[House Report 115-1114]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                Union Calendar No. 881
115th Congress    }                                       {     Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                       {   115-1114
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     


                               ACTIVITIES

                                 of the

                    HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND

                           GOVERNMENT REFORM

                     ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

                            JANUARY 2, 2019

                  (Pursuant to House Rule XI, 1(d)(1))










[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]












         Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdys.gov
                      http://oversight.house.gov/


January 2, 2016.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                   ______
		 
                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
		 
33-945                    WASHINGTON : 2019                 


























              COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
                  TREY GOWDY, South Carolina, Chairman

JOHN DUNCAN, Tennessee               ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland
DARRELL ISSA, California             CAROLYN MALONEY, New York
JIM JORDAN, Ohio                     ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of 
MARK SANFORD, South Carolina             Columbia
JUSTIN AMASH, Michigan               WILLIAM LACY CLAY, Missouri
PAUL GOSAR, Arizona                  STEPHEN LYNCH, Massachusetts
SCOTT DESJARLAIS, Tennessee          JIM COOPER, Tennessee
VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina        GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky              ROBIN KELLY, Illinois
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina         BRENDA LAWRENCE, Michigan
DENNIS ROSS, Florida                 BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN, New Jersey
MARK WALKER, North Carolina          RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI, Illinois
ROD BLUM, Iowa                       JAMIE RASKIN, Maryland
JODY B. HICE, Georgia                JIMMY GOMEZ, California
STEVE RUSSELL, Oklahoma              PETER WELCH, Vermont
GLENN GROTHMAN, Wisconsin            MATT CARTWRIGHT, Pennsylvania
WILLIAM HURD, Texas                  MARK DESAULNIER, California
GARY J. PALMER, Alabama              STACEY E. PLASKETT, Virgin Islands
JAMES COMER, Kentucky                JOHN SARBANES, Maryland
PAUL MITCHELL, Michigan
GREG GIANFORTE, Montana
MICHAEL CLOUD, Texas
                     Sheria Clarke, Staff Director
          William McKenna, General Counsel and Parliamentarian
                        Laura Rush, Chief Clerk
                 Dave Rapallo, Minority Staff Director  
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                         LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

                              ----------                              

        House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight 
            and Government Reform,
                                   Washington, DC, January 2, 2019.
Hon. Paul D. Ryan,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker:  In accordance with 1(d)(1) of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, I respectfully submit the 
report on the activities of the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform for the 115th Congress.
            Sincerely,
                                                Trey Gowdy,
                                                          Chairman. 
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                                                          
                            C O N T E N T S

 I. Legislative Activities............................................1
          a. Bills Enacted into Law..............................     1
          b. Bills Enacted into Law as Part of Another Bill......    10
          c. Bills Presented to the President....................    11
          d. Bills Passed by the House...........................    11
          e. Bills Favorably Reported by the Committee...........    15
          f. Bills Adversely Reported by the Committee...........    16
          g. Full Committee Business Meetings Held...............    17
II. Hearings Held....................................................32
          a. Full Committee......................................    32
          b. Subcommittee on Government Operations...............    41
          c. Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits and 
              Administrative Rules...............................    43
          d. Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and 
              Environment........................................    44
          e. Subcommittee on Information Technology..............    48
          f. Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs...........    47
          g. Subcommittee on National Security...................    51
          h. Joint Subcommittee..................................    54
III.Oversight Activities & Recommendations...........................62

          a. Summary of Committee Oversight Plan.................    63
          b. Government Operations...............................    63
          c. Healthcare, Benefits, & Administrative Rules........    86
          d. Interior, Energy, & Environment.....................    92
          e. Intergovernmental Affairs...........................    96
          f. Information Technology..............................   105
          g. National Security...................................   109

















                                                      Calendar No. 881
115th Congress    }                                       {     Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                       {   115-1114

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



 
  ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM

                                _______
                                

January 2, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Gowdy, from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       I. LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES


                         BILLS ENACTED INTO LAW

    H.J. Res. 37, Disapproving the rule submitted by the 
Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to 
the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Introduced by Rep. Virginia 
Foxx (R-NC) on 1/30/2017; passed House on 2/2/2017 (by record 
vote of 236-187); passed Senate on 3/6/2017 (by record vote of 
49-48); became Pub. L. 115-11 on 3/27/2017.
    H.R. 39, TALENT Act of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Kevin 
McCarthy (R-CA) on 1/3/2017; passed House on 1/11/2017 (under 
suspension by record vote of 386-17); passed Senate on 1/17/
2017 (by unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-1 on 1/20/2017.
    H.R. 72, GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017. Introduced 
by Rep. Earl L. ``Buddy'' Carter (R-GA) on 1/3/2017; passed 
House on 1/4/2017 (under suspension by voice vote); passed 
Senate on 1/17/2017 (by record vote of 99-0); became Pub. L. 
115-3 on 1/31/2017.
    H.R. 194, Federal Agency Mail Management Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) on 1/3/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 2/2/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
66); passed House on 5/17/2017 (under suspension by voice 
vote); passed Senate on 11/8/2017 (by unanimous consent); 
became Pub. L. 115-85 on 11/21/2017.
    H.R. 195, Making further continuing appropriations for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. 
Introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) on 1/3/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 2/14/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
128); passed House on 5/17/2017 (under suspension by voice 
vote); passed Senate on 12/21/2017 (by unanimous consent); 
became Pub. L. 115-120 on 1/22/2018.
    H.R. 274, Modernizing Government Travel Act. Introduced by 
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) on 1/4/2017; passed House on 1/10/2017 
(under suspension by voice vote); passed Senate on 5/2/2017 (by 
unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-34 on 5/16/2017.
    H.R. 624, Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 
2017. Introduced by Rep. David G. Valadao (R-CA) on 1/24/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 2/14/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-150); passed House on 5/24/2017 (under suspension by 
voice vote); passed Senate on 9/6/2017 (by unanimous consent); 
became Pub. L. 115-59 on 9/15/2017.
    H.R. 657, Follow the Rules Act. Introduced by Rep. Sean P. 
Duffy (R-WI) on 1/24/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 2/
2/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-67); passed House on 5/1/
2017 (under suspension by record vote of 407-0); passed Senate 
on 5/25/2017 (by unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-40 on 
6/14/2017. Senate Companion (S. 576, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)).
    H.R. 1242, 400 Years of African-American History Commission 
Act. Introduced by Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-VA) on 2/28/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 3/28/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-105); passed House on 5/1/2017 (under suspension by 
voice vote); passed Senate on 12/21/2017 (voice vote); became 
Pub. L. 115-102 on 1/8/2018.
    H.R. 2229, All Circuit Review Act. Introduced by Rep. 
Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) on 4/28/2017; ordered reported by 
Committee on 5/2/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-337); passed 
House on 10/11/2017 (under suspension by voice vote); passed 
Senate on 6/12/2018 (by unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-
195 on 7/7/2018.
    H.R. 2331, Connected Government Act. Introduced by Rep. 
Robin L. Kelly (D-IL) on 5/3/2017; ordered reported by 
Committee on 9/13/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-406); passed 
House on 11/15/2017 (under suspension by record vote of 423-0); 
passed Senate on 12/21/2017 (by unanimous consent); became Pub. 
L. 115-114 on 1/10/2018.
    H.R. 2989, Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act. 
Introduced by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on 6/21/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 7/19/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-340); passed House on 10/11/2017 (under suspension by 
voice vote); passed Senate on 10/18/2017 (by unanimous 
consent); became Pub. L. 115-77 on 11/2/2017.
    H.R. 3031, TSP Modernization Act of 2017. Introduced by 
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) on 6/23/2017; ordered reported 
by Committee on 7/19/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-343); 
passed House on 10/11/2017 (under suspension by voice vote); 
passed Senate on 11/6/2017 (by unanimous consent); became Pub. 
L. 115-84 on 11/17/2017.
    H.R. 3210, Securely Expediting Clearances Through Reporting 
Transparency Act of 2018. Introduced by Rep. Stephen Knight (R-
CA) on 7/12/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 7/19/2017 by 
voice vote (H. Rept. 15-258); passed House on 7/26/2017 (under 
suspension by voice vote); passed Senate on 3/15/2018 (by 
unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-173 on 5/22/2018.
    H.R. 3243, FITARA Enhancement Act of 2017. Introduced by 
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA) on 7/14/2017; ordered reported 
by Committee on 7/19/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-344); 
passed House on 10/11/2017 (under suspension by record vote of 
418-0); passed Senate on 11/8/2017 (by unanimous consent); 
became Pub. L. 115-88 on 11/21/2017.
    H.R. 3398, REAL ID Act Modification for Freely Associated 
States Act. Introduced by Rep. Don Young (R-AK) on 7/25/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 2/6/2018 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-945); passed House on 9/26/2018 (under suspension by 
voice vote); passed Senate on 12/6/2018; became Pub. L. 115-323 
on 12/17/2018.
    H.R. 3731, Secret Service Recruitment and Retention Act of 
2018. Introduced by Rep. John Katko (R-NY) on 9/11/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 9/13/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-435); passed House on 12/5/2017 (under suspension by 
record vote of 407-4); passed Senate on 3/19/2018 (by unanimous 
consent); became Pub. L. 115-160 on 4/3/2018.
    H.R. 4431, Correcting Miscalculations in Veterans' Pensions 
Act. Introduced by Rep. Earl L. ``Buddy'' Carter (R-GA) on 11/
16/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 11/30/2017 by voice 
vote (H. Rept. 115-946); passed House on 9/26/2018 (under 
suspension by voice vote); passed Senate on 12/13/2018 (by 
unanimous consent); became law on 12/22/2018.*
    H.R. 5759, 21st Century IDEA. Introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna 
(D-CA) on 5/10/2018; ordered reported by Committee on 9/27/2018 
by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-1055); passed House on 11/29/2018 
(under suspension by voice vote); passed Senate on 12/11/2018 
(by unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-336 on 12/20/2018.
    H.R. 6870, An act to rename the Stop Trading on 
Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 in honor of Representative 
Louise McIntosh Slaughter. Introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) 
on 9/25/2018; discharged from the Committee on 9/25/2018; 
passed House on 9/28/2018 (by unanimous consent); passed Senate 
on 12/11/2018 (by unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-277 on 
11/3/2018.
    H.R. 6893, Secret Service Overtime Pay Extension Act. 
Introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) on 9/25/2018; ordered 
reported by Committee on 9/27/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
1069); passed House on 12/10/2018 (under suspension by voice 
vote); passed Senate on 12/19/2018 (by unanimous consent); 
became law on December 21, 2018.*
    S. 188, EGO Act. Introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on 
1/23/2017; passed Senate on 9/18/2017 (by unanimous consent); 
passed House on 3/6/2018 (under suspension by voice vote); 
became Pub. L. 115-158 on 3/27/2018. House companion (H.R. 
1701. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA)) ordered reported by 
Committee on 9/13/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-511).
    S. 585, Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act 
of 2017. Introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on 3/8/2017; 
passed Senate on 5/25/2017 (by unanimous consent); passed House 
on 10/12/2017 (by record vote of 420-0); became Pub. L. 115-73 
on 10/26/2017. House companion (H.R. 3042, Rep. Sean P. Duffy 
(R-WI)).
    S. 899, Veterans Providing Healthcare Transition 
Improvement Act. Introduced by Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) on 
4/7/2017; passed Senate on 3/28/2018 (by unanimous consent); 
passed House on 7/16/2018 (under suspension by voice vote); 
became Pub. L. 115-238 on 9/7/2018. House companion (H.R. 2648, 
Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH)) ordered reported by Committee on 5/
23/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-825).
    S. 1083, A bill to amend section 1214 of title 5, United 
States Code, to provide for stays during a period that the 
Merit Systems Protection Board lacks a quorum. Introduced by 
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on 5/10/2017; passed Senate on 5/11/
2017 (by unanimous consent); passed House on 5/25/2017 (by 
unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-42 on 6/27/2017.
    S. 1869, Whistleblower Protection Coordination Act. 
Introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on 9/27/2017; passed 
Senate on 3/15/2018 (by unanimous consent); passed House on 6/
7/2018 (by unanimous consent); became Pub. L. 115-192 on 6/25/
2018. House companion (H.R. 4043, Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA)) ordered 
reported by Committee on 11/2/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
510).
    * Pub. L. number not available at the time of printing.

                  POSTAL NAMING BILLS ENACTED INTO LAW

    H.R. 294, Olson (R-TX), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 2700 Cullen 
Boulevard in Pearland, Texas, as the ``Endy Nddiobong Ekpanya 
Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-133).
    H.R. 452, Luetkemeyer (R-MO), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 324 
West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, Missouri, as the 
``Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-
134).
    H.R. 606, DeSaulnier (D-CA), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1025 
Nevin Avenue in Richmond, California, as the ``Harold D. 
McCraw, Sr., Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-283).
    H.R. 1207, Cuellar (D-TX), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 306 River Street 
in Tilden, Texas, as the ``Tilden Veterans Post Office'' (Pub. 
L. 115-311).
    H.R. 1208, Cuellar (D-TX), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 9155 Schaefer 
Road, Converse, Texas, as the ``Converse Veterans Post Office 
Building'' (Pub. L. 115-138).
    H.R. 1209, Cuellar (D-TX), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 901 N. Francisco 
Avenue, Mission, Texas, as the ``Mission Veterans Post Office 
Building'' (Pub. L. 115-284).
    H.R. 1210, Cuellar (D-TX), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 122 W. Goodwin 
Street, Pleasanton, Texas, as the ``Pleasanton Veterans Post 
Office.''*
    H.R. 1211, Cuellar (D-TX), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 400 N. Main 
Street, Encinal, Texas, as the ``Encinal Veterans Post 
Office.''*
    H.R. 1496, Bass (D-CA), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 4040 West 
Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the 
``Marvin Gaye Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-207).
    H.R. 1850, Amash (R-MI), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 907 Fourth 
Avenue in Lake Odessa, Michigan, as the ``Donna Sauers Besko 
Post Office.''*
    H.R. 1858, Marino (R-PA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 4514 Williamson 
Trail in Liberty, Pennsylvania, as the ``Staff Sergeant Ryan 
Scott Ostrom Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-139).
    H.R. 1988, McCarthy (R-CA), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1730 
18th Street in Bakersfield, California, as the ``Merle Haggard 
Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-140).
    H.R. 2254, Thompson (D-CA), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2635 
Napa Street in Vallejo, California, as the ``Janet Capello Post 
Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-142).
    H.R. 2302, Watson Coleman (D-NJ), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 259 
Nassau Street, Suite 2 in Princeton, New Jersey, as the ``Dr. 
John F. Nash, Jr. Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-143).
    H.R. 2464, Lynch (D-MA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 25 New Chardon 
Street Lobby in Boston, Massachusetts, as the ``John Fitzgerald 
Kennedy Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-144).
    H.R. 2672, Bustos (D-IL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 520 Carter 
Street in Fairview, Illinois, as the ``Sgt. Douglas J. Riney 
Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-145).
    H.R. 2673, Bustos (D-IL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 514 Broadway 
Street in Pekin, Illinois, as the ``Lance Corporal Jordan S. 
Bastean Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-208).
    H.R. 2815, Lance (R-NJ), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 30 East Somerset 
Street in Raritan, New Jersey, as the ``Sergeant John Basilone 
Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-146).
    H.R. 2873, Boyle (D-PA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 207 Glenside 
Avenue in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, as the ``Staff Sergeant Peter 
Taub Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-147).
    H.R. 2979, Aguilar (D-CA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 390 West 5th 
Street in San Bernardino, California, as the ``Jack H. Brown 
Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-285).
    H.R. 3109, LaHood (R-IL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1114 North 2nd 
Street in Chillicothe, Illinois, as the ``Sr. Chief Ryan Owens 
Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-148).
    H.R. 3183, Garrett (R-VA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 13683 James 
Madison Highway in Palmyra, Virginia, as the ``U.S. Navy Seaman 
Dakota Kyle Rigsby Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-209).
    H.R. 3184, Garrett (R-VA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 180 McCormick 
Road in Charlottesville, Virginia, as the ``Captain Humayun 
Khan Post Office.''*
    H.R. 3230, Labrador (R-ID), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 915 
Center Avenue in Payette, Idaho, as the ``Harmon Killebrew Post 
Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-286).
    H.R. 3369, Hudson (R-NC), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 225 North Main 
Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, as the ``Howard B. Pate, 
Jr. Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-149).
    H.R. 3638, Lawson (D-FL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1100 Kings Road 
in Jacksonville, Florida, as the ``Rutledge Pearson Post Office 
Building'' (Pub. L. 115-150).
    H.R. 3655, Smith (R-NJ), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1300 Main Street 
in Belmar, New Jersey, as the ``Dr. Walter S. McAfee Post 
Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-151).
    H.R. 3821, Collins (R-GA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 430 Main Street 
in Clermont, Georgia, as the ``Zachary Addington Post Office'' 
(Pub. L. 115-152).
    H.R. 3893, Yoho (R-FL), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 100 Mathe Avenue in 
Interlachen, Florida, as the ``Robert H. Jenkins Post Office'' 
(Pub. L. 115-153).
    H.R. 4042, Soto (D-FL), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 1415 West Oak 
Street, in Kissimmee, Florida, as the ``Borinqueneers Post 
Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-154).
    H.R. 4285, LoBiondo (R-NJ), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 123 
Bridgeton Pike in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, as the ``James C. 
'Billy' Johnson Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-155).
    H.R. 4301, Norman (R-SC), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 201 Tom Hall 
Street in Fort Mill, South Carolina, as the ``J. Elliott 
Williams Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-210).
    H.R. 4326, LaHood (R-IL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 200 West North 
Street in Normal, Illinois, as the ``Sgt. Josh Rodgers Post 
Office.''*
    H.R. 4406, Espaillat (D-NY), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 
Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the ``Tuskegee Airmen 
Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-211).
    H.R. 4407, Hultgren (R-IL), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3s101 
Rockwell Street in Warrenville, Illinois, as the ``Corporal 
Jeffery Allen Williams Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-
316).
    H.R. 4463, Velazquez (D-NY), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6 
Doyers Street in New York, New York, as the ``Mabel Lee 
Memorial Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-212).
    H.R. 4574, Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 108 
West Schick Road in Bloomingdale, Illinois, as the 
``Bloomingdale Veterans Memorial Post Office Building'' (Pub. 
L. 115-213).
    H.R. 4646, Palmer (R-AL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1900 Corporate 
Drive in Birmingham, Alabama, as the ``Lance Corporal Thomas E. 
Rivers, Jr. Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-214).
    H.R. 4685, Cicilline (D-RI), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 515 
Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, as the ``First Sergeant 
P. Andrew McKenna Jr. Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-215).
    H.R. 4722, Faso (R-NY), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 111 Market Street 
in Saugerties, New York, as the ``Maurice D. Hinchey Post 
Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-216).
    H.R. 4840, Murphy (D-FL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 567 East 
Franklin Street in Oviedo, Florida, as the ``Sergeant First 
Class Alwyn Crendall Cashe Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-
217).
    H.R. 4890, Brown (D-MD), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 9801 Apollo 
Drive in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, as the ``Wayne K. Curry Post 
Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-287).
    H.R. 4913, Harris (R-MD), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 816 East 
Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury, Maryland, as the ``Sgt. Maj. 
Wardell B. Turner Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-288).
    H.R. 4946, Correa (D-CA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1075 North 
Tustin Street in Orange, California, as the ``Specialist Trevor 
A. Win'E Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-289).
    H.R. 4960, Hartzler (R-MO), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 511 
East Walnut Street in Columbia, Missouri, as the ``Spc. 
Sterling William Wyatt Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-
290).
    H.R. 5205, Kihuen (D-NV), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 701 6th Street 
in Hawthorne, Nevada, as the ``Sergeant Kenneth Eric Bostic 
Post Office.''*
    H.R. 5238, Clarke (D-NY), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1234 Saint 
John's Place in Brooklyn, New York, as the ``Major Robert Odell 
Owens Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-317).
    H.R. 5349, Cohen (D-TN), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1320 Autumn 
Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, as the ``Judge Russell B. 
Sugarmon Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-291).
    H.R. 5395, Collins (R-NY), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 116 Main Street 
in Dansville, New York, as the ``Staff Sergeant Alexandria 
Gleason-Morrow Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 5412, King (R-NY), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 25 2nd Avenue in 
Brentwood, New York, as the ``Army Specialist Jose L. Ruiz Post 
Office Building.''*
    H.R. 5475, Graves (R-MO), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 108 North Macon 
Street in Bevier, Missouri, as the ``SO2 Navy SEAL Adam Olin 
Smith Post Office.''*
    H.R. 5504, Newhouse (R-WA), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4801 
West Van Giesen Street in West Richland, Washington, as the 
``Sergeant Dietrich Schmieman Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 
115-292).
    H.R. 5737, Bustos (D-IL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 108 West D 
Street in Alpha, Illinois, as the ``Captain Joshua E. Steele 
Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-293).
    H.R. 5784, Moore (D-WI), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 North 
Doctor Martin Luther King Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the 
``Vel R. Phillips Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-294).
    H.R. 5791, Coffman (R-CO), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 9609 South 
University Boulevard in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, as the 
``Deputy Sheriff Zackari Spurlock Parrish, III, Post Office 
Building.''*
    H.R. 5792, Coffman (R-CO), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 90 North 4th 
Avenue in Brighton, Colorado, as the ``Detective Heath McDonald 
Gumm Post Office.''*
    H.R. 5868, Gibbs (R-OH), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 530 Claremont 
Avenue in Ashland, Ohio, as the ``Bill Harris Post Office'' 
(Pub. L. 115-295).
    H.R. 5935, Davis (R-IL), An act to designate the facility 
at the United States Postal Service located at 1355 North 
Meridian Drive in Harristown, Illinois, as the ``Logan S. 
Palmer Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-296).
    H.R. 6020, Bishop (R-MI), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 325 South 
Michigan Avenue in Howell, Michigan, as the ``Sergeant Donald 
Burgett Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6059, Moulton (D-MA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 51 Willow Street 
in Lynn, Massachusetts, as the ``Thomas P. Costin, Jr. Post 
Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6116, Moolenaar (R-MI), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 362 
North Ross Street in Beaverton, Michigan, as the ``Colonel 
Alfred Asch Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-297).
    H.R. 6167, Roskam (R-IL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 5707 South Cass 
Avenue in Westmont, Illinois, as the ``James William Robinson 
Jr. Memorial Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6216, Tipton (R-CO), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 3025 Woodgate 
Road in Montrose, Colorado, as the ``Sergeant David 
Kinterknecht Post Office.''*
    H.R. 6217, Tipton (R-CO), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 241 N 4th Street 
in Grand Junction, Colorado, as the ``Deputy Sheriff Derek Geer 
Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6335, Esty (D-CT), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 322 Main Street in 
Oakville, Connecticut, as the ``Oakville Veterans Memorial Post 
Office.''*
    H.R. 6405, Denham (R-CA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 2801 Mitchell 
Road in Ceres, California, as the ``Lance Corporal Juana 
Navarro Arellano Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6428, Gottheimer (D-NJ), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 332 
Ramapo Valley Road in Oakland, New Jersey, as the ``Frank Leone 
Post Office.''*
    H.R. 6513, Brooks (R-AL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 1110 West Market 
Street in Athens, Alabama, as the ``Judge James E. Horton, Jr. 
Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6591, Butler Demings (D-FL), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 501 
South Kirkman Road in Orlando, Florida, as the ``Napoleon 'Nap' 
Ford Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6621, Roe (R-TN), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 530 East Main 
Street in Johnson City, Tennessee, as the ``Major Homer L. 
Pease Post Office.''*
    H.R. 6628, Smith (D-WA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 4301 Northeast 
4th Street in Renton, Washington, as the ``James Marshall 
'Jimi' Hendrix Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6655, LaMalfa (R-CA), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 44160 State 
Highway 299 East Suite 1 in McArthur, California, as the 
``Janet Lucille Oilar Post Office.''*
    H.R. 6780, Castor (D-FL), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 7521 Paula Drive 
in Tampa, Florida, as the ``Major Andreas O'Keeffe Post Office 
Building.''*
    H.R. 6831, Polis (D-CO), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 35 West Main 
Street in Frisco, Colorado, as the ``Patrick E. Mahany, Jr., 
Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 6930, Stefanik (R-NY), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10 
Miller Street in Plattsburgh, New York, as the ``Ross Bouyea 
Post Office Building.''*
    H.R. 7230, Clyburn (D-SC), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 226 West Main 
Street in Lake City, South Carolina, as the ``Postmaster 
Frazier B. Baker Post Office.''*
    H.R. 7243, Murphy (D-FL), An act to amend Public Law 115-
217 to change the address of the postal facility designated by 
such Public Law in honor of Sergeant First Class Alwyn Crendall 
Cashe, and for other purposes.''*
    S. 831, Toomey (R-PA), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 120 West Pike 
Street in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, as the ``Police Officer 
Scott Bashioum Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-137).
    S. 931, Gardner (R-CO), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 4910 Brighton 
Boulevard in Denver, Colorado, as the ``George Sakato Post 
Office'' (Pub. L. 115-220).
    S. 2040, Roberts (R-KS), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 621 Kansas 
Avenue in Atchison, Kansas, as the ``Amelia Earhart Post Office 
Building'' (Pub. L. 115-162).
    S. 2692, Gillibrand (D-NY), An act to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4558 
Broadway in New York, New York, as the ``Stanley Michels Post 
Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-223).
    S. 3209, Menendez (D-NJ), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 413 Washington 
Avenue in Belleville, New Jersey, as the ``Private Henry Svehla 
Post Office Building'' (Pub. L. 115-318).
    S. 3237, Perdue (R-GA), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 120 12th Street 
Lobby in Columbus, Georgia, as the ``Richard W. Williams, Jr., 
Chapter of the Triple Nickles (555th P.I.A.) Post Office'' 
(Pub. L. 115-319).
    S. 3414, Reed (D-RI), An act to designate the facility of 
the United States Postal Service located at 20 Ferry Road in 
Saunderstown, Rhode Island, as the ``Captain Matthew J. August 
Post Office'' (Pub. L. 115-313).
    S. 3442, McCaskill (D-MO), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 105 Duff Street 
in Macon, Missouri, as the ``Arla W. Harrell Post Office'' 
(Pub. L. 115-313).
    *Pub. L. number not available at the time of submission.

                 BILLS ENACTED AS PART OF ANOTHER BILL

    H.R. 69, Thoroughly Investigating Retaliation Against 
Whistleblowers Act. Introduced by Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA) on 1/3/
2017; passed House on 1/4/2017 (under suspension by voice 
vote). H.R. 69 was included as Section 1097 of National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (H.R. 2810, Rep. Mac 
Thornberry (R-TX)), which became Pub. L. 115-91 on 12/12/2017.
    H.R. 1387, SOAR Reauthorization Act. Introduced by Rep. 
Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 3/7/2017; ordered reported by 
Committee on 3/10/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-62). H.R. 
1387 was included as Title IX of Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2017 (H.R. 244, Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA)), which became Pub. 
L. 115-31 on 5/5/2017.
    H.R. 2227, MGT Act. Introduced by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) on 
4/28/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 5/2/2017 by voice 
vote (H. Rept. 115-129); passed House on 5/17/2017 (under 
suspension by voice vote). H.R. 2227 was included as Subtitle G 
of National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 
(H.R. 2810, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX)), which became Pub. L. 
115-91 on 12/12/2017.
    H.R. 3019, Promoting Value Based Procurement Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 6/22/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 9/13/2017 by voice vote. H.R. 3019 was 
included as Section 880 of John S. McCain National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (H.R. 5515, Rep. Mac 
Thornberry (R-TX)), which became Pub. L. 115-232 on 8/13/2018.
    H.R. 3071, Federal Acquisition Act of 2017. Introduced by 
Rep. Earl L. ``Buddy'' Carter (R-GA) on 6/8/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/15/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
402); passed House on 11/13/2017 (under suspension by record 
vote 396-0). H.R. 3071 was included as Section 555 of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 302, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-
KY)), which became Pub. L. 115-254 on 10/5/2018.
    H.R. 4171, To amend title 5, United States Code, to extend 
the authority to conduct telework travel expenses test 
programs, and for other purposes. Introduced by Greg Gianforte 
(R-MT) on 10/31/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 11/2/
2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-460); passed House on 12/12/
2017 (under suspension by voice vote). H.R. 4171 was included 
as Section 1105 of John S. McCain National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (H.R. 5515, Rep. Mac 
Thornberry (R-TX)), which became Pub. L. 115-232 on 8/13/2018.
    H.R. 5925, CRISIS Act. Introduced by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) 
on 5/23/2018; ordered reported by Committee on 5/23/2018 by 
voice vote (H. Rept. 115-767); passed House on 6/20/2018 (under 
suspension by voice vote). H.R. 5925 was included as Subtitle K 
of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid 
Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act, or 
``SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act'' (H.R. 6, Rep. Greg 
Walden (R-OR)), which became Pub. L. 115-271 on 10/24/2018.

              POSTAL NAMING BILLS ENACTED VIA ANOTHER BILL

    H.R. 1950, Murphy (R-PA), A bill to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 120 West Pike 
Street in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, as the ``Police Officer 
Scott Bashioum Post Office Building'' (enacted via S. 831 as 
Pub. L. 115-137).
    H.R. 4188, Jenkins (R-KS), A bill to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 621 Kansas 
Avenue in Atchison, Kansas, as the ``Amelia Earhart Post Office 
Building'' (enacted via S. 2040 as Pub. L. 115-162).
    H.R. 4405, Espaillat (D-NY), A bill to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4558 
Broadway in New York, New York, as the ``Stanley Michaels Post 
Office Building'' (enacted via S. 2692 as Pub. L. 115-223).

                    BILLS PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT

    S. 2276, Good Accounting Obligation in Government Act. 
Introduced by Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on 1/04/2018; passed 
Senate on 12/06/2018 (by unanimous consent); passed House on 
12/21/2018 (under suspension by recorded vote of 382-2); 
presented to the President on December 27, 2018.* House 
companion (H.R. 5415, Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC)) ordered reported 
by Committee on 5/23/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-823); 
passed House on 7/16/2018 (under suspension by voice vote).
    S. 3191, Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 
2018. Introduced by Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) on 7/10/2018; passed 
Senate on 12/17/2018 (by unanimous consent); passed House on 
12/21/2018 (under suspension by recorded vote of 376-6); 
presented to the President on December 27, 2018. House 
companion (H.R. 1272, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL)) ordered reported 
by Committee on 9/27/2018 by UC.

                         BILLS PASSED THE HOUSE

    H. Res. 759, Expressing the condolences of the House of 
Representatives on the death of the Reverend Billy Graham. 
Introduced by Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC) on 3/1/2018; Committee 
discharged on 3/1/2018; passed House on 3/1/2018 (by unanimous 
consent).
    H. Res. 838, Honoring the life of First Lady Barbara Bush. 
Introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) on 4/24/2018; 
Committee discharged on 4/24/2018; passed House on 4/24/2018 
(by unanimous consent).
    H. Res. 1138, Condemning the anti-Semitic attack on the 
building housing three congregations, Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, 
and New Light, honoring the memory of the victims of the 
attack, and offering condolences to and expressing support for 
their families, friends, and community. Introduced by Rep. 
Michael Doyle (D-PA) on 11/6/2018; Committee discharged on 11/
13/2018; passed House on 11/13/2018 (by unanimous consent).
    H. Res. 838, Honoring the life of President George Herbert 
Walker Bush. Introduced by Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) on 12/10/
2018; Committee discharged on 12/11/2018; passed House on 12/
11/2018 (by unanimous consent).
    H.R. 50, Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act 
of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on 01/03/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 3/15/2018 by record vote of 
20-10 (H. Rept. 115-798, Part I); passed House on 7/13/2018 (by 
record vote of 230-168).
    H.R. 70, Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO) on 01/03/2017; passed 
House on 1/4/2017 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 71, Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act. Introduced by Rep. 
Tim Walberg (R-MI) on 1/3/2017; Passed House on 1/4/2017 (under 
suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 73, Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN) on 1/3/2017; 
passed House on 1/4/2017 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 378, Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017. Introduced 
by Rep. Charles J. ``Chuck'' Fleischmann (R-TN) on 1/9/2017; 
ordered reported by committee on 7/19/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-341); passed House on 10/11/2017 (under suspension by 
voice vote).
    H.R. 653, Federal Intern Protection Act of 2017. Introduced 
by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) on 1/24/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/8/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
78); passed House on 5/17/2017 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 702, Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) on 1/27/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 2/2/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-79); passed House on 7/11/2017 (under suspension by 
voice vote).
    H.R. 998, SCRUB Act. Introduced by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) 
on 2/9/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 2/14/2017 by 
record vote of 22-17 (H. Rept. 115-14); passed House on 3/1/
2017 (by record vote of 240-185).
    H.R. 1004, Regulatory Integrity Act of 2017. Introduced by 
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) on 2/13/2017; ordered reported by 
Committee on 2/14/2017 by record vote of 22-16 (H. Rept. 115-
15); passed House on 3/2/2017 (by record vote of 246-176).
    H.R. 1009, OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act. 
Introduced by Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI) on 2/13/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 2/14/2017 by record vote of 23-16 (H. 
Rept. 115-19); passed House on 3/1/2017 (by record vote of 241-
184).
    H.R. 1132, Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention Act. 
Introduced by Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) on 2/16/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 11/2/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
439); passed House on 3/6/2018 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 1293, 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 A. Ross (R-FL) on 3/1/
2017; ordered reported by Committee on 3/8/2017 by voice vote 
(H. Rept. 115-118); passed House on 5/24/2017 (under suspension 
by voice vote).
    H.R. 1376, Electronic Message Preservation Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Elijah E. Cummings on 3/7/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/15/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
824); passed House on 7/16/2018 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 1694, Fannie and Freddie Open Records Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 3/23/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/28/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
93); passed House on 4/27/2017 (by record vote of 425-0).
    H.R. 2196, To amend title 5, United States Code, to allow 
whistleblowers to disclose information to certain recipients. 
Introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) on 4/27/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 5/2/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
342); passed by House on 10/11/2017 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 2846, Federal Agency Customer Experience Act of 2018. 
Introduced by Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) on 6/8/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/15/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
1043); passed House on 11/29/2018 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 2897, An act to authorize the Mayor of the District of 
Columbia and the Director of the National Park Service to enter 
into cooperative management agreements for the operation, 
maintenance, and management of units of the National Park 
System in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. 
Introduced by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on 6/13/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 7/19/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-436); passed House on 1/16/2018 (under suspension by 
voice vote).
    H.R. 3076, Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic 
Services for Constituents Act of 2018. Introduced by Rep. 
Garret Graves (R-LA) on 6/27/2017; ordered reported by 
Committee on 2/6/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-826); passed 
House on 7/16/2018 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 3121, All-American Flag Act. Introduced by Rep. Cheri 
Bustos (D-IL) on 6/29/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 
11/2/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-1044); passed House on 
11/29/2018 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 3154, Inspector General Access Act of 2017. Introduced 
by Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) on 6/29/2017; ordered reported 
by Committee on 9/27/2018 by unanimous consent (H. Rept. 115-
1045); passed House on 11/29/2018 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 3737, Social Media Use in Clearance Investigations Act 
of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on 9/12/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 9/13/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-512); passed House on 3/6/2018 (under suspension by 
voice vote).
    H.R. 3739, Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 
2017. Introduced by Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) on 9/12/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 9/13/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
407); passed House on 11/13/2017 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 4182, Ensuring a Qualified Civil Service (EQUALS) Act 
of 2017. Introduced by Rep. James Comer (R-KY) on 10/31/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 11/2/2017 by record vote of 
19-17 (H. Rept. 115-415); passed House on 11/30/2017 (by record 
vote of 213-204).
    H.R. 4446, To amend the Virgin Islands of the United States 
Centennial Commission Act to extend the expiration date of the 
Commission, and for other purposes. Introduced by Rep. Stacey 
Plaskett (D-VI) on 11/16/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 
3/15/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-822); passed House on 7/
16/2018 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 4809, Guidance Out of Darkness Act. Introduced by Rep. 
Mark Walker (R-NC) on 1/16/2018; ordered reported by Committee 
on 3/15/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-972); passed House on 
9/26/2018 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 4887, Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements 
Transparency Act of 2018. Introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-
NC) on 1/29/2018; ordered reported by Committee on 2/6/2018 by 
voice vote (H. Rept. 115-947); passed house on 9/26/2018 (under 
suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 4917, IG Subpoena Authority Act. Introduced by Rep. 
Steve Russell (R-OK) on 2/2/2018; ordered reported by Committee 
on 2/6/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-799); passed House on 
9/26/2018 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 5896, Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendments Act of 
2018. Introduced by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) on 5/21/2018; ordered 
reported by Committee on 5/23/2018 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
973); passed House on 9/26/2018 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 6777, Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 
2018. Introduced by Rep. Gary J. Palmer (R-AL) on 9/12/2018; 
ordered reported by Committee on 9/27/2018 by unanimous 
consent; passed House on 11/29/2018 (under suspension by voice 
vote).
    H.R. 6846, To require the United States Postal Service to 
establish new ZIP codes, and for other purposes. Introduced by 
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) on 9/20/2018; passed House on 9/
26/2018 (under suspension by voice vote).
    H.R. 6901, Federal CIO Authorization Act of 2018. 
Introduced by Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) on 9/26/2018; ordered 
reported by Committee on 9/27/2018 by unanimous consent (H. 
Rept. 115-987); passed House on 11/29/2018 (under suspension by 
record vote 391-0).
    H.R. 4174, Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act 
of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) on 10/31/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 11/2/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-411); passed House on 11/15/2017 (under suspension by 
voice vote); passed Senate with an amendment on 12/19/2018 (by 
unanimous consent); amendment agreed to by House on 12/21/2018 
(under suspension by record vote of 356-17); returned to Senate 
with an Enacting Correction via H. Con. Res. 149; H. Con Res. 
149 agreed to in the House by unanimous consent on 12/22/2018. 
The Committee expects H.R. 4174 to be presented to the 
President before the end of the Congress, but it had yet to be 
presented to him at the time of submission of this report.

