[House Report 117-17]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 5
117th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Report 117-17
AUTHORIZATION AND OVERSIGHT PLANS
FOR ALL
HOUSE COMMITTEES
__________
BY THE
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT
AND REFORM
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(Required by House Rule X, Clause 2)
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
April 15, 2021.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
44-228 WASHINGTON : 2021
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM
CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York, Chairwoman
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, JAMES COMER, Kentucky,
District of Columbia Ranking Minority Member
STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts JIM JORDAN, Ohio
JIM COOPER, Tennessee PAUL A. GOSAR, Arizona
GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina
RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI, Illinois JODY B. HICE, Georgia
JAMIE RASKIN, Maryland GLENN GROTHMAN, Wisconsin
RO KHANNA, California MICHAEL CLOUD, Texas
KWEISI MFUME, Maryland BOB GIBBS, Ohio
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO CORTEZ, New York CLAY HIGGINS, Louisiana
RASHIDA TLAIB, Michigan RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina
KATIE PORTER, California PETE SESSIONS, Texas
CORI BUSH, Missouri FRED KELLER, Pennsylvania
DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois ANDY BIGGS, Arizona
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Florida ANDREW CLYDE, Georgia
PETER WELCH, Vermont NANCY MACE, South Carolina
HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, Jr., SCOTT FRANKLIN, Florida
Georgia JAKE LATURNER, Kansas
JOHN P. SARBANES, Maryland PAT FALLON, Texas
JACKIE SPEIER, California YVETTE HERRELL, New Mexico
ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois BYRON DONALDS, Florida
BRENDA L. LAWRENCE, Michigan
MARK DeSAULNIER, California
JIMMY GOMEZ, California
AYANNA PRESSLEY, Massachusetts
MIKE QUIGLEY, Illinois
Dave Rapallo, Staff Director
Jason Powell, General Counsel
Lisa Lanier, Chief Clerk and Director of Operations
Mark Marin, Minority Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Agriculture...................................................... 13
Armed Services................................................... 21
Budget........................................................... 51
Education and Labor.............................................. 59
Energy and Commerce.............................................. 71
Financial Services............................................... 85
Foreign Affairs.................................................. 109
Homeland Security................................................ 121
House Administration............................................. 131
Judiciary........................................................ 151
Natural Resources................................................ 163
Oversight and Reform............................................. 195
Science, Space, and Technology................................... 215
Small Business................................................... 225
Transportation and Infrastructure................................ 235
Veterans' Affairs................................................ 263
Ways and Means................................................... 283
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
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House of Representatives,
Washington, DC, April 15, 2021.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Speaker: In accordance with to Rule X (2) of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, I respectfully submit
the oversight plans of each specified standing committee
together with recommendations to ensure the most effective
coordination of such plans and otherwise achieve the objectives
of the House Rules.
Carolyn B. Maloney,
Chairwoman.
Union Calendar No. 5
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 117-17
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OVERSIGHT PLANS FOR ALL HOUSE COMMITTEES WITH ACCOMPANYING
RECOMMENDATIONS
_______
April 15, 2021.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Ms. Carolyn B. Maloney, from the Committee on Oversight and Reform,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
OVERSIGHT IN THE 117TH CONGRESS
RECOMMENDATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM
I. OVERVIEW
Conducting oversight is a core responsibility of Congress
under the Constitution. It is through the oversight function
that Congress performs its role as a check on abuses by the
other branches of government. Oversight is also critical to
Congress's legislative function. It is Congress's
responsibility to utilize the oversight process to review,
monitor, and supervise the implementation of public policy to
ensure the effective and efficient operation of the nation's
laws, as well as to recommend improvements to those laws.
As the Supreme Court recognized more than 60 years ago in
Watkins v. United States:
The power of the Congress to conduct investigations
is inherent in the legislative process. That power is
broad. It encompasses inquiries concerning the
administration of existing laws as well as proposed or
possibly needed statutes. It includes surveys of
defects in our social, economic or political system for
the purpose of enabling Congress to remedy them.\1\
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\1\Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178, 187 (1957).
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The Supreme Court recently reaffirmed the importance of
Congress's investigatory power in Trump v. Mazars stating,
``Without information, Congress would be shooting in the dark,
unable to legislate `wisely or effectively.'''\2\ In its
decision in Mazars, the Supreme Court cited Watkins and
affirmed that Congress's investigatory powers are indeed
```broad' and `indispensable.'''\3\
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\2\Trump v. Mazars USA, LLP, 140 S. Ct. 2019, 2034 (2020).
\3\Id.
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It is by conducting oversight that the 117th Congress will
identify ways to lower health care costs for the American
people, increase wages for working families, and fix the
nation's crumbling roads, bridges, and infrastructure.
It is by conducting oversight that Congress will ensure
that taxpayer funds go to the programs and services for which
they are intended. In fiscal year 2020, the federal government
made $6.6 trillion in outlays to fund operations and
programs.\4\ Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight
to ensure that those funds are protected from waste, fraud, and
abuse.
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\4\Government Accountability Office, GAO's 2021 High-Risk Series:
Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-
Risk Areas (GAO-21-119SP) (Mar. 2, 2021).
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Oversight will also enable Congress to root out government
corruption, strengthen democracy by countering threats to
voting rights and election security, and provide transparency
to improve ethics laws and ensure that government officials are
working in the public's interest.
Congressional oversight makes a tangible impact. For
example, nine investigations conducted by the Committee on
Oversight and Reform in the 116th Congress saved American
taxpayers nearly $5.8 billion. While the Committee on Oversight
and Reform is the principal oversight committee of the House of
Representatives, the various standing House committees each
play an important role in conducting oversight on matters
within their respective jurisdictions.
House Rule X, Clause 2, recognizes Congress's critical
oversight duties by establishing a process whereby each
standing committee is required to adopt an oversight plan at
the beginning of a new Congress. Under this rule, the Committee
on Oversight and Reform is to review the various plans and, in
consultation with the Speaker, the Majority Leader, and the
Minority Leader, report to the House the oversight plans along
with any recommendations that the House leadership and the
Committee may have to ensure effective coordination. Pursuant
to this rule, the Committee on Oversight and Reform has
reviewed and consulted with House leadership about the
oversight plans of the standing House committees for the 117th
Congress. These plans outline a thoughtful and thorough
approach for carrying out Congress's oversight
responsibilities. The oversight agendas of the various House
committees address a broad array of priorities focused on
developing policy solutions for working families.
The Oversight Committee makes the following recommendations
regarding coordination of oversight in the House of
Representatives.
The Committee recommends that all committees draw on the
wide variety of available oversight resources in their ongoing
efforts to evaluate oversight needs and priorities. The
Government Accountability Office (GAO), in particular, has vast
experience both in conducting and evaluating the need for
oversight. On March 2, 2021, GAO issued its biennial ``High-
Risk Report,'' which identifies government programs that are
particularly vulnerable to waste, fraud, or abuse.\5\ Since its
first iteration in 1990, the High Risk Report ``has focused
attention on government operations with greater vulnerabilities
to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or that are in need
of transformation to address economy, efficiency, or
effectiveness challenges.''\6\ GAO has determined that
addressing high-risk issues highlighted by its work has saved
the federal government nearly $575 billion since 2006.\7\
Approximately $225 billion in savings were achieved just in the
last two years.\8\
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\5\Id.
\6\Id.
\7\Committee on Oversight and Reform, Hearing on the 2021 GAO High-
Risk List: Blueprint for a Safer, Stronger, More Effective America
(Mar. 2, 2021).
\8\Id.
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Agency inspectors general are another valuable resource for
congressional oversight, and can provide guidance to Congress
through their audit plans, investigations, and individual
counsel. According to the Council of the Inspectors General on
Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE):
In FY 2019, approximately thirteen-thousand employees
at seventy-three OIG [Office of Inspector General]
conducted audits, inspections, evaluations, and
investigations . . . result[ing] in significant
improvements to the economy and efficiency of programs
governmentwide, with potential savings totaling
approximately $40.8 billion. CIGIE further reported:
``The potential savings total includes: $29.2 billion
in potential savings from audit recommendations, and
$11.6 billion from investigative receivables and
recoveries.''\9\
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\9\Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency,
Annual Report to the President and Congress (Fiscal Year 2019) (online
at www.ignet.gov/sites/default/files/files/
FY19_Annual_Report_to_the_President_and_Congress.pdf).
Finally, the task of ensuring accountability and
appropriate policies on complex issues often requires the
participation of multiple committees. Based on their respective
jurisdictions and experience, different committees can lend
varying types of expertise to the evaluation of a given matter.
The oversight plans submitted by the standing committees for
the 117th Congress recognize that a number of key issues demand
scrutiny by several different committees. With respect to these
issues, committees and subcommittees should coordinate to
ensure that they share the benefits of their findings and
unique expertise. When appropriate, committees should also
consult the Committee on House Administration and Committee on
Ethics if any questions arise regarding appropriate use of
House resources and the standards of conduct applicable to
members and staff.
Part II below contains examples of important areas
identified by committees for which these recommendations may be
instructive.
II. EXAMPLES OF KEY OVERSIGHT AREAS
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
The recent outbreak and global spread of the coronavirus
necessitated extraordinary measures to respond to the crisis.
To date, tens of millions of Americans have been infected, and
more than half a million have succumbed to the virus. The
impact of the pandemic has been wide-ranging and devastating.
The broad impact of and response to the crisis require broad
oversight to be coordinated among House committees.
In April 2020, the House established the Select
Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, a subcommittee within
the Committee on Oversight on Reform, to ``conduct a full and
complete investigation'' of ``the use of taxpayer funds and
relief programs to address the coronavirus crisis,''
``preparedness for and response to the coronavirus crisis,''
``the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis,'' and other
issues related to the pandemic.\10\ The Select Subcommittee was
reauthorized in the 117th Congress to continue its robust
oversight and ensure the nation's ongoing response to the
pandemic is effective, efficient, and equitable. The Select
Subcommittee will continue to conduct oversight to detect and
root out waste, fraud, and abuse in pandemic-related relief
programs, contracts, and loans. The Select Subcommittee will
also conduct investigations on topics such as political
interference with the pandemic response, the development and
distribution of coronavirus vaccines, the acquisition and
distribution of critical supplies, the impact of the pandemic
on nursing homes and residents, and the implementation and
efficacy of federal programs aimed at addressing the economic
and financial impacts of the coronavirus crisis.
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\10\H. Res. 935, 116th Cong. (2020); H. Res. 8, sec. 4(f), 117th
Cong. (2021).
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In consultation with the Select Subcommittee, the full
Committee on Oversight and Reform will examine the
effectiveness and equity of our national response to the
coronavirus pandemic and ensure the appropriate expenditure of
taxpayer funds. The full Committee will also examine whether
federal resources are being used to promote transparency into
the pandemic's disproportionate impact on marginalized
populations--including people with disabilities--and to
prioritize science in policymaking in order to better prepare
our country to confront future pandemics.
The Committee on Agriculture plans to monitor the impacts
of the coronavirus pandemic on rural communities, farmers,
ranchers, food and farmworkers, agriculture and food supply
chains, zoonotic surveillance, and domestic and international
hunger. The Committee will review federal food assistance
programs to ensure efforts are equitable across sectors and
will examine support for socially disadvantaged producers.
The Committee on Budget will examine budgetary measures
related to rescuing an economy damaged by the coronavirus
pandemic. In so doing, the Committee will evaluate the effects
of the pandemic and the associated government response across
the various sectors of the U.S. economy.
The Committee on Education and Labor plans to conduct
oversight of efforts to ensure that students, teachers,
workers, and their families are adequately protected during the
coronavirus pandemic. As part of this work, the Committee will
assess the effectiveness of federal agencies' coronavirus
pandemic policies at high-risk worksites. Additionally, the
Committee will monitor the administration of child nutrition
programs during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Committee on Energy and Commerce will review
pharmaceutical manufacturers' efforts to develop and produce
coronavirus vaccines, as well as the federal government's role
in supporting those efforts and ensuring equitable distribution
of the vaccines. The Committee will also continue to examine
issues related to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) producing and disseminating reliable public
health data and information, and efforts by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to review, authorize, and approve drugs,
vaccines, and devices in the fight against the coronavirus
pandemic.
The Committee on Financial Services plans to conduct
oversight of housing protections and relief programs
established during the coronavirus pandemic in order to ensure
proper implementation, compliance with fair housing and fair
lending laws, and equitable treatment of the hardest-hit
communities. The Committee will review the effectiveness of
eviction and foreclosure moratoria and mortgage forbearance in
keeping people safely housed and will examine how consumers
have been affected by the pandemic.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs plans to examine the
ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic on broader global
health efforts. The Committee will conduct oversight on global
health security efforts, including infectious disease
surveillance and control and strengthening of health care
systems.
The Committee on Homeland Security will conduct oversight
of the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The Committee will
focus on monitoring FEMA's work with the CDC and other federal
agencies to coordinate with state, local, tribal, and
territorial entities and the private sector to assist with
coronavirus vaccine distribution.
The Committee on Natural Resources will examine the impact
of the coronavirus pandemic on Indigenous Peoples. The
Committee will conduct oversight of the Indian Health Service's
coronavirus pandemic response and will review its ability to
maintain the health and well-being of tribal communities during
the pandemic. The Committee will also conduct oversight
activities to ensure tribes and insular areas receive the
resources needed to address the coronavirus pandemic and other
emergencies.
The Committee on Science, Space and Technology plans to
examine how scientific integrity failures may have contributed
to the coronavirus pandemic's severity in the United States and
will evaluate strategies for addressing future outbreaks of
infectious disease. The Committee will also examine how the
vast societal and economic changes forced by the coronavirus
pandemic have temporarily affected global environmental air
quality and consider implications for environmental management
strategies going forward.
The Committee on Small Business plans to monitor the Small
Business Administration's (SBA) spending and efforts related to
the coronavirus pandemic response and fully account for
coronavirus pandemic-related appropriations. The Committee will
conduct oversight of programs to provide emergency stimulative
capital to small businesses, including programs designed to
provide small businesses access to federal coronavirus pandemic
support resources.
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure plans to
continue to review the unique impact of the coronavirus
pandemic on the U.S. aviation industry and will conduct
oversight of the implementation of relief programs for
airlines, airports, and other aviation stakeholders. The
Committee will examine the effect of the coronavirus pandemic
on surface transportation networks, including Amtrak. In
addition, because the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way
federal workers utilize real property, the Committee will
examine changes the coronavirus pandemic will have on federal
workspace.
The Committee on Veterans Affairs plans to conduct
oversight of efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
to address the delays in medical disability exams and the
backlog of claims resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The
Committee will also examine the Veterans Health
Administration's response to the pandemic, the long-term health
of veterans who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and potential
ongoing impacts of delays in care, and mental strain due to the
increased stress and isolation caused by the coronavirus
pandemic.
The Committee on Ways and Means plans to conduct oversight
of the implementation of tax provisions designed to address the
impact of the coronavirus pandemic and will review the nation's
unemployment compensation benefits and financing systems,
including the temporary programs enacted during the coronavirus
pandemic. The Committee also plans to conduct oversight on the
effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the Social Security
Administration's services.
The Committee on Armed Services will review the Department
of Defense's (DOD) role in the fight against the coronavirus
pandemic. The Committee also plans to conduct oversight of
DOD's science and technology investments in countermeasures to
adversary capabilities and emerging threats, such as infectious
diseases and biotechnologies.
The Committee on House Administration will oversee
collaboration among House Officers and other Legislative Branch
entities with respect to the House of Representatives' response
to the coronavirus pandemic. The Committee plans to oversee
legislative process adjustments necessitated by the coronavirus
pandemic and will also review other issues related to the
coronavirus pandemic, such as member, congressional staff, and
U.S. Capitol Police Department testing and vaccination.
HEALTH CARE
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the longstanding
need for Americans to have equitable access to affordable
health care. The nation's health care system continues to be
one of the most expensive in the world. In particular,
prescription drug prices continue to impose tremendous burdens
on patients, taxpayers, and the entire health care system.
While more than 20 million Americans gained health care
coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid
expansion, millions of Americans still lack coverage.\11\ The
Biden Administration has taken several initial actions to make
health care coverage available for millions of additional
people, lower premiums, and address racial heath inequities.
Legislation has been introduced in the House to further address
these issues. House committees will continue to conduct
coordinated oversight aimed at lowering health care costs,
ensuring access to care, and reducing health disparities.
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\11\Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Chart Book:
Accomplishments of Affordable Care Act (Mar. 19, 2019) (online at
www.cbpp.org/research/health/chart-book-accomplishments-of-affordable-
care-act).
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The Committee on Energy and Commerce plans to examine the
availability, affordability, and quality of health care,
including the implementation of the ACA and the Medicaid
program; the roles of the National Institutes of Health and FDA
in the discovery, development, and delivery of innovative
medications; and initiatives to address high prescription drug
prices and other medical costs. The Committee will also examine
efforts to address the opioid epidemic and the health impacts
caused by gun violence in our communities. In addition, the
Committee will investigate racial disparities in maternal and
infant mortality as well as the appropriate collection of
demographic data related to health and health care.
The Committee on Ways and Means will conduct oversight of
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the
administration of the Medicare program. The Committee will
continue to examine the implementation of the ACA and review
issues related to private health coverage, including surprise
billing and prescription drug prices. The Committee will also
conduct oversight of the quality of care delivered to nursing
home patients.
The Committee on Armed Services will conduct reviews of
military health policies, including TRICARE benefits, wounded
warrior programs, and policies to address opioid use. The
Committee will also conduct oversight of the ongoing reform
efforts at military treatment facilities.
The Committee on Veterans' Affairs will work to improve
health care provided to veterans by conducting oversight of the
Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts to develop Community
Care Networks, improve mental health and suicide-prevention
efforts, reduce health inequities among veterans, monitor the
expansion of the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family
Caregivers, and review proposed measures concerning veterans'
access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs will conduct oversight on
global health security efforts and examine the impacts of the
Trump Administration's reimposition of the Global Gag Rule and
elimination of funding to the United Nations Population Fund on
women's health services and access to reproductive health. The
Committee will also examine the progress of global HIV/AIDS-
epidemic initiatives, global malnutrition elimination, support
for maternal and child health, and U.S. engagement with the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
The Committee on Education and Labor will investigate
inequities that prevent individuals and communities from
accessing needed health care and prescription drugs. The
Committee on Agriculture plans to review access to health and
mental health services in rural areas and examine the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's and the Emergency
Food Assistance Program's ability to respond to a public health
emergency. The Committee on Financial Services will examine
health hazards in the nation's public housing system. The
Committee on Natural Resources will examine health disparities
among Indigenous Peoples and the ongoing operation of the
Indian Health Service. The Committee on Small Business will
examine the cost and availability of health insurance to small
businesses and their employees, along with ways to improve the
provision of health care while reducing costs to small
businesses that offer their workers health insurance.
Finally, the Committee on Oversight and Reform will
investigate the actions of drug companies in raising
prescription drug prices in the United States and limiting
competition and will conduct oversight to ensure the
effectiveness of federal actions to lower drug prices. The
Committee will also continue to examine the origins of the
opioid crisis and the need for expanded access to treatment and
support services for those with opioid and other substance-use
disorders.\12\ The Committee will examine systemic
discrimination in health care settings, health inequities, and
other barriers that prevent marginalized populations from
accessing high-quality, nondiscriminatory medical care in the
United States.
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\12\Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Overdose Deaths
Accelerating During Covid-19 (Dec. 17, 2020) (online at www.cdc.gov/
media/releases/2020/p1218-overdose-deaths-covid-19.html); Kaiser Family
Foundation, The Implications of Covid-19 for Mental Health and
Substance Use (Feb. 10, 2021) (online at www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-
19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-
substance-use/).
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ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the
mismanagement and policies of the Trump Administration, the
United States is in the midst of an economic crisis. More than
18 million Americans are receiving unemployment benefits, and
it is estimated that as many as 40 million Americans cannot
afford to pay rent and fear eviction.\13\ Nearly 23 million
Americans, including as many as 11 million children, are living
in households experiencing food insecurity.\14\ Over 2.3
million women have been forced to leave the workforce entirely,
including nearly 1 million mothers, and many minority
businesses have teetered on the brink of closure.\15\
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\13\Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims (Apr.
8 2021) (online at www.dol.gov/ui/data.pdf); National Low-Income
Housing Coalition, Press Release: 30-40 Million People in America Could
Be Evicted from Their Homes by the End of 2020 (Aug. 7, 2020) (online
at nlihc.org/news/30-40-million-people-america-could-be-evicted-their-
homes-end-2020).
\14\Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, New Data: Millions
Struggling to Eat and Pay Rent (Sept. 23, 2020) (online at
www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/new-data-millions-
struggling-to-eat-and-pay-rent).
\15\National Women's Law Center, Another 275,000 Women Left the
Labor Force in January (Feb. 5, 2021) (online at nwlc.org/resources/
january-jobs-day-2021/); A Million American Mothers Are out of Work,
Axios (Feb. 10, 2021) (online at www.axios.com/mothers-out-of-work-
pandemic-692c26d2-009e-4534-9162-0862ae269499.html); Few Minority-Owned
Businesses Got Relief Loans They Asked for, New York Times (May 18,
2020) (online at www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/business/minority-
businesses-coronavirus-loans.html).
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During the 117th Congress, House committees will examine
ways to promote economic recovery, jobs, higher wages, and
prosperity; review investments in infrastructure and innovation
industries; and respond to challenges faced by workers seeking
to collectively negotiate strong protections in the workplace.
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure plans to
examine infrastructure investments to bring the nation's
crumbling transportation infrastructure to a state of good
repair while examining new technologies and innovative mobility
solutions to move people and goods more safely and efficiently.
The Committee will also monitor the status and solvency of the
Highway Trust Fund and its ability to fund currently authorized
programs and meet future surface-transportation investment
needs. In addition, the Committee will examine the need for
continued investment in U.S. water-related infrastructure that:
(1) prioritizes the creation of American jobs and the
utilization of American-made products, (2) supports a healthy
and sustainable economy and environment, and (3) protects
public health and safety.
The Committee on Financial Services plans to evaluate
methods to expand equitable access to the traditional financial
services system, including methods to broaden homeownership,
increase wages, promote employment within high-growth
industries, and encourage savings (including retirement
savings) and investments. The Committee will also evaluate
consumer financial laws to ensure that they are meeting the
evolving needs of the American people and that they reduce the
disparities in opportunity that persist across different
segments of our society.
The Committee on Education and Labor plans to conduct
oversight of Department of Labor programs, policies, and
enforcement practices and their impact on our nation's workers.
The Committee will examine the costs and consequences to
workers, retirees, businesses, and communities, as well as to
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, if Congress does not
address the multiemployer pension crisis. Through its
oversight, the Committee will ensure that community-support
programs and federal funding targeted to improving equity for
vulnerable populations achieve the stated goals.
The Committee on Small Business plans to investigate
policies to encourage more participation in the labor market
through initiatives that can be offered by small businesses,
such as paid sick and parental leave. The Committee will
monitor the effectiveness of capital access programs to
generate jobs in small and underserved businesses, investigate
whether lenders are meeting their goals to lend to small
businesses and create jobs, and examine methods to enhance
equity financing to meet the needs of small-business borrowers.
The Committee will also review federal actions to assist
employers in workforce training, analyze ways to meet the
growing need for more skilled workers, and study the
effectiveness of efforts to encourage more underserved workers
to enter fields where skilled labor is needed.
The Committee on Ways and Means will examine ways within
its jurisdiction to encourage robust investment in American
infrastructure directed at modernizing how Americans travel and
how the American economy grows, and at creating good jobs and
meaningful economic development at the local, state, and
federal levels. The Committee will also conduct oversight of
the impact of trade on U.S. jobs, wages, communities, and
economic growth or displacement, with particular attention to
whether trade has a disparate impact on underprivileged groups.
The Committee also plans to conduct oversight of, and promote,
Administration efforts to enforce provisions relating to tariff
and non-tariff barriers to U.S. manufacturing, and will assess
the need to increase U.S. manufacturing exports that also
promote jobs and economic opportunities for diverse and
multiracial communities.
The Committee on Energy and Commerce will focus attention
on the transition to a clean energy economy, the impact on
traditional energy employment, and the increased need for a
skilled workforce in the growing areas of renewable energy,
energy efficiency, and storage. The Committee will continue its
ongoing examination of diversity in the energy workforce and
pathways to ensure underrepresented groups and veterans are
able to obtain employment and benefit from the transition to a
clean-energy economy.
The Committee on Oversight and Reform plans to focus on
remedying the impacts of the Trump Administration's repeated
attacks on the federal workforce and collective bargaining. The
Committee will examine the effects of the Trump
Administration's efforts to weaken the federal civil service
and will work to revitalize the federal workforce. The
Committee will also examine the impact of federal agency
vacancies at all levels, staffing reductions, and diversity and
inclusion in the federal workforce.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The standing committees of the House will conduct oversight
on ways to protect the environment and address the generational
crisis posed by climate change. On January 9, 2019, the House
made oversight of these issues a priority when, through House
Resolution 6, the House authorized the establishment of a
Select Committee on the Climate Crisis with investigative
jurisdiction to ``study, make findings, and develop
recommendations on policies, strategies, and innovations to
achieve substantial and permanent reductions in pollution and
other activities that contribute to the climate crisis.''\16\
On January 4, 2021, the House reauthorized the Select
Committeefor the 117th Congress through House Resolution 8.\17\
The standing committees of the House will continue to conduct
robust oversight to augment the work of the Select Committee.
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\16\H. Res. 6 116th Cong. (2019).
\17\H. Res. 8.
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The Committee on Energy and Commerce intends to focus on
the economic, environmental, and health effects of climate
change, including the disproportionate impacts on low-income
communities and other historically overburdened populations.
The Committee will review actions needed to meet the United
States' obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement and
examine the climate impacts of federal regulatory efforts and
programs. The Committee plans to examine activities and
policies to protect and improve the nation's air quality and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Committee will also assess
efforts to ensure states and local communities have the
resources needed to prepare for and respond to severe weather
events and natural disasters.
The Committee on Natural Resources will review the ongoing
effects of climate change on tribal communities, incorporate
environmental justice strategies, discuss the adaption of
strategies employed in those communities, and address any unmet
needs. The Committee plans to continue to focus on
understanding the impacts of climate change on public lands and
ensuring that public lands serve as a key part of the climate
solution. The Committee will examine strategies to aid local
communities that will need to transition away from economic
dependence on fossil fuel extraction.
The Committee on Science, Space and Technology plans to
aggressively track emerging issues and scientific studies
regarding global warming and climate science. The Committee
will also examine issues surrounding extreme weather events,
including the science behind these hazards and how climate
change has increased the frequency and severity of these
events, improvements to forecasting and warning, and proposed
methods to reduce their impact.
The Committee on Agriculture will review the role of
America's farmers, ranchers, and foresters in mitigating
climate change, including small-scale, limited-resource, and
socially disadvantaged producers. The Committee will also
review the Department of Agriculture's role in providing cost-
share funding, incentives, research, technical expertise, and
other tools related to climate change adaptation and
mitigation.
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will
examine the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the U.S.
transportation system and review how transitioning to a more
sustainable surface transportation system may bring the
opportunity for new U.S. job bases and a more competitive
position in the global economy. The Committee will examine
means of reducing the impacts of carbon pollution from the
transportation sector and building stronger, more resilient,
and adaptive transportation networks. The Committee will also
seek opportunities to address potential inequities in
communities that may be disproportionately affected by the
effects of climate change.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs plans to examine the
effectiveness of U.S. policy on climate change, including the
impact of the Trump Administration's withdrawal from the Paris
Climate Accord on our diplomatic relations, our development
assistance, and multilateral engagement. The Committee will
explore the impacts of climate change on national security, its
contributions to displacement and social unrest across the
globe, and how to advance a path toward climate stabilization.
The Committee will consider the evolution of the global energy
landscape, emphasize good governance of existing resources, and
work to assure energy security for the United States and our
allies. The Committee on Ways and Means will conduct oversight
of efforts to address the impact of climate change through the
use of trade tools.
The Committee on Oversight and Reform will continue to
examine government and private sector policies and actions
related to the environment, natural resources, and public
health. In particular, the Committee will review how current
policies and actions affect marginalized communities, which
often lack public health infrastructure and bear the brunt of
the consequences of climate change, including the social and
environmental determinants of health. The Committee will focus
on job creation in the transition to clean energy and a green
economy, environmental justice, and the harmful effects of
disinformation in the fight against climate change.
III. CONCLUSION
The oversight plans submitted by the standing House
committees together form a coherent blueprint for Congress's
efforts to address issues of concern to working families across
the country. The Committee on Oversight and Reform will
continue to work with the other House committees and House
leadership throughout the 117th Congress to promote effective
congressional oversight. The oversight plans of all House
committees follow.
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
TO: The Honorable Carolyn Maloney, Chairwoman, House Committee on
Oversight and Reform, The Honorable Zoe Lofgren, Chairperson,
Committee on House Administration
FROM: The Honorable David Scott, Chairman, House Committee on
Agriculture
DATE: March 1, 2021
SUBJECT: Oversight Plan for the House Committee on Agriculture for the
117th Congress
This oversight plan is filed pursuant to Rule X, clause
2(d)(1) of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives for
the 117th Congress. This plan was prepared in consultation with
the Ranking Member and was presented to the Members of the
Committee, with proper notice, for their consideration.
While much of the work in the 117th Congress will focus on
continued recovery from impacts related to the COVID-19
pandemic, the Committee and its subcommittees expect to
exercise appropriate oversight activity regarding the issues
listed below, as well as to begin consideration and formulation
of the 2023 Farm Bill. The Committee will also have a general
focus on the condition of rural communities; the farm economy,
including ways to support equity for minority and socially
disadvantaged producers; food security; and food and
agriculture supply chain resilience. The Committee will also
conduct any other general oversight as necessary. The Committee
will consult, as appropriate, with other committees of the
House that may share subject matter interest.
117TH CONGRESS
OVERSIGHT PLAN
The Committee expects to exercise appropriate oversight
activity regarding the following issues:
General
Review rulemakings, guidance, and other actions
under the jurisdiction of the Committee taken by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission, the Farm Credit Administration, the U.S. Agency for
International Development, and the Environmental Protection
Agency, and any other applicable Federal agency or Department,
for consistency and compliance with applicable laws and
Congressional intent, generally and specifically with regard
to:
Animal Health and Welfare
Review U.S. animal health threats and prevention
and response capabilities, including animal traceability;
Review USDA's authorities and functions under the
Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act; and
Monitor strategies and opportunities to reduce and
resolve livestock predation and conflicts between wildlife and
people, including feral hogs.
Biotechnology
Review USDA's efforts to develop and promote the
benefits of biotechnology for combatting climate change,
increasing agricultural productivity, and combating hunger
globally;
Review the regulatory process for gene-edited
plants and animals, including the SECURE rule; and
Review USDA's implementation of biotechnology
labeling standards.
Climate
Review the role of America's farmers, ranchers,
and foresters in mitigating climate change, including small-
scale, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers;
and
Review USDA's role in providing cost-share
funding, incentives, research, technical expertise, and other
tools related to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Commodity Exchanges
Review the general operations of the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to provide a reauthorization
of the Commission;
Review enforcement and oversight policies and
their implementation by the CFTC;
Review rulemakings, guidance, and other actions
taken by the Commission and its staff for consistency and
compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act and Congressional
intent;
Review the impact of emerging commodity markets
and financial technologies and examine the authority of the
Commission to deter fraud and manipulation, promote market
integrity, and protect investors in digital commodity
derivatives and at organized digital commodity trading
platforms;
Review the impact of COVID-19 on derivatives
markets;
Review international treatment of the U.S.
derivatives industry, including market participants and
infrastructure;
Review the impacts of increased coordinated market
participation of retail traders; and
Review the existing and potential market risk in
derivatives markets posed by climate change.
Conservation and Forestry
Review the effectiveness of Farm Bill conservation
programs in addressing wildlife habitat, water quality/
quantity, and promoting soil health;
Review the interaction between conservation
practices and risk management;
Review USDA's realignment that resulted in the
Farm Production and Conservation mission area, including its
impact on programs, customers, and staff;
Review actual and planned staffing levels, trends,
and plans for the Natural Resources and Conservation Service,
Farm Service Agency, and U.S. Forest Service (USFS);
Review USDA policies and programs related to the
outdoor recreation economy;
Review current USFS management and workforce
challenges;
Review USFS's strategy related to wildfire,
including firefighter pay and retention; use and impact of
various hiring authorities to supplement permanent workforce;
fire preparedness; and, use of authorities, agreements,
partnerships, and technology;
Review impact of USFS budget modernization efforts
on staffing and program delivery, including actual and planned
staffing and resource needs;
Review USFS forest management, forest health, work
to combat invasive species, and work to support the climate
sink opportunity of USFS managed lands, including grasslands
and forests; and
Review effectiveness of USDA programs in
delivering and maximizing ecosystem service benefits on
National Forest System lands, and USDA metrics and staff
performance reviews in encouraging those benefits in the field.
