
Voting Nay: Chaffetz, Turner, Duncan, Jordan, Walberg,
Amash, Gosar, DesJarlais, Farenthold, Massie, Meadows,
DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck, Walker, Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter,
Hurd, Palmer;
The resolution, as amended, was ordered favorably reported
to the House by a record vote of 23 ayes to 15 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Turner, Duncan, Jordan, Walberg,
Amash, Gosar, DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold, Massie, Meadows,
DeSantis, Mulvaney, Buck, Walker, Blum, Hice, Russell, Carter,
Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch, Cooper,
Connolly, Cartwright, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Watson
Coleman, DeSaulnier, Boyle, Lujan Grisham.
July 12, 2016
1) H.R. 5714 (Chaffetz), the Postal Service Reform Act of
2016:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
2) H.R. 5707 (Lynch), the Postal Service Financial
Improvement Act of 2016:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
3) H.R. 2319 (Cummings), the Electronic Message
Preservation Act of 2015:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
4) H.R. 4419 (Norton), the District of Columbia Judicial
Financial Transparency Act:
Ms. Norton offered an amendment to add sections that are in
the Senate companion bill, including provisions to give
authority to magistrate judges to serve in the probate
division, to allow courts to accept payments by credit card and
check, to increase the maximum amount in controversy for small
claims court to $10,000, and to authorize judges to delegate
their authority to approve reimbursement to court-appointed
attorneys. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
5) H.R. 5033 (Duckworth), the Getting Results through
Enhanced Accountability and Transparency Act of 2016:
Ms. Duckworth offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Duckworth ANS was agreed to by voice
vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
6) H.R. 5037 (Norton), the District of Columbia Courts and
Public Defender Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments
Act:
Ms. Norton offered an amendment to clarify the wording of
the bill regarding capped voluntary incentive payments at
$25,000. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
7) H.R. 5687 (Hice), the GAO Mandates Revision Act of 2016:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
8) H.R. 5690 (Carter), the GAO Access and Oversight Act of
2016:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
9) H.R. 5341 (Mica), To amend title 5, United States Code,
to recalculate annuity benefits for certain air traffic
controllers, and for other purposes:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
10) H.R. 5709 (Meadows), the Federal Records Modernization
Act:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
11) H.R. 4887, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 23323 Shelby Road in Shelby,
Indiana, as the ``Richard Allen Cable Post Office'';
12) H.R. 5356, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 14231 TX-150 in Coldspring,
Texas, as the ``E. Marie Youngblood Post Office''; and
13) H.R. 5612, To designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 2886 Sandy Plains Road in
Marietta, Georgia, as the ``Marine Lance Corporal Squire `Skip'
Wells Post Office Building''.
September 15, 2016
1) H.R. 2532 (Fleischmann), the EASY Savings Act of 2015:
Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Chaffetz ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
2) H.R. 6004 (Hurd), the Modernizing Government Technology
Act of 2016:
Mr. Hurd offered an amendment to clarify the role of GSA in
administering the ITMF and reassert the primacy under FITARA of
agency CIO's being fully in charge of the IT budgets at their
agencies. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
3) H.R. 5995 (Meadows), the GAO Civilian Task and Delivery
Order Protest Authority Act of 2016;
4) H.R. 6008 (Meadows), the Transit Benefits Modernization
Act, as amended by an amendment offered by Mr. Clay;
5) H.R. 6009 (Russell), the Federal Agency Mail Management
Act of 2016;
6) H.R. 3779 (Valadao), To restrict the inclusion of social
security account numbers on documents sent by mail by the
Federal Government, and for other purposes;
7) H.R. 5625 (Moulton), the Modernizing Government Travel
Act, as amended by an amendment in the nature of a substitute
offered by Mr. Hurd;
8) H.R. 5920 (Cummings), the Whistleblower Protections for
Contractors Act;
9) H.R. 5785 (Russell), to amend title 5, United States
Code, to provide for an annuity supplement for certain air
traffic controllers;
10) H.R. 5790 (Chaffetz), the Federal Bureau of
Investigation Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2016;
11) H.R. 5150 (Donovan), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 3031 Veterans Road West
in Staten Island, New York, as the ``Leonard Montalto Post
Office Building'';
12) H.R. 5309 (Kelly (MS)), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 401 McElroy Drive
in Oxford, Mississippi, as the ``Army First Lieutenant Donald
C. Carwile Post Office Building'';
13) H.R. 5591 (Cuellar), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 810 N. US Highway 83 in
Zapata, Texas, as the ``Zapata Veterans Post Office'';
14) H.R. 5676 (Quigley), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 6300 N. Northwest
Highway in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``Officer Joseph P. Cali
Post Office Building'';
15) H.R. 5798 (Schakowsky), To designate the facility of
the United States Postal Service located at 1101 Davis Street
in Evanston, Illinois, as the ``Abner J. Mikva Post Office
Building''; and
16) H.R. 5889 (Sablan), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 1 Chalan Kanoa VLG in
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, as the ``Segundo T. Sablan
and CNMI Fallen Military Heroes Post Office Building''.
September 22, 2016
1) Resolution and report recommending that the House of
Representatives find Bryan Pagliano in contempt of Congress for
refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform:
Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute (ANS). The Chaffetz ANS was agreed to by a voice
vote;
The resolution, as amended, was agreed to by a record vote
of 19 ayes to 15 nays:
Voting Aye: Chaffetz, Mica, Duncan, Jordan, Walberg, Amash,
DesJarlais, Gowdy, Farenthold, Lummis, Massie, Meadows,
DeSantis, Walker, Blum, Hice, Grothman, Hurd, Palmer;
Voting Nay: Cummings, Maloney, Norton, Clay, Lynch,
Connolly, Duckworth, Kelly, Lawrence, Watson Coleman, Plaskett,
DeSaulnier, Boyle, Welch, Lujan Grisham.
November 16, 2016
1) H.R. 6302 (Chaffetz), the Overtime Pay for Secret
Service Agents Act of 2016:
Mr. Cummings offered an amendment. The amendment was
withdrawn;
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
2) H.R. 3387 (Norton), the Open and Transparent Smithsonian
Act of 2015:
Mr. Hurd offered an amendment in the nature of a
substitute. The Norton ANS was agreed to by voice vote;
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House by voice vote.
3) H.R. 6186 (Duffy), the Follow the Rules Act:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
4) H.R. 6303 (Chaffetz), To designate facilities of the
United States Postal Service, to establish new ZIP Codes, and
for other purposes:
The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by
voice vote.
The following bills were ordered favorably reported to the
House by unanimous consent:
5) H.R. 5384 (Russell), the Federal Register Printing
Savings Act of 2016;
6) H.R. 5948 (Davis (CA)), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 830 Kuhn Drive in Chula
Vista, California, as the ``Jonathan `J.D.' De Guzman Post
Office Building'';
7) H.R. 6138 (Brownley), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 560 East Pleasant
Valley Road, Port Hueneme, California, as the ``U.S. Naval
Construction Battalion `Seabees' Fallen Heroes Post Office
Building'';
8) H.R. 6282 (Serrano), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 2024 Jerome Avenue, in
Bronx, New York, as the ``Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. Post Office
Building''; and
9) H.R. 6304 (Gosar), To designate the facility of the
United States Postal Service located at 501 North Main Street
in Florence, Arizona, as the ``Adolfo `Harpo' Celaya Post
Office''.
III. Summary of Committee Oversight Plan
Pursuant to Rule X, Clause 2(d) of the Rules of the House,
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform adopted the
following plan to guide the work of its subcommittees and full
committee during the 114th Congress.
This oversight plan contained a detailed list of matters
for oversight and investigation that will advance the
Committee's mission to ensure the efficiency, effectiveness,
and accountability of the federal government and all its
agencies.
The Committee's adopted plan indicates oversight in several
sectors, including:
Waste, Fraud, Abuse, and Mismanagement
Open Government and Transparency
Homeland Security
National Security and Foreign Operations
Transportation and Infrastructure
Transportation Safety and Security
Federal Real Property Disposal
Public Housing
Technology Policy
Cybersecurity
Federal Regulation and the Regulatory
Process
Health Care and Entitlements
Drug Policy and Safety
The Government Accountability Office
Financial Sector and Consumer Protection
Inspectors General
Federal Financial Management
Government Contracting
Grant Reform
Suspension and Debarment Programs
District of Columbia
Census
National Archives and Federal Records
Government Management and the Federal
Workforce
United States Postal Service
Energy and Environment
Public Lands & Public Land Agencies
IV. Summary of Actions Taken and Recommendations Made With Respect to
the Oversight Plan
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Open Government and Transparency
The Committee's activities to ensure transparency in the
federal government focused on the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) and the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act
(DATA Act). Concerning FOIA, the Committee issued an oversight
report in January 2016 and developed legislative reforms which
were enacted into law on the 50th anniversary of the Act.
Concerning the DATA Act, the Committee primarily focused on
oversight of the Administration's implementation of the law,
the effectiveness of which is critical to the Act's future
success to modernize federal spending data.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
In the 114th Congress, the Committee held two full
committee hearings and one subcommittee hearing on the current
state of FOIA. On June 2 and 3, 2015, 15 witnesses from federal
agencies, media outlets, independent journalists, and
transparency advocates testified to FOIA-related challenges,
such as insufficient resources, increasing FOIA request
backlogs, poor communication from agencies, extensive delays,
and inappropriate withholdings.
On February 27, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing titled ``Ensuring Government
Transparency Through FOIA Reform.'' A panel of expert witnesses
discussed FOIA access under current law. Former Director of the
Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) Miriam Nesbit
testified on the White House review of agency policy
recommendations and the value of OGIS independence.
The Committee also sought to understand the experiences of
FOIA requesters. In May 2015, the Committee solicited
information directly from requesters by leveraging media
contacts, partnering with transparency advocates, and
soliciting public input. The Committee received numerous
stories on the challenges associated with FOIA, which were
ultimately analyzed and released by the Committee in a majority
staff report titled ``FOIA is Broken: A Report'' on January 11,
2016.
The Committee has also conducted oversight of multiple
agencies' FOIA processes by sending letters and meeting with
agency officials responsible for FOIA operations. On January
19, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the Department of
State inquiring about FOIA processing in the Office of the
Executive Secretariat and requesting documents about FOIA cases
processed during the past 15 years. The Committee has received
a partial response in a rolling production. The Committee is
continuing to work with State to receive a complete production.
On June 13, 2016, the Committee requested information from
the Department of Interior regarding coordination with the
Office of Government Information Services. Interior briefed
Committee staff and explained that management has corrected the
problem and established new paths of communication.
On June 16, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
Department of Commerce about reporting exorbitant FOIA response
costs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA). NOAA reviewed their reports and identified the error
that led to inaccurate reporting.
Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act)
The Committee conducted robust oversight of the executive
branch's implementation of the DATA Act in the 114th Congress.
Enacted in 2014, the DATA Act is designed to modernize federal
spending data by requiring agencies to report detailed, program
level financial data in standard form. In furtherance of this
commitment, the Committee sent letters of inquiry and
recommendations to the agencies leading the government-wide
implementation of the DATA Act and held multiple hearings
examining the effectiveness and timeliness of implementation.
On April 2, 2015, the Committee sent a letter to Treasury
inquiring about reduced functionality of the website
USASpending.gov and requesting a staff briefing addressing the
website's reliability concerns. Proper functioning of the
website is critical because the DATA Act requires Treasury and
OMB to publish spending information for free access and
download on the government's USASpending.gov by May 9, 2017.
Treasury provided a briefing to Committee staff on April 10,
2015 and made a commitment to consult with the Committee on any
further improvements to the website.
On July 16, 2015, the Committee sent another letter to
Treasury inquiring whether the agency was properly utilizing
the authority granted to it under the DATA Act to preserve data
analytics capabilities essential for preventing fraud and
reducing improper payments. The letter requested a staff
briefing on the subject in order to fully understand Treasury's
failure to preserve certain data analytics. In response,
Treasury restored functionality and committed to keeping the
Committee informed about further updates to USASpending.gov.
On January 29, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to OMB
requesting a report on its status in implementing the DATA Act.
The information requested included data element definitions and
technical guidelines, as well as mandatory reporting
information showing their diligence in ensuring effective
implementation. OMB responded to the letter on April 29, 2016,
providing an update on the progress made in finalizing guidance
documents.
On July 29, 2015 and April 19, 2016, the Subcommittees on
Government Operations and Information Technology held joint
hearings entitled ``DATA Act Implementation'' and ``DATA Act:
Monitoring Implementation Progress'' respectively. The hearings
examined the Administration's ongoing efforts to implement the
DATA Act and specifically examined actions taken by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Department of
Treasury (Treasury) to implement prior recommendations by the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Treasury inspector
general to improve the Act's implementation. These hearings
enabled the Subcommittees to seek further clarification on
stakeholder assessments of the adequacy and timeliness of the
Section 5 pilot designed to standardize award recipient
reporting. The hearings also aired stakeholder concerns on
whether OMB and Treasury's project management approach and
governance structure will be effective over time.
On December 8, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing titled ``DATA Act Implementation
Check-in.'' The Subcommittee explored compliance with the DATA
Act at the agency level from the Small Business Administration
and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. OMB also
reported on the delay in the contractor portion of the Section
5 pilot program, but assured the Subcommittee that the pilot
program will meet all other statutory requirements, including
duration of the data collection and the incorporation of the
findings into the government-wide guidance issued to agencies.
Financial Management
The Committee has responsibility for overseeing agency
compliance with federal improper payment laws. In the 114th
Congress, the Committee held agencies accountable through
rigorous oversight while making necessary improvements to
governing statutes.
On September 22, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing to discuss improper payments entitled
``Examining Billion Dollar Waste Through Improper Payments.''
The Subcommittee heard testimony about the state of improper
payments at three agencies: the Department of Health and Human
Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social
Security Administration. In addition, the Subcommittee learned
about the progress of implementing improper payment laws at
Treasury's Do Not Pay Initiative and at OMB.
The Committee also worked to hold agencies accountable for
their improper payment reporting whenever agency personnel
testified before the Committee. For example, on November 18,
2015, the Subcommittee on Government Operations held a joint
hearing with the Committee on Education and the Workforce's
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
entitled ``Federal Student Aid: Performance-Based Organization
Review.'' At that hearing, members pressed agency officials for
an explanation about its action to deviate from OMB-approved
metrics in order to mask the agency's increasing improper
payment rates.
On October 20, 2016, the Committee issued a staff report
entitled ``The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act:
An Analysis of Five Years of Data.'' The report discussed the
current state of improper payments at the 24 agencies subject
to the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act, as well as those
agencies' compliance with legal requirements over the past five
years. In that report, the Committee found the federal
government reported nearly $600 billion in improper payments in
the past five years. The report made six recommendations for
the Administration to better comply with improper payment laws,
including: agencies must comply with requirements in the law
and use reliable data to ensure effective estimates; Treasury
should increase access to data through the Do Not Pay Center;
and OMB should update paymentaccuracy.gov to increase
transparency.
The Committee also helped enact legislation designed to
deter improper payments and to create more efficiently managed
programs. On July 22, 2015, the Committee reported H.R. 2320,
the Federal Improper Payments Coordination Act of 2015
sponsored by Representative Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), and an
identical Senate companion was enacted on December 18, 2015 and
assigned Public Law 114-109. The legislation will provide
better access to and use of information by federal agencies in
order to reduce improper payments.
Believing effective use of data creates more transparent
and effectively managed government, the Committee favorably
reported H.R. 1831, the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission
Act on July 16, 2015, sponsored by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-
WI). The bill provides for a temporary, 15-member Commission
appointed by the President and congressional leaders, with
consideration given to individuals with expertise in economics,
statistics, program evaluation, data security, confidentiality,
or database management. The Commission will examine ways to
better utilize data to improve program management and reduce
unnecessary spending that results from such mismanagement. H.R.
1831 was enacted into law on March 30, 2016 and assigned Public
Law Number 114-140.
The Committee also worked to enact other key reforms of
federal program management. On June 21, 2016, the Committee
reported S. 1550, the Program Management Improvement
Accountability Act. Sponsored by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), the
bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to
establish standards for program and project management and
establish an interagency council to advise on program
management issues. The bill also requires each Chief Financial
Officer (CFO) Act agency to designate a Program Management
Improvement Officer (PMIO), to serve on the Council and develop
a strategy to improve program management at the agency. On
September 22, 2015, the House approved S. 1550 passed by a 404-
11 margin. The Senate agreed to resolving differences on
November 30, 2016, and S. 1550 was subsequently presented to
the president and assigned Public Law Number 114-264.
Federal Grantmaking Reform
The Committee examined the efficiency, fairness, and
transparency of agency grantmaking processes by examining
agency-specific grantmaking.
On May 8, 2015, the Committee sent a letter to the
Comptroller General of the United States asking GAO to review
the effectiveness of the Corporation for National and Community
Service's (CNCS) grant monitoring and IT modernization plans.
According to the CNCS Office of Inspector General (OIG), CNCS
was contemplating a new plan for improving its grant monitoring
and modernizing its IT infrastructure. The OIG raised serious
concerns about CNCS's grants management, monitoring, and
oversight functions, as well as the ability of its staff to
oversee CNCS's grants programs effectively. The requested GAO
review is underway, and the Committee will continue to monitor
its progress and results.
On January 11, 2016, Representative Tim Walberg (R-WI)
introduced H.R. 3089, the ``Grants Oversight and New Efficiency
Act of 2016'', or the GONE Act. The GONE Act will require OMB
and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to direct
agencies to provide reports detailing federal grant awards and
the challenges leading to delays in grant closeout. Each agency
will be required to provide notice to HHS specifying whether
each has closed out the federal grant awards in the report
after one year. The Committee reported H.R. 3089 on July 22,
2016 and identical Senate companion (S. 1115) was enacted on
January 28, 2016 and assigned Public Law number 114-117.
On July 15, 2016, the Committee held a hearing on
mismanagement in Department of Justice Office of Justice
Program (OJP) grantmaking. The Committee highlighted apparent
waste, poor planning, or outright misuse of funds in programs
that had obtained over $370 million in grants. OJP committed to
additional disclosures on the controversial grants and
increased cooperation with the Department of Justice Inspector
General.
Drug Control Policy
The Committee began examining specific pressing federal
drug policy issues and the federal agencies that play a role in
enforcing and overseeing federal drug policy. In early 2015,
the Office of National Drug Control Policy, or ``ONDCP,'' sent
a letter to Chairman Chaffetz, Ranking Member Cummings, and
their counterparts in the Senate proposing language for its
reauthorization. On December 2, 2015, the Subcommittee on
Government Operations held a hearing to examine ONDCP's
proposal. The hearing provided insight into ONDCP, particularly
since its last reauthorization, which expired at the end of
fiscal year 2010. The hearing provided an opportunity to
conduct early oversight of whether ONDCP's proposals for
reauthorization would ensure that it had developed an effective
strategy and budget to meet evolving substance abuse
challenges.
The Committee also examined recent reports detailing how
drug traffickers frequently utilize the U.S. Postal Service to
ship illegal drugs into the United States. Chairman Chaffetz
sent letters on May 24, 2016 and September 12, 2016 to the
Postal Service to help the Committee better understand the
initiatives the Postal Service intends to implement to improve
the security and screening standards for international mail.
Regulations and the Regulatory Process
In the 114th Congress, the Committee focused regulatory
oversight efforts on the Office of Information and Regulatory
Reform (OIRA). On March 3, 2015, the Subcommittees on
Government Operations and on Health Care, Benefits, and
Administrative Rules held a joint subcommittee hearing titled
``Challenges Facing OIRA in Ensuring Transparency and Effective
Rulemaking.'' OIRA Administrator Howard Shelanski testified
about OIRA processes, including inter-agency coordination,
economic analysis, and transparency efforts at OIRA.
On March 15, 2016, the Subcommittees on Government
Operations and on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative
Rules held another joint subcommittee hearing on OIRA titled
``Accountability and Transparency Reform at the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs.'' Witnesses included
Administrator Shelanksi, Sam Batkins from the American Action
Forum, Richard Williams from the Mercatus Center, and Michelle
Sager from the Government Accountability Office. The witnesses
discussed OIRA progress on transparency efforts and the
additional work needed to improve transparency and
accountability at OIRA.
Government Management and Federal Civilian Workforce
The Committee held six hearings to examine key issues
impacting government management and the federal civilian
workforce.
On March 18, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing entitled, ``Federal Workforce Tax
Accountability.'' The hearing continued the work of the
Committee in previous Congresses to address the issue of tax
delinquency among federal employees, retirees, and contractors.
Members were given the opportunity to question witnesses
regarding ways to ensure federal workers are paying tax debts
in a timely fashion. Chairman Chaffetz introduced the bill H.R.
1563 shortly thereafter to remove federal employees who have
serious delinquent tax debts.
On April 16, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing entitled, ``The Worst Places to Work
in the Federal Government.'' The hearing focused on the 2014
results of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), an
annual survey designed to gauge how federal workers feel about
engagement, motivation, job satisfaction, agency leadership,
and other employment-related topics. Members questioned
representatives from the National Archives and Records
Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
two agencies which scored poorly on the Best Places to Work
agency rankings, on ways in which the agencies could improve
employee morale. Members also questioned a representative from
the U.S. Government Accountability Office, an agency that
ranked highly on the Best Places to Work agency rankings, on
best practices that could be replicated elsewhere.
On December 16, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing entitled, ``Merit Systems Protection
Board, Office of Government Ethics, and Office of Special
Counsel Reauthorization.'' In line with the Committee's
oversight plan for the 114th Congress, the hearing allowed
Members to understand potential legislative changes needed at
these agencies.
On April 27, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held a hearing entitled, ``The Best and Worst Places
to Work in the Federal Government.'' Similar to the hearing
held in April 2015, this hearing focused on the 2015 results of
the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), an annual survey
designed to gauge how federal workers feel about engagement,
motivation, job satisfaction, agency leadership, and other
employment-related topics. Members questioned representatives
from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, and
Department of Housing and Urban Development on their respective
finishes in the Best Places to Work agency rankings, as well as
ways to increase employee morale and corresponding government
efficiency. Members also heard from Max Stier, President and
CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, on legislative
changes Congress can enact to continue to make the FEVS a
powerful tool for improving the federal workforce.