                POSTAL NAMING BILLS PASSED BY THE HOUSE

    H.R. 6838, Comer (R-KY), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 128 East 
Carlisle Street in Marion, Kentucky, as the ``Ollie M. James 
Post Office Building''.
    H.R. 7293, Morelle (D-NY), An act to designate the facility 
of the United States Postal Service located at 770 Ayrault Road 
in Fairport, New York, as the ``Louise and Bob Slaughter Post 
Office''.

               BILLS FAVORABLY REPORTED BY THE COMMITTEE

    H. Res. 38, Expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that offices attached to the seat of Government 
should not be required to exercise their offices in the 
District of Columbia. Introduced by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) 
on 1/10/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 3/10/2017 by 
record vote of 21-19.
    H.J. Res. 27, Disapproving the action of the District of 
Columbia Council in approving the Death with Dignity Act of 
2016. Introduced by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) on 1/12/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 2/13/2017 by record vote of 
22-14.
    H.R. 24, Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on 1/3/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/28/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
318).
    H.R. 559, MERIT Act of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Barry 
Loudermilk (R-GA) on 1/3/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 
7/17/2018 by record vote of 19-11.
    H.R. 679, Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement 
Act of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 1/24/
2017; ordered reported by Committee on 2/2/2017 by voice vote 
(H. Rept. 115-68).
    H.R. 680, Eliminating Pornography from Agencies Act. 
Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 1/24/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/8/2017 by voice vote (H. Rept. 115-
81).
    H.R. 756, Postal Service Reform Act of 2017. Introduced by 
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) on 1/31/2017; ordered reported by 
Committee on 3/16/2017 by voice vote.
    H.R. 760, Postal Service Financial Improvement Act of 2017. 
Introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) on 1/31/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 3/16/2017 by voice vote.
    H.R. 1003, District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender 
Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act. Introduced 
by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on 2/13/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 2/14/2017 by voice vote.
    H.R. 1364, Official Time Reform Act of 2017. Introduced by 
Rep. Jody B. Hice (R-GA) on 3/6/2017; ordered reported by 
Committee on 3/10/2017 by record vote of 23-17.
    H.R. 1552, FOCA Act. Introduced by Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-
FL) on 3/15/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 3/28/2017 by 
voice vote.
    H.R. 1701, EGO Act. Introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-
PA) on 3/23/2017; ordered reported by the Committee on 9/13/
2017 by voice vote.
    H.R. 2195, OSC Access Act. Introduced by Rep. Rod Blum (R-
IA) on 4/27/2017; ordered reported by the Committee on 5/2/2017 
by voice vote.
    H.R. 2623, Lessening Regulatory Costs and Establishing a 
Federal Regulatory Budget Act of 2017. Introduced by Rep. Mark 
Meadows (R-NC) on 5/24/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 
11/30/2017 by record vote of 23-17.
    H.R. 3244, To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide 
for annual surveys of Federal employees, and for other 
purposes. Introduced by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) on 7/14/2017; 
ordered reported by Committee on 7/19/2017 by voice vote (H. 
Rept. 115-403).
    H.R. 3303, First Responder Fair RETIRE Act. Introduced by 
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA) on 7/19/2017; ordered reported 
by Committee on 3/15/2018 by voice vote.
    H.R. 4177, Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme 
Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness Act of 
2017 or PREPARE Act. Introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) 
on 10/31/2017; ordered reported by Committee on 11/2/2017 by 
voice vote.
    H.R. 4631, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act. 
Introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) on 12/12/2017; ordered 
reported by Committee on 4/12/2018 by voice vote.
    H.R. 5253, Office of Government Information Services 
Empowerment Act of 2018. Introduced by Rep. Blake Farenthold 
(R-TX) on 3/13/2018; ordered reported by Committee on 3/15/2018 
by voice vote.
    H.R. 5300, Federal Information Systems Safeguards Act of 
2018. Introduced by Rep. Gary J. Palmer (R-AL) on 3/15/2018; 
ordered reported by Committee on 7/17/2018 by voice vote.
    H.R. 5321, TL; DR Act of 2018. Introduced by Rep. Seth 
Moulton (D-MA) on 3/15/2018; ordered reported by Committee on 
5/23/2018 by voice vote.
    H.R. 5381, Government Risk and Taxpayer Exposure Reduction 
(GRATER) Act of 2018. Introduced by Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA) on 
3/22/2018; ordered reported by Committee on 9/27/2018 by voice 
vote.
    H.R. 6391, Merit Systems Protection Board Reauthorization 
Act of 2018. Introduced by Rep. Jody B. Hice (R-GA) on 7/16/
2018; ordered reported by Committee on 7/17/2018 by record vote 
of 20-12.
    H.R. 6891, The Anti-Deficiency Reform and Enforcement Act 
of 2018. Introduced by Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI) on 9/25/2018; 
ordered reported by Committee on 9/27/2018 by record vote of 
14-11.

               BILLS ADVERSELY REPORTED BY THE COMMITTEE

    H. Res. 877, Resolution of inquiry directing the Secretary 
of Commerce to provide certain documents in the Secretary's 
possession to the House of Representatives relating to the 
decision to include a question on citizenship in the 2020 
decennial census of population. Introduced by Rep. Jimmy Gomez 
(D-CA) on 5/8/2018; ordered reported adversely by Committee on 
5/23/2018 by record vote of 20-16 (H. Rept. 115-705).

                 FULL COMMITTEE BUSINESS MEETINGS HELD

January 24, 2017--Organization Meeting

    Committee Rules: (1) Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment 
making two technical changes--one to Rule 2(d) and one to Rule 
4(d): The amendment was agreed to by a voice vote. (2) Mr. 
Connolly offered an amendment to Rule 12(g): The amendment was 
not agreed to, with a recorded vote of 12-21. (3) Ms. Lawrence 
offered an amendment to Rule 12(g). (4) Mr. Cummings offered an 
amendment to Rule 13: The amendment was not agreed to, with a 
recorded vote of 12-20. The Committee Rules were agreed to, as 
amended, by a vote of 21-12.

January 31, and February 2, 2017--Business Meeting

    Authorization and Oversight Plan for the 115th Congress: 
(1) Ms. Norton offered an amendment regarding the Government of 
the District of Columbia: The amendment was not agreed to by 
voice vote. (2) Mr. Clay offered an amendment to add a new 
section, ``President's Global Business Dealings.'': The 
amendment was not agreed to, with a recorded vote of 10-15. (3) 
Mr. Lynch offered an amendment regarding the federal workforce: 
The amendment was not agreed to, with a recorded vote of 10-16. 
(4) Mr. Connolly offered an amendment to the section, 
``Homeland Security.'': The amendment was withdrawn. (5) Ms. 
Lawrence offered an amendment to add a new section, 
``President's Global Business Dealings.'': The amendment was 
not agreed to, with a recorded vote of 13-20. (6) Ms. Watson 
Coleman offered an amendment to the section, ``Criminal Justice 
Reform.'': The amendment was not agreed to, with a recorded 
vote of 13-19. (7) Ms. Demings offered an amendment to the 
section, ``Homeland Security.'': The amendment was not agreed 
to, with a recorded vote of 13-19. (8) Mr. Raskin offered an 
amendment to insert a new section, ``President's Global 
Business Dealings.'': The amendment was not agreed to, with a 
recorded vote of 13-20. (9) Mr. Cummings offered an amendment 
to add a new section, ``Voting Rights.'': The amendment was not 
agreed to, with a recorded vote of 13-19. (10) Mr. Connolly 
offered an amendment at the end of the section titled, 
``Homeland Security.'': The amendment was agreed to by voice 
vote. The Authorization and Oversight Plan, as amended, was 
approved by a recorded vote of 20-14.
    H.R. 194 (Russell), Federal Agency Mail Management Act of 
2017: The bill was ordered reported favorably to the House by 
voice vote.
    H.R. 702 (Cummings), Federal Employee Antidiscrimination 
Act of 2017: The bill was ordered reported favorably to the 
House by voice vote.
    H.R. 679 (Meadows), Construction Consensus Procurement 
Improvement Act of 2017: Mr. Meadows offered an amendment. The 
amendment was agreed to by voice vote. The bill was ordered 
reported favorably to the House, as amended, by voice vote.
    H.R. 657 (Duffy), Follow the Rules Act: Mr. Chaffetz 
offered an amendment in the Nature of a Substitute. The 
amendment was agreed to by voice vote. The bill was ordered 
reported favorably to the House, as amended, by voice vote.

February 13, 2017

    H.J. Res. 27, A Resolution disapproving the action of the 
District of Columbia Council in approving the Death with 
Dignity Act of 2016: The resolution was ordered reported 
favorably to the House by a recorded vote of 22-14.

February 14, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 195 (Russell), Federal Register Printing Savings Act 
of 2017: The bill was favorably reported to the House by a 
voice vote.
    H.R. 624 (Valadao), Social Security Fraud Prevention Act of 
2017: Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute (ANS). The amendment was agreed to by voice vote. 
The bill, as amended, was favorably reported to the House by 
voice vote.
    H.R. 998 (Smith-MO), Searching for and Cutting Regulations 
that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act of 2017: (1) Mr. Cummings 
offered an amendment regarding protections for whistleblowers. 
The amendment was not agreed to, with a recorded vote of 12-21. 
(2) Ms. Lawrence offered an amendment relating to protection 
against lead poisoning. The amendment was not agreed to, with a 
recorded vote of 14-21. (3) Mr. Krishnamoorthi offered an 
amendment regarding reviewing oldest rules first. The amendment 
was not agreed to by a voice vote. (4) Mr. Raskin offered an 
amendment related to conflicts of interest. The amendment was 
not agreed to, with a recorded vote of 17-22. (5) Mr. Raskin 
offered an amendment relating to the Clean Air Act. The 
amendment was not agreed to, with a recorded vote of 17-22. The 
bill was favorably reported to the House by a vote of 22-17.
    H.R. 1004 (Walberg), Regulatory Integrity Act of 2017: The 
bill was favorably reported to the House by a vote of 22-16.
    H.R. 1009 (Mitchell), OIRA Insight, Reform, and 
Accountability Act: The bill was favorably reported to the 
House by a vote of 23-16.
    H.R. 1003 (Norton), District of Columbia Courts and Public 
Defender Service Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act: 
The resolution was ordered reported favorably to the House by a 
voice vote.

March 8-10, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 1293 (Ross), A Bill 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. Cummings offered an amendment 
that adds a reporting requirement to the list of reporting 
requirements in the underlying bill. Requires reporting on 
official time used to work on behalf of non-union members. The 
amendment was agreed to by a voice vote. The bill was favorably 
reported to the House, as amended, by a voice vote.
    H.R. 653 (Cummings), Federal Intern Protection Act of 2017: 
The bill was favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.
    H. Res. 38 (Chaffetz), A Resolution expressing the sense of 
the House of Representatives that offices attached to the seat 
of Government should not be required to exercise their offices 
in the District of Columbia: (1) Mr. Blum offered an amendment 
that changes the word ``should'' to ``may'' with regard to 
agencies relocating to clarify that agency relocation should be 
based on case-by-case determinations. Inserts the requirement 
that agencies conduct an analysis of the costs associated with 
relocating outside of the District. The amendment was agreed to 
by a voice vote. (2) Ms. Norton offered an amendment that 
requires federal agencies to conduct a 30-year cost analysis 
and relocate only if the cost is net neutral and then only to 
property already owned by the federal government. The amendment 
was not agreed to by a voice vote. The bill was favorably 
reported to the House, as amended, by a recorded vote of 21-19.
    H.R. 680 (Meadows), Eliminating Pornography from Agencies 
Act: The bill was favorably reported to the House by a voice 
vote.
    H.R. 1364 (Hice), Official Time Reform Act of 2017: (1) Ms. 
Foxx offered an amendment that prevents employees engaged in 
80% or more official time from getting bonuses. The amendment 
was agreed to by a recorded vote of 18-11. (2) Mr. Connolly 
offered an amendment that exempts the use of official time by 
whistleblowers. The amendment was not agreed to, with a 
recorded vote of 12-21. (3) Mr. Krishnamoorthi offered an 
amendment that exempts the use of official time by national 
security whistleblowers. The amendment was not agreed to by a 
vote of 15-21. (4) Ms. Kelly offered an amendment that exempts 
the use of official time addressing conflicts of interests. The 
amendment was not agreed to by a vote of 15-21. (5) Mr. Lynch 
offered an amendment that exempts categories from benefit 
reductions in the underlying bill. The amendment was not agreed 
to by a vote of 17-21. (6) Mr. Raskin offered an amendment that 
exempts the use of official time addressing conflicts of 
interests. The amendment was not agreed to by a vote of 17-21. 
(7) Ms. Plaskett offered an amendment that exempts official 
time spent fighting sexual harassment. The amendment was not 
agreed to by a vote of 17-22. (8) Ms. Lawrence offered an 
amendment that provides exceptions to the underlying bill 
regarding discrimination. The amendment was not agreed to by a 
vote of 17-22. (9) Ms. Norton (for Mr. Cummings) offered an 
amendment that exempts employees representing non-union members 
in grievances. The amendment was not agreed to, with a recorded 
vote of 17-23. The bill was reported favorably to the House, as 
amended, by a recorded vote of 23-17.
    H.R. 1387 (Chaffetz), SOAR Reauthorization Act: (1) Mr. 
Connolly offered an amendment that would require the use of the 
strongest possible research design for determining the 
effectiveness of the opportunity scholarship program. The 
amendment was not agreed to by a vote of 17-23. (2) Ms. Watson 
Coleman offered an amendment that would insert sexual 
orientation and gender identity into the list of protected 
classes under the SOAR Act. The amendment was not agreed to by 
a vote of 17-22. (3) Mr. DeSaulnier offered an amendment that 
would require protection of students and applicants under civil 
rights laws. The amendment was not agreed to by a vote of 18-
23. The bill was reported favorably to the House by a voice 
vote.

March 16, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 756 (Chaffetz), the Postal Service Reform Act of 2017: 
(1) Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute (ANS). (2) Mr. Issa offered an amendment to the ANS 
that changes the structure for the voluntary conversion of 
residential addresses to centralized delivery by automatically 
enrolling all addresses within a designated block once the 
Postal Service receives the 40 percent of signatures necessary 
to begin the conversion and allowing the remaining 60 percent a 
30-day window to opt out. Mr. Issa later asked unanimous 
consent to withdraw the amendment. There was no objection and 
the amendment was withdrawn. (3) Mr. Desaulnier offered an 
amendment to the ANS that requires the Postal Service to notify 
the appropriate Member of Congress 10 days before a 
consolidation, closure, or a reduction in services provided at 
a postal retail facility or mail processing plant. The 
amendment was agreed to by a voice vote. (4) Mr. Issa offered 
an amendment to the ANS that requires the Postal Service to 
eliminate one mail delivery day per week if it does not meet a 
2 percent net sales profit. Mr. Issa later asked unanimous 
consent to withdraw the amendment. There was no objection and 
the amendment was withdrawn. (5) Mr. Issa offered an amendment 
to the ANS requiring that if the Postal Service does not meet a 
2 percent net sales profit, it must alter the system used to 
convert residential addresses to centralized delivery. Mr. Issa 
later asked unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment. There 
was no objection and the amendment was withdrawn. (6) Mr. Issa 
offered an amendment to the ANS requiring that if the Postal 
Service does not meet a .001 percent net sales profit, it must 
alter the system used to convert residential addresses to 
centralized delivery. The amendment was not agreed to by a 
voice vote. The ANS, as amended by the DeSaulnier amendment, 
was agreed to by a voice vote. The bill was favorably reported 
to the House, as amended, by a voice vote.
    H.R. 760 (Lynch), the Postal Service Financial Improvement 
Act of 2017: Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute (ANS). The ANS was agreed to by a voice vote. The 
bill was favorably reported to the House, as amended, by a 
voice vote.

March 28, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 1694 (Chaffetz), Fannie and Freddie Open Records Act 
of 2017: Mr. Chaffetz offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute (ANS). The ANS was agreed to by a voice vote. The 
bill was favorably reported to the House, as amended, by a 
voice vote.
    H.R. 1552 (Ross), Fair and Open Competition Act: The bill 
was favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 1242 (Scott-VA), 400 Years of African-American History 
Commission Act: The bill was favorably reported to the House by 
a voice vote.
    H.R. 24 (Massie), Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2017: 
The bill was favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.

May 2, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 2227 (Hurd), Modernizing Government Technology Act of 
2017: The bill was favorably reported to the House by a voice 
vote.
    H.R. 2196 (Russell), A Bill to amend title 5, United States 
Code, to allow whistleblowers to disclose information to 
certain recipients: The bill was favorably reported to the 
House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 2195 (Blum), OSC Access Act: Mr. Blum offered an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS). The ANS was 
agreed to by a voice vote. The bill was favorably reported to 
the House, as amended, by a voice vote.
    H.R. 2229 (Cummings), All Circuit Review Act: The bill was 
favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.

July 19, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 3244 (Meadows), A Bill to amend title 5, United States 
Code, to provide for annual surveys of Federal employees, and 
for other purposes: (1) Mr. Meadows offered an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute (ANS). (2) Mr. Connolly offered an 
amendment to the ANS that requires agencies to submit to the 
Office of Personnel Management a list of all incentives offered 
to employees to increase participation on the annual Federal 
Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). It also requires the 
Government Accountability Office to study the types of 
incentives offered by agencies to employees in exchange for 
participation in the FEVS, to provide an evaluation of the 
impact of such incentives on employee survey responses and 
response rates, and to issue any recommendations considered 
necessary. The Connolly amendment was agreed to by a voice 
vote. The Meadows ANS, as amended, was agreed to by a voice 
vote. The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to 
the House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3031 (Cummings), TSP Modernization Act of 2017: The 
bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a voice 
vote.
    H.R. 378 (Fleischmann), Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 
2017: Mr. Duncan offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute (ANS). The Duncan ANS was agreed to by a voice vote. 
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the 
House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 2897 (Norton), A Bill to authorize the Mayor of the 
District of Columbia and the Director of the National Park 
Service to enter into cooperative management agreements for the 
operation, maintenance, and management of units of the National 
Park System in the District of Columbia, and for other 
purposes: The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House 
by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3210 (Knight), Securely Expediting Clearances Through 
Reporting Transparency Act of 2017: (1) Mr. Krishnamoorthi 
offered an amendment that requires the National Background 
Investigations Bureau (NBIB) to report on the process for 
Executive Office of the President personnel security clearance 
investigations and adjudications. The amendment was agreed to 
by a voice vote. (2) Mr. Connolly offered an amendment that 
requires the NBIB to report to Congress on duplicative costs 
that might arise under a potential transfer of background 
investigation responsibilities to the Department of Defense. 
The amendment was agreed to by a voice vote. The bill, as 
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House by a voice 
vote.
    H.R. 2989 (Norton), Frederick Douglass Bicentennial 
Commission Act: (1) Ms. Norton offered an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute (ANS). The Norton ANS was agreed to by a 
voice vote. The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably 
reported to the House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3243 (Connolly), FITARA Enhancement Act of 2017: The 
bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a voice 
vote.

September 13, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 3731 (Katko), Secret Service Recruitment and Retention 
Act of 2017: The bill was ordered favorably reported to the 
House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3739 (Hice), Presidential Allowance Modernization Act 
of 2017: The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House 
by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3071 (Carter--GA), Federal Acquisition Savings Act of 
2017: The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House by a 
voice vote.
    H.R. 1701 (Cartwright), Eliminating Government-funded Oil-
painting Act: Mr. Cartwright offered an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute. The Cartwright ANS was agreed to by a voice 
vote. The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to 
the House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3019 (Meadows), Promoting Value Based Procurement Act 
of 2017: Mr. Connolly offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. The Connolly ANS was agreed to by a voice vote. The 
bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House 
by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3737 (DeSantis), Social Media Use in Clearance 
Investigations Act of 2017: The bill was ordered favorably 
reported to the House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 2331 (Kelly-IL), Connected Government Act: Ms. Kelly 
offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The Kelly 
ANS was agreed to by a voice vote. The bill, as amended, was 
ordered favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.
    The following bills were reported favorably (en bloc) to 
the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 294 (Olson), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        2700 Cullen Boulevard in Pearland, Texas, as the ``Endy 
        Ekpanya Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 452 (Luetkemeyer), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 324 West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, 
        Missouri, as the ``Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. 
        Post Office'';
           H.R. 606 (DeSaulnier), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 1025 Nevin Avenue in Richmond, California, 
        as the ``Harold D. McCraw, Sr., Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 1207 (Cuellar), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        306 River Street in Tilden, Texas, as the ``Tilden 
        Veterans Post Office'';
           H.R. 1208 (Cuellar), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        9155 Schaefer Road, Converse, Texas, as the ``Converse 
        Veterans Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 1209 (Cuellar), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        901 N. Francisco Avenue, Mission, Texas, as the 
        ``Mission Veterans Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 1210 (Cuellar), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        122 W. Goodwin Street, Pleasanton, Texas, as the 
        ``Pleasanton Veterans Post Office'';
           H.R. 1211 (Cuellar), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        400 N. Main Street, Encinal, Texas, as the ``Encinal 
        Veterans Post Office'';
           H.R. 1858 (Marino), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        4514 Williamson Trail in Liberty, Pennsylvania, as the 
        ``Staff Sergeant Ryan Scott Ostrom Post Office'';
           H.R. 1950 (Murphy-PA), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 120 West Pike Street in Canonsburg, 
        Pennsylvania, as the ``Police Officer Scott Bashioum 
        Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 2254 (Thompson-CA), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 2635 Napa Street in Vallejo, California, as 
        the ``Janet Capello Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 2302 (Watson Coleman), A Bill to 
        designate the facility of the United States Postal 
        Service located at 259 Nassau Street, Suite 2 in 
        Princeton, New Jersey, as the ``Dr. John F. Nash, Jr. 
        Post Office'';
           H.R. 2464 (Lynch), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        25 New Chardon Street Lobby in Boston, Massachusetts, 
        as the ``John Fitzgerald Kennedy Post Office'';
           H.R. 2815 (Lance), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        30 East Somerset Street in Raritan, New Jersey, as the 
        ``Sergeant John Basilone Post Office'';
           H.R. 2873 (Boyle), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        207 Glenside Avenue in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, as the 
        ``Staff Sergeant Peter Taub Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 3109 (LaHood), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        1114 North 2nd Street in Chillicothe, Illinois, as the 
        ``Sr. Chief Ryan Owens Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 3230 (Labrador), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 915 Center Avenue in Payette, Idaho, as the 
        ``Harmon Killebrew Post Office Building''; and
           H.R. 3369 (Hudson), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        225 North Main Street in Spring Lake, North Carolina, 
        as the ``Howard B. Pate, Jr. Post Office.''

November 2, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 4174 (Ryan-WI), Foundations for Evidence-Based 
Policymaking Act of 2017: The bill was ordered favorably 
reported to the House by voice vote.
    H.R. 4182 (Comer), Ensuring a Qualified Civil Service 
(EQUALS) Act of 2017: Mr. Connolly offered an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute (ANS). The amendment was not agreed to 
by voice vote. The bill was ordered favorably reported to the 
House by a record vote of 19-17.
    H.R. 1132 (Buck), Political Appointee Burrowing Prevention 
Act: Mr. Meadows offered an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. The ANS was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, as 
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House, by voice 
vote.
    H.R. 4043 (Blum), Whistleblower Protection Extension Act of 
2017: Mr. Blum offered an amendment that makes a technical fix 
to make the effective date of the bill retroactive. The 
amendment was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, as amended, 
was ordered favorably reported to the House, by voice vote.
    H.R. 4171 (Gianforte), A Bill to amend title 5, United 
States Code, to extend the authority to conduct telework travel 
expenses test programs, and for other purposes: The bill was 
ordered favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 3121 (Bustos), All-American Flag Act: Mr. Russell 
offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The ANS was 
agreed to by a record vote of 35-1. The bill, as amended, was 
ordered favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.
    H.R. 4177 (Cartwright), Preparedness and Risk Management 
for Extreme Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and 
Effectiveness (PREPARE) Act of 2017: The bill was ordered 
favorably reported to the House by a voice vote.
    The following postal naming bills (en bloc) were reported 
favorably to the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 1850 (Amash), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        907 Fourth Avenue in Lake Odessa, Michigan, as the 
        ``Donna Sauers Besko Post Office'';
           H.R. 2672 (Bustos), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        520 Carter Street in Fairview, Illinois, as the ``Sgt. 
        Douglas J. Riney Post Office'';
           H.R. 2673 (Bustos), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        514 Broadway Street in Pekin, Illinois, as the ``Lance 
        Corporal Jordan S. Bastean Post Office'';
           H.R. 3821 (Collins-GA), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 430 Main Street in Clermont, Georgia, as the 
        ``Zachary Addington Post Office'' (with an amendment 
        and an amendment to the title); and
           H.R. 3893 (Yoho), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        100 Mathe Avenue in Interlachen, Florida, as the 
        ``Robert H. Jenkins Post Office'' (with an amendment in 
        the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the 
        title).

November 30, 2017--Business Meeting

    H.R. 2623 (Meadows-NC), Lessening Regulatory Costs and 
Establishing a Federal Regulatory Budget Act of 2017: (1) Mr. 
Meadows offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
(ANS). (2) Ms. Norton offered an amendment to the ANS that 
exempts regulations related to sexual harassment from the one-
in-two-out process and reporting requirements in section 5. The 
amendment failed by a record vote of 15-20 (vote #1). (3) Ms. 
Plaskett offered an amendment to the ANS that exempts 
regulations related to protecting whistleblowers from the one-
in-two-out process and reporting requirements in section 5. The 
amendment failed by a record vote of 16-21 (vote #2). (4) Mr. 
Krishnamoorthi offered an amendment to the ANS that exempts 
regulations related to obtaining or retaining security 
clearances from the one-in-two-out process and reporting 
requirements in section 5. The amendment failed by a record 
vote of 17-23 (vote #3). The Meadows ANS passed by a record 
vote of 23-17 (vote #4). The bill, as amended, was favorably 
reported to the House by a record vote of 23-17 (vote #5).
    H.R. 4431 (Carter-GA), Correcting Miscalculations in 
Veterans' Pensions Act: Mr. Cummings offered an amendment that 
provides permissive authority to the Office of Personnel 
Management to pay interest assessed on federal government 
civilian pension deposits made by former Peace Corps and 
AmeriCorps members. The amendment was withdrawn. The bill was 
ordered favorably reported to the House by voice vote.
    The following postal naming bills were reported favorably 
to the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 3638 (Lawson-FL), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 1100 Kings Road in Jacksonville, Florida, as 
        the ``Rutledge Pearson Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 3655 (Smith-NJ), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 1300 Main Street in Belmar, New Jersey, as 
        the ``Dr. Walter S. McAfee Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4042 (Soto-FL), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        1415 West Oak Street, in Kissimmee, Florida, as the 
        ``Borinqueneers Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4285 (LoBiondo-NJ), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 123 Bridgeton Pike in Mullica Hill, New 
        Jersey, as the ``James C. `Billy' Johnson Post Office 
        Building''; and
           H.R. 4301 (Norman-SC), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 201 Tom Hall Street in Fort Mill, South 
        Carolina, as the ``J. Elliott Williams Post Office 
        Building.''

February 2, 2018--Business Meeting

    H.R. 4887 (Foxx), Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements 
Transparency (GREAT) Act of 2018: (1) Ms. Foxx offered an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS). (2) Mr. Gomez 
offered and then withdrew an amendment to the ANS. (3) Mr. 
Connolly offered an amendment to the ANS that strikes 
``nonproprietary'' from the ANS and inserts a new section that 
requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the 
Secretary of the standard setting agency to make a 
determination on nonproprietary identifiers and report their 
decision and reasoning to the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs Committee within one year. The Connolly amendment was 
agreed to by voice vote. The Foxx ANS, as amended, was agreed 
to by voice vote. The bill, as amended, was favorably reported 
to the House by voice vote.
    H.R. 4917 (Russell), IG Subpoena Authority Act: The bill 
was favorably reported to the House by voice vote.
    H.R. 3076 (Graves), Creating Advanced Streamlined 
Electronic Services (CASES) for Constituents Act of 2017: 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 agreed to by voice vote.
    H.R. 4631 (Quigley), Access to Congressionally Mandated 
Reports Act: Mr. Mitchell offered an amendment that replaces 
the term ``website'' throughout the bill, with ``online 
portal.'' The amendment also tightens the language in section 6 
regarding the Freedom of Information Act. The text as amended 
creates a uniform approach to withholding sensitive information 
in both the report and the information submitted with the 
report. The amendment was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, as 
amended, was favorably reported to the House by voice vote.
    H.R. 3398 (Young-AK), REAL ID Act Modification for Freely 
Associated States Act: The bill was favorably reported to the 
House by voice vote.
    The following postal naming bills were reported favorably 
to the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 3183 (Garrett), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        13683 James Madison Highway in Palmyra, Virginia, as 
        the ``U.S. Navy Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby Post 
        Office'';
           H.R. 4188 (Jenkins), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        621 Kansas Avenue in Atchison, Kansas, as the ``Amelia 
        Earhart Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4405 (Espaillat), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 4558 Broadway in New York, New York, as the 
        ``Stanley Michaels Post Office Building'' (as amended);
           H.R. 4406 (Espaillat), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as 
        the ``Tuskegee Airman Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4463 (Velazquez), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 6 Doyers Street in New York, New York, as 
        the ``Mabel Lee Memorial Post Office'';
           H.R. 4646 (Palmer), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        1900 Corporate Drive in Birmingham, Alabama, as the 
        ``Lance Corporal Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. Post Office 
        Building''; and
           H.R. 4685 (Cicilline), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 515 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, as 
        the ``First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr. Post 
        Office.''

March 15, 2018--Business Meeting

    H.R. 50 (Foxx), Unfunded Mandates Information and 
Transparency Act of 2017: Ms. Foxx offered an amendment that 
reauthorizes funding of $1.5 million annually for the 
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) from 2018 through 2024 to 
fulfill their responsibilities under the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act (UMRA) of 1995--reducing the amount by $3 million 
compared to prior authorization levels. The Foxx amendment was 
agreed to by voice vote. The bill, as amended, was ordered 
favorably reported to the House by a record vote of 20-10 (Vote 
#1).
    H.R. 1339 (Duncan-TN), Freedom from Government Competition 
Act of 2017: (1) Mr. Duncan offered an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute (ANS). (2) Mr. Farenthold offered an amendment 
to the ANS that exempts functions performed by Department of 
Defense civilian employees for depot-level maintenance and 
repair from possible outsourcing. Mr. Duncan asked unanimous 
consent to postpone consideration of H.R. 1339. There was no 
objection.
    H.R. 2846 (Farenthold), Federal Agency Customer Experience 
Act of 2017: (1) Mr. Farenthold offered an ANS. (2) Mr. Raskin 
offered an amendment to the ANS that adds a Sense of Congress 
provision that adequate federal funding is needed to ensure 
agency staffing levels that can provide the public with 
appropriate customer service levels. The Raskin amendment was 
agreed to by voice vote. The ANS, as amended, was agreed to by 
voice vote. The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably 
reported to the House by voice vote.
    H.R. 4809 (Walker), Guidance Out of Darkness (GOOD) Act: 
Mr. Walker offered an ANS. The ANS was agreed to by voice vote. 
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the 
House by voice vote.
    H.R. 5253 (Farenthold), Office of Government Information 
Services Empowerment Act of 2018: The bill was ordered 
favorably reported to the House by voice vote.
    H.R. 1376 (Cummings), Electronic Message Preservation Act 
of 2017: The bill was ordered favorably reported to the House 
by voice vote.
    H.R. 3303 (Connolly), First Responder Fair RETIRE Act: Mr. 
Russell offered an ANS. The ANS was agreed to by voice vote. 
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the 
House by voice vote.
    H.R. 4446 (Plaskett), A Bill to amend the Virgin Islands of 
the United States Centennial Commission Act to extend the 
expiration date of the Commission, and for other purposes: Mr. 
Grothman offered an ANS. The ANS was agreed to by voice vote. 
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the 
House by voice vote.
    The following postal naming bills were reported favorably 
to the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 2979 (Aguilar), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        390 West 5th Street in San Bernardino, California, as 
        the ``Jack H. Brown Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4574 (Krishnamoorthi), A Bill to 
        designate the facility of the United States Postal 
        Service located at 108 West Schick Road in 
        Bloomingdale, Illinois, as the ``Bloomingdale Veterans 
        Memorial Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4722 (Faso), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        111 Market Street in Saugerties, New York, as the 
        ``Maurice D. Hinchey Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4840 (Murphy-FL), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 567 East Franklin Street in Oviedo, Florida, 
        as the ``Sergeant First Class Alwyn Crendall Cashe Post 
        Office Building'';
           H.R. 4890 (Brown), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        9801 Apollo Drive in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, as the 
        ``Wayne K. Curry Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 4960 (Hartzler), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 511 East Walnut Street in Columbia, 
        Missouri, as the ``Spc. Sterling William Wyatt Post 
        Office Building'';
           S. 931 (Gardner), An Act to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        4910 Brighton Boulevard in Denver, Colorado, as the 
        ``George Sakato Post Office'';
           H.R. 1496 (Bass), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        4040 West Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles, 
        California, as the ``Marvin Gaye Post Office'' with an 
        amendment in the nature of a substitute; and
           H.R. 3184 (Garrett), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        180 McCormick Road in Charlottesville, Virginia, as the 
        ``Captain Humayun Khan Post Office'' with an amendment 
        in the nature of a substitute.

May 23, 2018--Business Meeting

    H.R. 5925 (Gowdy), A Bill to codify provisions relating to 
the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and for other 
purposes: (1) Mr. Cummings offered an amendment that adds the 
Director of the Fusion Center to the membership of the Emerging 
Threats Task Force, clarifies the Emerging Threats Plan and 
information sharing requirements include substance use disorder 
treatment, and clarifies the Treatment Coordinator section of 
the bill. The amendment also introduces a new requirement to 
convene an advisory committee to promulgate standards for 
substance abuse disorder treatment and recovery facilities. The 
amendment was agreed to by voice vote. (2) Mr. Lynch offered an 
amendment that requires the President to notify Congress if the 
President has not issued the National Drug Control Strategy by 
the due date. It also requires the OGR Committee to hold a 
hearing at which the Director shall explain the failure to 
provide the Strategy. (3) Mr. Palmer offered an amendment (2nd 
degree) to the Lynch amendment. Mr. Palmer's amendment removes 
the requirement that the OGR Committee hold a hearing if the 
President has not issued the National Drug Control Strategy by 
the due date. The Palmer amendment was agreed to by voice vote. 
The Lynch amendment, as amended, was agreed to by voice vote. 
(4) Mr. Mitchell offered an amendment that requires the 
Director to establish a tracking system of federally funded 
initiatives and grant programs, establish performance metrics 
and goals for grant programs, develop a common application form 
for drug control related grant programs, and maintain a 
comprehensive list of all drug control program grant award 
opportunities. The Mitchell amendment was agreed to by voice 
vote. (5) Mr. DeSaulnier offered an amendment that requires a 
GAO report three years after enactment and every three years 
thereafter. The DeSaulnier amendment was agreed to by voice 
vote. The bill, H.R. 5925, as amended, was ordered favorably 
reported, by voice vote.
    H.R. 5415 (Walker), GAO-IG Act: Mr. Walker offered an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS). The ANS was 
agreed to by voice vote. The bill, H.R. 5415, as amended, was 
ordered favorably reported, by voice vote.
    H.R. 2648 (Stivers), Veterans Transition Improvement Act: 
Mr. Russell offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
(ANS). The ANS was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, H.R. 
2648, as amended, was ordered favorably reported, by voice 
vote.
    H.R. 5321 (Moulton), Too Long; Didn't Read Act of 2018: Mr. 
Gianforte offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute 
(ANS). The ANS was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, H.R. 
5321, as amended, was ordered favorably reported, by voice 
vote.
    H.R. 5896 (Hurd), Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendments 
Act of 2018: Mr. Hurd offered an amendment that fixes two 
technical reference issues in the bill by: 1) inserting 
guidance on alternative work schedules for agents at the level 
2 and basic rates of pay to conform with current law; and 2) 
clarifying the Office of Personnel Management has the authority 
to regulate the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act. The 
amendment was agreed to by voice vote. The bill, H.R. 5896, as 
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House, by voice 
vote.
    H. Res. 877 (Gomez), A Resolution of inquiry directing the 
Secretary of Commerce to provide certain documents in the 
Secretary's possession to the House of Representatives relating 
to the decision to include a question on citizenship in the 
2020 decennial census of population: The resolution, H. Res. 
877, was ordered adversely reported, with the recommendation 
the resolution not be agreed to by the House, by a record vote 
of 20-16 (Vote #1).
    The following postal naming bills were reported favorably 
to the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 4407 (Hultgren), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 3s101 Rockwell Street in Warrenville, 
        Illinois, as the ``Corporal Jeffery Allen Williams Post 
        Office Building'';
           H.R. 4946 (Correa), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        1075 North Tustin Street in Orange, California, as the 
        ``Specialist Trevor A. Win'E Post Office'';
           H.R. 5205 (Kihuen), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        701 6th Street in Hawthorne, Nevada, as the ``Sergeant 
        Kenneth Eric Bostic Post Office'';
           H.R. 5238 (Clarke), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        1234 Saint John's Place in Brooklyn, New York, as the 
        ``Major Robert Odell Owens Post Office;''
           H.R. 5349 (Cohen), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        1320 Autumn Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, as the 
        ``Judge Russell B. Sugarmon Post Office Building (as 
        amended);''
           H.R. 5412 (King-NY), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        25 2nd Avenue in Brentwood, New York, as the ``Army 
        Specialist Jose L. Ruiz Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 5504 (Newhouse), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 4801 West Van Giesen Street in West 
        Richland, Washington, as the ``Sergeant Dietrich 
        Schmieman Post Office Building'';
           H.R. 5737 (Bustos), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        108 West D Street in Alpha, Illinois, as the ``Captain 
        Joshua E. Steele Post Office''; and
           H.R. 5784 (Moore), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        2650 North Doctor Martin Luther King Drive in 
        Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the ``Vel R. Phillips Post 
        Office Building.''