Coronavirus Response
Monitor the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on
rural communities, farmers, ranchers, food and farmworkers,
agriculture and food supply chains, zoonotic surveillance, and
domestic and international hunger;
Review USDA's COVID-19 response efforts under the
Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, Families First
Coronavirus Response Act, CARES Act, H.R. 133, and any other
applicable statute;
Review USDA's COVID-19 response, including the
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) 1, CFAP 2, and the
Farmers to Families Food Box Program, to ensure efforts are
equitable across sectors and support communities in need,
small-scale, and socially disadvantaged producers; and
Review status of funding spent and remaining
available to be spent under the programs and authorities noted
above.
Dairy, Livestock, and Poultry
Monitor and examine factors related to dairy,
livestock, and poultry market conditions and pricing, including
reauthorization of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting program
and factors that influence on-farm profitability;
Review risk management and safety net tools
available to dairy, livestock, and poultry producers;
Evaluate processes for and impacts of USDA
purchases of dairy, meat, and poultry products; and
Review the U.S. generic dairy, meat, and poultry
research and promotion programs.
Department Operations
Examine programmatic and staffing impacts of the
previous administration's reorganization efforts and use of the
business center concept in Farm Production and Conservation;
Research, Education, and Extension; Marketing and Regulatory
Programs; and other mission areas;
Review the historical inequality within USDA
facing Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC);
Review the civil rights and programs appeals
processes for both USDA employees and customers; and
Monitor USDA's efforts to ensure the safety of the
Department's computer networks and systems and efforts to
maintain the security of program and customer data; and
Monitor USDA's compliance with laws intended to
protect the privacy of producer data.
Disaster
Monitor the effectiveness of USDA's ad hoc
disaster programs, including funding remaining to cover 2019
losses and the estimated losses for 2020 and potential 2021
losses.
Energy
Review agriculture's role in a renewable energy
and biobased economy;
Review the implementation of the Renewable Fuel
Standard and its impact on agriculture; and
Review USDA's Farm Bill energy programs.
Farm Credit, Rural Development, and the Rural Economy
Review of implementation of rural development
policies and authorities contained in the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018;
Review the economic state of rural America and the
impacts of COVID-19 on rural economies;
Review credit conditions and the impact of COVID-
19 on credit availability in rural America;
Review the availability of mental health
counseling and mediation services in rural areas;
Review the technical capacity of rural areas in
accessing Federal programs;
Review access to and success of rural development
programs in minority communities;
Review broadband delivery and needs in rural
America, including barriers to expansion of telehealth services
and distance learning; and
Review rural development loan and grant programs,
including their role in increasing medical care in rural areas.
Federal Crop Insurance, Commodity Crop Safety Net, and Risk Management
Review the role and effectiveness of Federal crop
insurance, including policies developed through 508(h) process,
and including applicability for new, beginning, and socially
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers;
Review the development and delivery of new crop
insurance products for livestock, specialty crops, timber, and
dairy;
Review USDA's realignment that resulted in the
Farm Production and Conservation mission area, including its
impact on programs, customers, and staff;
Review implementation of changes to the Price Loss
Coverage program, Agriculture Risk Coverage program, and
marketing assistance loans as enacted in the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018;
Review USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation's (CCC)
authorities;
Review impacts of COVID-19 on the farm economy,
including examining the resiliency of the agricultural supply
chain;
Review FSA program accessibility for socially
disadvantaged and underserved farmers; and
Review USDA's enforcement of the Grain Standards
Act and inspection activities.
Food Loss and Waste
Review current activities and future opportunities
within USDA programs to reduce food loss and waste; and
Examine opportunities to encourage and incentivize
private sector improvements to increase consumer awareness of
food loss and waste and to recover food that would otherwise be
lost or wasted.
Food Safety
Review USDA's inspection of meat, poultry, and egg
products; and
Examine availability of meat and poultry processed
under benefit of Federal inspection or state inspection
conducted under cooperative agreement with USDA.
Horticulture and Organic Agriculture
Review USDA's ongoing implementation of
horticulture and organic related programs authorized in the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018;
Review USDA's regulation of organic standards and
pending organic rulemaking;
Review USDA's implementation of organic
certification cost-share and other efforts to assist producers
transitioning to organic production;
Review USDA's purchasing programs for
opportunities to expand access to specialty crops, including
fresh fruits and vegetables;
Review USDA's programming as it relates to local
food production, marketing, urban agriculture, and effort to
strengthen local and regional food systems;
Review implementation of the Domestic Hemp
Production Program and its impacts on the hemp sector, as well
as interagency coordination on hemp issues;
Review the use of commodity checkoff programs; and
Review the implementation of the Food Safety
Modernization Act.
Nutrition
Review the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program's (SNAP) ability to respond to a public health
emergency, including the use of Pandemic-Electronic Benefit
Transfer (P-EBT);
Review the Emergency Food Assistance Program's
(TEFAP) ability to respond to a public health emergency and
food banks' capacity to manage large increases in distribution;
Review the challenges states encountered
administering nutrition programs to efficiently provide
assistance during the COVID-19 crisis;
Review retailer operations;
Review the process by which the 2025 2030 Dietary
Guidelines for America (DGA) will be decided, including the
charter and DGA Committee operations;
Review the challenges related to the SNAP EBT
system, SNAP online purchasing, and other SNAP technologies;
and
Review USDA's implementation of nutrition programs
and authorities in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
Outreach and Civil Rights
Review USDA's implementation of outreach and civil
rights policies, programs and authorities authorized in the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018;
Monitor USDA's outreach efforts to beginning,
small, and underserved (e.g. socially disadvantaged and
Veteran) farmers and ranchers; and
Monitor USDA's outreach efforts to military
veterans interested in careers in agriculture.
Regulations
Review the effect of regulatory activities carried
out pursuant to the Endangered Species Act, or any proposed
legislative changes to such Act, on agricultural producers and
rural communities;
Review the effect of regulatory activities carried
out pursuant to the Clean Air and Clean Water Act on
agricultural producers and rural communities; and
Review the effect of regulatory activities by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relative to the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act on agricultural
producers and industry stakeholders.
Research, Education, and Extension
Review USDA's implementation of research,
education and extension programs authorized in the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018;
Review the operation of the National Institute of
Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Economic Research Service
(ERS);Review the sufficiency of research funding and staffing
under the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Economic
Research Service (ERS), National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS), and the National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (NIFA).
Review USDA-supported research contributing to
climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency, both
within ARS and through NIFA;
Review the capabilities of Land-grant
institutions, minority serving institutions, and Cooperative
Extension to support farmers and ranchers, including socially
disadvantaged farmers and underserved communities;
Review the effectiveness of data gathering at
NASS, including outreach to socially disadvantaged farmers and
ranchers;
Review access to and release of World Agricultural
Supply and Demand Estimates;
Review access to and release of World Agricultural
Outlook Board meetings data; and
Review efforts to leverage Federal research
investment with state, local, and private sources of funding.
Trade Facilitation
Review pending--and review existing--trade
agreements and disputes and their impact on agriculture;
Review USDA's trade promotion and technical trade
facilitation activities;
Review the effectiveness of USDA's trade
mitigation programs;
Review the activities of the Undersecretary for
Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs;
Review the legacy impact of Trump Administration
retaliatory tariffs and trade war on U.S. agricultural
producers and agribusinesses; and
Review the impacts of USDA and USAID international
food aid programs on global food security.
Consultation with Other Committees
With Natural Resources on forestry issues,
livestock predation, and aquaculture;
With Science, Space and Technology on research;
With Ways and Means and Education and Labor on
nutrition programs;
With Ways and Means on tax and trade issues;
With Judiciary on immigrant agricultural labor and
hemp issues involving the Drug Enforcement Agency;
With Energy and Commerce on broadband, food
safety, food waste, regulation of cell-cultured meat, gene-
edited animals, hemp products including CBD, and biomass
energy;
With Transportation and Infrastructure on certain
Clean Water Act compliance issues, livestock hauling, and food
aid delivery;
With Financial Services on Dodd-Frank and emerging
issues such as digital assets;
With Foreign Affairs on food aid and trade issues;
With Homeland Security on biodefense and border
inspection and security measures related to agriculture;
With Small Business on addressing economic
opportunities for rural America and assessing the impact of
COVID-19 on rural communities and small business; and
Any other committee as appropriate.
cc: The Honorable James Comer, Ranking Member, House Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform; The Honorable Rodney Davis,
Ranking Member, House Committee on Administration
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
OVERSIGHT PLAN FOR THE 117TH CONGRESS
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION..................................................... 22
OVERSIGHT AGENDA................................................. 23
POLICY ISSUES.................................................... 24
National Defense Strategy, National Military Strategy, and
Related Defense Policy Issues.................................. 24
Deterrence....................................................... 25
Strategic Deterrence............................................. 26
Irregular Warfare, Emerging Threats, and Countering Violent
Extremist Organizations........................................ 26
Defense Industrial Base, Critical Technology, and National
Security Information........................................... 28
Organization and Management of the Department of Defense......... 29
Financial Management............................................. 29
Homeland Defense................................................. 30
Acquisition...................................................... 30
Intelligence..................................................... 31
Information Operations .......................................... 32
READINESS........................................................ 32
Maintenance and Training......................................... 32
Logistics........................................................ 33
Life-Cycle Sustainment........................................... 33
Organic Industrial Base.......................................... 34
Civilian Personnel............................................... 34
Energy and Environment........................................... 35
Military Construction, Facilities Sustainment, and Real Property
Management..................................................... 36
Housing for Military Families and Unaccompanied Service Members.. 36
MILITARY PERSONNEL AND HEALTH CARE ISSUES........................ 37
Military Manpower and Force Structure............................ 37
Military Benefits and Compensation............................... 37
Military Health System........................................... 37
Military Personnel Policy........................................ 38
Uniform Code of Military Justice................................. 38
Military Family Readiness........................................ 38
Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs and Military Resale
Programs....................................................... 39
Prisoner of War and Missing in Action............................ 39
Arlington National Cemetery...................................... 39
MODERNIZATION AND INVESTMENT ISSUES.............................. 39
Overview......................................................... 39
Armored Vehicle Modernization.................................... 40
Tactical Wheeled Vehicles........................................ 40
Rotorcraft Programs.............................................. 41
Communications and Network Programs.............................. 41
Fixed-Wing Training and Tactical Aircraft and Related Munitions.. 41
Individual Soldier and Marine Equipment.......................... 42
Long Range Munitions, Ammunition, and Ammunition Industrial Base. 43
Air Force and Army Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
Programs....................................................... 43
Electronic Warfare Equipment and Modernization................... 43
Bomber Force Structure........................................... 44
Aerial Refueling Aircraft........................................ 44
Airlift Programs................................................. 44
Surface Warfare Programs......................................... 45
Undersea Warfare Programs........................................ 45
Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence, Surveillance, and
Reconnaissance Programs........................................ 46
Strategic Nuclear and Conventional Forces........................ 46
Missile Defense.................................................. 47
National Security Space.......................................... 48
Military Operations in Cyberspace Activities and Information
Technology..................................................... 49
Science and Technology........................................... 49
Introduction
The oversight responsibilities of the Committee on Armed
Services are conducted throughout the calendar year. They are
instrumental in the committee's' consideration of the annual
defense authorization bill, which covers the breadth of the
operations of the Department of Defense as well as the national
security functions of the Department of Energy and other
related areas. The annual national defense budget involves
millions of military and civilian personnel, thousands of
facilities, and hundreds of agencies, departments, and commands
located throughout the world. The complexity of the current
threat environment will continue to encompass a range of topics
requiring committee oversight including strategic, operational,
and budgetary issues.
The committee has jurisdiction over laws, programs, and
agencies under permanent authority in numerous titles of the
United States Code, including title 10 (Armed Forces), title 32
(National Guard), title 37 (Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed
Services), title 41 (Public Contracts), title 42 (Atomic
Energy), title 46 (Shipping), and title 50 (War and National
Defense).
The jurisdiction of the committee, pursuant to clause 1(c)
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives is as
follows:
1. Ammunition depots; forts; arsenals; Army, Navy, Marine
Corps, Air Force, and Space Force reservations and
establishments.
2. Common defense generally.
3. Conservation, development, and use of naval petroleum
and oil shale reserves.
4. The Department of Defense generally, including the
Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force generally.
5. Interoceanic canals generally, including measures
relating to the maintenance, operation, and administration of
interoceanic canals.
6. Merchant Marine Academy, and State Merchant Marine
Academies.
7. Military applications of nuclear energy.
8. Tactical intelligence and intelligence-related
activities of the Department of Defense.
9. National security aspects of merchant marine, including
financial assistance for the construction and operation of
vessels, the maintenance of the U.S. shipbuilding and ship
repair industrial base, cabotage, cargo preference, and
merchant marine officers and seamen as these matters relate to
national security.
10. Pay, promotion, retirement, and other benefits and
privileges of members of the armed services.
11. Scientific research and development in support of the
armed services.
12 Selective service.
13. Size and composition of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps,
Air Force, and Space Force.
14. Soldiers' and sailors' homes.
15. Strategic and critical materials necessary for the
common defense.
16. Cemeteries administered by the Department of Defense.
In addition to its legislative jurisdiction and general
oversight function, the committee has special oversight
functions with respect to international arms control and
disarmament and the education of military dependents in schools
pursuant to clause 3(b) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives.
Oversight Agenda
The committee will continue its oversight and assessment of
threats to U.S. national security as it considers the fiscal
year 2022 and fiscal year 2023 defense budget requests. This
effort will involve appropriate oversight hearings with the
Secretary of Defense; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff; the individual military service secretaries and chiefs
of staff; combatant commanders; other officials of the
Department of Defense and the military departments; officials
from the intelligence community; and the Secretary of Energy,
the Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, and other officials
of the Department of Energy. To conduct such oversight and
threat assessment, the committee will invite a diverse range of
views and perspectives of outside experts in academia,
industry, associations and advocacy organizations, and those in
private life with expertise on these matters. Further, the
committee will continue its aggressive outreach program to seek
a wide perspective of views of service members and their
families to include Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve
members across the United States and at deployed locations
overseas.
The committee carries out its oversight of the Department
of Defense and its subordinate departments and agencies as well
as portions of the Department of Energy through activities
involving the full committee and its standing subcommittees.
The committee will continue to conduct robust oversight,
investigate matters, and address inequities within the
jurisdiction of the committee. Certain issues and activities
will require more extensive review. Investigatory work that may
support the oversight responsibilities of standing
subcommittees will be conducted in a coordinated manner. Each
subcommittee will conduct oversight of the programs within its
jurisdiction in accordance with the committee's rules and the
Rules of the House of Representatives.
The oversight agenda, unless otherwise noted, is designed
to support the consideration by the committee and, ultimately,
the House of Representatives of the annual defense
authorization bill, as well as the committee's broader
oversight responsibilities. The issues identified are expected
to be ongoing areas of oversight activity throughout the 117th
Congress. In addition, the committee will continue to pay
attention to the mandates placed on executive departments and
agencies. In this context, pursuant to clause 2(d)(1) of rule X
of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the committee
will continue to emphasize the examination of relevant rules,
regulations, statutes, and court decisions affecting the
Department of Defense and the Department of Energy for their
effects on efficiency and good management practices. To this
end, the committee will provide oversight of issues of
inequities, including systemic challenges to diversity and
inclusion and equitable access to resources to achieve national
defense goals.
Given the unique nature of national security issues and
related oversight of the Armed Forces, the committee believes
that a qualifier is once again necessary with regard to the
ability to plan comprehensively and predict all oversight
activities. Much of the committee's most demanding oversight
will be, by definition, event-driven and not subject to prior
planning. Such events significantly complicate the ability to
prescribe with great accuracy or specificity the committee's
entire oversight agenda. For instance, the oversight of defense
activities by the committee has historically involved in-depth
assessments of military operations and other major events that
are generally difficult to predict in advance. These reviews
can dominate committee and staff resources, sometimes at the
expense of other planned activities. The committee fully
expects that this type of event-driven oversight will continue
to be required.
The committee has a long tradition of translating oversight
activities into legislative action. In general, the committee
will continue to maintain a strong linkage between formal
oversight efforts and legislative initiatives.
In addition to the above, the following specific areas and
subjects are identified for special attention during the 117th
Congress.
Policy Issues
NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY, NATIONAL MILITARY STRATEGY, AND RELATED
DEFENSE POLICY ISSUES
The committee will monitor how the Department of Defense
addresses complex security demands through the formulation and
implementation of the National Defense Strategy, the National
Military Strategy, and other strategic guidance. The committee
will evaluate how the Department identifies and prioritizes
strategic objectives toward meeting those demands and how it
applies resources toward achieving its prioritized objectives.
The committee will conduct oversight regarding vital Department
of Defense capacities and functions, including readiness,
doctrinal development, planning, organization, training and
exercises, education, materiel inventories, production,
facilities, leadership, and personnel, are appropriately
aligned to support strategic requirements. In its oversight,
the committee will take a comprehensive approach to evaluating
the strategic risks confronting the United States and to
assessing the factors that compound or amplify strategic risks
as well as the factors that contain or reduce them. The
committee will examine the assumptions inherent to the
Department's' strategic guidance and planning for balancing
strategic risk and for matching resources with strategic
objectives. The committee will evaluate ongoing operational
demands within the context of a broad strategic framework as
well as how those operational demands will affect the strategic
risks associated with future challenges. The committee will
also endeavor to reinforce the civil-military balance in the
Department's' formulation and implementation of strategy and
national defense policy.
DETERRENCE
The committee recognizes that U.S. defense posture must
effectively deter actors posing strategic challenges to the
United States, its allies, and partners. In particular, the
committee will focus on efforts to ensure that the United
States, in concert with allies and partners, is properly
postured and pursuing appropriate policies to deter military
threats and to counter efforts by such actors to weaken our
shared values, undermine our systems of government, threaten
international norms, and disrupt the cohesion of our alliances
and partnerships.
The committee will continue to oversee the Department's'
global efforts to bolster military deterrence against Russian
aggression and malign activity. This will include oversight of
a range of posture, force structure, force readiness
initiatives, and other efforts aimed at achieving and
maintaining an effective, sustained deterrent posture against
Russian hostility; measures to enhance cohesion of U.S.
alliances and partnerships; and efforts to support the ability
to respond to attempts to undermine U.S. values and democratic
norms. At the same time, the committee will conduct oversight
to ensure that concerns about strategic stability,
miscalculation, and misunderstanding are properly accounted for
as a component of deterrence against Russia.
China continues its efforts to modernize its military,
leverage its influence, and undermine the rules-based
international order. China frequently employs its capabilities
in a manner that erodes security norms and increases the risk
of conflict, particularly in the South China Sea, East China
Sea, and along the border with India. The committee will
continue to conduct oversight of the Department's' response to
China's' activities, including its efforts to invest in its
military forces and extend its reach. At the same time, the
committee will continue to conduct oversight of the Department
of Defense's military posture, force structure, and force
readiness efforts, and plans to enhance capabilities, forward
presence, posture, logistics, and training and exercises to
deter and counter acts of aggression and protect vital U.S. and
ally and partner interests.
North Korea continues to pose a threat to the Korean
Peninsula, the United States, U.S. forces, allies, and partners
in East Asia. North Korea continues to advance its weapons
programs, including its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile
capabilities. As such, with respect to East Asia, the committee
will continue to oversee the Department of Defense's efforts to
implement a range of posture, force structure, and force
readiness initiatives; infrastructure and force realignments,
including agreements with regional allies; and bilateral and
multilateral training and exercises.
The Government of Iran continues to conduct destabilizing
activities in the Middle East region that pose challenges to
the United States, its allies, and partners. The committee will
conduct oversight to determine how the Department plans to
deter Iran's' malign activities without escalating toward
conflict and pursue a sustainable regional posture and partner
engagement in accordance with the Department's global
priorities.
Alliances and partnerships are essential to advance U.S.
national security objectives, promote global security, preserve
regional stability, deter adversaries, uphold and strengthen
shared values, and address common security challenges. The
committee will conduct oversight of Department of Defense
activities related to enduring alliances, such as the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other ongoing partnerships to
ensure that they are supported and utilized in a manner that
enhances these goals. The committee will continue to oversee
and, where appropriate, encourage the Department of Defense's
efforts to strengthen its partnerships and cooperative efforts
to ensure global stability and security.
Strategic Deterrence
With regard to strategic deterrence, the committee will
continue to conduct oversight of nuclear deterrence policy and
posture. This oversight will include examining adversaries
nuclear developments; the role of nuclear weapons and purpose
of nuclear deterrence; options, such as arms control, to reduce
the risk of miscalculation that could lead to nuclear war in a
crisis and reduce the risk of a nuclear arms race or a lowered
threshold to nuclear weapons use; options to maintain credible
nuclear extended deterrence; and the impact of proposed new
nuclear weapons capabilities and policies on regional and
strategic stability and on deterring adversaries.
The committee will also conduct oversight of issues both
within the space, conventional prompt strike, and missile
defense portfolios that contribute to strategic deterrence,
particularly in regards to alignment of acquisition objectives
within the military services, Missile Defense Agency, and Space
Development Agency, with any potential impacts to strategic
deterrent policies and priorities of the Department of Defense.
IRREGULAR WARFARE, EMERGING THREATS, AND COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMIST
ORGANIZATIONS
The committee will conduct oversight as the Department of
Defense addresses irregular threats in concert with other
Government agencies. Malign actors employ both military and
non-military means to accomplish their strategic national
objectives. Hybrid warfare tactics applied across the spectrum
of conflict by threat actors undermine the national security
interests of the United States, our allies, and our partners.
During the 117th Congress, the committee will conduct
oversight to ensure that the posture and policies of the
Department are properly structured, resourced, and aligned to
effectively deter acts of terror and counter violent extremist
organizations that threaten the United States, its allies, and
partners. This includes examining the planning for and
execution of counterterrorism operations, efforts to strengthen
the capabilities and practices employed by partners and allies
to counter such violence, and the detention policy related to
counterterrorism activities undertaken by the Department. The
committee will also conduct rigorous oversight of unique
operational authorities to enable operations to deter violent
extremist activity and counter irregular efforts by certain
adversaries.
The committee recognizes that countering violent ideology
spread by al-Qaida, ISIS, and other extremist groups requires a
coordinated interagency and international approach. The
committee will examine the role of the Department of Defense in
addressing this challenge alongside other U.S. departments and
agencies and foreign partners.
U.S. and coalition forces continue to conduct operations
against the ISIS as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. The
committee will continue to assess the sufficiency of
authorities, resources, equipment, basing, and personnel to
support the Operation Inherent Resolve missions and policy
objectives. The committee will maintain congressional oversight
of the effectiveness of the Counter-ISIS Train and Equip
programs and any additional follow-on programs.
The committee appreciates the complexity of the security
landscape in Iraq and the Syria. The committee will examine the
presence and influence exerted by external actors in Syria and
U.S. objectives in the region regarding ISIS, regional
security, and stability.
The committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
U.S. military effort in Afghanistan with a focus on the
security situation, the posture of deployed U.S. forces, the
Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces, and U.S.
objectives in Afghanistan as well as the region. The committee
will continue its oversight activities on the U.S.-led
Operation Freedom's Sentinel counterterrorism mission and any
changes to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Resolute
Support Mission train, advise, and assist mission based on the
reduction of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Additionally, the
committee will examine the regional security environment with a
focus on Pakistan and the Central Asian states.
Further, the committee will oversee implementation of
provisions relating to reducing civilian casualties included in
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018
(Public Law 115-91) and the John S. McCain National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232) and
examine ways to further reduce civilian casualties resulting
from military operations.
The committee will also continue to examine the legal basis
for the President's' military actions against ISIS, other
terrorist groups, and regional actors. The committee will
examine the President's use of aspects of the 2001
Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) and
the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq
Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243) relevant to its
jurisdiction.
Additionally, committee oversight will include limited
authorities provided to the Department to support to foreign
forces, irregular forces, groups, or individuals engaged in
supporting or facilitating ongoing irregular warfare operations
by U.S. Special Operations Forces. The committee will examine
the prudent and appropriate use of this limited authority as
well as scrutinize related operational authorities.
Further, the committee will conduct rigorous oversight of
sensitive military operations outside of the United States to
ensure that sensitive military operations conducted outside of
the United States and outside of Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan
are in line with national security strategy and policy, as well
as supported and coordinated as appropriate with interagency
partners.
The committee will also evaluate special operations forces
current and future force posture and deployment cycles,
training programs, and capability modernization efforts to
ensure platform efficacy in semi- and non-permissive
environments in order to better understand how special
operations forces will compete in future threat environments.
The committee will continue to conduct oversight of
military operations in the information environment, including
oversight of U.S. Special Operations Command, which maintains
responsibility to develop and train military information
support operations personnel and activities, across all
mediums, including cyberspace. Such oversight will include
legal, operational, and funding authorities. The committee will
also examine ways to strengthen interagency collaboration and
cohesion for effective strategic communications in support of
U.S. national security.
In addition to maintaining oversight of the authorities and
activities related to the conduct of irregular warfare by
special operations forces, the committee will also conduct
rigorous oversight related the culture and climate of special
operations. Following two decades of regular application of
special operations forces to execute myriad number of global
missions, the committee is aware of the psychological and
physical toll on the operator and impacts on morale. The
committee will conduct oversight over any potential gaps or
deficiencies in the ability of the Command to create a healthy,
sustainable, and professional force.
The committee will continue to monitor the progress made by
U.S. Special Operations Command to ensure a force
representative of the gender, racial, and religious fabric of
the United States. The committee will also focus on the steps
taken to ensure the integration of women into previously closed
positions of special operations forces and assess the
sufficiency of these efforts to ensure a healthy and safe
environment for all members of special operations forces.
DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE, CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY
INFORMATION
The committee will continue oversight of the health and
resiliency of the defense industrial base. The committee will
pay particular attention to sectors of the industrial base that
involve emerging and critical technologies. Committee oversight
will ensure that the Department is responsibly using its
authorities to develop, acquire, field, and sustain cutting-
edge solutions, including from nontraditional defense
contractors. The committee will utilize recent industrial base
assessments and the experience responding to COVID-19 to
identify and mitigate risks, and to encourage the Department to
build on successful acquisition approaches.
The committee will review the Department's strategic
approach to protecting national security information in
executing the expansion of the capacity and capability of the
defense industrial base. The committee will also continue
oversight of the Department's efforts to protect critical
technology and national security information while maintaining
respect for civil liberties and a robust research environment.
Further, the committee will oversee efforts to develop a strong
science and technology workforce, including emphasis on
innovation, science, technology, engineering, and math in
academia.
The committee will examine the Department's efforts to
improve cybersecurity standards, to ensure compliance with
those standards by all stakeholders in the defense industrial
base, and to neutralize counterintelligence threats. The
committee will also oversee cybersecurity and supply chain
security initiatives.
In each of these lines of oversight, the committee will
emphasize the importance of collaboration with allies and
partners.
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
The committee will review the organization of the
Department of Defense and oversee its management. The committee
will: carefully review organizational changes, work to enhance
organizational performance and to promote efficient and cost-
effective practices throughout the Department of Defense
enterprise, work to enable specific Department of Defense
mission sets and to ensure that they are optimally aligned
within the Department's' organizational structure, and apply
strict managerial accountability standards to the Department's'
leadership. In overseeing the Department's' organization and
management, the committee will endeavor to preserve and enhance
the Department's' civil-military balance.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The committee will continue to oversee military
effectiveness and fiscal responsibility in a dynamic budgeting
environment. With the expiration of the discretionary spending
caps found in Budget Control Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-25),
as modified by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-23) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-
37), the committee confronts an environment of increased fiscal
uncertainty, with concomitant challenges for budgetary and
programmatic oversight.
The Comptroller General of the United States has
consistently identified the Department of Defense's financial
management as a high-risk area since 1995. The Department of
Defense has made some progress in modernizing its financial
management capabilities, but arcane and obsolete financial
management systems and processes continue to struggle with the
immense task of tracking and accounting for Department assets.
The management of that challenge, and the financial management
systems, organizations, and processes that are tasked to
address it, requires significant and sustained congressional
oversight.
The committee will continue to review efforts to implement
the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) plan, as
mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84). The Inspector General of the
Department of Defense conducted the first agency-wide financial
audit of the Department in fiscal year 2018, and has continued
to conduct such audits annually. The Department has shown
steady progress in identifying and addressing challenges to its
goal of an unmodified audit opinion, but remediation and
corrective actions continue to require a high level of senior
leadership attention and oversight, both from Congress and the
Department. The committee will continue to oversee the
Department's efforts to achieve an unmodified audit opinion,
including corrective actions and process improvements .
The committee will monitor the interdependencies between
the FIAR plan and investments in business and financial systems
modernization programs as the Department works to correct the
weaknesses in its financial statements. Both the Department and
Congress depend on the objective tools provided by proper
financial management processes and statements in order to make
informed decisions.
HOMELAND DEFENSE
The committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
missions and capabilities of U.S. Northern Command and the
Department of Defense's Homeland Defense and Global Security
directorate. The committee will review and conduct oversight
with regard to integration into response planning and exercises
and requests for support from other departments, to include the
costs and implications to the military readiness of those
requests. The committee will also review Defense Support of
Civil Authorities and the execution of the Department's
policies and procedures. The committee will continue to review
the Department's support to civilian law enforcement, the
COVID-19 pandemic fight, and domestic relief operations.
ACQUISITION
The committee will continue efforts to improve the
efficiency, flexibility, and streamlining of the Department of
Defense acquisition system to support a more responsive and
resilient approach to national security. In undertaking this
effort, the committee will solicit diverse input from the
Department and other outside experts. Through its oversight
function, the committee will monitor the efforts of the
Department to implement statutory changes and recommendations
of commissioned reports. The committee will also continue to
ensure equity, integrity, transparency, and accountability in
the acquisition process.
The committee will oversee efforts to lower barriers to
enhance the Department's ability to take advantage of
innovative technologies, leverage efficiency through data
analytics, meet demands by scaling to need, and partner with a
wide range of businesses, including small, medium, and small
disadvantaged firms. The committee will oversee efforts to
address the need to attract, inspire, and retain a highly-
skilled acquisition workforce, including professionals with the
experience and ability to recognize the benefit of new
technology capabilities. The committee will also examine the
policies related to industrial base incentives, including for
infrastructure improvements and participation in the
Department's supply chain. Finally, the committee will also
oversee the Department's efforts to leverage its buying power
to advance national security sustainably.
INTELLIGENCE
The committee recognizes the threats presented by our
competitors, primarily China and Russia, but also Iran and
North Korea, through activities in the gray zone. These
activities include malign influence campaigns, active measures,
economic espionage, and political coercion; which occur below
the threshold of armed conflict and yet can realize strategic
effects.
The committee will examine how the Defense Intelligence
Enterprise (DIE) is postured to analyze and address these new
and trending threats, while balancing intelligence support to
established National Defense Strategy priority challenges and
ongoing counterterrorism operations. The committee is
particularly interested in how the DIE is countering
disinformation and false narratives from our adversaries and
competitors. The committee will assess the extent to which the
DIE has adopted policies and procedures to more rapidly
assemble and release focused intelligence to expose malign
behaviors, particularly as unclassified data injected into the
public domain.
The committee will scrutinize current and planned
modernization activities, including developments in machine
learning and artificial intelligence across the Defense
Intelligence Enterprise as a means to create current, informed
foundational intelligence to support military operations and
advanced weapons systems, including an examination of the
strategy and plans for Project Maven and MARS. As the Defense
Intelligence Enterprise increasingly relies on commercially
available data, the committee will conduct oversight to ensure
that any acquisition, storage, or use of U.S. sourced data does
not infringe on Fourth Amendment rights of U.S. persons.
Additionally, the committee will conduct rigorous oversight
of the roles and responsibilities of the security arm of the
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and
Security, including an examination of the Defense
Counterintelligence and Security Agency's priority missions:
counterintelligence; protecting critical technology; personnel
vetting; and insider threat management. The committee will
probe the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency on
Trusted Workforce 2.0 and the personnel security clearance
vetting process. The committee also looks forward to the
results of the ongoing Government Accountability Office's
review of Personnel Vetting Reform.
In addition to conducting oversight of intelligence
capabilities, the committee will conduct oversight to ensure
the Defense Intelligence Enterprise recruits, retains, and
develops the best and brightest workforce from all segments of
our society. Policies that promote diversity and inclusion are
paramount to ensuring that the Defense Intelligence Enterprise
is able to attract the broadest base of talent to solve the
most complex challenges. The committee looks forward to
understanding what the various components of the Defense
Intelligence Enterprise are doing to ensure diversity of
thought at all levels and throughout the enterprise.