The Committee also worked to advance key workforce reforms
pertaining to how misconduct is handled within the federal
workforce as part of the S. 2943, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY 2017 NDAA). The
FY2017 NDAA included H.R. 4359, the Administrative Leave Reform
Act. Sponsored by Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT),
this legislation caps the use of administrative leave for cases
of misconduct or performance at 10 days per calendar year and
allows agencies to use investigative leave in extraordinary
circumstances in 30 day increments. For any extensions of
investigative leave after 90 days, a detailed report must be
submitted to Congress every 30 days. Further, the bill
prohibits agencies from leaving individuals on administrative
leave indefinitely after all investigations are complete.
The FY2017 NDAA also included H.R. 4360, the Official
Personnel File Enhancement Act. Also sponsored by Committee
Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), this legislation provides that
an agency must record any adverse findings from a resolved
investigation in a separated employee's official personnel
file.
Holding Commissioner John Koskinen Accountable
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen offered false testimony to
Congress regarding the preservation of Lois Lerner emails and
failed to adhere to the terms of two validly issued Committee
subpoenas.
On February 26, 2015, the Committee held a hearing entitled
``IRS: TIGTA Update'' where the Treasury Inspector General for
Tax Administration (TIGTA) J. Russell George and his deputy
Timothy Camus testified regarding its investigation of the IRS.
The Committee held a second hearing on that topic on June 25,
2015. The TIGTA officials offered testimony on the IRS's
failure to conduct a thorough search for Lois Lerner emails.
In July 2015, Chairman Chaffetz sent a letter co-signed by
51 members of Congress to President Obama calling for the
removal of Koskinen. The White House did not respond to that
letter.
On October 27, 2015, the Committee issued a 41-page staff
report regarding Commissioner Koskinen's conduct during the
Committee's investigation. That same day, Chairman Chaffetz
introduced H.J. Res. 494 to initiate impeachment proceedings in
the U.S House of Representatives against Koskinen. That
resolution was referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
Subsequently, Chairman Chaffetz and Rep. DeSantis testified
before the House Judiciary Committee on May 24, 2016 regarding
Koskinen's conduct in failing to preserve documents subject to
a Committee subpoena, as well as false testimony offered to the
Committee.
On June 15, 2016, the Committee approved H. Res. 737,
condemning and censuring Koskinen. The resolution expressed the
sense of the House that Koskinen had behaved inconsistently
with the trust and confidence placed in him as an Officer of
the United States. The resolution also called for Koskinen's
resignation or removal, as well as the forfeiture of his
federal pension.
National Archives and Federal Records (NARA)
The Committee continued oversight of implementation of the
Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014 (P.L.
113-187), legislation signed into law on November 26, 2014 to
narrow the acceptable use of non-official electronic messaging
accounts in the creation or transmission of federal records. In
July 2015, the Committee reviewed Bulletin 2015-02 from the
National Archives and Records Administration offering guidance
to federal agencies on implementing P.L. 113-287.
On December 18, 2015, the Committee wrote to Secretary of
Defense Ashton Carter to request a briefing on his use of his
personal email account in conducting official business, in
violation of P.L. 113-187, and Department of Defense policies
related to personal email use. The Committee reiterated its
request in a March 18, 2016 letter, and received a briefing
from Department of Defense staff on March 30, 2016. Following
the release of the redacted version of Secretary Carter's
official business emails from his personal account, on April 5,
2016 the Committee requested unredacted copies of those emails
and restated its request again on May 24, 2016. As a result of
these requests, on August 5, 2016 committee staff reviewed all
emails Secretary Carter sent from his personal account for
official business and without the redaction of senders or
recipients. Reviewing these documents enabled the Committee to
understand and ensure both the Secretary and Department of
Defense were fully compliance with the requirements of P.L.
113-187.
On July 12, 2016, the Committee considered two bills
designed to improve the Federal Records Act (FRA). H.R. 2319,
the Electronic Message Preservation Act, introduced by Ranking
Member Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) would require the National
Archives to issue regulations mandating agencies electronically
capture and preserve messages that were created electronically,
such as email, no later than December 31, 2016, codifying
current OMB guidance. On July 7, 2016, the Committee ordered
both H.R. 2319 favorably reported by voice vote.
H.R. 5709, the Federal Records Modernization Act,
introduced by Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Mark
Meadows (R-NC), legislation to update the Federal Records Act
to provide and enhance penalties for improper record
destruction and ensure internal agency instant message system
transcripts must be preserved when they include Federal
Records. H.R. 5709 would also enhance the reporting
transparency by agencies when records are lost, require
agencies to designate a ``Senior Agency Official for Records
Management,'' and make amendments to modernize the publication
of the Federal Register. On July 7, 2016, the Committee ordered
H.R. 5709 favorably reported by voice vote.
Additionally, on September 15, 2016, the Committee
considered H.R. 6009, the Federal Agency Mail Management Act of
2016, introduced by Representative Russell. H.R. 6009 would
make a technical correction to P.L. 113-187 to clarify that the
General Services Administration, not the National Archives is
responsible for mail management at federal agencies. The
Committee ordered H.R. 6009 favorably reported by voice vote.
Use of a Private Email Server by Former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, Oversight of the FBI's Investigation, and the Clinton
Foundation
On July 7, 2016, the Committee continued a previous hearing
on ``Oversight of the State Department.'' At that hearing,
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director James Comey
testified on the Bureau's decision not to recommend charges as
a result of its year-long investigation of Secretary Clinton's
use of a private email server and the transmission and storage
of classified information on that server. At that hearing,
Comey testified that Secretary Clinton and her aides had been
``extremely careless'' in their handling of classified
information.
On July 11, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to Director
Comey requesting its investigation files regarding Secretary
Clinton. The Committee subsequently received unredacted
summaries of the FBI's interviews, as well as a production of
Secretary Clinton's classified emails.
On July 19, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
Department of Defense requesting information on mishandling of
classified information by members of the military.
On August 22, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to Director
Comey requesting information on potential access to classified
information within Secretary Clinton's emails by lawyers or
aides to Secretary Clinton who lacked the appropriate security
clearance.
On August 25, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
State Department requesting information relating to its
interactions with the Clinton Foundation. The State Department
subsequently made a production to the Committee. The Committee
also sent a letter to the Clinton Foundation on September 8,
2016 seeking further information on those interactions, as well
as a follow-up letter on October 21, 2016.
On September 6, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Channing D. Phillips
requesting that he investigate why records were destroyed after
Secretary Clinton and her agents were on notice to preserve her
emails.
On September 6, 2016, the Committee also sent a letter to
Platte River Networks requesting documents relating to its
preservation and management of Secretary Clinton's emails.
On September 8, 2016, the Committee held a hearing on FOIA
Compliance at the State Department, and questioned Department
witnesses at length on how they complied with FOIA despite
lacking access to Secretary Clinton's emails.
On September 12, 2016, the Committee held a hearing on
Classifications and Redactions in FBI's Investigative file. The
FBI and congressional affairs representatives from the
intelligence community subsequently offered a classified
briefing on those redactions.
On September 13, 2016, the Committee held a hearing titled
``Examining Preservation of State Department Federal Records.''
At that hearing, Clinton aide Justin Cooper testified on his
experience setting up Secretary Clinton's server. Paul Combetta
and William Thornton of Platte River Networks refused to
testify based on their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-
incrimination. Bryan Pagliano, another Clinton aide, declined
to appear, stating that he planned to assert his Fifth
Amendment privilege. On September 8, 2016, the Committee sent a
subpoena for Mr. Pagliano's appearance at the September 13
hearing. That hearing continued on September 22, 2016, giving
Mr. Pagliano another opportunity to testify, and once again he
did not appear.
Consequently, on September 22, 2016, the Committee passed a
contempt resolution against Mr. Pagliano. That resolution is
currently awaiting a vote in the full House of Representatives.
On September 11, 2016, the Committee issued a subpoena to
Paul Combetta for the production of documents and
communications referring or relating to his immunity or proffer
agreement with the Department of Justice.
On September 20, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
State Department requesting calendars used by Secretary Clinton
during her tenure as Secretary of State. That day, the
Committee also sent a letter to the Department of Justice
requesting access to immunity agreements in the Clinton
investigation. Subsequently, the Department of Justice agreed
to allow the Committee to review immunity agreements for Paul
Combetta, William Thornton, Bryan Pagliano, and immunity
agreements for the contents of Cheryl Mills and Heather
Samuelson's laptops. On October 5, 2016, the Committee sent an
additional letter to the Department of Justice seeking
information relating to the FBI's agreement with Mills and
Samuelson.
On October 11, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
Inspector Generals for the Department of Justice and the
Department of State requesting an investigation into Secretary
Clinton's attorneys and their interaction with the FBI
investigation.
On October 17, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to
Secretary Kerry requesting that he remove Under Secretary for
Management Patrick Kennedy pending a review of his actions in
negotiating a potential quid pro quo deal relating to the FBI
investigation of Secretary Clinton, as well as his pressuring
State Department employees not to classify Clinton's emails.
That same day, the Committee sent a letter to the Department of
State Inspector General requesting that he examine Kennedy and
the Clinton document review process.
Government Contracting
The Committee conducted federal government contract
oversight with the overall objectives of reducing waste, fraud,
and abuse, as well as increasing efficiencies and reducing
federal government contract costs. From the beginning of the
114th Congress, the Committee focused on Information Technology
(IT) acquisition and specifically implementation of the Federal
Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA).
IT Acquisition
On February 11, 2015 the Committee held a hearing on the
2015 GAO Biannual High Risk Report. For the first time GAO
added ``Improving the Management of IT Acquisitions and
Operations'' to its biannual high risk list. GAO found the
government spent billions on failed and poorly performing IT
investments and designated this area as high risk due to
vulnerability to waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement. As a
follow up to this designation, the Government Operations and IT
Subcommittee held a joint hearing on June 10, 2015, entitled
``The Federal Information Technology Reform Act's (FITARA) Role
in Reducing IT Acquisition Risk.''
Specifically, this hearing highlighted FITARA requirements
and FITARA's potential role in reducing IT acquisition risk.
The witnesses included, Tony Scott, Administrator for E-
Government and IT at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
and the federal Chief Information Officer (CIO); Anne Rung,
Administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at
OMB; David Powner, Director IT Management Issues, GAO; and
Richard Spires, former CIO at several federal agencies. The
witnesses testified on the high risk factors in IT acquisition
identified by GAO, how FITARA implementation could reduce these
risks and how agencies should be held accountable for IT
acquisition outcomes.
On November 4, 2015, the Committee released its first
FITARA Scorecard to measure agencies' implementation of FITARA
requirements and hold agency CIOs accountable for IT management
and acquisition. The Scorecard relied on agency self-reported
data and highlighted the importance of four FITARA areas: (1)
data center consolidation; (2) IT portfolio review savings; (3)
incremental development in IT acquisitions; and (4) risk
assessment transparency of IT investments.
The Government Operations and IT Subcommittees held a
hearing on the same day to discuss the FITARA Scorecard and
FITARA implementation. The witnesses included CIOs from the
Departments of Treasury and Transportation and General Services
Administration as well as the federal CIO Tony Scott and David
Powner from GAO. Chairman Chaffetz said at the Subcommittee
hearing, ``FITARA is an effort to ensure that agencies are
buying and developing technologies in an efficient way that is
transparent and gives agencies the tools they need to do the
work for the American people.''
On May 18, 2016, the Committee released the FITARA
Scorecard 2.0 and again the Government Operations and IT
Subcommittees held a hearing to hear testimony from CIOs and
discuss the importance of FITARA implementation to improving IT
acquisition. The agency CIO witnesses were from the departments
of Commerce, Energy, and Labor; and the National Aeronautics
and Space Agency. IT Subcommittee Chairman Hurd said at the
hearing, ``FITARA can play a key role in ensuring broader
authorities for agency CIOs and a reduction of waste, fraud,
and abuse'' and added that the FITARA grades are the
Committee's effort ``to provide an objective measurement of
progress and challenges.''
The Committee plans to continue the FITARA Scorecard
activity in the 115th Congress and continue to issue a
Scorecard every six months because vigorous oversight of
agencies' FITARA implementation should improve IT acquisition
outcomes.
The 2015 GAO High Risk Report designated IT acquisition as
high risk and also acknowledged the problem was due in part to
the increasing share of IT spending on Operations and
Maintenance (O&M) on legacy IT. This is an acquisition risk
because as the costs of maintaining legacy systems increases,
less funding is available for development. In December 2015, in
an effort to understand the extent of the legacy IT challenge,
the Committee sent a letter to all 24 agencies covered by the
CFO Act requesting information on their legacy IT systems and
applications.
On May 25, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Federal Agencies' Reliance on Outdated and Unsupported
Information Technology: A Ticking Time Bomb.'' During this
hearing, the Committee reviewed the information agencies
provided in response the December 2015 letter and the findings
of a GAO Report entitled ``Federal Agencies Need to Address
Aging Legacy Systems.'' GAO reported that the federal
government spent about 75 percent of the over $80 billion
annual IT spend on legacy IT.
Responses to the Committee's December 2015 oversight letter
on legacy IT demonstrated agencies: (1) had mission critical
systems in need of modernization; (2) used over 930 million
lines of code using more than 70 legacy programming languages;
and (3) had unsupported software and operating systems. The
witnesses at the May 25 hearing included Tony Scott,
Administrator for E-Government and IT, OMB; David Powner,
Director IT Management Issues, GAO; and the CIOs from the
departments of Defense, Treasury, Health and Human Services and
the Internal Revenue Service. Testimony focused on the state of
legacy IT in federal agencies and potential solutions to
incentivize modernization of federal IT.
On September 22, 2016, the Committee favorably reported
H.R. 6004, the Modernizing Government Technology Act, and on
September 26 the House approved the bill by voice vote under
suspension of the rules. The bill would establish a centralized
IT modernization fund as well as specific IT modernization
funds at CFO Act agencies to incentivize the modernization of
federal IT systems. Agencies would be authorized to reinvest IT
savings in modernization projects.
General Contracting Oversight
In the 113th Congress the Committee received a GAO report
entitled ``Employing People with Blindness or Severe
Disabilities: Enhanced Oversight of the AbilityOne Program
Needed.'' In the 114th Congress, the Committee conducted
oversight and promoted legislation in accordance with the
report recommendations. Among the recommendations of the GAO
report were creating an inspector general for the AbilityOne
program and establishing cooperative agreements between the
AbilityOne Commission and the two Central Nonprofit Agencies
(CNAs).
CNAs manage day to day operations of the AbilityOne program
and assist the nonprofit affiliates that perform the AbilityOne
contract work for the federal government. The AbilityOne
program seeks to employ people who are blind or have severe
disabilities by requiring federal agencies to obtain certain
designated products and services by contracting with the
AbilityOne nonprofit affiliates. By virtue of the Committee's
continued oversight and in coordination with the Appropriations
Committee, a new AbilityOne Inspector General and new reporting
requirements were established in December 2015 through the FY
2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act. In June 2016, the two CNAs
signed cooperative agreements with the AbilityOne Commission.
The creation of the IG and the new cooperative agreements
satisfy two of the 2013 GAO report's recommendations.
On March 18, 2015, the Government Operations Subcommittee
held a hearing entitled, ``Federal Workforce Tax
Accountability,'' to study potential reforms to ensure federal
employees and contractors satisfy in good faith their financial
obligations, including compliance with federal tax laws. The
hearing examined GAO reporting that thousands of government
contractors had substantial amounts of unpaid federal taxes.
Subsequent to this hearing, Chairman Chaffetz introduced H.R.
1562, the Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2015. H.R.
1562 was designed to ensure federal contracts are only awarded
to federal tax-compliant businesses and individuals. On April
15, 2015, the House approved H.R. 1562 by a recorded vote of
424-0.
On January 26, 2015, USAID took action to suspend a federal
contractor, International Relief and Development (IRD). In a
statement, USAID said there were areas of serious financial
misconduct, performance problems, mismanagement, and lack of
internal controls. Between 2006 and 2014, USAID awarded
contracts to IRD in Afghanistan ($1 billion) and in Iraq ($85
million). The Committee commended USAID's actions and conducted
oversight of this suspension action.
The Committee has also conducted oversight of contracting
at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In
2014, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that
HUD should use procurement contracts to administer the project-
based Section 8 program instead of cooperative agreements. HUD
abruptly shifted from using federal contracts to cooperative
agreements to acquire these services, thereby avoiding the
competition requirements in federal contracting, but the
contractors challenged HUD's action. In 2015, the Supreme Court
declined to hear HUD's appeal, effectively requiring HUD to
comply with competition requirements by using federal
contracts.
In January 2016, Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) of the
Government Operations Subcommittee wrote HUD Secretary to
ensure timely implementation of the Court of Appeals' decision.
This oversight continues.
The Committee has also conducted oversight and approved
legislation to promote economy and efficiency in federal
contracting. Since 2009, there have been 12 executive orders
instituting new compliance requirements, resulting in 16 new
regulations for government contractors. On July 15, 2015, the
Committee sent a letter to the Secretary of Labor and the
Administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy
requesting withdrawal of the proposed rule and guidance
implementing Executive Order 13673 due to the duplicative and
complex new labor compliance system proposed for federal
contractors.
On January 12, 2016, the Committee favorably reported H.R.
1671, the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act in response
to Executive Order 13502, which established a preference for
project labor agreements (PLA) in federally funded or federal
construction projects. Mandated PLAs can often drive up the
cost and delay federal or federally-assisted construction
projects and further discourage small businesses from
participating in this marketplace. This bill would require that
federal agencies neither prohibit nor promote PLAs, thereby
promoting robust competition through equal treatment of union
and non-union contractors and ensuring the federal government
receives the best possible value with these contracts.
On July 8, 2016, in the interest of exploring opportunities
for efficiencies and cost savings in federal contracting, the
Government Operations Subcommittee held a hearing entitled
``Contracting Fairness.'' The objectives of the hearing were
to: (1) identify the impact of the current moratorium on OMB
Circular A-76 competitions between the private sector and the
government to provide services; (2) discuss the increased
reliance on insourcing of such services by executive branch
agencies; and (3) examine best practices for increasing the use
of A-76 competitions and other efforts to obtain the
efficiencies and cost savings that result from leveraging the
private sector for non-inherently governmental services.
Witnesses included: Angela Styles, former Administrator for the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy at OMB; Donald Kettl,
Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland;
Maurice McTigue, Vice President of Outreach at the Mercatus
Center at George Mason University; and John Palatiello,
President of the Business Coalition for Fair Competition.
In the 113th Congress, the Subcommittee on the Federal
Workforce held a hearing entitled ``Assessing the Government's
Use of Design-Build Contracts.'' In follow-up activity related
to this hearing, the Committee in this Congress took
legislative action aimed at increasing competition for federal
design-build construction services contracts.
On May 17, 2016, the Committee favorably reported H.R.
5199, Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act. This
bill is designed to encourage competition and reduce the costs
of bidding for federal construction contracts by encouraging
the use of the two-step bid and proposal process for design-
build construction contracts. In phase one of the two-step
process, applicants submit information related to their
experience and past performance. Then, if deemed qualified,
applicants make the substantial investment in creating and
submitting detailed price and technical proposals that an
agency evaluates for purposes of making an award decision. The
bill would increase the opportunity for small businesses to
compete by reducing the cost of competing and reducing the time
contracting officers must spend reviewing numerous complicated
design proposals in the one-step proposal process.
Finally, the Committee took action to continue GAO's
existing authority to hear certain protests of government
contract awards. Beginning in FY 2008, the GAO was authorized
to hear challenges to civilian agency contract awards of large
task or delivery orders valued over $10 million. Originally,
this authority was enacted to respond to concerns that agencies
were circumventing federal procurement competition requirements
by using this particular contract vehicle and in an effort to
increase transparency of agency task or delivery order contract
award decisions. The original grant of this authority was
extended until September 30, 2016. In an effort to further
extend this transparency and accountability in contracting
mechanism, the Committee ordered reported, H.R. 5995 to
permanently extend the authority on September 15, 2016. The
House approved H.R. 5995 on September 21, 2016. The Senate
approved H.R. 5995 by unanimous consent on November 30, 2016.
The president signed H.R. 5995 into law on December 14, 2016
and it was assigned Public Law Number 114-260.
The Government Accountability Office
The Committee has authorizing responsibilities over the
Government Accountability Office (GAO), and made concerted
efforts this year to enact legislative reforms to strengthen
the work of the GAO and to also highlight and support its
signature work products.
GAO Authorizing Activities
On July 12, 2016, the Committee approved by voice vote H.R.
5687, the GAO Mandates Revision Act of 2016, sponsored by Rep.
Jody Hice (R-GA). The bill helps make the Government
Accountability Office more efficient by eliminating or reducing
its obligation to conduct eight statutorily-required audits
that GAO and the relevant Congressional committees believe are
either no longer necessary or necessary on a less frequent
basis. By reducing or eliminating these reports, this
legislation puts GAO in a better position to respond to
Congressional requests for assistance in matters of greater
importance. On September 20, 2016, the House approved H.R. 5687
under suspension of the rules. On December 10, 2016, the Senate
approved H.R. 5687 by Unanimous Consent, and it was presented
to the president for signature.
Also on July 12, 2016, the Committee also approved by voice
vote H.R. 5690, the GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2016,
sponsored by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA). The bill clarifies GAO's
authority to access federal records, including the National
Database of New Hires. The bill also strengthens GAO's ability
to bring a civil action in the event an agency refuses to
disclose information that GAO needs to fulfill its audit,
evaluation, and investigation duties. The bill also requires
GAO to keep congressional committees of jurisdiction apprised
of GAO recommendations related to agencies they oversee. On
September 20, 2016, the House approved H.R. 5687 under
suspension of the rules.
GAO High Risk List and Related Oversight
On February 11, 2015, the Committee held a hearing on the
Government Accountability Office's (GAO) high risk list
entitled ``GAO's High Risk Report: 25 Years of Problematic
Practices.'' The hearing reviewed GAO's biannual high risk
list, which in 2015 identified the 32 areas of government most
susceptible to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.