July 17, 2018--Business Meeting

    H.R. 559 (Loudermilk), Modern Employment Reform, 
Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act of 2017: Mr. 
Mitchell offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
The amendment was agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 559, as 
amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House, by a 
record vote of 19-11 (VOTE #1).
    H.R. 6391 (Hice), Merit Systems Protection Board 
Reauthorization Act of 2018: H.R. 6391, was ordered favorably 
reported to the House, by a record vote of 20-12 (VOTE #2).
    H.R. 5300 (Palmer), Federal Information Systems Safeguards 
Act of 2018: H.R. 5300 was ordered favorably reported to the 
House, by voice vote.
    The following postal naming bills were reported favorably 
to the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 4913 (Harris), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        816 East Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury, Maryland, as 
        the ``Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner Post Office 
        Building;''
           H.R. 5395 (Collins), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        116 Main Street in Dansville, New York, as the ``Staff 
        Sergeant Alexandria Gleason-Morrow Post Office 
        Building;''
           H.R. 5868 (Gibbs), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        530 Claremont Avenue in Ashland, Ohio, as the ``Bill 
        Harris Post Office;''
           H.R. 5935 (Rodney Davis) A Bill to designate 
        the facility at the United States Postal Service 
        located at 1355 North Meridian Drive in Harristown, 
        Illinois, as the ``Logan S. Palmer Post Office;''
           H.R. 6020 (Bishop-MI), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 325 South Michigan Avenue in Howell, 
        Michigan, as the ``Sergeant Donald Burgett Post Office 
        Building;''
           H.R. 6059 (Moulton), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        51 Willow Street in Lynn, Massachusetts, as the 
        ``Thomas P. Costin, Jr. Post Office Building;''
           H.R. 6116 (Moolenaar), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 362 North Ross Street in Beaverton, 
        Michigan, as the ``Colonel Alfred Asch Post Office.''

September 27, 2018--Business Meeting

    H.R. 5381 (Royce), Government Risk and Taxpayer Exposure 
Reduction (GRATER) Act of 2018: Mr. Ross offered an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute (ANS). The amendment was agreed 
to by a record vote of 13-7 (Vote #1): H.R. 5381, as amended, 
was ordered favorably reported to the House, by voice vote.
    H.R. 6891 (Mitchell), Anti-Deficiency Reform and 
Enforcement Act of 2018: The bill was ordered favorably 
reported to the House by a record vote of 14-11 (VOTE #2).
    H.R. 6893 (Russell), A Bill to amend the Overtime Pay for 
Protective Services Act of 2016 to extend the Secret Service 
overtime pay exemption through 2019, and for other purposes: 
Mr. Cummings offered an amendment that increases the life of 
the premium pay cap waiver from 2019 to 2020. The amendment was 
agreed to by voice vote. H.R. 6893, as amended, was ordered 
favorably reported to the House, by voice vote.
    H.R. 5759 (Khanna), 21st Century Integrated Digital 
Experience Act: Mr. Russell offered an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute (ANS). The ANS was agreed to by voice vote, and 
the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the 
House, by voice vote.
    H.R. 6901 (Hurd), Federal CIO Authorization Act of 2018: 
The bill was ordered reported favorably to the House by 
unanimous consent.
    H.R. 6777 (Palmer), Settlement Agreement Information 
Database Act of 2018: The bill was ordered reported favorably 
to the House by unanimous consent.
    H.R. 3154 (Richmond), Inspector General Access Act of 2017: 
The bill was ordered reported favorably to the House by 
unanimous consent.
    H.R. 1272 (Rush), Cold Case Record Collections Act of 2017: 
The bill, as amended by an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute, was ordered reported favorably to the House by 
unanimous consent.
    The following postal naming bills were reported favorably 
to the House by unanimous consent:
           H.R. 5791 (Coffman), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        9609 South University Boulevard in Highlands Ranch, 
        Colorado, as the ``Deputy Sheriff Zackari Spurlock 
        Parrish, III, Post Office Building;''
           H.R. 5792 (Coffman), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        90 North 4th Avenue in Brighton, Colorado, as the 
        ``Deputy Sheriff Heath McDonald Gumm Post Office (AS 
        AMENDED);''
           H.R. 6216 (Tipton), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        3025 Woodgate Road in Montrose, Colorado, as the 
        ``Sergeant David Kinterknecht Post Office;''
           H.R. 6217 (Tipton), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        241 N 4th Street in Grand Junction, Colorado, as the 
        ``Deputy Sheriff Derek Geer Post Office Building;''
           H.R. 6428 (Gottheimer), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 332 Ramapo Valley Road in Oakland, New 
        Jersey, as the ``Frank Leone Post Office;''
           H.R. 6513 (Brooks-AL), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 1110 West Market Street in Athens, Alabama, 
        as the ``Judge James E. Horton, Jr. Post Office 
        Building;''
           H.R. 6591 (Demings), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        501 South Kirkman Road in Orlando, Florida, as the 
        ``Napoleon `Nap' Ford Post Office Building;''
           H.R. 6621 (Roe), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        530 East Main Street in Johnson City, Tennessee, as the 
        ``Major Homer L. Pease Post Office;''
           H.R. 6628 (Smith-WA), A Bill to designate 
        the facility of the United States Postal Service 
        located at 4301 Northeast 4th Street in Renton, 
        Washington, as the ``James Marshall `Jimi' Hendrix Post 
        Office Building;'' and
           H.R. 6780 (Castor), A Bill to designate the 
        facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
        7521 Paula Drive in Tampa, Florida, as the ``Major 
        Andreas O'Keeffe Post Office Building.''

                           II. Hearings Held

    Pursuant to House Rule XI, cl. 1(d)(A) and (E), this 
section summarizes the Committee's legislative and oversight 
hearings held in the 115th Congress and delineates those 
hearings held pursuant to clauses 2(n), (o), or (p) of Rule XI.

                        FULL COMMITTEE HEARINGS

    February 1, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Empowering the Inspectors General.'' The hearing considered 
challenges inspectors general face when working with federal 
agencies and departments. The hearing also discussed recent 
legislative changes enacted by the Inspector General 
Empowerment Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-217) and their impact on the 
inspector general community and identified areas for future 
reform. Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Chair, 
Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, 
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice; The Honorable 
Kath A. Buller, Executive Chair, Legislation Committee, Council 
of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, 
Inspector General, Peace Corps; The Honorable Scott S. Dahl, 
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor; The Honorable John 
Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    February 2, 2017, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Improving Security and Efficiency at OPM and the National 
Background Investigations Bureau.'' The hearing examined the 
National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) transition, 
information technology security related to background 
investigations, and the security clearance investigation 
process. The hearing also examined the state of information 
technology and cybersecurity at the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) in the aftermath of the data breach discovered 
in 2015. Witnesses: Ms. Kathleen McGettigan, Acting Director, 
Office of Personnel Management; Mr. Cord Chase, Chief 
Information Security Officer, Office of Personnel Management; 
Mr. Charles Phalen, Director, National Background 
Investigations Bureau; Mr. David Devries, Chief Information 
Officer, National Background Investigations Bureau; Mr. Terry 
Halvorsen, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of 
Defense.
    February 7, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Accomplishing Postal Reform in the 115th Congress--H.R. 756, 
The Postal Service Reform Act of 2017.'' The hearing examined 
the continued need for timely and comprehensive postal reform 
legislation and discussed provisions that various stakeholders 
believe are necessary in the Committee's comprehensive reform 
bill. The hearing also discussed the U.S. Government 
Accountability Office's reporting on the United States Postal 
Service's ongoing financial challenges. Witnesses: The 
Honorable Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General, United States 
Postal Service; The Honorable Robert G. Taub, Chairman, Postal 
Regulatory Commission; Ms. Lori Rectanus, Director, Physical 
Infrastructure Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; 
Mr. Arthur Sackler, Manager, Coalition for a 21st Century 
Postal Service; Mr. Fredric V. Rolando, President, National 
Association of Letter Carriers.
    February 15, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``GAO's 2017 High Risk Report: 34 Programs in Peril.'' 
The hearing reviewed the Government Accountability Office's 
2017 High Risk List. Witness: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, 
Comptroller General, U.S. Government Accountability Office. 
Held pursuant to clause 2(p) of House Rule XI.
    March 2, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Transparency at TSA.'' This hearing examined the 
Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) handling of the 
Sensitive Security Information program, TSA's cooperation with 
Office of Special Counsel investigations, and other related 
matters. Witnesses: Dr. Huban A. Gowadia, Acting Administrator, 
Transportation Security Administration; The Honorable John 
Roth, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 
The Honorable Carolyn Lerner, Special Counsel; U.S. Office of 
Special Counsel. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    March 9, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Reviewing ATF's Failures in the Death of ICE Agent Jaime 
Zapata.'' This hearing examined the Department's Office of 
Inspector General's investigation and report titled ``A Review 
of Investigations of the Osorio and Barba Firearms Trafficking 
Rings.'' The report details the government's oversight of the 
investigation of a firearms trafficking ring that sent weapons 
to a Mexican drug cartel, members of which murdered Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement agent Jaime Zapata and wounded his 
partner. The hearing also examined the Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' cigarette trafficking 
practices, including the handling of informants and oversight 
of revenue-generating operations. Witnesses: The Honorable 
Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General, Department of Justice; 
Mr. Thomas E. Brandon, Acting Director, Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Mr. Ronald B. Turk, 
Associate Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Held pursuant to 
clause 2(n) and (o) of House Rule XI.
    March 21, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``$125 Billion in Savings Ignored: Review of DOD's Efficiency 
Study.'' The hearing examined the Department of Defense's 
commissioning and use of an efficiency study conducted by the 
Defense Business Board (DBB). According to press reports, the 
DBB's study outlined ways in which the Department could save 
$125 billion over several years. Witnesses: Mr. David Tillotson 
III, Acting Deputy Chief Management Officer, Department of 
Defense; Mr. Scott Rutherford, Senior Partner, McKinsey & 
Company; Mr. Michael Bayer, Current ChairmanDefense, Business 
Board; Mr. Robert ``Bobby'' Stein, Former Chairman, Defense 
Business Board; Mr. Kenneth ``Kenny'' Klepper, Former Board 
Member, Defense Business Board; Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, Senior 
Fellow, Center for American Progress. Held pursuant to clause 
2(n) and (o) of House Rule XI.
    March 22, 2017, 9:30 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Committee to Review Law Enforcement's Policies on Facial 
Recognition Technology.'' Witnesses: Ms. Kimberly Del Greco, 
Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Information 
Services Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Ms. Diana 
Maurer, Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; Dr. Charles Romine, Ph.D., 
Director, Information Technology Lab, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology; Mr. Alvaro Bedoya, Executive 
Director, Center on Privacy and TechnologyGeorgetown Law; Mr. 
Benji Hutchinson, Senior Director, NEC Corporation of America 
On Behalf of The International Biometrics & Identity 
Association; Ms. Jennifer Lynch, Senior Staff Attorney, 
Electronic Frontier Foundation.
    March 23, 2017, 10:30 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Legislative Proposals for Fostering Transparency.'' The 
hearing allowed Members to consider legislative proposals aimed 
at increasing government transparency: the OPEN Government Data 
Act, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, and the Fannie Mae 
and Freddie Mac Transparency Act. The Committee examined how 
subjecting federal agencies, the Federal Reserve, and also 
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to more transparent measures, such 
as data access, audits, and the Freedom of Information Act 
(FOIA), will hold those entities more accountable to American 
taxpayers. Witnesses: Mr. Hudson Hollister, Founder and 
Executive Director, The Data Coalition; Mr. Norman Singleton, 
President, Campaign for Liberty; Mr. John Berlau, Senior 
Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute; Mr. Thomas Fitton, 
President, Judicial Watch; Richard Painter, Professor of Law, 
University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
    March 29, 2017, 9:30 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Federally Funded Cancer Research: Coordination and 
Innovation.'' The hearing highlighted the value to the taxpayer 
of federally funded medical research, with a focus on 
initiatives contributing to improved cancer survival rates. 
Witnesses: Ms. Tammi Carr, Mother of Chad Carr, The ChadTough 
Foundation; Dr. Mary Beckerle, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer 
and Director, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah 
Medical School; Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee, M.D., Deputy Director, 
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins 
University; Dr. Tyler Jacks, Ph.D., Director, Koch Institute 
for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology.
    April 4, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Use of Confidential Informants at ATF and DEA.'' This hearing 
examined the forthcoming Department of Justice Office of 
Inspector General (OIG) report on the Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' use of confidential 
informants. The hearing also examined the Drug Enforcement 
Administration's response to the September 2016 OIG report and 
recent addendum on the agency's use of confidential informants. 
Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector 
General, Department of Justice; Mr. Robert Patterson, Acting 
Principal Deputy Administrator, Drug Enforcement 
Administration; Mr. Ronald B. Turk, Associate Deputy Director 
and Chief Operating Officer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
Firearms and Explosives. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) and (o) 
of House Rule XI.
    April 5, 2017, 9:30 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's 
Response to the Baton Rouge Flood Disaster: Part II.'' This 
hearing served as a follow-up to the Committee's September 9, 
2016, hearing on Federal Emergency Management Agency's response 
to the August 2016 flood disaster in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 
Specifically, this hearing provided an opportunity for 
witnesses to update the Committee on recovery efforts and 
described actions taken to address the areas of improvement 
identified in the September 2016 hearing. The Committee also 
examined the effectiveness of temporary housing assistance 
programs in Baton Rouge, including manufactured housing units 
and the Shelter at Home program. Witnesses: The Honorable John 
Bel Edwards, Governor of Louisiana, Mr. Robert J. Fenton, Jr., 
Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Rear 
Admiral David Boone, USN, Retired, President, CB&I Federal 
Services LLC; Mr. Mark Harrell, Emergency Coordinator, 
Livingston Parish, Louisiana. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of 
House Rule XI.
    May 3, 2017, 9:30 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Reviewing the FAFSA Data Breach.'' The hearing examined the 
cybersecurity incident that has affected the Data Retrieval 
Tool (DRT) and the information assurance practices and policies 
of the FAFSA application. In particular, the hearing focused on 
the operational and cybersecurity decisions made by the 
Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service, both 
before and after this critical tool was taken offline on March 
3, 2017. Witnesses: Mr. James W. Runcie, Chief Operating 
Officer, Office of Federal Student Aid, Department of 
Education; Mr. Jason K. Gray, Chief Information Officer, 
Department of Education; The Honorable Ken Corbin, Deputy 
Commissioner, Wage and Investment Division, Internal Revenue 
Service; Ms. Gina Garza, Chief Information Officer, Internal 
Revenue Service; Mr. Tim Camus, Deputy Inspector General, 
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Held 
pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    May 18, 2017, 9:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Federal Employee Compensation: An Update.'' The hearing 
examined the recent Congressional Budget Office report 
comparing federal pay, benefits, and total compensation to that 
of the private sector. It also reviewed the current federal 
compensation system to identify potential areas of improvement 
and ways to modernize it. Witnesses: Mr. Joseph Kile, Assistant 
Director for Microeconomic Studies, Congressional Budget 
Office; Mr. Andrew Biggs, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise 
Institute; Ms. Rachel Greszler, Research Fellow in Economics, 
Budget and Entitlements, The Heritage Foundation; Mr. Robert 
Goldenkoff, Director of Strategic Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Jacqueline Simon, Policy Director, 
American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO. Held 
pursuant to clause 2(o) of House Rule XI.
    June 7, 2017, 9:30 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Fast and Furious, Six Years Later.'' This hearing examined 
the events relating to Congress's investigation into the 
Department of Justice's Operation Fast and Furious. Witnesses: 
The Honorable Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Committee on the 
Judiciary, U.S. Senate; Josephine Terry, Mother of Late Border 
Patrol Agent Brian Terry; Robert Heyer, Terry Family Spokesman, 
Cousin of Late Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry; John Dodson, 
Special Agent, Phoenix Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) 
of House Rule XI.
    June 28, 2017, 1:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Criminal Justice Reform and Efforts to Reduce Recidivism.'' 
The hearing examined current topics in the area of criminal 
justice reform and initiatives being undertaken at the state 
and local levels to assist individuals with criminal records 
with reentry and reducing recidivism. Witnesses: The Honorable 
Tim Scott, Senator, South Carolina; The Honorable Cory Booker; 
Senator, New Jersey; Bryan P. Stirling, Director, Department of 
Corrections, South Carolina; Pastor Omar Jahwar, Founder & CEO 
Urban Specialists; William C. McGahan, Chairman, Georgia 
Works!.
    July 26, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Office of National Drug Control Policy: Reauthorization in 
the 115th Congress.'' The hearing considered the 
reauthorization of the Office of National Drug Control Policy 
(ONDCP), which is uniquely equipped to coordinate drug policy 
across the federal and state governments. The hearing also 
explored how ONDCP can accelerate the implementation of 
effective state programs at the federal level. Additionally, 
this hearing was an opportunity for Members to hear from law 
enforcement at the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas 
(HIDTA) about successful strategies in reducing illicit drugs 
nationwide. Witnesses: Mr. Richard Baum, Acting Diretor, Office 
of National Drug Control Policy; Ms. Diana Maurer, Director of 
Justice and Law Enforcement Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Dr. Keith Humphreys, Professor of 
Psychiatry, Stanford University; Mr. Don Flattery, Policy 
Director, Fed Up! Coalition.
    September 26, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``Recommendations of the Commission on Evidence Based 
Policymaking.'' The hearing considered the findings and 
recommendations from the Commission on Evidence-Based 
Policymaking (CEP). The CEP was established by the bipartisan 
Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2016, jointly 
sponsored by Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Patty Murray, to 
explore ways that existing data may improve how government 
programs operate. Witnesses: Ron Haskins, Ph.D., Co-Chair, 
Commission on Evidence-Based Policy Making; Katharine G. 
Abraham, Ph.D., Chair, Commission on Evidence-Based Policy 
Making; Latanya Sweeney, Ph.D., Commissioner, Commission on 
Evidence-Based Policy Making; Robert Shea, Esq., Commissioner, 
Commission on Evidence-Based Policy Making.
    October 12, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Hearing on the 2020 Census.'' The hearing examined whether 
the Bureau's estimated $5 billion in savings is accurate, and 
what preventative steps may be required to prevent potential 
cost overruns. The hearing also reviewed the Bureau's progress 
in procuring and implementing the information technology 
systems needed for the 2020 Decennial Census. Witnesses: Panel 
I: The Honorable Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Secretary, U.S. 
Department of Commerce. Panel II: Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, 
Director of Strategic Issues, Census Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Mr. David A. Powner, Director of 
Information Technology Management Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Ms. Carol N. Rice, Assistant Inspector 
General, Office of Economic and Statistical Program Assessment, 
U.S. Department of Commerce; Ms. Vanita Gupta, President and 
CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
    November 15, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``Recommendations and Reforms from the Inspectors 
General.'' The hearing provided an opportunity to discuss 
implementation of the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016 
(P.L. 114-317) and the impact of this law on the community of 
inspectors general. The hearing also provided an opportunity to 
discuss ongoing management and access challenges and identified 
areas for reform. In addition, the hearing allowed members to 
hear directly from the inspectors general on their ongoing 
oversight work throughout the federal government. Witnesses: 
The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Chair, Council of the 
Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, Inspector 
General, U.S. Department of Justice; The Honorable Kathy A. 
Buller, Executive Chair, Legislation Committee, Council of the 
Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, Inspector 
General, Peace Corps; The Honorable John Roth, Inspector 
General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    November 28, 2017, 12:30 p.m. Full Committee field hearing 
titled, ``Combating the Opioid Crisis.'' This hearing was an 
opportunity to discuss efforts to combat the current opioid 
crisis. The hearing also reviewed the recent report issued by 
the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the 
Opioid Crisis, which provides findings and recommendations on 
how the federal government could better address the crisis. 
Witnesses: Panel I: The Honorable Chris Christie, Governor of 
New Jersey. Panel II: Mr. Richard Baum, Acting Director, Office 
of National Drug Control Policy; Dr. Leana Wen, Health 
Commissioner, Baltimore City Health Department; Dr. Caleb 
Alexander, Co-Director, Center for Drug Safety and 
Effectiveness Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
    December 13, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons and Inmate 
Reentry.'' This hearing was an opportunity for the Committee to 
conduct oversight of federal inmates' release and reentry into 
the community, and to examine reports by the Department of 
Justice's Office of the Inspector General and the Government 
Accountability Office on the Bureau of Prisons' reentry 
policies and procedures. Witnesses: The Honorable Mark S. Inch, 
Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons; The Honorable Michael E. 
Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice; Ms. 
Diana Maurer, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; Ms. Jennifer Doleac, 
Assistant Professor of Public Policy & Economics, Director, 
Justice Tech Lab; University of Virginia; Ms. Cynthia W. 
Roseberry, Executive Director, Council for Court Excellence; 
Mr. Glenn E. Martin, President and Founder, JustLeadershipUSA. 
Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    February 27, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``Federalism Implications of Treating States as 
Stakeholders.'' The hearing, in collaboration with the 
Speaker's Intergovernmental Task Force, examined the roles of 
States in relation to federal decision making. Specifically, 
the hearing explored ways in which federal agencies engage with 
States in the course of implementing federal law and policies, 
and activities affecting the federal-state relationship. 
Witnesses: The Honorable Gary Richard Herbert, Governor of 
Utah; The Honorable Susana Martinez, Governor of New Mexico; 
The Honorable Clement Leroy Otter, Governor of Idaho.
    March 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Shining Light on the Federal Regulatory Process.'' Federal 
rulemaking and regulatory activities are governed by a variety 
of statutes and executive directives designed to require 
federal agencies to engage in certain practices, such as 
seeking public comment on a regulatory proposal. The hearing 
highlighted agency rulemaking and guidance practices, and 
whether agencies routinely comply with applicable statutes and 
law. Witnesses: Ms. Kris Nguyen, Acting Director for Strategic 
Issues, Government Accountability Office; Mr. Paul Noe, Vice 
President, Public Policy, American Forest and Paper 
Association; Ms. Karen Harned, Executive Director, National 
Federation of Independent Business: Small Business Legal 
Center; Professor Nicholas Parrillo, Professor of Law, Yale Law 
School; Mr. Amit Narang, Regulatory Policy Advocate, Public 
Citizen.
    April 18, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Top management and Performance Challenges Identified 
Government-Wide by the Inspector General Community.'' The 
hearing examined the first Council of Inspectors General on 
Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) report of top management and 
performance challenges identified by the Inspector General (IG) 
community. The hearing also provided an opportunity to discuss 
the top management challenges most frequently reported by the 
IG community, and allowed each IG to speak on specific examples 
of these challenges within their agency. Witnesses: The 
Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Chair, Council of the Inspectors 
General on Integrity and Efficiency, Inspector General, U.S. 
Department of Justice; The Honorable Allison Lerner, Vice 
Chair, Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and 
Efficiency, Inspector General, National Science Foundation; The 
Honorable Glenn Fine, Principal Deputy Inspector General, U.S. 
Department of Defense. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) and (o) of 
House Rule XI.
    April 26, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Waste and Inefficiency in the Federal Government: GAO's 2018 
Duplication Report.'' The hearing examined the findings of the 
Government Accountability Office's annual report on areas of 
duplication, overlap, and fragmentation within federal 
government programs that was issued on April 25, 2018, and 
prior reports dating back to 2011. Witness: The Honorable Gene 
Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) 
of House Rule XI.
    May 8, 2018, 1:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Progress Report on the 2020 Census.'' With less than two 
years until the full census count begins, the hearing 
scrutinized the Department of Commerce and Census Bureau 
ongoing preparations for the 2020 census. The hearing also 
examined the current status of the 2018 End-to-End Census Test 
and deployment of IT systems in advance of the test. Witnesses: 
Mr. Earl Comstock, Director of the Office of Policy and 
Strategic Planning, U.S. Department of Commerce; Ron S. Jarmin, 
Ph.D., Acting Director, U.S. Census Bureau; Mr. David A. 
Powner, Director of Information Technology Management Issues, 
U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. Robert Goldenkoff, 
Director of Strategic Issues, Census Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Mr. Justin Levitt, Associate Dean for 
Research, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles; Mr. John M. Gore, 
Acting Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. 
Department of Justice.
    May 16, 2018, 1:30 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Workforce for the 21st Century: Analyzing the President's 
Management Agenda.'' The hearing allowed Members of the 
Committee to hear from outside stakeholders on the workforce 
modernization provisions of the President's Management Agenda. 
Members learned how the Agenda fits into ongoing government 
reorganization efforts and discussed the Administration's 
vision for a modern, efficient, effective, and accountable 
federal government. Witnesses: Panel I: The Honorable Margaret 
Weichert, Deputy Director for Management, U.S. Office of 
Management and Budget; The Honorable Jeff Pon, Director, U.S. 
Office of Personnel Management. Panel II: Mr. Bill Valdez, 
President, Senior Executives Association; Mr. Max Stier, 
President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service; Ms. 
Jacqueline Simon, Policy Director, American Federation of 
Government Employees.
    May 17, 2018, 11:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, ``A 
Sustainable Solution to the Evolving Opioid Crisis: 
Revitalizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy.'' The 
hearing provided Members the opportunity to discuss 
reauthorizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy 
(ONDCP) to more effectively elevate evidence-based initiatives 
to combat the current opioid crisis. Witnesses: Panel I: The 
Honorable John Cornyn, Senator from Texas and Senate Majority 
Whip. Panel II: Anand Parekh, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Advisor, 
Bipartisan Policy Center; Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP, 
Commissioner and State Health Officer, Department of Health and 
Human Resources' Bureau for Public Health, State of West 
Virginia; Mr. Thomas Carr, Executive Director, Washington/
Baltimore, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program; Ms. 
Gretta Goodwin, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office.
    June 19, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee joint hearing with 
Judiciary titled, ``Oversight of the FBI and DOJ Actions in 
Advance of the 2016 Election.'' This hearing was an opportunity 
for the Committees to conduct oversight and obtain additional 
information about the election-related review the DOJ IG 
initiated in January 2017. Witness: The Honorable Michael E. 
Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice. Held 
pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    June 27, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Examining the Administration's Government-Wide Reorganization 
Plan.'' This hearing examined the upcoming government-wide 
reform plan called for in the President's March 13, 2017, 
Executive Order, which was publicly released the week of June 
18. Members learned how the reform plan creates a federal 
government that meets the needs of the American people and 
discussed the Administration's vision for a modern, efficient, 
effective, and accountable federal government. Witness: The 
Honorable Margaret Weichert, Deputy Director for Management, 
U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
    July 12, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee joint with the 
House Judiciary Committee hearing titled, ``Oversight of FBI 
and DOJ Actions Surrounding the 2016 Election: Testimony by FBI 
Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strozok.'' This hearing 
examined the actions taken and decisions made by Federal Bureau 
of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok, 
during his tenure as a top counterintelligence investigator. 
Witness: Peter Strozok, Deputy Assistant Director, Federal 
Bureau of Investigation. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House 
Rule XI.
    July 24, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``Cyber-Securing the Vote: Ensuring the Integrity of the U.S. 
Election System.'' The hearing assessed the role of the federal 
government, states, and localities in safeguarding the 
integrity of the U.S. election system. The hearing also 
determined what actions must be taken ahead of the 2018 midterm 
elections to ensure the voting process is secure. Witnesses: 
The Honorable Christopher Krebs, Under Secretary, National 
Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security; The Honorable Thomas Hicks, Commissioner, 
U.S. Election Assistance Commission; The Honorable Maggie 
Toulouse Oliver, Secretary of State, New Mexico; The Honorable 
Ricky Hatch, County Auditor, Weber County, Utah.
    September 26, 2018, 1:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``Examining Misconduct and Retaliation at TSA.'' The 
hearing examined the Committee's findings into senior level 
misconduct and whistleblower retaliation at the Transportation 
Security Administration (TSA). Witness: The Honorable David 
Pekoske, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration. 
Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    November 15, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``Examining Misconduct and Retaliation at the U.S. 
Forest Service.'' The hearing examined the U.S. Forest 
Service's response to allegations of misconduct, sexual 
harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Witnesses: Ms. 
Vicki Christiansen, Chief, U.S. Forest Service; The Honorable 
Phyllis K. Fong, Inspector General, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture; Ms. Shannon Reed, Air Quality Specialist, Former 
Employee, U.S. Forest Service. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of 
House Rule XI.
    November 28, 2018, 1:00 p.m. Full Committee hearing titled, 
``BOP Management of Its Female Inmate Population, and Other 
Challenges.'' This hearing evaluated the Bureau of Prisons' 
(BOP) response to findings and recommendations from the 
Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General (IG). 
The hearing also examined how BOP intends to hold its leaders 
accountable for wrongdoing, and uphold the ideals of 
professionalism, safety, and integrity within the federal 
prison system. Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, 
Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, Department 
of Justice; Mr. Hugh J. Hurwitz, Acting Director, Federal 
Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice. Held pursuant to 
clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    November 29, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Full Committee hearing 
titled, ``Evaluating Federal Disaster Response and Recovery 
Efforts.'' The hearing examined the U.S. government's response 
to the 2017 hurricane season, including efforts to aid affected 
survivors and communities. The hearing also discussed lessons-
learned and additional opportunities to improve federal natural 
disaster-related programs. Witnesses: The Honorable William B. 
``Brock'' Long, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; Major General Scott A. Spellmon, Deputy Commanding 
General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers; Dr. Lynn Goldman, Michael and Lori Milken Dean, 
Milken Institute of Public Health, George Washington 
University. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.

       HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

    March 29, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``WMATA After SafeTrack.'' The hearing examined the planned 
final stages of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
Authority's (WMATA) SafeTrack program, as well as WMATA's plans 
for the Back2Good initiative. The hearing also reviewed WMATA's 
financial situation, including the proposed Fiscal Year 2018 
budget. Witnesses: Mr. Paul Wiedefeld, General Manager, 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; Mr. Dennis 
Anosike, Chief Financial Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area 
Transit Authority; Dr. Mark L. Goldstein, Ph.D., Director of 
Physical Infrastructure Issues, U.S. Government Accountability 
Office.
    April 6, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``The Best and Worst Places to Work in the Federal 
Government.'' The annual hearing examined the 2016 Best Places 
to Work in the Federal Government rankings assembled by the 
Partnership for Public Service and the associated Federal 
Employee Viewpoint Survey administered by the U.S. Office of 
Personnel Management. The Committee wished to study recent 
trends revealed by the data and ways to ensure positive growth 
in employee engagement at agencies. Witnesses: Ms. Roberta 
Jeanquart, Director of the Office of Human Resources 
Management, Chief Human Capital Officer, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture; Ms. Lacey Dingman, Director of the Office of Human 
Resources, Chief Human Capital Officer, U.S. Securities and 
Exchange Commission; Ms. Angela Bailey, Chief Human Capital 
Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Lee Gardner, 
Managing Director, U.S. Surface Transportation Board; Ms. 
Veronica Villalobos, Principal Deputy Associate Director--
Employee Services, Acting Executive Director, Chief Human 
Capital Officers Council, U.S. Office of Personnel Management; 
Mr. Max Stier, President and CEO, Partnership for Public 
Service. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    April 26, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Reviewing the Unintended Consequences of the Foreign Account 
Tax Compliance Act.'' The hearing examined the consequences of 
the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) for expatriates, 
as well as its effects on tax revenue, and tax compliance 
costs. The hearing discussed potential legislative proposals to 
alleviate negative impacts on Americans living abroad. 
Witnesses: The Honorable Rand Paul, U.S. Senator, State of 
Kentucky; Mr. James Bopp, Jr., Attorney, The Bopp Law Firm, PC; 
Mr. Mark Crawford, Director, AKSIONER International Security 
Brokerage; Mr. Daniel Kuettel, Former U.S. citizen living in 
Switzerland who renounced his U.S. citizenship due to FATCA; 
Ms. Elise Bean, Washington Co-Director, Levin Center at Wayne 
Law Wayne State University.
    September 7, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining the Shipment of Illicit Drugs in International 
Mail.'' The hearing explored how international drug traffickers 
exploit discrepancies in security standards between the U.S. 
Postal Service and its private express counterparts for 
international mail to ship contraband into the United States. 
Witnesses: The Honorable Gregory Thome, Director, Office of 
U.N. Specialized and Technical Agencies, Bureau of 
International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State; 
Mr. Guy Cottrell, Chief Postal Inspector, United States Postal 
Service; Mr. Todd C. Owen, Executive Assistant, Commissioner, 
Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
Ms. Lori Rectanus, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, 
U.S. Government Accountability Office; Ms. Tammy Whitcomb, 
Acting Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service Office of the 
Inspector General. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule 
XI.
    October 11, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Security Clearance Investigation Challenges and Reforms.'' 
The hearing examined the current security clearance 
investigation backlog, as well as ongoing reform efforts at the 
National Background Investigations Bureau and the Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence. Members of the Subcommittee 
had an opportunity to discuss potential changes to the 
clearance investigation process and questioned experts inside 
and outside of the federal government on the status of the 
backlog and strategies for reducing the backlog. Witnesses: Mr. 
Charles S. Phalen, Jr., Director, National Background 
Investigations Bureau, Office of Personnel Management; Mr. 
Garry P. Reid, Director of Defense Intelligence, Office of the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, U.S. Department of 
Defense; Mr. William R. Evanina, Director, National 
Counterintelligence and Security Center, Office of the Director 
of National Intelligence; Mr. A.R. ``Trey'' Hodgkins III, 
Senior Vice, President, Public Sector, Information Technology 
Alliance for Public Sector.
    February 15, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``General Services Administration--Checking in the with the 
Government's Acquisition and Property Manager.'' The hearing 
examined the GSA's administration and management of federal 
acquisition programs and reforms as well as the agency's 
efforts to improve its management of federal real property, 
particularly initiatives aimed at reducing the federal 
government's real property portfolio. The subcommittee heard 
about efforts to improve federal acquisition, including cost 
savings and modernization efforts. The subcommittee also heard 
about GSA plans to recruit and retain a high quality 
acquisition, real property, and IT workforce, including any 
reorganization plans. Witnesses: The Honorable Emily W. Murphy, 
Administrator, General Services Administration; The Honorable 
Alan B. Thomas, Jr., Commissioner, Federal Acquisition Service, 
General Services Administration; The Honorable Dan Mathews, 
Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services 
Administration; The Honorable Carol F. Ochoa, Inspector 
General, General Services Administration.
    April 19, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining Tax-Exempt Private Activity Bonds for All Aboard 
Florida's Brightline Passenger Rail System.'' The hearing 
examined the use of $600 million and $1.15 billion in tax-
exempt private activity bonds to support the Brightline 
passenger rail system project in Florida, and the broader 
implications of this type of financing for future 
infrastructure projects. Additionally, this hearing examined 
the safety implications of the Brightline passenger rail system 
project and its impact on the local communities. Witnesses: Mr. 
Grover Burthey, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. 
Department of Transportation; Mr. Patrick Goddard, President 
and Chief Operating Officer, All Aboard Florida/Brightline; Mr. 
Robert Crandall, former CEO, American Airlines; Chief Dan 
Wouters, Division Chief Emergency Management, Martin County 
Fire Rescue; Mr. Dylan Reingold, County Attorney, Indian River 
County. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) and (o) of House Rule XI.
    May 24, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Union Time on the People's Dime: A Closer Look at Official 
Time.'' The hearing examined the use of union ``official 
time''--paid time off for federal employees to represent a 
union or its bargaining unit employees during work hours in 
lieu of their regular duties. The hearing: (1) highlighted 
findings from agency responses to the Committee's January 9, 
2018, letter requesting official time data, (2) identified 
official time usage at agencies across government, (3) reviewed 
problems associated with official time data reporting, and (4) 
considered possible official time reforms. Witnesses: Mr. Trey 
Kovacs, Policy Analyst, Competitive Enterprise Institute; Mr. 
Bob Gilson, Senior Labor and Employee Relations Consultant and 
Author; Mr. Darrell M. West, Vice President and Director of 
Governance Studies, Brookings Institution.
    December 13, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Oversight of Nonprofit Organizations: A Case Study on the 
Clinton Foundation.'' The hearing discussed the management of 
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and how the designation 
impacts the programs and activities a nonprofit is allowed to 
conduct. Witnesses: Panel I: Tom Fitton, President, Judicial 
Watch; Mr. Phillip Hackney, Associate Professor of Law, 
University of Pittsburgh. Panel II: Mr. Lawrence W. Doyle, 
Managing Partner, DM Income Advisors; Mr. John F. Moynihan, 
Principal, JFM and Associates.

     HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTHCARE, BENEFITS, AND 
                          ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

    January 31, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Fraud, Waste and Abuse Under the Affordable Care Act.'' The 
hearing examined the implementation of the Patient Protection 
and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the impact of the law on 
the health insurance marketplace. Witnesses: Ms. Vicki 
Robinson, Senior Counselor for Policy, Office of Inspector 
General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Mr. John 
Dicken Director, Health Care, U.S. Government Accountability 
Office; Mr. Jonathan W. Siegel, Citizen, Rochester, NY. Held 
pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    March 22, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining the Impact of Voluntary Restricted Distribution 
Systems in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain.'' The hearing 
examined the use of restricted distribution systems in the 
pharmaceutical supply chain and the potential for some 
companies to use restricted distribution systems to delay 
generic competition in certain instances. Witnesses: Dr. Janet 
Woodcock, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 
Food and Drug Administration; Mr. Bruce Leicher, Senior Vice 
President and General Counsel, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, 
Testifying on behalf of the Association for Accessible 
Medicines (AAM); Dr. Gerard Anderson, Director, Center for 
Hospital Finance and Management, Professor, Johns Hopkins 
Bloomberg School of Public Health; Mr. David Mitchell, 
President and Founder, Patients for Affordable Drugs.
    April 11, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Local Responses and Resources to Curtail the Opioid 
Epidemic.'' The hearing examined local efforts and resources to 
address the ongoing opioid epidemic. This hearing also assessed 
state and federal coordination to curtail this crisis, focusing 
on how federal grant programs can assist localities struggling 
to address opioid use and other drug crises. Witnesses: Ms. Amy 
Haskins, Project Director, Jackson County Anti-Drug Coalition; 
Ms. Lisa Roberts, Coordinator, Scioto County Drug Action Team 
Alliance; Mr. Derek Siegle, Executive Director, Ohio HIDTA; Ms. 
Karen Ayala, Lead Staff, DuPage HOPE (Heroin/Opioid Prevention 
and Education) Task-Force.

 HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENT

    February 15, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining Federal Programs that Serve Tribes and their 
Members.'' The hearing reviewed recent studies and analyses 
conducted by the Government Accountability Office and the 
Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General on the 
management of federal programs that serve tribes and their 
members. Witnesses: Mr. Frank Rusco, Director, Natural 
Resources and Environment, Energy and Science Issues, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; The Honorable Mary Kendall, 
Deputy Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, U.S. 
Department of Interior; The Honorable Tyson Thompson, 
Councilman, Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council. Held pursuant 
to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    March 21, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining GAO Findings on Deficiencies at the Bureau of 
Safety and Environmental Enforcement.'' The hearing reviewed 
recent studies and reports conducted by the Government 
Accountability Office on leadership and management at the 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Witnesses: Mr. 
Richard T. Cardinale, Acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and 
Minerals Management, U.S. Department of the Interior; Mr. Frank 
Rusco, Director, Natural Resources and Environment-Energy 
Issues, Government Accountability Office. Held pursuant to 
clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    April 5, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Improving the Visitor Experience at National Parks.'' This 
hearing examined ways to improve the visitor experience at 
national parks. Witnesses: Mr. Glenn Casamassa, Associate 
Deputy Chief, National Forest System, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture; Ms. Linda Lanterman, Director of the 
Division of State Parks, State of Kansas; Mr. Chris Edmonston, 
President, BoatU.S. Foundation; Mr. Rick Cables, Vice President 
of Natural Resources and Conservation, Vail Resorts.
    May 2, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining the Management of Red Snapper Fishing in the Gulf 
of Mexico.'' This hearing examined management issues with red 
snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Witnesses: Mr. Earl 
Comstock, Director, Office of Policy and Strategic Planning, 
U.S. Department of Commerce; Mr. Jamie M. Miller, Executive 
Director, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources State of 
Mississippi; Mr. Christopher Brown, President, Seafood 
Harvesters of America; Mr. Mark Ray, Vice Chairman, Coastal 
Conservation Association.
    September 26, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining America's Nuclear Waste Management and Storage.'' 
This hearing examined the issue of nuclear waste storage and 
disposal. Specifically, the committee focused on the needs and 
challenges of communities currently holding this waste. 
Witnesses: Mr. Anthony J. O'Donnell, Commissioner, Maryland 
Public Service Commission, Chair, National Association of 
Regulatory Utility Commissioners Subcommittee on Nuclear 
Issues--Waste Disposal; Mr. Chuck Smith, Councilmember, Aiken 
County, South Carolina, On behalf of Energy Communities 
Alliance; Mr. David G. Victor, Chairman, San Onofre Nuclear 
Generating Station, Community Engagement Panel, Professor, UC 
San Diego School of Global Policy & Strategy; Dr. Edwin Lyman, 
Senior Scientist, Global Security Program, Union of Concerned 
Scientists; Ms. Katie Tubb, Policy Analyst, Institute for 
Economic Freedom, The Heritage Foundation.
    November 2, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining the Regulation of Shark Finning in the United 
States.'' This hearing examined the effects of the practice of 
shark finning. Specifically, the hearing considered the issue 
from an international and domestic perspective, including 
existing laws and loopholes, and issues related to enforcement 
of those laws. Witnesses: Ms. Lora Snyder, Campaign Director, 
Oceana, International Headquarters; Assistant Commander Brandi 
L. Reeder, Fisheries Law Administrator, Law Enforcement 
Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Alistair D.M. 
Dove, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Conservation, 
Georgia Aquarium.
    March 6, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.'' The hearing 
will examine how USACE can improve communication and 
interaction with local communities where it conducts its work 
and projects. Witnesses: James C. Dalton, SES, Director of 
Civil Works, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Mr. Sean 
Strawbridge, Chief Executive Officer, Port of Corpus Christi 
Authority; Ms. Kirsten Mickelsen, Executive Director, Upper 
Mississippi River Basin Association; Mr. Jim Weakley, 
President, Lake Carriers' Association.
    March 12, 2018, 9:30 a.m. Subcommittee field hearing 
titled, ``The Historic 2017 Hurricane Season: Impacts on the 
U.S. Virgin Islands.'' The hearing examined the effects of 
Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well 
as highlighted response and recovery efforts in the territory. 
Witnesses: Panel 1: Senator Myron D. Jackson, Senate President, 
U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature; Senator Tregenza A. Roach, 
U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature. Panel 2: Mr. William ``Bill'' 
Vogel, Federal Coordinating Officer, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency; Mr. Murad ``Mojo'' Raheem, ASPR Regional 
Emergency Coordinator, Region 2, Department of Health and Human 
Services; COL Scott Heintzelman, Defense Coordinating Officer 
for FEMA Region II, Department of Defense; COL Robert J. Clark, 
Commander, USACE Field Recovery Office, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers; Mr. Randy Lavasseur, Caribbean Group Superintendent, 
National Park Service; Mr. Henry ``Hank'' Dynka, Manager, In-
Plant Support, Northeast Area Operations, U.S. Postal Service. 
Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    March 15, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, ``An 
Examination of Federal Permitting Processes.'' The hearing 
examined federal permitting processes, focusing on the National 
Environmental Protection Act and the Clean Water Act. The 
hearing provided a forum to identify problems and 
inefficiencies within those processes, highlighting why reforms 
are necessary. Witnesses: Mr. James Iwanicki, PE, Engineer-
Manager, Marquette County Road Commission; Ms. Valerie 
Wilkinson, CPA, Vice President and CFO, The ESG Companies; Mr. 
Kevin DeGood, Director, Infrastructure Policy, Center for 
American Progress; Ms. Diane Katz, Senior Research Fellow in 
Regulatory Policy, The Heritage Foundation.
    June 26, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Access to Public Lands: The Effects of Forest Service Road 
Closures.'' The purpose of this hearing was to examine the 
effects of Forest Service policies on access to federally owned 
land. The hearing also focused on the challenges of addressing 
access issues through coordination with the Forest Service. 
Witnesses: The Honorable Kerry White, Representative, Montana 
House of Representatives; Mr. Bill Harvey, Commission Chair, 
Baker County, Oregon; Ms. Amy Granat, Managing Director, 
California Off-Road Vehicle Association; Mr. Jim Furnish, 
Consulting Forester.
    July 17, 2018, Subcommittee hearing titled, ``Tribal Energy 
Resources: Reducing Barriers to Opportunity.'' The hearing 
explored management challenges imposed by the fragmented 
regulatory process for energy development on tribal lands. 
Witnesses: Mr. Eric Henson, Executive Vice President, Compass 
Lexecon, Research Affiliate, The Harvard Project on American 
Indian Economic Development Visiting Senior Scholar, The 
Harvard University Native American Program; The Honorable Alvin 
Not Afraid, Jr., Chairman, Crow Tribe of Indians; The Honorable 
Adam Red, Councilman, Southern Ute Indian Tribe; Mr. 
Christopher Clark Deschene, Partner, Rosette, LLP.
    July 24, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Preserving Opportunities for Grazing on Federal Land.'' The 
hearing examined challenges faced by ranchers seeking to graze 
livestock on federal land and identified opportunities for more 
productive range management practices. Witnesses: Mr. Dave 
Eliason, President, Public Lands Council; Mr. John Helle, Owner 
Partner, Helle Livestock; Mr. Scott Horngren, Staff Attorney & 
Adjunct Professor, Western Resources Legal Center; Honorable 
Shannon Wheeler, Chairman, Nez Perce Tribe.
    September 27, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Restoring Balance to Environmental Litigation.'' The hearing 
examined special-interest environmental litigation against 
federal agencies and identified reforms to curb excessive 
litigation and the abuse of fee shifting statutes such as the 
Equal Access to Justice Act. Witnesses: Mr. Jonathan 
Brightbill, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Environment and 
Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Mr. 
Lawson Fite, General Counsel, American Forest Resource Counsel; 
Mr. Ryan Yates, Director of Congressional Relations, American 
Farm Bureau Federation; Ms. Sara A. Colangelo, Environment Law 
and Policy Program Director, Visiting Professor of Law, 
Georgetown University Law Center.

     HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

    April 26, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Unfunded Mandates: Examining Federally Imposed Burdens on 
State and Local Governments.'' The Committee evaluated numerous 
federal unfunded mandates and how those unfunded mandates 
impacted state and local governments. The hearing followed up 
to the Committee's December 2016 request to state and local 
government partners for information relating to federal 
unfunded mandates that impose burdens on state and local 
governments, and associated costs or compliance challenges. 
Witnesses: The Honorable Wayne Niederhauser, President, Utah 
State Senate; The Honorable Jim Davis, Senator, North Carolina 
State Senate; The Honorable Gary Moore, Judge/Executive, Boone 
County, Kentucky; The Honorable Jermaine Reed, Councilman, City 
of Kansas City, Missouri; The Honorable Jeff McKay, Supervisor, 
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Alexandria, Virginia.
    October 3, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs and the 
Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security of the 
Committee on Homeland Security titled, ``Innovations in 
Security: Examining the Use of Canines.'' The hearing reviewed 
the use of canines, explored the procurement process, and 
addressed issues with the supply of canines. Witnesses: Ms. 
Sheila Goffe, Vice President, Government Relations, American 
Kennel Club; Lieutenant Scott R. Smith, Orlando Police 
Department, Orlando, Florida; Cynthia M. Otto, DVM, Ph.D., 
Executive Director, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of 
Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
    July 25, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing before the 
Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Federal 
Grant Management.'' The hearing examined opportunities to 
modernize the federal grantmaking process. Witnesses: Mr. 
Hudson Hollister, Executive Director, Data Coalition; Ms. 
Michelle Sager, Director, Strategic Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; Ms. Andrea L. Brandon, MPA, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary Office of Grants and Acquisition Policy and 
Accountability OS/ASFR/OGAPA, U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services; Mr. Peter Tyler, Senior Policy Advisor, Project 
on Government Oversight; Ms. Natalie Keegan, Analyst American 
Federalism and Emergency Management, Congressional Research 
Service.
    December 11, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Examining `Backdoor' Spending by Federal Agencies.'' This 
hearing examined the extent to which federal agencies use 
backdoor spending to avoid the annual appropriations process. 
The hearing also explored how backdoor spending undermines 
Congress' authority and what Congress can do to reassert its 
authority over the power of the purse. Witnesses: Ms. Tranchau 
(Kris) T. NguyenDirector of Strategic Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; Ms. Julia C. Matta, Managing Associate 
General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office, Mr. James Wallner, Senior Fellow, 
Governance Project, R Street Institute; Mr. Robert Weissman, 
President, Public Citizen. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) and (o) 
of House Rule XI.

       HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

    April 4, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Reviewing Federal IT Workforce Challenges and Possible 
Solutions.'' The hearing examined the development, recruitment, 
and retention of the federal government's information 
technology, and specifically cybersecurity, workforce. 
Witnesses: Mr. Steven Cooper, Former Chief Information Officer, 
U.S. Department of Commerce; Ms. Elizabeth Hyman, Executive 
Vice President, Public Advocacy, CompTIA; Ms. Lisa Depew, Head 
of Industry and Academic Outreach, Intel; Mr. Dan Waddell, 
Managing Director, (ISC)2; Mr. Nick Marinos, Director, 
Information Technology, Government Accountability Office, Ms. 
Debora Plunkett, Board Member, Strategic Advisory Board, 
International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity 
Professionals.
    May 23, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Information Technology and Subcommittee on 
Social Security of the Committee on Ways & Means titled, 
``Protecting American's Identities: Examining Efforts to Limit 
the Use of Social Security Numbers.'' The hearing focused on 
efforts by federal agencies to reduce the use of Social 
Security numbers (SSNs), and the challenges these agencies face 
in doing so. Witnesses: Mr. Greg Wilshusen, Director, 
Information Security Services, Government Accountability 
Office; Ms. Mariana LaCanfora, Acting Deputy Commissioner, 
Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, Social Security 
Administration; Mr. David Devries, Chief Information Officer, 
Office of Personnel Management; Ms. Karen Jackson, Deputy Chief 
Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; 
Mr. John Oswalt, Executive Director for Privacy, Office of 
Information and Technology, Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    June 13, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``The Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act 
(FITARA) 4.0.'' This hearing was part of a continuing oversight 
effort on federal information technology (IT). This effort 
began with a June 10, 2015, hearing on the U.S. Government 
Accountability Office's (GAO) 2015 designation of IT 
acquisition as ``High Risk'' area, and plans for FITARA 
implementation. The Committee continued this effort with the 
first FITARA Scorecard hearing on November 4, 2015, the FITARA 
Scorecard 2.0 hearing on May 18, 2016, and the FITARA Scorecard 
3.0 hearing on December 6, 2016. The subcommittees heard 
details on agencies' progress in FITARA implementation 
(including data center consolidation, incremental development, 
and portfolio review efforts) and implications for IT 
acquisition reform and security. Witnesses: Mr. David A. 
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office ; Ms. Beth Killoran, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for IT, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services; Ms. Sheila Conley, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Acting Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services; Dr. Rick Holgate, Research Director, 
Gartner, Inc.
    October 3, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Cybersecurity of the Internet of Things.'' The increasing use 
of internet connected devices known as the ``Internet of 
Things'' poses potential cybersecurity risks. Currently, there 
is no industry-wide security standard in use for these devices. 
Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced 
legislation (S. 1691) intended to improve the security of the 
Internet of Things. This hearing examined the legislation and 
discussed additional potential strategies for securing the 
Internet of Things. Witnesses: Mr. Matthew J. Eggers, Executive 
Director, Cybersecurity Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Mr. 
Tommy Ross, Senior Director of Policy, The Software Alliance 
(BSA); Mr. Josh Corman, Director of the Cyber Statecraft 
Initiative, Atlantic Council; Mr. Ray O'Farrell, Chief 
Technology Officer, VMware.
    October 24, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Oversight of Federal Political Advertisement Laws and 
Regulations.'' The hearing examined the regulations and laws 
for political ad disclaimers and disclosures in traditional and 
new media. Witnesses: Mr. Allen Dickerson, Legal Director, 
Center for Competitive Politics; Mr. David Chavern, President 
and Chief Executive Officer, News Media Alliance; Mr. Jack N. 
Goodman, Owner, Law Offices of Jack N. Goodman; Mr. Randall 
Rothenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer, Interactive 
Advertising Bureau; Mr. Ian Vandewalker, Senior Counsel, 
Brennan Center for Justice, Democracy Program, New York 
University School of Law.
    December 7, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Oversight of IT and Cybersecurity at the Department of 
Veterans Affairs.'' This hearing was an opportunity for the 
Committee to conduct oversight of the Veterans Affairs' 
information technology systems, including its performance on 
the most recent FITARA scorecard, the development of an 
interoperable Electronic Health record, and its VistA 
modernization efforts. Witnesses: Mr. Scott Blackburn, Acting 
Chief Information Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. 
Dominic Cussatt, Chief Information Security Officer, Department 
of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Bill James, Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for the Enterprise Program Management Office, U.S. Department 
of Veterans Affairs; Mr. John Windom, Program Executive for 
Electronic Health Records Modernization, U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Mr. David A. Powner, Director, IT Management 
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office. Held pursuant to 
clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    February 14, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Game Changers: Artificial Intelligence Part I.'' Artificial 
intelligence is increasingly cited as the solution for many of 
the problems government faces, but few in government understand 
artificial intelligence or its potential. This hearing 
addressed artificial intelligence, its development, uses, 
barriers to deployment and potential for both societal good and 
harm. Witnesses: Dr. Amir Khosrowshahi, Vice President and 
Chief Technology Officer, Artificial Intelligence Products 
Group, Intel; Dr. Charles Isbell, Executive Associate Dean and 
Professor, College of Computing, Georgia Institute of 
Technology; Dr. Oren Etzioni, Chief Executive Officer, Allen 
Institute for Artificial Intelligence; Dr. Ian Buck, Vice 
President and General Manager, Tesla Data Center Business, 
NVIDIA.
    March 7, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Game Changers: Artificial Intelligence Part II, Artificial 
Intelligence and the Federal Government.'' The hearing examined 
the federal government's engagement of artificial intelligence. 
The discussion centered on artificial intelligence research and 
development, adoption of artificial intelligence technologies 
and policies affected by artificial intelligence. Witnesses: 
John O. Everett, Ph.D., Deputy Director Information Innovation 
Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. 
Department of Defense; Mr. Keith Nakasone, Deputy Assistant 
Commissioner, Acquisition, Office of Information Technology 
Category, Federal Acquisition Service, U.S. General Services 
Administration; James F. Kurose, Ph.D., Assistant Director, 
Computer and Information Science and Engineering, National 
Science Foundation; Douglas Maughan, Ph.D., Division Director 
Cybersecurity Division, Homeland Security Advanced Research 
Projects Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    March 20, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee Joint hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Information Technology and Subcommittee on 
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure of the Committee on Homeland 
Security titled, ``CDM: Government Perspectives on Security and 
Modernization.'' This hearing examined the status of the 
Department of Homeland Security's Continuous Diagnostics and 
Mitigation (CDM) program rollout at specific agencies. This 
hearing also examined impediments to full deployment of CDM, 
such as the lack of funds, lack of training, and issues with 
contracting vehicles and shared services. Witnesses: Mr. Max 
Everett, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Energy; 
Mr. Scott Blackburn, Executive in Charge, Office of Information 
and Technology, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. David 
Garcia, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Office of Personnel 
Management; Mr. Kevin Cox, CDM Program Manager, Office of 
Cybersecurity and Communications, National Protection and 
Programs Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    April 18, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Game Changers: Artificial Intelligence Part III, Artificial 
Intelligence and Public Policy.'' The hearing was an 
opportunity for Members to discuss the private and public 
responses to the barriers that artificial intelligence faces. 
Witnesses discussed potential solutions to workforce, ethics, 
privacy, bias and global competitiveness and the role the 
government should play when addressing these concerns. 
Witnesses: Gary Shapiro, President, Consumer Technology 
Association; Jack Clark, Director, OpenAI; Terah Lyons, 
Executive Director, Partnership on AI; Ben Buchanan, 
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cyber Security Project, Science, 
Technology, and Public Policy Program; Belfer Center for 
Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School.
    September 26, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Countering China: Ensuring America Remains the World Leader 
in Advanced Technologies and Innovation.'' This hearing 
discussed the effects Chinese trade practices have on American 
companies working to enter Chinese markets and examined how to 
protect American economic and security interests. Witnesses: 
John Neuffer, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
Semiconductor Industry Association; Robert Atkinson, Ph.D, 
President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; 
Dean Cheng, Senior Research Fellow, Asian Studies Center, The 
Heritage Foundation; Sarah Cook, Senior Research Analyst, 
Freedom House.

         HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY

    March 1, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, ``VA: 
Path to Reform.'' At this hearing, the Subcommittee examined 
the policies and procedures of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA) as they relate to recent issues regarding fraud, 
waste and abuse. This hearing also addressed strategies for 
future reform and the new leadership's vision of improving 
practices within all of the agencies in the Department. 
Witnesses: Mrs. Pamela Mitchell, Acting Assistant Secretary, 
Office of Human Resources and Administration, Department of 
Veterans Affairs; Mr. Nich Dahl, Deputy Assistant Inspector 
General for Audits and Evaluations, Office of Inspector 
General, Department of Veterans Affairs; Dr. Irene Barnett, 
Ph.D., Director of the Bedford Office for Audits and 
Evaluations, Office of Inspector General, Department of 
Veterans Affairs.
    April 5, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Assessing the Iran Deal.'' This hearing examined the Iranian 
noncompliance with the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of 
Action and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 as well as 
Iran's regional aggression. Witnesses: Lieutenant General 
Michael Barbero, U.S. Army, Retired, Advisory Board Member, 
United Against Nuclear Iran; Mr. David Albright, President, 
Institute for Science and International Security; Mr. Mark 
Dubowitz, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Defense of 
Democracies; Ray Takeyh, Ph.D., Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow 
for Middle East Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Jim 
Walsh, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate, Security Studies 
Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
    April 27, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``The Border Wall: Strengthening Our National Security.'' The 
hearing examined the potential benefits from the U.S. border 
wall and addressed the wall's impact on national security. The 
National Security Subcommittee investigated the wall's possible 
reduction of illegal aliens and crime. Witnesses: Dr. Steven 
Camarota, Ph.D., Director of Research, Center for Immigration 
Studies; Mr. Brandon Judd, President, National Border Patrol 
Council; Ms. Maria Espinoza, Director, The Remembrance Project; 
Ms. Agnes Gibboney, Mother whose son was killed by an illegal 
immigrant; The Honorable Seth Stodder, Former Assistant 
Secretary, Border, Immigration, & Trade Policy U.S. Department 
of Homeland Security.
    July 27, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Combatting Homegrown Terrorism.'' The hearing examined what 
the United States can do to counter the threat of violent 
extremism within domestic communities. This hearing also sought 
answers from witnesses on the strengths and weaknesses of 
current countering violent extremism programs and identified 
potential strategic improvements. Witnesses: Mr. Kerry Sleeper, 
Assistant Director, Office of Partner Engagement, Federal 
Bureau of Investigation; Mr. George Selim, Director of 
Countering Violent Extremism, Department of Homeland Security; 
Ms. Raheel Raza, President, Muslims Facing Tomorrow; Mr. Adnan 
Kifayat, Director, Global Security Ventures, Gen Next 
Foundation; Mr. Seamus Hughes, Deputy Director of Program on 
Extremism, George Washington University.
    October 11, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Review of the U.S. Government's Role in Protecting 
International Religious Freedom.'' The hearing examined issues 
related to the state of international religious freedom 
worldwide and its connection to national security. The hearing 
also considered the implementation of the Frank R. Wolf 
International Religious Freedom Act, as well as the legal 
requirement that the President appoint an Ambassador-at-Large 
for International Religious Freedom. Witnesses: The Honorable 
Michael G. Kozak, Senior Advisor, Bureau of Democracy, Human 
Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State; Ms. Kristina 
Arriaga de Bucholz, Vice Chair, Commission on International 
Religious Freedom; Thomas F. Farr, Ph.D., President, Religious 
Freedom Institute, Director, Religious Freedom Research 
Project, Georgetown University, Associate Professor, Walsh 
School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University; Mr. Rob 
Berschinski, Senior Vice President, Policy, Human Rights First.
    November 1, 2017, 10:30 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Overview of 16 Years of Involvement in Afghanistan.'' The 
hearing examined issues related to the state of America's 
reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and the applicable 
lessons to other security sector assistance missions globally. 
The hearing considered the recent Special Inspector General for 
Afghanistan (SIGAR) report released September 21, 2017, 
entitled ``Reconstructing the Afghan National Defense and 
Security Forces: Lessons from the U.S. Experience in 
Afghanistan.'' Witness: The Honorable John Sopko, Special 
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Held pursuant 
to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    November 8, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Moving the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem: 
Challenges and Opportunities.'' The hearing examined issues 
related to the proposed relocation of the United States Embassy 
in Israel to Jerusalem. The hearing also considered the 
implementation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act. Witnesses: The 
Honorable John Bolton, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise 
Institute; The Honorable Dore Gold, President, Jerusalem Center 
for Public Affairs; Mr. Morton Klein, President, Zionist 
Organization of America; Dr. Michael Koplow, Policy Director, 
Israel Policy Forum; Mr. Eugene Kontorovich, Professor of Law, 
Northwestern University.
    January 17, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Battlefield Successes and Challenges: Recent Efforts to Win 
the War Against ISIS.'' The hearing demonstrated the successes 
against ISIS because of changes in the U.S. military's 
delegation of authorities, increases in aerial bombing, and a 
more aggressive use of Special Forces. The work of the US 
military and intelligence communities as well as the support of 
important regional allies has been instrumental in the 
battlefield destruction of ISIS--and yet it has been woefully 
covered by the mainstream media. The Committee highlighted 
these victories to the American people and also laid out the 
path forward for success against radical Islamic terrorism. 
Witnesses: Sebastian Gorka, Ph.D., Former Deputy Assistant to 
the President; Mr. Michael Pregent, Adjunct Fellow, Hudson 
Institute; Mr. Phillip Lohaus, Research Fellow, Marilyn Ware 
Center for Security Studies, American Enterprise Institute; Mr. 
Robert Anthony Pape, Jr., Professor, Political Science 
Department, University of Chicago.
    March 22, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Bureaucratic Challenges to Hurricane Recovery in Puerto 
Rico.'' The hearing highlighted the challenges that Puerto Rico 
faces in its rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Maria in 
September of 2017. Witnesses: The Honorable Michael Byrne, 
Assistant Administrator for Field Operations, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. 
William Parks, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary, 
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, U.S. 
Department of Energy; Mr. Peter Lopez, Regional Administrator, 
Region 2, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. Scott 
Aaronson, Vice President, Security and Preparedness, Edison 
Electric Institute; SSG Johnathan Sutton (Ret.), Former U.S. 
Army, 82nd Airborne Division, Puerto Rico Volunteer. Held 
pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    April 12, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, ``A 
`Caravan' of Illegal Immigrants: A Test of U.S. Borders.'' The 
hearing highlighted the impact of surging asylum seekers on law 
enforcement and the U.S. immigration system, and examined what 
the Department of Homeland Security is doing to prepare for the 
2018 Pueblo Sin Fronteras cause. The hearing also explored how 
U.S. authorities are partnering with Mexican law enforcement 
and immigration authorities. Witnesses: Ms. Carla L. Provost 
(Declined invitation to testify), Acting Chief, U.S. Border 
Patrol; Mr. Brandon Judd, President, National Border Patrol 
Council; Colonel Steven McCraw, Director, Texas Department of 
Public Safety; The Honorable Andrew R. Arthur, Resident Fellow 
in Law and Policy, Center for Immigration Studies; Mr. Michael 
Breen, President and CEO, Truman Center.
    June 6, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Protecting America from a Bad Deal: Ending U.S. Participation 
in the Nuclear Agreement with Iran.'' The hearing discussed the 
withdrawal of American participation in the Joint Comprehensive 
Plan of Action, that is, the Iran Nuclear Deal, examined the 
agreement's flaws, and identified potential U.S. policy options 
for addressing the national security threat posed by Iran. 
Witnesses: Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor, Foundation for 
Defense of Democracies; David Albright, President, Institute 
for Science and International Security; Michael Pregent, Senior 
Fellow, Hudson Institute; Michael Rubin, Resident Scholar, 
American Enterprise Institute; Jim Walsh, Senior Research 
Associate, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology (MIT).
    June 20, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``Holding Cuban Leaders Accountable.'' The hearing discussed 
the Trump Administration's policy on Cuba, reviewed the 1996 
shoot down of the Hermanos al Rescate humanitarian aircraft, 
and examined the possibility of criminal indictments for senior 
Cuban governmental officials for gross human rights violations. 
Witnesses: Mr. Jason Poblete Attorney, Poblete Tamargo LLP; 
Ambassador Roger Noriega, Visiting Fellow, American Enterprise 
Institute; Ms. Ana Alejandre Ciereszko, Sister of Hermanos al 
Rescate Pilot, Armando Alejandre Jr.; Ms. Miriam de la Pena, 
Mother of Hermanos al Rescate Pilot, Mario de la Pena; William 
LeoGrande, Professor of Government, American University.
    July 11, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, 
``The Muslim Brotherhood's Global Threat.'' The hearing 
discussed the threat that the Muslim Brotherhood and its 
affiliates pose to the United States and its interests and how 
to most effectively counter it. Witnesses: Dr. Hillel Fradkin, 
Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute; Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, 
Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Foundation for Defense of 
Democracies; M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., President & Founder, 
American Islamic Forum for Democracy; The Honorable Daniel 
Benjamin Norman E. McCulloch Jr., Director, John Sloan Dickey 
Center for International Understanding, Dartmouth University.
    July 17, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Subcommittee hearing titled, ``A 
New Horizon in U.S.-Israel Relations: From an American Embassy 
in Jerusalem to Potential Recognition of Israeli Sovereignty 
Over the Golan Heights.'' The hearing discussed the potential 
for American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan 
Heights in furtherance of U.S. national security interests. 
Witnesses: Michael Doran, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Hudson 
Institute; Ambassador Dore Gold, Ph.D., President, Jerusalem 
Center for Public Affairs; Eugene Kontorovich, Professor, 
Northwestern University School of Law; Ambassador Daniel 
Kurtzer, Ph.D., S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern 
Policy Studies, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and 
International Affairs, Princeton University; Mr. Morton Klein, 
President, Zionist Organization of America.