Finally, the committee will conduct oversight of title 10,
U.S. Code, and Department of Defense title 50, U.S. Code,
activities in accordance with the committee's jurisdiction. The
committee will continue to coordinate as appropriate with the
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on matters
related to Department of Defense intelligence and
counterintelligence activities in the course of oversight and
the authorization of appropriations for intelligence activities
shared by the two committees.
INFORMATION OPERATIONS
In addition to presenting challenges to U.S. national
security, the global information environment provides an
opportunity to gain an advantage in military planning and
operations, as well as to achieve strategic U.S. objectives
through a whole-of-government approach.
Information is crucial to military operations as the global
information environment continues to evolve and grow. Both
state and non-state actors seek to exploit this domain and
spread disinformation to sow discord in our society and
undermine confidence in democratic institutions, including the
political process, the press, and other foundational societal
structures, including the U.S. military.
In the 117th Congress, the committee will focus oversight
on legislation established by the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) and
the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283), which expanded
the strategic activities and established leadership regarding
information operations. The establishment of a Principal
Information Operations Advisor to act as the primary advisor to
the Secretary of Defense on all aspects of information
operations and the requirement that service members receive
training on the danger of disinformation are critical areas of
evolution as the Department of Defense continues efforts to
develop an updated comprehensive strategy for successful
operations in the information environment.
The committee will continue to examine the Department's
initiatives to strengthen interagency collaboration and
cohesion for effective information operations to support the
United States' military and strategic objectives. Also, the
committee intends to pursue complementary lines of oversight
effort outlined in additional sections.
Readiness
MAINTENANCE TRAINING
The military services are developing new operational
concepts and seeking to invest in modernization, replacing
legacy weapon systems with next generation capabilities. As
they do this, the committee will focus on how legacy platforms
are being sustained through their retirement, how training
requirements are changing to support new capabilities entering
the force, and how the sustainment infrastructure and
enterprise will be postured to support these next generation
weapon systems and capabilities.
The committee will conduct oversight of Navy shipyard
maintenance availabilities to ensure they are performed on
budget and schedule; Army force generation and large-scale
training exercises; Marine Corps amphibious training; and
aircraft sustainment and training across the military services.
The committee also recognizes the importance of training for
the broad range of future missions the military may face, from
gray-zone conflict to high-intensity conflict. The committee
will conduct oversight of how the military services adapt
training concepts, maintenance plans, and analytical tools to
ensure personnel and equipment are adequately prepared to meet
these threats.
Finally, the committee notes the importance of prioritizing
long-term readiness and believes that it can be best achieved
by emphasizing the training on and maintenance and sustainment
of weapon systems that the Department has already made
substantial investments in developing and procuring. To that
end, the committee will examine the Department's investments to
support training and sustainment of existing weapon systems and
how their actual availability and mission capability rates
compare to service requirements.
LOGISTICS
The Department of Defense continues its efforts to
implement the National Defense Strategy, adjust force structure
and posture concepts, and invest in modernization of the force.
The committee remains concerned with the perceived lack of
focus within the Department on the capabilities and capacity of
the current logistics enterprise required to project and
sustain a military force in a contested security environment.
These concerns will only be exacerbated as the Department moves
toward a more distributed force posture concept, especially in
regions such as the Indo-Pacific. To this end, the committee
will conduct oversight of the Department's efforts toward
contested logistics, including: capability, capacity, and
readiness of strategic airlift and surge sealift; capability,
capacity, and readiness of tactical airlift and sealift;
contested logistic aware weapon systems development and
procurement; procurement, storage, transportation, and
distribution of fuel; prepositioning of equipment and supplies
in forward locations; locations and infrastructure to support
permanent, rotational, and surge forces; and maintenance and
repair capabilities for equipment and weapon systems.
LIFE CYCLE SUSTAINMENT
The committee will focus on the Department's initiatives to
reduce the total-ownership costs of weapons systems and
equipment while ensuring the Department is appropriately
considering life-cycle support and sustainment requirements
when it develops acquisition strategies for each program. The
committee will also hold the Department accountable for
improving its estimates of total weapon system life-cycle costs
to better inform sustainment strategies. Finally, the committee
will continue to monitor the military services' reset
strategies to repair, recapitalize, and replace equipment used
in ongoing operations, and will also monitor progress toward
reconstitution of prepositioned stocks.
ORGANIC INDUSTRIAL BASE
Our Nation's organic industrial base is vital to achieving
and maintaining warfighting readiness across all domains. The
military services' arsenals, depots, air logistics complexes,
and shipyards provide long-term sustainment through programmed
maintenance and conduct repair and modernization upgrades.
These facilities and their skilled workforces provide a
national-level insurance policy against unforeseen strategic
contingencies. The committee is concerned about the current
state and future health of the organic industrial base as a
result of an extended period of fiscal uncertainty, increasing
maintenance and sustainment requirements, workforce attrition
and recruiting challenges, and an emphasis on modernization
initiatives at the expense of investments in maintaining legacy
weapon systems.
The committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
extent to which the Department's organic industrial base is
viably positioned for long-term sustainability and possesses
the workforce and technologies needed for efficient operations
to meet the Nation's current and future requirements. This will
include oversight of how the military services plan to recruit,
train, support, and retain the future industrial base
workforce. In addition, the committee will conduct oversight
into the use of new technologies such as additive
manufacturing, predictive maintenance, robotics, and artificial
intelligence as pathways to improve maintenance activities,
management of spares inventory, and supply chain operations.
The committee will also continue oversight of depot, arsenal,
and shipyard operations and management, the use of performance-
based logistics, the role of public-private partnerships, and
the military services' logistics enterprise resource planning
systems.
The committee will continue its work to oversee funded but
unfinished maintenance work (carryover) in order to improve
workload planning and incentivize sound depot management. The
committee will also conduct oversight of the Department's
investments in the organic industrial base to ensure they
continue to maintain a level of capability to meet the needs of
the Armed Forces. Finally, the committee will ensure that the
military services are funding and implementing infrastructure
optimization plans to improve operations and modernize aging
infrastructure at the depots, arsenals, and shipyards.
CIVILIAN PERSONNEL
The Federal civilian workforce of the Department of Defense
plays a critical role in advancing national security,
contributes unique skillsets to the Department's mission, and
serves as a force multiplier for the uniformed military force.
The Department employs more Federal civilians than any other
Federal agency and these personnel perform disparate and
essential missions across the globe. The committee will focus
on providing the Department with the proper tools to invest in
and support a strong civilian workforce that contributes
effectively to the success of the Department's mission.
The majority of Department of Defense civilian personnel
policies are governed by requirements set forth in title 5 of
the U.S. Code and corresponding regulations under the purview
of the Office of Personnel Management. Although the Committee
on Armed Services does not have jurisdiction over title 5 of
the U.S. Code, it has in recent years provided numerous
extraordinary hiring and management authorities tailored to
specific segments of the Department of Defense civilian
workforce. Many of these authorities are temporary and will
expire in the next few years. The committee will conduct
oversight to evaluate the effectiveness of these authorities
and to ensure that they are used appropriately and comply with
merit-based competitive personnel policies.
The Department meets its manpower requirements through a
mix of military, civilian, and contractor personnel. It is
critical for the Department to ensure the appropriate mix of
different types of employees to provide flexibility,
continuity, and a base of talent across the force. The
committee will ensure that the Department assesses the impact
of any potential reductions to the civilian workforce on cost,
operational effectiveness, borrowed military manpower,
workload, lethality, and readiness. The committee will also
conduct oversight of the Department's efforts to promote a
civilian workforce that reflects the diverse population of the
United States. Further, the committee will carefully examine
the use of contractors within the Department and ensure that
the Department improves its data collection on the use of
contractors and the associated costs to the taxpayer.
Finally, the committee will continue its oversight of the
timeliness, quality, and cost of processing Federal security
clearance applications and of the Defense Counterintelligence
and Security Agency's transition to government-wide continuous
vetting to ensure the trustworthiness of clearance-holders.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Energy is a key readiness enabler for the Department of
Defense. Energy resilient installations and increased
efficiency provide cost savings and guard against mission
failure. A robust operational energy program enhances
operational effectiveness of the military and improves our
national security posture through the mitigation logistics
challenges in contested environments. Therefore, the committee
will conduct oversight of the Department and military services'
efforts to address resiliency gaps and improve energy
efficiency on military installations and for military
operations.
In addition, the committee will conduct oversight of the
Department and military services' environmental management. The
committee believes more attention is required to monitor the
Department's efforts to address the impacts of climate change
on training and installation resilience. The committee will
continue to conduct oversight of the Department's efforts with
respect to emerging contaminants including adherence to
Federal, state, and local compliance requirements and the
phase-out of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compound-containing fire-
fighting agents. The committee will continue to provide
oversight of the military services' efforts to remediate
existing contamination both on and off Federal lands with
particular attention paid to locations where contamination may
be affecting local populations. Additionally, the committee
will oversee Department efforts to leverage technological
innovation and implementation of best practices to minimize
adverse environmental impacts and thereby reduce future cleanup
costs. The committee intends to continue to monitor activities
of the Department to ensure that military training is in full
compliance with applicable Federal, state, and local
environmental laws.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, FACILITIES SUSTAINMENT, AND REAL PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
The committee will review the Department of Defense's
military construction program to manage the overall capacity of
the Department's infrastructure and to ensure prudent long-term
military construction investments that are resilient to natural
and man-made threats. The committee will also oversee the
Department's investments in facility sustainment, restoration,
and modernization, as well as the Department's utilization of
authorities such as emergency and contingency construction. The
committee will continue to oversee the execution and
implementation of requirements from the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) and
the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283) that will enhance
installation resiliency and increase transparency.
The real property management process requires extensive
oversight to maintain over $750.0 billion in infrastructure.
The committee is concerned that continued poor requirements
development, and inadequate planning and design result in
poorly coordinated investment decisions and sub-optimal
facility construction. The committee will provide increased
oversight of investments made outside of the United States and
its territories. The committee will seek to apply best
practices across the Department of Defense to efficiently
develop and maintain the military services' ranges, facilities,
and infrastructure.
HOUSING FOR MILITARY FAMILIES AND UNACCOMPANIED SERVICE MEMBERS
The committee will continue to provide increased oversight
of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI)
program. The committee will monitor the execution and
implementation of requirements from the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) and
the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283) that reformed the
MHPI program. In particular, the committee will monitor
investments related to maintenance and sustainment of housing
developments, the financial health of individual projects,
communication with tenants, and ensure that best practices are
being uniformly adopted to ensure that housing is free of
environmental hazards.
The committee is concerned about chronic under-investment
in unaccompanied service-member housing. Accordingly, the
committee will conduct increased oversight of the investments
in sustainment and restoration of existing unaccompanied
housing as well as the replacement of facilities that are no
longer viable.
Military Personnel and Health Care Issues
MILITARY MANPOWER AND FORCE STRUCTURE
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue to
assess the military's manpower requirements to meet its current
and future global military commitments. Specifically, the
committee will continue to provide aggressive oversight of
military manpower levels, skill sets, and force structure to
ensure they support the National Defense Strategy. During the
116th Congress, the end strength increased for each military
service to meet demands and growth in specialized fields such
as cyber, intelligence, pilots, and maintainers. In the 117th
Congress, the committee will examine trends in overall total
force structure requirements, end strength, recruiting,
retention, morale, and benefits and compensation. The committee
will continue its oversight of military recruiting,
particularly the quality and diversity of the recruits needed
to fulfill the specialized end-strength requirements and ways
to address those potential recruits that may possess violent
extremist views.
MILITARY BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION
During the 117th Congress, the committee will scrutinize
any proposals from the Department of Defense or other
organizations calling for any changes to military compensation
and other benefit programs. Specifically, there will be close
scrutiny of the 2020 Quadrennial Review of Military
Compensation (QRMC). The QRMC and any other proposals must
ensure they are thoroughly assessed with respect to their
positive or negative impacts to the All-Volunteer Force.
Specifically, the expected Department of Defense proposals to
reform the Reserve Component call-up duty status authorities
will overhaul the way a Reserve Component service member is
activated. The committee's oversight in this area will
concentrate on the proper implementation of the new authorities
to ensure that the pay and benefits for Reserve Component
including the new Space Force Reserve Component members are not
adversely affected.
MILITARY HEALTH SYSTEM
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue its
oversight of military health policies of the Department of
Defense. The Department will be charged with both supporting
the readiness requirements of the warfighter and delivering a
robust military health benefit, all while creating efficiencies
and implementing cost savings initiatives that may alter the
composition of the existing Military Health System. The
committee will examine military medical manning requirements,
TRICARE benefit delivery, wounded warrior programs, resiliency,
opioid policy, and ongoing reform efforts that are
transitioning Military Treatment Facilities and other
organizational structures from the military service departments
to the Defense Heath Agency. The committee will also continue
to monitor the implementation of the Genesis Electronic Health
Record, as well as other health-related collaborations between
the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs.
The committee will also take particular interest in
implementation of Military Healthcare Reform as directed by the
National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Year 2017
(Public Law 114-328) and the John S. McCain National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232).
Also, the committee will monitor the Department of Defense's
implementation of the Stayskal Act as directed in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-
92). Finally, the committee will seek a better understanding of
environmental health challenges that may be related to burn
pits, mold, lead paint, contaminated water, and other potential
exposure issues.
MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY
During the 117th Congress, the personnel policies of the
Department of Defense will remain under considerable scrutiny
as the military services compete to recruit, manage, and retain
the best and brightest men and women. The committee will
continue to give close examination to proposals from the
Department of Defense and other organizations calling for any
major changes to personnel policies including recruiting,
promotions, career paths, or changes to military retention and
other policy programs in order to assess the impact of any
proposed changes on the viability of the All-Volunteer Force.
The committee will provide oversight of the implementation of
the Diversity and Inclusion policy requirements from the
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283) as well as the
implementation of the President's Executive Order.
Additionally, the committee will monitor how the Department of
Defense's policies are structured to prepare service-members
and veterans for the possibility of being targeted by extremist
organizations during their service and after they leave
military service.
UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE
The committee will continue to provide oversight of
military justice, specifically the role of the commander in
prosecutions. The committee will also continue its robust
oversight of the Department of Defense's sexual assault
prevention and response programs with a focus on implementation
of best practices for prevention programs. Additionally, the
committee will put renewed focus on the oversight of the
Department of Defense's policies and procedures for combatting
extremism within the ranks.
MILITARY FAMILY READINESS
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue to
focus on the support provided to families of service members,
particularly during deployments. The committee will assess the
methods used by the military services to identify the needs of
military families and to identify the programs and policies
that can be implemented or modified to improve their quality of
life. As end strength grows across the Armed Forces, the
committee will examine the Department of Defense and military
service family support programs to ensure the programs are
adequately resourced to support an increase in family members.
In addition, the committee will continue its oversight on the
quality and availability of services at Department of Defense
child development centers and the implementation of new
requirements to bring uniformity to the Exceptional Family
Member Program across the military services.
MORALE, WELFARE AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND MILITARY RESALE PROGRAMS
The committee believes the cost-efficient sustainment of
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) and military resale
programs (commissaries and exchanges) is required to protect
quality of life in military communities. The committee will
provide oversight efforts directed toward that end in
conjunction with major reforms, yet to be accomplished that
were begun in the 114th Congress, to ensure the viability of
these programs. Additionally, the committee believes that MWR
and military resale programs must remain competitive with
private sector entities to ensure that service members and
their families benefit fully from these programs. The committee
will monitor current practices and policies to ensure that MWR
and military resale programs are employing the full range of
strategies available to private sector competitors to inform
authorized patrons about the benefits associated with these
programs and encourage their participation. Finally, the
committee will monitor and oversee the changes required by the
commissary reform plan with an emphasis on maintaining this
valuable benefit without interruption.
PRISONER OF WAR AND MISSING IN ACTION
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue
oversight of the Department of Defense's Prisoner of War/
Missing in Action activities. Specifically, the committee will
focus on the operations of the Defense Personnel Accounting
Agency to ensure they are meeting the requirement that the
accounting effort achieve at least 200 identifications
annually.
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
The committee will continue its oversight from the 116th
Congress of Arlington National Cemetery. The John S. McCain
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public
Law 115-232) directed the Secretary of the Army to establish
revised eligibility criteria for interment at Arlington
National Cemetery to ensure that the cemetery remains an active
burial ground well into the future. The committee will monitor
the criteria and changes to burial policy as they are
structured.
Modernization and Investment Issues
OVERVIEW
During the 117th Congress, the committee will conduct
oversight of military equipment modernization strategies and
programs and assess the effectiveness of those strategies to
mitigate threats in the near- and long-term from near-peer and
peer competitors. The committees' efforts will continue to
focus on full-spectrum, combat-effective lethality and
survivability through near-term modernization efforts that
utilize acquisition reform initiatives to better streamline the
development and fielding of solutions to the warfighter in a
timely and efficient manner. The committee will devote
attention to the military services' implementation and
utilization of new, innovative agile acquisition reform
authorities to recapitalize, upgrade, or enhance the
performance of current and future combat systems. Concurrently,
the committee will conduct oversight on the military services'
ability to aggressively control development and procurement
costs, implement reasonable, executable, and accountable
sustainment strategies that preserve system affordability, as
well as manage strategic risk in critical areas of the U.S.
defense industrial base.
The committee, through diligent oversight and legislative
action, will implement actions and provide resources to help
mitigate cost growth and schedule delays of modernization
programs. The committee will assess the need for legislative
action, if required, by: late determination of programmatic
requirements; unjustified requirements growth and failure to
properly mitigate requirements changes; insufficient analyses
of alternatives; concurrency in test and evaluation master
plans; military services proceeding prematurely with
development of immature technology; poor cost estimating;
inadequate funding profiles; over-estimation of potential
production rates; program instability; and, improper use of new
and agile acquisition reform authorities.
ARMORED VEHICLE MODERNIZATION
The committee will focus on oversight of the Army and
Marine Corps' evolving plans to improve the capability and
extend the operating lives of its current heavy and medium-
weight armored combat vehicles, as well as lay the foundation
for successful development, production, and timely fielding of
its next generation of these systems. The committee will
specifically monitor management and performance of these
programs: research and development of the Optionally Manned
Fighting Vehicle, the M1 Abrams tank, the M2 Bradley Fighting
Vehicles, the family of Stryker Combat Vehicles, the family of
Amphibious Combat Vehicles, the Light Armored Vehicle, the
M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management, the Armored Multipurpose
Vehicle, the Army's mobile protected firepower, and Active
Protection Systems for combat vehicles.
TACTICAL WHEELED VEHICLES
The committee will focus on oversight of the Army and
Marine Corps' sustainment and modernization of their current
and future tactical wheeled vehicle (TWV) fleets, including
their families of light, medium, and heavy TWVs, as well as
other engineer and bridging vehicles. The committee will
specifically oversee management of these programs: Family of
Medium Tactical Vehicles, Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical
Truck, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Infantry Squad Vehicle,
Palletized Load System, Heavy Equipment Transporters, Line Haul
Tractor Trailers, and High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled
Vehicle. The committee will give particular interest to the
Department of Defense's identification and management of risk
in the TWV industrial base.
ROTORCRAFT PROGRAMS
The committee will focus oversight efforts on rotorcraft
modernization, force structure, and readiness, with an emphasis
on how the military services are managing plans to accelerate
development of next generation rotorcraft platforms while
satisfying requirements to upgrade current rotorcraft
platforms. Committee oversight will focus on, but not be
limited to, the following rotorcraft programs: UH-60 Black Hawk
utility rotorcraft, AH-64 Apache Attack rotorcraft, CH-47
Chinook heavy lift rotorcraft, UH-1 Huey utility helicopters,
AH-1 attack rotorcraft, the CH-53K heavy lift rotorcraft
program, the MH-60 Seahawk rotorcraft program, the MH-139
utility helicopter, Combat Rescue Helicopter, the TH-73A
trainer helicopter replacement program, and the Future Vertical
Lift (FVL) development program.
The committee will also focus oversight efforts on the need
for advanced aircraft survivability equipment upgrades to
provide warning and protection against evolving threats, as
well as monitor the Improved Turbine Engine program designed to
improve lift capability on the AH-64, UH-60, and FVL platforms.
COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORK PROGRAMS
The committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
research, development, and procurement of tactical battlefield
communications networks. Specifically, the committee will
conduct oversight of the Army's plans for future battlefield
network research and development programs, the Army's Tactical
Network Modernization roadmap, and efforts on the incremental
development and fielding of the Integrated Tactical Network and
other tactical radio programs.
FIXED-WING TRAINING AND TACTICAL AIRCRAFT AND RELATED MUNITIONS
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue
efforts overseeing the size, composition, capability, and
capacity of the Department of Defense's tactical and training
aircraft force structure and acquisition programs. The
committee will continue engaging the Department to understand
its aircraft force-mix strategy and composition regarding
procurement of significantly advanced 4th, 5th and 6th
generation tactical aircraft to replace existing tactical
aircraft to ensure that mission areas related to air
superiority, interdiction, and kinetic support to ground forces
maintain combat effectiveness and lethality requirements. The
committee will engage with the Air Force, Navy, and Marine
Corps to understand the strategies to mitigate any potential
tactical aircraft inventory shortfalls that would impact the
Department's ability to meet the tenets and implementation of
the National Defense Strategy. The committee will monitor the
Department's efforts to improve capabilities and reliability
among the existing fleets of aircraft to maintain, and where
necessary, gain sufficient force-structure capacity and
lethality that complements next-generation aircraft. The
committee will continue to monitor the impact on aviation
readiness related to procurement of initial spare or repaired
parts, depot-standup activities and supplies and critical
information necessary to meet warfighter requirements. In
addition, the committee will have particular interest in the
Air Force's newly implemented Digital Century Series
acquisition strategy for aircraft and munitions. The committee
will also continue monitoring Air Force and Navy execution of
efforts for mitigating physiological episodes that were
experienced by pilots operating various tactical and training
aircraft.
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue
oversight of the F-35 program, particularly with regard to
affordability issues and concerns related to program life-cycle
cost, production and fielding schedules, aircraft and support
system performance, and sustainment strategy planning and
execution. The committee will also focus efforts on the F-35s'
performance during the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation
phase, Technical Refresh 3 hardware and Block 4 software
development, and the follow-on modernization program known as
Continuous Capability Development and Delivery. The committee's
area of focus on the F-35 will include but not be limited to
production efficiency, software development and testing related
to the operational flight program and mission data files,
addressing F135 engine problems and repair capacity, the
Autonomic Logistics Information System development and
transition to the Operational Data Integrated Network, fielding
and integration into operational F-35 units, depot stand-up,
and supply chain management required to support concurrent
production and operational maintenance and sustainment
requirements.
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue
engaging the Department of Defense to understand testing and
war-reserve material requirements and subsequent production
strategies to support and maintain sufficient inventories of
air-launched preferred and precision-guided conventional
missiles and munitions at an acceptable operational risk level.
The committee will continue focusing its attention on the
Department's identification, assessment, and strategies for
effective management of risk in the associated defense
industrial base and issues related to diminishing manufacturing
sources, obsolescence issues, sole-source supply of components
and major sub-systems, and production capabilities needed to
support both annual production and occasional surge
requirements for preferred and precision-guided conventional
missiles and munitions.
INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER AND MARINE EQUIPMENT
The committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
research, development, and procurement of soldier and marine
individual equipment, in addition to other complementary
personal protective equipment programs. Focus areas will
continue to include, but are not limited to: advances in weight
reduction (``lightening the load'') in individual equipment;
development and procurement of the Enhanced Night Vision
Goggle-Binocular; small arms and small caliber ammunition
modernization with particular emphasis on the Army's next
generation squad weapon system; procurement and fielding of
enhanced performance small caliber rounds; improved combat
helmets to help mitigate traumatic brain injury; development of
female-sized personal protective equipment; and the development
and fielding of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System.
LONG RANGE MUNITIONS, AMMUNITION, AND AMMUNITION INDUSTRIAL BASE
The committee will continue to conduct oversight on the
Army and Marine Corps Long Range Precision Fires and munitions
modernization efforts, as well as other ammunition and
ammunition industrial base concerns. Specifically, programs of
interest to the committee include development, production and
divestiture of ``smart'' munitions; ``critical'' munitions;''
and ``conventional'' ammunition programs. The committee will
also continue to examine the management of the ammunition
industrial base, specifically issues involving safety practices
and production standards, supply chain concerns, and
development of alternative ammunition production materials and
sources.
AIR FORCE AND ARMY INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE
PROGRAMS
The committee will focus oversight activities on cost,
schedule, and performance of tactical manned and unmanned
aerial (UAS) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
(ISR) systems. The committee will examine the ISR enterprise
for sufficient capacity, satisfaction of military collection
requirements, timeliness and redundancy of dissemination
architecture, and modernization of analysis and exploitation
capabilities for video and imagery. The committee will also
scrutinize the Department of Defense's ISR policy development
and implementation.
In particular, the committee will evaluate the Army and Air
Force long-term ISR architecture modernization and next-
generation acquisition strategies, the supporting analyses
behind programmatic decisions, and the management of risk
across ISR collection capabilities and capacities, and the
corresponding resources to process, exploit, and disseminate
raw data and finished analysis. The committee will monitor
improvements made to ISR transmission and down-link
architecture that provide rapid delivery of collected
information supporting timely and effective defense operations.
The committee's oversight efforts will focus on, but not be
limited to, the following ISR programs: RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS
Block 30 and Block 40, MQ-9 Reaper UAS, MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS,
the Future Tactical UAS program, legacy E-8 JSTARS, E-3 AWACS,
the family of RC-135 aircraft, U-2 Dragon Lady, and the
Advanced Battle Management System.
ELECTRONIC WARFARE EQUIPMENT AND MODERNIZATION
The committee will focus oversight efforts on the
Department of Defense's developing Electromagnetic Spectrum
Operations (EMSO) strategy and associated electronic warfare
(EW) systems. The committee will examine how the Department is
identifying requirements, developing policies, and establishing
the necessary governance structures to manage the EMSO
enterprise. The committee will also evaluate the Department's
ability to address emerging EMSO and EW threats and the
military services' progress in developing and fielding next-
generation capabilities to counter these threats. The committee
will assess airborne EW systems, including the EC-130H Compass
Call aircraft, the EC-37B Compass Call re-host aircraft, the
Navy's Next Generation Jammer airborne electronic attack
capability, and the Army's Multi-Function EW Air, as well as
ground-based EW capabilities including the Terrestrial Layer
System.
BOMBER FORCE STRUCTURE
During the 117th Congress, the committee anticipates that
the Air Force will continue to propose significant investments
for engineering, manufacturing, and development of the B-21A
Raider long-range strike bomber aircraft. While many details
regarding the specific requirements and capabilities of the new
bomber remain classified, the committee will maintain oversight
of the new bomber acquisition program to ensure that the Air
Force develops an affordable aircraft to timely meet future
requirements and partially recapitalize the long-range strike
bomber fleet.
As Global Strike Command's bomber road map continues to
solidify, the committee will monitor how the Air Force chooses
to invest and modernize its current fleet of bombers to ensure
they can continue to effectively respond to current and future
threats.
AERIAL REFUELING AIRCRAFT
During the 117th Congress, the committee will review the
Air Force aerial refueling aircraft modernization,
recapitalization and retirement plans for the KC-10A, KC-46A
and KC-135R/T.
Currently, the Air Force requires 479 air refueling tankers
to meet the National Military Strategy but only possesses 393
KC-135R/T and 50 KC-10A tankers for a total of 443 legacy
tankers. The addition of 42 KC-46A aircraft toward the future
buy of 179 KC-46A will start replacing the legacy tanker fleet
once the Remote Vision System on the KC-46A is fixed and the
aircraft becomes operational. The committee is monitoring the
KC-46A program closely. The committee will also monitor how the
Air Force plans to modernize the KC-135R/T and conduct aerial
refueling operations in a future contested airspace.
The committee will also review the MQ-25 program as the
Navy seeks to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle that provides
aerial refueling to the carrier wing. The committee will also
monitor the possibility to add additional capabilities to the
MQ-25 should the Navy chooses to pursue them.
AIRLIFT PROGRAMS
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue to
assess the risk in the Air Force's current plan to maintain the
intratheater airlift aircraft inventory required by the
Mobility Capability Requirements Study that was required by the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public
Law 115-91). While pleased with Air Force efforts to modernize
Air National Guard and Reserve C-130H aircraft with Avionics
Modernization Programs, propulsion and propeller upgrades, the
committee will continue to review the C-130H modernization
program to ensure it is capable of meeting airlift
requirements. The committee is committed in supporting
technologies that increase capabilities, increase reliability
and decrease overall life cycle costs.
The committee will continue oversight of all airlift
aircraft inventories and capabilities during the 117th Congress
to ensure that a robust and effective fleet of airlift aircraft
is maintained to meet mobility airlift requirements of the
Department of Defense.
SURFACE WARFARE PROGRAMS
The Department of the Navy must grow the fleet of surface
combatants in order to support the National Security Strategy.
The fleet must be capable of operating in contested areas such
as the South China Sea. The committee will provide oversight of
the composition, capacity, and capabilities of the surface
fleet. The committee will also assess the large and small
surface combatant requirements to ensure oversight of the force
structure and the associated weapons and sensors employed on
the surface force with a specific emphasis on Frigate
capabilities. The committee will continue to conduct oversight
of the Littoral Combat Ship and specifically look at what they
will play in the future fleet. Further oversight of the
amphibious forces will also be pursued to include amphibious
assault in a contested environment, integration of advanced
data capabilities and how these ships will be utilized to
support expeditionary advanced basing operations. The committee
will continue its oversight of the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke class
Destroyer program and it transitions to the Flight III variant
that will incorporate the new air and missile defense radar.
The committee will also monitor the requirements associated
with the new large surface combatant DDG(X). In addition to the
manned platforms, the committee will review options for the
Navy to augment the surface force structure with both unmanned
and potentially optionally manned platforms. Finally, the
committee will review the combat logistics forces and the
Maritime Security Program to ensure sufficient capacity is
available to support national security objectives.
As part of this oversight, the committee will continue to
place a significant emphasis on improving affordability in
shipbuilding programs through: ensuring stable requirements;
the use of acquisition best practices; stability within the
overall program; increased reliance on common systems and open
architecture; and industrial base capacity, process, and
facility improvements at the shipyards.
UNDERSEA WARFARE PROGRAMS
The ability to operate freely at sea is one of the most
important enablers of joint and interagency operations, and sea
control requires capabilities in all aspects of the maritime
domain. There are many challenges to our ability to exercise
sea control, perhaps none as significant as the growing number
of nations operating submarines, both advanced diesel-electric
and nuclear propelled. Exercising sea control in the undersea
domain is essential to maintaining the freedom of navigation in
support of U.S. maritime interests. The committee will continue
to review the undersea domain to ensure warfare dominance.
Specifically, the committee will review short- and long-term
options to reverse the decline in the attack submarine force
structure as well as options to augment the undersea fleet with
unmanned underwater vehicles. The committee will also assess
whether sufficient resources and technological maturity are
available for the recapitalization of the ballistic missile
submarine force. The committee will continue to closely monitor
the Virginia class acquisition program and will encourage the
Navy to take all necessary measures to ensure we have a stable
build rate of no fewer than two submarines per year.
Additionally, the committee will monitor the development of the
requirements associated with the follow-on attack submarine to
the Virginia class. Finally, the committee will assess the
weapons and sensors employed in the undersea domain to retain
maritime dominance, to include the capacity and capabilities of
unmanned undersea vehicles.
As part of this oversight, the committee will place
specific emphasis on the efficacy of multi-year procurement,
rigorous assessment of requirements, and management of an
expanding undersea industrial base capacity.
NAVY AND MARINE CORPS INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE
PROGRAMS
During the 117th Congress, the committee will continue
oversight efforts on the size, composition, capability, and
capacity of the Department of Defense's maritime intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft force structure. The
committee continues to monitor the recapitalization of the
remaining P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft with the P-8
Poseidon aircraft. The committee continues to assess the risk
in the Navy's current plan to maintain and procure the MQ-4
Triton.
The committee will monitor the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
Airborne Early Warning Command and Control aircraft as it gains
inflight air refueling capability and continues to replace the
E-2C Hawkeye.
During the 117th Congress the committee will also review
advanced unmanned capabilities provided by the MQ-8B/C
Firescout and new MUX/MALE for the Marine Corps.
STRATEGIC NUCLEAR AND CONVENTIONAL FORCES
The committee will provide oversight of the U.S. nuclear
policy, posture, and programs; extended deterrence policy; arms
control activities; and nuclear force structure requirements.
Particular emphasis will be placed on oversight of nuclear
weapon employment and declaratory policies, force structure,
arms control agreements, and modernization plans. In addition,
the committee will continue oversight of nuclear command and
control and strategic conventional strike programs. The
committee will also continue to monitor the development of
foreign nuclear programs and U.S. nonproliferation programs.