Comptroller General Gene Dodaro testified about the high risk
areas, two of which--(1) managing risks and improving Veterans
Affairs health care, and (2) improving the management of
information technology acquisitions and operations--were new in
2015.
On November 18, 2016, the Chair and Ranking Member sent a
letter to the five agencies that testified at the February 2015
hearing--Department of Defense, Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Studies, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, and Internal Revenue Service--seeking
a progress report on the agency's efforts to address high-risk
areas. Specifically, the Committee requested the performance
goals, performance measures, planned actions, and milestones
the agency is using to ensure progress is being made, as well
as the agency official responsible.
GAO Duplication Report and Oversight
On April 14, 2015, the Committee held a hearing on GAO's
fifth annual report on duplication, overlap, fragmentation, and
opportunities for cost saving in government. The hearing was
entitled: ``GAO's Duplication Report at Five Years:
Recommendations Remain Unaddressed.'' The report identified 66
new actions that executive branch agencies and Congress could
take to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government
in 24 areas. Comptroller General Dodaro testified that
addressing fragmentation, overlap, and duplication within the
federal government is challenging due to, among other things,
the lack of reliable budget and performance information. He
stated that if fully and effectively implemented, the GPRA
Modernization Act of 2010 and the Digital Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2014 could help to improve performance and
financial information.
The following year, on April 13, 2016, the Committee held a
hearing on GAO's sixth annual report on duplication, overlap,
fragmentation, and opportunities for cost saving in government.
The hearing was entitled: ``Waste and Inefficiency in the
Federal Government: GAO's 2016 Duplication Report,'' and
Comptroller General Dodaro testified. The report identified 92
new actions that Congress and executive branch agencies could
take to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government
in 37 areas. In addition, the report identified 12 areas in
which there is evidence of fragmentation, overlap, or
duplication. Mr. Dodaro testified that tens of billions of
additional dollars would be saved should Congress and executive
branch agencies fully address actions that are currently
partially addressed or not addressed, including the new actions
GAO identified in 2016. A substantial number of GAO's actions
from the 2011-2016 annual reports fall within the areas of
health care, defense, and revenues, and these areas have
significant opportunities for cost savings or other financial
benefits.
Federal Firearm Practices
During the 114th Congress, the Committee undertook a review
of federal agency inventory and control practices of firearms,
ammunition, and tactical/military-style equipment. The
oversight of agency munition practices began following an audit
report by the General Service's Administration (GSA) Office of
the Inspector General highlighting flaws in GSA's
administration of a surplus firearm donation program. The
Committee's oversight efforts have reviewed a number of
instances where federal agency personnel had misplaced
firearms, at times resulting in harm to innocent civilians. The
Committee remains focused on ensuring that federal agencies are
acting as good stewards of taxpayer dollars in how they procure
and account for munitions. The Committee intends to continue
its oversight of federal agency munition practices in the 115th
Congress.
On March 2, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a hearing on GSA's administration of the surplus firearms
donation program. The hearing, entitled ``Firearms Lost: GSA's
Administration of the Surplus Firearm Donation Program,''
reviewed GSA's inventory management procedures for the nearly
10,000 firearms donated to local law enforcement agencies
across the country. The Committee's review of documents
uncovered that a large number of firearms had been lost or
improperly sold, in some cases years before GSA became aware of
the firearm's absence from inventory. In at least one instance,
a pair of 40 mm grenade launchers were illegally sold and
discovered to have been placed into circulation in the civilian
market. The Committee's review also found that the system GSA
was using to manage the firearms donated through program was
woefully outdated, and relied heavily on paper. As a result of
the Committee's efforts, as well as those by the Inspector
General, GSA committed to reforming the processes and
procedures used for administering and managing the firearms
donation program.
Following the Committee's March 2 hearing, the Committee
expanded its oversight of federal firearms practices. The
Committee sent letters to more than 30 agencies that have
personnel with firearms authority. The Committee requested that
these agencies provide documents on each agencies firearms
inventory, the accounting procedures used, and documentation of
lost, stolen, or missing firearms.
On July 6, 2016 the Committee held a hearing on firearms
and munition control practices at the Bureau of Prisons, the
Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of Homeland
Security. The hearing, entitled ``Firearms and Munitions at
Risk: Examining Inadequate Safeguards,'' revealed that the
inventory controls at these agencies is woefully inadequate.
The hearing uncovered that the Department of Homeland Security
lost more than 500 firearms in eight years. The hearing also
revealed that the agencies were not abiding by the firearms
control practices required by the state and local jurisdictions
where agents were operating. The Committee's oversight
highlighted that the Bureau of Prisons was relying on paper
forms to track the use of ammunition, creating discrepancies in
inventory accounting, and increasing the risk of theft or loss.
The hearing showed that in addition to inadequate accounting
for inventory, agencies were inaccurately accounting for the
procurement of firearms related products by miscoding
purchases.
On October 17, 2016 the Committee sent a letter to
Administrator Gene Dodaro of the Government Accountability
Office, requesting a review of federal agency firearm,
ammunition, and military-style equipment. The letter requested
that GAO review inventory procurement practices at all agencies
with 250 or more law enforcement personnel, as well as
inventory accounting and control procedures.
FEDERAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Real Property Management and Disposal
On February 4, 2016, Representative Jeff Denham introduced
H.R. 4465, the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016.
Chairman Jason Chaffetz and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings are
original cosponsors of the bill. On April 14, 2016, the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform by voice vote
ordered H.R. 4465 to be reported with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute, as amended. H.R. 4465 passed the House
by voice vote under suspension of the rules on May 23, 2016. On
December 10, 2016, H.R. 4465 passed the Senate by Unanimous
Consent. H.R. 4465 was signed into law on December 16, 2016 and
became Public Law 114-287.
Public Law 114-287 establishes the Public Buildings Reform
Board, a six-year board for identifying opportunities for cost
savings and deficit reduction by reducing the federal
government's inventory of civilian real property. Additionally,
P.L. 114-287 creates agency data submission requirements to
inform the Board's recommended actions, a process for approval
of the Board's recommendations, and requirements for
implementation of approved recommendations. P.L. 114-287
reforms the existing federal real property disposal process
through streamlining and updating the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act, creates a statutory requirement for a federal
real property database that is publicly accessible, and
incentivizes additional reduction and savings efforts by
allowing agency retention of sales proceeds for specific
disposal related purposes.
Also on February 4, 2016, Senator Tom Carper introduced S.
2509, the Federal Property Management Reform Act of 2016. On
February 10, 2016 the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs ordered S. 2509 reported with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute. On December 7, 2016,
Representative Jeff Denham introduced a modified House version
of the Federal Property Management Reform Act of 2016, H.R.
6451. Chairman Jason Chaffetz and Ranking Member Elijah
Cummings are original cosponsors of the bill. The bill passed
the House on December 8, 2016, and it passed the Senate on
December 10, 2016. H.R. 6451 was signed into law on December
16, 2016 and became Public Law 114-318.
Public Law 114-318 codifies the Federal Real Property
Council and increases reporting requirements related to real
property for federal agencies. P.L. 114-318 requires the U.S.
Postal Service to better manage and account for property. P.L.
114-318 also encourages increased collocation of federal agency
field offices with U.S. Postal Service facilities.
The Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets, led
by Chairman John Mica, held a hearing on September 23, 2016
titled, ``Vacant Federal Properties.'' The hearing discussed
factors that hinder agencies from disposing of excess real
property, such as statutory disposal requirements, costs of
preparing properties for disposal, conflicts with stakeholders,
and other constraints. The hearing examined particular issues
faced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in disposing of
unneeded federal real property.
Personal Property Management
The Committee also conducted oversight activities with
regard to personal property owned by the federal government. On
May 21, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government Operations held a
hearing titled, ``Issues Facing Civilian and Postal Service
Vehicle Fleet Procurement.'' The hearing examined government-
wide fleet procurement processes, with a particular focus on
special purpose vehicle fleets. The hearing included
significant focus on the Postal Service's fleet acquisition
plans; however, the hearing also discussed vehicle leasing
through the General Services Administration (GSA), including
testimony from the Director of GSA's Office of Motor Vehicle
Management.
United States Postal Service
The Committee conducted extensive oversight of the United
States Postal Service's current operations to inform
congressional reforms. To help better understand the Postal
Service's competitive product operations, on May 13, 2015 the
Committee made the first of three written requests to the
Postal Service requesting information regarding the accounting
for competitive product revenue and expenses. Documents
obtained from those requests subsequently informed the
inclusion of a provision in the Committee's Postal Service
reform bill regarding a Postal Regulatory Commission review of
Postal Service costing methodologies. The Committee also
received quarterly financial briefings from the Postal Service
to ensure the Committee had an accurate understanding of the
agency's current financial situation.
On May 21, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a hearing titled, ``Issues Facing Civilian and Postal
Service Vehicle Fleet Procurement.'' The hearing examined
government-wide fleet procurement processes, with a particular
focus on the Postal Service's plans to replace the majority of
its light-duty carrier route vehicles--many of which have
reached the end of their expected operational lives--with the
Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV). During the hearing,
Members expressed serious concerns about the Request for
Information the Postal Service issued on January 20, 2015.
Following the hearing, the Postal Service reevaluated its
approach to the NGDV acquisition and made significant
adjustments, which were reflected in the Request for Proposal
and subsequent management decisions.
On June 16, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a hearing titled, ``Fair Competition in International
Shipping.'' The hearing examined the rate-setting mechanisms
for the international exchange of mail and discussed potential
reforms to improve the ability of the United States to secure
equitable terms with other nations. As a result of this
hearing, the Committee obtained documents from the Postal
Service to provide greater detail on how the treaties governing
mail exchange work in practice and how the security of
international mail could be improved. Additionally, on August
31, 2016, the Committee wrote to Postal Regulatory Commission
Chairman Robert Taub requesting that the Commission consider
the concerns raised at the June 15 hearing when providing views
to the Secretary of State on the terms of the proposed
international mail treaty, which if approved, will be in effect
during the 2018-2021 timeframe.
On May 11, 2016 the Committee held a hearing titled,
``Reforming the Postal Service: Finding a Viable Solution.''
The hearing examined the ongoing financial challenges facing
the agency as a result of diminishing demand for mail and
growing legacy benefit costs. The hearing also discussed
various avenues for potential legislative reform of the agency
and included witnesses from the Postal Service, the Postal
Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Government Accountability
Office, postal unions, and private industry.
The May hearing provided the Committee with valuable
additional insight as it worked to finalize a bipartisan postal
reform proposal. Shortly after the hearing, on July 11, 2016
Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Ranking Member Elijah E.
Cummings (D-MD), along with Government Operations Subcommittee
Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC), Ranking Member Gerald Connolly
(D-VA), and Representative Stephen E. Lynch introduced H.R.
5714, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2016. The legislation,
informally released on June 15, 2016 for public comment, was
the result of more than a year of negotiation among the Members
and represented a bipartisan effort to restore the Postal
Service's solvency.
While H.R. 5714 included provisions found in previous
Committee-backed postal reform bills, such as H.R. 2748 in the
113th Congress, the bill also included a number of new
provisions. Under the most significant of these new provisions,
the Postal Service employees and retirees would be required to
fully enroll in Medicare benefits, if they are eligible, in
order to maintain their access to Federal Employee Health
Benefits Plan coverage in retirement. This change will address
the Postal Service's unfunded liability for retiree health care
benefits and allows the agency to operate more like a private
sector business, in line with its self-funding mandate.
On July 12, 2016, the Committee considered and ordered H.R.
5714 favorably reported by voice vote.
District of Columbia
In the 114th Congress, the Committee worked to promote and
protect educational resources for children in the District of
Columbia. In addition, the Committee, has undertaken efforts to
protect Congress's status as the plenary authority in the
District. The Committee has actively addressed situations where
the District has acted contrary to Congressional intent, such
as the passage of the Budget Autonomy Act.
Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act
On April 21, 2015, the Committee considered House Joint
Resolution 43. The resolution was a disapproval of the Council
of the District of Columbia's Reproductive Health Non-
Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014. The Act, amended the D.C.
Human Rights Amendment Act of 1977 to include reproductive
health decisions as a protected class. On April 13, 2015, the
Joint Resolution of Disapproval was introduced in the House.
The Committee favorably reported the Resolution on April 21.
The House agreed to the joint resolution on April 30, 2015.
D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP)
The Committee worked to ensure the Scholarships for
Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act is reauthorized. SOAR would
provide reauthorization for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship
Program, which provides funds to low-income students to attend
a D.C. private school of their parents' choice. On October 16,
2015, the Committee considered, and favorably reported, H.R.
10, the SOAR Act. H.R. 10 was passed in the House on October
21, 2015.
Following passage of H.R. 10, the Committee became aware of
the Department of Education's failure to provide access to
carryover funds to the OSP administrator. These funds are
necessary for the administrator to provide increased access for
educational opportunities to a greater number of D.C. students.
The decision by the Department required the Committee to add
additional provisions to the SOAR Act. As a result, on April
12, 2016, the Chairman introduced a new version of the SOAR
Act, H.R. 4901. H.R. 4901 provided the administrator with
access to the carryover funds. The Act was reported favorably
by the Committee on April 25, 2016, and was passed by the House
on April 29, 2016.
On December 6, 2016, Chairman Hal Rodgers introduced H.R.
2028, a short-term Continuing Resolution. H.R. 2028 included
language from the SOAR Act mandating that the carryover funds
accumulated during previous appropriations cycles, and
currently held by the Department of Education, be released to
the Opportunity Scholarship Program administrator. On December
8, 2016 the House passed H.R. 2028, including the SOAR
carryover funding language. On December 9, 2016, the Senate
passed H.R. 2028, and presented it to the President on December
10, 2016. The Continuing Resolution, which included the
mandated release of carryover funds held by the Department of
Education, was signed into law as Public Law No. 114-254 on
December 10, 2016.
D.C. Budget Autonomy
On March 18, 2016, the D.C. Superior Court upheld the
legality of the D.C. Budget Autonomy Act, which had passed by
referendum in 2013. The Act purported to provide authority for
the District to pass a local budget without a Congressional
appropriation. This assertion stands in clear contradiction to
the intent of Congress in the Home Rule Act of 1973, to
maintain its role in the appropriations process. In response,
the Committee took action to reassert the intent of Congress
and clarify that the D.C. Budget Autonomy Act was contrary to
that intent.
On May 12, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a hearing entitled ``D.C. Home Rule: Examining the Intent
of Congress in the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of
1973.'' The hearing included witnesses involved in the drafting
of the Home Rule Act, the Former Attorney General for the
District of Columbia, the Chairman of the Council of the
District of Columbia, the Government Accountability Office, and
an attorney who argued in favor of the Budget Autonomy Act
during court proceedings. At the hearing, witnesses testified
that the original drafting of the legislation, as well as the
activity involved in the passage of the Home Rule Act,
expressly excluded language that would have granted budget
autonomy to the District. The witnesses testified that the Home
Rule Act's passage was dependent on the reservation of the
appropriations power for Congress. In addition, the hearing
showed that the District's actions under the Budget Autonomy
Act would potentially subject District government employees to
sanctions under the Antideficiency Act.
On May 17, 2016, the Committee considered H.R. 5233, the
Clarifying Congressional Intent in Providing for DC Home Rule
Act of 2016. The Act, expressly repealed the Budget Autonomy
Act and reasserted Congressional intent in requiring that the
D.C. budget be created through an appropriation by Congress. In
addition, the Act created additional safeguards in the Home
Rule Act, to prevent misinterpretation of Congressional intent
in the future. H.R. 5233 was reported favorably by the
Committee on May 17, and passed the House on May 25, 2016.
On July 7, 2016, the Committee considered two bills related
to District. The first, H.R. 5037, created a program to allow
for the District of Columbia Court System and the Public
Defender System to provide voluntary separation incentive
payments. The second, H.R. 4419, created additional disclosure
requirements for judges in the District of Columbia in order to
bring the required disclosures more in line with federal
judicial transparency requirements. Both bills were reported
favorably by the Committee, and passed the House on September
22, 2016.
Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA)
The Committee conducted oversight of the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) efforts to
address continuing safety and maintenance related issues. The
Committee's oversight has included reviews of WMATA's response
to the January 2015 L'Enfant Plaza incident, the March shutdown
of WMATA rail service, and the SafeTrack program implemented to
bring the system to a state of good repair.
On February 13, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public
Assets held a joint hearing entitled ``D.C. Metro: Is There a
Safety Gap?''. The hearing examined WMATA's coordination with
regional first responders in preparing for, and addressing
emergency situations. Specifically, the Committee reviewed
WMATA's response in two fatal rail emergencies--the 2009 Fort
Totten crash and the January 2015 L'Enfant Plaza smoke
incident. Witnesses included: Christopher Hart, the acting
Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB);
Mortimer Downey, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Edward Mills,
Assistant Fire Chief for Operations of the District of Columbia
Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department; Jackie Jeter,
President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689; and
Jonathan Rogers, a passenger on the 2016 L'Enfant Plaza smoke
incident train.
On July 21, 2015, the subcommittees on Government
Operations and Transportation and Public Assets held a joint
hearing entitled ``D.C. Metro: Update.'' The hearing reviewed
WMATA's progress in implementing the safety recommendations
made in the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal
Transit Administration's reports on the L'Enfant Plaza fatal
smoke incident. The hearing also addressed several longstanding
issues, including WMATA's financial difficulties and the need
to expand available passenger communication access through the
use of wireless technologies in stations and tunnels.
On April 13, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public
Assets held a joint hearing on WMATA's safety and service
entitled, Examining the Safety and Service of D.C. Metro. The
hearing examined the spate of electrical fires that occurred on
the WMATA system during the first several months of 2016,
culminating in the March 16, 2016 full day emergency shutdown.
The hearing reviewed the National Transportation Safety Board's
review of the L'Enfant Plaza smoke incident, as well as the
McPherson Square fire that precipitated the extended system
shutdown.
On December 2, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public
Assets held a joint hearing on WMATA's safety and maintenance
record since the inception of the SafeTrack program. The
hearing, entitled A SafeTrack?: Examining WMATA's Safety and
Maintenance, reviewed the findings of the NTSB investigation of
the East Falls Church derailment. NTSB testified during the
hearing that the cause of the derailment, excessing track
gauge, should have been identified by WMATA inspectors, and
repaired by maintenance crews. The hearing highlighted that
track inspectors were falsifying reports and not properly
conducting the track inspections that are necessary to identify
and repair these types of rail infrastructure defects. The
hearing also revealed that the FTA was at least partially
responsible for the lack of a strong safety culture at WMATA
and the failure of rail safety standards that led to the East
Falls Church derailment.
In addition to hearings, the Committee held periodic
briefings with WMATA personnel on issues of safety, finances,
and maintenance. The Committee also conducted oversight of
WMATA's hiring practices following revelations that a WMATA
Transit Police Officer was arrested on charges of attempting to
provide material support to ISIS. The Committee also requested
that the Government Accountability Office undertake a review of
WMATA's SafeTrack program which is rapid maintenance surge
designed to bring the system into a state of good repair.
Security Clearance Reform
The Committee worked to hold the Obama administration
accountable for progress on security clearance reform. On
February 25, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled
``Security Clearance Reform: The Performance Accountability
Council's Path Forward.'' In the days preceding that hearing,
the Office of Personnel Management announced the creation of a
National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) that will take
responsibility for conducting security clearance
investigations. The Committee learned important details about
the new agency, including the fact that the information
technology (IT) systems at NBIB will be handled by the
Department of Defense. In that hearing, Members also closely
questioned the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
(ODNI) Director of National Counterintelligence and Security
Center William Evanina regarding ODNI's ongoing failure to
issue a policy allowing security clearance investigations to
take into account publicly available social media information.
The Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing on
May 13, 2016 entitled, ``Incorporating Social Media into
Federal Background Investigations.'' The day before the
hearing, ODNI announced that it would issue a policy that would
henceforth allow investigators to examine publicly available
social media data.
The Committee continues to engage in oversight of ODNI and
the Office of Personnel Management regarding security clearance
reform, as well as the integration of social media into the
investigations process.
On August 25, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the IRS
requesting information on the agency's progress in implementing
an electronic system to allow security clearance investigators
to check on the tax delinquency status of individuals seeking a
security clearance.
The Committee also sent a bipartisan letter on November 21,
2016 recommending that the House Armed Services Committee
refrain from including a provision in the National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 that would transfer
responsibility for conducting background investigations from
OPM to the Department of Defense. That provision could disrupt
ongoing reforms of the security clearance process.
Inspectors General; Whistleblower Protections
Inspectors General
On February 3, 2015, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform held its first hearing of the 114th Congress.
That hearing, titled, ``Inspector General: Independence,
Access, and Authority,'' highlighted the fundamental need for
inspectors general (IGs) to receive unfettered access to
information and materials from their respective agencies. The
hearing discussed the continued challenges to access and
independence faced by certain IGs.
On May 18, 2015, Chairman Jason Chaffetz introduced a bill
aimed at addressing many of the issues highlighted in the
hearing. The bill, H.R. 2395, the Inspector General Empowerment
Act of 2015, enhances the toolkit available to IGs for
obtaining evidence to support their investigations and
accessing information and materials necessary to identify
waste, fraud, and abuse at the agency they oversee. For
example, H.R. 2395 authorizes IGs to issue testimonial
subpoenas for federal government contractors and former federal
employees. The bill also exempts IGs in the course of their
duties from both the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection
Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act, which will enhance their
ability to identify and prevent improper or fraudulent payments
and better facilitate efficient oversight. The Committee
ordered reported H.R. 2395 by voice vote on May 19, 2015.
In July 2015, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal
Counsel (OLC) issued an opinion that attempted to limit IGs'
authority to access certain information, including grand jury
materials. Therefore, prior to bringing H.R. 2395 to the House
floor for consideration, the Committee added language to the
bill to clarify the intent of Congress for IGs to have complete
access to the information and materials necessary to identify
waste, fraud, and abuse. H.R. 2395 clarifies that the only laws
that can prevent an IG from accessing information are those
that expressly prohibit such access to the information or
materials in question. On June 21, 2016, the House passed H.R.