                      JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS

    March 1, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Interior, Energy, and Environment and 
Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Examining Environmental 
Barriers to Infrastructure Development.'' The hearing reviewed 
instances of environmental laws and regulations that have 
hindered general infrastructure development. Witnesses: Mr. 
Richie Beyer, County Engineer, Elmore County, Alabama; Mr. 
Wayne D'Angelo, Counsel for the Steel Manufacturers, 
Association, Kelley Drye and Warren LLP; Mr. Nicholas Loris, 
Herbert and Joyce Morgan Research Fellow in Energy and 
Environmental Policy Institute for Economic Freedom and 
Opportunity, The Heritage Foundation.
    March 8, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules titled, ``Examining IRS 
Customer Service Challenges.'' The hearing examined customer 
service at the Internal Revenue Service. The Committee was also 
interested in IRS decisions to fund priorities other than 
customer service. Witnesses: The Honorable John Dalrymple, 
Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement, Internal 
Revenue Service; Mr. Russell Martin, Assistant Inspector 
General, Returns Processing and Account Services, Treasury 
Inspector General for Tax Administration; Ms. Jessica Lucas-
Judy, Acting Director, Strategic Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House 
Rule XI.
    March 28, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Information 
Technology titled, ``Reviewing Challenges in Federal IT 
Acquisition.'' This hearing examined why the federal IT 
acquisition system fails to perform and options to fix the IT 
acquisition system. Witnesses: Mr. David A. Powner, Director, 
IT Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; 
Mr. Richard A. Spires, Chief Executive Officer and Director, 
Learning Tree International, Inc.; Mr. Venkatapathi ``PV'' 
Puvvada, President, Unisys Federal Systems; Mr. A.R. ``Trey'' 
Hodgkins III, Senior Vice President, Information Technology 
Alliance for Public Sector, Information Technology Industry 
Council; Ms. Deidre ``Dee'' Lee, Director, IT Management 
Issues, Chair, Section 809 Panel.
    May 4, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules titled, ``Examining a 
Church's Right to Free Speech.'' The hearing examined the 
Johnson Amendment's effect on a religious institution's right 
to free speech. Witnesses: Ms. Mandi Ancalle, Counsel for 
Government Affairs, Family Research Council; Ms. Catherine 
Engelbrecht, Citizen, Cat Spring, Texas; Ms. Christiana 
Holcomb, Legal Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom; Rabbi David 
Saperstein, Former Director and Counsel, Religious Action 
Center.
    May 24, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Interior, Energy, and Environment and 
Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Examining `Sue and Settle' 
Agreements: Part I.'' The hearing reviewed how federal agencies 
and environmental interest groups make policy through court-
ordered agreements. Witnesses: Mr. William Kovacs, Senior Vice 
President, Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs, U.S. 
Chamber of Commerce; Ms. Darcy Helmick, Simplot Livestock Co., 
Grand View, Idaho; Mr. Kent Holsinger, Holsinger Law, LLC, 
Denver, Colorado; Mr. Justin Pidot, Environmental and Natural 
Resources Law, Denver, Colorado.
    May 25, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Improper Payments in the 
Federal Government: Student Aid.'' The hearing examined the 
Department of Education's federal student aid programs, and the 
rate of improper payments associated with them. Specifically, 
the hearing focused on the Department's improper payment 
estimates, the most recent audit of improper payment compliance 
conducted by the Office of Inspector General, and the Agency's 
plan to reduce the level of improper payments within its 
programs. Witnesses: The Honorable Kathleen S. Tighe, Inspector 
General, U.S. Department of Education; Mr. Justin Draeger, 
President, National Association of Student Financial Aid 
Administrators (NASFAA); Jay Hurt, Chief Financial Officer, 
Office of Federal Student Aid. Held pursuant to clause 2(o) of 
House Rule XI.
    June 13, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Information 
Technology titled, ``The Federal Information Technology 
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) 4.0.'' This hearing was part of 
a continuing oversight effort on federal information technology 
(IT). This effort began with a June 10, 2015, hearing on the 
U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) 2015 designation 
of IT acquisition as ``High Risk'' area, and plans for FITARA 
implementation. The Committee continued this effort with the 
first FITARA Scorecard hearing on November 4, 2015, the FITARA 
Scorecard 2.0 hearing on May 18, 2016, and the FITARA Scorecard 
3.0 hearing on December 6, 2016. The subcommittees heard 
details on agencies' progress in FITARA implementation 
(including data center consolidation, incremental development, 
and portfolio review efforts) and implications for IT 
acquisition reform and security. Witnesses: Mr. David A. 
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Ms. Beth Killoran, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for IT, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services; Ms. Sheila Conley, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary, Acting Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services; Dr. Rick Holgate, Research Director, 
Gartner, Inc.
    July 12, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Information 
Technology titled, ``General Services Administration--
Acquisition Oversight and Reform.'' This hearing was a part of 
a continuing oversight effort on federal acquisition oversight 
and reform. This effort began with a March 28, 2017, hearing 
titled, ``Reviewing Challenges for Federal Information 
Technology Acquisition.'' The subcommittees heard details on 
the role of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) in federal 
acquisition and the recent FAS reorganization. Witnesses: Mr. 
Alan Thomas, Commissioner, Federal Acquisition Service, General 
Services Administration; Mr. Rob Cook, Deputy Commissioner of 
Technology Transformation Service, General Services 
Administration.
    July 25, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Interior, Energy, and Environment and 
Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Examining `Sue and Settle' 
Agreements: Part II.'' The hearing reviewed how advocacy groups 
and federal agencies implement policy across state and local 
governments through court-ordered agreements. Witnesses: The 
Honorable John Engler, Former Governor, State of Michigan; Mr. 
Carl E. Geffken, City Administrator, Fort Smith, Arkansas; 
David Sanders, Ph.D., Executive Vice-President of Systems 
Improvement, Casey Family Programs; Mr. Robert Weissman, 
President, Public Citizen.
    July 27, 2017, 9:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative 
Rules and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Challenges to 
Freedom of Speech on College Campuses.'' The hearing examined 
the culture and policies related to free speech on college 
campuses. Witnesses: Ms. Nadine Strossen, John Marshal Harlan 
II Professor of Law, New York Law School; Mr. Ben Shapiro, 
Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Wire; Mr. Adam Carolla, Comedian and 
Filmmaker, No Safe Spaces Documentary; Dr. Michael Zimmerman, 
Former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, The 
Evergreen State College; Mr. Frederick Lawrence, Secretary and 
CEO, The Phi Beta Kappa Society, Anti-Defamation League.
    October 24, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules titled, 
``Regulatory Reform Task Forces Check-In.'' The hearing focused 
on agency implementation of the President's Executive Order 
13771 ``Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,'' 
and Executive Order 13777 ``Enforcing the Regulatory Reform 
Agenda.'' The hearing evaluated the Department's efforts to 
implement these policies and establish a Regulatory Reform Task 
Force to reduce unnecessary, costly, duplicative, and 
burdensome regulations. Witnesses: Panel I: Ms. Joo Y. Chung, 
Director of Oversight and Compliance, Office of the Deputy 
Chief Management Officer Department of Defense; Mr. Giancarlo 
Brizzi, Principal Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of 
Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration; Dr. 
James C. Owens, Acting General Counsel, Department of 
Transportation. Panel II: Mr. Jitinder Kohli, Managing 
Director, Deloitte Consulting; Ms. Diane Katz, Senior Research 
Fellow for Regulatory Policy, The Heritage Foundation; Mr. 
James Goodwin, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Progressive 
Reform; Mr. Clyde Wayne Crews, Vice President for Policy, 
Competitive Enterprise Institute.
    October 25, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules titled, 
``Ongoing Management Challenges at IRS.'' The hearing examined 
specific issues at IRS identified by the Treasury Inspector 
General for Tax Administration and other oversight bodies. 
These issues included rehiring employees who were previously 
fired from IRS or separated while under investigation for 
conduct or performance issues. Witnesses: Mr. Jeffrey Tribiano, 
Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support, Internal Revenue 
Service; Ms. Gina Garza, Chief Information Officer, Internal 
Revenue Service; The Honorable J. Russell George, Treasury 
Inspector General for Tax Administration; Mr. Greg Kutz, 
Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Treasury Inspector 
General for Tax Administration. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of 
House Rule XI.
    November 14, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Healthcare, Benefits, and 
Administrative Rules and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, 
``Regulatory Reform Task Forces Check-In: Part II.'' The 
hearing focused on agency implementation of the President's 
Executive Order 13771 ``Reducing Regulation and Controlling 
Regulatory Costs,'' and Executive Order 13777 ``Enforcing the 
Regulatory Reform Agenda.'' The hearing evaluated the 
Department's efforts to implement these policies and establish 
a Regulatory Reform Task Force to reduce unnecessary, costly, 
duplicative, and burdensome regulations. Witnesses: Mr. Robert 
Eitel, Senior Counselor to the Secretary, Department of 
Education; Ms. Rebeckah Adcock, Senior Advisor to the 
Secretary, Department of Agriculture; Mr. Charles Keckler, 
Associate Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Human 
Services.
    November 15, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Information Technology titled, ``The Federal Information 
Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) Scorecard 5.0.'' 
This hearing was part of a continuing oversight effort on 
federal information technology (IT). This effort began with a 
June 10, 2015, hearing on the U.S. Government Accountability 
Office's (GAO) 2015 designation of IT acquisition as ``High 
Risk'' area, and plans for FITARA implementation. Witnesses: 
Panel I: Mr. Dave Powner, Director of IT Management Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Max Everett, Chief 
Information Officer, Department of Energy; Ms. Alison Doone, 
Acting Chief Financial Officer, Department of Energy; Mr. John 
Bashista, Director of Acquisition Management, Department of 
Energy; Ms. Barbara Helland, Associate Director of Advanced 
Scientific Computing Research, Department of Energy. Panel II: 
Mr. Dave Powner, Director of IT Management Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; Mr. Jay Mahanand, Chief Information 
Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development; Mr. 
Reginald Mitchell, Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Agency for 
International Development; Mr. Wade Warren, Acting Deputy 
Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development. Panel 
III: Mr. Dave Powner, Director of IT Management Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; Ms. Maria Roat, Chief 
Information Officer, Small Business Administration; Mr. Tim 
Gribben, Chief Financial Officer, Small Business 
Administration; Ms. Althea Coetzee Leslie, Deputy 
Administrator, Small Business Administration.
    November 29, 2017, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Interior, Energy, and Environment 
and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Regulatory Reform Task 
Force Check-In Part III.'' The hearing focused on agency 
implementation of the President's Executive Order 13771 
``Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,'' and 
Executive Order 13777 ``Enforcing the Regulatory Reform 
Agenda.'' The hearing evaluated the Agency's efforts to 
implement these policies and establish a Regulatory Reform Task 
Force to reduce unnecessary, costly, duplicative, and 
burdensome regulations. Witnesses: The Honorable David 
Bernhardt, Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior; Ms. 
Brittany Bolen, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of 
Policy Environmental Protection Agency; Mr. Daniel Simmons, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. November 
29, 2017, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before the 
Subcommittees on Intergovernmental Affairs and Information 
Technology titled, ``Cybersecurity of Voting Machines.'' This 
hearing discussed recent actions taken by state election 
officials, the federal government, and security researchers to 
mitigate known cybersecurity risks to voting machines. The 
hearing focused on identifying steps that the states, the 
federal government, and Congress can take to ensure the 
machines are secure. Witnesses: The Honorable Christopher C. 
Krebs, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under 
Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable Tom Schedler, 
Secretary of State of Louisiana; The Honorable Edgardo Cortes, 
Commissioner, Virginia Department of Elections; Matthew Blaze, 
Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science, 
University of Pennsylvania; Ms. Susan Klein Hennessey, Fellow 
in National Security, Governance Studies, Brookings 
Institution.
    March 14, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Information 
Technology titled, ``State of Play: Federal IT in 2018.'' The 
hearing provided an opportunity to discuss the state of federal 
information technology with key federal IT leaders. The hearing 
examined government-wide plans for IT modernization and 
cybersecurity, including implementation of the Administration's 
December 2017 IT Modernization Report and the creation of 
working capital funds authorized by the Modernizing Government 
Technology Act. Witnesses: Mr. David Powner, Director of IT 
Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; The 
Honorable Margaret Weichert, Deputy Director for Management, 
Office of Management and Budget; Mr. Bill Zielinski, Deputy 
Assistant, Commissioner of the IT Category, U.S. General 
Services Administration; The Honorable Jeanette Manfra, 
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and 
Communications, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
    April 12, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Improper Payments in State-
Administered Programs: Medicaid.'' The hearing focused on 
federal and state efforts to identify, prevent, and recover 
improper payments made through state Medicaid programs. The 
hearing also examined the federal-state relationship in 
Medicaid data-sharing quality and identifying and preventing 
fraud in the Medicaid program. Witnesses: Mr. Tim Hill, Deputy 
Director, Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services; Ms. Megan Tinker, 
Senior Advisor for Legal Review, Office of Counsel, Office of 
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services; Ms. Carolyn Yocom, Director of Health Care, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; The Honorable Daryl Purpera, 
CPA, CFE, Legislative, Auditor, Louisiana Legislative Auditor; 
Mr. Andy Schneider, JD, Research Professor of the Practice, 
Center for Children and Families; Georgetown University. Held 
pursuant to clause 2(o) of House Rule XI.
    April 17, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules titled, 
``Continued Oversight Over the Internal Revenue Service.'' The 
hearing provided an opportunity for continuing IRS oversight by 
this Committee during Tax week. The subcommittees examined 
oversight issues at IRS identified in several recent Committee 
oversight letters and in reports by the Treasury Inspector 
General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Witnesses: The 
Honorable David Kautter, Acting Commissioner, Internal Revenue 
Service; The Honorable J. Russell George, Inspector General, 
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; Ms. Nina 
Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service. 
Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    May 9, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative 
Rules and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Program Integrity 
for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.'' This 
hearing explored opportunities for reform in the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The hearing also examined 
fraud, waste, and abuse in SNAP and discussed recommendations 
on strengthening the program's integrity. Witnesses: Mr. 
Brandon Lipps, Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, 
Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition, and Consumer 
Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Ms. Kathy Larin, 
Director of Education, Workforce, and Income Security, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; Mr. Sam Adolphsen, Senior 
Fellow, The Foundation for Government Accountability; Ms. Stacy 
Dean, Vice President for Food Assistance Policy, The Center on 
Budget and Policy Priorities. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of 
House Rule XI.
    May 22, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Ten Years of TARP: 
Examining the Hardest Hit Fund.'' This hearing examined 
implementation and oversight of the Hardest Hit Fund. The 
hearing provided Members an opportunity to review recent 
findings and recommendations from the Special Inspector General 
for Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) aimed at increasing 
the effectiveness of the Hardest Hit Fund. This hearing also 
focused on identifying steps that the states, the federal 
government, and Congress can take to prevent misuse of program 
funds. Witnesses: Mr. Kipp Kranbuhl, Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Small Business, Community Development, and Affordable 
Housing Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial 
Institutions, U.S. Department of the Treasury; The Honorable 
Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for the 
Troubled Asset Relief Program, U.S. Department of Treasury; Ms. 
Verise Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Nevada Affordable 
Housing Assistance Corporation; Ms. Cathy James, Business 
Development Manager, Alabama Housing Finance Authority; Mr. 
Scott Farmer, Executive Director, North Carolina Housing 
Finance Agency. Held pursuant to clause 2(n) of House Rule XI.
    May 22, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative 
Rules and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Challenges to the 
Freedom of Speech on College Campuses: Part II.'' The joint 
hearing examined firsthand accounts from faculty and students 
at the center of the debate over free speech on college 
campuses. Witnesses: Mr. Tyson Langhofer, Senior Counsel and 
Director Center for Academic Freedom, Alliance Defending 
Freedom; Dr. Bret Weinstein, Professor In-Exile, Evergreen 
State College, Washington; Dr. Allison Stanger, Russell J. Leng 
'60 Professor of International Politics and Economics, 
Middlebury College, Vermont; Dr. Shaun Harper, Provost 
Professor of Education and Business, Allen Chair in Urban 
Leadership, University of Southern California; Dr. Robert P. 
George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of 
the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, 
Princeton University, New Jersey.
    May 23, 2018, 10:30 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Information 
Technology titled, ``The Federal Information Technology 
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) Scorecard 6.0.'' The hearing 
continued the Committee's oversight of information technology 
management and acquisition issues across the federal government 
by examining multiple agencies implementation of relevant IT 
laws, including FITARA and the Modernizing Government 
Technology Act. Witnesses: Panel I: Mr. David A. Powner, 
Director of IT Management Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Mr. Gary Washington, Chief Information 
Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Ms. Lynn Moaney, 
Acting Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 
Mr. Donald Bice, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Panel II: Mr. David A. Powner, 
Director of IT Management Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Mr. Dana Deasy, Chief Information 
Officer, U.S. Department of Defense; Mr. Mark Easton, Deputy 
Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Department of Defense; The 
Honorable Kevin Fahey, Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition, U.S. Department of Defense.
    July 24, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative 
Rules and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Shielding 
Sources: Safeguarding the Public's Right to Know.'' The hearing 
provided an opportunity for Members to discuss laws and 
practices that shield reporters from the government compelling 
disclosure of confidential sources. Members were also able to 
explore the case for a formal federal reporter's privilege, in 
addition to the merits of the Free Flow of Information Act. 
Witnesses: Mr. Lee Levine, Senior Counsel, Ballad Spahr, LLP; 
Ms. Sharyl Attkisson, Investigative Correspondent, Full 
Measure; Mr. Rick Blum, Policy Director, Reporters' Committee 
for Freedom of the Press.
    July 25, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and Information 
Technology titled, ``GAO High Risk Focus: Cybersecurity.'' The 
hearing reviewed the findings of a special mid-cycle GAO High 
Risk report on government-wide cybersecurity, which was 
scheduled for release in July 2018. This hearing also provided 
the opportunity to discuss how the federal government plans to 
address the problems identified by the report. Witnesses: The 
Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United 
States, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Ms. Suzette 
Kent, Federal Chief Information Officer, U.S. Office of 
Management and Budget. Held pursuant to clause 2(p) of House 
Rule XI.
    July 26, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing before 
the Subcommittees on Government Operations and National 
Security titled, ``The Federal Trade Commission's Enforcement 
of Operation Chokepoint-Related Businesses.'' This hearing 
examined the Federal Trade Commission's enforcement measures 
since the Department of Justice formally ended Operation 
Chokepoint, an initiative targeting the payment processing 
industry when associated with the illegal activity of 
merchants. Members learned the Federal Trade Commission's 
procedures for collecting complaints, conducting 
investigations, and suing payment processing companies. 
Witnesses: Mr. Andrew Smith, Director of the Bureau of Consumer 
Protection, U.S. Federal Trade Commission; Mr. Jason Oxman, 
Chief Executive Officer, Electronic Transactions Association; 
Ms. Lauren Saunders, Associate Director, National Consumer Law 
Center.
    September 6, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Interior, Energy, and Environment 
and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, ``Permitting: Finding a 
Path Forward.'' The hearing explored the economic costs imposed 
by the existing federal permitting system and also served as a 
forum for evaluating current proposals to streamline and 
improve permitting processes. Witnesses: Mr. Daren Bakst, 
Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; Mr. Philip K. 
Howard, Founder and Chair, Common Good; Mr. Frank Rusco, 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment Issues, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; Ms. Christy Goldfuss, Senior 
Vice President, Energy and Environment Policy, Center for 
American Progress.
    September 26, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Healthcare, Benefits, and 
Administrative Rules and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, 
``Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Fraud.'' This 
hearing discussed how to combat Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud from both a federal and state 
perspective. The hearing also explored how Food and Nutrition 
Services (FNS) can more effectively assist states in the 
program's administration. Witnesses: Ann Coffey, Assistant 
Inspector General for Investigations, USDA Inspector General; 
Tarren Bragdon, President and CEO, The Foundation for 
Government Accountability; Thomas Roth, Director, Fraud 
Investigations Unit, Maine Department of Health and Human 
Services; Dr. Craig Gundersen, Soybean Industry Endowed 
Professor in Agricultural Strategy, University of Illinois.
    September 27, 2018, 2:00 p.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Healthcare, Benefits, and 
Administrative Rules and Intergovernmental Affairs titled, 
``The Benefits of a Deregulatory Agenda: Examples from 
Pioneering Governments.'' The hearing examined experiences of 
state and international governments engaged in regulatory 
reform and discussed best practices that may be beneficial if 
implemented in the U.S. Witnesses: Mr. Scott Brinkman, 
Secretary of the Executive Cabinet, Commonwealth of Kentucky; 
Ms. Laura Jones, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic 
Officer, Canadian Federation of Independent Business; Mr. Matt 
Vickers, Product Sales Engineer, New Markets, Xero; Mr. Amit 
Narang, Regulatory Policy Advocate, Public Citizen.
    December 12, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Information Technology titled, ``Federal Information Technology 
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) Scorecard 7.0.'' The hearing 
continued oversight of the federal agencies' implementation of 
the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act 
(FITARA). Witnesses: Ms. Carol C. Harris, Director of IT 
Management Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mr. 
Ed Simcox, Chief Technology Officer and Acting Chief 
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services; Ms. Sheila Conley, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    December 13, 2018, 10:00 a.m. Joint Subcommittee hearing 
before the Subcommittees on Government Operations and 
Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules titled, 
``Exploring Alternatives to Fetal Tissue Research.'' The 
hearing evaluated the ethical considerations of fetal tissue 
research and explored alternative research methods. The hearing 
also discussed recent steps taken by the Administration to 
expand efforts in developing and implementing the use of 
alternatives. Witnesses: Dr. Tara Sander Lee, Associate 
Scholar, Charlotte Lozier Institute; Dr. David Prentice, 
Advisory Board Member, Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center; Dr. 
Sally Temple, Board Member and Former President, International 
Society for Stem Cell Research.

              III. Oversight Activities & Recommendations

    Pursuant to House Rule XI, cl. 1(d)(B)-(D), this section 
summarizes the Committee's authorization and oversight plan for 
the 115th Congress, summarizes actions taken and 
recommendations made by the Committee in the 115th Congress 
with respect to the authorization and oversight plan, and 
summarizes additional oversight activities taken and 
recommendations made during the 115th Congress.

               SUMMARY OF AUTHORIZATION & OVERSIGHT PLAN

    The Committee's authorization and oversight plan for the 
115th Congress reflected an intent to enact legislation to 
reauthorized lapsed authorizations and conduct oversight of 
programs under the Committee's legislative and its much broader 
oversight jurisdiction. Planned authorizations included the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act; the Office of National Drug 
Control Policy (ONDCP); the Opportunity Scholarship Program and 
DC Tuition Assistance Grant program; the National Historical 
Publications and Records Commission; the Paperwork Reduction 
Act; the Merit Systems Protection Board; the E-Government Act; 
the Office of Government Ethics; and the Office of Special 
Counsel.
    Planned oversight covered such broad, government-wide 
topics as examining instances of waste, fraud, abuse, and 
mismanagement generally; issues relating to open government, 
government records, classification policy, and transparency; 
whistleblower protection; the federal workforce; federal 
regulation and the regulatory process; the Government 
Accountability Office and inspectors general; contracting and 
acquisition; government reorganizations; and grant reform. In 
addition, the Committee's oversight plan discussed the intent 
to conduct oversight over a number of discrete topics: 
cybersecurity; security clearances; information technology 
management and acquisition; privacy; emerging technology; 
implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act; drug policy and safety issues; the financial sector and 
implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act; the District of Columbia 
and Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority; the 2020 
Decennial Census; the U.S. Postal Service; issues within the 
purview of the Department of Homeland Security such as the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency and Transportation Security 
Administration; national security issues such as armed 
conflicts abroad, embassy protection, the relationship between 
U.S. and international organizations; the Department of 
Veterans Affairs; energy, environmental, and transportation 
issues; issues related to the interior and federal property; 
and criminal justice reform.

                         GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Lapsed Authorizations

    In the 115th Congress, the Committee led enactment of 
legislation to address lapsed authorizations for the Office of 
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Office of Special 
Counsel (OSC) and Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act 
(SOAR) for school scholarships in the District of Columbia. In 
addition, the Committee reported a reauthorization bill for the 
Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and a bill to reform 
portions of the E-Government Act of 2002.

Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization

    Given the lapsed authorization and the unrelenting opioid 
crisis devastating the nation, reauthorizing and strengthening 
the ONDCP to lead the federal effort to stem the epidemic was a 
priority for the Committee. ONDCP had not been reauthorized 
since 2006, and the most recent reauthorization expired in 
2010. On October 24, 2018, the Support for Patients and 
Communities Act (H.R. 6, Pub. L. 115-271) was signed into law. 
Subtitle M of title VIII of the bill includes reauthorization 
of the ONDCP, including the Drug-Free Communities Program and 
the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA).
    The Committee conducted extensive oversight of ONDCP 
throughout the 115th Congress leading up to the 
reauthorization, working on a bipartisan, bicameral basis. 
These efforts led to significant reforms to ONDCP, including a 
reorganization of the Office with a focus on emerging drug 
threats, increased transparency of the federal drug control 
budget, revamped requirements for a National Drug Control 
Strategy, and establishment of a grant tracking system and 
public data dashboard.
    The House bill to reauthorize ONDCP, H.R. 5925 was the 
product of thorough oversight by the Committee during the 115th 
Congress. The Committee and its Subcommittees held a series of 
hearings to examine reauthorizing the Office and to explore 
options for more effectively combatting the opioid epidemic.
    On July 26, 2017, the Committee held a hearing entitled, 
``Office of National Drug Control Policy: Reauthorization in 
the 115th Congress.'' This hearing examined ONDCP's 
effectiveness in coordinating the government-wide effort to 
reduce illicit drug use and its consequences. The witnesses 
included Richard Baum, Acting Director, Office of National Drug 
Control Policy; Diana Maurer, Director of Justice and Law 
Enforcement Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; and 
Dr. Keith Humphreys Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral 
Sciences, Stanford University.
    On November 28, 2017, at Johns Hopkins Hospital's Chevy 
Chase Auditorium in Baltimore, Maryland, the Committee held a 
field hearing entitled, ``Combating the Opioid Crisis,'' to 
provide Members the opportunity to evaluate recommendations 
finalized by the President's Commission on Combating Drug 
Addiction and the Opioid Crisis and also discuss Baltimore's 
efforts to address the opioid epidemic in their community to 
better guide federal determinations. Governor Christie, of New 
Jersey testified on the findings and recommendations from the 
President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the 
Opioid Crisis. Other witnesses included: Richard Baum, Acting 
Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Dr. Leana 
Wen, Health Commissioner, Baltimore City Health Department; and 
Dr. Caleb Alexander, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public 
Health Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness.
    On May 9, 2018, Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Ranking member 
Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and other members of the Committee held 
a Roundtable discussion with key leaders of ONDCP on 
reauthorization of the Office and challenges in addressing the 
opioid epidemic and reauthorization. The discussion included 
topics such as development of alternatives to addictive 
medications for pain, treatment options for those with 
substance use disorders, and the role of local law enforcement 
through the HIDTA Program. Participants included Kemp Chester, 
Acting Director, National Heroin Coordination Group; Terry 
Zobeck, Associate Director, Policy, Research, and Budget 
Office; Jim Olson, Deputy Director, U.S. Interdiction 
Coordinator; and Michael Gottlieb, Director, National HIDTA 
Association.
    On May 17, 2018, the Committee held a hearing entitled, ``A 
Sustainable Solution to the Evolving Opioid Crisis: 
Revitalizing the Office of National Drug Control Policy.'' The 
hearing provided Members with the opportunity to discuss how 
the draft reauthorization bill would strengthen ONDCP's role in 
leading the federal response to drug control and how evidence-
based policymaking and information sharing could be used to 
combat the current opioid crisis and prevent future crises. The 
witnesses included: Dr. Anand Parekh, Chief Medical Advisor, 
Bipartisan Policy Center; Dr. Rahul Gupta, Commissioner and 
State Health Officer, Department of Health and Human Resources' 
Bureau for Public Health, State of West Virginia; Thomas Carr, 
Executive Director, Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug 
Trafficking Areas Program; and Gretta Goodwin, Director, 
Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability 
Office.
    Committee field work also informed ONDCP reauthorization 
legislation. In March 2018, Committee staff traveled to China 
to investigate the trafficking of illicit fentanyl through the 
U.S. Postal Service. Staff reviewed the roles of the Department 
of Homeland Security, the intelligence community, and the U.S. 
Postal Service to identify opportunities for better 
coordination and information sharing. On March 23, 2018, 
Committee staff conducted a site visit to a newly designated 
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas initiative in Greenville, 
South Carolina within the Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA region and 
held a roundtable discussion. Staff met with federal and state 
law enforcement officials who highlighted the collaborative 
nature of the HIDTA program and discussed recent 
accomplishments in disrupting local drug trafficking 
organizations.
    On May 23, 2018, Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) introduced H.R. 
5925, the Coordinated Response through Interagency Strategy and 
Information Sharing (CRISIS) Act, with Ranking Member Elijah 
Cummings (D-MD), Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman 
Mark Meadows (R-NC), and Subcommittee on Government Operations 
Ranking Member Gerald Connolly (D-VA). H.R. 5925 was referred 
to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with 
additional referrals to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, 
Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, Intelligence (Permanent 
Select), and Appropriations. The Committee ordered the bill 
favorably reported on May 23, 2018. The bill passed the House 
under suspension of the rules on June 20, 2018. H.R. 5925 was 
ultimately included, in part, in the Support for Patients and 
Communities Act (H.R.6, Pub. L. 115-271).

U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) Reauthorization

    The mission of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel is to 
protect federal employees from prohibited personnel practices, 
including reprisal from whistleblowing. OSC provides employees 
a mechanism to disclose wrongdoing in the federal government. 
The Committee conducts ongoing oversight of OSC, and interacts 
with the agency frequently regarding the protection of 
whistleblowers. OSC's 2002 reauthorization expired at the end 
of fiscal year 2007. On January 3, 2017, Rep. Rod Blum 
reintroduced the Thoroughly Investigating Retaliation Against 
Whistleblowers Act as H.R. 69, which the House voted to approve 
on January 4, 2017. H.R. 69 would have reauthorized OSC through 
fiscal year 2021.
    H.R. 69 was included, in part, in Section 1097 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (H.R. 
2810), which was signed into law on December 12, 2017 (Pub. L. 
115-91). Section 1097 reauthorizes OSC through 2023. The 
Section 1097 language also clarifies federal agencies may not 
assert common law privileges to withhold information and 
documents from OSC when OSC requests information from the 
agency.

SOAR Reauthorization

    The Committee also reauthorized the Scholarships for 
Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act. The SOAR Act provides 
funding to (1) the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), which 
provides grants to low-income students to attend private 
schools; (2) improve D.C. public schools; and (3) D.C. public 
charter schools. This three-part funding scheme was originally 
authorized in 2011. The authorization expired in 2016. On March 
7, 2017, then-Chairman Jason Chaffetz introduced H.R. 1387, the 
SOAR Reauthorization Act. The bill would have reauthorized the 
SOAR Act through fiscal year 2022. The bill was favorably 
reported by the Committee on March 27, 2017 by voice vote. The 
SOAR Act reauthorization was included as part of the Financial 
Services and General Government appropriations bill and enacted 
through a Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R. 244, which 
became Public Law Number 115-31 on May 5, 2017. This SOAR 
authorization expires at the end of fiscal year 2019.

Merit Systems Protection Board

    The Committee continued its efforts to reauthorize the 
Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which lapsed in 2007. 
After gathering information, including multiple hearings 
regarding performance of some government employees and a 
December 16, 2015, reauthorization hearing in the 114th 
Congress, MSPB reauthorization language was introduced in the 
115th Congress. On July 16, 2018, Rep. Jody Hice, Vice Chair of 
the Government Operations Subcommittee introduced, H.R. 6391, 
the Merit Systems Protection Board Reauthorization Act of 2018. 
This bill would have reauthorized the MSPB for five years 
(2019-2023) at its current appropriations level and institute 
several reforms. For example, the bill would have authorized a 
filing fee, authorized summary judgment authority for the 
Board, authorized reappointment of Board members, and reduced 
the evidentiary burden agencies must meet to defend actions 
before the Board. On July 17, 2018, the Committee ordered the 
bill favorably reported.

E-Government Act

    The Committee worked to reauthorize the E-Government Act of 
2002. During the 115th Congress, the Committee met with the 
General Services Administration and other stakeholders to 
discuss E-Government reauthorization. On September 26, 2018, 
Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) introduced H.R. 6901, the Federal CIO 
Authorization Act of 2018 with Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL). The 
bill would have updated parts of the 2002 E-Government Act by 
reauthorizing and renaming the Office of Electronic Government 
as the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer, 
codified the positions of the Chief Information Officer and the 
Federal Chief Information Security Officer as presidential 
appointees, and elevated the Federal CIO within the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to report directly to the OMB 
Director. The bill also requires the OMB Director to create a 
technology investment planning and oversight process to more 
effectively manage Federal IT investments. On September 27, 
2018, the Committee reported the Federal CIO Authorization Act, 
taking a step toward E-Government Act reauthorization and 
reform. On November 30, 2018, the bill passed the House under 
suspension with a recorded vote of 391-1.

Open Government and Transparency

            Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
    In the 115th Congress, the Committee worked to enhance 
government transparency. The Committee advocated for 
technological solutions to increase transparency throughout the 
government. On February 6, 2018, the Committee reported H.R. 
4631, the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act. This 
bill requires the Government Publishing Office to compile 
congressionally mandated reports and make them available to the 
public in a single, accessible website. As there is currently 
no single repository where the public can go to see the 
reports, this bill increases transparency by giving citizens 
convenient access to all executive agency reports submitted to 
Congress.
    The Committee sought to increase government transparency by 
ensuring citizens had access to records from entities not 
already subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). On 
March 23, 2017, the Committee held a hearing, ``Legislative 
Proposals for Fostering Transparency,'' which examined 
transparency related to government data, audits, and FOIA. 
Specifically, the hearing discussed legislative proposals to 
hold governmental entities more accountable to taxpayers. As a 
result, former Chairman Jason Chaffetz introduced H.R. 1694 the 
Fannie and Freddie Open Records Act of 2017. This bill makes 
the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the 
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) subject to 
FOIA while under government conservatorship, allowing citizens 
to request access to documents from these entities through 
FOIA. H.R. 1694 was favorably reported from the Committee by 
voice vote on March 28, 2017.
    The Committee's activities also focused on addressing 
challenges to accessing government records. For example, the 
Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) requested a 
legislative change to allow OGIS to perform its statutory duty 
to review agency compliance with FOIA. In order to perform 
these reviews, OGIS must review agency FOIA records. However, 
many agencies have not provided access to the records OGIS 
needs to complete its statutory duties due to a minor 
administrative requirement under the Privacy Act. On March 13, 
2018, Committee Member Blake Farenthold introduced H.R. 5253, 
the Office of Government Information Services Empowerment Act 
of 2018. This bill amends FOIA to allow OGIS to access agency 
records as necessary for OGIS to conduct its statutorily 
required agency FOIA compliance reviews. On March 15, 2018, the 
Committee ordered H.R. 5253 favorably reported.
    In addition, the Committee addressed challenges related to 
accessing civil rights cold case records. On September 27, 
2018, the Committee ordered H.R. 1272, the Cold Case Records 
Collection Act of 2017, favorably reported by unanimous 
consent. Many civil rights cold case records are not currently 
eligible for public disclosure. H.R. 1272 addresses this 
problem by creating an enforceable, independent, and 
accountable process for timely public disclosure of these 
records. The bill directs the National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA) to establish a Civil Rights Cold Case 
Collection and Review Board to ensure the timely disclosure of 
records. The Senate companion to H.R. 1272 was signed into law 
in December, 2018.
    During the 115th Congress, the Committee worked to oversee 
the implementation of the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, Public 
Law Number 114-185. On April 28, 2016, the Committee requested 
the Government Accountability Office (GAO) complete a 
comprehensive review of the federal government's compliance 
with FOIA, including the amendments to FOIA under the FOIA 
Improvement Act of 2016. In March 2018, GAO released the 
report.
    The 2016 FOIA amendments also required the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) 
to build an online FOIA request portal. To oversee the 
implementation of this section of the Act, the Committee held 
several meetings with OMB and DOJ where updates on the portal 
were provided. The portal went live in July 2018.

Federal Financial Management & Improper Payments

    The Committee has responsibility for overseeing agency 
compliance with federal improper payment laws. In the 115th 
Congress, the Committee held agencies accountable through 
rigorous oversight, including briefings and hearings. On May 
25, 2017, the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the 
Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs held a joint hearing 
to discuss improper payments at entitled ``Improper Payments in 
the Federal Government: Student Aid.'' The Subcommittees heard 
testimony about the state of improper payments at the 
Department of Education, the Department of Education Inspector 
General, and the National Association of Student Financial Aid 
Administration. The hearing examined the Department of 
Education's progress towards accurately and completely 
estimating improper payments in its programs, and how the 
Department recovers overpayments and it plans to prevent future 
improper payments. The hearing allowed members the opportunity 
to hear from the National Association of Student Financial Aid 
Administrators on how best to ensure program integrity without 
deterring student access to postsecondary education.
    The Committee continued its oversight of programs with high 
improper payment rates by holding another joint hearing of the 
Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs on April 12, 2018. The hearing was 
titled, ``Improper Payments in State-Administered Programs: 
Medicaid,'' and discussed Medicaid program challenges and 
program integrity efforts, examined Medicaid improper payments, 
and reviewed federal and state data coordination efforts aimed 
at reducing Medicaid improper payments and fraud.

Government Management and Federal Civilian Workforce

    In the 115th Congress, the Committee continued its efforts 
to improve the efficiency of the civil service. The Committee 
held five hearings focused on the Federal civilian workforce:
    On February 16, 2017, the Subcommittee on Government 
Operations and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a joint hearing entitled, 
``The Use of Official Time for Union Activities at the 
Department of Veterans Affairs.'' The hearing allowed Members 
to examine findings from the Government Accountability Office 
related to the use of taxpayer-funded union official time at 
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It also highlighted 
the disparity between VA's inability to meet veterans' needs 
with the rising number of employees engaged in union activities 
on official time.
    On April 6, 2017, the Subcommittee on Government Operations 
held a hearing entitled, ``The Best and Worst Places to Work in 
the Federal Government.'' The hearing focused on the 2016 
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 Department of Agriculture, the 
Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Homeland 
Security, and the Surface Transportation Board 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 
agency results and from Veronica Villalobos, Principal Deputy 
Associate Director for Employee Services at the Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM), on changes made to the FEVS.
    On May 18, 2017, the full Committee held a hearing 
entitled, ``Federal Employee Compensation: An Update.'' The 
hearing gave Members the opportunity to hear about a 
Congressional Budget Office study which found Federal employees 
have total compensation rates higher than other American 
workers. It also gave Members the opportunity to examine the 
implications of an outdated, inflexible compensation system and 
explore opportunities for reform.
    On May 16, 2018, the full Committee held a hearing 
entitled, ``Workforce for the 21st Century: Analyzing the 
President's Management Agenda.'' The hearing gave Members the 
opportunity to discuss with two top Administration officials, 
Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management 
Margaret Weichert and OPM Director Jeff Pon, the President's 
Management Agenda, which highlighted the need for a 21st 
century workforce. The hearing gave Members the opportunity to 
discuss the Administration's legislative proposals for changes 
to civil service laws and recap the Committee's previous 
efforts on legislative reform. A second panel allowed Members 
to hear the viewpoints of non-government groups.
    On May 24, 2018, the Subcommittee on Government Operations 
held a hearing entitled, ``Union Time on the People's Dime: A 
Closer Look at Official Time.'' The hearing gave Members the 
opportunity to highlight findings from a Committee Republican 
staff memorandum on government-wide use of taxpayer-funded 
union official time. Members reviewed problems with official 
time data reporting, explored how and why the use of official 
time expanded, and discussed possible official time reforms.
    On October 19, 2017, Committee Republican staff released a 
report detailing uneven use of tables of penalties for sexual 
misconduct across the Federal government. The report found some 
agencies did not even have a table of penalties, making it 
challenging for managers in addressing employee discipline 
issues. The report listed eight recommendations for improved 
handling of sexual misconduct in Federal agencies.
    Throughout the 115th Congress, the Committee investigated 
premium pay cap violations at the Department of Homeland 
Security, payments from the Judgement Fund at the Department of 
the Treasury for federal employee sexual misconduct, agency 
leave without pay policies for union members, and salary 
redactions required under OPM's data release policy. The 
Committee also worked with the U.S. Secret Service to evaluate 
strategies for reducing overtime pay burdens at the agency.
    The Committee worked on several important pieces of civil 
service legislation, including: H.R. 4182, the EQUALS Act of 
2017, sponsored by Rep. James Comer (R-KY); H.R. 6391, the 
Merit Systems Protection Board Reauthorization Act of 2018, 
sponsored by Government Operations Subcommittee Vice Chairman 
Jody Hice (R-GA); and H.R. 559, the MERIT Act of 2017, 
sponsored by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA). All three bills 
would facilitate management of poor performing employees or 
those who engage in misconduct. H.R. 4182 was passed by the 
House on November 30, 2017, while H.R. 6391 and H.R. 559 were 
both ordered favorably reported by the Committee on July 17, 
2018. The Committee also continued coordination with the House 
Armed Services Committee on civil service reform initiatives in 
the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). For 
example, the Fiscal Year 2019 NDAA (Pub. L. 115-232) included a 
provision to expand direct hiring for students and recent 
graduates (Sec. 1108), extend authority to conduct telework 
travel expenses test programs (Sec. 1105), and expanded 
flexibility in selecting candidates from referral lists (Sec. 
1107).

National Archives and Federal Records (NARA)

    The Committee continued its oversight of the National 
Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in the 115th 
Congress. On March 8, 2017, the Committee sent a letter to 55 
agencies regarding compliance with federal record keeping laws, 
the use of personal email for official business, and the use of 
new forms of electronic communication, including encrypted 
messaging applications that could limit or prevent the 
preservation of federal records. A similar letter was sent to 
the White House about compliance with the Presidential Records 
Act, the use of personal email for official business, the use 
of encrypted messaging applications, and the use of Twitter by 
the President. On September 25, 2017, the Committee followed up 
with 24 Chief Financial Officer Act Agencies and the White 
House about the same issues, and any changes that may have 
occurred to policies.
    In the 115th Congress, the Committee considered two bills 
related to federal records and NARA. H.R. 194, the Federal 
Agency Mail Management Act of 2017, introduced by Rep. Russell 
(R-OK), made a technical correction to P.L. 113-187 to clarify 
the General Services Administration is responsible for mail 
management at federal agencies and not NARA. On February 2, 
2017, the Committee ordered H.R. 194 favorably reported by 
voice vote. H.R. 194 became Public Law 115-85 on November 21, 
2017.
    H.R. 1376, Electronic Message Preservation Act of 2017, 
introduced by Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) would 
have required the Archivist of the United States to issue 
regulations requiring agencies to electronically capture, 
preserve, and manage federal records that were created 
electronically. The bill also requires the heads of each 
federal agency to report to the Archivist on agency compliance 
with the new regulations and make the report publicly available 
on the agency's website. On March 15, 2018, the Committee 
ordered H.R. 1376 favorably reported by voice vote.

Government Contracting Oversight and Reform

    The Committee conducted federal government contract 
oversight during the 115th Congress with the overall objectives 
of reducing waste, fraud, and abuse, as well as increasing 
efficiency and reducing contract costs. The Committee also 
focused on ensuring the federal government acquisition process 
reflects commercial best practices, to the extent practicable, 
with streamlined contract processes to reduce duplication and 
inefficiency while limiting government-unique requirements.
    The Committee continued efforts from the 114th Congress to 
reduce the complexity of the federal acquisition process and 
compliance burden on federal contractors. As reported in the 
114th Congress, the Committee sent a letter to the Secretary of 
Labor and the Administrator for the Office of Federal 
Procurement on July 15, 2015, requesting withdrawal of a 
proposed rule and guidance implementing Executive Order 13673. 
The proposed rule was duplicative and imposed a complex new 
labor compliance system on federal contractors. On August 25, 
2016, this rule was finalized. Early in the 115th Congress, the 
Congressional Review Act process was used to roll back this 
rule. On January 30, 2017, Rep. Virginia Foxx, a member of this 
Committee introduced H.J. Res. 37 to disapprove this 
acquisition rule. H.J. Res. 37 was enacted on March 27, 2017, 
revoking the rule.
    As part of the process of reforming and simplifying the 
federal government's acquisition process, the Committee 
received numerous briefings during the 115th Congress from 
members of the statutorily-created ``Section 809 Panel'' 
consisting of acquisition professionals and experts charged 
with making recommendations to improve the Department of 
Defense's (DOD) acquisition system. The Section 809 Panel was 
created in the Fiscal Year 2016 NDAA (Pub. L. 114-92). Although 
the panel is tasked with identifying reforms to DOD 
acquisition, many of the recommendations and principles are 
applicable to government-wide procurement. Several 
recommendations from the Section 809 Panel were incorporated in 
the Fiscal Year 2019 NDAA (Pub. L. 115-232). For example, the 
Committee coordinated with the House Armed Services Committee 
to include in the FY2019 NDAA changes to the definition of 
``commercial item'' in title 41 to avoid confusion between 
commercial items and commercial services.