Across all activities, the committee will pay particular
attention to conducting oversight of nuclear enterprise
personnel issues, including to ensure a world class, diverse
workforce.
The committee oversees the atomic energy defense activities
of the Department of Energy and nuclear policies and programs
of the Department of Defense to ensure the safety, security,
reliability, and credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. The
committee will ensure that the United States maintains a safe,
secure, and reliable nuclear arsenal to address current and
future threats. The committee will conduct oversight of the
Department of Energy and the Department of Defense's nuclear
modernization and sustainment plans.
In particular, the committee will oversee funding levels
and requirements for the nuclear deterrence mission and nuclear
enterprise, including relevant nuclear delivery platforms and
their associated warheads to ensure resources are provided and
allocated effectively and efficiently across Department of
Energy and Department of Defense. With regard to the Department
of Defense, the committee will emphasize oversight of major
acquisition programs that will recapitalize U.S. nuclear forces
and the supporting complex for decades into the future,
including but not limited to the Ground-based Strategic
Deterrent system, the Long-Range Standoff cruise missile, and
missiles associated with the new Columbia-class submarine. The
committee will also place particular emphasis on investments in
nuclear enterprise programs that fall under the purview of the
Department of Energy, including but not limited to
infrastructure investments, warhead life extension programs,
stockpile stewardship programs, stockpile management programs,
cost savings and efficiency initiatives, safety and security,
and progress on the nuclear clean-up activities.
In addition, the committee will continue oversight of the
nuclear command and control programs that underpin a reliable
nuclear deterrent. The committee will also continue oversight
of strategic conventional systems, such as the Common
Hypersonic Glide Body program.
The committee will continue to monitor the National Nuclear
Security Administrations Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
activities. The threat of nuclear weapons-grade material,
technology, and know-how remains a threat to the United States,
particularly in light of new technological developments that
may complicate the cost and the ability to detect such
activity. The committee will focus on U.S. capabilities related
to detection of proliferation to ensure their sustainability,
and international cooperation on safeguarding and reducing the
use of nuclear weapons grade materials. The spread of nuclear
weapons and nuclear weapons-usable materials remain a grave
threat to the United States, and as such, the committee is
committed to ensuring oversight over these critical activities
and leveraging new technologies and opportunities as they
arise.
MISSILE DEFENSE
The committee oversees the Department of Defense's efforts
to develop, test, and field layered missile defense
capabilities to protect the United States, its deployed forces,
and allies and partners against missile threats.
The committee will continue to place emphasis on cost-
effective and reliable missile defenses that contribute to
strategic stability. The committee will continue to oversee
U.S. homeland missile defense development, developmental and
operational testing, cyber security to protect ballistic
missile defense system data, force structure and inventory
requirements, continued integration of ``left-of-launch''
capabilities, and science and technology investments (in areas
such as boost-phase intercept, space sensor layer, and
continuous improvements to discrimination). The committee will
emphasize oversight of major acquisition programs that will
recapitalize U.S. missile defenses, including but not limited
to Ground-based Midcourse Defense, the Next Generation
Interceptor program, and Layered Homeland Defense. The
committee will also monitor progress of the Department of
Defense Conventional Prompt Strike program as a potential
``left-of-launch'' capability and related policies that
minimize the risk of ambiguity and miscalculation.
The committee will continue to oversee implementation of
the 2019 Missile Defense Review by the Department of Defense
and opportunities to strengthen international missile defense
cooperation with allies and partners to defend against
ballistic and cruise missiles.
The committee will continue to provide oversight of the
roles, responsibilities, and acquisition policies of the
Missile Defense Agency and military services as they relate to
integrated air and missile defense.
The committee also intends to continue overseeing the
Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense System modernization
efforts, including the Patriot weapon system, the Lower Tier
Air and Missile Defense Sensor (as that program transitions to
a rapid prototyping effort), and efforts to improve
interoperability of Army and Ballistic Missile Defense System
capabilities.
NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE
The committee oversees the national security space policies
and programs of the Department of Defense, including combat
support agencies and elements of the Department of Defense that
are also part of the intelligence community. The committee will
place attention on current and projected foreign space threats
and development of effective deterrence policies for space. The
committee will also assess the Department's space security and
defense programs to include space situational awareness, space
protection, space control, resilience, operationally responsive
space activities including capabilities for rapid constellation
reconstitution and replenishment and use of commercial
capabilities and international cooperation. The committee will
initiate efforts with the Department of Defense in developing a
policy framework to address how best to achieve rules-based
order in space with allies, partners and adversaries.
The committee will also focus on improving the organization
and management of the Space Force, and related policies that
support maintaining and improving the nation's space advantage,
address new threats in space, elevate the focus within the
Department on space as a warfighting domain, and create a
culture that recognizes the importance of space for national
security.
The committee will continue oversight of national security
space activities in support of warfighter operations and plans;
improvement of space acquisition strategies that provide
necessary warfighter capability while reducing cost and
technical risk and supporting the industrial base; maintaining
cost-effective and competitive assured access to space; efforts
to address gaps in space capabilities for key warfighter needs;
investments in science and technology to improve the
capabilities of space systems; efforts to appropriately
leverage commercial space capabilities; improvements of the
synchronization between satellite, ground, and terminal
acquisition programs; and efforts that develop and sustain an
expert space workforce.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN CYBERSPACE ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Military operations in cyberspace have become increasingly
important as state and non-state actors seek to exploit the
information environment to achieve political, military, and
economic objectives. Cyber operations by threat actors below
the level of conflict, such as Russian cyber intrusions to
undermine democratic institutions or exfiltration of controlled
unclassified information from the defense industrial base by
cyber actors affiliated with the People's Republic of China,
pose a dynamic challenge to U.S. national security. The
Department of Defense, when appropriate, must be prepared to
address cyber threats across the spectrum of operations and in
all types of conflict.
Significant progress in Congress' oversight over military
operations in cyberspace has been enacted with the last two
National Defense Authorization Acts, and the committee will
leverage this progress in new actions for the 117th Congress.
The committee will ensure that the Department of Defense
adheres to both the spirit and intent of recently enacted
legislation to ensure that Congress can conduct rigorous
oversight. The committee will also ensure that new initiatives
driven by legislation are thoroughly examined and acted upon to
guarantee the United States' persistent advantage in
cyberspace, including the expansion of tier one cyberspace
operations organizations as part of the Cyber Mission Force and
Cyber Operations Forces.
The ability of the United States to maintain a comparative
advantage in cyberspace is dependent on its ability to expand
the Nation's cyber-proficient workforce through support and
investment in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education.
While the committee applauds efforts to date, significant work
is required to harmonize and rationalize how these investments
are executed. The committee will push the Department to
inventory its existing programs and harmonize as appropriate.
The committee remains concerned that cyberspace operations
have long been considered a component divorced from the wider
operational picture. To enable future success, the committee
will continue in its efforts to break down stovepipes and push
for greater integration between cyberspace operations and
operations conducted in other recognized warfighting domains.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The committee will ensure that the Department of Defense
fosters a robust and balanced science and technology (S&T)
ecosystem comprised of agencies; offices; laboratories;
federally funded research and development centers; university
affiliated research centers; academic partnerships; test and
evaluation entities; and partnerships with the private sector,
including small businesses; in order to deliver the best
capabilities to the warfighter in the
near-, mid-, and long-term. Specifically, the committee will
conduct oversight of the Department's S&T activities to ensure
planning and execution of investments are aligned with national
strategies and other interagency efforts to maintain
technological superiority. This includes examination of the
Department's S&T annual investments and trends over time; the
Department's efforts to advance technologies aligned with the
National Defense Strategy (NDS) and the Under Secretary of
Defense for Research and Engineering's (USD(R&E)'s) eleven
modernization priorities; and how R&E, the military services,
and the many innovation organizations in the Department advance
these modernization priorities while protecting important
science and technology investments.
The committee will continue to oversee performance of the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Innovation
Unit, and Strategic Capabilities Office, as well as other
service-specific innovation centers and partnerships with
private industry to ensure coordination, synchronization,
transition of technology, and prudent use of fiscal resources.
Further, the current global COVID-19 pandemic only underscores
the importance of the subcommittee's oversight of S&T
investments in countermeasures to adversary capabilities and
emerging threats, such as infectious diseases, biotechnologies,
and climate change.
The committee will examine the Department's S&T strategy
and doctrine, concepts of employment, and other organizing
concepts pursued by the military services and the Office of
Secretary of Defense. This includes examination of how
capabilities contribute to new security strategies; how they
are supported by rigorous technical analysis and relevant
concepts of employment; and how the Department will develop
plans to transition matured technologies to the field. The
committee will review how the Department is strategically
developing policies on how the U.S. should use and deploy
future technologies, such as the rapid technological
advancements outlined in the NDS, as well as the R&E
modernization priorities, and how these emerging capabilities
will contribute to new security strategies, as was directed in
in the 116th Congress in section 232 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92).
In the 117th Congress the committee will continue to
examine the Department's level of use of the dozens of
congressionally provided authorities together intended to
improve the Department's S&T facilities, infrastructure, and
access to small businesses, academia, and the tech sector.
Congress has provided these authorities over a number of years
in order to ensure that the Department and the country have the
innovation base and technical workforce needed to maintain and
strengthen the country's technological advantage. The committee
will also continue its focus on science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics education. Providing and
maintaining infrastructure, both digital and brick and mortar,
is paramount to attracting the best talent, and in the 117th
Congress the committee will oversee the implementation plans
for use of authorities and improvement of S&T infrastructure as
was directed in the 116th Congress.
COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET
OVERSIGHT PLAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET FOR THE 117TH CONGRESS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE JURISDICTION AND OVERSIGHT
Under clause 2(d) of House rule X, the Chair of each
Committee is required to prepare, in consultation with the
Ranking Member, and submit to the Committees on Oversight and
Reform and House Administration an oversight plan by March 1 of
the first session of each Congress.\18\ The Budget Committee's
oversight responsibilities are determined by both the breadth
of the federal budget and the relatively narrow focus of the
Committee's legislative jurisdiction.
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\18\Consistent with House rules, a copy of this plan was provided
to each Member of the Committee at least seven calendar days before
submission.
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Under clause 1(d)(1) of House rule X, the primary
responsibility of the Budget Committee is to develop a
concurrent resolution on the budget for the fiscal year. This
concurrent resolution sets spending and revenue levels in
aggregate and across budget functions (a set of programs that
serve a shared purpose or activity, such as agriculture,
health, or national defense).
Although the subject matter of the budget is inherently
broad, the Committee's formal oversight responsibility focuses
on laws governing the budget process and the agencies
responsible for administering elements of those laws. Under
clauses 1(d)(1)-(3) of House rule X, the major laws falling
within its oversight include the Budget and Accounting Act of
1921, the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Balanced Budget
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, the Budget
Enforcement Act of 1990, the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of
2010, the Budget Control Act of 2011, and the Bipartisan Budget
Act of 2019. The two agencies with primary responsibility for
administering elements of these laws and hence which fall under
the Committee's jurisdiction are the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
In addition to these general oversight responsibilities,
the Budget Committee has the special oversight responsibility
under clauses 3(c) and 4(b) of House rule X to study the effect
on budget outlays of existing and proposed legislation and to
request and evaluate continuing studies of tax expenditures.
OVERSIGHT PLAN FOR THE 117TH CONGRESS
Budget Priorities
In the process of developing the annual concurrent budget
resolution, the Committee will hold hearings and receive
testimony from Members of Congress, Cabinet-level and other
federal officials, and expert witnesses to review the
President's budget submissions, review other budget priorities,
and evaluate evidence on the state of the economy and the role
of federal investments on employment and the nation's long-term
economic outlook.
In the 117th Congress, the Committee will be active in its
oversight duties. The Committee plans to focus on a range of
issues, including rescuing an economy damaged by COVID,
creating opportunities to combat and mitigate climate change,
improving health care, ending poverty and systemic inequities,
ensuring that communities are not left behind regardless of
geographic location or density, and creating a fairer tax code.
The Committee will focus on how these issues, in the broadest
terms, impact the federal budget. In every area of inquiry, the
Committee will examine how budgetary policies may affect people
based on factors such as race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, and
national origin. The Committee will explore how additional
information could be provided through the budget process to
better understand these distributional effects.
The Committee will continue its efforts to strengthen
Congress' power of the purse, through recommending specific
reforms to ensure spending and revenue decisions are
transparent and effectively carried out by the Executive
Branch. This will include assessing OMB's legal authorities to
manage federal spending, including the Impoundment Control Act
of 1974. The Committee will also continually assess the
performance of federal agencies in both administration and
service delivery by reviewing performance data in the
President's budget submissions and the relevant reports and
audits of the Government Accountability Office and the Offices
of the Inspectors General. It will also review budget rules and
processes.
The Committee will draw on the authorizing committees'
Views and Estimates, which are submitted to it pursuant to
section 301(d) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, to
coordinate development of the annual concurrent budget
resolution.
Budget Enforcement
The Committee will provide ongoing oversight of OMB's
implementation of budget submission, control, execution, and
enforcement procedures under the Budget and Accounting Act of
1921, the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Budget
Enforcement Act of 1990, the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985, the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of
2010, the Budget Control Act of 2011, and other applicable
laws. It will also provide oversight of CBO's work, including
scoring of legislation moving through Congress, production of
baseline estimates, and longer-term projects on important
budgetary issues.
The Committee will work with the Appropriations and
authorizing committees to ensure that spending and tax
legislation does not breach the levels set in the budget
resolution, as required under sections 302(f) and 311(a) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. The Committee will also
monitor compliance with the House Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rule
requiring that direct spending increases and revenue losses be
offset with either direct spending reductions or revenue
increases.
Federal Spending and Tax Incentives
The Committee will evaluate continuing studies of tax
incentives and spending by the federal government and consider
whether changes are warranted.
OVERSIGHT SCHEDULE
The following are the Committee's initial plans for
hearings and other oversight activities:
First Session (2021)
Spring 2021--Hearing on CBO's Economic and Budget Outlook:
Director of CBO.
Spring 2021--Hearings on the President's Fiscal Year 2022
Budget: Director of OMB; Secretary of the Treasury; Secretary
of the Department of Health and Human Services; Secretary of
the Department of Defense.
Spring 2021--Hearing on Budget Priorities for the 2022 Budget:
Members of Congress.
Spring 2021--Receive Views and Estimates from other committees
to coordinate development of the annual concurrent budget
resolution.
Possible additional hearings on the view of the economy
from the Federal Reserve, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
and the associated government response across all sectors of
the U.S. economy, Article I and Congress's power of the purse,
congressional budget process and enforcement, the shift in
thinking on debt, including Modern Monetary Theory,
opportunities for investments in climate action, and other
topics to be announced.
Second Session (2022)
Winter 2022--Hearing on CBO's Economic and Budget Outlook:
Director of CBO.
Winter 2022--Hearings on the President's Fiscal Year 2023
Budget: Director of OMB; Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of
the Department of Health and Human Services; Secretary of the
Department of Defense.
Winter 2022--Hearing on Budget Priorities for the 2023 Budget:
Members of Congress.
Winter 2022--Hearing on the economy, Chairman of the Federal
Reserve Board.
Winter 2022--Receive Views and Estimates from other committees
to coordinate development of the annual concurrent budget
resolution.
Possible hearings on the causes, effects, and budgetary
implications of rising income inequality, the long-term
benefits of federal investments in building a stronger and
fairer economy for all working families, future-oriented energy
policies, solutions to increase the affordability of raising a
family, the implications of demographic trends for the longer-
term budget and economic outlook, and other topics to be
announced.
MINORITY VIEWS
OVERSIGHT PLAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET FOR THE 117TH CONGRESS
The Committee's oversight activities should be focused on
ensuring both the Legislative and Executive Branches of the
Federal Government are open, transparent, and forthcoming in
providing information regarding their expenditure of taxpayer
resources. The Committee should make sure relevant budgetary
deadlines are adhered to by both branches of government and
exert its proper authority when budget laws and precedent are
not followed.
Oversight of the Office of Management and Budget
While the Majority's Committee Oversight Plan discusses
oversight of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), these
efforts should also include review of OMB's decision- making
process and legal authorities, including budget execution and
enforcement. We hope to join Committee Democrats in ensuring
the President's budget submission is timely, complete, and
transparent regarding the Administration's plans. Simply put,
American taxpayers deserve to not only know what the White
House's true agenda is, but also how much it will cost and
whether it includes tax increases on the working-class.
American families, taxpayers and small businesses should know
the economic consequences of the Administration's policy
priorities.
Committee Republicans appreciate the continued interest in
examining Congress's power of the purse. Given the critical
role OMB plays in executing the Administration's policy
priorities, Committee Republicans hope these oversight efforts
verify the Executive Branch is transparent in implementing its
budgetary decisions. Moreover, as Democrat leaders seek to use
the reconciliation process to quickly enact another $1.9
trillion in federal funding, Committee Republicans believe
transparency and accountability at OMB is crucial, considering
that approximately $1 trillion in similar, previously enacted
funding is yet to be spent. Congress's power to make funding
decisions plays a critical role in the checks and balances it
has on the Executive Branch.
The Budget Committee has a unique oversight responsibility
to study the effects of existing and proposed legislation and
policies. However, notably absent from the Committee's
Oversight Plan are the budgetary impacts of executive actions
by the Administration--such as terminating the southern border
wall, canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline contract, and
displacing thousands of American workers. Additionally, the
removal of Administrative PAYGO will increase costs for
Executive Branch agencies and taxpayers since those same
agencies will no longer have to propose offsets for the costs
associated with discretionary administrative actions. Since the
Committee's Oversight Plan includes evaluating the impact of
policy on protected classes, the Committee should also assess
the impact of policies on the working-class, who will
undoubtedly bear the adverse effects of costly executive
actions, as well as how these policies impact different regions
across our country--particularly rural Americans. Committee
Republicans welcome the opportunity to work in a bipartisan
manner to ensure transparency and accountability of the
Executive Branch and in monitoring the far-reaching economic
consequences of its actions.
The Budget Committee should also work with our counterparts
in the Senate to provide appropriate and necessary oversight of
potential OMB nominees. Given its role in assisting the
President in implementing the Administration's policies across
the Executive Branch, it is crucial that Congress continue to
have a bipartisan working relationship with OMB in order to
best serve the American people.
Additionally, the Budget Committee should be prepared to
support authorizing committees in their oversight of respective
federal agency spending to ensure programs within their
jurisdiction are operating effectively and efficiently and that
these programs fulfill their statutory intent. This Committee
should work with authorizing committees to review government-
wide spending and implement programmatic changes that will
maintain the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and
address the looming debt crisis. Committee Republicans also
support additional oversight efforts to review the expenditure
of taxpayer dollars to verify they are not enriching corporate
America and non-citizens at the expense of small businesses. To
date, the Biden Administration has already issued 34 executive
orders, many of which significantly impact the economy through
lost jobs. Democrats' policies, including executive orders and
additional stimulus spending, will impair the economy and lead
to higher prices for goods and services for all Americans. The
economy is already rapidly recovering, and unemployment
continues to decline. This Committee should examine ways to
support such economic growth and not serve as an impediment to
it.
Oversight of the Congressional Budget Office
The primary responsibility of the Congressional Budget
Office (CBO) is serving the House and Senate Committees on the
Budget by providing information on the federal budget,
legislation considered by Congress, federal spending and
revenues--including cost estimates of legislation--and related
matters. The Committee appreciates CBO's transparency and
responsiveness.
Although oversight of CBO is addressed in the Committee
Oversight Plan, the plan fails to specifically address the
availability of cost estimates of legislation in a timely
manner. It is imperative for Congress to have prompt and
expedient access to cost estimates of major legislation,
especially before consideration of such legislation. The
Committee should also review the accuracy of previous
estimates. This informed decision-making will provide greater
transparency and efficiency in the budget process.
CBO operates on a permanent authorization, stemming from
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and therefore, has never
been fully reauthorized. As the official budgetary agency for
the Legislative Branch, it is important that this Committee
conducts a comprehensive review and reauthorization of CBO.
Congressional Budget Enforcement and Process
We appreciate Committee Democrats' commitment to working
with the Appropriations and authorizing committees to ensure
legislation complies with the budget resolution's levels as
required pursuant to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and
the House Pay-As-You-Go rule. We are disappointed, however,
that the Committee's Oversight Plan does not include any
required consultation by the Chairman with the Ranking Member
regarding the compliance of legislation with the Congressional
Budget Act of 1974 and the House Pay-As-You-Go rule
particularly the budgetary exemptions adopted in H. Res. 8 for
the 117th Congress. A lack of consultation with the Ranking
Member demonstrates the absence of transparency in
congressional budget enforcement.
The Committee's Oversight Plan also fails to examine the
modern-day effectiveness of the congressional budget process,
enforcement, and proper uses of reconciliation. Democrats
failed to adopt a budget resolution all of last Congress. A
Fiscal Year 2021 budget resolution was adopted by Congress this
year after the deadline under law and after all funding for the
fiscal year was appropriated. Democrats' efforts for a Fiscal
Year 2021 budget resolution were driven by the desire to enact
$1.9 trillion in stimulus spending through reconciliation.
Moreover, the use of reconciliation by Democrats to enact
funding for state and local governments based on both
population and unemployment actually punishes states that have
reopened and allowed businesses and Americans to return to
work. It is important for this Committee to abide by both
budget enforcement and the reconciliation process and its
proper uses.
Since its enactment, the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
has been amended numerous times, which has led to Congress
abandoning the process outlined in the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974 for ad hoc procedures. The Congressional Budget Act of
1974 provides several budget enforcement tools. The use of ad
hoc procedures for budgeting often results in a failure to
enforce the budget. Consequently, failure to effectively
enforce the budget resolution leads to increased costs to
taxpayers because Congress fails to comply with its own budget
by enacting legislation without offsets. As a result, it is
imperative for this Committee to review budget enforcement to
ensure it is effective and work together to adhere to strict
budget enforcement.
The implementation of COVID-19 related funding, review of
congressional budget enforcement, and the budgetary impacts on
small businesses and the working-class are examples of national
priority issues that should be addressed from a federal budget
context as well. It is disappointing that these issues were
overlooked in the Committee's Oversight Plan, and Committee
Republicans look forward to addressing these matters moving
forward.
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR
117TH CONGRESS
SUBMISSION OF OVERSIGHT PLAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR
Mr. Scott, from the Committee on Education and Labor,
submitted to the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the
Committee on House Administration the following.
Preparation and Submission of Oversight Plan
Each standing committee of the U.S. House of
Representatives (other than the Committee on Appropriations,
the Committee on Ethics, and the Committee on Rules) is
required to prepare and submit an oversight plan at the
beginning of each Congress. Specifically, clause 2(d)(1) of
rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives states:
(d)(1) Not later than March 1 of the first session of a
Congress, the chair of each standing committee (other than the
Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Ethics, and the
Committee on Rules) shall--
(A) prepare, in consultation with the ranking
minority member, an oversight plan for that Congress;
(B) provide a copy of that plan to each member of the
committee for at least seven calendar days before its
submission; and
(C) submit that plan (including any supplemental,
minority, additional, or dissenting views submitted by
a member of the committee) simultaneously to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Committee on
House Administration.
Jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and Labor
Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives vests
in the Committee on Education and Labor (Committee)
jurisdiction over issues dealing with students, education,
workers, and labor policy. Specifically, clause 1(e) of rule X
vests the Committee with jurisdiction over the following
subject-matter:
(1) Child labor.
(2) Gallaudet University and Howard University and
Hospital.
(3) Convict labor and the entry of goods made by
convicts into interstate commerce.
(4) Food programs for children in schools.
(5) Labor standards and statistics.
(6) Education or labor generally.
(7) Mediation and arbitration of labor disputes.
(8) Regulation or prevention of importation of
foreign laborers under contract.
(9) Workers' compensation.
(10) Vocational rehabilitation.
(11) Wages and hours of labor.
(12) Welfare of miners.
(13) Work incentive programs.
(14) Organization, administration, and general
management of the Department of Education.
(15) Organization, administration, and general
management of the Department of Labor.
General Oversight Responsibilities
Clause 2 of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives provides in part:
(a) The various standing committees shall have general
oversight responsibilities as provided in paragraph (b) in
order to assist the House in--
(1) its analysis, appraisal, and evaluation of--
(A) the application, administration,
execution, and effectiveness of Federal laws;
and
(B) conditions and circumstances that may
indicate the necessity or desirability of
enacting new or additional legislation; and
(2) its formulation, consideration, and enactment of
changes in Federal laws, and of such additional
legislation as may be necessary or appropriate.
(b)(1) In order to determine whether laws and programs
addressing subjects within the jurisdiction of a committee are
being implemented and carried out in accordance with the intent
of Congress and whether they should be continued, curtailed, or
eliminated, each standing committee (other than the Committee
on Appropriations) shall review and study on a continuing
basis--
(A) the application, administration, execution, and
effectiveness of laws and programs addressing subjects
within its jurisdiction;
(B) the organization and operation of Federal
agencies and entities having responsibilities for the
administration and execution of laws and programs
addressing subjects within its jurisdiction;
(C) any conditions or circumstances that may indicate
the necessity or desirability of enacting new or
additional legislation addressing subjects within its
jurisdiction (whether or not a bill or resolution has
been introduced with respect thereto); and
(D) future research and forecasting on subjects
within its jurisdiction.
(2) Each committee to which subparagraph (1) applies having
more than 20 members shall establish an oversight subcommittee,
or require its subcommittees to conduct oversight in their
respective jurisdictions, to assist in carrying out its
responsibilities under this clause. The establishment of an
oversight subcommittee does not limit the responsibility of a
subcommittee with legislative jurisdiction in carrying out its
oversight responsibilities.
Addressing Issues of Inequities
Pursuant to H. Res. 8, adopted by the House of
Representatives in the 117th Congress, Clause 2(d)(2)(F) of
rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives added the
following new requirement to committee oversight plans:
(F) give priority consideration to including in the
plan a discuss of how the committee's work will address
issues of inequities on the basis of race, color,
ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, disability, age, or national origin.
This Committee has and will continue to work toward an
America where everyone can succeed, not just the wealthy few,
by conducting oversight to ensure that federal laws are applied
without illegal discrimination and federal programs are
implemented to improve the lives of all children, students,
workers, retirees, and families. The Committee's commitment to
realize equity in and access to quality education, achieve safe
and inclusive workplaces where workers can earn a livable wage
and collectively bargain, and expand access to quality and
affordable health care are fundamental to its oversight
activities.
In the 117th Congress, the Committee will continue to
deliver on its promise to the people across this great nation
by shedding light on longstanding inequities and achievement
gaps in education, unsafe and exclusionary workplaces, and
limited or no access to quality and affordable health care for
those who need it most. As it has always done, the Committee
will continue to use its oversight authority to ensure that the
federal government and its partners are delivering for the
people, and it is pleased that this provision has been added to
the Rules to ensure that other committees are doing the same.
Exercise of Oversight Responsibilities
The Constitution of the United States vests in Congress the
authority and responsibility to make laws and ensure that those
laws are properly enforced and enacted. Oversight is a
constitutional prerogative, an important responsibility of the
Congress, and a core objective of the Committee. Accordingly,
the Committee will thoroughly oversee and investigate the
various departments, agencies, and programs within its
jurisdiction. In so doing, the Committee will actively consult
with House committees that have concurrent or related
jurisdiction.
In its oversight proceedings, the Committee will make full
use of hearings in Washington, DC and of regional field
hearings to ensure all relevant voices are heard and included
as part of the official record. Among other investigative
techniques, the Committee will visit relevant sites, correspond
with affected parties, request briefings by federal agencies
and departments, review assessments and analyses by the
Congressional Research Service (CRS), and review audits and
investigations by the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
and the Offices of the Inspectors General of the U.S.
Departments of Education (ED), Labor (DOL), Health and Human
Services (HHS), Agriculture (Ag), and Justice (DOJ).
The Committee will lead aggressive oversight in its areas
of jurisdiction, which include programs and statutes
administered and enforced by ED, DOL, HHS, Ag, DOJ, and various
independent agencies as well as the organization,
administration, and general management of ED and DOL. The
Committee will work to ensure that these programs and statutes
are administered consistent with constitutional requirements of
faithful execution of laws passed by Congress and long-
established principles of federalism. Additionally, the
Committee will conduct oversight to ensure that they are
operated and executed in an effective, efficient, and
transparent manner as well as follow congressional intent in
their scope, activities, and operations.
The Committee has identified priority areas for oversight
and investigation in the 117th Congress. These areas include,
but are not limited to, the following:
COVID-19 Relief: To respond to the COVID-19
pandemic, Congress appropriated significant resources
in the 116th Congress. The Committee will oversee the
implementation of these laws and future COVID-19 relief
legislation to ensure that students, teachers,
patients, workers, and their families are adequately
protected. As part of this work, the Committee will
continue to conduct oversight of ED's COVID-19 relief
efforts to ensure it appropriately distributes funds to
Puerto Rico.
Civil Rights: The Committee will oversee the
implementation of civil rights laws pertaining to
education, labor and employment, and health to ensure
that such protections are sustained and robustly
enforced. Oversight shall include reviewing the
policies and priorities of ED's Office for Civil
Rights, DOL's Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. In addition, the Committee will investigate
the Trump Administration's rollback of civil rights
policies and ensure the Biden Administration works to
benefit all workers and students. The Committee will
assess the longstanding education gaps that have
deepened due to institutional educational inequities
rooted in racism. The Committee will also conduct
oversight on DOL's, ED's, and HHS' rules and use of
faith-based exemptions to ensure that they are not used
to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national
origin, disability, or any other protected class in
federal programs and contracts. Further, the Committee
will investigate maternal and infant issues, food
insecurity, and other institutional inequities that
impact access to quality health care and community
supports.
Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds
Act: ED has not implemented the bipartisan Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) with fidelity. Accordingly,
the Committee will ensure ED fully and appropriately
implements ESSA, with a focus on ESSA's accountability
and supplement not supplant provisions.
Restarting Student Loan Payments: Congress
and President Trump have suspended all payments and
collections on federally-held student loans since March
2020 due to the pandemic-induced recession. This will
present operational challenges when servicers are
charged with reinitiating collections and payments for
the entire student borrower portfolio. The Committee
will investigate whether servicers are sufficiently
prepared to resume collecting student loan payments
and, when payments resume, will conduct oversight to
ensure servicers are complying with all statutory and
contractual requirements.
Student Aid: The Committee will conduct
oversight on the policies and priorities of the Office
of Federal Student Aid (FSA), especially as they relate
to institutional accountability, monitoring of the
incentive compensation ban, reducing abuse among
institutions reliant on online program management
companies, and monitoring institutional financial
solvency. Further, the Committee will continue to
investigate and monitor FSA's procurement of components
of the NextGen initiative, FSA's implementation of the
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, and
FSA's implementation of the Teacher Education
Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH)
grants program.
For-Profit Institution Conversions: Over the
last decade, for-profit institutions have converted to
non-profit institutions at an accelerated rate and with
insufficient monitoring from ED. Some of these
conversions have allowed for-profit owners and
executives to improperly benefit from non-profit
organizations and have posed financial risks to
students and taxpayers. The Committee will investigate
recently converted institutions and those seeking new
conversions to evaluate and mitigate risks.
Borrower Defense: The Trump Administration
repealed student borrower protections and replaced them
with corporate-friendly regulations that made obtaining
meaningful relief for defrauded borrowers nearly
impossible. The Committee will oversee ED's
implementation and re-regulation of these provisions to
ensure borrowers are protected from institutional
misconduct and made whole when evidence of fraud is
uncovered.
Students and Workers with Disabilities: The
Committee will conduct oversight on ED's implementation
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's
significant disproportionality requirements. Though
this requirement was meant to protect Black and Latino
students from overrepresentation in special education,
ED has failed to effectively enforce this provision.
The Committee also will monitor the activities of DOL's
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) to ensure
it is fulfilling its mission to improve educational
opportunities for people with disabilities and provide
technical assistance to employers to support people
with disabilities in the workplace.
Department of Labor's Workforce Development
Programs: The Committee will conduct oversight on DOL's
workforce training programs. This includes reviewing
the policies and expenditures of apprenticeship
programs operated by DOL, and evaluating the various
programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act, including Job Corps, the Dislocated Worker
program, and the Re-entry Employment Opportunity
program.
Worker Wages: The Committee will conduct
oversight on the DOL's Wage and Hour Division's (WHD)
actions regarding overtime pay, protections for tipped
workers, and child labor protections under the Fair
Labor Standards Act. The Committee will evaluate the
WHD's enforcement of prevailing wage laws.
Workplace Safety and Health: The Committee
will conduct oversight on the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration's (OSHA) actions regarding
workplace health and safety standards, including
infectious disease protections, occupational heat
stress, workplace violence in health care and social
service settings, and hazardous substances. The
Committee will assess the adequacy of OSHA's COVID-19
policies and the effectiveness of its enforcement
efforts at high-risk worksites, including warehouses,
meat packing plants, and nursing homes.