2395 under suspension.
On December 7, 2016, Chairman Jason Chaffetz introduced a
version of the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016 that
reflects language agreed upon with the Senate prior to
introduction. The updated version of the bill, H.R. 6450,
passed the House on December 8, 2016. The Senate passed H.R.
6450 by Unanimous Consent on December 10, 2016. H.R. 6450 was
signed into law on December 16, 2016 and became Public Law 114-
317.
The Committee also obtained information from agencies that
attempted to stymie IG access, and responded to provided
assistance. On April 11, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to
the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
questioning the determination to terminate the agency's Acting
IG. While the termination memorandum was subsequently
withdrawn, the Committee questioned NEA's apparent lack of
adherence to the statutory process for removing an IG. The
Committee's efforts helped to bring about significant
improvements with regard to the position and role of the NEA
IG.
The Committee also intervened in a similarly problematic
case where Department of Commerce officials refused to provide
access to records from the International Trade Administration's
Enforcement and Compliance division to the Office of Inspector
General. On April 26, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
Secretary of Commerce expressing concern and requesting
documents and communications surrounding the decision to refuse
access. Following the Committee's letter, the Department of
Commerce Office of General Counsel reversed its decision and
advised the International Trade Administration to provide the
OIG with access to the business proprietary information
previously withheld.
The Committee also continued to conduct an annual survey of
the IG community for information related to the volume of their
open and unimplemented recommendations, and related cost
savings. In early 2015 and again in early 2016, the Committee
wrote every federal inspector general and requested the current
number of recommendations that are open or unimplemented; the
cumulative estimated cost savings associated with the current
number of open and unimplemented recommendations; and some
additional details for those recommendations that would result
in cost savings if implemented. The survey also requested that
every IG describe any instances where the agency refused to
provide, or otherwise delayed or restricted your access to,
records or other information. The survey responses yielded
valuable information that guided the Committee's oversight
efforts throughout the 114th Congress.
Whistleblower Protections
The Committee worked to strengthen the protections afforded
to whistleblowers by enacting two key reform bills.
On September 15, 2016, the Committee approved by unanimous
consent H.R. 5790, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2016, sponsored by
Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT). H.R. 5790 addresses
concerns about insufficient protections for whistleblowers in
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Specifically, the
bill broadens the categories of people who can receive a
protected disclosure from whistleblowers. H.R. 5790 was
approved by the House on December 7, 2016 by unanimous consent.
The Senate approved H.R. 5790 on December 10, 2017. H.R. 5790
was presented to the president and was assigned Public Law
Number 114-302.
Also on September 15, 2016, the Committee approved by
unanimous consent H.R. 5920, the Whistleblower Protections for
Contractors Act, sponsored by Committee Ranking Member Elijah
Cummings (D-MD). H.R. 5290 would make permanent an expiring
pilot program of whistleblower protections for civilian
contractors with the federal government. It would also make
protections for both civilian and defense contractor
whistleblowers uniform so as to cover contractors and
subcontractors, grantees and subgrantees, and personal services
contractors. Finally, the bill expands an existing limitation
on defense and civilian contractors being reimbursed by the
government for legal costs incurred in proceedings which relate
to categories for which a protected whistleblower disclosure
can be made. These limitations are also expanded to
subcontractors and personal services contractors. The House
approved companion legislation, S. 795, on December 5, 2016
sponsored by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). The Senate approved
S. 795 by unanimous consent on June 23, 2016. S. 795 was
presented to the president and was assigned Public Law Number
114-261.
Oversight of the Decennial Census
The Committee is committed to maintaining a strong and
constant oversight presence in the buildup for the 2020
decennial census. This oversight role is particularly important
given the extent to which the Census Bureau is altering the
processes and systems used in administering the Census. During
the 114th Congress, the Committee held a number of hearings
focused on the procurement schedule for the numerous
information technology systems necessary to successfully
modernize Census administration. The Committee has also worked
to maintain constant communication with the Bureau to ensure
that the 2020 Census is carried out in an efficient and
effective manner. Continued oversight of the Bureau and the
2020 Census will be critical to prevent cost overruns and
delays.
On November 3, 2015, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Information Technology held
a joint hearing entitled ``Preparing for the 2020 Census: Will
the Technology be Ready?''. The hearing examined the Bureau's
2020 operational plan, which laid out the schedule for Census
testing and preparations. The hearing also examined GAO
findings related to the readiness of the Bureau to undertake
the 2020 modernization effort. Of particular focus in this
hearing was the need for the Bureau to establish hard deadlines
for, and reduce the scope of, the modernization effort in order
to ensure the system was ready by 2020.
On June 9, 2016, the Committee held a hearing on the status
of the Bureau's efforts to procure the necessary IT products,
and the GAO's recent report on 2020 Census preparations. The
hearing, entitled ``Census 2020: Examining the Readiness of Key
Aspects of the Census Bureau's 2020 Census Preparation,''
revealed that the Bureau was in danger of failing to meet key
milestones in its 2020 Census preparation. The GAO witness
testified to the potential that given the short window of time
remaining before the critical 2018 end-to-end testing, the
Bureau may not be able to acquire all of the necessary IT
systems for the modernization effort. The hearing also
underscored the need for the Bureau to reduce the scope of its
modernization efforts, and consider jettisoning some of the
noncritical and more ambitious efforts, such as non-ID
processing for internet self-response.
On November 16, 2016, the Committee held a hearing
reviewing the Bureau's 2016 site tests, and the Bureau's
delivery schedule for the 50 plus information technology
systems necessary for the 2018 end-to-end test and 2020 Census.
The hearing, entitled ``2020 Census: Outcomes of 2016 Site
Test,'' highlighted findings by GAO that the Bureau's
enumeration efforts during the 2016 site tests resulted in non-
interview rates, where no information was gathered from a
household, of 25 percent, roughly 20 percent greater than
anticipated. In addition, the hearing revealed that the half of
the Bureau's 50 systems to be tested in the 2018 end-to-end
tests were not going to be delivered in time for the start of
testing. The hearing reasserted the Committee's prior concerns
that the Bureau's delivery schedule was inadequate, the
potential that information technology systems to be used in the
2020 Census will go untested prior to Census day, and that it
was critical for the Bureau to address outstanding issues
before the new administration takes over responsibility for the
2020 Census.
In addition to the aforementioned hearings, the Committee
has held numerous briefings with key Census Bureau personnel.
These meetings have focused on issues related to cybersecurity
and procurement schedules. The Committee has also utilized
official letters to successfully encourage the Bureau to take
necessary steps in its 2020 Census preparations. For example,
on May 10, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to Director John
Thompson of the Bureau requesting an update on the delayed
hiring of a permanent Chief Information Officer. Less than one
month after receiving this letter, the Bureau officially
announced the new CIO. Given the importance of the 2020 Census,
the Committee intends to continue to perform vigorous oversight
of the Bureau's efforts.
HEALTH CARE, BENEFITS AND ADMINISTRATIVE RULES
Health Care and Entitlements
During the 114th Congress the Committee's Subcommittee on
Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules (HCBAR) focused
daily on the disastrous effects the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act was having on American families. On June
20, 2015, the Subcommittee released its findings that advisors
to the White House were far more involved in the development of
the PPACA than had been previously known. These findings and
the documents and communications supporting them led to a
renewed nationwide focus on the secretive and deceptive way the
PPACA was drafted and forced upon American families.
The HCBAR Subcommittee routinely focused on the cost
increases faced by many Americans as a result of the PPACA.
Beginning in February 2015 the Committee held a series of
hearings throughout the Congress on the effects of the PPACA.
``From Health Care Enrollment to Tax Filing: A PPACA Update''
the Committee began a public review of all aspects of the
health care law, including the tax burdens it created, the lack
of oversight over enrollment and technological functions, and
the massive premium increases facing many consumers. Our
continued focus on cost increases were particularly successful:
before the summer recess in 2016 the Subcommittee's hearing on
the PPACA resulted in even a minority member of the Committee
questioning administration claims that the law was lowering
premiums. In September of 2016 the Committee heard from members
of the health insurance industry to discuss rising premiums.
The Committee's suspicions were confirmed a few weeks later
when the administration finally admitted the premiums under the
PPACA would be going up.
The Committee's review of the technological problems of the
PPACA revealed that the problems with the health care law were
not limited to the federal health insurance web portal. In May
of 2016 the Committee released a massive report on the state of
Oregon's health insurance exchange, a debacle which cost
taxpayers $305 million. This report was based on a year's worth
of investigation, including many depositions and the review of
over 170,000 pages of emails and reports. The Committee's
findings were so troubling that we referred the matter to the
United States Department of Justice and the Oregon State
Attorney for further review.
The Committee also uncovered serious problems with a
significant aspect of the PPACA: the law's creation of Consumer
Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs). Beginning in November
2015 the Committee began a thorough review of the CO-OP program
and learned that many of the CO-OPs were facing severe
financial difficulties. The Committee held several hearings on
this matter and held the administration to account for failing
to responsibly supervise $2.4 billion in taxpayer loans. As a
result of the Committee's work we were able to effectively warn
the public to think before enrolling in such financially
troubled programs, while pressing the administration to recoup
these taxpayer dollars.
Because of the PPACA the public has grown increasingly
outraged by news reports of increasing pharmaceutical costs. In
2016 the Committee held two high-profile hearings on this
issue. First, the Committee called the executive of a drug
company that had increased the cost of a life-saving drug
nearly 4,000 percent. In the fall the Committee heard from the
executive responsible for increasing the price of the EpiPen
substantially. As a result of these hearings the Committee was
able to demand increased transparency and efficiency from the
Food and Drug Administration. While we continue to work on this
issue it appears the Committee's efforts are already leading to
improved processes at the FDA.
The Subcommittee also routinely reviewed the activities of
the Export-Import Bank of the United States. This work was a
continuation of the oversight the Committee has routinely
directed towards the Bank to guarantee that taxpayer money is
not wasted or tainted with corruption. The Committee will
continue to review the Bank and ways to better protect taxpayer
backed loans across the globe.
Federal Regulation and the Regulatory Process
The Committee's federal regulation and regulatory process
activities in the 114th Congress included: passing regulatory
reform legislation out of the Committee; sending letters of
inquiry and recommendations to agencies on topics such as drone
regulations, federal acquisition regulations, changes to
environmental policies, and to ensure compliance with the
regulatory process under the Administrative Procedure Act
(APA); and an investigation into the Waters of the United
States (WOTUS) rulemaking process which culminated in a report
demonstrating a failure of the executive branch to follow
appropriate rulemaking procedures. The Committee also requested
that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examine the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and rulemaking process
which resulted in a September 2016 GAO report titled Regulatory
Guidance Processes: Treasury and OMB Need to Reevaluate Long-
standing Exemptions of Tax Regulations and Guidance.
Over this Congress the Committee dealt with three
regulatory bills primarily which will be discussed in turn.
First, the Regulatory Integrity Act of 2016, H.R. 5226, was
reported out of Committee on Sept. 8, 2016, and passed the
House on Sept. 14, 2016. The bill seeks to provide transparency
into the proposed rule process by requiring federal agencies to
post, in a central location, all public comments the agency
makes about a proposed rule during a proposed rule stage. The
bill also prohibits agencies from actively soliciting support
for a proposed rule during the phase that is meant to gather
public input on possible regulatory action. Second, the
Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2016, H.R. 4612, was reported out
of Committee on June 10, 2016. This prohibits federal agencies
from proposing or finalizing significant rules during a
moratorium period that falls between the day after a
presidential election and Inauguration Day in years when the
serving president will leave office on Inauguration Day. Third,
the All Economic Regulations are Transparent (ALERT) Act of
2015, H.R. 1759, was reported out of Committee on July 29,
2015, and requires agencies to submit monthly regulatory
updates to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OIRA) for all rules expected to be proposed or released in the
upcoming year. OIRA is then required to make the monthly
regulatory updates publicly available on the Internet. The
regulatory updates will include a summary, the objective of
each rule, its legal basis, and other information. If a notice
of proposed rulemaking has been issued for a rule, the update
must include a schedule for completing the rulemaking, an
estimate of the cost, and the economic effects considered. A
rule must be noticed for at least six months before it can
become effective.
On March 3, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. in room 2154 of the Rayburn
House Office Building, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and
Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on Government
Operations will held a joint hearing titled, ``Challenges
Facing OIRA in Ensuring Transparency and Effective
Rulemaking.'' The hearing examined the current state of the
federal regulatory review process. The sole witness was Howard
Shelanski, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs (OIRA).
On June 10, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. in room 2154 of the Rayburn
House Office Building, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform Subcommittee on the Interior held a hearing
titled, ``The Impact of Executive Order 13658 on Public Land
Guides and Outfitters.'' The hearing examined the Department of
Labor's implementation of the President issued Executive Order
13658, which establishes a new minimum wage for contractors
with the Federal Government at $10.10 per hour and the
regulatory burden on the guide and outfitting industry. The
witnesses for the hearing were Chris Stewart, Representative,
Congressional Second District, Utah; David Brown, Executive
Director, America Outdoors Association; Mike Cottingham, Owner,
Wildness Ventures; and Mike Lazerri, Assistant Administrator
for Government Contracts, Wage and Hour Division, United States
Department of Labor.
On March 15, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. in room 2154 of the Rayburn
House Office Building, the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations held a
hearing titled, ``Accountability and Transparency at the Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs.'' The hearing examined
OIRA's role in ensuring regulatory transparency and
accountability. The sole witness was Howard Shelanski,
Administrator, OIRA.
INTERIOR
Energy
On April 22, 2015, the Subcommittee on the Interior held a
hearing on the Department of Energy's (DOE) inventory of excess
uranium decommissioned from military use which represents a
significant taxpayer asset. The U.S. Government Accountability
Office (GAO) conducted a study of DOE's management of this
stockpile, finding areas of concern. Witnesses included the
head of DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy and a GAO representative
speaking to its findings on the issue.
In the 114th Congress, the Oversight and Government Reform
Committee continued its work overseeing the Renewable Fuel
Standard program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The Subcommittees on the Interior and on Healthcare, Benefits,
and Administrative Rules held a joint hearing examining the
program on March 16, 2016. The hearing featured testimony on
the management of the program from the Director of EPA's Office
of Transportation and Air Quality, in addition to testimony
provided by academics and non-governmental organizations
discussing the effects of the program.
On December 8, 2015, in another joint Interior and
Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules hearing, the
Committee focused on the Department of Interior's (DOI) Stream
Protection Rule (SPR). In the summer of 2015, the Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) within DOI
announced the proposed SPR that revises and expands existing
regulations for surface mining close to streams under the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. The Subcommittees
heard testimony from Janice Schneider, the Assistant Secretary
for Land and Minerals Management at DOI, and discussed the
development and substance of the proposed SPR, with a focus on
the rule's effects and the Administration's interaction with
state partners.
Environment
In February 2015, the Subcommittee held its first hearing,
which examined upcoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
regulations. Specifically discussed were the Clean Power Plan,
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone, and
Waters of the U.S. rule. The Subcommittee heard from
economists, along with the attorneys general from Montana and
Arkansas about the impacts these rules would have on the states
and the American people.
The Committee continued its oversight of the Chemical
Safety Board (CSB). On March 4, 2015, the Committee held a
hearing titled ``Rebuilding the Chemical Safety Board: Finding
a Solution to the CSB's Governance and Management Challenges.''
The Committee heard testimony from all CSB board members,
including Chairman Raphael Moure-Eraso, and also from the head
of investigations of the EPA Office of Inspector General. The
Committee learned about dysfunction in the CSB under Chairman
Moure-Eraso's tenure. After Chairman Moure-Eraso resigned as
result of issues discussed at the hearing, the Committee sent a
bipartisan letter to the Department of Justice requesting an
investigation into false statements he made in his testimony to
the Committee.
The Committee continued to conduct oversight over employee
misconduct and management response at EPA. The Committee held a
series of hearings--on April 30, 2015, July 29, 2015, and May
18, 2016--on this subject. During these hearings, the Committee
examined a variety of issues, ranging from employees viewing
pornography at work, to allegations of retaliation for
reporting sexual harassment, to the promotion of an employee to
a high-level position in the Office of the Administrator with
access to national security-related information despite a long
history of inappropriate conduct towards female employees. At
different times during the hearings, the Committee heard
testimony from the Administrator of EPA, the Acting Deputy
Administrator, and head of investigations at the Office of
Inspector General. Additionally, the Committee received
testimony from employees with first-hand experience of some of
these incidents.
On November 4, 2015, the Committee published a staff report
titled ``The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Unprecedented 404(C) Action in Bristol Bay, Alaska.'' The
report discusses EPA's decision to pursue an extraordinary
``preemptive veto'' of a project under the Clean Water Act,
prior to a project application being submitted. The report
outlined areas of concern regarding EPA's pursuit of this
policy action.
On December 1, 2015, the Subcommittee on the Interior held
a hearing entitled ``Examining Invasive Species Policy.'' This
hearing focused on the threats that non-native species
introduced into the country's ecosystems pose to the
environment in general and endangered species in particular.
Testifying was the Executive Director of the National Invasive
Species Council housed at the Department of the Interior, along
with academic and subject matter experts on the issue.
The Committee released its investigative findings related
to the Administration's Waters of the United States (WOTUS)
rule in a Staff Report on October 27, 2016. This report
highlighted areas of concern in the promulgation of this
regulation, such as adherence to required regulatory guidelines
and exclusion of agencies from its development.
Public Lands and Public Lands Agencies
Two hearings were conducted at the Committee on oversight
of the Endangered Species Act. The first, on April 20, 2016,
was held by the Interior Subcommittee and the second, occurring
the next day, was held jointly by the Subcommittee on the
Interior and the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and
Administrative Rules. The first day, testimony was provided by
subject matter experts, and on the second, the Administrator of
the Fish and Wildlife Service appeared as a witness. The
hearings examined the current state of the Act and what could
be done to help it more efficiently achieve its goal of
protecting imperiled species.
On March 23, 2016, the Subcommittee on the Interior held a
hearing titled, ``Examining BLM Public Lands Leasing.''
Appearing as a witness was the Director of the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) at the Department of the Interior. BLM has
authority under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 to sell leases
for the development of fossil fuels on federal lands. The
hearing explored logistical, and other challenges, facing BLM's
leasing process, which may necessitate a change in how it
conducts these sales.
In July of 2015, the Subcommittee on the Interior held a
hearing titled ``Modernizing the National Park Service
Concession Program.'' The hearing examined current National
Park Service concession policies and looked at potential
solutions for increasing revenue and attendance at national
parks. Witnesses were the Chief Financial Officer of the
National Park Service, and representatives of concessionaires
operating at the parks.
On September 13, 2016, the Subcommittee on the Interior
held a hearing titled ``21st Century Conservation Practices.''
This hearing explored the idea of conservation grazing, a
method of conservation which relies on grazing animals' natural
historical presence to promote healthy and biologically diverse
grasslands and heathlands. Witnesses at the hearing discussed
how this method of constructive grazing can be used to maintain
the environmental health of lands owned by the federal
government.
New Items
On September 17, 2015, the Committees on Oversight and
Government Reform and Natural Resources held a joint hearing
titled ``Joint Oversight Hearing on the EPA Animas Spill.'' In
August of 2015, three million gallons of toxic mine waste that
contained arsenic, lead, zinc and cadmium was released into the
Animas River in San Juan County, Colorado, as a result of work
performed by EPA and a contractor it retained. The hearing
examined EPA's role in the incident and its immediate and long
term response to the discharge and remediation efforts. The
hearing also examined the potential long term impacts of the
discharge to the nearby communities and the environment. The
Committees heard testimony from representatives of the state of
New Mexico and the Navajo Nation and Southern Ute Indian Tribe,
in addition to the Administrator of the EPA.
During the first half of 2016, the Committee held three
hearings dealing with the Flint, Michigan contaminated drinking
water crisis. The first occurred on February 3, 2016, the
second on March 15, 2016, and the third two days later. In the
hearings, the Committee explored the role of the federal
government, specifically the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency,
and the state of Michigan in the incident. Over the course of
these hearings, testimony was provided by EPA officials,
including the Administrator of the Agency, the state of
Michigan, including the Governor, the former Mayor of Flint,
and water quality experts and area residents.
In 2016, the Committee held two hearings examining employee
misconduct at the National Park Service. The first hearing,
titled ``Oversight of the National Park Service,'' was held on
June 14, 2016, and the second, ``Examining Misconduct and
Mismanagement at the National Park Service,'' occurred on
September 22, 2016. The first hearing discussed findings by the
DOI's Office of Inspector General showing incidents of
misconduct and unethical behavior. Providing testimony were the
Inspector General and the Director of the National Park
Service. The second hearing provided more detailed examination
of the instances of concern discussed at the previous hearing.
The Committee heard from the Deputy Director for Operations at
the National Park Service and from management officials at
Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks, who provided
testimony in a whistleblower capacity.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
IT Acquisition
From the beginning of 114th Congress, the Committee focused
on Information Technology (IT) acquisition and specifically
implementation of the Federal Information Technology
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA).
On February 11, 2015 the Committee held a hearing on the
2015 GAO Biannual High Risk Report and for the first time GAO
added ``Improving the Management of IT Acquisitions and
Operations'' to its biannual high risk list. GAO found the
government spent billions on failed and poorly performing IT
investments and designated this area as high risk due to
vulnerability to waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement.
As a follow up to this designation, the Government
Operations and IT Subcommittee held a joint hearing on June 10,
2015, entitled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform
Act's (FITARA) Role in Reducing IT Acquisition Risk.''
Specifically, this hearing highlighted FITARA requirements and
its potential role in reducing IT acquisition risk. The
witnesses included, Tony Scott, Administrator for E-Government
and IT at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the
federal Chief Information Officer (CIO); Anne Rung,
Administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at
OMB; David Powner, Director IT Management Issues, GAO; and
Richard Spires, former CIO at federal agencies. The witnesses
testified on the high risk factors in IT acquisition identified
by GAO, how FITARA implementation could reduce these risks and
how agencies should be held accountable for IT acquisition
outcomes.