IT Acquisition Oversight and Reform

    During the 115th Congress, the Committee continued to focus 
on Information Technology (IT) acquisition and specifically 
implementation of the Federal Information Technology 
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA).
    The Government Operations and Information Technology 
Subcommittees held a number of joint hearings focusing on the 
federal acquisition of IT. On March 28, 2017, the two 
Subcommittees held a joint hearing entitled, ``Reviewing 
Challenges in Federal IT Acquisition.'' This hearing provided 
an opportunity to discuss challenges in the current federal IT 
acquisition system, best practices from the private sector, and 
areas for IT acquisition reform. Witnesses included David A. 
Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, GAO, Richard A. Spires, 
Chief Executive Officer and Director, Learning Tree 
International, Inc., Venkatapathi ``PV'' Puvvada, President, 
Unisys Federal Systems, Professional Services Council, Board 
Member, Mr. A.R. ``Trey'' Hodgkins III, Senior Vice President, 
Information Technology Alliance for Public Sector, Information 
Technology Industry Council, Ms. Deidre ``Dee'' Lee, Director, 
IT Management Issues, Chair, Section 809 Panel.
    The Government Operations and Information Technology 
Subcommittees also held a hearing on July 12, 2017, entitled 
``General Services Administration--Acquisition Oversight and 
Reform. This hearing focused on GSA's acquisition role, 
particularly the roles of the Federal Acquisition Service, 
which is responsible for over $50 billion of goods and services 
bought by the government, and the Technology Transformation 
Service, which is responsible for technology transformation and 
modernized IT services. The hearing also focused on federal 
acquisition challenges, such as the increasing complexity of 
federal acquisition rules, the compliance burden of these 
rules, and the need to use commercial based best practices. 
Witnesses included: Alan Thomas, Commissioner, Federal 
Acquisition Service, GSA and Rob Cook, Deputy Commissioner and 
Director of Technology Transformation Service.
    The Committee continued to develop reform proposals based 
on hearings and oversight and successfully enacted several such 
reform proposals in the Fiscal Year 2018 and 2019 NDAAs. The 
Committee worked with the House Armed Services Committee to 
develop a proposal to authorize GSA to establish a program to 
buy commercial goods by contracting with several online 
marketplace providers in order to leverage modern commerce 
practices such as dynamic pricing, rapid point-and-click 
transactions, and delivery of goods under standard commercial 
terms and conditions. This E-Commerce portal language was 
enacted as Section 846 in the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA (Pub. L. 
115-91). This language was modified with input from GSA and 
other stakeholders to clarify authorities and data security 
requirements in Section 838 of the Fiscal Year 2019 NDAA (Pub. 
L. 115-232). The Committee continues oversight of GSA's effort 
to implement the E-Commerce portal with regular briefings from 
GSA. In an effort to further reduce the complexity of federal 
acquisition rules, the Committee included a provision in the 
Fiscal Year 2019 NDAA directing a review of the federal 
acquisition regulations on commercial products, commercial 
services, and commercially available off-the-shelf items (Sec. 
839).
    The Committee also continued an effort that began on 
November 4, 2015, to hold regular oversight hearings to hold 
agencies accountable for implementation of the Federal 
Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) with a 
bipartisan and biannual FITARA Scorecard. On June 13, 2017, the 
Subcommittees on Government Operations and the Subcommittee on 
Information Technology held a joint hearing entitled, ``The 
Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) 
Scorecard 4.0.'' The hearing focused on agencies' progress in 
FITARA implementation including data center consolidation, 
incremental development, and portfolio review efforts and 
implications for IT acquisition reform and security. Witnesses 
included David A. Powner, Director, IT Management Issues, GAO; 
Beth Killoran, Deputy Asst. Secretary for IT and Chief 
Information Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services; and Sheila Conley, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    On November 15, 2017, the Subcommittees on Government 
Operations and Information Technology held a joint hearing 
entitled, ``Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform 
Act (FITARA) Scorecard 5.0.'' The Committee received testimony 
from three panels regarding FITARA implementation at the 
Department of Energy, U.S. Agency for International 
Development, and the Small Business Administration. Each panel 
featured the CIO, CFO, and a senior official in charge of IT 
acquisition at the agency.
    On May 23, 2018, the Subcommittees on Government Operations 
and Information Technology held a joint hearing entitled, 
``Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act 
(FITARA) Scorecard 6.0.'' This hearing consisted of two panels 
to discuss FITARA Scorecard 6.0 grades earned by the Department 
of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Defense (DOD). Each 
panel featured the CIO, CFO, and a senior official in charge of 
IT acquisition at the agency. On December 12, 2018, the 
Subcommittees held the FITARA Scorecard 7.0 hearing.
    Based on oversight and legislative activity beginning in 
the 114th Congress, the Committee continued efforts to 
incentivize agencies to modernize IT. The Committee's oversight 
showed agencies continued to operate numerous outdated and 
unsecure mission critical systems, use legacy programming 
languages with millions of lines of code, and deploy 
unsupported operating systems and software. The Modernizing 
Government Technology (MGT) Act of 2017, is the culmination of 
the Committee's oversight work.
    On May 2, 2017, the Committee favorably reported H.R. 2227, 
the MGT Act of 2017. The MGT Act was included as Subtitle G of 
Title X of the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA, which was signed into law 
on December 12, 2017. The MGT Act authorizes two types of funds 
for the purpose of modernizing the federal government's legacy 
IT and to incentivize IT savings in federal agencies. It 
authorizes all Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act agencies to 
establish an agency-specific IT modernization fund controlled 
by the agency CIO and it authorizes the OMB to oversee a 
government-wide IT modernization fund to be administered by 
GSA. The Committee continued its oversight of agencies' 
implementation of the MGT Act including by incorporating MGT 
requirements into the FITARA Scorecard.
    In the 115th Congress, the Committee also conducted 
oversight of major government-wide contract vehicles, such as 
Networx and the Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS) 
contracts. These contract vehicles are tools to facilitate 
efficiency and modernization of telecommunications and IT 
infrastructure services at federal agencies. The most recent of 
these contract vehicles, EIS has a contract ceiling of $50 
billion over 15 years. The Committee has held numerous 
briefings with GSA on their activities to ensure successful 
modernization of federal telecommunications and related 
information technology services. On September 21, 2017, the 
Committee received a report from GAO on the EIS contract 
vehicle. The report found GSA and agencies have started 
planning for the transition to new contracts for these 
telecommunications and IT services to be provided under the EIS 
contract vehicle, but there was increased risk of transition 
delays and additional costs. On September 6, 2018, the 
Committee sent a follow up letter to GAO, requesting a further 
review of EIS transition activities. The Committee will 
continue to monitor agencies' modernization of these critical 
services.

Other Contracting Legislation

    On February 2, 2017, the Committee favorably reported H.R. 
679, the 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. Encouraging use of the 
two-step process for design and construction services will 
reduce the costs of competing in the government marketplace for 
small businesses and reduce the time contracting officers must 
spend reviewing numerous complicated design proposals in the 
one-step process.
    On September 13, 2017, the Committee favorably reported 
H.R. 3071, the Federal Acquisition Savings Act of 2017. The 
bill requires the federal government to analyze the cost 
effectiveness of renting equipment compared to buying or 
leasing such equipment and revise the Federal Acquisition 
Regulation (FAR) to implement this requirement. This bill also 
requires the GAO to submit a report to Congress two years after 
enactment on agency decisions to acquire equipment by purchase, 
lease, or rental. The bill passed the House on November 13, 
2017, and was later incorporated in large part in the Federal 
Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Sec. 555, 
Pub. L. 115-254).
    On September 13, 2017, the Committee favorably reported 
H.R. 3019, the Promoting Value Based Procurement Act of 2017. 
The bill establishes a policy requiring all federal agencies to 
avoid using lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) source 
selection criteria for certain procurements, such as those for 
the acquisition of IT or knowledge-based professional services. 
Employing LPTA criteria for acquisitions of complex services 
can have the effect of focusing competing contractors on price, 
while minimizing or deterring creative or innovative approaches 
that will ultimately provide greater value. Using LPTA 
selection criteria for such services deprives an agency of the 
option of being able to choose to pay more to reap the benefits 
of a superior solution or a more skilled or qualified 
contractor. The bill was enacted as section 880 of Title VIII--
Acquisition Policy, Acquisition Management and Related Matters, 
NDAA Fiscal Year 2019.

Federal tax accountability

    The Committee continued the work of the Committee in 
previous Congresses to address the issue of tax delinquency 
among federal employees, retirees, and contractors. On January 
31, 2017, the Committee wrote to the Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) to request a report to update work on tax 
delinquent contractors. This request was to follow up on 
previous GAO work, and update Congress on the scale of the 
issue. Chairman Chaffetz introduced H.R. 396, the Tax 
Accountability Act of 2017 to prohibit contractors and grant 
applicants with seriously delinquent tax debt from receiving 
federal contracts or grants. The bill also would make 
individuals with seriously delinquent tax debt ineligible for 
federal civilian employment.

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

    The Committee has authorizing responsibilities over the 
Government Accountability Office (GAO) and in addition to 
highlighting GAO's signature work products during the 115th 
Congress, the Committee initiated a legislative reform to 
strengthen GAO's role as a leader and authority in federal 
appropriations law.
            GAO Authorizing Activities
    On September 27, 2018, the Committee approved H.R. 6891, 
the Anti-Deficiency Reform and Enforcement Act of 2018, 
sponsored by Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI). The bill strengthens 
the Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA) to prevent illegal spending by 
Executive branch agencies and provides specific statutory 
authority and timing requirements for the GAO to issue legal 
opinions on alleged violations. The bill also increases 
transparency in enforcement and implementation of GAO's 
opinions by requiring agencies to report to Congress on actions 
taken in response to the GAO opinions. H.R. 6891 provides for 
greater transparency in agency enforcement of the ADA by 
requiring more detailed information to be reported by agencies 
to Congress and to GAO regarding violations of the ADA. The 
bill also prescribes a range of administrative penalties, 
including suspension or demotion, agencies must take for 
certain serious violations and requires agencies to terminate 
employees who knowingly violate the ADA. H.R. 6891 implements a 
proposal from the Speaker's ``A Better Way'' initiative, which 
seeks to reinforce Congress's power of the purse and improve 
the enforcement of Congressionally-imposed limits on agency 
authority and spending.
            GAO Duplication Report and Oversight
    On April 26, 2018, the Committee held a hearing on the 
Government Accountability Office's 2018 duplication report 
entitled, ``Waste and Inefficiency in the Federal Government: 
GAO's 2018 Duplication Report.'' Since 2011, GAO has issued 
annual reports on opportunities to reduce fragmentation, 
overlap, and duplication, as well as reduce costs and increase 
revenue, for the federal government. These reports have 
resulted in $136 billion in financial benefits for the federal 
government. GAO's 2017 report identified 29 new areas where 
federal agencies could achieve greater efficiency or 
effectiveness. In 2018, GAO identified 23 new areas. 
Comptroller General of the United States Gene L. Dodaro 
testified at the April hearing.
            GAO High Risk List and Related Oversight
    On February 15, 2017, the Committee held a hearing on the 
GAO high risk list entitled ``GAO's High Risk Report: 34 
Programs in Peril.'' The hearing reviewed GAO's biennial high 
risk list, which in 2017 identified the 34 areas of government 
most susceptible to waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. The 
Comptroller General testified about new areas, including the 
2020 Decennial Census and Improving Federal Programs that Serve 
Tribes and Their Members.
    Following the High Risk Report hearing, on March 21, 2017, 
the Committee held a roundtable on cybersecurity threats to the 
2020 Decennial Census and steps the Bureau should consider 
taking to address these threats. The costs associated with 
administrating of the Decennial Census have risen dramatically 
as a result of lower self-response rates and costs associated 
with field enumeration. The Census Bureau (Bureau) estimated it 
would cost $17.8 billion if it relied on previously used 
methods for conducting the census. For the 2020 Census, the 
Bureau is attempting modernization on a larger scale than has 
been attempted previously.
    Oversight efforts of both the Committee and GAO have 
focused on the need of the Bureau to procure the necessary 
technologies in a timely manner. With an estimated 324 million 
individuals in the United States, and the Bureau's mission to 
count and collect information on the United States population, 
the Census represents a major potential target for cyber 
threats. GAO highlighted a number critical security challenges 
the Bureau will face in its modernization efforts, including 
minimizing the threat of phishing attacks aimed at Census 
respondents, contractors, and employees and ensuring limited 
and appropriate access to Census data. Participants in the 
Roundtable included Stewart Baker, Partner, Steptoe and 
Johnson; Tony Cole, Vice President of FireEye; David Powner, 
Director of Information Technology Management Issues, GAO; John 
Thompson, Director, U.S. Census Bureau; and other government 
officials and representative from academia and the private 
sector.
    On July 25, 2018, the Subcommittees on Information 
Technology and Subcommittee on Government Operations hold a 
joint hearing entitled, ``GAO High Risk Focus: Cybersecurity.'' 
This hearing reviewed the findings of an interim high-risk list 
report on the state of government-wide cybersecurity and 
information technology issues. GAO identified four major 
cybersecurity challenges and ten critical actions that the 
federal government must take to address them. Specifically, GAO 
said the federal government needs to implement a more 
comprehensive cybersecurity strategy and improve its oversight. 
In addition, the federal government must focus on maintaining a 
qualified cybersecurity workforce; addressing security 
weaknesses in federal systems and information and enhancing 
cyber incident response efforts; bolstering the protection of 
cyber critical infrastructure; and prioritizing efforts to 
protect individual's privacy and personally identifiable 
information. The Subcommittees heard testimony from Comptroller 
General Gene L. Dodaro and Federal Chief Information Office 
Suzette Kent.

Federal Real Property

    On February 15, 2018, the Subcommittee on Government 
Operations held a hearing entitled, ``General Services 
Administration--Checking in with the Government's Acquisition 
and Property Manager''. This was the first appearance of the 
new GSA Administrator, Emily Murphy, and Public Buildings 
Commissioner, Dan Mathews. The hearing focused on all aspects 
of GSA's portfolio, but many questions focused on GSA's real 
property portfolio. Topics included implementation of the 
Federal Asset Sales and Transfer Act, GSA leasing and 
holdovers, and modernizing GSA buildings, particularly the FBI 
headquarters project.\1\
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    \1\Pub. L. No. 114-287, 130 Stat. 1463 (2016).
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    Regarding the FBI headquarters project, the Committee 
continues to conduct oversight in conjunction with the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. On August 27, 
2018, the GSA Inspector General released a review of the FBI 
headquarters project. On September 5, 2018, Subcommittee on 
Government Operations Chairman Mark Meadows and Ranking Member 
Gerald Connolly requested the unredacted Inspector General 
report. Then, on September 17, 2018, Representatives Meadows 
and Connolly requested the report case file.

U.S. Postal Service (USPS)

    The Committee continued to conduct oversight of the United 
States Postal Service's (Postal Service) current operations to 
inform congressional reform efforts in the 115th Congress. The 
Committee held quarterly briefings with the Postal Service on 
the quarterly and yearly financials to monitor the financial 
health of the Postal Service throughout the 115th Congress. The 
Committee also continued oversight of the Postal Service's 
process to replace its current fleet of vehicles with a 
briefing on July 13, 2017. Further, the Committee participated 
in oversight over potential Hatch Act violations at the Postal 
Service during the 2016 election cycle. Following a Postal 
Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on the issue, 
the Committee requested the full report of investigation from 
the OIG on August 29, 2017, and requested transcripts of all 
witness interviews conducted by the Office of Special Counsel 
during the investigation on September 14, 2017. These documents 
combined with further briefings and continued oversight raised 
concerns about potential Hatch Act violations in the 2018 
election cycle.
    During the 115th Congress, the Committee continued to work 
on reform efforts to stabilize the Postal Service's financials. 
On February 7, 2017, the Committee held a hearing titled, 
``Accomplishing Postal Reform in the 115th Congress--H.R. 756, 
the Postal Service Reform Act of 2017.'' 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 provided an opportunity to discuss a 
path forward for the Committee's proposed solution for the 
Postal Service, H.R. 756, the Postal Service Reform Act of 
2017. H.R. 756 was introduced on January 31, 2017 by Chairman 
Chaffetz, Ranking Member Cummings, Reps. Meadows, Ross, 
Connolly, and Lynch. The bill included provisions requiring the 
Postal Service employees and retirees 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 would address the Postal Service's 
unfunded liability for retiree health care benefits and allow 
the agency to operate more like a private sector business, in 
line with its self-funding mandate. This bill included only 
minor changes, and was nearly identical to H.R. 5714, the 
Postal Reform Act of 2016, introduced by Chairman Chaffetz in 
the 114th Congress. The bill was reported favorably on March 
16, 2017.
    On September 7, 2017, the Committee held a hearing titled, 
``Examining the Shipment of Illicit Drugs in International 
Mail.'' This hearing covered the issues of the discrepancy in 
security standards between the Postal Service and the private 
express carriers that have facilitated an influx of illicit 
drugs through the mail. Also, the hearing reviewed procedures 
that have been effective in thwarting contraband from entering 
the United States, as well as what procedures could be 
effective in the future from those in charge of investigating 
and examining international mail.

Government of the District of Columbia

    In the 115th Congress, the Committee reviewed the District 
of Columbia's use of federal dollars to fund programs such as 
school choice. In doing so, the Committee worked to reauthorize 
the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), which provides 
grants to District students to expand school choice, part of 
the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act. The 
SOAR Act program was reauthorized through the end of fiscal 
year 2019 as a part of a Consolidated Appropriations Act, H.R. 
244, which became Public Law Number 115-31 on May 5, 2017.
    The Committee continued to review District expenditures for 
local programs to ensure the expenditures are in line with 
Congressional mandates and federal law. The Committee worked on 
two bills related to D.C. expenditures:
           On February 13, 2017, Committee Member 
        Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced H.R. 1003, the 
        District of Columbia Courts and Public Defender Service 
        Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments Act. The bill 
        amends D.C. Code and the D.C. Court Reform and Criminal 
        Procedure Act of 1970 to establish and authorize a 
        voluntary separation incentive payments program for 
        D.C. public defenders. The program would provide a one-
        time lump sum payment in exchange for the individual 
        voluntarily ending their employment. This program would 
        reduce the D.C. Court's personnel costs by $25 million 
        over nine years. The Committee ordered the bill 
        favorably reported on February 14, 2017.
           On June 13, 2017, Committee Member Eleanor 
        Holmes Norton introduced H.R. 2897, to authorize the 
        Mayor of the District of Columbia and the Director of 
        the National Park Service to enter into cooperative 
        management agreements for the operation, maintenance, 
        and management of units of the National Park System in 
        the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. The 
        bill was in response to the District request to 
        undertake a greater share of the responsibilities for 
        the city's green spaces and parks. The bill permits the 
        Mayor to enter into cooperative agreements on 
        management of National Park Service (NPS) land in D.C. 
        The bill would allow D.C. to spend money on maintenance 
        and repair to NPS facilities in D.C. On July 19, 2017, 
        the Committee ordered the bill favorably reported by 
        voice vote. On January 16, 2018, the House passed H.R. 
        2897 under suspension by voice vote.

Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

    On March 29, 2017 the Government Operations Subcommittee 
held a hearing titled ``WMATA After SafeTrack,'' to examine 
results from WMATA's ``SafeTrack'' program as well as its 
``Back2Good'' initiative. The Committee also reviewed WMATA's 
financial situation and necessary steps for improvement. 
Members received additional info from WMATA and GAO officials 
about a GAO report detailing the SafeTrack project's 
effectiveness and implementation.
    On January 15, 2018, a Metrorail Red Line train derailed 
after it passed over a cracked section of rail line in the 
tunnel between Farragut North and Metro Center station. After 
the derailment, Metro officials said this section of track had 
undergone multiple previous inspections and testing, but the 
cracked rail was never detected. On January 19, 2018, the 
Committee sent a letter to WMATA General Manager Paul Wiedefeld 
requesting a briefing on the issue. WMATA officials briefed the 
Committee [staff] on February 1, 2018, with a detailed timeline 
of the incident and answered related questions.
    Additionally, the Committee has regularly coordinated with 
WMATA OIG office. Inspector General Geoffrey Cherrington 
briefed the Committee staff on September 4, 2018 on a number of 
issues including the January 15 derailment investigation. IG 
Cherrington provided additional information concerning agency 
funding concerns, office independence, and continued safety 
audits of WMATA operations.

Security Clearances

    In the 115th Congress, the Committee continued to conduct 
oversight on the security clearance process, especially given 
the government-wide impact of this function on federal 
employees and contractors and concerns a prospective transfer 
of background investigation functions to the Department of 
Defense exacerbate the background investigations backlog and 
increase unnecessary duplication. On February 2, 2017, the 
Committee held a hearing entitled, ``Improving Security and 
Efficiency at OPM and the National Background Investigations 
Bureau.'' Members learned about steps the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) took to secure their IT systems, particularly 
as they relate to background investigations, following the 2015 
data breach. The hearing also gave the Committee the 
opportunity to discuss the security clearance backlog and 
process challenges while learning about the Administration's 
efforts to improve background investigation coordination 
between the Department of Defense (DOD) and OPM.
    On October 11, 2017, the Committee held a hearing entitled, 
``Security Clearance Investigation Challenges and Reforms.'' 
This hearing provided Members the opportunity to make the case 
for keeping responsibility for DOD security clearance 
investigations at the National Background Investigations Bureau 
(NBIB), a component of OPM. It also educated Members on ongoing 
and potential reform initiatives to reduce the security 
clearance investigation backlog and discuss flaws in the 
interim clearance process.
    On October 26, 2017, the Committee sent a bipartisan letter 
to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees recommending 
the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 
2018 not include a provision transferring responsibility for 
conducting DOD background investigations from OPM. The 
Committee argued such a move would be duplicative, unnecessary, 
and counterproductive, especially given DOD's failure to 
effectively administer this function ten years ago. The 
provision was ultimately included in the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA.
    As a result of Congress's decision to transfer DOD-related 
background investigations to DOD, the Administration announced 
its intent in its June 21, 2018, government-wide reorganization 
plan to move all remaining background investigations to DOD in 
order to realize efficiencies and eliminate duplicative 
functions. Committee staff continue to receive quarterly 
briefings on the status of the transfer, in addition to 
briefings on the status of background investigation process 
improvements.

Inspectors General

    During the 115th Congress, the Committee held three 
hearings on Inspector General specific issues. The first 
hearing was held on February 1, 2017, and titled, ``Empowering 
the Inspectors General.'' The hearing reviewed the impact of 
the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016 on the work of 
the IGs, which the Committee passed in the 114th Congress, and 
examined the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and 
Efficiency's (CIGIE) legislative priorities and potential 
additional reforms. On November 15, 2017, the Committee held 
another hearing titled, ``Recommendations and Reforms from the 
Inspectors General.'' This hearing discussed CIGIE's 
legislative priorities, the importance of filling vacant IG 
positions, and the importance of the oversight role of the IGs. 
At this hearing, CIGIE Chair and Department of Justice IG 
Michael Horowitz highlighted the issue of bifurcated 
jurisdiction at the DOJ IG when investigating allegations of 
misconduct DOJ attorneys, which is investigated by the Office 
of Professional Responsibility, versus other DOJ employee 
misconduct, which is investigated by the DOJ IG.
    On April 18, 2018, the Committee held a hearing titled, 
``Top Management and Performance Challenges Identified 
Government-wide by the Inspector General Community.'' The 
hearing provided the opportunity to discuss the first ever 
CIGIE report on the top management and performance challenges 
identified by IGs government-wide. The report, for the first 
time, provided information about, analyses of, and links to the 
61 publicly available IG reports on agency management and 
performance challenges.
    As a result of issues raised by the IGs in Committee 
hearings, the Committee moved several bills to address these 
issues. The Committee moved H.R. 3154, the Inspector General 
Access Act of 2017, which was introduced by Rep. Cedric 
Richmond (D-LA) and sponsored by Committee Members Reps. Jody 
Hice (R-GA) and Stephen Lynch (D-MA). H.R. 3154 repeals a 
provision requiring the IG to refer certain allegations of 
misconduct involving DOJ attorneys to the Office of 
Professional Responsibility. The bill was favorably reported by 
unanimous consent on September 27, 2018 and passed the House 
under suspension by voice vote on November 29, 2018.
    The Committee also moved H.R. 4917, the IG Subpoena 
Authority Act, which was introduced by Rep. Steve Russell (R-
OK). The bill would authorize IGs to issue testimonial 
subpoenas for contractors, grant recipients, and former federal 
employees, as necessary to perform the functions required by 
the Inspector General Act of 1978. This provision enhances the 
ability of the IGs to identify waste, fraud, abuse, and 
mismanagement in the Executive Branch by preventing former 
employees, contractors, or grant recipients from resigning to 
avoid speaking with the IG. The bill was ordered favorably 
reported by voice vote on February 6, 2018, and was agreed to 
in the House on September 26, 2018.

Whistleblower Protection

    The Committee continued its efforts related to the 
protection of whistleblowers in the federal government by 
enacting five bills:
           On February 2, 2017, the Committee favorably 
        reported H.R. 657, the Follow the Rules Act. This Act 
        clarifies the prohibition against certain personnel 
        actions including those actions taken against any 
        employee applicant for refusing to obey an order that 
        would violate a rule or regulation. H.R. 657 was signed 
        into law on June 14, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-40).
           On April 28, 2017, Ranking Minority Member 
        Elijah Cummings introduced H.R. 2229, the All Circuit 
        Review Act. This bill allows individuals to appeal 
        Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) final orders 
        regarding whistleblower retaliation complaints to any 
        U.S. Court of Appeals. On May 2, 2017, the Committee 
        favorably reported the bill by voice vote. H.R. 2229 
        was signed into law on June 25, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-192).
           On May 25, 2017, the Committee discharged S. 
        1083, a bill to amend section 1214 of title 5, U.S. 
        Code, to provide for stays during a period that the 
        Merit Systems Protection Board lacks a quorum. This 
        bill allows the MSPB to act on a request from the 
        Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to extend a stay of 
        personnel action while the Board lacks a quorum. On 
        June 27, 2017 the bill was enacted into law (Pub. L. 
        115-42).
           On October 26, 2017, S. 585, the Dr. Chris 
        Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, was 
        signed into law (Pub. L. 115-73). The Act extends 
        protections provided to federal employees who are 
        retaliated against for disclosing fraud, waste, or 
        abuse. The bill also directs the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs (VA) to address concerns relating to gaps in 
        its whistleblower protections.
           On October 12, 2017, Committee Member Rod 
        Blum introduced H.R. 4043, the Whistleblower Protection 
        Extension Act of 2017. This bill extends the 
        whistleblower ombudsman program. The program directs 
        agency inspectors general to designate an ombudsman at 
        the agency to provide information to employees on 
        whistleblower protections and remedies. The Committee 
        ordered the bill favorably reported by voice vote on 
        November 2, 2017. The Senate companion text to the 
        bill, S. 1896, was signed into law on June 25, 2018 
        (Pub. L. 115-192).
           The Committee encouraged a culture 
        throughout the federal government of protecting 
        whistleblowers and encouraged best practices to prevent 
        retaliation. In doing so, the Committee worked to 
        reauthorize the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). The 
        OSC was reauthorized through the end of fiscal year 
        2023 in Section 1097 of H.R. 2810, the National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. On December 12, 
        2017, H.R. 2810 was enacted into law.
    In addition, 2017 marked the five-year anniversary of the 
enactment of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 
2012 (WPEA). At a hearing on February 1, 2017, the Committee 
received updates on new provisions implemented in the WPEA and 
reviewed provisions expiring in 2017.

Oversight of the Decennial Census

    The Committee continued to conduct oversight of the 2020 
decennial census in the 115th Congress. This oversight role is 
particularly important given the extent to which the Census 
Bureau is shifting toward the use of more technology to 
administer the Census. During the 115th Congress, the Committee 
held a number of hearings related to the 2020 Census. The 
Committee has also worked to maintain constant communication 
with the Bureau to ensure the 2020 Census is executed in an 
efficient and effective manner.
    On October 12, 2017, the Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Hearing on the 2020 Census.'' The hearing was the first time 
the Committee heard testimony from Secretary Ross on the status 
of the 2020 Census. The hearing examined the Department of 
Commerce's role in overseeing the Bureau, including management 
changes made in the decennial census program. The hearing also 
examined updated lifecycle cost estimate for the 2020 Census, 
which was ordered by Secretary Ross after he was confirmed as 
Secretary. The new estimate projected the 2020 Census will cost 
$15.6 billion, a $3.3 billion increase over previous 
projections.
    On May 8, 2018, and on May 18, 2018, the Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Progress Report on the 2020 Census.'' On May 
8, 2018, the Committee received testimony from the Department 
of Commerce, the Census Bureau, and GAO about current status of 
IT systems, the 2018 Census Test, and the release of the 
decennial census questionnaire. Chairman Gowdy invited the 
Department of Justice to the hearing; however, the witness was 
unable to appear on May 8. Chairman Gowdy recessed the hearing 
until May 18, 2018, where the Committee heard testimony from 
the Department of Justice regarding the decennial census 
questionnaire.
    In addition to the aforementioned hearings, the Committee 
has held numerous briefings with key Census Bureau personnel. 
In response to a request letter sent by Chairman Gowdy, on 
April 11, 2018, the Committee held a member briefing with the 
Census Bureau to discuss the release of the 2020 Census 
questionnaire. On July 18, 2018, the Subcommittee on Government 
Operations and the Subcommittee on Information Technology held 
a joint member briefing on the status of 2020 Census IT system 
development. On December 12, 2018, the Subcommittee on 
Government Operations held a member briefing on cybersecurity 
for the 2020 Census. This was the second cybersecurity 
roundtable hosted by the Committee. The first was held March 
21, 2017. These meetings have focused on issues related to 
cybersecurity and procurement schedules.

Federal Advisory Committees Act (FACA)

    The Committee also examined the implementation of open 
government laws, such as the Federal Advisory Committees Act 
(FACA). The Committee continued to work on H.R. 70, the Federal 
Advisory Committees Amendment Act. The bill seeks to create a 
formal process for the public to recommend Committee members 
and requires member selection without regard to partisan 
affiliation. In addition, the bill increases each FACA 
Committees' disclosure requirements. The House passed H.R. 70 
on January 4, 2017.

Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act

    The Committee continued to monitor the implementation of 
the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act (Pub. L. 114-
50). The Commission's final report was released on September 7, 
2017. On September 26, 2017, the Committee held a hearing 
titled, ``Recommendations of the Commission on Evidence-Based 
Policymaking.'' The hearing focused on how Congress can improve 
access to data, protect privacy and confidentiality, and 
facilitate the creation of evidence-based policies. On October 
31, 2017, Speaker Paul Ryan introduced H.R. 4174, the 
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2017. H.R. 
4174 codified several of the recommendations from the Evidence-
Based Policymaking Commission. On November 2, 2017, the 
Committee ordered the bill favorably reported by voice vote and 
on November 15, 2017, H.R. 4174 was agreed to under suspension 
of the rules in the House and was sent to the President for 
signature on December 21, 2018.

Government Reorganization

    As required by House Rule X, clause 4(c)(1)(B), the 
Committee evaluates the effects of laws enacted to reorganize 
the legislative and executive branches of the Government. On 
June 21, 2018, President Trump released a report with multiple 
government reorganization proposals impacting much of the 
federal government. On June 27, 2018, the Committee held a 
hearing titled, ``Examining the Administration's Government-
wide Reorganization Plan.'' The hearing discussed the specifics 
of the Administration's executive branch reorganization plan 
and how it might lead to a modern, efficient, effective, and 
accountable federal government, examined the process by which 
the administration developed its executive branch 
reorganization plan and the rationale behind it, and sought to 
understand Congress's role in executive branch reorganizations.
    During the Committee's review of these proposals over the 
summer and fall of 2018, staff held multiple briefings agencies 
on government-wide reorganization and internal agency 
reorganization activities. Briefings were held with the Office 
of Management and Budget, the General Service Administration, 
the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of 
Education, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the 
Interior, the United States Agency for International 
Development, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority.

Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken and Recommendations Made and 
        Actions Taken Thereon

            Investigation Into the Purchase of Tourniquets by the U.S. 
                    Army
    In 2017, the Committee began a review of the decision by 
the Army to pursue the development of an alternative to the 
Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT), the tourniquet issued to 
soldiers as part of first aid kit. The CAT had been fielded by 
the Army with great success since 2004. The decision to pursue 
an alternative began in 2012, when the Army awarded a 
noncompetitive contract for $125,000 for the development of 
prototype tourniquets. The Committee's investigation focused on 
the circumstances surrounding the decision to seek an 
alternative tourniquet for which the Army would need to provide 
training as well as the use of a noncompetitive contract to 
develop a new tourniquet despite the proven reliability of the 
CAT.
    On June 22, 2017, Army officials briefed Committee staff on 
the tourniquet contracting process and why the Army moved 
forward with the contract for the development of a prototype 
tourniquet. The Army subsequently provided limited information 
and a timeline of events from 2004 to 2017 relating to testing 
and fielding of tourniquets. On October 3, 2017, Chairman Trey 
Gowdy (R-SC) sent a letter to Lt. General Nadja Y. West, 
Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and Commanding General, U.S. 
Army Medical Command, requesting a briefing and additional 
documents.
    On November 2, 2017, Major General Brian C. Lien, 
Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Department Center and 
School Health Readiness Center of Excellence briefed Committee 
staff, highlighting the need for a standardized and reliable 
tourniquet. General Lien advised the Committee an internal Army 
investigation was underway. Following the results of the 
investigation, the Commanding General directed actions be taken 
to implement the recommendations and a report be submitted by 
March 31, 2018 detailing the actions taken. Based on those 
recommendations, the Army determined the CAT tourniquet will 
remain as the chosen capability solution to ensure extremity 
tourniquets are standardized across the U.S. Army. On November 
6, 2018, the Army updated its regulations to clarify the 
upgrade and modification processes for medical sets, kits and 
outfit contents. The Committee continues to monitor 
implementation of the recommendations.
            Investigation of Government Travel
    On September 26, 2017, the Committee opened an oversight 
investigation to review taxpayer funded travel by non-career 
agency officials by sending a letter to all 24 CFO Act agencies 
requesting travel information for non-career officials during 
the period of January 2017 to September 2017. On October 17, 
2017 a follow up letter was sent to all 24 agencies requesting 
travel information for non-career agency officials during the 
period of January 2016 to January 2017. Several Inspectors 
General also launched investigations at agencies to review 
agency specific travel practices.
            Investigation on Equifax Data Breach
    On September 14, 2017, the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform and Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology for the U.S. House of Representatives sent a request 
to Equifax Chief Executive Officer Richard Smith for documents 
and communications related to the Equifax data breach announced 
on September 7. On November 20, 2017, the Committees sent an 
additional letter to Equifax requesting organizational charts, 
documents, and communications from the offices of the Chief 
Security Officer and Chief Information Officer, and information 
related to Equifax's notification to the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation. In response to the document requests, the 
Committees received over 122,000 documents in rolling 
productions from October 2017 through September 2018. The 
Committees also conducted three transcribed interviews of key 
witnesses and received briefings from Equifax and other key 
stakeholders. On December 10, 2018, the Committee majority 
staff produced an investigative report entitled, ``the Equifax 
Data Breach.''
            Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act
    On September 15, 2017, the President signed into law the 
Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017 (Pub. L. 
115-59). The Act prohibits federal agencies from including any 
individual's Social Security account number on any document 
sent by mail unless deemed necessary, requires agencies to 
promulgate regulations to specify the circumstances under which 
a Social Security account number can be included on a document 
sent by mail, and a series of reports on agency implementation 
of the law. The Committee conducted oversight to help ensure 
agencies implement the requirements of the Act by holding 
agencies accountable for producing required reports.
            Legislative Activity To Reduce Waste
    On February 14, 2017, the Committee considered H.R. 195, 
the Federal Register Printings Savings Act of 2017, which 
prohibits the Director of the Government Publishing Office from 
distributing printed copies of the Federal Register without 
charge to Members of Congress and other offices of the federal 
government without a request. The bill was signed into law on 
January 22, 2018 (Pub. L. 115-120). The bill will reduce waste 
by eliminating unused Federal Registers within Congressional 
offices that were typically recycled each day because this 
publication can be accessed electronically.
    On May 23, 2018, the Committee considered H.R. 5415, the 
GAO-IG Act, which was introduced by Representative Mark Walker 
(R-NC). The bill would require agencies to submit within the 
agency's annual budget justification to Congress a list of 
``open'' or ``closed unimplemented'' recommendations from the 
Government Accountability Office (GAO), and recommendations for 
corrective action from the agency's office of the inspector 
general (OIG) for which no final action has been taken. The 
bill would also require agencies to report on the 
implementation status of each recommendation, and why they have 
not been implemented fully. This creates a process in which 
agencies must take stock of their open and unimplemented 
recommendations, and helps promote economy, efficiency, and 
effectiveness within Executive Branch departments and agencies. 
The bill was ordered favorably reported, as amended, by voice 
vote at mark up, and was agreed to in the House on July 16, 
2018.

              HEALTHCARE, BENEFITS, & ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

The Health Insurance Industry and the Patient Protection and Affordable 
        Care Act (PPACA)

    The Committee continued oversight of the implementation of 
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in the 
115th Congress.
    On January 31, 2017, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules held a hearing titled, 
``Fraud, Waste, and Abuse under the Affordable Care Act.'' The 
hearing examined challenges with implementation of the PPACA 
and the impact of the law on the health insurance market. 
Witnesses were Vicki Robinson, Senior Counselor for Policy, 
Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services, and John Dicken, Director of Health Care, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office.
    Implementation of the health care law relied on 
coordination with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). On April 
5, 2018, the Committee wrote the Assistant Secretary for Tax 
Policy, the Honorable David Katter with concerns about the 
arbitrary enforcement of the PPACA's Employer Shared 
Responsibility Provision--commonly referred to as the employer 
mandate--in November 2017 after years of delays and internal 
shortcomings. The Committee raised questions related to the 
IRS's capacity to evaluate compliance and assess penalties.