Mine Safety and Health: The Committee will
evaluate the Mine Safety and Health Administration's
actions to stem the rising rates of black lung disease
and assess whether changes to its enforcement policies
have compromised miners' safety.
Workers' Compensation Programs: The
Committee will evaluate risks to the solvency of the
Black Lung Benefits Disability Trust Fund, review the
adequacy of COVID-19 compensation coverage under the
Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and the
Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, and
evaluate DOL's implementation of recommendations issued
by the Government Accountability Office with respect to
the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.
Retirement Security and Pensions: The
Committee will examine the costs and consequences to
workers, retirees, businesses, and communities, as well
as to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, if
Congress does not address the multiemployer pension
crisis. The Committee also will continue to monitor the
impact of ``midnight'' rules (retirement investment
advice, environmental, social, and governance (ESG)
investing, and proxy voting) that were finalized by DOL
during the final months of the Trump Administration.
International Labor Rights: The Committee
will investigate, where appropriate, international
labor issues, including those involving trade
agreements and labor rights abuses, and oversee the
management and operations of the International Labor
Affairs Bureau within DOL.
Guestworker Programs: The Committee will
conduct oversight on the implementation of the
provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act that
protect the wages and working conditions of both U.S.
and foreign workers.
Collective Bargaining Rights: The Committee
will conduct oversight and investigations to ensure
that the National Labor Relations Board is fairly and
ethically enforcing the National Labor Relations Act.
This includes ensuring that any structural changes to
the National Labor Relations Board are aligned with its
mission to protect workers.
Child Nutrition: The Committee will monitor
and conduct oversight on the Department of
Agriculture's administration of child nutrition
programs within the Committee's jurisdiction and any
proposed policies and regulations that impact these
nutrition programs, including during the COVID-19
pandemic.
Health Care: The Committee will conduct
oversight to ensure that all people are receiving
equitable and affordable access to health care,
including investigating inequities that prevent
individuals and communities from accessing needed
health care. This includes ensuring that all
individuals and families can access needed prescription
drugs.
Supporting Communities: The Committee will
conduct oversight to ensure that community support
programs and federal funding targeted to improving
equity for vulnerable populations achieves that goal.
The Committee reserves the right to review and investigate
general legislative, administrative, and regulatory issues
affecting its jurisdiction.
117TH CONGRESS
SUBMISSION OF OVERSIGHT PLAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR
MINORITY VIEWS
The American people deserve an open, accountable government
that works efficiently, effectively, and in adherence to the
law. Congress must use its constitutional authority to ensure
that laws are properly enforced, taxpayer money is spent wisely
in accordance with congressional intent, and government policy
does not harm the American people. Congressional oversight of
federal programs and activities is a critical part of this
authority. Oversight is a constitutional prerogative, an
important responsibility of the Congress, and a core objective
of the Committee. Accordingly, the Committee should responsibly
oversee, investigate, and hold accountable the various
agencies, departments, and programs within its jurisdiction.
As we said last Congress, oversight may not be glamorous or
exciting, but it is important to be diligent, thoughtful, and
responsible in its implementation. It is equally important to
be objective. If the Committee's work is to be effective, then
it is important for all Members to keep open minds, examine
potential problems, assess the actual facts and evidence, and
finally determine if there are concerns that need to be
addressed.
Exercise of Oversight Responsibilities
Under the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee has jurisdiction over programs and statutes
administered and enforced by the U.S. Departments of Education,
Labor, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, and Justice, as
well as various independent agencies. The Committee should
continue to ensure these programs and statutes are implemented
in an effective and efficient manner and consistent with the
appropriate federal role following congressional intent. In so
doing, the Committee should actively consult with House
committees that have concurrent or related jurisdiction.
The Committee should pursue several areas for oversight and
investigation in the 117th Congress. These areas are discussed
below:
Coronavirus Relief. Significant waiver
authority has been authorized to allow secretaries to
waive legal requirements and limitations in federal
law. Additionally, billions of taxpayer dollars have
been provided over the past year to states to assist
students, schools, employees and employers, and other
entities. The Committee must ensure these funds are
being used effectively and in compliance with the law
and ensure the waiver authority granted is used
appropriately and fairly.
Every Student Succeeds Act. In 2015,
Congress passed, and the President signed, a
bipartisan, bicameral bill to replace No Child Left
Behind with commonsense reforms to allow states and
communities the flexibility needed to provide all
students an excellent education. The Committee should
ensure the Biden administration continues the Trump
administration's commitment to follow the letter of the
law and congressional intent in its implementation of
the law.
Student Aid. The U.S. Department of
Education oversees $1.5 trillion in outstanding federal
student loans and disburses billions in grants and
work-study funds each year. The Committee should
continue to monitor the costs and performance of these
programs. The Committee should also examine both the
Office of Federal Student Aid's internal reorganization
and its contracts with student loan servicers and
private collection agencies.
Higher Education Regulations. Institutions
of higher education are subject to myriad federal
regulations and reporting requirements that are often
burdensome and costly. The Committee should continue
its oversight of regulatory policies and challenge
those that enlarge the federal footprint in
postsecondary education, which tends to interfere with
academic freedom, infringe on the authorities of the
states, limit student choice and freedom of expression,
and unfairly target particular sectors of higher
education.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In
2014, Congress passed, and the President signed, a
bipartisan, bicameral bill to fix the nation's broken
workforce development system. The Committee should
examine the impact of the pandemic on the programs
under the law and ensure the law is properly
implemented so that it continues to help workers attain
skills for 21st century jobs.
Health Care. The Committee should continue
oversight of health care issues, including the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) and implementation of the No
Surprises Act. In particular, the Committee should
focus on how the ACA regulations and sub-regulatory
guidance have harmed employers' ability to provide high
quality, affordable health care to employees, including
educators and school staff. The Committee should also
support actions to provide relief from these costly and
burdensome requirements.
Employer and Employee Protections. The
Committee should conduct oversight and investigations,
as appropriate, to ensure employee and employer rights
under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) are
protected and applied consistently without bias.
Additionally, the Committee should work to ensure the
NLRA is upheld during the Biden administration by
maintaining the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB)
ability to operate independently and free from
political interference. The Committee should also
conduct oversight into President Biden's unprecedented
firing of the Senate-confirmed NLRB General Counsel 10
months before the expiration of his term.
Workplace Safety. The Committee has a duty
to ensure that the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) are appropriately carrying out
their missions to protect the safety and health of
America's workers. The Committee should conduct
oversight on the rulemaking process by ensuring
agencies solicit necessary and required feedback from
stakeholders so that workplace safety regulations are
responsible and feasible. The Committee should also be
closely monitoring the Biden administration OSHA and
MSHA COVID-19 responses--including plans to issue
emergency temporary standards--to ensure that the
agencies' regulatory approach is legal, appropriate,
and does not hinder employers from protecting workers
from COVID-19 in the workplace.
Retirement Security. The retirement system
works best when workers have access to voluntary,
robust, portable, and secure savings options. The
Committee should monitor the U.S. Department of Labor's
activities to ensure regulations and sub-regulatory
guidance benefit the long-term retirement security of
working families and do not restrict access to
affordable retirement advice.
Multiemployer Pensions. Extreme and
continued underfunding in multiemployer defined benefit
pension plans threaten the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation's (PBGC) solvency as well as benefits
promised to workers and retirees who participate in
these plans. To prevent further deterioration of the
plans' funding and protect the security of worker and
retiree benefits, the Committee should consider
meaningful, forward-looking and fiscally responsible
structural reforms consistent with the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Legislation
should include meaningful compromises involving all
stakeholders, including unions and employers, to avoid
the moral hazard of open-ended taxpayer commitments.
Without systemic reforms, Congress would simply be
rewarding multiemployer plan trustees for years of poor
management. The Committee should also continue to
monitor the implementation of the Multiemployer Pension
Reform Act of 2014 and the activities of the PBGC to
develop needed bipartisan reforms that will protect
both taxpayers and workers.
Regulatory Process. An open and transparent
process for revising and implementing regulations will
benefit students, institutions, employers, and workers
alike. The Committee should work to ensure that
stakeholders have sufficient time to review and provide
public comment on regulatory actions within the
Committee's jurisdiction.
Wage and Hour Laws. Significant federal
labor laws were enacted more than 70 years ago for a
very different workforce from the one that exists
today. The Committee should continue to examine how
these outdated laws affect economic growth and job
creation. In addition, the Committee should continue to
encourage the agencies in its jurisdiction, especially
the U.S. Department of Labor, to focus on compliance
assistance, rather than punitive enforcement measures,
to help employers understand and follow federal labor
laws.
Government Spending. The Committee should
closely monitor all agencies under its jurisdiction to
determine whether the expenditure of taxpayers' money
is leading to efficient, high-quality outcomes for
students and workers.
Union Transparency. Workers who have chosen
to be represented by unions want to be sure their dues
are being properly managed. The Committee should
examine the efficacy of current union reporting
requirements and work to ensure that employees have
access to information that clearly shows how their dues
are spent. In particular, the Committee should conduct
oversight to investigate and examine notable cases of
union corruption involving the embezzlement of workers'
union dues.
Executive Action. The Obama administration
took a number of executive actions that encroach on the
constitutional authority of Congress to write the law;
unfortunately, the Biden administration seems to have
adopted that flawed approach to governing. The
Committee should monitor and analyze these actions and
work together to reclaim Congress' role as the
legislative branch of government.
Along with the oversight objectives already outlined, the
Committee should examine the programs within its jurisdiction
whose authorizations have expired or will soon expire. Based
upon the results of that oversight, the Committee should
determine the appropriate next steps.
Conclusion
Committee Republicans believe responsible, fact-driven
oversight of the agencies over which this Committee has
jurisdiction is vitally important. The Committee must ensure
that agencies are being good stewards of hard-working taxpayer
dollars and are implementing the laws Congress passed with
fidelity. Committee Republicans look forward to pursuing
oversight opportunities that meet those goals and working with
our majority colleagues in this endeavor.
Signatories:
Virginia Foxx,
Ranking Member.
Glenn ``GT'' Thompson.
Tim Walberg.
Glenn Grothman.
Elise M. Stefanik.
Rick W. Allen.
Jim Banks.
James Comer.
Russ Fulcher.
Fred Keller.
Gregory F. Murphy.
Mariannette Miller Meeks, M.D.
Burgess Owens.
Bob Good.
Lisa C. McClain.
Diana Harshbarger.
Mary E. Miller.
Victoria Spartz.
Madison Cawthorn.
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
OVERSIGHT PLAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 117TH CONGRESS
THE HONORABLE FRANK PALLONE, JR., CHAIRMAN
Rule X, clause 2(d) of the Rules of the House requires each
standing Committee to develop an oversight plan for the two-
year period of the Congress and to submit the plan to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform and to the Committee on House
Administration not later than March 1 of the first session of
the Congress.
This is the oversight plan of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce for the 117th Congress. It includes areas where the
Committee expects to conduct oversight during the 117th
Congress, subject to staff and resource limitations, but does
not preclude oversight or investigation of additional matters.
The Committee will continue to consult with other committees
that have jurisdiction over the same or related laws, programs,
or agencies with the objective of ensuring maximum coordination
and cooperation. Specifically, the Committee will continue to
work with other committees to facilitate expiring programs,
coordinate with the Congressional Budget Office regarding
lapsed authorizations and upcoming expirations, and hold member
and staff-level meetings with relevant committees and House and
Senate conferences.
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Climate Crisis
Climate change is a crisis that affects every region of the
country and threatens the economy, the environment, and public
health. In the midst of a severe economic downturn, the
Committee intends to examine opportunities and mechanisms for a
green and just economic recovery for all Americans. The
Committee will focus on the economic, environmental, and health
effects of climate change, including the disproportionate
impacts on low-income communities, communities of color, tribal
communities, and other historically overburdened populations.
The Committee will identify opportunities to reduce negative
impacts, create new businesses and jobs, and make all
communities safer and more resilient. The Committee will also
review actions needed to meet our obligations under the Paris
Climate Agreement and examine the climate impacts of regulatory
efforts and programs by the Department of Energy (DOE), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS), and other agencies within the
Committee's jurisdiction. The Committee plans to examine
governmental and nongovernmental activities and policies to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Committee will also assess
state funding programs and other efforts by agencies within the
Committee's jurisdiction to ensure states and local communities
have the resources needed to prepare for and respond to severe
weather events and natural disasters.
Clean Air Act
The Committee expects to review significant rulemakings and
program implementation under the Clean Air Act and associated
public health and environmental benefits. The Committee will
conduct oversight of EPA decisions, management strategies, and
other actions affecting efforts to meet Clean Air Act
standards, including EPA actions that affect state efforts to
meet public health goals. This review will include a close
examination of the costs and benefits of Clean Air Act actions,
and the role these analyses have played in perpetuating
disparate air pollution, for historically overburdened
communities. Additionally, the Committee will examine the
current role of and proposed changes to the accounting of cost,
benefits, and feasibility in Clean Air Act rulemakings. The
Committee will also continue to conduct oversight of EPA's
implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard, including
program transparency and opportunities for that authority to
address climate change and pollution disparities.
Environmental Contamination and Cleanup
The Committee will conduct oversight of EPA's
implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response
Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA). This will include the
cleanup of sites vulnerable to the effects of climate change
and sites that contribute to the disparate burden of pollution
in historically overburdened communities. The Committee will
also oversee implementation of recent updates to the
Brownfields program. The Committee anticipates investigating
the public health, environmental, and economic impacts of the
expiration of Superfund taxes and EPA's decisions regarding
financial responsibility requirements under CERCLA Section
108(b).
Hazardous and Solid Waste
The Committee will examine state and federal implementation
of our waste laws, including the disparate impacts of unsafe
waste disposal on historically overburdened communities. This
review will focus on the public health and environmental
impacts, including climate impacts, of plastic waste and
recycling, coal ash, waste materials containing per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances, landfill gas, and various waste
disposal methods.
Regulation of Dangerous Chemical Substances
The Committee will conduct oversight of EPA's
implementation of the reformed Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA) as EPA moves forward with the first risk management
rules under the law and revises its framework rules in light of
judicial decisions. This oversight will look at EPA's efforts
to reexamine and incorporate into its regulatory framework
previously excluded uses, exposures, vulnerable populations,
and scientific studies. The Committee will examine the impacts
these decisions are having on the most vulnerable and
disproportionately impacted, including workers, infants and
children, and historically overburdened communities. The
Committee will also examine risk management activities and
decisions related to pesticides and other non-TSCA regulated
chemicals, as well as the actions of other agencies in the
Committee's jurisdiction charged with addressing these issues,
including DOE and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry.
Drinking Water Risks and Safety
The Committee will continue its oversight of the standard
setting process under the Safe Drinking Water Act, including
obstacles to timely action and to addressing disparate risks to
historically overburdened communities. The Committee will also
examine serious threats to the safety of our drinking water,
including risks from lead service lines and per- and
polyfluoroalkyl substances. In addition, the Committee will
continue to review the impact on communities of regulatory
ambiguity under the Safe Drinking Water Act regarding hydraulic
fracturing, as well as transparency and potential risks to
communities from the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.
EPA Management and Operations
The Committee will conduct general oversight of EPA. This
will include review of agency enforcement activities (including
the use of those activities to address disparate pollution
burdens in historically overburdened communities), funding
decisions, staff and other resource allocations, office and
program reorganization, grants, research activities, and
contracts awarded to outside parties. The Committee will also
conduct general oversight of EPA's relations with state, local,
and tribal governments, as well as its public transparency, and
adherence to economic, procedural, public health, and
environmental standards in regulatory actions.
National Energy Policy
The Committee will examine policies that relate to energy
efficiency and conservation, and the exploration, production,
transmission, distribution, and consumption of electricity, oil
and natural gas, coal, hydroelectric power, nuclear power, and
renewable energy. The Committee will continue to address
associated climate issues as well as the impacts of such
activities on safety, security, and public health. Further, the
Committee will investigate the disparate costs, benefits,
risks, and opportunities of these policies for historically
overburdened communities. The Committee will also review the
electrification of the transportation sector, and examine the
electric grid needs for increased charging infrastructure. The
Committee will inquire into the impact of government policies
and programs--including those established in the recently
enacted Energy Act of 2020--on the exploration, production,
storage, supply, marketing, pricing, and regulation of domestic
energy resources, including issues relating to the nation's
energy infrastructure. The Committee will review existing
federal interstate transmission policies and explore how they
should be revised to facilitate increased integration of
renewable energy resources and reduced costs to consumers. The
Committee will also explore electric utility responses to the
impacts of climate change-induced extreme weather events to
determine where improvements can be made to mitigate adverse
impacts and expedite recovery. Additionally, the Committee will
examine energy access, energy poverty, and the Low-Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), as necessary.
Electricity and Natural Gas Markets and Regulation
The Committee will review the federal electricity and
natural gas policies of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) related to
competitive markets for compliance with relevant statutes. The
Committee will also examine FERC and DOE activities relating to
consumer protection and the environment with regard to
electricity, natural gas, and hydroelectric power, including
the development of efficient and vigorous wholesale markets for
electricity. The Committee will explore ways to increase
transparency into regulatory proceedings at FERC to ensure that
members of the public, particularly landowners subject to
pipeline-related eminent domain proceedings, have the ability
to understand and actively engage with FERC on these matters.
Similarly, the Committee will look specifically at tribal roles
in statutes implemented by FERC. Additionally, the Committee
will closely examine actions regarding pipeline safety by the
Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration as well as actions regarding pipeline
security by the Department of Homeland Security's
Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The Committee
will also review the need for modernizing the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act.
Energy and Fuel Efficiency Mandates
The Committee will continue to oversee federal programs
setting energy efficiency standards for home appliances crafted
by DOE, to ensure that the programs maximize the benefit to
consumers, public health, and the environment. The Committee
will also examine greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for
motor vehicles developed by EPA and the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), respectively.
Additionally, the Committee will review energy efficiency and
carbon reduction efforts within the federal government and the
Federal Energy Management Program, generally. The Committee
will also continue its oversight of building energy efficiency
codes, the process for setting those codes, and DOE's role in
fostering their adoption.
Management of the Department of Energy and its National Laboratories
The Committee will continue to oversee governance,
management, and operations issues at DOE, including the
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the
National Laboratories. This will include a continued focus on
DOE's management of the contractors that operate the national
laboratories. The Committee's oversight work will also include
review of the implementation of management, security, and
safety reforms at NNSA and DOE facilities, ongoing safety and
security matters, as well as the work of the Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board. The Committee will continue to oversee
the Office of Environmental Management's efforts to cleanup
waste and contamination from nuclear weapons production and
research, including the significant increases in environmental
liabilities in recent years. This work will also include the
Committee's oversight functions over DOE grant and loan
guarantee programs as well as programs and activities relating
to nonmilitary energy research and development.
Nuclear waste
The Committee will continue to review the actions of DOE
and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding
obligations of these agencies under the Nuclear Waste Policy
Act. The Committee will also examine other nuclear waste
cleanup and disposal programs under its jurisdiction.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Committee will continue to examine the programs and
activities of NRC. The Committee will review NRC's budget
requests and conduct oversight of the manner in which the
Commission discharges its various responsibilities, including
the Commission's regulatory actions, licensing activity, the
safety and security of nuclear power facilities, and nuclear
materials licensees.
21st Century Workforce
The Committee will continue its longstanding oversight of
the energy workforce. The Committee will focus attention on the
transition to a clean energy economy, the impact on traditional
energy employment, and the increased need for a skilled
workforce in the growing areas of renewable energy, energy
efficiency, and storage, among other things. The Committee will
continue its ongoing examination of diversity in the energy
workforce and pathways to ensure underrepresented groups
including Native Americans, people of color, women and veterans
are able to obtain employment and benefit from the transition
to a clean energy economy.
HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE ISSUES
The Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19)
The Committee will continue general oversight of the
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee will review
pharmaceutical manufacturers' efforts to develop and produce
COVID-19 vaccines, and the federal government's role in
supporting those efforts and ensuring equitable distribution of
the vaccines. The Committee will also continue to examine
issues related to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) producing and disseminating reliable public
health data and information, and efforts by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to review, authorize, and approve drugs,
vaccines, and devices in the fight against COVID-19.
The Affordable Care Act
The Committee will continue to examine issues related to
the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS)
implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including
decisions by the Trump Administration to administratively and
illegally undermine the ACA. This oversight will also examine
the effect the Trump Administration's decisions have had on
access to comprehensive, affordable health care. The Committee
will also examine the role the ACA has played in providing
health insurance coverage during the COVID-19 crisis and
associated economic downturn, as well as explore ways to
strengthen the law in order to ensure all Americans have access
to comprehensive, affordable health care.
HHS Management and Operations
The Committee will conduct general oversight of HHS and its
agencies to ensure it is fulfilling its mission to enhance and
protect the health of all Americans. The Committee will also
review HHS's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including
actions taken by FDA, CDC, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS), and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
and Response (ASPR) related to the prevention of, preparation
for, and response to COVID-19. The Committee will also review
actions taken by political leadership at HHS during the Trump
Administration that have undermined professional morale and the
public health mission of the agency.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The Committee will review the management, operations, and
activities of CMS and the programs it administers. The
Committee will study the positive economic effect of Medicaid
expansion and impact of Medicaid expansion on access to care.
The Committee will review insurance coverage rates for children
and state outreach efforts to enroll uninsured children. The
Committee will examine attempts by the Trump Administration to
administratively and illegally undermine the Medicaid program,
which provides critical services to over 70 million
individuals, and the disparate impact that these illegal
actions had on access to care for communities of color. The
Committee will also continue to examine the increasing out-of-
pocket drug costs for seniors under the Medicare program,
including drug therapies intended to treat COVID-19. The
Committee will examine the positive effects of capping out-of-
pocket costs in Medicare Part D and providing the Secretary of
HHS the authority to negotiate drug prices, particularly for
drugs that lack robust market competition.
Food and Drug Administration and Product Safety
The Committee will review the management, operations, and
activities of the FDA, including the ability of the agency to
ensure the safety of the nation's food, drugs, devices, and
cosmetics, as well as the impact of tobacco use on public
health. The Committee will examine the agency's implementation
of emergency use authorities during COVID-19 response,
including authorizations for drugs, including vaccines and
devices. The Committee will also investigate FDA's enforcement
of current drug supply chain and safety laws and its foreign
drug inspection program. The Committee will also oversee
implementation of the Over-the-Counter Monograph Safety,
Innovation, and Reform Act, including the establishment and
collection of user fees. Further, the Committee will review
FDA's efforts to improve and modernize the regulatory framework
for medical devices and medical device safety, as well as
examine FDA oversight and evaluation of diagnostic tests,
including laboratory-developed tests. The Committee will also
continue to review the FDA's efforts to combat youth access to
tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)
products, as well as the agency's enforcement and
implementation of the Tobacco Control Act, including the
agency's review of premarket tobacco product applications of
new tobacco products. The Committee intends to review the
safety of cosmetics and personal care products in light of the
substantial increase in cosmetic imports, one of FDA's larger
categories of imports. The Committee will also examine FDA's
statutory authorities for protecting the nation's food supply
with a view towards identifying any gaps and whether FDA's
financial and personnel resources are adequate to protect the
public from unsafe food.
Public Health and Pandemic Preparedness
The Committee will examine the roles of various federal
agencies responsible for protecting public health, including
program management and implementation. Specifically, the
Committee will continue to conduct oversight of federal efforts
on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, including
the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other infectious diseases.
Oversight will include examination of resources and programs
such as the Strategic National Stockpile, public health
laboratory capacity, and disease surveillance, as well as the
United States' response to additional emerging foreign
infectious disease threats. The Committee will continue
oversight of COVID-19 vaccine distribution, administration, and
promotion, as well as activities to combat the underutilization
of vaccines for other vaccine-preventable diseases. The
Committee will also continue its review of efforts to combat
the drug epidemic, including opioids and stimulants. The
Committee will examine federal coordination carried out by the
Office of National Drug Control Policy, state and local
responses, and the roles of participants in the health care
delivery chain. Additionally, the Committee will study the role
our federal public health agencies play and the actions such
agencies can take to reduce health disparities among racial and
ethnic minorities, and to address the health impacts caused by
gun violence in our communities. Further, the Committee will
also review and monitor any efforts that stymie or hinder
access to comprehensive women's health care and reproductive
health care services, which disproportionately impact low-
income women and women of color. Finally, the Committee will
also continue to monitor implementation of mental health
reforms and the work done by the Assistant Secretary for Mental
Health and Substance Use, the mental health impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic, as well as issues related to the health and
safety of athletes, including youth athletes.
Health Care Affordability
The Committee will examine the Administration's actions and
policies related to the rising costs of health care and
prescriptions drugs. This will include examining the role FDA
and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) play in the
discovery, development, and delivery of innovative medications.
The Committee will also investigate the impacts higher health
care costs, including rising out-of-pocket costs, are having on
American families, including seniors, and what actions may be
taken to improve affordability within our health care system.
The Committee will conduct oversight on the implementation of
legislative and administrative actions taken to end surprise
billing practices. The Committee will also continue to review
policies proposed by the Administration to lower the costs of
prescription drugs and will investigate how actions taken by
brand name and generic drug manufacturers have impacted such
costs, including abuses and gaming of current regulatory
requirements. Further, the Committee will study the role
rebates play in the costs of prescription drugs and to our
federal health care system and how changes to rebates may
impact such costs.
Reunification of Unaccompanied Children
The Committee will continue to monitor and oversee HHS and
the Office of Refugee Resettlement's efforts to provide
appropriate care to unaccompanied children who are awaiting
placement with sponsors in the United States. The Committee
will also review HHS's role in significant policies that affect
the placement and coordination of unaccompanied children,
including changes to protocols that could delay the placement
of unaccompanied children with sponsors. The Committee's review
will also include monitoring HHS-contracted facilities'
compliance with federal laws and regulations, as well as HHS's
oversight of these facilities, including influx facilities.
Indian Health Service
The Committee expects to investigate the availability,
quality, and adequacy of health care prevention and treatment
services provided by the Indian Health Service. The Committee
will continue to review current implementation of the Indian
Health Care Improvement Act and how this law and the care
provided by the Indian Health Service is working for American
Indians and Alaska Natives in order to inform the Committee on
ways to improve care for those who rely on these services. The
Committee will also review the disproportionate impact of
COVID-19 on tribal communities, as well as the quality and
adequacy of the Indian Health Service's response to the
pandemic.
Health Care Inequality
Despite overall improvements in population health over
time, many health and health care disparities have persisted
and, in some cases, worsened. Addressing these disparities is
important not only from an equity standpoint, but also for
improving overall quality of health care and population health.
COVID-19 did not cause this country's health and health care
disparities, rather, the pandemic laid bare these vast
inequalities among our most vulnerable populations. The
Committee will examine issues of inequities in our health care
system on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or
national origin. The Committee will also investigate the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color,
racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality, and the
appropriate collection of demographic data related to health
and health care.
COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
Federal Communications Commission Management and Operations
The Committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
operations, management, and activities of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC), including the effect of its
decisions on protecting consumers, promoting privacy and data
security, encouraging universal broadband access and adoption,
technologies and services, supply chain security, increasing
diversity of ownership and competition, and ensuring adequate
emergency communications capability. Additionally, the
Committee will evaluate the effect of FCC actions on spectrum
policy, network resiliency, and public safety, as well as data,
video, voice, and audio services.
National Telecommunciations and Information Adminstration Management
and Operations
The Committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
operations, management, and activities of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within
the Department of Commerce, including its efforts to promote
cybersecurity, supply chain security, consumer privacy,
efficient federal spectrum use, spectrum sharing, spectrum
management, emergency communications, and network resiliency.
The Committee will continue to oversee the NTIA's efforts to
promote broadband deployment and adoption, including the
establishment of two new offices, the Office of Internet
Connectivity and Growth and the Office of Minority Broadband
Initiatives, and the tribal and rural grant programs.
Additionally, the Committee will evaluate the work of the NTIA
in representing the interests of the United States in
international meetings and negotiations relating to
telecommunications and internet governance.
Broadband Internet Deployment, Affordability Adoption, and Openness
The Committee will conduct oversight of funding mechanisms
for broadband deployment and adoption, including the Universal
Service Fund, and whether such programs adequately and
efficiently promote broadband deployment and adoption for
consumers. The Committee will exercise its jurisdiction to
oversee the process--and the effects on consumers, small
businesses, and free speech--associated with the repeal of net
neutrality. The Committee will exercise its jurisdiction over
broadband to ensure continued growth and investment in the
internet. The Committee will also continue to exercise its
jurisdiction over wireless and wired communications to ensure
our nation's policies governing voice, video, audio, and data
services are promoting investment, innovation, access,
affordability, and job creation. The Committee will oversee the
programs established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2021 to increase internet access and affordability, including
the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program and the Secure and
Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program at the
FCC, and the tribal and broadband deployment grant programs and
the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program at the NTIA.
Public Safety Communications
The Committee will continue to examine the progress being
made to ensure that first responders have interoperable
communications capabilities with local, state, and federal
public safety officials, including through the efforts of the
Emergency Communications Division within the Department of
Homeland Security. The Committee will also examine the progress
being made by the First Responder Network Authority in carrying
out the mandates of the Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012. In addition, the Committee will conduct
oversight regarding the implementation of legacy 911 and Next
Generation 911 (NG911) services. The Committee will review
efforts to promote deployment of these advanced systems and
challenges to realizing ubiquitous NG911.
Spectrum Management
The Committee will continue to oversee FCC and NTIA
management, allocation, and coordination of the nation's
spectrum for government and commercial use to ensure the
highest and best use of public airwaves for consumers and
federal users. The Committee will further examine whether
current plans for reallocating spectrum encourage competition,
benefit consumers, and are in the public interest while
continuing to protect national security. The Committee will
oversee FCC and NTIA implementation of the Middle Class Tax
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, the Bipartisan Budget Act
of 2015, the RAY BAUM's Act, the Spectrum IT Modernization Act,
and the Beat China for 5G Act of 2020.
Media and Journalism
The Committee will continue to oversee the FCC's efforts to
diversify the broadcast and cable media landscape, including
the quadrennial review of media ownership regulations and equal
employment opportunity obligations. The Committee will also
examine the role and decline of local journalism and the impact
on the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
Section 230
The Committee will continue to review the effects of
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The Committee
will review to what extent that liability shield promotes or
discourages appropriate content moderation online that
facilitates a healthy internet ecosystem. The Committee will
review how online platforms are addressing the proliferation
and amplification of disinformation and extremism online and
what they can do to remedy such proliferation and
amplification.
CONSUMER PROTECTION AND COMMERCE ISSUES
Privacy and Data Security
The Committee will examine issues relating to the privacy
and security of consumers' personal information collected by
businesses and the potential methods for improving privacy
protections to benefit consumers. The Committee will also
continue to investigate whether all companies that collect
consumer data are fully implementing data security and privacy
safeguards that ensure consumers' personal information is not
stolen or misused.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Management and Operations and
Consumer Protection
The Committee will continue to review the Consumer Product
Safety Commission's (CPSC) overall operations, including the
effectiveness of its rulemaking, compliance, and enforcement
activities, engagement in voluntary standard-setting
activities, and the modernization of its staff and information
technology infrastructure. The Committee will also continue to
monitor the CPSC's port surveillance program to evaluate its
effectiveness in identifying and preventing unsafe consumer
products entering the United States, especially products in e-
commerce shipments entering under the de minimis value
exemption. The Committee will also exercise its jurisdiction to
improve the safety of consumer products to prevent injuries and
deaths.
NHTSA Management and Operations, Fuel Economy, and Motor Vehicle Safety
The Committee will continue oversight of the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including the
effectiveness of the agency's regulations, investigations,
structure, research activities, data collection, and
enforcement actions pertaining to motor vehicle safety. The
Committee will examine NHTSA's ability to effectively oversee
and regulate advanced safety technologies including advanced
driver assistance systems, partially automated vehicles, and
highly automated vehicles. The Committee will also examine
whether NHTSA effectively monitors and investigates safety
issues, and whether it effectively manages recalls. The
Committee will work to oversee manufacturers, automobile
dealers, and other entities selling or deploying vehicles to
improve motor vehicle safety to protect drivers, passengers,
and all others who share the roadways. The Committee will
continue oversight of fuel economy standards for motor vehicles
developed by NHTSA.
Federal Trade Commission Management and Operations and Consumer
Protection
The Committee will review the management, authorities,
operations, investigative, rulemaking, and enforcement actions
of the Federal Trade Commission. The Committee will review
consumer protection activities related to privacy, data
security, accountability of technology companies for unfair and
deceptive practices, fraud, scams, and deceptive advertising.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Management and Operations
The Committee will review the management, operations,
rulemaking, and enforcement actions of the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau, and whether the Bureau is achieving its
consumer protection mission.