On November 4, 2015, the Committee released its first
FITARA Scorecard to measure agencies' implementation of FITARA
requirements and hold agency CIOs accountable for IT management
and acquisition. The Scorecard relied on agency self-reported
data and highlighted the importance of four FITARA areas: (1)
data center consolidation; (2) IT Portfolio Review Savings; (3)
Incremental development in IT acquisitions; and (4) Risk
Assessment transparency of IT investments. The Government
Operations and IT Subcommittees held a hearing on the same day
to discuss the FITARA Scorecard and FITARA implementation. The
witnesses included CIOs from the Departments of Treasury and
Transportation and General Services Administration as well as
the federal CIO Tony Scott and David Powner from GAO. Chairman
Chaffetz said at the Subcommittee hearing, ``FITARA is an
effort to ensure that agencies are buying and developing
technologies in an efficient way that is transparent and gives
agencies the tools they need to do the work for the American
people.''
On May 18, 2016, the Committee released the FITARA
Scorecard 2.0 and again the Government Operations and IT
Subcommittees held a hearing to hear testimony from CIOs and
discuss the importance of FITARA implementation to improving IT
acquisition. The agency CIO witnesses were from the Departments
of Commerce, Energy, and Labor; and the National Aeronautics
and Space Agency. IT Subcommittee Chairman Hurd said at the
hearing, ``FITARA can play a key role in ensuring broader
authorities for agency CIOs and a reduction of waste, fraud,
and abuse'' and added that the FITARA grades are the
Committee's effort ``to provide an objective measurement of
progress and challenges.''
On December 6, 2016 the Committee released the FITARA
Scorecard 3.0 and again the Government Operations and IT
Subcommittees held a hearing to hear testimony from CIOs and
discuss the importance of FITARA implementation to improving IT
acquisition. The agency CIO witnesses were from the Departments
of State and Homeland Security. They were joined by DHS CFO
Chip Fulghum, Dep't of State Director of the Bureau of Budget
and Planning Douglas Pitkin, and David Powner from GAO. IT
Subcommittee Chairman Hurd said at the hearing, ``We have a
long way to go to get where we should be. The new
administration must prioritize IT management and cybersecurity
and will face disastrous consequences if it allows the
government to remain in the horse and buggy days of technology
implementation.''
The Committee plans to continue the FITARA Scorecard
activity in the 115th Congress and continue to issue a
Scorecard every six months because vigorous oversight of
agencies' FITARA implementation should improve IT acquisition
outcomes.
The 2015 GAO High Risk Report designated IT acquisition as
high risk and also acknowledged the problem was due in part to
the increasing share of IT spending on Operations and
Maintenance (O&M) or legacy IT. This is an acquisition risk
because as the costs of maintaining legacy systems increases,
this results in less funding available for development. In
December, 2015, in an effort to understand the extent of the
legacy IT challenge, the Committee sent a letter to all 24 CFO
Act agencies requesting information on their legacy IT systems
and applications.
On May 25, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Federal Agencies' Reliance on Outdated and Unsupported
Information Technology: A Ticking Time Bomb.'' During this
hearing, the Committee reviewed the information agencies
provided in response to the December 2015 letter and the
findings of a GAO Report entitled, ``Federal Agencies Need to
Address Aging Legacy Systems.'' GAO reported that the federal
government spent about 75 percent of the over $80 billion
annual IT spend on legacy IT. The responses to the Committee's
December 2015 oversight letter on legacy IT demonstrated
agencies: (1) had mission critical systems in need of
modernization, (2) used over 930 million lines of code using
more than 70 legacy programming languages; and (3) had
unsupported software and operating systems. The witnesses at
the hearing included Tony Scott, Administrator for E-Government
and IT, OMB, David Powner, Director IT Management Issues, GAO
and the CIOs from the Departments of Defense, Treasury, Health
and Human Services, and the Internal Revenue Service. Testimony
focused on the state of legacy IT in federal agencies and
potential solutions to incentivize modernization of federal IT.
On September 22, 2016, the Committee reported H.R. 6004,
the Modernizing Government Technology Act and on September 26
the House approved the bill by voice vote under suspension of
the rules. The bill would establish a centralized IT
modernization fund and IT modernization funds at CFO Act
agencies to incentivize the modernization of federal IT
systems. Agencies would be authorized to reinvest IT savings in
modernization projects.
Cybersecurity
The Committee conducted oversight of the cybersecurity
posture of federal agencies, as well as government policies,
practices, and regulations that impacted the cybersecurity of
the private sector. In addition to the public policy aspects of
cybersecurity, the Committee also conducted a year-long
investigation into the 2014-2015 data breaches at the Office of
Personnel Management, which resulted in a report detailing the
Committee's findings as well as a series of recommendations.
Information Security at Federal Agencies
On November 17, 2015 the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``U.S. Department of Education: Information Security
Oversight.'' The U.S. Department of Education is responsible
for managing the portfolio of over 40 million federal student
loan borrowers holding over $1.18 trillion in outstanding debt
obligations. During testimony it was discovered that the
Department also is responsible for securing at least 139
million unique social security numbers in its Central
Processing System. Successful penetration tests conducted
against the Department's, repeat findings on information
technology by the inspector general, and negative scores on the
CyberSprint lead to additional oversight of the Department's IT
security and management.
On March 16, 2015 the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled,
``VA IT and Cybersecurity Oversight.'' The Subcommittee heard
testimony from the Assistant Secretary for IT and CIO, LaVerne
Council and the VA Deputy Assistant Inspector General Brent
Arronte. The hearing covered broad aspects of the Departments
IT and information security management, as well as specific
modernization efforts including the Veterans Health Information
System and Technology Architecture (VISTA) evolution program,
the development of an interoperable electronic health record,
and the Department's scheduling software. As a result of the
Subcommittee's oversight of the VA, the Chairman and Ranking
member sent a letter on May 27, 2016 to the GAO requesting an
extensive review of the Department's work on modernizing VISTA.
On January 20, 2016, the Committee sent a bipartisan letter
to the twenty-four CFO Act agencies to determine the impact and
remediation of a vulnerability discovered in several
generations of Juniper ScreenOS products. In connection with
this letter, the Subcommittee on Information Technology held a
hearing on the broader subject of vulnerability and patch
management at federal agencies entitled, ``Federal
Cybersecurity Detection, Response, and Mitigation.'' The CIO of
the Department of Treasury, Sanjeev Bhagowalia; the Chief
Information Security Officer of the Department of State Steven
Taylor; and Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for
Cybersecurity and Communications Andy Ozment testified on the
effectiveness of the government's threat intelligence sharing,
the specifics of the Juniper ScreenOS vulnerability, and
agencies patching practices. While testimony from Richard
Barger, Chief Intelligence Officer at ThreatConnect, Inc.
highlighted the best practices in vulnerability management from
the private sector's perspective.
On May 26, 2016 the Committee held a hearing reviewing the
findings and recommendations of the Social Security
Administration (SSA) and the results of two penetration tests
conducted against SSA's networks. The hearing was entitled
``Social Security Administration: Information Security
Review.'' Members heard testimony from Acting Commissioner
Carolyn Colvin, SSA CIO Robert Klopp, SSA CISO Marti Eckert,
and Acting IG Gale Stallworth Stone. Testimony found that SSA
twice failed to detect penetration tests, leaving global access
privileges, sensitive information, and personally identifiable
information susceptible to unauthorized access.
On June 20, 2016 the Subcommittee traveled to Chicago,
Illinois for a field briefing on ``Federal Efforts to Improve
Cybersecurity.'' The Subcommittee heard testimony from Dr.
Eunice Santos, Chair of the Department of Computer Science at
the Illinois Institute of Technology, Mr. Michael Carano,
Executive Director of ChicagoFIRST, Mr. Gary Horn, Vice
President and CTO of Advocate Health Care, and Ms. Patty
Hatter, Vice President Intel Security Group. Testimony from the
panel highlighted the challenge of attracting and developing a
federal cybersecurity workforce and proposed the creation of a
``Cyber National Guard'' to fill the cyber talent gap.
Investigation Into the Data Breaches at OPM
On April 22, 2015 the Committee held a hearing entitled
``Enhancing Cybersecurity of Third-Party Contractors and
Vendors.'' During the hearing witnesses discussed the rising
number of cybersecurity incidents reported by federal agencies,
as well as a range of best cybersecurity practices including
clarity on government contracting language, security of mobile
devices, and reported data breaches. The witnesses included
federal CIO Tony Scott, Gregory C. Wilshusen from GAO, Eric
Fischer of the Congressional Research Service, and OPM CIO
Donna Seymour. Ms. Seymour's testimony included a discussion of
the lessons learned from a data breach at OPM discovered in
2014, as well as information security breaches at two OPM
contractors. Ms. Seymour's testimony on the facts of the OPM
data breaches in 2014, as well as those of the OPM contractors,
would become relevant after the 2015 discovery and announcement
that OPM had suffered two additional data breaches.
The Committee held two hearings on the OPM data breaches,
the first on June 16, 2015 and the second on June 24, 2015. The
hearings examined the nature and extent of the intrusions into
OPM's systems, the number of individuals whose records were
stolen, and the longstanding concerns of the OPM inspector
general as to the adequacy of the agencies information
technology. The Committee also arranged a classified briefing
for members. Witnesses from OPM included then-Director
Katherine Archuleta and then-CIO Donna Seymour, both of whom
testified as to the aging nature of OPM's information
technology and OPM's modernization efforts. Open questions
about the sufficiency of OPM's information security posture,
specifically regarding the encryption of data and
implementation of access controls through the use of
multifactor authentication, led to a year-long investigation
into the data breaches OPM suffered in 2014 and 2015.
As part of the investigation, a total of nine letters were
sent to public and private sector entities to gather
information related to the data breaches at OPM, as well as a
preservation order and a subpoena. The Committee also held six
transcribed interviews in connection with the investigation.
Ultimately, the Committee found that the breaches resulted in
the exfiltration by hackers of personal identifiable
information (PII) on 4.2 million former and current government
employees and the security clearance background investigation
information on 21.5 million individuals, could have been
significantly delayed or mitigated.
The Committee's investigation brought to light troubling
information security policies and practices at OPM. The
Committee's investigation further found connections between the
data breaches announced in 2015 and the data breach announced
in 2014, uncovered a deteriorating relationship between OPM
senior leadership, and the OPM inspector general, and
questionable contracting practices.
The Committee's investigation produced a series of
recommendations aimed at rectifying some of the conditions that
led to the data breach at OPM and better responding to
cybersecurity incidents. The Committee's recommendations
included the adoption of a zero trust model for federal
cybersecurity, reduction in the use of social security numbers
by federal agencies to mitigate the risk of identity theft, and
establishing a government-wide contracting vehicle for cyber
incident response services.
On July 15, 2015, in conjunction with the Committee's
hearings on the data breaches at OPM, the Subcommittee on
Information Technology and Interior held a hearing entitled
``Cybersecurity: The Department of Interior.'' The Subcommittee
hearing was, in part, to determine the sufficiency of DOI's
information security posture, specifically their compliance
with the requirements of the Federal Information Security
Management Act (FISMA), given the Department's share data
center was implicated in the data breaches at OPM. Witnesses
included the CIO Sylvia Burns and Mary Kendall from the DOI
Inspector General's office.
Federal Law, Regulations, and Policy
On March 18, 2015 the Information Technology (IT)
Subcommittee held a hearing entitled ``Cybersecurity: The
Evolving Nature of Cyber Threats Facing the Private Sector'' to
examine the cyber-threats facing the financial, retail, and
healthcare industries. The Subcommittee heard testimony from
Mr. Richard Bejtlich, Chief Security Strategiest at FireEye;
Inc, Mr. David French, Senior Vice President at the National
Retail Federation; Mr. Daniel Nutkis, CEO of Health Information
Trust Alliance; Mr. Doug Johnson, Senior Vice President of the
American Bankers Association; and Mr. Ed Mierzwinksi, Consumer
Program Director at the US Public Interest Research Group.
On April 29, 2015 the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled
``Encryption Technology and Potential U.S. Policy Responses.''
The Subcommittee examined the law enforcement concerns,
specifically voiced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
over the announcements by Apple and Google, the largest mobile
phone system operators in the United States, that they would
implement increased security measures on their products in an
attempt to strengthen privacy and data security. Invited to
testify were Amy Hess of the FBI's Science and Technology
Branch, Mr. Daniel Conley, Suffolk County District Attorney
from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Policy Director for New
America's Open Technology Institute Kevin Bankston, President
of the Application Developers Alliance Jon Potter, and
Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science at the
University of Pennsylvania, Matthew Blaze, Ph.D.
On January 12, 2016 the Subcommittee on Information
Technology held a joint hearing with the Committee on Homeland
Security, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure
Protection and Security Technologies entitled ``Wassenaar:
Cybersecurity & Export Controls.'' In 2013 the State Department
agreed to a proposal to make intrusion and surveillance
software and technology subject to multilateral export controls
under the Wassenaar Arrangement. The Department of Commerce's
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a proposed rule
implementing State's agreement and received 264 public comments
overwhelmingly in opposition to the proposed rule. Testimony
from State and Commerce witnesses alongside private sector
witnesses revealed a substantial division over the BIS proposed
rule and its deleterious impacts on the private sector. As a
result of Congressional pressure the State Department reentered
negotiations with the Wassenaar Arrangement over the intrusion
and surveillance software and technology agreement.
On July 13, 2016 the Subcommittee's on Information
Technology and National Security held a hearing entitled
``Digital Acts of War: Evolving the Cybersecurity
Conversation.'' The hearing examined the strategies and
policies--both domestic and international--of the
administration's response to cybersecurity incidents. The
hearing considered the inherent technical challenges of making
real-time attribution of cyberattacks, as well as the
increasing sophistication of tools and technologies used by
nonstate actors, terrorist organizations, and criminal groups.
The panel of witnesses included representatives from the
Departments of Defense and State, as well as former U.S.
intelligence officials Sean Kanuck and General Keith Alexander.
On September 28, 2016 the Subcommittee held a hearing on
the information security to the nation's election
infrastructure, entitled, ``Cybersecurity: Ensuring the
Integrity of the Ballot Box.'' Elections are administered on a
state-by-state or county-by-county basis, however the
Department of Homeland Security offered a variety of
information security services and resources on a voluntary
basis. Testimony from Mr. Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary for
Cybersecurity and Communications at DHS, stated that the
Department had confidence in the election system and there was
no indication that adversaries of the U.S. were planning a
cyber-operation capable of impacting the outcome of the
November election.
Privacy and Technology
On October 21, 2015 the Subcommittee on Information
Technology held a hearing titled ``Examining Law Enforcement
Use of Cell Phone Tracking Devices.'' The hearing examined law
enforcement's use of devices that simulate cell towers. These
devices allow law enforcement to collect information from
cellular devices that are within the devices' range. These
cell-site simulators are frequently used to track a particular
device to its current location. Documents and information
obtained by the Committee confirmed varying standards for
employing cell-site simulation devices among federal, state,
and local law enforcement. The documents also revealed federal
law enforcement entities could obtain a court's authorization
to use cell-site simulators by meeting a standard lower than
probable cause--the standard to obtain a warrant. In September
2015, five months into the Committee's investigation and with a
hearing upcoming, DOJ announced a new policy for its use of
cell-site simulation devices. DHS followed suit shortly
thereafter. These new policies substantially changed how the
agencies obtain authorization to deploy cell-site simulation
technology. The policies also introduced a measure of
uniformity to how the various component agencies of each
department use cell-site simulators, and importantly required
the agencies to obtain a warrant supported by probable cause in
the majority of situations.
The Committee also investigated whether other federal
agencies were also using cell site simulators. The Committee
learned that both the IRS and Treasury's Inspector General
possessed cell site simulators.
In addition to federal agencies, the Committee also sent
letters to 6 state and local law enforcement agencies to
examine use of these devices at the state and local level.
Additionally, the Committee learned that DHS grant money was
being used by state and local law enforcement to purchase these
devices.
The Committee's investigation culminated in a report to be
released on government's use of cell site simulation
technology. The report detailed the substantive change in DOJ
and DHS cell-site simulator policy, the need for a federal
standard to prevent abuse at the state and local level, and
revealed the number and the amount of money spent on these
devices.
On January 7, 2016 the Committee held a hearing titled
``Document Production Status Update.'' At a February 2012
University of San Francisco Law Review Symposium, FBI General
Counsel Andrew Weissman revealed that in light of the Jones
decision the DOJ had generated two memoranda to be provided to
component agencies: 1) guidance to the field specifically on
the use of GPS and 2) guidance on what Jones means for other
types of geolocation techniques beyond GPS. DOJ, in response to
a FOIA request from the ACLU, released two heavily redacted
Guidance memoranda. DOJ was also resisting requests by both the
Committee and a bicameral, bipartisan request by individual
Congressmen.
On March 2, 2016 the Committee held a hearing titled
``Geolocation Technology and Privacy.'' The hearing examined
what level of protection people should have over their
geolocation data, and what rules and processes should govern
law enforcements access to that data. Technological advances
such as smart phones have made tracking people's movements
easier and less expensive for law enforcement. The hearing
built on the bipartisan geolocation related work the Committee
had done including the Stingray investigation and hearing, as
well as the Committee's efforts to obtain the Jones memos. As a
result of the hearing, Chairman Chaffetz and Ranking Member
Cummings as well as staff for each were able to review the
Jones memos. The memos are summarized in the Committee's report
on cell-site simulators.
Emerging Technology
The Committee tasked with general oversight for the whole
House is uniquely jurisdictionally situated to bring together
at a hearing various federal agencies who have (or claim to
have) regulatory authority over a particular field or
technology. The Committee focused its oversight efforts on
ensuring that regulators do not place undue or impractical
burdens on new technologies and that the private sector is
given the regulatory space and freedom necessary for innovation
to thrive. A common theme of these hearings is scrutinizing the
20th Century regulatory state and structure to identify
potential ways of either adjusting or abandoning outdated laws
and regulations.
On June 17, 2015 the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Drones: The Next Generation of Commerce?'' The purpose of the
hearing was to discuss the challenges and economic impact of
regulating emerging technology for personal and commercial
uses, as well as the privacy concerns inherent with the
proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Committee heard
testimony from Michael Whitaker, Deputy Administrator of the
FAA, John Cavolowsky, Ph.D., Director of the Airspace Systems
Program Office at NASA, as well as from private sector experts
Brian Wynne, President & CEO of the Association for Unmanned
Vehicle Systems, Paul E. Misener, Vice President of Global
Public Policy at Amazon, Inc., and Harley Geiger, Advocacy
Director and Senior Counsel for the Center for Democracy and
Technology.
On November 18, 2015 the IT Subcommittee and the
Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets held a joint
hearing entitled, ``The Internet of Cars.'' The hearing
highlighted how the automotive industry is tackling important
issues around cybersecurity, spectrum, and privacy as the age
of the connected vehicle rapidly approaches, and gave members
of the Subcommittee's an opportunity to learn about vehicle-to-
vehicle communications technology and what it means for our
future economy. Once again the Committee heard testimony from a
panel of both private and public sector witnesses. The
witnesses were Mr. Nat Beuse, Associate Administrator, Vehicle
Safety Research at NHTSA, Mr. Harry Lightsey, the Executive
Director, Global Connected Customer Experience--Global Public
Policy for the General Motors Company (GM), Mr. Sandy
Lobenstein, Vice President, Connected Services and Product
Planning for Toyota, Mr. Diarmuid O'Connell, Vice President of
Corporate and Business Development at Tesla Motors, Mr. Dean C.
Garfield, the President and CEO of the Information Technology
Industry Council, and Ms. Khaliah Barnes Associate Director and
Administrative Law Counsel at the Electronic Privacy
Information Center.
On March 22, 2016 the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Opportunities and Challenges in Advancing Health Information
Technology.'' The hearing examined the opportunities and
challenges in healthcare delivery in the information technology
age and explored ways toleverage technology to improve
healthcare. Members again heard from both public and private sector
witnesses including officials from HHS, the FTC, and the National
Partnership for Woman and Families.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Homeland Security--Criminal and Illegal Immigration
On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced changes to
the nation's immigration laws, potentially allowing millions of
illegal aliens to stay in the United States without
Congressional action. During December 2014, numerous states,
led by the State of Texas, filed a lawsuit in federal court
challenging what they believed to be the President's executive
overreach on immigration. On February 17, 2015, a Federal judge
temporarily blocked President Obama's immigration actions. On
November 10, 2015, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld
the injunction preventing President Obama's executive overreach
on immigration from being implemented. Following this decision,
the Supreme Court announced that it would take up the case. On
June 23, 2016, in a 4-4 decision, the Supreme Court effectively
blocked President Obama's executive actions on immigration from
being implemented for the remainder of the Obama
Administration, allowing a lower court ruling to stand.
In response to the immigration actions taken by the
President, the Committee conducted robust oversight. From
February to June of 2015, the Committee held numerous joint
oversight hearings on the President's executive actions led by
the National Security Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on
Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules. These hearings
were titled, ``The President's Executive Actions on Immigration
and Their Impact on Federal and State Elections;'' ``The Fiscal
Costs of the President's Executive Actions on Immigration;''
and ``A Review of the President's Executive Actions on
Immigration.'' These hearings examined the Department of
Homeland Security's (DHS) implementation of the President's
executive actions on immigration and further reviewed the
approval of benefits to aliens unlawfully present in the United
States. Numerous private sector and local government officials
testified at these hearings.
Further, a series of joint subcommittee and full committee
hearings were held based on the Committee's investigation into
DHS's policies and procedures for the apprehension, detention,
and release of non-citizens unlawfully present in the United
States related to these executive actions. Based on this
investigation, the Committee held hearings titled, ``A Review
of the Department of Homeland Security's Policies and
Procedures for the Apprehension, Detention, and Release of Non-
Citizens Unlawfully Present in the United States'' (Feb. 25,
2015); ``The Fiscal Costs of the President's Executive Actions
on Immigration'' (Mar. 17, 2015); and ``Criminal Aliens
Released by the Department of Homeland Security'' (Apr. 28,
2016). These hearings focused on the Committee's investigation
into decisions made by DHS to release tens of thousands of
criminal aliens who were removable from the United States. The
Committee also reviewed new restrictions on immigration
enforcement stemming from the President's executive actions, as
well as previously apprehended aliens who were released and
went on to commit new crimes. As part of the investigation, the
Committee reached out to families and friends of victims of
crimes committed by criminal aliens. These individuals also
testified at hearings. Senior Administration officials,
including the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
also testified.