The Pharmaceutical Industry and the Cost of Prescription Drugs

    The Committee also continued oversight of the rising prices 
of prescription medications. The federal government pays for a 
growing share of costly retail prescription drug costs, 
primarily through Medicare's prescription drug benefit.
    On March 22, 2017, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules held a hearing titled, 
``Examining the Impact of the Voluntary Restricted Distribution 
Systems in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain.'' The hearing 
examined the purpose of using restricted distribution systems 
in the pharmaceutical supply chain, and how, in certain 
instances, a manufacturer may use a restricted distribution 
system to delay or block generic competition. Witnesses were 
Bruce Leicher, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, 
Momenta Pharmaceuticals on behalf of the Association for 
Accessible Medicines; Dr. Gerard Anderson, Director of the 
Center for Hospital Finance and Management, Professor at the 
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and David 
Mitchell, President and Founder, Patients for Affordable Drugs.
    On August 18, 2017, the Committee requested the U.S. 
Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice 
brief staff on the practice of pharmaceutical companies raising 
prices of treatments for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in lockstep 
with other competitors. Since the FTC and the DOJ are jointly 
responsive for enforcing antitrust laws, officials were able to 
explain the distinct differences between the various treatments 
from one another and wide range of variability in the products.

Federally-Funded Medical Research

    On March 29, 2017, the Committee held a hearing titled, 
``Federally Funded Cancer Research: Coordination and 
Innovation.'' The hearing reviewed developments in research 
relating to curing certain cancers. It also examined the 
enterprise of cancer researchers that galvanize and contribute 
to comprehending the complexities of cancer that is leading to 
innovative therapies and cures. The hearing discussed the 
national infrastructure that generates and facilities cancer 
research, delving into the coordination amongst primary funders 
of and advocates for cancer research, including the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH), pharmaceutical companies, 
philanthropists, and nonprofit organizations. Witnesses were 
Tammi Carr, mother of Chad Carr, the ChadTough Foundation; Dr. 
Mary Beckerle, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Huntsman 
Cancer Institute, University of Utah Medical School; Dr. 
Elizabeth Jaffee, Deputy Director, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive 
Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University; and Dr. Tyler Jacks, 
Director, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
    On December 13, 2018, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Government Operations held a hearing titled, ``Exploring 
Alternatives to Fetal Tissue Research.'' The hearing examined 
the ethical considerations of fetal tissue research and 
explored alternative methods. Witnesses were Dr. Tara Lee 
Sander, Associate Scholar of the Charlotte Lozier Institute; 
Dr. David Prentice, Advisory Board Member of the Midwest Stem 
Cell Therapy Center; Dr. Sally Temple, Board Member and former 
President, International Society for Stem Cell Research.

Improper Payments in the Medicaid Program

    On April 12, 2018, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Government Operations held a hearing titled, ``Improper 
Payments in State-Administered Programs: Medicaid.'' The 
hearing examined federal and state efforts to identify, 
prevent, and recover improper payments made through state 
Medicaid programs. The hearing also examined the federal-state 
relationship in Medicaid data-sharing quality and identifying 
and preventing fraud in the Medicaid program. Witnesses were 
Tim Hill, Deputy Director, Centers for Medicaid and CHIP 
Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Megan 
Tinker, Senior Advisor for Legal Review, Office of Counsel, 
Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services; Carolyn Yocome, Director of Health Care, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; the Honorable Daryl Purpera, 
CPA, CFE, Legislative Auditor, Louisiana Legislative Auditor; 
and Andy Schneider, Research Professor of the Practice, Center 
for Children and Families, Georgetown University.

Waste and Fraud Involving Food Stamps

    The Subcommittee continued oversight of the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with the goal of restoring 
it to a transitional program, helping those who are in need of 
assistance while providing resources so they can become self-
sufficient, instead of serving as a mechanism for long-term 
dependence on the government.
    On February 8, 2017, the Committee requested the GAO to 
conduct three studies related to retailer fraud, out-of-state 
electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, and Employment and 
Training programs. The latter was published on December 20, 
2018, while the EBT report was published on November 1, 2018.
    On May 9, 2018, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, 
and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs held a hearing titled, ``Program 
Integrity for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.'' 
The hearing examined the waste, fraud, and abuse in SNAP and 
explored how the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) can more 
effectively assist states in the program's administration. 
Witnesses were Brandon Lipps, Administrator, Food and Nutrition 
Service Acting Deputy Undersecretary, Food, Nutrition, and 
Consumer Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Kathy Larni, 
Director of Education, Workforce, and Income Security, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; Sam Adolphsen, Senior Fellow, 
the Foundation for Government Accountability; and Stacy Dean, 
Vice President for Food Assistance Policy, the Center on Budget 
and Policy Priorities.
    On September 26, 2018, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs held a hearing titled, ``Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program Fraud.'' The hearing examined how 
to combat SNAP fraud from both a federal and state perspective 
and discussed how the FNS can more effectively assist states in 
the program's administration, including calculating the 
improper payment rate and fraudulent reporting by state 
agencies. Witnesses were Ann Coffey, Assistant Inspector 
General for Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 
Office of the Inspector General; Tarren Bragdon, President and 
Chief Executive Officer, the Foundation for Government 
Accountability; Thomas Roth, Director of Fraud Investigations 
Unite, Maine Department of Health and Human Services; and Dr. 
Craig Gundersen, Soybean Industry Endowed Professor in 
Agricultural Strategy, University of Illinois.
    The authorizing statute for SNAP vests discretion with the 
Secretary in granting a waiver of the work requirements for 
able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) receiving 
benefits through SNAP. The regulations implementing this 
section states FNS ``will'' approve requests for waivers when 
certain information is provided by a state agency requesting a 
waiver, wresting away discretion granted to the Secretary by 
Congress. The Subcommittee received a briefing on the Food and 
Nutrition Service's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
relating to the Secretary's discretion in waiving requirements 
for ABAWDs who qualify for SNAP.

Federal Regulation and the Regulatory Process

    On September 6, 2017, the Committees on Oversight and 
Government Reform and Judiciary requested briefings from 24 
federal agencies on the progress of implementing the 
President's Executive Orders requiring the establishment of 
Regulatory Reform Task Forces for the purpose of recommending 
agency rules to be repealed, replaced, or modified to alleviate 
unnecessary regulatory burdens. The briefings supplemented the 
Committee's three-part hearing series on the Administration's 
regulatory reform task forces, discussed in Intergovernmental 
Affairs, infra.
    On December 8, 2017, and January 11, 2018, the Committee 
requested information from 46 federal agencies on their use of 
guidance documents over the past 10 years. Agency responses 
revealed significant problems with regulatory guidance 
practices as well as failure to comply with the Congressional 
Review Act and applicable regulatory procedures.
    On March 14, 2018, the Committee held a hearing titled, 
``Shining Light on the Federal Regulatory Process.'' The 
hearing examined agency rulemaking and guidance procedures and 
practices. The hearing also assessed federal agencies' 
processes for and compliance with rulemaking and guidance 
procedures requirements and expanded on findings from the 
Committee's oversight into agency guidance procedures. 
Witnesses were Kris Nguyen, Acting Director, Strategic Issues 
Division, Government Accountability Office; Paul Noe, Vice 
President of Public Policy, American Forest and Paper 
Association; Karen Harned, Executive Director, Small Business 
Legal Center, National Federal of Independent Business; 
Nicholas Parrillo, Profess of Law, Yale Law School; and Amit 
Narang, Regulatory Policy Advocate, Public Citizen.
    On March 16, 2018, the Committee issued a staff report 
detailing findings from the oversight of federal agencies' 
regulatory guidance documents. The report compiles information 
received from dozens of agencies and shows both best practices 
and problem areas with regulatory guidance practices.

Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service

    The Committee continued its oversight of the Internal 
Revenue Service (IRS) in the 115th Congress and assisted the 
U.S. Department of the Treasury in reform efforts to 
standardize the IRS rulemaking process in line with other 
federal agencies, along with protecting taxpayers' freedom to 
associate. Also, the Subcommittee inquired into the IRS's 
selection and resolution processes with respect to Applicable 
Large Employer compliance with the Employer Shared 
Responsibility Provision (ESRP). Finally, the Subcommittee 
worked with the IRS to address challenges to its customer 
service, information technology, and rehiring processes.
    On March 8, 2017, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, 
and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on Government 
Operations held a hearing titled, ``Examining IRS Customer 
Service Challenges.'' The hearing examined the IRS's failure to 
efficiently direct available resources to customer service. 
Witnesses were the Honorable John Dalrymple, Deputy 
Commissioner for Services and Enforcement, IRS; Russell Martin, 
Assistant Inspector General, Returns Processing and Account 
Services, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; 
and Jessica Lucas-Judy, Acting Director, Strategic Issues, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office.
    On October 25, 2017, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Government Operations held a hearing titled, ``Ongoing 
Management Challenges at IRS.'' The hearing discussed a variety 
of management issues at the IRS ranging from the rehiring of 
problematic employees to outdated information technology. 
Witnesses were the Honorable J. Russell George, Treasury 
Inspector General for Tax Administration; Gregory Kutz, Deputy 
Inspector General for Inspections and Evaluations, Treasury 
Inspector General for Tax Administration; Jeffrey Tribiano, 
Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support, IRS; and Gina 
Garza, Chief Information Officer, IRS.
    Under previous Administrations, the IRS asserted the 
rulemaking process was interpretive rules or guidances 
therefore not subject to various requirements, effectively 
exempting the IRS from administrative laws and policies 
requiring regulatory accountability and transparency. On 
February 20, 2018, the Committee wrote the Assistant Secretary 
for Tax Policy, the Honorable David Kautter, at the U.S. 
Department of the Treasury requesting information related to 
Treasury's 1983 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that was 
providing the Department unique legal analysis for the 
avoidance of key regulatory process requirements. On April 11, 
2018, Treasury issued a new MOA. On April 20, 2018, the 
Subcommittee wrote Treasury to reaffirm the implementation of 
the new MOA.
    On April 17, 2018, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Government Operations held a hearing titled, ``Continued 
Oversight Over the Internal Revenue Service.'' The hearing 
examined several oversight topics at the IRS, including 
unjustified bonuses, unusual rulemaking, repeated management 
failures of rehiring bad employees, customer service 
challenges, and the IRS's capability to implement the ESRP of 
the PPACA. Witnesses were the Honorable David Kautter, Acting 
Commissioner, IRS; the Honorable J. Russell George, Inspector 
General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and 
Nin Olson, National Taxpayer Advocate, IRS.
    The nature of Schedule B information lends itself to misuse 
because such sensitive information could be utilized to target 
individuals for their political beliefs, just as conservative 
organizations were targeted by the IRS under the previous 
Administration. For instance, California--albeit 
inadvertently--publicly disclosed this sensitive information, 
revealing the names and addresses of donors and placing the 
individuals who contribute to non-profit organizations at risk 
of having their information misused. Because the requirement 
that non-profit organizations other than those described in 
section 501(c)(3) submit Schedule B information to the IRS is 
imposed through regulation, it could be eliminated through a 
regulatory action. On June 27, 2018, the Subcommittee wrote the 
Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, the Honorable David 
Kautter, at the U.S. Department of the Treasury requesting a 
briefing on the matter. On July 16, 2018, the Treasury 
rescinded the regulations requiring the submission of this 
information by non-profit entities.

Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken and Recommendations Made and 
        Actions Taken Thereon--Challenges to the Freedom of Speech and 
        First Amendment Issues

    To address free speech at the pulpit, the Committee 
examined the Johnson Amendment, which is the section of federal 
tax law that prohibits churches and other charitable 
organizations from engaging in any political campaign on behalf 
of, or in opposition to, any candidates for public office. 
Although the provision is rarely enforced, Johnson Amendment 
violators risk losing their tax-exempt status or facing penalty 
excise taxes. It can result in self-censorship by many church 
leaders and chills their political speech, even when current 
issues intersect with core tenants of their religion. On May 4, 
2017, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, and 
Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on Government 
Operations held a hearing titled, ``Examining a Church's Right 
to Free Speech.'' The hearing examined the Johnson Amendment's 
effect on churches' and other non-profit organizations' freedom 
of speech. Witnesses were Tony Perkins, President, Family 
Research Council; Catherine Engelbrecht of Cat Spring, Texas; 
Christiana Holcomb, Legal Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom; 
and Rabbi David Saperstein, former Director and Counsel, 
Religious Action Center.
    To address free speech on college campuses, the Committee 
held a series of hearings on the state of intellectual and 
ideological diversity at public universities. On July 27, 2017, 
the Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative 
Rules and the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs held a 
hearing titled, ``Challenges to Freedom of Speech on College 
Campuses.'' The hearing identified the harms of infringing on 
the right to free speech on college campuses, explored 
recommendations on how best to safeguard First Amendment 
rights, and to understand college administrators' concerns 
about public safety and controversial speakers on campus. 
Witnesses were Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II 
Professor of Law, New York Law School; Ben Shapiro, Editor-in-
Chief, The Daily Wire; Adam Carolla, Comedian and Filmmaker, No 
Safe Spaces Documentary; Dr. Michael Zimmerman, Former Provost 
and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Evergreen State 
College; and Frederick Lawrence, Secretary and CEO, The Phi 
Beta Kappa Society, Anti-Defamation League.
    On May 22, 2018, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, 
and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs held a hearing titled, ``Challenges 
to the Freedom of Speech on College Campuses: Part II.'' The 
hearing further explored the current state of free speech 
protections on college campuses and examined first-hand 
accounts from the perspectives of those at the forefront of the 
debate. Members discussed policies and viewpoints that have 
enabled suppression of constitutionally protected free speech 
at institutions of higher education, including topics like safe 
spaces, free speech zones, the heckler's veto, and security 
fees. Witnesses were Tyson Langhofer, Senior Counsel and 
Director, Center for Academic Freedom, Alliance Defending 
Freedom; Bret Weinstein, Professor In-Exile, Evergreen State 
College in Washington; Dr. Allison Stanger, Russell J. Leng '60 
Professor of International Politics and Economics, Middleburg 
College in Vermont; Dr. Shaun Harper, Provost Professor of 
Education and Business, Allen Chair in Urban Leadership, USC 
Race and Equity Center Executive Director, University of 
Southern California; and Dr. Robert P. George, McCormick 
Professor of Jurisprudence, Director of the James Madison 
Program in American Ideals and Institutions, Princeton 
University in New Jersey.
    To address freedom of the press, the Committee inquired 
into the Federal Government's use of compulsory process on the 
press when all other reasonable avenues of obtaining necessary 
investigatory information have been foreclosed. On June 21, 
2018, the Committee wrote the U.S. Department of Justice for 
information on its use of compulsory process and other means of 
obtaining documents and testimony from journalists. On July 24, 
2018, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, and 
Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental 
Affairs held a hearing titled, ``Shielding Sources: 
Safeguarding the Public's Right to Know.'' The hearing 
discussed H.R. 4382, the Free Flow of Information Act, a shield 
law that conditions the federally compelled disclosure of 
information by journalists. Witnesses were Lee Levine, Senior 
Counsel, Ballad Spahr, LLP; Sharyl Attkisson, Investigative 
Correspondent, FullMeasure; and Rick Blum, Policy Director, 
Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press.
    To address platforms like Twitter and Google deceptively 
behaving like publishers, on September 5, 2018, the Committee 
wrote the Chief Executive Officer of Twitter Jack Dorsey 
inquiring into the limited visibility of certain accounts 
associated with several high-profile Republicans and concerns 
about the search-related algorithm's apparent bias against 
conservatives.

                    INTERIOR, ENERGY, & ENVIRONMENT

Energy

    The Committee continued its oversight of the Department of 
Energy in the 115th Congress. On September 26, 2017, the 
Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment held a 
hearing to highlight the need for a permanent nuclear waste 
storage solution. Local officials, academics, and a think tank 
expert testified about delays in establishing a permanent 
nuclear waste storage facility and the associated costs 
associated with such delays.
    The Committee also conducted oversight of offshore energy 
production. On March 21, 2017, the Subcommittee on the 
Interior, Energy and Environment held a hearing on deficiencies 
at the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). 
The hearing featured testimony from GAO and the Acting 
Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management at the 
Department of the Interior. In May 2017, Committee staff also 
traveled to Louisiana and met with BSEE and Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management (BOEM) officials about offshore energy 
production.

Environment

    In the 115th Congress, the Committee continued its 
oversight of systematic mismanagement at the Chemical Safety 
and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). The Committee sent a 
letter to the CSB on May 29, 2018, to obtain documents and 
information related to employee morale surveys. As a result of 
the letter, the Committee learned CSB employees had serious 
concerns about mismanagement at the agency. On August 7, 2018, 
the Committee wrote to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly 
summarizing the Committee's findings and urging the nomination 
of a Chairman to lead the agency.
    Additionally, the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and 
Environment held a field briefing to highlight Clean Air Act 
issues in Wisconsin. A Wisconsin state legislator and several 
other communities leaders testified about Sheboygan County's 
nonattainment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 
as a result of upwind pollution from out-of-state sources.
    The Subcommittee also focused on oversight of the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers. On March 6, 2018, the Subcommittee held a 
hearing titled, ``Examining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.'' 
The hearing focused on communication issues between USACE and 
communities across the country, as well as possible solutions 
to these issues. The hearing featured testimony from the 
Director of Civil Works at USACE and representatives from the 
Port of Corpus Christi, the Upper Mississippi River Basin 
Association, and the Lake Carriers' Association.

Public Lands and Public Land Agencies

    On July 24, 2018, the Subcommittee held a hearing to 
specifically focus on grazing on public lands. Witnesses, 
including the President of the Public Lands Council, a sheep 
rancher from Montana, and a law professor, testified about 
impediments to grazing on federal lands and identified 
opportunities to improve the grazing permitting process.
    The Committee also investigated the Forest Service's 
decommissioning of roads. On June 26, 2018, the Subcommittee on 
the Interior, Energy and Environment held a hearing titled, 
``Access to Public Lands: The Effects of Forest Service Road 
Closures.'' The hearing featured testimony from a Montana state 
representative, an Oregon county commissioner, a former Forest 
Service official, and a representative from the off-road 
vehicle recreation community. The Subcommittee also sent a 
letter to the Forest Service on August 15, 2018, requesting 
copies of guidance and policies related to the decommissioning 
of roads on Forest Service lands. The Committee received 
multiple briefings from the Forest Service on this issue.
    The Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy and Environment 
held a hearing entitled, ``Restoring Balance to Environmental 
Litigation'' on September 27, 2018. The hearing featured 
testimony from the Justice Department's Energy and Natural 
Resources Division, as well as a law professor, the American 
Forest Resource Counsel's General Counsel, and a representative 
from the American Farm Bureau. The witnesses discussed 
potential reforms to the Equal Access to Justice Act and the 
Endangered Species Act, which witnesses at previous 
Subcommittee hearings had identified as a major driver of 
environmental litigation intended to stymie federal land 
management agencies.
    At the beginning of the 115th Congress, the Committee 
continued its oversight of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) law 
enforcement by renewing a request for documents related to BLM 
contracts with sheriffs in Utah, BLM law enforcement demands 
regarding Burning Man, and communications with and about local 
law enforcement officers in Utah and Nevada. On January 30, 
2018, the Committee requested additional documents relating to 
a senior BLM law enforcement agent. Subsequently, Committee 
staff received several briefings on the matter from the Bureau 
of Land Management.
    Additionally, the Committee focused on improving the 
visitor experience to National Parks and reducing the 
maintenance backlog. On April 5, 2017, the Subcommittee on the 
Interior, Energy and Environment held a hearing titled, 
``Improving the Visitor Experience at National Parks.'' The 
hearing featured testimony from the Forest Service, the Boat 
Owners Association of the United States, and other 
stakeholders. The Committee also conducted oversight of the 
federal government's new website development and management 
contract for the updated Recreation.gov website, a portal for 
reservations at National Park Service and Forest Service-
managed facilities across the country. The Forest Service 
briefed the Committee multiple times on the details of the new 
contract and to provide updates on the transition to the new 
contractor and website. Committee staff also traveled to 
Montana and Wyoming in October 2018 to discuss maintenance 
backlogs and improvements to the visitor experience with 
National Park Service officials.

Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken and Recommendations Made and 
        Actions Taken Thereon

            Federal Permitting Oversight
    The Committee held multiple hearings and conducted 
oversight of federal permitting throughout the 115th Congress. 
On March 1, 2017, the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and 
Environment and the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs 
held a joint hearing titled, ``Examining Environmental Barriers 
to Infrastructure Development.'' The purpose of the hearing was 
to identify regulations and statutes inhibiting infrastructure 
growth, including the environmental review process under the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
    On March 15, 2018, the Subcommittee on the Interior, 
Energy, and Environment held a hearing specifically examining 
the effects of permitting delays under NEPA and the Clean Water 
Act. Testimony from a local official representing the Marquette 
County Road Commission and the CFO of a successful housing 
development company discussed how those delays discourage 
development and harm local communities.
    On July 17, 2018, the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, 
and Environment held an additional hearing specifically focused 
on the fragmented regulatory process for permitting energy 
development projects on tribal lands--an area GAO also had 
included in its most recent high-risk list. Representatives 
from three different tribes, as well as a researcher affiliated 
with The Harvard Project on Indian Economic Development, 
discussed how permitting delays and bureaucratic inefficiencies 
make energy development projects on tribal lands more expensive 
and time consuming to develop than projects on private or non-
tribal public lands. As a result, tribes often find it 
difficult to attract developers and investment that would boost 
their economies.
    Subcommittee Chairman Gianforte sent a letter to GAO on 
August 21, 2018, requesting assistance developing a scorecard 
to assess agencies' efforts to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 
13807, which directs agencies with permitting authority to 
streamline environmental review and permitting processes. On 
September 6, 2018, the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, 
and Environment held a joint hearing with the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs evaluating the economic cost of 
permitting delays and evaluating how the proposals included in 
E.O. 13807 might improve the current permitting landscape. The 
hearing is discussed in more detail in Intergovernmental 
Affairs, infra.
            Federal Disaster Response and Recovery Oversight
    The Committee held multiple hearings and conducted 
oversight of federal disaster response and recovery programs 
throughout the 115th Congress. On April 5, 2017, the Committee 
held a hearing titled, ``Oversight of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency's Response to the Baton Rouge Flood Disaster: 
Part II,'' to focus on the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency's (FEMA) response to the August 2016 Baton Rouge flood. 
The hearing exposed mismanagement surrounding FEMA's issuance 
and delivery of manufactured housing units (MHUs) and 
documented that a federal contractor responsible for the 
maintenance of MHUs only responded to 10 percent of maintenance 
calls. The Committee heard testimony from Governor John Bel 
Edwards of Louisiana; Mr. Robert J. Fenton, Jr., Acting 
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Rear 
Admiral David Boone, U.S. Navy, Retired, President, CB&I 
Federal Services, LLC; and Mr. Mark Harrell, Emergency 
Coordinator, Livingston Parish, Louisiana.
    Committee staff traveled to Louisiana in May 2017 to meet 
with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and FEMA officials 
who helped lead the federal response. In October 2017, the 
Committee held three Member briefings with senior federal 
officials following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and sent 
staff to Texas to meet with federal agencies and local 
officials. These meetings highlighted some of the challenges of 
recovery, including communication issues and staff turnover.
    The same month, the Committee requested documents relating 
to the hurricanes from FEMA, USACE, the Department of Defense, 
the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department 
of Homeland Security. The Committee received thousands of pages 
in documents from FEMA, many of which demonstrated the agency's 
concern with public relations and positive press stories rather 
than helping victims recover.
    The Committee held two subcommittee hearings relating to 
specific challenges facing affected U.S. territories. On March 
12, 2018, the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and 
Environment held a field hearing in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 
The hearing featured testimony from six federal agencies, 
including FEMA and USACE. While in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the 
Subcommittee Chairman and Committee staff met with local 
leaders and toured damaged areas on St. John. The Subcommittee 
on National Security held a hearing titled, ``Bureaucratic 
Challenges to Hurricane Recovery in Puerto Rico'' on March 22, 
2018. Witnesses from the Department of Energy, FEMA, the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Edison Electric 
Institute discussed strategies to help speed up electric grid 
recovery in the territory.
    On October 24, 2018, the Committee published a staff report 
titled, ``Recurring Problems Hinder Federal Disaster Response 
and Recovery Efforts.'' The report focused on many of the 
recurring problems--including communications failures, lack of 
adequate personnel training, expensive and inefficient housing 
units, and excessive red tape associated with federal 
reimbursements--that detracted from response and recovery 
efforts during the August 2016 Baton Rouge flood, as well as 
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017.
    Additionally, the Committee held a hearing on November 29, 
2018, to discuss lessons-learned from these natural disasters. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
and the Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency 
Operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers testified at 
the hearing.
            Oversight of the DHS Office of Inspector General
    The Committee investigated a series of Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) 
reports that called the OIG's independence and impartiality 
into question. The Committee requested the full case file for 
the most recent Emergency Management Oversight Team (EMOT) 
report on July 17, 2017. Subsequently, the Committee conducted 
three transcribed interviews of current or former DHS OIG 
staff. The Committee's investigation found OIG staff routinely 
referred to these reports as ``feel good reports'' and viewed 
them as an opportunity to give FEMA ``credit'' for generally 
doing a good job. As a result of the Committee's investigation, 
the OIG withdrew the entire series of reports, launched 
multiple internal investigations, and implemented a number of 
reforms to promote independence and objectivity within the OIG. 
The Committee's findings were included in the staff report 
released on October 24, 2018, titled ``Recurring Problems 
Hinder Federal Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts.''

                       INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    In the 115th Congress, the Committee focused on considering 
legislative action on programs with lapsed authorizations. The 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) authorizes 
appropriations for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to 
evaluate the costs of unfunded mandates on State and local 
governments. The authorization lapsed in 2001.
    On January 3, 2017, Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) 
introduced H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and 
Transparency Act of 2017, which would make several reforms to 
UMRA based on prior Committee oversight and recommendations in 
Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports.
    The Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs held a 
hearing on April 26, 2017, titled ``Unfunded Mandates: 
Examining Federally-Imposed Burdens on State and Local 
Government,'' during which State and local officials testified 
about how unfunded mandates affected their communities. Mr. 
Wayne Niederhauser, President of the Utah State Senate, 
expressed support for H.R. 50 because it ``addresses UMRA's 
narrow coverage, exemptions, and loopholes,'' and Mr. Gary 
Moore, Judge/Executive of Boone County, Kentucky, highlighted 
H.R. 50's transparency provisions.
    The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform considered 
H.R. 50 at a business meeting on March 15, 2018. Representative 
Foxx offered an amendment to her bill which would reauthorize 
appropriations for CBO to conduct UMRA evaluations. The 
amendment was agreed to and the bill was ordered favorably 
reported, as amended. H.R. 50 passed the House on July 13, 
2018. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs ordered the bill favorably reported on 
September 26, 2018.

Federal Regulation and the Regulatory Process

    The Committee's oversight activities of the federal 
regulatory process in the 115th Congress involved several 
hearings, roundtables, and briefings. The Committee has worked 
on a number of bills and bipartisan and bicameral efforts to 
advance comprehensive regulatory reform this Congress.
    On September 6, 2017, the Committees on Oversight and 
Government Reform and Judiciary sent a letter to 24 federal 
agencies requesting briefings on the progress of implementing 
the President's E.O. 13777, the ``Presidential Executive Order 
on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,'' discussed in 
Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules, supra.
    On October 24, 2017, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Government Operations held a joint hearing titled, ``Regulatory 
Reform Task Forces Check-In.'' The hearing was the first of the 
Committee's three-part hearing series on Regulatory Reform Task 
Forces. The witnesses for the hearing were Mr. James Owens, 
Acting General Counsel, Department of Transportation; Ms. Joo 
Chung, Director of the Oversight and Compliance Directorate, 
Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer, Department of 
Defense; Mr. Giancarlo Brizzi, Principal Deputy Associate 
Administrator, Office of Government-Wide Policy, General 
Services Administration; Mr. Clyde ``Wayne'' Crews, Vice 
President for Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute; Ms. 
Diane Katz, Senior Research Fellow for Regulatory Policy, the 
Heritage Foundation; Mr. Jitinder Kohli, Managing Director, 
Deloitte Consulting; and Mr. James Goodwin, Senior Policy 
Analyst, Center for Progressive Reform.
    On November 14, 2017, the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs held a joint hearing titled, 
``Regulatory Reform Task Forces Check-In: Part II.'' Testimony 
focused on efforts to implement the Administration's recent 
Executive Orders. The hearing revealed the Regulatory Reform 
Task Forces are achieving substantial progress in regulatory 
cleanup efforts. The witnesses for the hearing were Ms. 
Rebeckah Adcock, Senior Adviser, Office of the Secretary, 
Department of Agriculture; Mr. Robert Eitel, Senior Counselor, 
Office of the Secretary, Department of Education; and Mr. 
Charles Keckler, Associate Deputy Secretary, Office of the 
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
    On November 29, 2017, the Committee held a joint hearing 
titled, ``Regulatory Reform Task Forces Check-In: Part III.'' 
The hearing was the final in the three-part hearing series on 
the Trump Administration's Regulatory Reform Task Forces. The 
witnesses for the hearing were the Honorable David Bernhardt, 
Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior; Ms. Brittany 
Bolen, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, 
Environmental Protection Agency; and Mr. Daniel Simmons, 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy.
    On November 30, 2017 the Committee considered H.R. 2623, 
titled ``Lessening Regulatory Costs and Establishing a Federal 
Regulatory Budget Act of 2017,'' which would codify the best 
practices of the President's Executive Order. H.R. 2623 was 
introduced by Rep. Meadows on May 24, 2017. The bill was 
ordered favorably reported to the House by a vote of 23 to 17.
    On September 27, 2018, the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs and the Subcommittee on Healthcare, 
Benefits, and Administrative Rules held a joint hearing titled, 
``The Benefits of a Deregulatory Agenda: Examples from 
Pioneering Governments.'' The hearing examined benefits 
achieved by countries such as Australia and Canada, and the 
State of Kentucky. The witnesses included Mr. Scott Brinkman, 
Secretary of the Executive Cabinet, Commonwealth of Kentucky; 
Ms. Laura Jones, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic 
Officer, Canadian Federation of Independent Business; Mr. Matt 
Vickers, Product Sales Engineer, New Markets, Xero; and Mr. 
Amit Narang, Regulatory Policy Advocate, Public Citizen.
            Impacts of NAAQS
    On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, at the University of Wisconsin, 
Sheboygan, the Subcommittees on the Interior, Energy, and 
Environment and Intergovernmental Affairs held a field briefing 
titled, ``Examining the Impacts of Proposed NAAQS on the 
Sheboygan, Wisconsin Area.'' This briefing examined the 
region's continued designation as an ozone non-attainment zone 
under the Clean Air Act. Participants in the briefing included: 
Steve Steinpreis, Director of Technical Services for Plymouth 
Foam, Inc.; Rick Esenberg, President of Wisconsin Institute for 
Law & Liberty; Lucas Vebber, General Counsel for Wisconsin 
Manufacturers & Commerce; Jane Brill, Marketing & Program 
Director for Sheboygan County Chamber; and Tyler Vorpagel, 
Wisconsin State Representative.
            Electronic Medical Records Regulations
    The Committee examined the continued use of a burdensome 
and unauthorized regulatory guidance document and a regulation 
issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 
The regulation requires hospitals to pay for the production of 
medical records requested by commercial third parties. On 
December 20, 2017, the Committee sent a letter to HHS 
requesting documents and supporting information pertaining to 
the development of the policies. Committee staff followed up 
with briefings with HHS staff and staff from the Office of 
Management and Budget to develop a better understanding of how 
the regulation fit within the Administration's regulatory 
policy.
            Cybersecurity regulations
    On October 13, 2017, the Committee sent a letter to the 
Comptroller General of the United States, Gene L. Dodaro, 
requesting the Government Accountability Office to examine the 
extent and impact of federal information security and privacy 
requirements on State programs.
    The Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs held a 
hearing on July 18, 2018, titled ``Regulatory Divergence: 
Failure of the Administrative State.'' The hearing examined 
challenges posed by divergent regulatory schemes and 
highlighted opportunities to sync up regulations with enhanced 
cooperation between the federal government, States, and private 
industry stakeholders. To supplement the hearing, the 
Subcommittee requested and received examples from six State 
Chief Information Officers. The witnesses included Mr. James 
``Bo'' Reese, President, National Association of State Chief 
Information Officers, Office of Management and Enterprise 
Services, State of Oklahoma; Mr. Christopher Feeney, Executive 
Vice President, Bank Policy Institute; Mr. John Riggi, Senior 
Advisor, Cybersecurity and Risk, American Hospital Association; 
Mr. Oliver Sherouse, Policy Analytics Lead, Program for 
Economic Research and Regulation, Mercatus Center; and Mr. 
Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen.

Settlement Agreements

    The Committee held two joint hearings on the impact of 
certain settlement agreements and consent decrees on State and 
local governments. On May 24, 2017, the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs and the Subcommittee on the Interior, 
Energy, and Environment held a joint hearing titled, 
``Examining `Sue and Settle' Agreements: Part I.'' The hearing 
examined the impact of environmental advocacy group lawsuits on 
businesses and landowners. The Subcommittees heard testimony 
from Mr. William Kovacs, Senior Vice President, Environment, 
Technology and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; 
Ms. Darcy Helmick, Simplot Livestock Co. of Grand View, Idaho; 
Mr. Kent Holsinger, Holsinger Law, LLC of Denver, Colorado; and 
Mr. Justin Pidot, Environmental and Natural Resources Law of 
Denver, Colorado.
    The Committee held the second joint hearing on July 25, 
2017, titled, ``Examining Sue and Settle' Agreements: Part 
II.'' The Subcommittees heard testimony from the following 
witnesses: Mr. John Engler, Former Governor, State of Michigan; 
Mr. Carl E. Geffken, City Administrator, Fort Smith, Arkansas; 
Dr. David Sanders, Executive Vice-President of Systems 
Improvement, Casey Family Programs; and Mr. Robert Weismann, 
President, Public Citizen.
    To address some of the concerns identified through the 
hearings, Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL) introduced H.R. 
6777, the Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 
2018, on September 12, 2018. The legislation would create a 
database of consent decrees and settlement agreements across 
federal agencies, which will create transparency into the 
ongoing practice of mandating policies through one-off long 
standing agreements. The Committee considered H.R. 6777 at a 
business meeting on September 27, 2018, and ordered the bill 
favorably reported to the House by unanimous consent. On 
November 29, 2018, H.R. 6777 was agreed to under suspension of 
the rules of the House.

Permitting and Infrastructure

    On March 1, 2017, the Subcommittees on Intergovernmental 
Affairs and on the Interior, Energy, and Environment held a 
hearing titled, ``Examining Environmental Barriers to 
Infrastructure Development.'' The hearing explored examples of 
regulations and statutes that have inhibited infrastructure 
growth in the United States and examined ways the Congress 
could improve the quality of American infrastructure. The 
Subcommittees received witness testimony from Mr. Richie Beyer, 
County Engineer, Elmore County, Alabama; Mr. Wayne D'Angelo, 
Counsel for the Steel Manufacturers Association, Kelley, Drye, 
and Warren, LLP; and Mr. Nicholas Loris, Herbert and Joyce 
Morgan Research Fellow in Energy and Environmental Policy 
Institute for Economic Freedom and Opportunity, The Heritage 
Foundation.
    On May 17, 2017, the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental 
Affairs held a roundtable titled, ``Red-tape Roundtable: 
Infrastructure.'' Building on the March hearing, the roundtable 
provided a forum for representatives from State and local 
governments to share their stories regarding federal regulatory 
challenges to infrastructure development. Participants in the 
roundtable offered insights into parts of the permitting 
process that are failing, recommendations for improving the 
federal permitting and review process, and discussed the role 
of the State and local governments.
    On September 6, 2018, the Subcommittees on 
Intergovernmental Affairs and the Interior, Energy, and 
Environment held a hearing titled, ``Permitting: Finding a Path 
Forward.'' The hearing looked at the economic costs of delays 
and inefficiencies in the federal environmental review. The 
Subcommittees heard testimony from Mr. Daren Bakst, Senior 
Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; Mr. Philip K. Howard, 
Founder and Chair, Common Good; Mr. Frank Rusco, Director, 
Natural Resources and Environment Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; and Ms. Christy Goldfuss, Senior Vice 
President, Energy and Environment Policy, Center for American 
Progress.