Department of Commerce Management and Operations and Manufacturing and
Trade
The Committee will conduct oversight of the Commerce
Department and its efforts to promote manufacturing and
exports. The Committee will monitor and examine interstate
commerce as well as bilateral agreements and multilateral trade
agreements as those agreements relate to services, commodities,
and industries within the Committee's jurisdiction, including
energy, telecommunications, consumer products, e-commerce,
food, and drugs. The Committee will examine whether these
agreements adequately protect the interests of domestic and
foreign workers, the environment, and consumers. The Committee
will also explore the state of manufacturing in the United
States to identify factors that are hampering or furthering the
nation's competitiveness and factors that benefit or hurt
American workers.
Technology Industry Accountability
The Committee will monitor and examine how the technology
industry, including social media and e-commerce platforms, is
affecting diversity, product safety, interstate commerce,
fraud, and the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation,
hate, and extremism.
MISCELLANEOUS
Cybersecurity
The Committee will continue to examine the protection of
information and technology vital to our national and economic
security by examining vulnerabilities and paths to defend
against future attacks. The Committee will conduct oversight of
actions and programs of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology as well as efforts of relevant agencies to implement
the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Additionally, the Committee
will review the efforts of agencies within its jurisdiction to
secure their networks. The Committee will also examine
initiatives to improve cybersecurity both in the private and
public sectors, and review efforts at agencies within the
Committee's jurisdiction to regulate cybersecurity.
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response
The Committee will continue to monitor the roles of HHS
agencies in assisting the nation's capability, detection, and
response to possible biological attacks. The Committee will
also evaluate the potential impact and preparedness of the
nation's public health system. The Committee will continue to
review the extent of the coordination between HHS and the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), especially as it relates
to Project Bioshield, and implementation of the Public Health
Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002
by HHS.
Federal Oversight of High-Containment Bio Laboratories
The Committee will conduct oversight of issues related to
high-containment bio laboratories, which handle some of the
most dangerous and exotic diseases, including anthrax,
smallpox, Ebola virus, and foot and mouth disease. Among the
issues under review will be the adequacy of the security and
practices of high-containment bio laboratories and federal
efforts to oversee the laboratories, and whether some of these
efforts are overlapping and duplicative.
Safety and Security for Chemical Facilities
The Committee will conduct oversight of mandates across
agencies to ensure the safety and security of chemical
facilities, including implementation of DHS's Chemical
Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards Program and EPA's Risk
Management Planning Program. The Committee will also examine
threats to these facilities from climate change and extreme
weather. Additionally, the Committee will review the
organization and activities of the Chemical Safety Board.
Scientific and Risk Assessment Programs
The Committee will review programs to assess the
objectives, transparency, and integrity of scientific
assessments that inform regulatory and public health policies.
The Committee will examine issues relating to the numerous
Federal science programs assessing public health risks,
including the Integrated Risk Information System at the EPA,
the Report on Carcinogens produced by the National Toxicology
Program at HHS, and assessments proposed or ongoing in other
Federal departments and agencies.
Waste, Fraud and Abuse
The Committee will conduct oversight of departments and
agencies under its jurisdiction to ensure adequate and prompt
implementation of recommendations from the Government
Accountability Office, Offices of Inspectors General, and other
sources to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.
Critical Infrastructure
The Committee will examine DHS's activities with respect to
identifying high-priority assets and implementing plans to
protect these assets in areas within the Committee's
jurisdiction. The Committee will also examine the activities of
DOE, FERC, TSA, and other Federal agencies related the physical
security and cybersecurity of the nation's energy
infrastructure, including DOE's authorities and
responsibilities as the sector-specific agency for energy
security. The Committee will also conduct oversight of HHS and
EPA's responsibilities and authorities as sector-specific
agencies for activities related to the nation's critical
infrastructure for communications, chemicals, emergency
services, and others within the Committee's jurisdiction.
Additionally, the Committee will examine the roles and
responsibilities of other relevant agencies, such as the FCC,
as well as the private sector.
Nuclear Smuggling
The Committee will continue to monitor private sector and
Federal government efforts at seaports, border crossings, and
mail facilities. The Committee's review will examine and assess
DOE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection efforts, including
international efforts, aimed at detecting and preventing the
smuggling of dangerous commerce, particularly radiological and
nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
Online Platform and Consumer Protection
The Committee will examine the effect of online platform
practices on the public good, free speech, and democratic
principles, including through algorithmic bias. The Committee
will also review the extent to which competition exists among
online platforms, and how consolidation affects consumers.
Diversity and Inclusion in Federally-Funded Entities and Activities
The Committee will provide oversight over all agencies
under its jurisdiction to promote policies of diversity and
inclusion in order to ensure that these federally-funded
agencies are representative of the nation as a whole and are
working to support the interests of all communities and all
segments of the overall population.
COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES
OVERSIGHT PLAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR THE 117TH
CONGRESS
Pursuant to clause 2(d)(1) of rule X of the House of
Representatives, the following constitutes the oversight plan
of the Committee on Financial Services for the 117th Congress.
It includes areas in which the Committee and its subcommittees
expect to conduct oversight during the 117th Congress; it does
not preclude oversight or investigation of additional matters
or programs as they arise. The Committee will consult, as
appropriate, with other Committees of the House that may share
jurisdiction on any of the subjects listed below.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Ensure Equitable Administration and Distribution of Housing
Relief Funds. The Committee will conduct oversight of federal
agencies', grantees', and industry's administration of, and
compliance with, COVID-19 housing protections and relief
programs to ensure proper implementation, including compliance
with fair housing and fair lending laws, and equitable
treatment of, and allocations of funds to, hardest hit
communities. The Committee will also review the effectiveness
of eviction and foreclosure moratoria and mortgage forbearance
in keeping people safely housed during the pandemic.
Support for Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). The
Committee will examine opportunities to support community
financial institutions such as MDIs and CDFIs to ensure that
they can continue to assist minority entrepreneurs that are
overlooked by traditional financial institutions, particularly
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee will also review
legislation that will direct critical sources of capital and
investment to CDFIs and MDIs to ensure that these institutions
have the tools they need to serve their communities.
Protecting Consumers During the Pandemic. The Committee
will examine how consumers have been affected by the pandemic,
including to the degree financial institutions utilize the
flexibility provided by Congress and regulators to provide
forbearance and loan modifications for affected consumers. The
Committee will also examine consumer impacts and protections
relating to credit reporting and debt collection, and the
degree to which unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts or
practices committed during the pandemic are combatted through
robust enforcement.
Global Response to the Pandemic. The Committee will
continue to oversee the role international financial
institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank, are playing in the international response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, including efforts to ensure an inclusive and
sustainable recovery.
Defense Production Act. The Committee will monitor the
effectiveness of the Defense Production Act and its individual
authorities in promoting national security and recovery from
natural disasters. In particular, the Committee will monitor
the use of the Act to boost production of medical supplies and
equipment to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Housing and Community Development
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Committee will examine
the budget requests submitted by HUD and USDA for programs
under the Committee's jurisdiction, including consideration of
any legislative recommendations included in those requests. The
Committee will also review HUD's and the Rural Housing
Service's (RHS) general codes of conduct and other policies.
Homelessness. The Committee will examine the current state
of homelessness in the United States of America and the federal
response to ending homelessness, including oversight of the
Continuum of Care (CoC) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
programs under the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD), the HUD Veteran Affairs Supported Housing program (HUD
VASH), as well as efforts by the U.S. Interagency Council on
Homelessness (USICH) to coordinate various federal agencies
towards the national goals to end homelessness. The Committee
will review the causes and possible solutions to address
homelessness, including in parts of the country where
homelessness has reached crisis levels. The Committee will also
consider ways to better serve those who are experiencing or at
risk of homelessness.
Rental Housing Crisis. The Committee will examine the
current rental housing crisis that is burdening families across
the country with unaffordable rents. The Committee will examine
the role of existing federal housing programs in addressing the
rental housing crisis, including public housing, Section 8
Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs), Section 8 project-based rental
assistance (PBRA), the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the
Elderly program, the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons
with Disabilities program, the HOME Investment Partnerships
program (HOME), the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)
program, and the Housing Trust Fund (HTF). As part of its
review, the Committee will examine the conduct of landlords
participating in these programs as well as investigate HUD's
oversight of landlord participants to ensure regulations are
complied with. The Committee will also review the limitations
of existing programs at current funding levels. The Committee
will consider solutions to address the rental housing crisis,
including proposals to enhance preservation of affordable
rental housing, increase affordable rental housing
opportunities through development of additional rental stock
and robust rental assistance, and ensure that affordable rental
housing is accessible and integrated for persons who are
seniors and/or have a disability.
Public Housing. The Committee will examine the rising
maintenance and capital needs of the aging public housing stock
and the limitations of current federal funding levels to
address these needs. As part of its examination, the Committee
will investigate the presence of lead, mold, and other health
hazards in the nation's public housing system and seek ways to
ensure capital repairs are made in order to improve the health
and well-being of residents. The Committee will review the role
of public housing as part of a federal strategy to address
affordable housing needs and will monitor HUD's use of the
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and the demolition and
disposition processes as they affect public housing and its
residents. The Committee will monitor HUD's implementation and
oversight of the Moving to Work (MTW) demonstration program and
the effects of such programs on tenants.
Rural Housing. The Committee will examine the affordable
housing needs in rural communities and the limitations in
meeting those needs through existing programs due to current
funding levels. In particular, the Committee will examine the
aging stock of properties with Section 515 Rural Rental Housing
Loans and 516 Farm Labor Housing Loans, and USDA's strategy for
preserving these properties and preventing tenant displacement.
The Committee will consider legislation to help preserve these
properties and prevent the displacement of tenants. The
Committee will also monitor USDA's management of the Section
521 Rental Assistance (RA) program, the Rural Development
Voucher program, the Section 502 Direct and Guaranteed Loan
programs the Multifamily Housing Preservation and
Revitalization Demonstration Loans and Grants, and the Section
523 Mutual Self-Help grant program.
Community Development. The Committee will consider
opportunities to better leverage and coordinate housing
development with neighborhood resources such as transportation
and community centers through programs like the Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG).
Climate Change and Green Housing. The Committee will
examine proposals to address historic and emerging effects of
climate change and environmental hazards in housing and on
communities living in areas at disproportionate risk. The
Committee will also consider opportunities to incentivize
greener and more energy efficient measures across the housing
market and industry, including through comprehensive risk and
environmental assessments.
Disaster Recovery, Resilience, and Sustainable Development.
The Committee will conduct oversight of the Community
Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program and
ongoing efforts to provide relief and bolster resilience in
disaster-stricken areas. The Committee will review proposals to
permanently authorize the CDBG-DR program and enhance our
nation's ability to mitigate and withstand future disasters in
the face of climate change, which is contributing to the
frequency and magnitude of natural disasters.
Fair Housing. The Committee will conduct oversight of fair
housing enforcement under HUD, including the activities
conducted by the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
(FHEO). The Committee will also monitor HUD's ongoing
rulemaking processes on the Affirmatively Furthering Fair
Housing (AFFH) mandate and the disparate impact standard under
the Fair Housing Act. The Committee will also monitor other
federal agencies' equitable implementation and administration
of federal housing funds and programs, as mandated under the
Fair Housing Act, such as the Department of the Treasury, the
Department of Agriculture, and the Neighborhood Revitalization
Corporation (NeighborWorks).
Native American and Native Hawaiian Housing. The Committee
will conduct oversight of programs under the Native American
Housing and Self Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) and
consider proposals to reauthorize those programs and ensure
inclusion of the descendants of Freedmen. The Committee will
also monitor HUD's administration of the recent appropriation
of an additional $100 million for the Native American Housing
Block Grants program, which will be allocated through a
competitive grant process.
Housing Finance and Access to Homeownership. The Committee
will examine the health of our housing finance system and the
extent to which it is serving all creditworthy borrowers,
especially low and moderate income (LMI) borrowers, borrowers
of color, rural borrowers, and other underserved borrowers. The
Committee will consider proposals to reform the housing finance
system, including in real estate appraisals.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal National
Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage
Corporation (Freddie Mac), Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs). The
Committee will monitor the operations, activities and
initiatives of the FHFA, and review its general code of conduct
and other agency policies. The Committee will monitor Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac's activities under conservatorship,
including their response to ongoing pandemic-related housing
needs. The Committee will also review the FHFA's initiatives
related to capital held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,
especially as such initiatives affect access to credit. The
Committee will monitor the capital requirements and financial
stability of the FHLB system, as well as the FHLB system's
ability to fulfill its housing and community economic
development mission and provide liquidity to member banks in a
safe and sound manner.
Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). The
Committee will examine Ginnie Mae to ensure that the agency has
the necessary resources, procedures, and oversight to manage
its portfolio, including Ginnie Mae's response to its growing
exposure to nonbank risks.
Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The Committee will
examine FHA to ensure that it has the necessary resources,
procedures, and oversight to manage its portfolio, including
ongoing challenges due to an aging technological
infrastructure. The Committee will also review the FHA's
premium rates.
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). The Committee will
examine the role that private mortgage insurance plays in the
housing finance system in providing access to homeownership and
consider the effects of capital requirements placed on PMI
companies by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Mortgage Servicing. The Committee will examine the adequacy
of existing regulatory requirements and oversight of the
servicing industry, including the adequacy of the federal
response to the growing share of nonbank servicers. The
Committee will consider whether FHFA needs additional authority
to establish prudential management and operations standards for
its servicers. The Committee will also consider legislative
solutions to enhance FHA's oversight and enforcement of its
loss mitigation requirements and to address policies that may
cause unnecessary foreclosures, including foreclosures on
seniors with reverse mortgages and on those who have been
affected by natural disasters and national emergencies.
insurance
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Committee will
examine the role of the NFIP in providing affordable insurance
to homeowners, renters, and businesses, investing in
mitigation, and providing maps to aid communities in their
flood plain management efforts. The Committee will examine
proposals to reauthorize and reform the NFIP to enhance
affordability, mapping, and mitigation, and to improve the
efficiency and transparency associated with the processing of
claims submitted by policyholders. The NFIP is set to expire on
September 30, 2021.
Federal Insurance Office (FIO). The Committee will conduct
oversight of FIO's work on domestic and international insurance
policy, including the extent to which traditionally underserved
communities and consumers have access to affordable insurance
products.
Climate Risk. The Committee will examine the extent to
which insurance companies' exposure to the physical and
transition risks of climate change is being adequately
measured.
Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. The Committee will
conduct oversight over the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program,
which was reauthorized in the last Congress.
Business Interruption Insurance. The Committee will monitor
and examine the extent to which businesses were affected by a
lack of business interruption coverage during the COVID-19
crisis, and consider proposals aimed at supporting businesses
disrupted by pandemics and other public health crises.
Insurance Sector Supervision. The Committee will monitor
the insurance sector generally, which may include examining the
role of capital requirements in the insurance sector, including
state, federal, and international efforts to revise capital
requirements for insurance companies, the application of
federal capital requirements for insurance companies that own
depository institutions, the role of state guaranty funds,
issues related to consumer protection and discrimination in the
insurance sector, and issues or gaps in the regulation of
insurers that could contribute to a systemic crisis in the
insurance industry or the U.S. financial system. The Committee
will also review implementation of the Military Personnel
Financial Services Protection Act, which was passed in response
to abuses in the marketing and sale of securities and life
insurance products to servicemembers.
International Insurance Developments. The Committee will
monitor developments related to international regulatory
standards for insurance companies, including actions taken by
the Financial Stability Board, the International Association of
Insurance Supervisors, and the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development. The Committee will also monitor
any developments related to covered agreements made pursuant to
the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act).
Cyber Insurance. The Committee may examine developments
related to the market for cyber insurance and the insurance
industry's susceptibility to cybersecurity risks.
Auto Insurance. The Committee may review the state of the
automobile insurance market in America with a particular focus
on issues of access and affordability for lower- and middle-
income Americans, minorities, and traditionally underserved
communities.
Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions
Protecting Consumers and Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau. The Committee will monitor the current state of
consumer financial protection by assessing the adequacy of
protections for all consumers. The Committee will examine any
unique challenges experienced in, and faced by, traditionally
underserved communities and populations in obtaining mainstream
consumer financial products and services, including the root
causes for credit deserts in rural and urban communities that
have resulted in millions of unbanked and underbanked
consumers. The Committee will consider methods to improve the
financial well-being of other vulnerable consumers such as
older Americans, active- duty servicemembers, veterans,
students, young adults, racial and ethnic minorities, and
immigrants. The Committee will also closely examine the
exercise of the regulatory, supervisory, and enforcement power
of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Consumer Bureau).
The Committee will conduct oversight to ensure that the
Consumer Bureau is fully complying with both the spirit and
letter of its purpose, objectives, and mission articulated
under title X of the Dodd-Frank Act to combat unfair,
deceptive, abusive acts and practices in the offering and
provision of consumer financial products.
Student Debt Crisis. The Committee will examine the
financial and economic implications of the growing student debt
crisis, including how a borrower's inability to repay student
debt can serve as a barrier to homeownership, entrepreneurship,
and other economic activities. The Committee will also examine
the disproportionate impact the student debt crisis has on
borrowers of color and low-income borrowers. The Committee will
monitor the effectiveness of student borrower protections,
including as it relates to private education loan servicing
standards.
Consumer Protections for Military Servicemembers. The
Committee will examine the adequacy, supervision, and
enforcement of all consumer financial protections, including
those provided through the Military Lending Act (MLA) and the
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), afforded to active-duty
servicemembers and their families.
High Cost Short-Term Credit and Debt Collection. The
Committee will review the effectiveness and extent to which
consumer protections are implemented and enforced with respect
to payday lending, other forms of short-term credit, and debt
collection. The Committee will also review the use of overdraft
services, and its impact on consumers.
Mandatory Arbitration. The Committee will monitor the use
and effect of mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements, and
similar provisions, that limit consumers' ability to
participate in a class action case against financial
institutions when they have been harmed.
Fair Access to Affordable Consumer Financial Products and
Services. The Committee will consider ways to expand access to
mainstream financial services among traditionally underserved
segments of the U.S. population. The Committee will evaluate
proposals to update certain Federal consumer financial laws to
ensure that they are meeting the evolving financial needs of
consumers.
Discrimination in Lending. The Committee will examine the
effectiveness of regulators' fair lending oversight and
enforcement efforts to ensure that the Federal government does
not tolerate discrimination. The Committee will also examine
the quantity and quality of data, including that provided under
the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), to ensure
discriminatory policies practices can be identified and
addressed.
Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The Committee will
monitor any legislative and regulatory proposals to reform the
Community Reinvestment Act of 1977.
Department of the Treasury, Financial Stability Oversight
Council (FSOC) and Office of Financial Research (OFR). The
Committee will review the operations and resources of the
Department of the Treasury, as well as its code of conduct and
other policies. The Committee will monitor financial stability
and systemic risk issues, including all matters relating to the
operations, activities, and initiatives of the FSOC and OFR to
identify and mitigate threats to financial stability in the
United States. This will also include a review of risks posed
by nonbank financial institutions, including hedge funds, and
shifts in the mortgage market, including the subprime market,
from bank financing to non-bank financing.
Supervision and Enforcement of Financial Institutions. The
Committee will review the operations, activities, initiatives,
codes of conduct and other agency policies of the Federal
Reserve Board of Governors, the Office of the Comptroller of
the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC), and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). This
work will include examining financial regulators' supervision
of the banking, thrift and credit union industries for safety
and soundness and compliance with laws and regulations. The
Committee will also monitor their enforcement activities,
including ensuring the compliance of regulated institutions
with existing consent orders, settlement agreements, deferred
prosecution agreements, or similar arrangements. The Committee
will also evaluate the supervision of nonbank financial
companies by the Consumer Bureau.
Enhanced Prudential Standards for Large Banks. The
Committee will monitor how enhanced prudential standards are
being applied to the largest banks operating in the United
States, including foreign-based institutions. This will include
oversight of the adequacy of capital, liquidity, leverage and
stress testing requirements. The Committee will oversee efforts
to promote the orderly resolution of any large financial
institution operating in the United States that fails,
including through Dodd-Frank Act's living wills requirements
and the Orderly Liquidity Authority. The Committee will examine
the financial regulators' implementation of Section 619 of the
Dodd-Frank Act, known as the ``Volcker Rule.'' The Committee
will also monitor the structure, ownership, activities and
risk-taking by large depository institutions and their holding
companies.
Bank Mergers and Market Concentration. The Committee will
monitor market concentration and merger activity involving
banks and other financial companies. The Committee will examine
the standards for regulatory review of such mergers, and
consider the impacts of ongoing merger activity, especially as
it relates to larger financial institutions, including the
impact that mergers have on competition, consumers, workers,
communities, and financial stability.
Residential and Commercial Real Estate Mortgage Loans. The
Committee will monitor the residential and commercial real
estate mortgage markets, including examining access to
affordable and fair home mortgage lending, and the
effectiveness of disclosures provided to borrowers about the
terms and conditions of these loans. The Committee will also
review proposals related to home improvement loans for
improving the energy efficiency of a house.
Community Financial Institutions, including CDFIs and MDIs.
The Committee will review issues related to the health, growth,
safety, and soundness of community banks and credit unions, as
well as their role in lending to small businesses and promoting
economic growth. This will include examining the status of MDIs
and CDFIs, and the important role they play in providing access
to credit for consumers as well as small and minority-owned
businesses.
Access to Credit and Borrower Protections for Small
Businesses. The Committee will consider proposals that
facilitate access to affordable credit for small businesses,
and will examine the ability for the public, regulators, and
Congress to monitor trends in small business lending. The
Committee will also review the effectiveness of the State Small
Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), and consider proposals to
reauthorize the SSBCI in response to the pandemic. Moreover,
the Committee will examine and consider proposals to strengthen
borrower protections for small businesses.
Cybersecurity and Privacy. The Committee will monitor the
effectiveness of cybersecurity in the U.S. financial system.
The Committee will evaluate the current level of safeguards
relating to protecting the security and confidentiality of
personally identifiable information from loss, unauthorized
access, or misuse. The Committee will also examine the
effectiveness of data breach notifications and issues related
to consumer privacy and consumer control of their own data,
including sensitive financial and credit information.
Credit Scores and Credit Reports. The Committee will
examine the state of the credit reporting system, including the
accuracy of credit scores to assess creditworthiness, the
impact medical debt can have on credit scores, and the
difficulties consumers face in correcting inaccurate
information in their credit file. The Committee will also
examine additional data and methods that have the potential to
improve assessing the creditworthiness of borrowers with
appropriate safeguards and protections.
Payments System. The Committee will review government and
private sector efforts to improve the timeliness and
effectiveness of the payments system in the United States, and
its potential effect on consumers and small businesses.
Credit and other Payment Cards. The Committee will monitor
payment card industry practices, including consumer protections
with respect to the use of credit cards, debit cards, and
prepaid cards. The Committee will also examine the
effectiveness of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility
and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009.
Money Services Businesses, Remittances, and De-risking. The
Committee will examine the operations of money services
businesses and the role they play in the financial system. The
Committee will also oversee the ability of consumers to utilize
financial services to affordably remit cross-border payments,
as well as consider proposals to mitigate financial
institutions engaged in de-risking that results in unnecessary
account closures.
Financial Education. The Committee will review efforts to
promote greater financial literacy among consumers,
particularly matters affecting traditionally underserved
communities and populations.
Cannabis Banking. The Committee will examine the
difficulties, including public safety concerns, that cannabis-
related businesses experience as a result of being unable to
access basic banking services. The Committee will also review
legislative proposals that alleviate legal and compliance risks
for financial institutions related to providing such services
to cannabis-related businesses in states where cannabis use,
sale, or distribution is authorized.
Climate Risk. The Committee will monitor and evaluate
efforts by the Treasury Department, Financial Stability
Oversight Council (FSOC), Federal Reserve and other prudential
regulators to integrate risks associated with climate change
into their supervisory framework.
Monetary Policy
The Federal Reserve System. The Committee will conduct
oversight of the operations and activities of the Federal
Reserve System, including its conduct of monetary policy, its
regulation and supervision of the financial services sector,
its role in the payment system, and its susceptibility to
cybersecurity threats and other security risks. The Committee
will convene hearings to receive the testimony of the Chair of
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and
related semi-annual reports on the conduct of monetary policy.
As part of this effort, the Committee will review issues
associated with monetary policy and the state of the economy,
including implementation of the updated monetary policy
framework adopted by the Federal Open Market Committee in 2020,
and whether the current path of monetary policy is consistent
with the Federal Reserve's dual mandate of price stability and
maximum employment. The Committee will continue to conduct
oversight of the Federal Reserve's extraordinary actions to
stimulate economic recovery in response to the COVID-19
pandemic, including through quarterly hearings on the CARES Act
from the Treasury Secretary and Federal Reserve Chair, and
oversight over any emergency lending facilities set up to
respond to economic conditions. The Committee will examine the
implications of the Fed's emergency lending and large-scale
asset purchases have for economic recovery, financial
stability, and the mechanics of monetary policy.
The Economy and its Impact on Living Standards. The
Committee will examine the extent to which changes in the
economy, and in particular, changes in labor and capital
markets, public policy, and trade have altered the way in which
policymakers should think about the relationship between
economic growth, productivity growth, and growth in employment
and incomes. The Committee will examine these relationships to
determine policy responses that will increase our ability to
improve the standard of living for American families.
Coins and Currency. The Committee will conduct oversight of
the printing and minting of U.S. currency and coins, including
the activities of the Bureau of the Mint and the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, and of the operation of programs
administered by the U.S. Mint for producing congressionally
authorized commemorative coins, bullion coins for investors,
and Congressional gold medals. The Committee will review
efforts to detect and combat the counterfeiting of U.S. coins
and currency in the United States and abroad. The Committee
will also examine methods to reduce the cost of minting coins
using alternative metals and will examine efforts to make
currency more accessible to the visually impaired. The
Committee will also consider how to ensure that depictions and
representations on coins and currency fully represent the
diversity of the United States. The Committee will also monitor
and evaluate the Federal Reserve's research and potential
development of a central bank digital currency.
Investor Protection and Entrepreneurship
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Committee
will examine the budget, operations and organizational
structure of the SEC, and review any new rulemakings.
Investor Confidence. The Committee will examine the factors
affecting investor confidence in U.S. capital markets,
including investor perspectives on the quality, quantity, and
utility of investment-related disclosures; the effectiveness of
public companies' internal controls over financial reporting;
corporate accountability to shareholders; and, the costs of
trading securities. The Committee will also review the effect
on investor confidence of fraud and other misconduct and the
SEC's efforts to hold bad actors accountable.
Standard of Care Owed by Financial Advisers and Broker
Dealers. The Committee will examine the SEC's rulemaking
package and interpretations surrounding Regulation Best
Interest and Form CRS Relationship Summary. The Committee will
review the SEC's efforts to revise those regulations and
interpretations consistent with Section 913(g) of the Dodd-
Frank Act, to protect investors and reduce confusion by
requiring investment advisers and broker dealers to comply with
the same fiduciary standard of care. The Committee will also
consider legislation related to the standard of care owed to
investors by financial advisers.
Mandatory Arbitration. The Committee will examine the
effect of mandatory arbitration requirements on securities
investors, as well as the balance, fairness, and efficiency of
the current arbitration system.
Entrepreneurship. The Committee will monitor market
conditions affecting entrepreneurs' access to capital, with
emphasis on the capital formation efforts of small businesses,
including any unique challenges faced by minority-, women-, and
veteran-owned small businesses. Additionally, the Committee
will examine the conduct of intermediaries in the capital
formation process, such as anti-competitive behavior among
underwriters of initial public offerings (IPOs). The Committee
will also consider legislative proposals to promote
entrepreneurship and enhance the attractiveness of U.S. public
equity markets to investors and businesses.
Corporate Governance. The Committee will review
developments and issues concerning corporate governance of
public companies, including proposals to increase
accountability to shareholders through improved shareholder
access to management's proxy, shareholder nomination of
directors, and majority voting. The Committee will also examine
ways to improve the integrity of the shareholder voting process
and corporate sustainability disclosures, including those
related to the effects of climate change.
Executive Compensation. The Committee will review the SEC's
implementation of regulations requiring greater transparency in
disclosures of executive compensation arrangements, including
the SEC's and the other federal financial agencies' progress in
completing related rulemakings mandated under the Dodd-Frank
Act.
Capital Formation in Private and Public Markets. The
Committee will examine the private and public capital markets
and the factors U.S. companies evaluate when deciding to go
public, such as underwriting fees. The Committee will monitor
the use of new and expanded private offering exemptions from
the JOBS Act, including Regulation D, Regulation A+, and
Regulation Crowdfunding, and examine ways to improve investor
protections in private offerings. The Committee will examine
the current definition of ``accredited investors'' and ways to
improve that definition to ensure that those investors have the
financial sophistication and wherewithal to invest in private
offerings.
Capital Markets
Self-Regulatory Organizations (SROs). The Committee will
monitor the operations, initiatives, and activities of SROs,
including the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA). The
Committee also will consider limitations or regulatory gaps in
the current SRO system and ways to streamline and strengthen
the regulatory, compliance, examination, and enforcement
structure.
Hedge Funds and Private Pools of Capital. The Committee
will examine the current state of the hedge fund, private
equity and alternative investment industry. The Committee will
review the role hedge funds and private pools of capital serve
in the capital markets, and their interaction with investors,
financial intermediaries, and public companies. The Committee
will also examine hedge funds and private equity funds as
investment vehicles for pension funds.
Investment Companies. The Committee will review the current
state of regulation of investment companies and their advisers
with respect to mutual fund operations, governance, disclosure,
and sales in the States and Territories. The Committee also
will review the effectiveness and efficiency of the approval
process for new products, such as exchange-traded funds, and
the SEC's efforts to standardize that process. The Committee
will also review the role investment companies played in Puerto
Rico's fiscal crisis. The Committee will review Real Estate
Investment Trusts (REITs) as investment vehicles and how the
industry uses REITs to finance various projects, including the
financing of private prisons and immigration detention centers.
Credit Rating Agencies. The Committee will examine the role
that Nationally Recognized Statistical Ratings Organizations
(NRSROs), also known as credit rating agencies, play in the
U.S. capital markets, and review the effectiveness of the SEC's
regulation and oversight of NRSROs. The Committee will also
examine ways to limit conflicts associated with NRSROs
compensation, approaches to increase their accountability, and
the possibility of regulatory fee assessments.
Financial Accounting and Auditing. The Committee will
review the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's
(PCAOB's) oversight of auditors of public companies and broker-
dealers, including standard-setting and the results of the
PCAOB's inspection programs. The Committee will also monitor
the impact of exemptions to the scope of the auditing and
internal controls requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002, and the adequacy of investor protections applicable to
exempt entities. The Committee will also monitor the work of
the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and
Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
Cybersecurity. The Committee will examine the risks that
cybersecurity threats pose to the U.S. capital markets,
including investment and operational risks associated with
public companies. The Committee will also monitor the efforts
of the SEC, SROs, and SEC-registered firms to guard against
cybersecurity risks and protect sensitive, market-moving data
and personally identifiable information (PII) of investors. The
Committee will investigate the cybersecurity implications of
the creation, movement, and management of cryptocurrencies and
the usage of blockchain technology.
Fixed income markets. The Committee will review recent
developments in the U.S. corporate and municipal bond markets
and the SEC's response to those developments.
Derivatives Markets. The Committee will review recent
developments in the U.S. derivatives markets and efforts to
harmonize rules governing those markets domestically and
internationally. The Committee will also examine the SEC's
progress in implementing the remaining regulations of the
security-based swaps markets as mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act.
Equity and options markets. The Committee will review
recent developments in the U.S. equity and options markets and
the SEC's response to those developments. The Committee will
also examine brokers' conflicts of interest arising from
rebates and fees paid for client orders and the SEC's efforts
to address those conflicts through, for example, an access fee
pilot. The Committee will monitor the development,
implementation, and maintenance of the Consolidated Audit Trail
(CAT), a market surveillance tool that tracks order events,
including quotes, orders, executions, allocations, and
associated customer data, and identifies the broker-dealer
handling them.
Trade Policy Impact. The Committee will examine the impact
of U.S. trade policy proclamations, announcements, decisions,
and actions by the executive branch on U.S. securities markets,
including market volatility, capital formation, corporate
reinvestment, and investor confidence.
National Security
Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI). The
Committee will examine the operations and organizational
structure of TFI and its component parts including OFAC and
FinCEN. The Committee will monitor U.S. government strategies
and programs to combat terrorist financing, money laundering,
and other financial crimes, both domestic and international.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The
Committee will monitor the operations of FinCEN and its ongoing
efforts to implement its regulatory mandates, pursuant to the
Bank Secrecy Act, to safeguard the integrity of the financial
system and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and
other illicit finance. This includes oversight of the execution
of the mandates created by the Anti-Money Laundering Act of
2020 and the Corporate Transparency Act.