Homeland Security--Immigration and National Security
The Committee investigated national security threats posed
by those seeking to enter the United States by varying means.
The Committee reviewed the screening process for foreign
nationals entering the United States, assessed the likelihood
of foreign nationals exploiting our immigration system, and
examined vulnerabilities identified by recent terrorist
attacks.
The Committee examined threats posed by ``other than
Mexicans'' and third-country nationals seeking to enter the
United States. The Committee also addressed the role of
individuals seeking to enter the United States under the Visa
Waiver Program (VWP) who may be threats to our national
security and examined exceptions to the VWP created by the
Administration. A series of hearings were held on these topics
to include: ``Terrorism and the Visa Waiver Program'' (Dec. 10,
2015); ``Terrorist Travel: Vetting for National Security
Concerns'' (Dec. 17, 2015); ``The President's Waiver of
Restrictions on the Visa Waiver Program'' (Feb. 10, 2016); and
``National Security: Threats at Our Borders'' (March 23, 2016).
Homeland Security--Radicalization
The National Security Subcommittee evaluated the scope of
radicalization in the United States and abroad and assessed
what steps can be taken in order to mitigate the rise of terror
via social media. On October 28, 2015, the Subcommittee on
National Security held a bipartisan hearing titled,
``Radicalization: Social Media and the Rise of Terrorism.'' At
this hearing, the Committee heard from private sector witnesses
with expertise on the topic. The Subcommittee also investigated
the manner in which Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs) can be
recruited, radicalized, and mobilized for terror attacks as
lone wolves and by terrorist organizations. A hearing was also
held on that topic on September 14, 2016, titled
``Radicalization in the U.S. and the Rise of Terrorism''.
Homeland Security--Recalcitrant Countries
The Committee conducted an investigation into tens of
thousands of deportable aliens released back onto U.S. streets
because their home countries refuse to repatriate them. Many of
these aliens are criminals who have served time in our federal,
state, and local jails. Pursuant to the Supreme Court's
decision in Zadvydas v. Davis and its progeny, after 180 days,
if the home country steadfastly refuses to repatriate an alien,
the alien must be released, even if the alien is a violent
criminal with no legal right to remain in the United States.
However, section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA) specifically provides that DHS and Department of State
(State) shall discontinue granting visas to citizens, subjects,
nationals, and residents of that country until the country
accepts the alien. Although enacted in 1952, this provision has
been seldom invoked. Prior to the Committee beginning oversight
on the matter, the only instance in which it was utilized was
in 2001.
The Committee addressed this topic at a hearing on April
28, 2016, titled ``Criminal Aliens Released by the Department
of Homeland Security,'' and at hearing on July 14, 2016,
``Recalcitrant Countries: Denying Visas to Countries that
Refuse to Take Back their Deported Nationals'' where officials
from DHS and State were held accountable. Following this
investigation and after nearly 15 years of not using this
statutory authority, on October 1, 2016, DHS and State decided
to discontinue issuing visas to the Gambia resulting in the
issuance of travel documents and repatriation of all Gambians
ordered removed from the U.S. The Committee continues to review
the manner in which it is being implemented in Gambia.
Secret Service
On December 19, 2015, the Committee released a bipartisan
report that was unanimously approved by the Committee, titled
United States Secret Service: An Agency in Crisis. This report
was the culmination of a year-long investigation into the
United States Secret Service (USSS). The investigation began
after and continued while a series of high-profile security
failures and incidents of misconduct plagued the agency. The
investigation consisted of 4 hearings, 17 bipartisan letters, 3
subpoenas, and 8 depositions and transcribed interviews. The
report identified 60 factual findings and made 29
recommendations, concerning a comprehensive range of topics,
including staffing, attrition, culture and accountability,
previous security incidents, budget, leadership, and mission.
The Committee sounded the alarm on USSS' staffing levels and
found that ``USSS is experiencing a staffing crisis that
threatens to jeopardize its critical mission.''
Committee staff met with USSS after the report was released
to discuss USSS' implementation of the recommendations. USSS is
taking positive steps to implement the Committee's
recommendations and has empowered the Chief Strategy Officer,
Tom Dougherty, to oversee this effort. Dougherty reports on a
monthly basis to USSS Director Joseph Clancy regarding the
implementation of the Committee's recommendations and the Blue-
Ribbon Panel's recommendations. USSS' efforts to address the
Committee's recommendations include implementing new retention
initiatives to stem attrition (such as childcare benefits,
hiring bonuses, and change-of-station payments), including
whistleblower rights statements in appropriate documents,
changing their Table of Penalties to reflect Committee findings
on reporting misconduct and candidness, publicizing discipline
information, increasing civilian leadership, and instituting
ethics training.
The Committee continues to provide oversight of misconduct
at the highest ranks of the agency in order for the rank-and-
file USSS officers and agents to regain trust in their
leadership. To that end, on September 2, 2016, the Committee
subpoenaed misconduct records after the USSS refused to comply
with a May 20, 2016 request. The USSS has not yet fully
complied with that subpoena.
While the United States Secret Service (USSS) continues to
make reforms recommended by the Committee the agency still
suffers from staffing shortages, low morale, and mismanagement.
The agency remains plagued by low staffing levels, high
attrition rates, and an inability to compensate for overtime
worked on protective missions. A hearing was held on this topic
on November 15, 2016, titled ``Oversight of the Secret
Service.'' The hearing also addressed a legislative proposal
that ensures agents would be compensated for overtime they
worked. That proposal, H.R. 6302, passed through the Committee
on November 16, 2016 with bipartisan support.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant program,
which was authorized in Fiscal Year (FY) 2003, ``provides
financial assistance to address the planning activities,
organizational resources, equipment, training, and exercise
needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas.'' Between
FY2005 and FY2016, UASI grants totaled over $8.2 billion.
On June 12, 2016, Orlando, Florida was the site of one of
the deadliest terrorist attack on United States soil since the
September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, the Pentagon, and
Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In Orlando, 49 people were shot and
killed, and 53 additional individuals were injured by an
Islamic terrorist at the Pulse nightclub. In FY2015 and FY2016,
Orlando received no funding as part of the UASI grant awards,
which awarded over a billion dollars to other cities during
that time. Orlando had received $45.5 million in the preceding
years.
In order to determine whether the formula by which FEMA
awards UASI grants is effective and appropriate, the Committee
met with FEMA leadership and held a hearing on July 15, 2016
titled, ``Oversight of the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant
Program.'' As a result of the Committee's oversight, FEMA
adjusted its risk formula to reflect areas that have previously
and recently been subject to terrorist attacks, as determined
by FBI data.
Additionally, the Committee conducted oversight of FEMA's
response to the August 11-13, 2016 floods in Baton Rouge,
including both a CODEL by Representative John Mica to the
affected area and a hearing titled ``Oversight of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency's Response to the Baton Rouge Flood
Disaster'' (Sept. 9, 2016). The hearing allowed local mayor and
the Governor of Louisiana to discuss the response publicly and
in real time with FEMA officials. Members of Congress were able
to inquire about investigative information obtained by the
Committee related to the inadequate deployment of modular
housing units and the lack of communication between FEMA
officials and Louisianans.
National Security and Foreign Operations--Embassy Construction and
Security Investigation
The Committee conducted oversight into the Department of
State (State) processes for constructing and securing
diplomatic facilities abroad. The Committee sent 19 letters to
State, seeking information about State's policies generally, as
well as information related to specific facilities. There were
four full Committee hearings focused on the security of
diplomatic facilities in the 114th Congress: ``Construction
Costs and Delays at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul'' (July 9, 2015);
``Violence on the Border: Keeping U.S. Personnel Safe'' (Sept.
9, 2015); and a ``Review of the New London Embassy Project''
(Dec. 8, 2015).
Much of the Committee's work focused on State's change to
the manner in which they build embassies from a standard
embassy design, which stresses security and functionality, to
``design excellence,'' which stresses openness and innovation.
As part of that investigation, the Committee received
information on facilities in the United Kingdom, Indonesia,
Mexico, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Saudi
Arabia, among others. The Committee's investigation resulted in
a lengthy staff report detailing State's shortcomings in
constructing facilities.
National Security and Foreign Operations--Joint Intelligence Analysis
Center
The Committee, along with the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), engaged in a review of the
Department of Defense's (DOD) decision to relocate the Joint
Intelligence Analysis Center from one military base in the
United Kingdom to another. The committees reviewed the process
by which DOD made the decision, as well as whether DOD
considered appropriate alternative sites. In addition to the
review of the merits of the selection, the Committee is
reviewing the accuracy and completeness of the information
provided by DOD to Congress. The Committee and HPSCI conducted
a number of joint transcribed interviews, as well as two trips
to the sites in the U.K. and one of the potential sites in the
Azores.
National Security and Foreign Operations--Iran and the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran Nuclear Agreement)
The Subcommittee on National Security examined Iran's
current capability to project power by reviewing Iran's own
military arsenal, as well as its financing, training, and
arming of proxy groups in the region. Accordingly, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on November 5, 2015, titled,
``Iran's Power Projection Capabilities.'' This review exposed
how Iran's capabilities may advance as a result of increased
funding from sanctions relief. It also answered critical
questions about how the United States should be prepared to
defend national security interests in the Middle East and at
home against Iran's advancement in power projection as a result
of sanctions relief.
The Committee investigated the process by which the
President and State reached and implemented the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). On May 17, 2016, the full
Committee held a hearing titled, ``White House Narratives on
the Iran Nuclear Deal,'' at which the Committee discussed the
Administration's representations to the American public about
the benefits of the JCPOA.
The Committee also investigated State's deletion of eight
minutes of footage from records of a December 2, 2013 press
briefing and compliance with a Committee investigation thereof.
The deleted content was related to communications about the
details surrounding the JCPOA. State's internal review did not
find ``any evidence to support a conclusion that the video was
edited to hide any content,'' despite contradictory statements
in its own report. On June 6, 2016, the Committee requested
that the State Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigate
the matter. State OIG conducted a ``preliminary inquiry'' that
resulted in inconclusive and contradicting facts. On September
7, 2016, the Committee subpoenaed documents and communications
related to the deletion of the video. State did not fully
comply with the subpoena.
The Committee also investigated the State, Justice, and
Treasury's cash payment of $1.4 billion to the Iranian
government. There are concerns that the payment was to secure
the release of American citizens held in Iran. The Departments
contended the payments were to settle claims for military sales
that never occurred.
National Security and Foreign Operations--State Department Danger Pay
The Committee followed the changes to the method by which
State calculated supplemental pay to diplomats serving in
hazardous locations. Chairman Chaffetz and Committee staff met
with personnel in affected locations, as well as the union
representing foreign-service officers, to ensure those serving
in dangerous locations would not have their pay adversely
affected.
National Security and Foreign Operations--Overseas Private Investment
Corporation
The Committee reviewed the operations of the Overseas
Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to examine how OPIC
carries out its mission while safeguarding taxpayer funds. The
Committee's review examined OPIC's risk-management mechanisms,
monitoring of completed deals, and compliance with Congress's
directives for greater internal oversight.
The Subcommittee reviewed the BDS Movement, which is the
campaign for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel.
The hearing focused on the targeting of American and Israeli
companies operating in the West Bank by the BDS Movement and
the negative consequence those actions have had on the economy,
businesses, and their employees. Subsequently, on July 28,
2015, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled, ``Impact of the
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement.''
National Security and Foreign Operations--Afghanistan
The Committee continues to work with the Special Inspector
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to perform
oversight of U.S. operations in the country. Additionally,
Committee staff conducted a fact finding mission in December
2015 via a staff delegation to the country. While there, the
Committee met with U.S. and Afghani leaders and performed
inspections of certain facilities.
As of March 31, 2015, approximately $110 billion had been
appropriated for Afghanistan relief and reconstruction since
2002. These funds were used to build the Afghan National
Security Forces (ANSF), promote good governance, conduct
development assistance, and engage in counter-narcotics and
anti-corruption efforts. Since 2009, SIGAR has issued more than
35 inspection reports examining DOD reconstruction projects in
Afghanistan. A report issued on February 11, 2016 addressed the
recently occupied Afghan Ministry of Defense Headquarters,
which was inspected by the bipartisan Committee Staff
Delegation in December 2015.
The Committee examined the findings of SIGAR's inspection
of DOD's reconstruction projects, reviewed SIGAR's conclusions
with respect to those projects, and assessed its
recommendations to improve DOD's performance on reconstruction
projects in the future. The Committee also reviewed the impact
of the coalition troop drawdown and its implications for
ensuring adequateoversight of the U.S.-funded reconstruction
effort in Afghanistan. A full committee hearing was held on March 16,
2016, titled, ``Rebuilding Afghanistan: Oversight of Defense Department
Infrastructure Projects.''
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Committee investigated the Drug Enforcement
Administration's (DEA) joint aviation operations with the
Department of Defense (DOD) in Afghanistan, specifically with
regard to DEA's involvement in the Global Discovery Program.
The Global Discovery program is a joint project between DOD and
the DEA to modify a DEA transport plane and outfit it with
advanced surveillance capabilities for use within the combat
environment of Afghanistan.
In September 2008, DEA spent nearly $8.6 million to
purchase the plane, an ATR 42-500, which was $3 million more
than anticipated, according to the Department of Justice Office
of Inspector General (OIG). The ATR 42-500 was supposed to be
fully outfitted and ready for operations by 2012 at a projected
cost of $22 million. Instead, DEA and DOD spent more than $86
million on the Global Discovery Program, and the ATR 42-500 has
never conducted an operation in Afghanistan and remains in non-
flyable condition in the United States. The Global Discovery
Program has missed every single intended delivery date.
The Committee requested information from and met with DEA
Administrator Rosenberg. The Administrator discussed plans for
the airplane, which in May 2016 was scheduled to be ready to
fly in June 2016. The Committee later learned that it would not
be ready until June 2017. The Committee requested that DOD OIG
conduct its own audit into the program, since DOD maintains
custody of the plane. The Committee also raised concerns with
Rosenberg regarding the opioid epidemic, specifically with
regard to the increased presence of fentanyl.
Department of Justice--Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas
Terrorism
The Committee investigated the Department of Justice,
Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism (OVT). OVT
was established on May 6, 2005 by the Department of Justice
Appropriations Act in December 2004. The accompanying
conference report directed DOJ to establish OVT ``as
recommended by the Koby Mandell Act of 2003, to ensure that the
investigation and prosecution of [those who caused] deaths of
American citizens overseas are a high priority within the
Department of Justice.'' OVT has not prosecuted a single
terrorist that killed or wounded an American in Israel or was
indicted or tried in the United States. The Committee also
discovered issues related to OVT's communications with victims
and their families. As a result of the Committee's oversight,
OVT is issuing updated guidance on how to communicate with
victims and their families and is making other enhancements.
Department of Justice--Guantanamo Bay
The Committee performed oversight of the process by which
the Administration approves the transfer of detainees from
Guantanamo Bay through the Periodic Review Board (PRB). The
Committee attended a PRB hearing and later solicited testimony
from officials who had been involved in the process. In doing
so, the Committee demonstrated that the PRB process, and the
Administration's agreements with countries to which detainees
were being transferred, were not in the country's national
security interest.
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC ASSETS
Transportation and Infrastructure
On June 8, 2015, the Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets held a field briefing entitled, ``Oversight of
Major Transportation and Infrastructure Projects in New York
City,'' at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New
York, New York. The briefing examined the cost and status of
the East Side Access, the 2nd Avenue Subway, and the Moynihan
Station to ensure they remained on budget and on schedule.
Statements were provided by Matthew Welbes, Executive Director
of the Federal Transit Administration, Joseph Como, Deputy
Principal Assistant Inspector General for the Department of
Transportation, and William Goldstein, City of New York Senior
Advisor to the Mayor for Recovery, Resiliency, and
Infrastructure.
On September 30, 2015, the Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets held a hearing entitled ``Status of Toll
Interoperability'' to examine progress in meeting the Moving
Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act's (MAP-21)
requirement for national electronic toll collection
interoperability by October 2016. Witnesses included Jeffrey
Lindley, Associate Administrator of the Federal Highway
Administration; Patrick Jones, Executive Director and CEO of
the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association;
James Eden, President of the Alliance for Toll
Interoperability; and Thomas S. Knuckey, Volunteer Member of
the Interoperability Steering Committee, International Bridge
Tunnel and Turnpike Association.
On December 8, 2015, the Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets held a hearing entitled ``MAP-21 Oversight:
Provisions to Consolidate Programs and Expedite Projects.'' The
hearing examined the Department of Transportation's progress in
implementing provisions of MAP-21 intended to afford
administrative efficiencies by consolidating programs,
implementing performance based management, and expediting state
project approval and completion. Witnesses included Thomas
Echikson, Chief Counsel of the Federal Highway Administration
(accompanied by Brian Bezio, Chief Financial Officer, Federal
Highway Administration and Peter Stephanos, Director of the
Office of Transportation Performance Management, Federal
Highway Administration); David Zachry, Chairman of the American
Road and Transportation Builders Association; and Carlos
Swonke, Director of Environmental Affairs at the Texas
Department of Transportation.
On July 14, 2016, the Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets held a hearing entitled ``Lagging Behind: The
State of High Speed Rail in the U.S.'' Witnesses included Sarah
Feinberg, Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration;
Baruch Feigenbaum, Assistant Director of the Reason Foundation;
Thomas Hart, Jr., President of Rail Forward; and the Honorable
Chris Koos, Mayor of Normal, Illinois. The hearing examined the
status and the Federal Railroad Administration's management of
the President's High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR)
Program.
Transportation Safety and Security
On February 25, 2015, the Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets held a hearing entitled, ``Preventing Another
MH370: Setting International Standards for Airline Flight
Tracking.'' Witnesses included Christopher A. Hart, Acting
Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Kevin L.
Hiatt, Senior Vice President of Safety and Flight Operations
for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and
Michael A. Lawson, U.S. Representative to the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The hearing examined
progress made by ICAO, IATA, and other stakeholders to improve
tracking of international air traffic, as well as the
technological gaps that still remain for tracking aircraft over
the oceans.
On May 13, 2015, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Transportation Security: Are Our Airports Safe?'' The hearing
examined transportation security and airport safety issues
raised since the inception of the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA). Witnesses included John Roth, DHS
Inspector General; Jennifer Grover, Acting Director, Homeland
Security and Justice, GAO; and Rafi Ron, President & CEO of New
Age Security Solutions. Witnesses raised concerns about what
TSA considered to be allowable risks. TSA Acting Administrator
Melvin Carraway ultimately did not attend the hearing despite
receiving an invitation.
On February 3, 2016, the Subcommittee on Transportation and
Public Assets held a hearing entitled, ``Securing our Skies:
Oversight of Aviation Credentials.'' The hearing examined the
adequacy of safeguards required by TSA and FAA with respect to
certificates and credentials, as well as their delayed
implementation of relevant rules required by statute. Witnesses
included Darby LaJoye, Assistant Administrator for the Office
of Security Operations from TSA; Margaret ``Peggy'' Gilligan,
Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety from FAA; John
Roth, DHS Inspector General; and Kathleen Carroll, Vice
President of Corporate Affairs for HID Global. The hearing also
examined existing credentialing technologies that airports
should adopt to improve security.
The Committee initiated an investigation of mismanagement
and employee misconduct at the TSA. Whistleblowers have
alleged, and the Committee has found, cases of senior level
sexual misconduct, whistleblower retaliation, and improper
bonus compensation practices. The Committee has requested email
communications and transcribed interviews with current and
former TSA officials and continues to receive and evaluate
whistleblower complaints regarding the TSA. The Committee's
review is ongoing.
On April 27, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at TSA: Part
I.'' Three TSA officials: Jay Brainard, Federal Security
Director in Kansas; Mark Livingston, Program Manager in the
Office of the Chief Risk Officer; and Andrew Rhoades, Assistant
Federal Security Director of the Office of Security Operations,
served as witnesses. The witnesses testified about the culture
of intimidation and retaliation within the agency that chilled
employees from addressing security gaps. The witnesses also
testified about the double standard by which senior employees
are not held accountable for misconduct.
The Committee held a second hearing on these issues,
entitled, ``Examining Management Practices and Misconduct at
TSA: Part II,'' on May 12, 2016. The hearing evaluated the
findings from the April mismanagement hearing, the hours-long
wait times reported at airport security checkpoints, and the
effectiveness of changes implemented by the new TSA
Administrator. Administrator Peter Neffenger and Inspector
General John Roth provided testimony.
Federal Real Property Disposal
On April 14, 2016, the Committee held a business meeting to
consider the ``Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016,''
and ordered the bill favorably reported with an amendment in
the nature of a substitute. The bill, H.R. 4465, establishes a
six-year board for identifying opportunities for cost savings
and deficit reduction by reducing the inventory of civilian
real property. The bill updates the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act and creates a statutory requirement for a
publicly accessible federal real property database. The bill
also incentivizes footprint reduction and savings efforts by
allowing agency retention of sale proceeds for specific
disposal related purposes. On motion to suspend the rules and
pass the bill in the House, the bill was agreed to as amended
by voice vote on July 14, 2016.
On September 23, 2016, the Transportation and Public Assets
Subcommittee held a hearing entitled, ``Vacant Federal
Properties.'' David Mader, Controller of the Office of
Management and Budget; Gregory Parham, Assistant Secretary for
Administration in the Department of Agriculture; Michael
Gelber, Deputy Commission for the Public Buildings Service in
the General Services Administration; and David Wise, Director
of the Physical Infrastructure Team at the Government
Accountability Office served as witnesses. The hearing
highlighted the over 7,000 excess or underutilized real
property assets reported by federal agencies and, in
particular, the Department of Agriculture's 6,500-acre
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, which had 379 vacant
buildings and only 113 utilized buildings.