State and Local Affairs

            Unfunded Mandates
    The Committee explored the deterioration in relations 
between the Federal Government, the States, and local 
governments. On December 16, 2016, prior to the close of the 
114th Congress, then-Chairman Jason Chaffetz sent letters to 
officials in all 50 States and the territories, seeking 
information regarding specific unfunded mandates imposed on 
their State and the cost estimates or compliance challenges 
that these mandates have on the State. The Committee received 
responses from 25 State and local governmental entities with 
hundreds of examples of burdensome unfunded mandates. The 
responses demonstrated the expensive and extensive impact 
federal regulations have on State and local governments.
    The Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs held a 
hearing on April 26, 2017 titled, ``Unfunded Mandates: 
Examining Federally-Imposed Burdens on State and Local 
Governments.'' The Subcommittee heard testimony from several 
State and local officials about how the unfunded mandates 
affected their communities. Witnesses included the following: 
Mr. Wayne Niederhauser, President, Utah State Senate; Mr. Jim 
Davis, Senator, North Carolina State Senate; Mr. Gary Moore, 
Judge/Executive, Boone County, Kentucky; Mr. Jermaine Reed, 
Councilman, City of Kansas City, Missouri; and Mr. Jeff McKay, 
Supervisor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Alexandria, 
Virginia. The witnesses highlighted specific examples of how 
unfunded federal mandates limit budgetary flexibility and 
impact their business communities. They provided suggestions as 
to how federal objectives can continue to be advanced without 
burdening States and local governments.
            Federalism
    During the 115th Congress, the Subcommittee on 
Intergovernmental Affairs worked to establish effective 
relationships with key intergovernmental partners. Throughout 
the Congress, the Subcommittee reached out to and coordinated 
with the Speaker's Task Force on Intergovernmental Affairs, 
chaired by Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT). The Subcommittee 
also regularly communicated with and coordinated with major 
intergovernmental State and local organizations, commonly 
referred to as the Big Seven, in addition to many other 
organizations like the Western Governors Association, the 
National Association of State Chief Information Officers, and 
many others. Regular communication and consultation assisted 
the subcommittee in its work across many issue areas, including 
cybersecurity of State elections, legislative initiatives, 
unfunded mandates oversight, permitting and infrastructure 
policies, and regulatory reform.
    On February 27, 2018, the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform held a hearing titled, ``Federalism 
Implications of Treating States as Stakeholders.'' The hearing 
was held in collaboration with the Speaker's Task Force on 
Intergovernmental Affairs. Three governors testified at the 
hearing: the Honorable Gary Richard Herbert, Governor of Utah; 
the Honorable Susanna Martinez, Governor of New Mexico; and the 
Honorable Clement Leroy ``Butch'' Otter, Governor of Idaho. 
During the hearing, the governors shared concerns about 
critical shortfalls where existing federal practices were not 
meeting the States' role as partners. The hearing also examined 
the critical role of States in the federal decision-making 
process and explored how federal agencies engage with states.
            Fiscal Pressures
    State and local governments face fiscal challenges related 
to national disasters, unfunded federal mandates, underfunded 
pensions, and increasing health care costs. On November 5, 
2018, Chairman Gowdy and Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee 
Chairman Palmer wrote to GAO requesting an evaluation of fiscal 
pressures on State and local governments.
            GSAXcess
    The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible 
for disposing and distributing excess federal property through 
the GSAXcess program, which is designed to reallocate excess 
federal resources to State or local agencies. On January 11, 
2018, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of the Committee on Education 
and the Workforce and Chairman Trey Gowdy of the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform requested the Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) evaluate the program for potential 
favoritism to ineligible parties and the impact that 
inappropriate allocation has made on State and local agencies.

Federal Financial Management

    The Committee is responsible for oversight of agency 
compliance with federal improper payment laws. The Subcommittee 
on Intergovernmental Affairs focused oversight efforts on 
improper payments in State administered programs and programs 
with significant impacts on State and local governments. 
Hearings on this topic included:
           On May 25, 2017, the Subcommittees on 
        Government Operations and Intergovernmental Affairs 
        held a joint hearing to examine the Department of 
        Education's progress towards estimating improper 
        payments titled, ``Improper Payments in the Federal 
        Government: Student Aid,'' discussed supra.
           On April 12, 2018, the Subcommittee on 
        Government Operations and the Subcommittee on 
        Intergovernmental Affairs held a hearing titled, 
        ``Improper Payments in State-Administered Programs: 
        Medicaid,'' discussed supra.
           On May 9, 2018, the Subcommittee on 
        Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules and the 
        Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs held a joint 
        hearing titled, ``Program Integrity for the 
        Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,'' discussed 
        supra.
           On September 26, 2018, the Subcommittee on 
        Intergovernmental Affairs and the Subcommittee on 
        Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules held a 
        joint hearing titled ``Supplemental Nutrition 
        Assistance Program Fraud,'' discussed supra.

Grant Reform

    The Committee continued to examine the efficiency and 
transparency of agency grantmaking processes. This work built 
upon efforts by the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform in the 114th Congress to identify mismanagement of funds 
across grantmaking agencies. On July 25, 2018, the Subcommittee 
on Intergovernmental Affairs held a hearing titled, ``Federal 
Grant Management.'' The hearing examined opportunities to 
modernize the federal grantmaking process. The Subcommittee 
heard testimony from Mr. Hudson Hollister, Executive Director, 
Data Coalition; Ms. Michelle Sager, Director, Strategic Issues, 
Government Accountability Office; Ms. Andrea L. Brandon, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Office of Grants and Acquisition Policy 
and Accountability, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services; Mr. Peter Tyler, Senior Policy Advisor, Project on 
Government Oversight; and Ms. Natalie Keegan, Analyst, American 
Federalism and Emergency Management, Congressional Research 
Service.

Cybersecurity--Cybersecurity of U.S. Elections

    In the 115th Congress, the Committee examined cybersecurity 
vulnerabilities within the American electoral system. On 
November 29, 2017, the Subcommittees on Information Technology 
and Intergovernmental Affairs held a hearing titled 
``Cybersecurity of Voting Machines.'' This hearing is discussed 
further in Information Technology, supra. The Committee also 
held a hearing on July 24, 2018, titled ``Cyber-Securing the 
Vote: Ensuring the Integrity of the U.S. Election System.'' The 
hearing is discussed in more detail in Information Technology, 
supra.

Homeland Security--Disaster Response

    The Committee conducted oversight of mismanagement within 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster 
response processes and procedures. In the 114th Congress, the 
Committee held a hearing on recovery efforts following the 
August 2016 Baton Rouge flood disaster.
    The Committee followed up these efforts with a hearing on 
April 5, 2017, titled, ``Oversight of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency's Response to the Baton Rouge Flood Disaster: 
Part II,'' discussed in Interior, Energy, and Environment, 
supra.
    Pay Cap Violation oversight: The Committee learned FEMA 
made nearly $1 million in overpayments to personnel in 2017, in 
violation of the statutory annual premium pay cap. 
Subsequently, the Committee learned FEMA also made unauthorized 
overpayments in 2016. DHS confirmed on January 19 other DHS 
components also made overpayments. The Committee sent a letter 
to the Department on January 29 regarding violations of the 
statutory annual premium pay cap at the Department and FEMA. 
DHS OIG documents received as part of a separate matter 
indicate (1) DHS and FEMA have been shirking its responsibility 
to manage personnel in accordance with the pay cap for years, 
and (2) the OIG knew about the problem and failed to report on 
it.
    DHS OIG Audit oversight: In June, the DHS OIG released 
report on FEMA's response to the August 2016 Baton Rouge flood 
containing unfounded and inaccurate characterizations and 
conclusions, which the Committee raised with the OIG. The OIG 
subsequently withdrew the report. Documents produced in the 
Committee's investigation of the incident indicated the report 
was intentionally written as a ``feel good'' report for FEMA, 
and there may have been other instances where the OIG placed 
the Department's interests over unbiased and factual reporting. 
See Interior, Energy, & Environment, supra, for further 
information.

Canines

    The Committee examined the use of canines as part of the 
government's national security infrastructure and the increased 
use of canines by agencies. On October 3, 2017, the 
Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs held a joint hearing 
with the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on 
Transportation and Protective Security, titled, ``Innovations 
in Security: Examining the Use of Canines.'' The Subcommittees 
heard testimony from Ms. Sheila Goffe, Vice President for 
Government Relations, American Kennel Club; Lieutenant Scott 
Smith, Orlando Police Department, Orlando, Florida; and Dr. 
Cynthia M. Otto, Director, Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School 
of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. The hearing 
explored problems related to a dwindling supply of canines in 
the United States with a simultaneous increase in demand, 
resulting in increased prices and a shortage of working dogs 
for law enforcement and security agencies.

Troubled Asset Relief Program

    The Committee continued to conduct oversight of fraud and 
waste within the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief 
Program (TARP). In August 2017, the Special Inspector General 
for TARP, Ms. Christy Goldsmith-Romero, issued a report 
detailing that Treasury had not conducted effective oversight 
of State management of the Hardest Hit Fund (HHF), leading to 
approximately $3 million in improper or wasteful TARP 
expenditures. On April 24, 2018, the Chairmen of the 
Intergovernmental Affairs and Government Operations 
Subcommittees, Rep. Gary Palmer (R-AL) and Rep. Mark Meadows 
(R-NC), sent a letter to Mr. Lorenzo Rasetti, Chief Financial 
Officer, Office of Financial Stability, U.S. Department of the 
Treasury, requesting documents and information relating to the 
Department's review and determination on administrative costs 
questioned by SIGTARP following the issuance of a report on 
August 25, 2017. The Committee received the requested documents 
on May 8, 2018.
    On May 22, 2018, the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental 
Affairs and the Subcommittee on Government Operations held a 
joint hearing titled, ``Ten Years of TARP: Examining the 
Hardest Hit Fund.'' The hearing marked the ten-year anniversary 
of TARP and focused on the Hardest Hit Fund's (HHF) foreclosure 
mitigation performance record. The Subcommittees received 
testimony from Ms. Christy Goldsmith-Romero, Special Inspector 
General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, U.S. Department 
of the Treasury; Mr. Kipp Kranbuhl, Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Small Business, Community Development and Affordable 
Housing Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial 
Institutions, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Ms. Verise 
Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Nevada Affordable Housing 
Assistance Corporation; Ms. Cathy James, Business Development 
Manager, Alabama Housing Finance Authority; and Mr. Scott 
Farmer, Executive Director, North Carolina Housing Finance 
Agency.

Housing

    The Committee investigated Housing and Urban Development 
(HUD) mismanagement within the Alexander County Housing 
Authority (ACHA). On June 22, 2017, Chairman Palmer, 
Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL), and the House Committee on 
Financial Services sent a joint letter to HUD Secretary Ben 
Carson requesting copies of audits, inspections, and related 
documents regarding the poor condition of public housing units 
managed by the Alexander County Housing Authority. The 
Committee received thousands of pages of documents ranging from 
1998 to 2017, which revealed that HUD properties in Cairo, 
Illinois had deteriorated beyond rehabilitation over the course 
of several decades. Committee staff continue to coordinate with 
the HUD Inspector General, which issued an evaluation of the 
program in the summer of 2018.

Summary of Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken, and 
        Recommendations Made and Actions Taken Thereon

            Challenges to Free Speech and the First Amendment
    The Committee explored troubling trends on college campus 
regarding freedom of speech including two hearings held jointly 
by the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs and the 
Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rules: 
a hearing on July 27, 2017, titled, ``Challenges to Freedom of 
Speech on College Campuses'' and a hearing on May 22, 2018, 
titled, ``Challenges to the Freedom of Speech on College 
Campuses: Part II,'' both discussed in Healthcare, Benefits, 
and Administrative Rules, supra.
            Evidence-Based Policymaking
    On September 26, 2017, the Committee held a hearing titled, 
``Recommendations of the Commission on Evidence-Based 
Policymaking.'' The hearing examined recommendations that 
Congress could use to improve access to data, protect privacy 
and confidentiality, and facilitate the creation of evidence-
based policies. The witnesses included Dr. Katharine G. 
Abraham, Chair of the Commission on Evidence-Based 
Policymaking; Dr. Ron Haskins, Co-Chair of the Commission on 
Evidence-Based Policymaking; Mr. Robert Shea, Commissioner, 
Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking; and Dr. Latanya 
Sweeney, Commissioner, Commission on Evidence-Based 
Policymaking.
    On October 31, 2017, Speaker Paul Ryan introduced H.R. 
4174, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 
2017. H.R. 4174 codified several of the recommendations from 
the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission. On November 2, 
2017, the Committee ordered the bill favorably reported by 
voice vote and on November 15, 2017, H.R. 4174 was agreed to 
under suspension of the rules in the House.

                         INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

IT Acquisition Oversight and Reform

    During the 115th Congress, the Committee continued to focus 
on Information Technology (IT) acquisition and specifically 
implementation of the Federal Information Technology 
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA). The Government Operations and 
Information Technology Subcommittees also did extensive 
oversight of federal acquisition of IT and related joint 
hearings, discussed supra.

Cybersecurity

    The Committee prioritized oversight of the cybersecurity of 
federal agencies in the 115th Congress.
    On April 4, 2017, the IT Subcommittee held a hearing titled 
``Reviewing Federal IT Workforce Challenges and Possible 
Solutions.'' The hearing examined the development, recruitment, 
and retention of the federal government's IT and cybersecurity 
workforce. Possible solutions explored included changes in 
hiring and compensation policies as well as a rotational 
private-government workforce. Members heard testimony from 
Steven Cooper, Former Chief Information Officer, U.S. 
Department of Commerce; Elizabeth Hyman, Executive Vice 
President, Public Advocacy, CompTIA; Lisa Depew, Head of 
Industry and Academic Outreach, Intel; Dan Waddell, Managing 
Director, (ISC)2; Nick Marinos, Assistant Director, Information 
Technology, Government Accountability Office; Debora Plunkett, 
Board Member, Strategic Advisory Board, International 
Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals.
    The IT Subcommittee held a hearing titled ``Cybersecurity 
of the Internet of Things'' on October 3, 2017. The hearing 
examined the use of devices that comprise the Internet of 
Things (IoT) and their current and potential uses in federal 
government. The Committee heard testimony from Matthew J. 
Eggers, Executive Director of Cybersecurity Policy, U.S Chamber 
of Commerce; Josh Corman, Director of Cyber Statecraft 
Initiative, Atlantic Council; Tommy Ross, Senior Director of 
Policy, Software Alliance; and Ray O'Farrell, CTI, VMWare.
    On November 29, 2017, the Subcommittees on Information 
Technology and Intergovernmental Affairs held a joint hearing 
titled, ``Cybersecurity of Voting Machines.'' The hearing 
assessed the current state of cybersecurity regarding vote 
tabulation machines and identified actions that the States, the 
Trump Administration, and Congress can take to ensure that 
voting machines were secure prior to the 2018 midterm 
elections. The following individuals testified: Christopher C. 
Krebs, Acting Under Secretary, National Protection and Program 
Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security; Tom 
Schedler, Louisiana Secretary of State; Edgardo Cortes, 
Commissioner, Virginia Department of Elections; Dr. Matthew 
Blaze, Associate Professor, Computer and Information Science, 
University of Pennsylvania; and Susan Klein Hennessey, Fellow 
in National Security Law, Governance Studies at the Brookings 
Institution. The witnesses testified on the efforts of foreign 
states to hack into voting databases and voting machines, the 
creation of a federal election security council to enhance 
coordination between federal agencies and State and local 
election officials, and the future risks posed to the electoral 
system.
    On December 7, 2017, the Subcommittee on Information 
Technology held a hearing titled, ``Oversight of IT and 
Cybersecurity at the Department of Veterans Affairs.'' The 
Subcommittee heard testimony from Mr. Scott Blackburn, Acting 
Chief Information Officer, Department of Veteran Affairs; 
Dominic Cussatt, Chief Information Security Officer, Department 
of Veteran Affairs; David A. Powner, Director, IT Management 
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office. The hearing 
examined the Department of Veterans Affairs information 
technology systems, including Federal Information Technology 
Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) performance, development of the 
Electronic Health Record system, and efforts to modernize its 
Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture 
(VistA).
    On March 14, 2018, the Subcommittees on Information 
Technology and Government Operations held a joint hearing 
titled, ``State of Play: Federal IT in 2018.'' The hearing 
reviewed the state of federal information technology in 2018, 
including government-wide plans for information technology (IT) 
modernization and cybersecurity. The witnesses were David 
Powner, Director of IT Management Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; Margaret Weichert, Deputy Director for 
Management, Office of Management and Budget; Bill Zielinski, 
Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the IT Category, General 
Services Administration; Jeanette Manfra, Assistant Secretary 
for the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, Department 
of Homeland Security.
    On March 20, 2018, the Subcommittee on Information 
Technology and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection 
Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee held a 
joint hearing titled, ``CDM: Government Perspectives on 
Security and Modernization.'' The hearing examined the status 
of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Continuous 
Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program rollout at specific 
agencies. CIOs from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 
U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and Kevin Cox, CDM Program Manager, Department of 
Homeland Security, testified before the Subcommittees.
    On July 24, 2018, the Committee held a hearing titled 
``Cyber-securing the Vote: Ensuring the Integrity of the U.S. 
Election System.'' The hearing built on the November 29, 2017, 
Subcommittee on Information Technology and Intergovernmental 
Affairs joint hearing ``Cybersecurity of Voting Machines,'' and 
examined the status of $380 million in grant funds that 
Congress appropriated in March 2018 for State election security 
expenses. Members heard testimony from Christopher Krebs, Under 
Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security; Thomas Hicks, Commissioner, 
U.S. Election Assistance Commission; Maggie Toulouse Oliver, 
Secretary of State, New Mexico; and Ricky Hatch, County 
Auditor, Weber County, Utah.
    On July 25, 2018, the Subcommittees on Information 
Technology and Government Operations held a joint hearing 
titled, ``GAO High Risk Focus: Cybersecurity,'' discussed in 
Governmental Operations, supra.

Emerging Technologies

    The Committee prioritized examining the emerging technology 
of artificial intelligence in the 115th Congress. The IT 
Subcommittee held a series of hearings to increase 
understanding of artificial intelligence. At the conclusion of 
the hearings, Information Technology Subcommittee Chairman Will 
Hurd and Ranking Member Robin Kelly released a white paper 
titled ``Rise of the Machines: Artificial Intelligence and its 
Growing Impact on U.S. Policy.'' The paper presents lessons 
learned from the Subcommittee's oversight and hearings on AI 
and sets forth key recommendations for moving forward. While 
the Subcommittee's work examined a number of challenges facing 
AI, the paper specifically focuses on four issue areas, and 
provides concrete recommendations for addressing each. The 
areas are workforce, privacy, biases, and malicious use of AI.
    The hearings discussed above were as follows:
           ``Game Changers: Artificial Intelligence 
        Part I,'' on February 14, 2018 with Dr. Amir 
        Khosrowshahi, Vice President and Chief Technology 
        Officer, Artificial Intelligence Products Group, Intel; 
        Dr. Charles Isbell, Senior Associate Dean, College of 
        Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Oren 
        Etzioni, Chief Executive Officer, Allen Institute for 
        Artificial Intelligence; and Dr. Ian Buck, Vice 
        President and General Manager, Tesla Data Center 
        Business, NVIDIA. This hearing provided an overview of 
        the technology and examined development, uses, barriers 
        to adoption and potential challenges and advantages of 
        government use of artificial intelligence.
           ``Game Changers: Artificial Intelligence 
        Part II, Artificial Intelligence and the Federal 
        Government,'' on March 7, 2018 with Mr. John O. 
        Everett, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Information Innovation 
        Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. 
        Department of Defense; Keith Nakasone, Deputy Assistant 
        Commissioner, Information Technology Category 
        Acquisition Management, U.S. General Services 
        Administration; Mr. James F. Kurose, Ph.D., Assistant 
        Director, Computer Science and Information Science and 
        Engineering, National Science Foundation; and Mr. 
        Douglas Maughan, Ph.D., Division Director, 
        Cybersecurity Division, Homeland Security Advanced 
        Research Project Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland 
        Security. This hearing focused on the federal 
        government's engagement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
        and how government agencies can adopt AI to make 
        citizen services more effective and efficient.
           ``Game Changers: Artificial Intelligence 
        Part III, Artificial Intelligence and Public Policy,'' 
        on April 18, 2018 with Gary Shapiro, President, 
        Consumer Technology Association; Jack Clark, Director, 
        OpenAI; Terah Lyons, Executive Director, Partnership on 
        AI; and Ben Buchanan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Cyber 
        Security Project, Science, Technology, and Public 
        Policy Program, Belfer Center for Science and 
        International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School. The 
        hearing examined the merits and costs of the government 
        role in potential solutions to challenges including 
        bias, ethics, global competitiveness, privacy and 
        transparency.
           ``Countering China: Ensuring America Remains 
        the World Leader in Advanced Technologies and 
        Innovation,'' on September 26, 2018. The hearing 
        focused on Chinese efforts to gain knowledge and skill 
        through legal and illegal means in emerging 
        technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum 
        computing, and 5G. Members of the Subcommittee heard 
        testimony on the effects Chinese trade practices have 
        on American companies working to enter Chinese markets 
        and discussed how to protect American economic and 
        security interests. The witnesses were John Neuffer, 
        President and Chief Executive Officer, Semiconductor 
        Industry Association; Robert Atkinson, Ph.D., 
        President, Information Technology and Innovation 
        Foundation; Dean Cheng, Senior Research Fellow, Asian 
        Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation; and Sarah 
        Cook, Senior Research Analyst, Freedom House.

Privacy

    The Committee held hearings focused on privacy in the 
digital age. On March 22, 2017, the Committee held a hearing 
titled ``Law Enforcement's Use of Facial Recognition 
Technology.'' The hearing reviewed the current state of facial 
recognition technology (FRT), the FBI's use of FRT and the 
various uses, benefits, and challenges associated with FRT. The 
hearing explored privacy concerns surrounding FRT, including 
the FBI's failure to comply with the Privacy Act when 
developing and deploying FRT on its photo database. The hearing 
also explored the FBI's use of FRT on state driver's license 
databases. The witnesses were Kimberly Del Greco, Deputy 
Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Information Services 
Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Diana Maurer, 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Charles Romine, Ph.D., Director, 
Information Technology Lab, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology; Alvaro Bedoya, Executive Director, Center on 
Privacy and Technology, Georgetown Law; Benji Hutchinson, 
Senior Director, NEC Corporation of America On Behalf of The 
International Biometrics + Identity Association; and Jennifer 
Lynch, Senior Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation.
    On May 23, 2017, the IT Subcommittee joined with the House 
Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security to hold a joint 
hearing titled ``Protecting Americans Identities: Examining 
Efforts to Limit the Use of Social Security Numbers.'' The 
hearing examined federal agencies' efforts to reduce their use 
of Social Security Numbers. The hearing explored the effects 
modernization of technology can have on agencies' ability to 
reduce their use, storage and transmission of Social Security 
Numbers. The hearing also examined the potential to develop 
unique federal identifiers that facilitate secure online 
transactions. The witnesses were Gregory C. Wilshusen, 
Director, Information Security Issues, Government 
Accountability Office; Marianna LaCanfora, Acting Deputy 
Commissioner, Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, 
Social Security Administration; David DeVries, Chief 
Information Officer, Office of Personnel Management; Karen 
Jackson, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services; and John Oswalt, Executive Director for 
Privacy, Office of Information and Technology, Department of 
Veterans Affairs.

Additional Oversight Activities Undertaken and Recommendations Made and 
        Actions Taken Thereon

    The Subcommittee on Information Technology held a hearing 
on October 24, 2017, titled ``Oversight of Federal Political 
Advertisement Laws and Regulations.'' The hearing examined the 
different regulations and laws that govern political 
advertisement disclaimers and disclosures. The hearing also 
highlighted the importance of free speech and First Amendment 
implications of attempting to regulate political speech. 
Members heard testimony and posed questions to the following 
witnesses: Allen Dickerson, Legal Director, Center for 
Competitive Politics; David Chavern, President and Chief 
Executive Officer, News Media Alliance; Jack N. Goodman, Owner, 
Law Offices of Jack N. Goodman; Randall Rothenberg, President 
and Chief Executive Officer, Interactive Advertising Bureau; 
and Ian Vandewalker, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center for 
Justice, Democracy Program.

                           NATIONAL SECURITY

Federal Law Enforcement

            Decisions Made and Not Made by the Department of Justice 
                    and Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2016 and 
                    2017
    On October 24, 2017, the Committees on Judiciary and 
Oversight launched a joint investigation into Department of 
Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 
decision-making in the context of 2016 Presidential election. 
The Committees interviewed DOJ and FBI personnel, held 
hearings, and reviewed thousands of documents related to 
potential irregularities related to the FBI investigations of 
former Secretary Hillary Clinton's private email server and 
presidential candidate Donald J. Trump's campaign associates.
    On December 19, 2017, and April 16, 2018, Chairmen 
Goodlatte and Gowdy sent letters to DOJ requesting key 
witnesses be made available for interviews. The Committees 
interviewed 18 individuals, including: former Attorney General 
Loretta Lynch, former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI 
Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI chief of staff James 
Rybicki, FBI assistant director for Counterintelligence 
Division Bill Priestap, former FBI executive assistant of the 
National Security Branch John Giacalone, former FBI deputy 
assistant director Peter Strzok, former FBI assistant general 
counsel Lisa Page, DOJ deputy assistant attorney general George 
Toscas, FBI deputy assistant director Jonathan Moffa, former 
associate deputy attorney general Bruce Ohr, former FBI 
principal deputy general counsel Trisha Anderson, assistant 
director in charge of FBI New York field office Bill Sweeney, 
former FBI General Counsel James Baker, Fusion GPS chief 
executive Glenn Simpson, former Fusion GPS contractor Nellie 
Ohr, FBI office of general counsel unit chief Sally Moyer, and 
former Donald J. Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos.
    The Committees reviewed unclassified and classified 
documents as part of their joint investigation, including over 
60,000 documents and approximately 40,000 text messages of FBI 
personnel. DOJ produced to the Committees 27,155 unclassified 
documents and a large quantity of classified documents.
    Separate from the Committees' investigation, on June 14, 
2018 the Inspector General for the Department of Justice, 
Michael Horowitz, published his review of FBI and DOJ actions 
in advance of the 2016 Presidential Election. Horowitz appeared 
before both Committees in a joint public hearing on June 19, 
2018, to testify to his findings. On July 12, 2018, former FBI 
agent Peter Strzok testified to both Committees at a joint 
public hearing after concerns over his potentially political 
biased text messages were discovered despite his involvement 
investigating matters related to both presidential candidates.
            Operation Fast & Furious
    The Committee has been investigating the Department of 
Justice's fundamentally flawed gun trafficking investigation 
since February 2011. Operation Fast and Furious relied on the 
tactic of ``gunwalking,'' where ATF agents abandoned 
surveillance on known straw purchasers who were obtaining 
weapons on behalf of Mexican drug cartels. Fast and Furious 
allowed roughly 2,000 firearms to walk. Only a fraction of 
those guns have been recovered. This reckless operation finally 
came to an end after the death of U.S. Border Agent Brian 
Terry. In 2012, the Committee issued a subpoena to then- 
Attorney General Eric Holder. On June 20, 2012, the Committee 
voted to refer Attorney General Holder to the full House for a 
contempt vote for failing to provide documents to Congress 
responsive to the subpoena. On June 28, 2012, the full House in 
a bipartisan vote held Attorney General Holder in civil and 
criminal contempt. The House filed suit in U.S. District Court 
in Washington, D.C. in August 2012, and litigated the matter 
through 2016, when the Judge found in favor of the Committee. 
The Court's reasoning, however, relied on the proposition that 
expanded the Executive's ability to invoke executive privilege 
for materials created at a department or agency. The Committee 
has appealed this decision to the United States Court of 
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On January 13, 
2017, after the election of 2016, which ushered in Republican 
control of the Executive Branch, the Committee and the Justice 
Department filed a motion with the court to hold the appeal in 
abeyance pending settlement. On March 7, 2018, after reaching a 
tentative settlement, the parties filed a motion in United 
States District Court for an indicative ruling requesting the 
relief of vacatur. On October 22, 2018, the Court denied this 
motion. The parties remain amenable to a settlement.
            United States Secret Service
    The Subcommittees on Government Operations and National 
Security worked together to continue exercising oversight in 
the form of hosting regular briefings, staff visits to USSS 
facilities, and drafting and passing legislation to provide 
temporary financial relief in the form of overtime pay for the 
operational personnel most impacted by the agency's management 
challenges.
            Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives
    The Committee conducted oversight over the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives specifically how it 
manages its confidential informants and income-generating 
operations. The Committee requested and received documents and 
briefings pursuant to its investigation. ATF has since changed 
its policy and no longer approves these income-generating 
operations.
            Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
    The Committee investigated the Federal Law Enforcement 
Training Center (FLETC), uncovering problems of mismanagement, 
questionable hiring practices, and inappropriate travel among 
the senior leadership. As part of its investigation, the 
Committee requested and reviewed documents, conducted 
transcribed interviews, and visited FLETC's headquarters in 
Glynco, Georgia.

National Security and Foreign Operations

            Embassy Construction and Security Investigation
    The Committee continued its oversight of how the Department 
of State (State) constructs and secures diplomatic facilities 
abroad. Much of the Committee's work focused on State's switch 
from standard embassy design, which stresses security and 
functionality, to a program named ``design excellence,'' which 
stresses openness and innovation. Under the current 
administration, State has shifted away from the so-called 
``design excellence'' program. As part of its oversight, the 
Committee visited embassies and consulates in Iraq, Kuwait, 
Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel. The State 
Department provided the Committee periodic briefings on the 
status of specific new embassy constructions sites and lessons 
learned from the ``design excellence'' program. Also, at the 
Committee's request, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
also conducted studies on State's embassy construction program 
and briefed the Committee on its findings.
            Iran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran 
                    Nuclear Agreement)
    The Subcommittee on National Security continued its 
oversight of U.S. policy toward Iran and the implementation of 
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The 
Subcommittee held a hearing on April 5, 2017, titled 
``Assessing the Iran Deal,'' in which the Subcommittee examined 
the JCPOA's fundamental flaws, weaknesses in the prior 
administration's enforcement of the agreement's provisions and 
implementation of Iran sanctions, and Iran's continued 
aggression in the face of the agreement. Following the United 
States' withdrawal from the JCPOA, the Subcommittee held a June 
6, 2018 titled, ``Protecting America from a Bad Deal: Ending 
U.S. Participation in the Nuclear Agreement with Iran.'' This 
hearing examined the reasons for U.S. withdrawal and discussed 
policy options for countering Iran's threat to the United 
States and its interests.
            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. The Subcommittee 
on National Security held a hearing on November 1, 2017, titled 
``Overview of 16 Years of U.S. Involvement in Afghanistan'' to 
explore the successes and challenges associated with rebuilding 
Afghanistan after sixteen years of involvement.

Homeland Security

            Transportation Security
    The Committee continued an investigation from the 114th 
Congress of mismanagement, employee misconduct, and retaliation 
at the Transportation Security Administration. Whistleblowers 
alleged, and the Committee found, senior TSA officials engaged 
in recurrent misconduct with minimal consequences. The 
Committee found TSA leadership inappropriately used involuntary 
directed reassignments to retaliate against disfavored 
employees and whistleblowers. Then TSA--under the direction of 
DHS' Office of General Counsel--withheld documents and 
information from Congress and the Office of Special Counsel. 
The Committee conducted transcribed interviews with current and 
former TSA officials, a deposition of the Deputy General 
Counsel, and fielded whistleblower complaints regarding the 
TSA. On September 25, 2018, the Committee released a staff 
report summarizing its findings. On September 26, 2018, the 
Committee held a hearing titled, ``Examining Misconduct and 
Retaliation at TSA.'' The goal of the hearing was to highlight 
the Committee's findings from its investigation, examine what 
actions TSA is taking to improve the disciplinary process and 
prevent retaliation, and seek a commitment from TSA to 
cooperate with the Committee's investigations. Administrator 
David Pekoske testified about the efforts he has taken since 
taking the lead at TSA and assured Congress he would ingest the 
findings of the report and assess any issues not already 
addressed.
            Border Security and Immigration
    The Committee continues to exercise oversight of U.S. 
immigration policy and border security. On April 27, 2017, the 
Committee held a hearing titled ``The Border Wall: 
Strengthening our National Security.'' The Committee aimed to 
identify the benefits of a border wall which would bolster the 
United States' national security, public safety and economic 
interests. The hearing also helped Members understand the cost 
estimates of a border wall and highlight other successful 
physical border security barriers, including walls in Israel 
and San Diego as a comparison. The witnesses testifying at the 
hearing included immigration and law enforcement experts, as 
well as victims and community organizers directly impacted by 
cross-border crime and violence.
    Additionally, on April 9, 2018, the Committee held a 
hearing titled ``A `Caravan' of Illegal Immigrants: A Test of 
U.S. Borders.'' The Committee explored the logistical, ethical, 
and legal challenges associated with masses of migrants 
arriving at the southwest border seeking asylum in the U.S. The 
Committee questioned what the Administration was or should have 
been doing differently to secure the border and maintain the 
integrity of the U.S. immigration system. The hearing 
highlighted the impact of surging asylum seekers on law 
enforcement and the U.S. immigration system, and examined what 
actions were needed to be taken by the Department of Homeland 
Security to prepare for large groups of asylum seekers to 
present themselves at the U.S. southwest border. The hearing 
also explored what U.S. authorities do to partner with Mexican 
law enforcement and immigration authorities to improve the 
situation going forward. Witnesses included representatives 
from the National Border Patrol Council, Texas Department of 
Public Safety, and subject matter experts on U.S. immigration 
policy.
    On May 16, 2018, the Committee held a roundtable titled 
``Fraud and Misuse of B-1 visas in lieu of H-1B visas.'' The 
Committee assembled members of the administration from all the 
stakeholder agencies in the visa process to learn about the 
exploitation of B-1 visas by U.S. employers; examine the roles 
and responsibilities of U.S. government agencies related to 
identifying, investigating, and mitigating B1 and H-1B visa 
fraud; explore current gaps in U.S. policy; and hear directly 
from stakeholders about potential solutions that may help 
strengthen their capabilities. The witnesses included: Morgan 
Parker, Acting Managing Director of the Visa Office, Bureau of 
Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Keith Sonderling, 
Senior Policy Advisor, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department 
of Labor Ron Thomas, Chief, Security and Fraud Office, Service 
Center Operations Directorate, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Lloyd Temple, 
Unit Chief, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; and 
Luis Mejia, Director, Enforcement Programs Division, U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security.
    As a part of its continued oversight efforts, Committee 
staff also traveled to San Ysidro, California, and McAllen, 
Texas, in November 2018 to inspect Border Patrol sites and meet 
with Border Patrol agents. The Committee staff also inspected 
border wall prototypes and received a tour of the border to 
learn about terrain challenges and creative ways the agents are 
using technology to assist in their efforts.

International Organizations and Initiatives

    The Committee conducted oversight of the United States 
Agency for International Development's (USAID) grant funding. 
After reports of USAID granting funds to organizations 
associated with terrorism, the Committee sent a letter 
September 18, 2018, requesting documentation from USAID and the 
Department of Treasury regarding those grants.
    The Committee continues to work with the United States 
Committee on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), 
following progress to protect the right to religious freedom 
worldwide. The Subcommittee on National Security held a hearing 
October 11, 2017, ``Review of the U.S. Government's Role in 
Protecting International Religious Freedom.'' Witnesses from 
the State Department, USCIRF, the Religious Freedom Institute, 
and Human Rights First testified on religious freedom as a 
national security issue and the Department of State's adherence 
to The Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act. On 
December 14, 2017, the Committee sent a letter to Secretary of 
State Rex Tillerson requesting documents indicating the 
Department's efforts to comply with the Frank Wolf Act. The 
Committee continues to communicate with the U.S. Commission on 
International Religious Freedom and the State Department 
regarding efforts to advance religious freedom overseas, and 
will monitor the outcomes and next steps associated with the 
first International Religious Freedom Ministerial held July 24-
26, 2018.

Terrorism

    The National Security Subcommittee continued to exercise 
its oversight of U.S. efforts to counter violent extremism. On 
July 27, 2017, the Subcommittee on National Security held a 
hearing titled, ``Combating Homegrown Extremism.''' At this 
hearing, the Committee heard from private sector witnesses with 
expertise on community engagement strategies employed to combat 
violent extremism, and a government official with knowledge of 
the Department of Homeland Security's plan to distribute $10 
million in CVE grant funding to community outreach 
organizations. The Subcommittee also held a hearing on January 
17, 2018 to explore the U.S. military endeavors to counter 
radical Islamism in a hearing titled, ``Battlefield Successes 
and Challenges--Recent Efforts to Win the War against ISIS.''
    The Committee conducted oversight over the U.S. 
Government's response to terrorist threats. A July 11, 2018, 
National Security Subcommittee hearing titled, ``The Muslim 
Brotherhood's Global Threat'' examined the Muslim Brotherhood's 
threat to the United States and its interests throughout the 
world and potential U.S. responses including terrorist 
designations.
    The Committee investigated allegations the Obama 
Administration undermined law enforcement actions against the 
terrorist group Hezbollah. After the Committee began its 
investigation, the Department of Justice announced the creation 
of the Hezbollah Financing and Narcoterrorism Team to pursue 
Hezbollah's transnational criminal operations, including a 
reexamination of the cases at issue. The Committee also 
investigated USAID's issuance of a $200,000 sub-award to the 
Sudan-based Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA), a designated 
terrorist entity with a history of providing financial support 
to Osama bin Laden and Palestinian terrorist organizations 
including Hamas.

Criminal Justice Reform

    The Committee conducted oversight of the Bureau of Prisons 
(BOP) through hearings and inquiries exploring matters of 
mismanagement, misconduct, and ineffective use of resources. 
Two Committee hearings addressed criminal justice reform 
policies that would provide more support to inmates reentering 
society and thus reduce recidivism. A two-panel hearing June 
28, 2017, ``Criminal Justice Reform and Efforts to Reduce 
Recidivism,'' allowed Members to question Senators, policy 
experts, South Carolina's Department of Corrections director, 
and a former district judge regarding their experience and 
recommendations. This first hearing also addressed the subject 
of a May 10, 2017, letter from then-Chairman Chaffetz 
requesting documents about a BOP facility's handling of inmate 
misconduct. The Committee hearing on December 13, 2017, 
entitled ``Oversight of the Bureau of Prisons and Inmate 
Reentry,'' provided Committee members the opportunity to 
question new BOP Director Mark Inch, Inspector General Michael 
Horowitz, the GAO, and policy experts. This second hearing 
focused on BOP's policies and procedures for inmate reentry 
programs.
    The Committee's investigation into employee misconduct 
involved conversations with over a dozen whistleblower BOP 
employees, three letters to BOP requesting documents and 
briefings, four briefings with Department of Justice and BOP 
regarding procedure and policy, and a hearing November 28, 
2018. The Committee's November hearing provided a venue for 
Members to hear from the Department's Inspector General 
regarding findings that BOP needed to improve its management of 
female inmates while also giving BOP the opportunity to respond 
to other questions of mismanagement uncovered during the course 
of the Committee's investigation.

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