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Sanctions. The
Committee will examine the efficacy of economic and trade
sanctions designations and enforcement, as well as the
capabilities and resources within OFAC to perform its work.
This will include the monitoring of sanctions programs to
ensure that they are fully implemented consistent with
Congressional intent and in alignment with U.S. foreign policy
and national security goals. Particular attention will be paid
to maximizing the effect of existing programs through
multilateral cooperation, the possible risks associated with
the use of sanctions over the short and long term, and the
capacity of financial technology and innovation to both enable
and undermine traditional tools of U.S. economic coercion. The
Committee will examine methods of sanctions evasion and
efficacy of sanctions compliance programs.
Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. The Committee
will examine the implementation, effectiveness, and enforcement
of anti-money laundering/counter-financing of terrorism (AML/
CFT) laws and regulations. The Committee will examine patterns
and trends of money laundering and terrorist finance, both
domestic and international, and consider proposals to prevent
and detect abuses of the financial system.
Counterterrorism Financing Policy. The Committee will
examine the enforcement, effectiveness, and implementation of
AML/CFT law and regulations as well as the role of the Treasury
in promoting the adoption and implementation of such standards
around the globe. The Committee will explore opportunities to
enhance compliance and will work with international
organizations and partners, such as Financial Action Task Force
(FATF) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), to accomplish this goal.
Transparency and Anti-Corruption. The Committee will
consider proposals to strengthen AML/CFT laws to combat
corruption and kleptocracy at home and abroad. This will
include oversight over the execution of the mandates in the
Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 and the Corporate
Transparency Act.
Trafficking. The Committee will examine efforts to
dismantle the underlying enablers of trafficking and will
review potential solutions related to the often-overlapping
categories of trafficking, including human trafficking,
narcotics trafficking, and natural resource trafficking. The
Committee will examine the converging attributes of
transnational trafficking networks and the outflow of illicit
proceeds.
De-Risking at Financial Institutions. The Committee will
review the practices by which broad categories of customers,
such as non-profit organizations or countries, are denied
access to the financial system, often due to risk or perceived
risk.
Fraud and Cyber Intrusion. The Committee will examine
efforts to counter fraud, including cyber-enabled fraud and
increased fraudulent activity associated with the COVID-19
pandemic.
Information Sharing. The Committee will examine methods to
improve information sharing among financial institutions,
federal agencies, and other entities, while balancing the
safeguards required to ensure that civil liberties and consumer
privacy are preserved.
Emerging Technologies. The Committee will examine
innovative technologies, such as virtual assets, distributed
ledgers, non-traditional financial platforms, machine learning
and artificial intelligence in regulatory technology (RegTech),
and decentralized finance. The Committee will monitor how these
technologies affect and interact with the U.S. financial system
and how the technologies could be used to combat or assist
those who aim to harm the financial system.
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
(CFIUS). The Committee will continue to monitor implementation
of the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018
(FIRRMA) and actions taken by CFIUS to identify and address
foreign investments that pose threats to national security,
while preserving the U.S. commitment to an open investment
environment.
International Development and Trade
Global Economic Cooperation. The Committee will monitor the
role of United States leadership in the governance of the
global economic system and the degree to which sustained
international cooperation helps advance U.S. national security,
economic interests, and values.
Oversight of the Multilateral Development Banks. The
Committee will conduct oversight of U.S. participation in the
multilateral development banks and their role in helping
developing and emerging market countries address the health and
economic effects of the global pandemic. The Committee will
continue to monitor implementation of policy reforms to which
the World Bank Group committed last Congress in areas relating
to public subsidies, resource mobilization, labor markets,
private education, and human rights. The Committee will
consider any Administration request for congressional
authorization for additional U.S. contributions to these
institutions, including replenishment of the Asian Development
Fund.
International Financial Architecture. The Committee will
review the annual report to Congress and testimony by the
Secretary of the Treasury on the state of the international
financial system and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The
Committee will examine the degree to which the IMF is focused
on fighting corruption in its surveillance and program work, as
well as its efforts, through technical assistance, to
strengthen the capacity of Fund members to prevent money
laundering and terrorist financing.
The International Development Association and the
International Finance Corporation. The Committee will continue
to examine financial transfers between the International
Development Association (IDA) and the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) with respect to transparency, competitive
bidding, and development impact. The Committee will monitor the
ability of IDA to maintain its current level of concessional
lending to low-income countries in light of its new financing
model that allows IDA to raise a significant portion of its
replenishment resources by issuing bonds on the capital markets
to supplement donor contributions.
Food Security and Climate Finance. The Committee will
examine U.S. support for international agricultural development
programs and multilateral cooperation on the global climate
finance agenda, including how the international financial
institutions are supporting efforts to address climate change
in developing countries.
Developing Countries at Risk of Debt Distress. The
Committee will monitor the rising levels of unsustainable debt
in developing countries and examine proposals and mechanisms to
create legal frameworks to help provide for orderly sovereign
debt restructuring processes. The Committee will monitor
efforts by the U.S. to engage with other members of the IMF to
pressure China to adopt global standards and practices on
sustainable debt financing for developing countries, including
a commitment to lending transparency.
Trade in Financial Services. The Committee will conduct
oversight of trade negotiations and discussions as they pertain
to investment and trade in financial services and will monitor
U.S. trade objectives and multilateral policies on the
regulation of global capital flows and their effects on global
financial stability.
Exchange Rates. The Committee will review the semi-annual
report to Congress from the Secretary of the Treasury on
international economic and exchange rate policies pursuant to
the Omnibus Trade Act of 1988.
Export-Import Bank of the United States. The Committee will
oversee the operations of the Export-Import Bank and its
mission to support U.S. jobs through increased exports,
including the Bank's policy on domestic content, its financing
of fossil fuel projects, and its systems of accountability.
Extractive Industries. The Committee will examine the
establishment of a global standard for the public disclosure of
payments that extractive companies make to governments, as well
as the effectiveness of these revenue transparency laws in the
United States and abroad.
Supply Chain Due Diligence. The Committee will examine
supply chain due diligence laws in the U.S and abroad, their
enforcement, and the effects of such laws on the ability of
companies to responsibly manage risk associated with the
financing of conflict, human trafficking, and child labor.
Financial Technology and Innovation
Updating Regulatory Approach to Fintech. The Committee will
continue to review the existing regulatory framework for
licensing and overseeing fintech products and services, and
will examine what legislation may be needed to properly oversee
fintech companies operating within the rapidly evolving
intersection of technology and finance.
Cryptocurrencies. The Committee will review the rise of
``initial coin offerings''' (ICO) as a means of raising capital
for blockchain-based enterprises. The Committee will examine
concerns of increased risks of fraud and manipulation in the
ICO markets. The Committee will also review the SEC's oversight
of the ICO markets and will consider legislative proposals to
improve regulatory clarity for ICO issuers and investors.
Additionally, the Committee will look at the need for clear
guidelines and regulations for crypto assets, stable coins,
digital currencies, and related products.
Faster Payments. The Committee will examine the progress of
the Federal Reserve's real-time payments proposal called
FedNow, as well as the consumer protection, data privacy, and
cyber-security implications of faster payment approaches led by
the private sector. Additionally, the Committee will consider
how federal regulation over bank and nonbanks operating in the
payments space may need to be updated, and whether faster
payments will increase financial inclusion for unbanked and
underbanked consumers.
Algorithmic Bias and Artificial Intelligence. The Committee
will evaluate the challenge of how to assess, identify, and
regulate bias in algorithms used by financial institutions for
consumer loans and other products. The Committee will examine
the decision-making processes utilized in these technologies,
and how the ``Black Box'' problem, resulting in a lack of
transparency can be addressed. The Committee will consider how
the use of artificial intelligence may complicate the efforts
of human programmers and data scientists to predict how certain
programs utilizing machine learning or deep learning will
operate in real life.
Cybersecurity, Digital Data, and Privacy. The Committee
will study the implications of AI-enabled automation in
monitoring and reporting activities, and how they affect our
cybersecurity and data privacy. The Committee will investigate
the role of regulators in ensuring that information gathered on
individuals and used by AI to make decisions appropriately
respects individuals' privacy. Additionally, the Committee will
consider how much autonomy AI programs should have in decision-
making over individuals' financial transactions, especially
when it can lead to adverse actions against consumers, such as
closing an account because of a determination that a customer
poses too much of a money laundering risk.
Diversity and Inclusion
Racial and Economic Justice. The Committee will review
historic and systemic racism in the housing and financial
system, and consider legislation to provide targeted
investments to remedy such injustices that have resulted in the
marginalization of people of color and an unconscionable racial
wealth gap. The Committee will press every sector under its
jurisdiction to strengthen diversity and inclusion. The
Committee will also consider legislation to provide
opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals that face
barriers to full participation in the financial services
industry and in obtaining affordable housing.
Financial and Economic Inclusion. The Committee will
monitor the availability and affordability of financial
products and services to communities such as underserved rural,
urban, Tribal, indigenous and other minority communities, and
certain populations such as immigrants, active-duty
servicemembers and veterans and their families, older
(including retired) Americans, young adults and college
students, state- and federally-recognized Tribes, indigenous
peoples, and low- and moderate-income consumers. The Committee
will evaluate methods to expand access to the traditional
financial services system to people in different social,
income, and economic segments in this country, including
methods to broaden homeownership, increase wages, promote
employment within high-growth industries, encourage savings
(including retirement savings), and investments.
Wealth and Income Inequality, and Income Mobility. The
Committee will examine the existing differences in wealth and
income among American households across the country. The
Committee will evaluate proposals to reduce disparities in
opportunity that continue to persist across different segments
of our society and that were exacerbated in the run-up to, and
the fallout from, the 2008 financial crisis, and exacerbated by
the ongoing pandemic. The Committee will consider how the
economic disparities in this country compare with other
countries and whether successful approaches by other countries
to reduce such disparities could serve as models for the U.S.
The Committee will also monitor, among other things, whether
economic opportunity zones have been successful in promoting
intra and intergenerational income mobility. This review will
include an assessment of the effect on employment and income
mobility of factory and manual workers from trade agreements
and the increasing use of automation by companies.
Diversity Data. The Committee will review regulated
entities' diversity data, including whether and how such
companies are: tracking internal and external workforce and
supplier diversity activities to identify and mitigate
vulnerable moments along the talent lifecycles; tying
executives' performances to their ability to meet tangible
diversity and inclusion goals; and, using such data to inform
the composition of their boards of directors.
Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWIs). The
Committee will examine all matters relating to the diversity
and inclusion activities within the agencies under the
Committee's jurisdiction, including the implementation of
Section 342 of the Dodd-Frank Act and Section 1116 of the
Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) by the OMWIs, which
are responsible for handling all matters relating to diversity
in management, employment, and business activities within most
federal financial agencies. This review will include, among
other things, monitoring whether the agencies have allocated
appropriate resources for their OMWIs, maintained frequent
interaction with and direct reporting lines between the heads
of the agencies and their OMWI Directors, and established
tangible and measurable outcomes within their long-term
strategic plans and daily operations to achieve a diverse and
inclusive culture throughout all levels of their agencies.
Workforce, Supplier, and Business Diversity Efforts Within
Agencies and their Regulated Entities. The Committee will
consider measures to further leverage diverse and inclusive
perspectives, skills, and talents within the workforces of
agencies under the Committee's jurisdiction, particularly at
the middle- and senior- management level, executive, and C-
suite positions, to help improve the agencies' services, foster
greater innovation, and develop novel solutions. The Committee
will also monitor agencies' policies and practices, as well
those of their regulated entities, to ensure that workplace
environments operate in a fair, transparent, and non-
discriminatory manner for all their employees by ensuring that
racial, ethnic, and gender minorities, without regard to their
sex--including sexual orientation, gender identity, sex
stereotypes, and pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical
condition--have equal opportunities.
Recruitment, Retention and Promotion. The Committee will
review the policies and practices of all the agencies under the
Committee's jurisdiction, and of their regulated entities, to
promote the recruitment, retention, and promotion of a diverse
pool of employees, throughout all levels, of each organization
but particularly at the middle- and senior-management level,
executive, C-suite, and board of director positions. The
Committee will review the commitment and behavior of leaders,
as well as consider measures, to ensure that diversity and
inclusion goals are effectively transmitted throughout their
organizations, including holding managers accountable for
achieving diverse and inclusive environments.
The Rooney Rule. The Committee will consider policies that
mandate the consideration of diverse employment candidates
(such as ``the Rooney Rule''), and whether and how such
policies have affected diversity and inclusion efforts,
including efforts by the Federal Reserve to identify and select
a diverse pool of candidates for senior- management positions
throughout the entire Federal Reserve System.
Vendor, Contractor, and Business Diversity. The Committee
will monitor the agencies' efforts to increase diversity within
their vendor and contractor pools, and may consider methods to
address any challenges, or other barriers, to the agencies'
capacity to enhance their supplier and business diversity. The
Committee will also consider changes to increase the
transparency of the diversity practices of the FHFA's regulated
entities, including requiring public reporting of the total
dollar amounts these entities spend on third party vendors and
service providers and the amounts paid to firms that are
minority-owned, women-owned, disability-owned, and other
diverse-owned businesses on a regular basis.
Public Companies. The Committee will consider proposals to
enhance diversity and inclusion practices and policies at
public companies, including by more transparently reporting
information regarding the equitable inclusion of women and
people of color in the workforce including compensation equity,
and the selection process of those who serve in middle- and
senior- management level, executive, C-suite positions, and
boards of directors.
Diverse Entrepreneurs and Access to Capital. The Committee
will monitor challenges faced by, and consider solutions to,
encouraging the creation and growth of diverse entrepreneurs'
businesses, particularly any unique challenges faced by
minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-
owned businesses, Native-owned businesses, disability-owned
businesses, and small businesses in obtaining access to capital
and opportunities to obtain a fair allocation of federal funds
and participation in federal programs. The Committee will also
review how corporations collaborate with minority-owned, women-
owned and other diverse- owned firms in their capital markets
activities, including but not limited to, the investment of
pension, union, and retirement funds; externally managed
investment and non-indexed funds; and alternative investments.
The Committee will also monitor the implementation of data
collection measures that could more effectively and efficiently
inform the public, investors, regulators, and Congress about
patterns and trends of business lending and other types of
financing.
OVERSIGHT PLAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR THE 117TH
CONGRESS
MINORITY VIEWS
Republicans' top priority remains safely reopening our
economy and getting Americans back to work. This can be
accomplished by ensuring more vaccines and testing are
available to our communities. With the extraordinary effort to
provide support to those impacted by COVID-19, comes the need
for diligent oversight of the CARES Act and related relief
programs. Additionally, Committee Republicans remain committed
to carrying out commonsense oversight priorities, to not only
ensure the safety and soundness of our financial system, but
its full recovery as well. Committee Republicans expect to
conduct oversight of the following areas during the 117th
Congress, as well as oversight and investigations of additional
matters or programs as they arise.
Addressing Systemic Risk
Cybersecurity. The coronavirus pandemic and
related relief programs have created an environment ripe for
cybercriminal activity. Committee Republicans will continue to
conduct oversight of cybersecurity in the public and private
sectors to protect the financial system from cybercrime.
Republicans will facilitate information sharing and identify
best practices among financial regulators and industry
participants, especially for threats related to COVID-19 and
related federal relief programs.
Digitization. Regulators must continue to digitize
their operations and interactions with regulated entities.
These changes should be made permanent even after the pandemic
subsides. It is necessary to ensure that new and modernized
digital infrastructure is in place to allow for efficient and
secure digital operations. The minority will continue to
conduct oversight of financial regulators as they transition to
increased digital interactions with regulated entities on a
more permanent basis.
Democratization of Finance. Increased retail
participation in the stock market has allowed more Americans to
generate wealth and provided new sources of capital for
companies to hire workers and invest in research and
development, among other things. Republicans will conduct
oversight of the retail marketplace to ensure the regulatory
environment, including the accredited investor rule, is
favorable for investors. Within that context, Republicans will
make findings and recommendations related to trading in
GameStop and other stocks in late January 2021.
Politicization of Access to Capital. Republicans
support fair access to financing for legally operating
businesses, which supports jobs and promotes long-term economic
growth. Financial regulators have committed to addressing
social causes unrelated to their regulatory authorities and
financial firms continue to limit access to capital to certain
politically unpopular industries. Republicans will conduct
oversight of the federal financial regulators to determine
whether their activities are outside their mandates, and of
regulated firms within the committee's jurisdiction to
determine whether they limit access to capital for legally
operating businesses based on non-pecuniary factors to
accomplish unrelated social or political goals.
Role of Proxy Advisory Firms. SEC guidance states
that advisers who vote proxies must do so in a manner
consistent with their fiduciary obligations and, to the extent
they rely on voting advice from proxy advisory firms they must
take reasonable steps to ensure the use of that advice is
consistent with their fiduciary duties. Republicans will
conduct oversight of the regulatory environment that covers the
relationship between proxy advisory firms, their clients, and
corporate boards of directors, to ensure boards are positioned
to meet their fiduciary obligations and determine the most
situationally appropriate course for companies to take.
Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness
Federal Housing Assistance. Despite significant
federal investment over the past several years, homelessness
persists as an issue. Data from the Department of Education
shows two million children experience homelessness at some
point during the school year. Republicans will conduct
oversight of homelessness programs and uses of funding intended
for that purpose to ensure resources are directed toward those
in greatest need.
Implementation of Recommendations from the
Community of Inspectors General. The audits and investigative
work of the IG community provides a roadmap for congressional
oversight of agencies within the Committee's jurisdiction. The
minority will review the inventory of open and unimplemented
recommendations from the inspectors general within the
committee's jurisdiction to identify opportunities for cost
savings and areas of common concern. The minority will also
seek to hold quarterly hearings with IGs to highlight some of
the most urgent areas for oversight.
Rulemaking Process. The regulatory rulemaking
process has gone relatively unchanged for decades. Technology
tools including AI could improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of the notice and comment process. Republicans
will continue to conduct oversight of agencies as they develop
new strategies and further integrate technology into the
rulemaking process.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac have been operating under federal conservatorship since
being bailed out for nearly $200 billion at the height of the
financial crisis. The minority will conduct oversight of the
government-sponsored enterprises and assess the role of the
federal government in mortgage finance to ensure the
administration remains on track to end government
conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Preventing Waste and Fraud
Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Impact
Payment Program Fraud. The minority will continue to monitor
and investigate fraud associated with COVID-19 relief programs,
specifically whether internal program controls effectively
balance the need to distribute relief quickly against fraud
prevention. The minority will seek data from relevant agencies,
inspectors general, GAO, and private sector participants, to
identify potential systemic risk concerns, among other things.
CARES Act. The CARES Act provided trillions of
dollars to the Treasury and Federal Reserve to stabilize the
economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The minority will
continue to conduct oversight to ensure loan recipients and
other program participants comply with the terms of the
programs in conformity with congressional intent and to protect
against waste, fraud, and abuse.
Abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program by
Political Organizations. The Paycheck Protection Program was
designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to
keep their workers on the payroll. The Small Business
Administration released data that shows political organizations
may have taken advantage of the program's expedited nature to
obtain funds for which they were ineligible. The minority will
partner with relevant agencies, inspectors general, and the
Justice Department to ensure ineligible political organizations
are held accountable.
CFPB Oversight. The Dodd-Frank Act created a CFPB
that was unaccountable to Congress. Republicans supported a
successful legal challenge to the Bureau's unconstitutional
structure that made the CFPB Director removable at will by the
President. Still, the Bureau is funded outside of the
congressional appropriations process, which positions the
Federal Reserve Board of Governors to act as a rubber stamp for
the Director's funding request. The fact that the Board has no
statutory mechanism to scrutinize the Bureau's funding request
has raised concerns that the CFPB's budget process is exposed
to waste, fraud, and abuse. In light of CFPB's continued
operation outside the congressional appropriations process,
Republicans will conduct oversight to ensure the Director does
not abuse the Bureau's vast enforcement authority to punish
industries disfavored by the Administration.
Elder Fraud. As the United States' elder
population continues to grow, financial fraud targeting that
community will have massive implications for financial
institutions. Evidence suggests that one in every five elder
Americans has been a victim of some form of financial fraud.
These numbers have increased due to the amount of COVID-related
fraud cases. Republicans will investigate how regulators and
the financial services industry are addressing elder fraud.
National Security
Terrorism Finance. Republicans will continue to
conduct oversight of the growing network of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), primarily in Western countries, including
the United States, which, in recent years, has engaged in an
organized and well-coordinated boycott, divestment and
sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. Documents show
connections between that network and groups that operate in the
Middle east with known connections to terrorist activities.
Republicans will ensure the administration uses the full range
of tools to prevent money from moving between domestic BDS
groups and terrorist groups abroad. Republicans will also
examine whether entities that do business with government
agencies provide goods and services to state sponsors of
terrorism.
Money Laundering. Financial institutions and law
enforcement agencies face constantly evolving tactics from
sophisticated criminals and terrorists attempting to leverage
the global financial system. Republicans will continue to
assess the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML)
regulatory regime to investigate the effectiveness of the
current rules, highlight the need to modernize the reporting
system in the digital era, and prevent criminal activity.
North Korean Sanctions. North Korea uses
corporations with opaque ownership structures to move money
through American banks. The current enforcement of
international sanctions intended to block Pyongyang's access to
the global financial system appear insufficient to prevent
these transactions. The minority will investigate how agencies
and financial institutions are combating money laundering
schemes like this and assess whether new legislation in
necessary.
China. Analysts have observed China offering
funding for international projects to secure Chinese access to
resources or local markets, causing countries to become
ensnared in a debt trap that leaves them vulnerable to China's
influence. The minority will examine China's debt trap and
Chinese resistance to transparent disclosure in its lending and
discuss the implications of China's financing decisions in
terms of the IMF, World Bank, and global systemic risk.
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Oversight Plan
117th Congress
1. INTRODUCTION
Pursuant to the requirements of clause 2(d) of House Rule
X, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (``the
Committee'') has prepared this oversight plan for the 117th
Congress, which will be submitted to the Committee on Oversight
and Reform and the Committee on House Administration. This plan
summarizes the Committee's oversight priorities for the next
two years, subject to the understanding that new developments
will undoubtedly affect priorities and work assignments in the
months ahead.
Agency and program oversight are key responsibilities of
the legislative branch. Committee Rule 15 requires each
Subcommittee to hold regular oversight hearings that, according
to usual practice, include an annual hearing on the portions of
the Administration's budget request within that Subcommittee's
jurisdiction. Oversight activities will be coordinated between
the Committee and the Subcommittees in order to facilitate
comprehensive and strategic review of the programs and agencies
within the Committee's jurisdiction.
These Committee activities may include hearings, briefings,
reports, and investigations, Member or staff-level meetings,
correspondence, fact-finding and oversight travel, reports, and
public statements. They may also include effective use and
review of reports by the Government Accountability Office and
by statutory Inspectors General, as well as Congressional
Notifications submitted by executive branch agencies. The
Committee will consult, as appropriate, with other committees
of the House that may share jurisdiction over relevant issues
and activities.
The Committee's authorization and oversight activities will
emphasize:
effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy;
effective implementation of U.S. law;
the review of agencies and programs in the
Committee's jurisdiction;
effective management and administration, and
institutional modernization;
appropriate resourcing of U.S. foreign
policy and programs.
How the Committee's work will address issues
of inequities on the basis of race, color, ethnicity,
religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
disability, age, or national origin.
2. PRIORITY OVERSIGHT MATTERS
a. Russia: The Committee will address the impact of
Russia's foreign and domestic policy on U.S. security,
political, and economic interests, as a result of its continued
aggression and related hostile actions regarding NATO, the EU,
Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, the United States, and other
countries. It will also examine Kremlin-driven efforts to
undermine western democratic governments and institutions
through cyber intrusions and attacks, disinformation campaigns,
malign influence activities, propaganda, and other hybrid
warfare tools. The Committee will examine the range of options
available to the United States. to respond to these actions.
The Committee will also review the deteriorating domestic
situation in Russia regarding democracy, civil society, the
rule of law, the free exercise of fundamental freedoms, and
human rights, including its attacks on opposition leader Alexei
Navalny and other prominent critics of President Putin and the
Kremlin. In addition, the Committee will closely assess
strategic stability and related arms control agreements with
Russia to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict. The Committee
will consult widely with experts and allies to inform the
measures the U.S. Government should pursue on these matters.
b. Ukraine/Georgia: The Committee will closely monitor
Russian-supported separatist activity and other aggressive
actions aimed at undermining Ukraine's sovereignty, including
the forcible and attempted annexation of Crimea. The Committee
will continue to examine the U.S. response to this aggression
in light of the long-standing U.S. foreign policy doctrine of
non-recognition of territorial changes effected by force alone.
The Committee will assess Russia's ongoing agression in Georgia
and consider measures the U.S. Government can take to continue
to promote effective, democratic governance in these while
turning back Russian intrusion. In addition, the Committee will
actively oversee efforts of the U.S. Government, working
alongside allies and partners, to assist these countries in
strengthening their defense capabilities, promoting economic
growth, combating corruption, and promoting an effective and
democratic government.
c. Europe/Eurasia: The Committee will review U.S. relations
with the European Union, individual European countries and
relevant regional groupings and multilateral bodies such as the
OSCE, and NATO. Key issues include continued reassurance and
support the security of our NATO allies, particularly in
Central and Eastern Europe; rule of law and border security;
U.S.-European cooperative efforts to combat terrorism, white
nationalism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of extremism; and
diversification of energy sources to reduce reliance on Russian
energy. The Committee will focus on strengthening our important
strategic and economic relationships with allies and partners
in order to bolster American security and promote greater
economic growth across the transatlantic community. The
Committee will also scrutinize the nexus of populism, alignment
of far left and far right political forces and increasingly
autocratic governments. Similarly, the Committee will continue
to work with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada,
and other allies and partners to hold the illegitimate
Lukashenko regime accountable for its theft of the August 2020
presidential election in Belarus and its continued crackdown on
peaceful protestors. The Committee will also continue oversight
of U.S. political, security and economic policy in Central Asia
and Western Balkans, with a particular focus on strengthening
partnerships to advance mutual security interests and European
integration where appropriate, including countering violent
extremism, as well as efforts to promote economic development
with the DFC, human rights, and good governance.
d. Turkey: The Committee will examine Turkey's evolving
foreign policy orientation and its domestic political trends--
including but not limited to its crackdown on domestic freedoms
and the rights of minorities, the LGBTQ community, and others;
its persecution of U.S. Embassy and Consulate staff in Turkey;
its efforts to combat ISIS and the spread of extremism; its
role as it pertains to conflict and refugees in Syria; its
aggression against the Kurds and in Nagorno-Karabakh; its
purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system; its
relationship with the European Union; its continued occupation
of the Republic of Cyprus and aggressive actions in the Eastern
Mediterranean; and the health of the long term U.S.-Turkey
strategic relationship.
e. Afghanistan: The Committee will comprehensively review
U.S. policy toward Afghanistan. Particular focus will be paid
to the Administration's efforts to bring the war in Afghanistan
to an end through an intra-Afghan dialogue. The Committee will
also pay close attention to the Afghan government's various
reform efforts related to addressing corruption, improving
governance, electoral reforms, and strengthening security. This
review will assess the effectiveness of international aid and
U.S. assistance programs, the broader political-military and
associated counterterrorism strategies, and the full range of
policies related to the post-2020 US Taliban peace framework
agreement.
f. Pakistan: The Committee will review all elements of U.S.
policy toward Pakistan, including efforts to eliminate safe
havens for violent extremists and establish a stable,
democratic country. This review will encompass both U.S.
civilian and security assistance to Pakistan, in order to
assess the extent to which such programs effectively advance
U.S. national interests. The Committee will also conduct
ongoing oversight of matters relating to Pakistan's nuclear
program, including issues relating to nonproliferation, such as
the legacy of the A.Q. Khan network and Pakistan's advancing of
tactical nuclear weapons
g. North Korea: The Committee will review and work to
address the threat posed by North Korea. Particular focus will
be paid to North Korea's nuclear, chemical and biological
weapons programs, its ballistic missile program, and the
possible proliferation of these weapons and delivery systems.
The Committee will also examine North Korea's conventional
weapon sales, other illicit activities, cyber-attacks, human
rights violations, as well as U.S. efforts to assist North
Korean refugees. The Committee will review U.S. diplomatic
efforts, U.S. information dissemination efforts, the
implementation of U.S. and international sanctions, the impact
of current negotiations on U.S. alliances in Asia, whether the
executive branch is keeping the legislative branch fully
informed of regional developments and U.S. policy toward North
Korea, and consider next steps in U.S. policy to address the
North Korean threat.
h. Indo-Pacific: The Committee will review the U.S.'s
significant political, economic, and security interests in the
Indo-Pacific, including East and Southeast Asia, South Asia,
and the Pacific Islands. The Committee will conduct oversight
of U.S. relations with countries in the Indo-Pacific, including
foreign policy, foreign assistance, human rights and democracy,
the strength of U.S. relationships with and among alliances and
partners, security cooperation, territorial disputes, influence
operations and trade. The Committee will evaluate the State
Department's participation in multilateral organizations such
as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East
Asia Summit, and closely monitor any discussion of future trade
agreements in Asia. The Committee will monitor the totality of
the U.S. relationship with Taiwan as provided for in the Taiwan
Relations Act.
i. India: The Committee will review U.S. policy towards
India and the continued expansion of bilateral cooperation.
Particular attention will be paid to the U.S.-India security
relationship, including cooperation on counterterrorism efforts
and developments since the 2015 defense framework agreement and
India's designation as a ``Major Defense Partner.'' The
Committee will also focus on efforts to enhance U.S.-India
economic and trade relations, and collaboration on efforts to
address global climate change and support for human rights and
the international rules-based order, stalled efforts to
initiate civil nuclear cooperation and the implications of
India's rapidly growing energy demands will also be reviewed.
j. China: The Committee will examine China's role in the
Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Particular focus will be placed
on China's influence operations globally, its assertiveness in
territorial disputes, military modernization, and human rights
abuses, including treatment of Tibetans, Uyghurs and other
religious and ethnic minorities. The Committee will review U.S.
export controls related to China. The Committee will also
continue to examine policy options with respect to Hong Kong
given China's violation of its international obligations under
the Sino-British Joint Declaration and commitments enshrined in
the Basic Law. In addition, the Committee will examine China's
use of economic coercion and role in the global economy,
including trade, technology, energy, infrastructure, and its
approach to development and foreign assistance, including
through China's Belt and Road Initiative. The Committee will
review China's cooperation on international nonproliferation
efforts against North Korea. The Committee will investigate
China's increasing use of cyber and economic espionage to
affect foreign trade, and other policy outcomes.
k. Sub-Saharan Africa: The Committee will review political,
economic and security developments on the African continent,
including the rise of geopolitical competition with Russia,
China, and among the Gulf Arab States on the continent, and
risk of democratic backsliding. Key issues will include efforts
to strengthen democratic institutions, advance human rights,
promote peace and security, and stimulate investment and
equitable economic growth--including through the implementation
of the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Electrify
Africa Act. The Committee will also focus on strengthening ties
to the African Union and its regional economic communities,
which are key partners in facilitating regional economic
integration, protecting human rights, and advancing peace and
security on the continent. Particular attention is to be paid
to developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Nigeria, Sudan, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, South
Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Mali, and Niger.
l. Western Hemisphere: The Committee will assess the
effectiveness of U.S. policy towards the countries of the
Western Hemisphere and the strategic importance of a positive
U.S. agenda in the Americas, including for those who have been
typically excluded including Afro-descendant and indigenous
populations. Special emphasis will be placed on developments in
political, security and economic cooperation with our partners
in Canada and Mexico. Efforts for further collaboration with
Argentina and Brazil will also be explored. The Committee will
address the security challenges posed by transnational criminal
organizations and other illegal armed actors. Challenges to
democracy, human rights, the rule of law, anti-corruption
efforts and press freedom in the Americas also will be
examined. The Committee will closely monitor the humanitarian
crisis in Venezuela and its impact on the Venezuelan people and
countries throughout the region, as well as U.S. efforts to
hold government actors in the country accountable. In the
Northern Triangle countries of Central America, the Committee
will assess the conditions that drive child and family
migration and the appropriate response from the State
Department, USAID and other international affairs agencies. In
Nicaragua, the Committee will assess appropriate actions to
continue to hold the country's government and security forces
accountable for human rights abuses. In Colombia, the Committee
will evaluate the implementation of the country's peace accords
and ongoing counternarcotics efforts. The Committee will
continue to closely monitor U.S.-Cuba relations and the health
incidents impacting U.S. government personnel serving in Cuba.