Public Housing
The Committee conducted oversight over a broad range of
programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD.) In letters to HUD, the Committee expressed concern and
sought information regarding findings by HUD's Inspector
General that as many as 25,226 families were receiving public
housing assistance despite exceeding the program's eligibility
limits. Following the Committee's inquiry, HUD published a
proposed rule seeking to ensure individuals and families
residing in HUD public housing continue to need housing
assistance after admission to the program. The Committee also
expressed concern regarding awards made through HUD's Community
Development Block Grant Program and HUD's policies and
practices concerning sources of down payment assistance,
seeking information from the Agency to further its review in
both areas.
Other Public Assets
On February 26, 2016, the Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets held a hearing entitled, ``Oversight of
Federal Vehicles.'' The federal government spends over $4.4
billion each year on its 650,000 vehicle fleet, with an annual
mileage exceeding 5 billion miles, and annual fuel consumption
of more than $400 million. The hearing reviewed the structure
of accountability for owned and leased federal vehicles, the
incentives for proper management, and assessed in particular
the status of vehicle management by the National Passenger Rail
Corporation (Amtrak). Witnesses included Lori Rectanus,
Director or Physical Infrastructure Issues for GAO; Bill Toth,
Director of the Office of Fleet Management for GSA; Tom Howard,
Inspector General for Amtrak; and Joseph Boardman, President
and CEO of Amtrak.
Airspace Security
On April 29, 2015, the Committee held a hearing entitled
``Flying Under the Radar: Securing Washington, D.C. Airspace.''
The hearing examined the April 15, 2015 flight of a small
gyrocopter through highly restricted airspace around the
National Capital Region, landing on the West Lawn of the U.S.
Capitol, and prior incidents of security breaches by manned and
unmanned aircraft. The hearing also evaluated efforts by
federal agencies to respond to, and mitigate the security
threat posed by aerial vehicles. Witnesses included the
Honorable Joseph P. Clancy, Director of the U.S. Secret
Service; Kim C. Dine, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police; Admiral
William E. Gortney, Commander of NORAD/USNORTHCOM; the
Honorable Michael P. Huerta, Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA); Paul D. Irving, Sergeant at Arms
for the U.S. House of Representatives; Robert D. MacLean, Chief
of the U.S. Park Police; and Robert G. Salesses, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Department of Defense,
Homeland Defense Integration and Defense Support of Civil
Authorities.
On June 17, 2015, the Committee held a hearing entitled,
``Drones: The Next Generation of Commerce?'' Witnesses included
Dr. John Cavolowsky, Director of the Airspace Operations and
Safety Program at the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration; Harley Geiger, Advocacy Director and Senior
Counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology; Paul
Misener, Vice President of Global Public Policy at Amazon.com,
Inc; the Honorable Michael Whitaker, Deputy Administrator of
the FAA; and Brian Wynne, President & CEO of the Association
for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. During the hearing
the Federal Aviation Administration, which has jurisdiction
over unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones, committed to
expanding the line-of-sight requirements for the commercial
uses of UASs. The FAA's work towards integrating drones into
the U.S. airspace is fundamental to developing UAS technology.
According to the testimony of Association of Unmanned Vehicle
Systems International every year that the integration is
delayed costs the U.S. economy more than $10 billion dollars.
Epidemics
On February 24, 2016, the Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets held a hearing entitled ``The Zika Virus:
Coordination of a Multi-Agency Response'' to examine the
federal government's coordinated response to the emergence of
the Zika virus, in light of reported cases in the U.S.,
estimates by the World Health Organization that between three
and four million cases could appear in the U.S. over the next
year, and proposed emergency spending to prepare for and
respond to the spread of Zika. Witnesses included Dr. Anne
Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the
National Institutes of Health; Dr. John Armstrong, Surgeon
General and Secretary of Health for the State of Florida; and
Dr. Bill Moreau, Managing Director for Sports Medicine for the
U.S. Olympic Committee.
On March 22, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled
``America's Heroin and Opioid Abuse Epidemic.'' The hearing
examined the rapid growth in the abuse of heroin and opioids
throughout the United States and the efforts of federal and
state agencies in controlling the epidemic. Witnesses included
the Honorable Michael Botticelli, Director of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy at the White House; Lou Milione,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Diversion Control at the
Drug Enforcement Administration; Kana Enomoto, Acting
Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services;
Dr. Leana Wen, Health Commissioner of the Baltimore City Health
Department; and the Honorable Teresa Jacobs, Mayor of Orange
County, Florida.
V. Summary of Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken, and
Recommendations Made and Actions Taken Thereon
Holding Commissioner John Koskinen Accountable
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen offered false testimony to
Congress regarding the preservation of Lois Lerner emails and
failed to adhere to the terms of two validly issued Committee
subpoenas.
On February 26, 2015, the Committee held a hearing entitled
``IRS: TIGTA Update'' where the Treasury Inspector General for
Tax Administration (TIGTA) J. Russell George and his deputy
Timothy Camus testified regarding its investigation of the IRS.
The Committee held a second hearing on that topic on June 25,
2015. The TIGTA officials offered testimony on the IRS's
failure to conduct a thorough search for Lois Lerner emails.
In July 2015, Chairman Chaffetz sent a letter co-signed by
51 members of Congress to President Obama calling for the
removal of Koskinen. The White House did not respond to that
letter.
On October 27, 2015, the Committee issued a 41-page staff
report regarding Commissioner Koskinen's conduct during the
Committee's investigation. That same day, Chairman Chaffetz
introduced H.J. Res. 494 to initiate impeachment proceedings in
the U.S House of Representatives against Koskinen. That
resolution was referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
Subsequently, Chairman Chaffetz and Rep. DeSantis testified
before the House Judiciary Committee on May 24, 2016 regarding
Koskinen's conduct in failing to preserve documents subject to
a Committee subpoena, as well as false testimony offered to the
Committee.
On June 15, 2016, the Committee approved H. Res. 737,
condemning and censuring Koskinen. The resolution expressed the
sense of the House that Koskinen had behaved inconsistently
with the trust and confidence placed in him as an Officer of
the United States. The resolution also called for Koskinen's
resignation or removal, as well as the forfeiture of his
federal pension.
Use of a Private Email Server by Former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, Oversight of the FBI's Investigation, and the Clinton
Foundation
On July 7, 2016, the Committee continued a previous hearing
on ``Oversight of the State Department.'' At that hearing,
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Director James Comey
testified on the Bureau's decision not to recommend charges as
a result of its year-long investigation of Secretary Clinton's
use of a private email server and the transmission and storage
of classified information on that server. At that hearing,
Comey testified that Secretary Clinton and her aides had been
``extremely careless'' in their handling of classified
information.
On July 11, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to Director
Comey requesting its investigation files regarding Secretary
Clinton. The Committee subsequently received unredacted
summaries of the FBI's interviews, as well as a production of
Secretary Clinton's classified emails.
On July 19, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
Department of Defense requesting information on mishandling of
classified information by members of the military.
On August 22, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to Director
Comey requesting information on potential access to classified
information within Secretary Clinton's emails by lawyers or
aides to Secretary Clinton who lacked the appropriate security
clearance.
On August 25, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
State Department requesting information relating to its
interactions with the Clinton Foundation. The State Department
subsequently made a production to the Committee. The Committee
also sent a letter to the Clinton Foundation on September 8,
2016 seeking further information on those interactions, as well
as a follow-up letter on October 21, 2016.
On September 6, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Channing D. Phillips
requesting that he investigate why records were destroyed after
Secretary Clinton and her agents were on notice to preserve her
emails.
On September 6, 2016, the Committee also sent a letter to
Platte River Networks requesting documents relating to its
preservation and management of Secretary Clinton's emails.
On September 8, 2016, the Committee held a hearing on FOIA
Compliance at the State Department, and questioned Department
witnesses at length on how they complied with FOIA despite
lacking access to Secretary Clinton's emails.
On September 12, 2016, the Committee held a hearing on
Classifications and Redactions in FBI's Investigative file. The
FBI and congressional affairs representatives from the
intelligence community subsequently offered a classified
briefing on those redactions.
On September 13, 2016, the Committee held a hearing titled
``Examining Preservation of State Department Federal Records.''
At that hearing, Clinton aide Justin Cooper testified on his
experience setting up Secretary Clinton's server. Paul Combetta
and William Thornton of Platte River Networks refused to
testify based on their Fifth Amendment privilege against self-
incrimination. Bryan Pagliano, another Clinton aide, declined
to appear, stating that he planned to assert his Fifth
Amendment privilege. On September 8, 2016, the Committee sent a
subpoena for Mr. Pagliano's appearance at the September 13
hearing. That hearing continued on September 22, 2016, giving
Mr. Pagliano another opportunity to testify, and once again he
did not appear.
Consequently, on September 22, 2016, the Committee passed a
contempt resolution against Mr. Pagliano. That resolution is
currently awaiting a vote in the full House of Representatives.
On September 11, 2016, the Committee issued a subpoena to
Paul Combetta for the production of documents and
communications referring or relating to his immunity or proffer
agreement with the Department of Justice.
On September 20, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
State Department requesting calendars used by Secretary Clinton
during her tenure as Secretary of State. That day, the
Committee also sent a letter to the Department of Justice
requesting access to immunity agreements in the Clinton
investigation. Subsequently, the Department of Justice agreed
to allow the Committee to review immunity agreements for Paul
Combetta, William Thornton, Bryan Pagliano, and immunity
agreements for the contents of Cheryl Mills and Heather
Samuelson's laptops. On October 5, 2016, the Committee sent an
additional letter to the Department of Justice seeking
information relating to the FBI's agreement with Mills and
Samuelson.
On October 11, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the
Inspector Generals for the Department of Justice and the
Department of State requesting an investigation into Secretary
Clinton's attorneys and their interaction with the FBI
investigation.
On October 17, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to
Secretary Kerry requesting that he remove Under Secretary for
Management Patrick Kennedy pending a review of his actions in
negotiating a potential quid pro quo deal relating to the FBI
investigation of Secretary Clinton, as well as his pressuring
State Department employees not to classify Clinton's emails.
That same day, the Committee sent a letter to the Department of
State Inspector General requesting that he examine Kennedy and
the Clinton document review process.
Federal Firearm Practices
During the 114th Congress, the Committee undertook a review
of federal agency inventory and control practices of firearms,
ammunition, and tactical/military-style equipment. The
oversight of agency munition practices began following an audit
report by the General Service's Administration (GSA) Office of
the Inspector General highlighting flaws in GSA's
administration of a surplus firearm donation program. The
Committee's oversight efforts have reviewed a number of
instances where federal agency personnel had misplaced
firearms, at times resulting in harm to innocent civilians. The
Committee remains focused on ensuring that federal agencies are
acting as good stewards of taxpayer dollars in how they procure
and account for munitions. The Committee intends to continue
its oversight of federal agency munition practices in the 115th
Congress.
On March 2, 2016, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a hearing on GSA's administration of the surplus firearms
donation program. The hearing, entitled ``Firearms Lost: GSA's
Administration of the Surplus Firearm Donation Program,''
reviewed GSA's inventory management procedures for the nearly
10,000 firearms donated to local law enforcement agencies
across the country. The Committee's review of documents
uncovered that a large number of firearms had been lost or
improperly sold, in some cases years before GSA became aware of
the firearm's absence from inventory. In at least one instance,
a pair of 40 mm grenade launchers were illegally sold and
discovered to have been placed into circulation in the civilian
market. The Committee's review also found that the system GSA
was using to manage the firearms donated through program was
woefully outdated, and relied heavily on paper. As a result of
the Committee's efforts, as well as those by the Inspector
General, GSA committed to reforming the processes and
procedures used for administering and managing the firearms
donation program.
Following the Committee's March 2 hearing, the Committee
expanded its oversight of federal firearms practices. The
Committee sent letters to more than 30 agencies that have
personnel with firearms authority. The Committee requested that
these agencies provide documents on each agencies firearms
inventory, the accounting procedures used, and documentation of
lost, stolen, or missing firearms.
On July 6, 2016 the Committee held a hearing on firearms
and munition control practices at the Bureau of Prisons, the
Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of Homeland
Security. The hearing, entitled ``Firearms and Munitions at
Risk: Examining Inadequate Safeguards,'' revealed that the
inventory controls at these agencies is woefully inadequate.
The hearing uncovered that the Department of Homeland Security
lost more than 500 firearms in eight years. The hearing also
revealed that the agencies were not abiding by the firearms
control practices required by the state and local jurisdictions
where agents were operating. The Committee's oversight
highlighted that the Bureau of Prisons was relying on paper
forms to track the use of ammunition, creating discrepancies in
inventory accounting, and increasing the risk of theft or loss.
The hearing showed that in addition to inadequate accounting
for inventory, agencies were inaccurately accounting for the
procurement of firearms related products by miscoding
purchases.
On October 17, 2016 the Committee sent a letter to
Administrator Gene Dodaro of the Government Accountability
Office, requesting a review of federal agency firearm,
ammunition, and military-style equipment. The letter requested
that GAO review inventory procurement practices at all agencies
with 250 or more law enforcement personnel, as well as
inventory accounting and control procedures.
Security Clearance Reform
The Committee worked to hold the Obama administration
accountable for progress on security clearance reform. On
February 25, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled
``Security Clearance Reform: The Performance Accountability
Council's Path Forward.'' In the days preceding that hearing,
the Office of Personnel Management announced the creation of a
National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) that will take
responsibility for conducting security clearance
investigations. The Committee learned important details about
the new agency, including the fact that the information
technology (IT) systems at NBIB will be handled by the
Department of Defense. In that hearing, Members also closely
questioned the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
(ODNI) Director of National Counterintelligence and Security
Center William Evanina regarding ODNI's ongoing failure to
issue a policy allowing security clearance investigations to
take into account publicly available social media information.
The Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing on
May 13, 2016 entitled, ``Incorporating Social Media into
Federal Background Investigations.'' The day before the
hearing, ODNI announced that it would issue a policy that would
henceforth allow investigators to examine publicly available
social media data.
The Committee continues to engage in oversight of ODNI and
the Office of Personnel Management regarding security clearance
reform, as well as the integration of social media into the
investigations process.
On August 25, 2016, the Committee sent a letter to the IRS
requesting information on the agency's progress in implementing
an electronic system to allow security clearance investigators
to check on the tax delinquency status of individuals seeking a
security clearance.
The Committee also sent a bipartisan letter on November 21,
2016 recommending that the House Armed Services Committee
refrain from including a provision in the National Defense
Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 that would transfer
responsibility for conducting background investigations from
OPM to the Department of Defense. That provision could disrupt
ongoing reforms of the security clearance process.
Investigation Into the Data Breaches at OPM
On April 22, 2015 the Committee held a hearing entitled
``Enhancing Cybersecurity of Third-Party Contractors and
Vendors.'' During the hearing witnesses discussed the rising
number of cybersecurity incidents reported by federal agencies,
as well as a range of best cybersecurity practices including
clarity on government contracting language, security of mobile
devices, and reported data breaches. The witnesses included
federal CIO Tony Scott, Gregory C. Wilshusen from GAO, Eric
Fischer of the Congressional Research Service, and OPM CIO
Donna Seymour. Ms. Seymour's testimony included a discussion of
the lessons learned from a data breach at OPM discovered in
2014, as well as information security breaches at two OPM
contractors. Ms. Seymour's testimony on the facts of the OPM
data breaches in 2014, as well as those of the OPM contractors,
would become relevant after the 2015 discovery and announcement
that OPM had suffered two additional data breaches.
The Committee held two hearings on the OPM data breaches,
the first on June 16, 2015 and the second on June 24, 2015. The
hearings examined the nature and extent of the intrusions into
OPM's systems, the number of individuals whose records were
stolen, and the longstanding concerns of the OPM inspector
general as to the adequacy of the agencies information
technology. The Committee also arranged a classified briefing
for members. Witnesses from OPM included then-Director
Katherine Archuleta and then-CIO Donna Seymour, both of whom
testified as to the aging nature of OPM's information
technology and OPM's modernization efforts. Open questions
about the sufficiency of OPM's information security posture,
specifically regarding the encryption of data and
implementation of access controls through the use of
multifactor authentication, led to a year-long investigation
into the data breaches OPM suffered in 2014 and 2015.
As part of the investigation, a total of nine letters were
sent to public and private sector entities to gather
information related to the data breaches at OPM, as well as a
preservation order and a subpoena. The Committee also held six
transcribed interviews in connection with the investigation.
Ultimately, the Committee found that the breaches resulted in
the exfiltration by hackers of personal identifiable
information (PII) on 4.2 million former and current government
employees and the security clearance background investigation
information on 21.5 million individuals, could have been
significantly delayed or mitigated.
The Committee's investigation brought to light troubling
information security policies and practices at OPM. The
Committee's investigation further found connections between the
data breaches announced in 2015 and the data breach announced
in 2014, uncovered a deteriorating relationship between OPM
senior leadership, and the OPM inspector general, and
questionable contracting practices.
The Committee's investigation produced a series of
recommendations aimed at rectifying some of the conditions that
led to the data breach at OPM and better responding to
cybersecurity incidents. The Committee's recommendations
included the adoption of a zero trust model for federal
cybersecurity, reduction in the use of social security numbers
by federal agencies to mitigate the risk of identity theft, and
establishing a government-wide contracting vehicle for cyber
incident response services.
On July 15, 2015, in conjunction with the Committee's
hearings on the data breaches at OPM, the Subcommittee's on
Information Technology and Interior held a hearing entitled
``Cybersecurity: The Department of Interior.'' The Subcommittee
hearing was, in part, to determine the sufficiency of DOI's
information security posture, specifically their compliance
with the requirements of the Federal Information Security
Management Act (FISMA), given the Department's share data
center was implicated in the data breaches at OPM. Witnesses
included the CIO Sylvia Burns and Mary Kendall from the DOI
Inspector General's office.
Federal Law, Regulations, and Policy On March 18, 2015 the
Information Technology (IT) Subcommittee held a hearing
entitled ``Cybersecurity: The Evolving Nature of Cyber Threats
Facing the Private Sector'' to examine the cyber-threats facing
the financial, retail, and healthcare industries. The
Subcommittee heard testimony from Mr. Richard Bejtlich, Chief
Security Strategiest at FireEye; Inc, Mr. David French, Senior
Vice President at the National Retail Federation; Mr. Daniel
Nutkis, CEO of Health Information Trust Alliance; Mr. Doug
Johnson, Senior Vice President of the American Bankers
Association; and Mr. Ed Mierzwinksi, Consumer Program Director
at the US Public Interest Research Group.
On April 29, 2015 the Subcommittee held a hearing entitled
``Encryption Technology and Potential U.S. Policy Responses.''
The Subcommittee examined the law enforcement concerns,
specifically voiced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
over the announcements by Apple and Google, the largest mobile
phone system operators in the United States, that they would
implement increased security measures on their products in an
attempt to strengthen privacy and data security. Invited to
testify were Amy Hess of the FBI's Science and Technology
Branch, Mr. Daniel Conley, Suffolk County District Attorney
from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Policy Director for New
America's Open Technology Institute Kevin Bankston, President
of the Application Developers Alliance Jon Potter, and
Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science at the
University of Pennsylvania, Matthew Blaze, Ph.D.
On January 12, 2016 the Subcommittee on Information
Technology held a joint hearing with the Committee on Homeland
Security, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure
Protection and Security Technologies entitled ``Wassenaar:
Cybersecurity & Export Controls.'' In 2013 the State Department
agreed to a proposal to make intrusion and surveillance
software and technology subject to multilateral export controls
under the Wassenaar Arrangement. The Department of Commerce's
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a proposed rule
implementing State's agreement and received 264 public comments
overwhelmingly in opposition to the proposed rule. Testimony
from State and Commerce witnesses alongside private sector
witnesses revealed a substantial division over the BIS proposed
rule and its deleterious impacts on the private sector. As a
result of Congressional pressure the State Department reentered
negotiations with the Wassenaar Arrangement over the intrusion
and surveillance software and technology agreement.
On July 13, 2016 the Subcommittee's on Information
Technology and National Security held a hearing entitled
``Digital Acts of War: Evolving the Cybersecurity
Conversation.'' The hearing examined the strategies and
policies--both domestic and international--of the
administration's response to cybersecurity incidents. The
hearing considered the inherent technical challenges of making
real-time attribution of cyberattacks, as well as the
increasing sophistication of tools and technologies used by
nonstate actors, terrorist organizations, and criminal groups.
The panel of witnesses included representatives from the
Departments of Defense and State, as well as former US
intelligence officials Sean Kanuck and General Keith Alexander.
On September 28, 2016 the Subcommittee held a hearing on
the information security to the nation's election
infrastructure, entitled, ``Cybersecurity: Ensuring the
Integrity of the Ballot Box.'' Elections are administered on a
state-by-state or county-by-county basis, however the
Department of Homeland Security offered a variety of
information security services and resources on a voluntary
basis. Testimony from Mr. Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary for
Cybersecurity and Communications at DHS, stated that the
Department had confidence in the election system and there was
no indication that adversaries of the US were planning a cyber-
operation capable of impacting the outcome of the November
election.
Homeland Security--Radicalization
The National Security Subcommittee evaluated the scope of
radicalization in the United States and abroad and assessed
what steps can be taken in order to mitigate the rise of terror
via social media. On October 28, 2015, the Subcommittee on
National Security held a bipartisan hearing titled,
``Radicalization: Social Media and the Rise of Terrorism.'' At
this hearing, the Committee heard from private sector witnesses
with expertise on the topic. The Subcommittee also investigated
the manner in which Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs) can be
recruited, radicalized, and mobilized for terror attacks as
lone wolves and by terrorist organizations. A hearing was also
held on that topic on September 14, 2016, titled
``Radicalization in the U.S. and the Rise of Terrorism''.
Homeland Security--Recalcitrant Countries
The Committee conducted an investigation into tens of
thousands of deportable aliens released back onto U.S. streets
because their home countries refuse to repatriate them. Many of
these aliens are criminals who have served time in our federal,
state, and local jails. Pursuant to the Supreme Court's
decision in Zadvydas v. Davis and its progeny, after 180 days,
if the home country steadfastly refuses to repatriate an alien,
the alien must be released, even if the alien is a violent
criminal with no legal right to remain in the United States.
However, section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA) specifically provides that DHS and Department of State
(State) shall discontinue granting visas to citizens, subjects,
nationals, and residents of that country until the country
accepts the alien. Although enacted in 1952, this provision has
been seldom invoked. Prior to the Committee beginning oversight
on the matter, the only instance in which it was utilized was
in 2001.
The Committee addressed this topic at a hearing on April
28, 2016, titled ``Criminal Aliens Released by the Department
of Homeland Security,'' and at hearing on July 14, 2016,
``Recalcitrant Countries: Denying Visas to Countries that
Refuse to Take Back their Deported Nationals'' where officials
from DHS and State were held accountable. Following this
investigation and after nearly 15 years of not using this
statutory authority, on October 1, 2016, DHS and State decided
to discontinue issuing visas to the Gambia resulting in the
issuance of travel documents and repatriation of all Gambians
ordered removed from the U.S. The Committee continues to review
the manner in which it is being implemented in Gambia.
Epidemics
On February 24, 2016, the Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets held a hearing entitled ``The Zika Virus:
Coordination of a Multi-Agency Response'' to examine the
federal government's coordinated response to the emergence of
the Zika virus, in light of reported cases in the U.S.,
estimates by the World Health Organization that between three
and four million cases could appear in the U.S. over the next
year, and proposed emergency spending to prepare for and
respond to the spread of Zika. Witnesses included Dr. Anne
Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention; Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the
National Institutes of Health; Dr. John Armstrong, Surgeon
General and Secretary of Health for the State of Florida; and
Dr. Bill Moreau, Managing Director for Sports Medicine for the
U.S. Olympic Committee.
On March 22, 2016, the Committee held a hearing entitled
``America's Heroin and Opioid Abuse Epidemic.'' The hearing
examined the rapid growth in the abuse of heroin and opioids
throughout the United States and the efforts of federal and
state agencies in controlling the epidemic. Witnesses included
the Honorable Michael Botticelli, Director of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy at the White House; Lou Milione,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Diversion Control at the
Drug Enforcement Administration; Kana Enomoto, Acting
Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services;
Dr. Leana Wen, Health Commissioner of the Baltimore City Health
Department; and the Honorable Teresa Jacobs, Mayor of Orange
County, Florida.
VI. Delineation of Hearings Held Pursuant to Clauses 2 (n), (o), and
(p) of House Rule XI
Hearings Held Pursuant to Clause 2 (n)
March 18, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Federal Workforce Tax
Accountability.'' Witnesses: Mr. Brad Huther, Chief Financial
Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Mr.
E.J. Holland, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. Seto Bagdoyan,
Director, Forensic Audits and Investigative Service, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Alan L. Chvotkin,
Executive Vice President and Counsel, Professional Services
Council; Ms. Maureen Gilman, Legislative and Political
Director, National Treasury Employees Union.
April 14, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``DOJ IG: Handling of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct
Allegations.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice; The Honorable
Michele M. Leonhart, Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration; Mr. Kevin L. Perkins, Associate Deputy
Director, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
April 14, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``GAO's Duplication Report at Five Years: Recommendations
Remain Unaddressed.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Beth Cobert,
Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and
Budget; The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
April 16, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``The Worst Places to Work in the
Federal Government.'' Witnesses: The Honorable David S.
Ferriero, Archivist, National Archives and Records
Administration; The Honorable Manuel Ehrlich, Board Member,
U.S. Chemical Safety Board; Ms. Catherine V. Emerson, Chief
Human Capital Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, Director of Strategic Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
April 29, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National Security
hearing titled, ``Following the Trail of U.S. Taxpayers'
Dollars Abroad: On-Budget Assistance in Afghanistan.''
Witnesses: The Honorable John F. Sopko, Special Inspector
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
May 21, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Issues Facing Civilian and Postal
Service Vehicle Fleet Procurement.'' Witnesses: Mr. Joseph
Corbett, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President,
United States Postal Service; Mr. William Toth Jr., Director,
Office of Motor Vehicle Management, General Services
Administration; Ms. Kate M. Vigneau, Director of Professional
Development, NAFA Fleet Management Association; Ms. Lori
Rectanus, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
June 3, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Ensuring Agency Compliance with the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA).'' Witnesses: The Honorable Joyce A. Barr, Chief
FOIA Officer, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Brodi Fontenot,
Chief FOIA Officer, U.S. Department of Treasury; Mrs. Mary
Howard, Director, Privacy, Governmental Liaison, and
Disclosure, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of
Treasury; Ms. Karen Neuman, Chief FOIA Officer, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security; Ms. Melanie Anne Pustay, Director, Office
of Information Policy, U.S. Department of Justice.
June 10, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform
Act's Role in Reducing IT Acquisition Risk.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Anne Rung, Administrator, Office of Federal
Procurement Policy, The Office of Management and Budget; Mr.
Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-
Government and Information Technology, The Office of Management
and Budget; Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT Management
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Richard
Spires, Chief Executive Officer, Resilient Network Systems,
Inc.
June 16, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``OPM: Data Breach.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Katherine
Archuleta, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Ms.
Sylvia Burns, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of the
Interior; Mr. Michael R. Esser, Assistant Inspector General for
Audits, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Dr. Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary, Office of
Cybersecurity and Communications, National Program Preparedness
Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Tony
Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-Government
and Information Technology, U.S. Office of Management and
Budget; Ms. Donna K. Seymour, Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Office of Personnel Management.
June 24, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``OPM Data Breach: Part II.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Katherine Archuleta, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Ms. Ann Barron-DiCamillo, Director, U.S. Computer
Emergency Readiness Team, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
Mr. Rob Giannetta, Chief Information Officer, US Investigations
Services, LLC; Mr. Eric A. Hess, Chief Executive Officer,
KeyPoint Government Solutions; The Honorable Patrick E.
McFarland, Inspector General, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Ms. Donna K. Seymour, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
July 29, 2015, 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``DATA Act Implementation.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United
States, U.S. Government Accountability Office; The Honorable
David Mader, Controller, Office of Federal Financial
Management, The Office of Management and Budget; Mr. David A.
Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the
Treasury; Mr. Robert A. Taylor, Deputy Assistant Inspector
General for Audit, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
July 9, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Construction Costs and Delays at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.''
Witnesses: Mr. Jarrett Blanc, Principal Deputy Special,
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, on behalf of U.S.
Department of State; Mr. Michael J. Courts, Director,
International Affairs and Trade, on behalf of U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Mr. Michael L. Gulino, President and
Chief Executive Officer, Aegis LLC; The Honorable Donald S.
Hays, Senior Inspector, Office of the Inspector General, on
behalf of U.S. Department of State; Ms. Lydia Muniz, Director,
Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, on behalf of U.S.
Department of State; The Honorable Gregory B. Starr, Assistant
Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, on behalf of U.S.
Department of State.
September 10, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``GSA: Army Fee Assistance.'' Witnesses: Mr. Gerard
Badorrek, Chief Financial Officer, U.S. General Services
Administration, Ms. Karmon Dyches, Army Captain appearing in
personal capacity; Ms. Kaela Hensley, Army Spouse; Ms.
Stephanie L. Hoehne, Director, Family and Morale, Welfare &
Recreation, G9, Installation Management Command, U.S. Army; The
Honorable Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General, Office of the
Inspector General, U.S. General Services Administration.
October 21, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Secure Credentials Issued by the Government Publishing
Office.'' Witnesses: Mr. James N. Albers, Senior Vice President
of Government Operations, MorphoTrust USA; Ms. Kathleen M.
Carroll, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, HID Global, Inc.;
The Honorable Michael A. Raponi, Inspector General, U.S.
Government Publishing Office; Ms. Davita Vance-Cooks, Director,
U.S. Government Publishing Office.
November 3, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Information Technology joint
hearing titled, ``Preparing for 2020 Census: Will the
Technology be Ready?'' Witnesses: The Honorable John H.
Thompson, Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. Steven I. Cooper,
Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce; Mr.
Robert Goldenkoff, Director, Strategic Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Ms. Carol R. Cha, Director, Information
Technology Acquisition Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
November 4, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform
Act's (FITARA) Role in Reducing the IT Acquisition Risk, Part
II--Measuring Agencies; FITARA Implementation.'' Witnesses: Mr.
Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-
Government and Information Technology, The Office of Management
and Budget; Mr. Sonny Bhagowalia, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Department of Treasury; Mr. Richard McKinney, Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Transportation; Mr.
David Shive, Chief Information Officer, U.S. General Services
Administration; Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT Management
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
November 17, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing
titled, ``U.S. Department of Education: Information Security
Review.'' Witnesses: Danny A. Harris, Ph.D., Chief Information
Officer, U.S. Department of Education; The Honorable Kathleen
S. Tighe, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education; Mr.
Greg Wilshusen, Director, Information Security Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
November 18, 2015, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and Committee on Education and Workforce's
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training joint
hearing titled, ``Federal Student Aid: Performance Based
Organization Review.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Kathleen Tighe,
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education; Mr. James
Runcie, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Department of Education;
Mr. Ben Miller, Senior Director, Postsecondary Education,
Center for American Progress; Ms. Melissa Emrey-Arras,
Director, Education Workforce and Income Security, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Justin Draeger,
President, National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators.
December 8, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Review of the New London Embassy Project.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Steve A. Linick, Inspector General, Office of the
Inspector General, U.S. Department of State; Ms. Lydia Muniz,
Director, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, on behalf of
U.S. Department of State; The Honorable Gregory B. Starr,
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, on behalf
of U.S. Department of State.
January 6, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing: ``Army Fee Assistance Program: Part II''
Witnesses: The Honorable Michael Botticelli, Director, Office
of National Drug Control Policy; Mr. David Kelley,
Congressional Liaison, National High Intensity Drug Trafficking
Areas Directors Association; Mr. David Maurer, Director of
Justice and Law Enforcement Issues, Government Accountability
Office.
February 2, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``U.S. Department of Education: Investigation of the CIO''
Witnesses: Ms. Sandra Bruce, Deputy Inspector General, U.S.
Department of Education; Dr. Danny A. Harris, Ph. D., Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Education; Mr. John B.
King, Jr., Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Education; Ms.
Susan Winchell, Assistant General Counsel for Ethics, U.S.
Department of Education.
February 26, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Transportation
and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Oversight of Federal
Vehicles'' Witnesses: Ms. Lori Rectanus, Director, Physical
Infrastructure Issues, Government Accountability Office; Mr.
Bill Toth, Director, Office of Fleet Management, General
Services Administration; Mr. Tom Howard, Inspector General,
Amtrak; Mr. Joseph H. Boardman, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Amtrak.
March 2, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Firearms Lost: GSA's
Administration of the Surplus Firearm Donation Program''
Witnesses: The Honorable Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector
General, U.S. General Services Administration; Mr. William
Sisk, Acting Assistant Commissioner, Office of General Supplies
and Services, U.S. General Services Administration; Mr. Steve
Ekin, President, National Association of State Agencies for
Surplus Property.
April 19, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations and the Subcommittee on Information Technology joint
hearing titled, ``DATA ACT: Monitoring Implementation
Progress'' Witnesses: Ms. Michelle Sager, Director, Strategic
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; The Honorable
David Mader, Controller, Office of Federal Financial
Management, The Office of Management and Budget; Mr. David A.
Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the
Treasury; Mr. Michael Peckham, Executive Director, DATA Act
Management Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
March 16, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Rebuilding Afghanistan: Oversight of Defense Department
Infrastructure Projects'' Witnesses: The Honorable John Sopko,
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction;
Christine S. Abizaid, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, U.S. Department of
Defense; Howard Stickley, Programs Director, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Transatlantic Division (TAD), U.S. Department of
Defense; Randy Brown, Director, Air Force Civil Engineering
Center, U.S. Department of Defense.
May 18, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform Act
(FITARA) Scorecard 2.0'' Witnesses: Mr. Steven I. Cooper, Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce; Ms. Dawn
Leaf, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Labor; Mr.
Michael M. Johnson, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department
of Energy; Ms. Renee P. Wynn, Chief Information Officer,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Mr. David A.
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
June 9, 2016 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Census 2020: Examining the Readiness of Key Aspects of the
Census Bureau's 2020 Census Preparation'' Witnesses: Mr. Steve
I. Cooper, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of
Commerce; Ms. Carol Cha Harris, Director, Information
Technology Acquisition Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office; Mr. Harry A. Lee, Acting Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Census Bureau; Ms. Carol N. Rice,
Assistant Inspector General, Office of Economic and Statistical
Program Assessment, U.S. Department of Commerce; The Honorable
John H. Thompson, Director, U.S. Census Bureau.
July 14, 2016 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Examining Mismanagement in Office
of Justice Programs Grantmaking'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Justice; Ms. Beth McGarry, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney
General for Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of
Justice; Gretta L. Goodwin, Ph.D., Acting Director, Homeland
Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office;
Jeffrey Sedgwick, Ph.D., Executive Director, Justice Research
and Statistics Association.
September 7, 2016 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on National
Security hearing titled, ``Oversight of the Department of
Defense Office of Inspector General's Military Whistleblower
Reprisal Investigations'' Witnesses: The Honorable Ryan Zinke,
Member of Congress, Montana (At-Large); The Honorable Glenn
Fine, Principal Deputy Inspector General, U.S. Department of
Defense; Ms. Lori Atkinson, Assistant Director, Defense
Capabilities and Management, U.S. Government Accountability
Office; Ms. Mandy Smithberger, Director, Straus Military Reform
Project, Project On Government Oversight.
September 22, 2016 3:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Examining Billion Dollar Waste
Through Improper Payments'' Witnesses: The Honorable David
Mader, Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, The
Office of Management and Budget; Ms. Sheila Conley, Deputy
Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; Ms. Laurie Park, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Finance, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Ms. Marianna
LaCanfora, Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Chair
of the Improper Payments Board, U.S. Social Security
Administration; Mr. Jeff Schramek, Assistant Commissioner, Debt
Management Services, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, U.S.
Department of the Treasury.
September 23, 2016, 9:15 a.m. The Subcommittee on
Transportation and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Vacant
Federal Properties'' Witnesses: The Honorable David Mader,
Controller, Office of Management and Budget; The Honorable
Gregory Parham, Assistant Secretary for Administration,
Department of Agriculture; Mr. Michael Gelber, Deputy
Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services
Administration; Mr. David Wise, Director, Physical
Infrastructure, Government Accountability Office.
November 16, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``2020 Census: Outcomes of the 2016
Site Test.'' Witnesses: The Honorable John H. Thompson,
Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. Kevin B. Smith, Associate
Director for Information Technology and Chief Information
Officer, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. David Powner, Director,
Information Technology Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office, Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, Director,
Strategic Issues-Census Issues, U.S. Government Accountability
Office.
November 16, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on
Information Technology will hold a hearing titled, ``Federal
Cybersecurity After the OPM Data Breach: Have Agencies Learned
their Lesson?'' Witnesses, Ms. Renee P. Wynn, Chief Information
Officer, NASA, Mr. Jonathan Alboum, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Klopp, Deputy
Commissioner & Chief Information Officer, Social Security
Administration.
December 6, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations will
hold a hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology
Reform Act (FITARA) Scorecard 3.0.'' Witnesses: Mr. Luke J.
McCormack, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, Chief Financial Officer, Designated Senior
Official responsible for FITARA implementation, Mr. Frontis
Wiggins, U.S. Department of State, Chief Information Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, Designated Senior Official responsible
for FITARA implementation, Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT
Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
December 7, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Time and Attendance Abuse at the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Russell Slifer, Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for
Intellectual Property, Deputy Director, United States Patent
and Trademark Office, Mr. David Smith, Acting Deputy Inspector
General, U.S. Department of Commerce, Ms. Pamela R. Schwartz,
President, Patent Office Professional Association, Mr. David
Chu, Panel Chair, National Academy of Public Administration.
December 8, 2016, at 9:00 a.m., Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``DATA Act Implementation Check-
in.'' Witnesses Ms. Paula Rascona, Director, Financial
Management and Assurance, U.S. Government Accountability
Office, The Honorable David Mader, Controller, Office of
Federal Financial Management, The Office of Management and
Budget, Mr. David A. Lebryk, Fiscal Assistant Secretary, U.S.
Department of the Treasury, Ms. Courtney Timberlake, Deputy
Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Mr. Timothy E. Gribben, Chief Financial Officer
and Associate Administrator for Performance Management, U.S.
Small Business Administration.
Hearings Held Pursuant to Clause 2 (o)
April 14, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``GAO's Duplication Report at Five Years: Recommendations
Remain Unaddressed.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Beth Cobert,
Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and
Budget; The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
Hearings Held Pursuant to Clause 2 (p)
February 11, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``GAO's High Risk Report: 25 Years of Problematic Practices.''
Witnesses: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General,
U.S. Government Accountability Office; Dr. Shantanu Agrawal,
Deputy Administrator and Director, Centers for Program
Integrity, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,
Department of Health and Human Services; The Honorable Alan F.
Estevez, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, U.S. Department of
Defense; The Honorable John Koskinen, Commissioner, Internal
Revenue Service; Mr. Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr., Associate
Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
Mr. John J. MacWilliams, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, U.S.
Department of Energy.
May 21, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on Government
Operations hearing titled, ``Issues Facing Civilian and Postal
Service Vehicle Fleet Procurement.'' Witnesses: Mr. Joseph
Corbett, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President,
United States Postal Service; Mr. William Toth Jr., Director,
Office of Motor Vehicle Management, General Services
Administration; Ms. Kate M. Vigneau, Director of Professional
Development, NAFA Fleet Management Association; Ms. Lori
Rectanus, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office.
June 10, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform
Act's Role in Reducing IT Acquisition Risk.'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Anne Rung, Administrator, Office of Federal
Procurement Policy, The Office of Management and Budget; Mr.
Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-
Government and Information Technology, The Office of Management
and Budget; Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT Management
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Richard
Spires, Chief Executive Officer, Resilient Network Systems,
Inc.
June 16, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``OPM: Data Breach.'' Witnesses: The Honorable Katherine
Archuleta, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Ms.
Sylvia Burns, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of the
Interior; Mr. Michael R. Esser, Assistant Inspector General for
Audits, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Dr. Andy Ozment, Assistant Secretary, Office of
Cybersecurity and Communications, National Program Preparedness
Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Tony
Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-Government
and Information Technology, U.S. Office of Management and
Budget; Ms. Donna K. Seymour, Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Office of Personnel Management.
June 24, 2015, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``OPM Data Breach: Part II.'' Witnesses: The Honorable
Katherine Archuleta, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Ms. Ann Barron-DiCamillo, Director, U.S. Computer
Emergency Readiness Team, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
Mr. Rob Giannetta, Chief Information Officer, US Investigations
Services, LLC; Mr. Eric A. Hess, Chief Executive Officer,
KeyPoint Government Solutions; The Honorable Patrick E.
McFarland, Inspector General, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management; Ms. Donna K. Seymour, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
September 22, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology field hearing titled, ``The State of the Cloud'' at
the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas.
October 27, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs' Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations joint hearing titled, ``VA and
DoD IT: Electronic Health Records Interoperability.''
Witnesses: The Honorable LaVerne Council, Assistant Secretary
for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Brian P. Burns, Deputy
Director, Warfighter Systems Integration, Office of Information
Dominance, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. David
DeVries, Principle Deputy Chief Information Officer, U.S.
Department of Defense; Ms. Valerie C. Melvin, Director of
Information Management and Technology Resources Issues, U.S.
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Christopher A. Miller,
Program Executive Officer, Defense Healthcare Management
Systems.
November 4, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform
Act's (FITARA) Role in Reducing the IT Acquisition Risk, Part
II--Measuring Agencies; FITARA Implementation.'' Witnesses: Mr.
Tony Scott, U.S. Chief Information Officer, Office of E-
Government and Information Technology, The Office of Management
and Budget; Mr. Sonny Bhagowalia, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Department of Treasury; Mr. Richard McKinney, Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Transportation; Mr.
David Shive, Chief Information Officer, U.S. General Services
Administration; Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT Management
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
May 18, 2016, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations joint
hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology Reform Act
(FITARA) Scorecard 2.0'' Witnesses: Mr. Steven I. Cooper, Chief
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce; Ms. Dawn
Leaf, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Labor; Mr.
Michael M. Johnson, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department
of Energy; Ms. Renee P. Wynn, Chief Information Officer,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Mr. David A.
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, U.S. Government
Accountability Office.
May 25, 2016, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled,
``Federal Agencies' Reliance on Outdated and Unsupported
Information Technology: A Ticking Time Bomb'' Witnesses: The
Honorable Tony Scott, Federal Chief Information Officer, Office
of Management and Budget; Mr. Terry Halvorsen, Chief
Information Officer, Department of Defense; Ms. Beth Killoran,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information Technology
and Chief Information Officer, Department of Health and Human
Services; Mr. Terry Milholland, Chief Technology Officer,
Internal Revenue Service, Department of Treasury; Mr. Dave
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, Government
Accountability Office.
September 23, 2016, 9:15 a.m. The Subcommittee on
Transportation and Public Assets hearing titled, ``Vacant
Federal Properties'' Witnesses: The Honorable David Mader,
Controller, Office of Management and Budget; The Honorable
Gregory Parham, Assistant Secretary for Administration,
Department of Agriculture; Mr. Michael Gelber, Deputy
Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services
Administration; Mr. David Wise, Director, Physical
Infrastructure, Government Accountability Office.
November 16, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee on
Information Technology will hold a hearing titled, ``Federal
Cybersecurity After the OPM Data Breach: Have Agencies Learned
their Lesson?'' Witnesses, Ms. Renee P. Wynn, Chief Information
Officer, NASA, Mr. Jonathan Alboum, Chief Information Officer,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Klopp, Deputy
Commissioner & Chief Information Officer, Social Security
Administration.
December 6, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee on Information
Technology and the Subcommittee on Government Operations will
hold a hearing titled, ``The Federal Information Technology
Reform Act (FITARA) Scorecard 3.0.'' Witnesses: Mr. Luke J.
McCormack, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, Chief Financial Officer, Designated Senior
Official responsible for FITARA implementation, Mr. Frontis
Wiggins, U.S. Department of State, Chief Information Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, Designated Senior Official responsible
for FITARA implementation, Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT
Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
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