In Haiti, the Committee will continue its oversight of State
Department and USAID assistance for reconstruction efforts, as
well as investigate concerns of human rights abuses and help
support efforts towards free, fair, and inclusive elections
with buy-in from both the Haitian government and opposition. In
the Caribbean, the Committee will continue efforts to enhance
U.S. energy, security and diplomatic cooperation with the
countries of the region.
m. Syria: The Committee will scrutinize U.S. efforts to
address Syria's ongoing civil war, the war crimes committed by
the Assad regime and other parties, and the role of Iran,
Russia, Turkey and our Kurdish partners in the conflict.
Particular attention will be paid to the Administration's new
strategy for Syria including regional diplomacy, security
coordination, and humanitarian assistance. The Committee will
also examine the lasting consequences of the Trump
Administration's decision to suspend stabilization assistance
in Syria and evaluate U.S. efforts to prevent international
reconstruction funds from assisting the Assad regime until a
sustainable political solution is achieved and the regime
allows for the safe, dignified and voluntary return of the
outstanding six million displaced Syrians. The Committee will
examine the impact of Syria's refugee crisis on regional states
including Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon and the continued pattern
of human rights violations by the Assad regime, ISIS and its
affiliates, and Turkish-supported militias.
n. Countering Violent Extremism: The Committee will examine
the current status of al-Qaeda and its affiliates, with a
specific focus on recruitment efforts, evolving save havens,
and efforts to obtain WMDs. The Committee will also scrutinize
the Administration's efforts to defeat ISIS in the Middle East
and around the world, including authorizations for such
efforts, leveraging other countries' commitments, evaluating
U.S. leadership in the Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and
determining the success of U.S. policies that seek to address
the socio-economic challenges that led to the initial
establishment and growth of ISIS. The Committee will conduct
oversight of the State Department's various counterterrorism
programs, including those designed to counter violent extremism
(CVE), as well as agreements with foreign governments relating
to the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
o. U.S. Policies and Actions in the Arabian Peninsula: The
Committee will evaluate the U.S. role in the Gulf, particularly
the role that the United States plays in Yemen, as well as ways
that the United States can help bring the conflict to an end
and address the serious security and economic concerns that
have plagued Yemen for decades. The Committee will also review
the U.S. relationship with members of the Saudi-led coalition
in Yemen as well as U.S. policy options to build leverage with
the Houthis in order to encourage compromise and a lasting
resolution to the conflict. The Committee will also critically
evaluate ongoing U.S. arms transfers and security cooperation
with Gulf governments and the extent to which changes in U.S.
policy in these areas can support an end to the Yemen conflict.
The Committee will examine the status of rights of women,
journalists, political dissidents and bloggers in the Gulf, and
the extent to which current U.S. policy prioritizes human
rights, the core of U.S. values.
p. Iran: The Committee will continue to closely review U.S.
policy toward Iran, with a special focus on evaluating how the
U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA impacts the interests of the
United States and our allies and how re-engagement in the JCPOA
would tangibly benefit U.S. national security and that of our
allies. The Committee will also review and work to address the
threat posed by Iran's ballistic missile development, state
sponsorship of terrorism and growing influence in Iraq, Syria,
Yemen, and Lebanon, as well as the regime's ongoing human
rights abuses, including the continued prolonged detention of
Americans.
q. Israel and Palestinian Issues/Middle East Peace: The
Committee will evaluate the lasting consequences of the Trump
administration's efforts to advance peace between Israelis and
Palestinians and will examine the current Administration's
strategy and recent policy changes in light of a needed return
to work towards a two-state solution. The Committee will
examine the enduring consequences of changes to U.S. assistance
to Palestinians and the implications of these decisions for our
allies and interests as well as the basic human rights of the
Palestinian people. The Committee will look at the various ways
that the Administration can continue building cooperation with
Israel in an effort to expand this mutually beneficial
relationship.
r. Middle East and North Africa: The Committee will
carefully review overall U.S. policy toward the Middle East and
North Africa, to include: the extent to which U.S. foreign
assistance is being utilized in Iraq to help address the
inequities that brought about the initial rise of ISIS; the
democratic transition in Tunisia; the status of political
negotiations in Libya; the impact of Chinese economic and
diplomatic investment in the Middle East; the consequences of
low oil prices for various oil-producing states; human rights
and challenges to the rule of law throughout the region; and
United States policies, programs, authorities and funding to
address these challenges.
s. State Department and U.S. Agency for International
Development Oversight, Authorization, and Modernization: The
Committee will seek to pass a State Department Authorization
bill as one has not been enacted since 2002. Emphasis will also
be placed on modernizing personnel systems and practices,
increasing workforce flexibility and improving recruitment,
retention, and promotion processes, with a focus on ensuring
that Department of State personnel better represent the
diversity of the United States. The Committee will continue to
monitor and examine the operations, budget, programs, planning,
workforce training, building, and security policies with an eye
toward authorization for Fiscal Year 2021. In addition to
hearings with the Secretary of State and other Administration
officials regarding their budget proposals for the upcoming
year, such efforts may include: revisions to the Foreign
Service Act; the Foreign Assistance Act; efforts to improve
diversity and inclusion, with an emphasis on addressing
barriers to retention and promotion at the mid and senior
levels, consideration of reforms to Executive Branch reporting
requirements; and a reduction or consolidation of offices with
duplicative mandates and overlapping responsibilities. In the
wake of increasing threats to U.S. personnel serving overseas,
the Committee will continue to evaluate the security of our
embassies and consulates, along with proposed reforms to the
State Department's diplomatic security service to promote the
personnel safety in the context of appropriate evaluation of
risk.
t. Employee Retaliation: The Committee will pursue
legislative changes to address the results of its investigation
during the 116th Congress into politically-motivated
retaliation against State Department and USAID employees during
the Trump Administration, including individuals who have
alleged they were subjected to prohibited personnel practices
on account of their national origin, sexual identity, perceived
political views, or in response to whistleblowing.
u. Foreign Assistance: The Committee will review the
underlying authorities for U.S. foreign assistance with an eye
towards reducing duplication, increasing transparency and
effectiveness, and modernizing the foreign assistance
workforce. It will also review issues related to the
implementation of U.S. foreign assistance programs and
projects, including the role of U.S. missions and embassies in
overseeing grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. In
addition, the Committee will review issues related to
coordination between the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) and other U.S. Government agencies and
departments involved in carrying out U.S. foreign assistance.
Among a broad range of issues, the Committee will review U.S.
foreign assistance initiatives aimed at providing life-saving
humanitarian assistance, catalyzing economic growth, supporting
sustainable development approaches, reducing state fragility,
and addressing food security and global health challenges, and
increasing resilience of developing communities to weather
shocks and stresses, including climate change. The Committee
will also exercise oversight over the initial investments and
growth of the newly created International Development Finance
Corporation. Assistance provided through the Millennium
Challenge Corporation will also receive close scrutiny.
v. Global Health: The Committee will examine key global
health issues, in particular the ongoing effects of COVID-19,
both directly and on broader global health efforts. The
Committee will also conduct oversight on global health security
efforts, including infectious disease surveillance and control
and strengthening of health care systems. Additionally, the
Committee will examine the impacts of the previous
Administration's reimposition of the Global Gag Rule and
elimination of funding to UNFPA on women's health services and
access to reproductive health. Additionally, the Committee's
oversight will include reviewing PEPFAR's efforts to date, as
well as, progress on global malnutrition elimination, support
for maternal and child health, and the U.S. engagement with the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
w. Climate Change, Energy, and the Environment: The
Committee will examine the effectiveness of U.S. policy on
climate change, including the impact of the past
Administration's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord on
our diplomatic relations, our development assistance, and
multilateral engagement. We will explore the impacts of climate
change on national security, its contributions to displacement
and social unrest across the globe, and how we can advance a
path toward climate stabilization. We will consider the
evolution of the global energy landscape, emphasize good
governance of existing resources, and work to assure energy
security for the US and our allies. The Committee will also
oversee engagement on environmental issues including wildlife
trafficking, international conservation efforts, and the role
and safety of environmental activists across the globe.
x. Economic Policy and Trade: The Committee will oversee
international economic policy, including U.S. leadership in
trade, finance, energy, technology, and development policy to
promote economic prosperity and national security.
y. The Committee will continue to oversee the
administration of defense export controls under the Arms Export
Control Act.
z. U.S. Nonproliferation Policy: The Committee will examine
the effectiveness of U.S. nonproliferation policy and the
international nonproliferation regime in preventing the spread
of weapons of mass destruction. The Committee will address
opportunities to strengthen existing nonproliferation
organizations, especially the International Atomic Energy
Agency, increase cooperation with other countries, and enhance
international nonproliferation agreements and mechanisms
including the international regulation of civil nuclear power
and the potential spread of technology, equipment and material
useful in the development of nuclear weapons capabilities. The
Committee will closely examine proposed and existing bilateral
nuclear cooperation agreements with other countries, including
their potential to promote U.S. nonproliferation objectives and
commercial interests.
aa. Export Controls, Arms Transfers and Security
Assistance: The Committee will assess the effectiveness of
export controls under the Export Control Reform Act, regulation
of defense transfers under the Arms Export Control Act and
security assistance programs authorized under the Foreign
Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act in advancing
U.S. national interests. In addition, the Committee will review
those security cooperation programs funded by the Department of
Defense, but which require concurrence of the Secretary of
State, or otherwise give rise to the Committee's jurisdiction.
bb. U.S. International Broadcasting: The Committee will
continue to actively monitor and review the operations and
organization of U.S. government-supported, civilian
international broadcasting to respond more effectively to the
challenges presented by state and non-state actors using modern
communication platforms. The Committee will closely oversee
efforts by USAGM to rebuild from the brief, destructive tenure
of former CEO Michael Pack, and return USAGM to its proper
position of being independent and non-partisan.
cc. Human Rights and Democracy: The Committee will examine
and monitor human rights abuses around the world and the
deterioration of democracy and democratic norms globally. The
Committee will also review the Administration's recentering of
human rights and democracy as a key parts of U.S. foreign
policy, with an added emphasis on addressing issues of
inequities on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or
national origin. The Committee will also assess U.S.
involvement with multilateral human rights organizations, to
ensure that U.S. diplomacy serves to promote human rights and
freedoms.
dd. United Nations and International Organizations: The
Committee will closely review all aspects of U.S. participation
in international organizations and seek to ensure the US is
accountable for its funding commitments, as well as advocating
for equitable obligations from all UN member states. The
Committee will closely monitor the work of the United Nations
Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Department of Field
Support, and particularly efforts to improve performance and
enhance accountability. The Committee will seek to ensure
America's engagement with UN institutions will support
international diplomatic and development goals, including the
Sustainable Development Goals. The Committee will also assess
and address foreign adversaries' attempts to expand influence
in UN institutions to coopt these organizations in service of
private political agendas. Close attention will be paid to the
extent to which the Administration's strategies in
international organizations has led to greater engagement and
improved outcomes on human rights issues, as well as its
support for and accountability of the World Health
Organization, now that the United States has reentered.
ee. Cyberpolicy: The Committee will conduct oversight over
U.S. efforts to examine and devise appropriate responses to
cyber threats from foreign governments, non-state actors, and
criminal networks that target the United States. The Committee
will also examine efforts by U.S. adversaries to undermine the
government, democratic and other institutions of the United
States and other nations through cyber intrusions.
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
In addition to the oversight priorities outlined regarding
Turkey, the Committee should also pay close attention to
Turkey's continued persecution of religious minorities, in
clear violation of its own Constitution, and to its
antagonistic actions against Greece, a NATO ally, in the Aegean
Sea.
Dina Titus (NV-1).
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
OVERSIGHT PLAN OF
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
FOR THE 117TH CONGRESS
The following is the Oversight Plan of the Committee on
Homeland Security for the 117th Congress. The Oversight Plan
consists of topics designated for review by Chairman Bennie G.
Thompson, in consultation with Ranking Member John Katko. Below
are descriptions of some of the significant issues the
Committee intends to conduct oversight on this Congress. The
Committee continues to be committed to addressing in the course
of its work inequities in homeland security related to race,
color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, disability, age, or national origin, and to ensuring
witness and stakeholder input from a diverse array of
Americans.
OVERSIGHT, MANAGEMENT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY
During the 117th Congress, the Committee will conduct
oversight of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS)
activities relating to human capital recruitment and retention,
acquisition practices, systems modernization and other
functions essential to the Department effectively and
efficiently fulfilling its critical missions. The Committee
will also examine the Department's ongoing efforts to
consolidate its headquarters at the St. Elizabeths campus.
Additionally, the Committee plans to oversee the Department's
development of its capstone strategy document, the Quadrennial
Homeland Security Review (QHSR). Finally, the Committee will
investigate homeland security programs and practices, as
warranted.
Human Capital Management
The Committee will monitor the Department's efforts to plan
and implement strategic human capital management programs that
address current and emerging human capital challenges,
including persistently low morale among the Department's
workforce; lack of diversity in the Department's leadership
cadre; and ongoing difficulties with recruiting, hiring, and
retaining employees at components and offices across the
Department. Additionally, the Committee will examine the
authorities and activities of the Chief Human Capital Officer
(CHCO) and the coordination of policy between and among the
Department's CHCOs.
Acquisition, Procurement, and Contract Management
The Committee will review the Department's major
acquisition programs and procurement and contracting practices
to promote the delivery of critical capabilities and prevent
waste, fraud, and abuse. The Committee will also examine the
Department's oversight of acquisitions and procurement,
including components' compliance with associated policy and
guidance. Further, the Committee will review the activities and
authorities of the Under Secretary for Management and the Chief
Procurement Officer to ensure the effective management of these
key functions.
Systems Modernization and Integration
The Committee will examine the Department's efforts to
modernize and integrate its systems, including information
technology and financial management systems. The Committee will
monitor the development, implementation, and integration of new
systems across components as well as management of the
Department-wide portfolio of systems.
Policy Development and Coordination
The Committee will monitor the efforts of the Department's
Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans to ensure coordination
and integration of policy between headquarters and the
components. The Committee will examine the Department's efforts
to take a longer-term, strategic view of threats and hazards to
the homeland, including through the publication of the QHSR.
Additionally, the Committee will oversee the activities of the
Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention, including
the implementation of the Department's Strategic Framework to
Counter Terrorism and Targeted Violence.
Departmental Waste, Fraud, Abuse, and Mismanagement
Pursuant to rule X, clause 2 (n)(1) of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee will work to identify
waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement in the Department's
programs that may undermine its vital missions.
Privacy and Civil Liberties
The Committee will continue to monitor the Department's
efforts under Section 222 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002
(Pub. L. 107-296), which created a Privacy Officer for the
Department of Homeland Security, and Section 705 of the Act
which established an Officer for Civil Rights and Liberties.
BORDER SECURITY, FACILITATION, AND OPERATIONS
In the 117th Congress, the Committee will examine how the
Department can continue to enhance the security of America's
borders by preventing the entry of terrorists and their
weapons, stemming the flow of illegal drugs, and addressing
unauthorized entries while also facilitating legitimate trade
and travel to this country. Additionally, the Committee will
review the Department's treatment of individuals--particularly
families and children, the elderly, those with disabilities,
and other vulnerable populations--at the border, conditions in
immigration detention facilities, and regional approaches to
managing migration flows in the Western Hemisphere.
Border Security Infrastructure, Technology, and Personnel
The Committee will examine efforts to enhance situational
awareness and security of the borders of the United States. The
Committee seeks to understand the metrics used by the
Department to assess effectiveness of border security
infrastructure, technology, and operations, to include costs to
the taxpayers and impacts on nearby communities, which may be
marginalized or underserved in some cases. Furthermore, the
Committee will review the infrastructure, technology, and
personnel needs at land, sea, and airports of entry, which
currently limit the Department's ability to detect illegal
narcotics and contraband entering the country and may slow the
processing of individuals and goods.
Border Screening Programs
The Committee intends to review efforts to assist border
and consular officials in identifying, intercepting, and
disrupting terrorists attempting to enter the United States.
The Committee will examine the continued integration, security,
and reliability of various law enforcement and intelligence-
based databases used to screen persons seeking to enter this
country, operations at the Department's National Vetting
Center, and progress toward implementing a biometric entry and
exit system at ports of entry. Particular focus will be on
ensuring the prevention of discrimination and protection of
civil rights and liberties for individuals subject to those
programs.
TRANSPORTATION AND MARITIME SECURITY
During the 117th Congress, the Committee plans to examine
the Department's efforts to develop and implement strategies to
address terrorist threats in varied transportation
environments, including both air and surface transportation.
The Committee will review the effectiveness of the
Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) passenger,
baggage, and cargo screening programs and operations. The
Committee will also examine the challenges facing the TSA
workforce, including limited protections for TSA agents,
persistent low morale, and the need to increase diversity among
its leadership ranks. Additionally, the Committee will examine
the use of transportation security grants to better secure
America's transportation system.
Aviation Security
The Committee intends to review TSA's progress in
developing and deploying passenger and baggage screening
technologies, including the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of
such technologies. The Committee will examine TSA's use of
explosives detection canines to ensure that canine teams are
utilized effectively. The Committee will also look at
management of the agency's Screening Partnership Program.
Additionally, the Committee also will review TSA's passenger
search policies and practices, passenger pre-screening programs
including the use of no-fly and selectee lists, and protocols
for ensuring that passengers designated high-risk are receiving
enhanced screening at the checkpoint. The Committee will assess
whether there are additional ways for TSA to enhance security
and improve risk-based strategies throughout the aviation
system.
As part of this oversight, the Committee plans to examine
TSA's staffing needs and related matters affecting the TSA
workforce, such as continued low morale and high attrition
among transportation security officers. The Committee will also
examine privacy and civil rights protections for the traveling
public. Additionally, the Committee will examine the threats to
aviation and other targets posed by unmanned aircraft or
``drones.''
Surface Transportation Security
The Committee will review TSA's efforts to secure surface
transit systems, including the highest- risk mass transit and
rail systems. The Committee's oversight will include a review
of the Transit Security Grant Program to determine if it is
supporting surface transportation security adequately. The
Committee will also review the extent to which TSA effectively
coordinates with its Federal, State, local, and private sector
partners to secure our Nation's transportation systems.
Additionally, the Committee will assess the effectiveness of
TSA's efforts to secure the Nation's pipeline systems through
TSA's oversight and inspection activities.
Stakeholder Engagement
The Committee will help ensure that TSA works appropriately
with transportation sector stakeholders and labor through the
Aviation Security Advisory Committee, the Surface
Transportation Security Advisory Committee, collective
bargaining, or other means. The Committee will also encourage
TSA to find new ways to leverage private sector expertise,
innovation, and technologies, including from small businesses,
in its mission to secure the Nation's critical transportation
systems in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
Maritime Security
The Committee will examine various aspects of maritime
security, including the security of port facilities and the
screening of vessels, passengers, cargo, and crew, for
potential terrorists, terrorist weapons, and contraband. The
Committee plans to review the Coast Guard's statutorily defined
homeland security missions, to include ports, waterways, and
coastal security; drug interdiction; migrant interdiction; law
enforcement; and defense readiness. The Committee will also
review resource and asset needs within the Coast Guard to
determine whether the service is operationally ready to address
the varied threats to America's ports and waterways while
pursuing a long-term sustainable path of fleet
recapitalization. Additionally, the Committee will conduct
oversight on the Transportation Worker Identification
Credential (TWIC) program.
Intelligence and Counterterrorism
During the 117th Congress, the Committee will conduct
oversight to inform Congress and the public on current and
evolving intelligence and counterterrorism threats; identify
policy to best empower communities, support stakeholders, and
protect the homeland; and enhance trust between the Department
and all of its partners, including the American public, to
ensure intelligence and counterterrorism efforts are effective.
The Committee's oversight will specifically examine the
capabilities and efforts of the Office of Intelligence and
Analysis, the Department of Homeland Security Intelligence
Enterprise, the United States Secret Service, civil rights
oversight offices, along with Federal, state, and local
partners, to identify, prevent, deter, and respond to
intelligence and terrorism threats to the homeland. This work
will examine domestic and international terrorism threats to
the homeland. As 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Committee will review
the authorities granted to and efforts undertaken by the
Department since its creation and assess a path forward,
including a strategic vision for the Department to create a
secure homeland through its intelligence and counterterrorism
programs and activities. The Committee will also explore the
growing effort to further integrate cyber-threat intelligence
reporting with intelligence about the physical world to create
a more holistic intelligence picture. Additionally, the
Committee will review civil unrest that has recently occurred
across the country.
Domestic Terrorism
Committee will review the persistent, growing threat to the
U.S. from domestic terrorism movements. As part of that effort,
the Committee will investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol
on January 6, 2021, including the involvement of domestic
terrorist groups, the use of online platforms by the
perpetrators in carrying out the attack, and any intelligence
and information sharing lapses that may have occurred.
Intelligence Enterprise & Information Sharing
The Committee will conduct oversight of the Department's
Intelligence Enterprise, including intelligence activities
throughout the Department and component agencies. The Committee
will review efforts to build the intelligence, analytical, and
assessment capabilities of the Department and to ensure its
full participation in the Intelligence Community as part of its
homeland security mission. This will include a specific look at
the Office of Intelligence and Analysis' current and future
capabilities, including its mission and specific means to
adjust to a fluid threat landscape and build expertise and fill
gaps within the intelligence community.
The Committee will also examine the Department's role in
managing, distributing, and using intelligence and threat
information in furtherance of its homeland security mission.
This will include current and future information sharing
efforts within the Department, between the Department and other
Federal agencies, and between the Department and the Committee.
Furthermore, the Committee will monitor the extent to which the
Department effectively coordinates and collaborates with other
Federal, State, and local agencies to mitigate threats to the
homeland. Specifically, the Committee will assess the degree to
which the Office of Intelligence and Analysis effectively
supports State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial law enforcement
partners and other stakeholders. The Committee will also review
how the Department collects and shares information, including
through vital security vetting programs and Federal terrorist
or criminal watchlists.
The Committee will continue to assess the development of
the Department's counterintelligence and insider threat
programs, including Departmental organizational changes,
resources, monitoring programs, and training initiatives.
Specifically, the Committee will examine the Department's
counterintelligence efforts to prevent adversaries from
penetrating the Department to exploit sensitive information,
operations, programs, personnel, and resources.
Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
The Committee will monitor the Department's efforts to
ensure appropriate privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties
protections in its intelligence, counterterrorism, and
information sharing programs and activities. Specifically, the
Committee will examine and evaluate such programs and
activities with regard to protected categories, such as race
and religion, as well as constitutional rights, such as freedom
of speech. Moreover, the Committee will seek to ensure that
intelligence and counterterrorism oversight, including any
legislative fixes, are appropriately scoped to build trust,
bolster resilience, and empower minority and other historically
marginalized communities who are often targeted by acts of
extremism.
United States Secret Service
The Committee will examine the operations of the United
States Secret Service, including its efforts to protect the
President of the United States and other Executive branch
officials and to investigate financial and cybercrime. The
Committee will also review the agency's staffing model to
determine whether it has adequate resources to meet its current
and projected needs. The Committee will examine the Secret
Service's lead role in planning and executing security
operations for National Special Security Events. Additionally,
the Committee will conduct oversight into whether the agency is
taking steps to address persistent concerns about hiring
practices, promotion policies, and morale, including increasing
diversity in leadership positions.
Online Extremism
The Committee will examine the exploitation of online
platforms by extremists to incite violence, plan violent acts,
and cause harm in the offline world. The Committee will conduct
oversight on Departmental programs and activities with online
platforms to counter extremism online; efforts by technology
platforms and service providers in moderating extremist content
on their platforms; and the maturation of the Global Internet
Forum to Counter Terrorism; and policy to combat online
extremist content while respecting free expression, civil
rights, and civil liberties.
CYBERSECURITY, INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION, AND INNOVATION
During the 117th Congress, the Committee will conduct
oversight of the cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, and
science and technology activities of the Department.
Cybersecurity
The Committee will continue its oversight of the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA)
implementation of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency Act of 2018, which operationalized CISA. Additionally,
the Committee will examine implementation of cybersecurity
related provisions of H.R. 6395, the National Defense
Authorization Act of FY 2021 and the Federal government's
response to recent malicious cyber campaigns targeting Federal
networks. Toward that end, the Committee will continue to its
oversight of the deployment and maturation of CISA's EINSTEIN
and Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) programs for
securing Federal networks. Additionally, the Committee will
conduct oversight of strategic initiatives carried out by the
new National Risk Management Center to identify
interdependencies and mitigate vulnerabilities across critical
infrastructure sectors. The Committee will also examine ways to
further build the Department's cybersecurity capability and
capacity to implement its cyber statutory authorities.
Additionally, the Committee will continue its work
examining the implementation of cybersecurity legislation,
including the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2014,
(Pub. L. 113-282) (authorizing the National Cybersecurity
Communications and Integration Center, or NCCIC); the Federal
Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, (Pub. L. 113-
283 (authorizing DHS to carry out Federal information security
activities); the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014, (Pub.
L. 113-274) (providing for improvements to cybersecurity
through public-private partnerships, education, awareness, and
development of standards and best practices); and the
Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act, (Pub. L. 113-246)
(calling for a comprehensive cyber workforce strategy with
workforce assessments every three years). The Committee will
also examine CISA's election security activities.
Infrastructure Protection
The Committee will examine CISA's programs to protect
critical infrastructure, with key focus on internal
coordination mechanisms to ensure that expertise can be
leveraged efficiently and effectively and encourage CISA to
proactively respond to new and emerging threats, such as the
threat of unmanned aerial vehicles detected in sensitive
airspace and soft targets. The Committee will also review how
DHS, through CISA, works with the various critical
infrastructure sectors pursuant to Presidential Policy
Directive 21, Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience
(PPD-21).
The Committee will oversee CISA's ongoing administration of
Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard (CFATS) program,
which requires high risk chemical facility owners and operators
to report chemical holdings, perform vulnerability assessments,
and adopt risk-based security measures to protect against the
threat of a terrorist attack. Further, the Committee will
continue to monitor the Department's efforts to establish a
program to secure the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate, as
required by the Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of
2008, and potentially develop new access controls to prevent
the illicit flow of other precursor chemicals commonly used in
Improved Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Science and Technology Directorate
The Committee will conduct oversight of the coordination of
homeland security-related research, development, testing, and
evaluation (RDT&E) within the Department and the adequacy of
mission support provided by the Directorate to operational
elements of the Department, state and local authorities, and
the private sector. The Committee will also review the
Department's efforts to attract the Nation's most talented
scientists and build partnerships with the academic community
through its Homeland Security Centers of Excellence and
University Programs.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY
In the 117th Congress, the Committee will continue to
conduct oversight of the Department's efforts to prevent,
prepare for, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism,
natural disasters, and other major emergencies, including the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
The Committee will examine the Federal Emergency Management
Agency's (FEMA) response and recovery efforts for declared
disasters to ensure capabilities incorporate lessons learned
and Federal resources are used appropriately. Focus will
include lesson learned from recent disasters and recovery
efforts, addressing the needs of underserved and vulnerable
populations, and the impact of global warming on disasters. The
Committee will also review the Department's training and
exercise programs. Further, the Committee will monitor the
extent to which FEMA is incorporating information from national
exercises into future training, planning, and response,
recovery, and mitigation activities. Additionally, the
Committee will conduct oversight of the Department's Countering
Weapons of Mass Destruction Office efforts to counter threats
from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons.
COVID-19
The Committee will continue its oversight of the Federal
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the role of FEMA
in responding to the disaster. Particular focus will be on
monitoring FEMA's work with the Centers for Disease Control and
other Federal agencies to coordinate with State, local, and
tribal, and territorial entities and the private sector to
assist with COVID-19 vaccine distribution, as well as
addressing inequitable access to vaccine and disparate outcomes
for minority and underserved communities.
Assistance to State and Local Governments and First Responders
The Committee will examine FEMA's allocation and
administration of grants to state and local governments and
emergency response providers to prevent, prepare for, respond
to, mitigate, and recover from a terrorist attack or other
disaster. The Committee will review the coordination of grant
programs within the Department in developing guidance and
administering grants; the ability of state and local
governments to access, obligate, and expend funds; the strength
of regional partnerships developed through grants; and the
risk-based distribution and expenditure of such grants at the
state and local levels.
Emergency Communications
The Committee will examine the coordination of various
communications programs and offices within the Department,
including the achievement and maintenance of interoperable
communications capabilities among the Department's components,
as required by the Department of Homeland Security
Interoperable Communications Act (Pub. Law 114-29). The
Committee will monitor activities of the First Responder
Network Authority (FirstNet) and the development of the public
safety interoperable wireless broadband network. In addition,
the Committee will review the Department's Integrated Public
Alert and Warning System to ensure timely and effective alerts
and warnings are provided to the public in the event of an
emergency.
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION
Oversight Plan for the 117th Congress
Committee on House Administration
The Committee on House Administration (Committee) has
developed the following oversight plan pursuant to clause 2(d)
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives. The
Committee's oversight activities are key to the operations of
the Legislative Branch, including the House and House Officers,
Legislative Branch agencies, and other related entities. The
Committee's responsibilities also include oversight of federal
elections. The jurisdiction of the Committee, pursuant to
clause House Rule X, clause 1(k), is as follows:
(1) Appropriations from accounts for committee salaries and
expenses (except for the Committee on Appropriations); House
Information Resources; and allowance and expenses of Members,
Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, officers, and
administrative offices of the House.
(2) Auditing and settling of all accounts described in
subparagraph (1).
(3) Employment of persons by the House, including staff for
Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, and committees;
and reporters of debates, subject to rule VI.
(4) Except as provided in paragraph (r)(11), the Library of
Congress, including management thereof; the House Library;
statuary and pictures; acceptance or purchase of works of art
for the Capitol; the Botanic Garden; and purchase of books and
manuscripts,
(5) The Smithsonian Institution and the incorporation of
similar institutions (except as provided in paragraph (r)(11)).
(6) Expenditure of accounts described in subparagraph (1).
(7) Franking Commission;\19\
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\19\The name of the House Commission on Congressional Mailing
Standards, also known as the Franking Commission, was recently changed
to the House Communications Standards Commission. COMMS Act., P.L. 116-
260.
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(8) Printing and correction of the Congressional Record.
(9) Accounts of the House generally.
(10) Assignment of office space for Members, Delegates, the
Resident Commissioner, and committees.
(11) Disposition of useless executive papers.
(12) Election of the President, Vice President, Members,
Senators, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner; corrupt
practices; contested elections; credentials and qualifications;
and Federal elections generally.
(13) Services to the House, including the House Restaurant,
parking facilities, and administration of the House Office
Buildings and of the House wing of the Capitol.
(14) Travel of Members, Delegates, and the Resident
Commissioner.
(15) Raising, reporting, and use of campaign contributions
for candidates for office of Representative, of Delegate, and
of Resident Commissioner; and
(16) Compensation, retirement, and other benefits of the
Members, Delegates, the Resident Commissioner, officers, and
employees of Congress.
The Committee will continue its oversight of operations of
the House, Legislative Branch agencies, and federal elections
in the 117th Congress. This oversight work will include various
forms of Committee activity, including, but not limited to,
regular oversight meetings with Committee staff, Member-level
meetings, briefings, hearings, correspondence, studies,
reports, and cooperation with relevant inspectors general. The
Committee intends to continue and expand its practice of
holding both monthly general oversight meetings for House
Officers and agencies and project-specific recurring oversight
meetings for Legislative Branch programs and activities that
require extra Committee attention.
The Committee's oversight activities will emphasize:
House Officers and operations;
Legislative Branch agencies and related
entities;
Security of the Capitol and throughout the
legislative branch, including the January 6, 2021,
domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol;
Operations of the Legislative Branch during
the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;
Member services;
Committee funding and activities;
The Congressional Accountability Act of
1995;
Official communications;
House technology use and modernization; and
Federal election law and procedures.
HOUSE OFFICERS AND OPERATIONS
The Committee intends to work with the House Officers to
develop and implement long term plans to ensure that they are
well positioned to serve the House community effectively. These
plans will focus on increasing efficiency, improving management
practices, diversifying the workforce, promoting physical and
cyber security, and facilitating interoffice cooperation.
House Officers and Operations, Generally
Oversee collaboration among House Officers and
other Legislative Branch entities with respect to the
institutional response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Provide general policy guidance to the House
Officers.
Provide policy guidance and conduct oversight of
security and safety issues and congressional entities charged
with such roles, ensuring coordination among the various
entities, with an emphasis on the January 6, 2021, domestic
terrorist attack at the Capitol.
Review proposals and oversee efforts to recruit
and retain a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
Analyze management improvement proposals and other
initiatives submitted by the House Officers and relevant
Inspectors General.
Assure coordination among House Officers and other
Legislative Branch entities on the continued development and
implementation of a comprehensive district office support
program.
Coordinate with House Officers and officials to
develop and implement long term plans and goals for the
financial and administrative functions of the House.
Coordinate with the Subcommittee on Legislative
Branch Appropriations on matters impacting operations of the
House and other Legislative Branch entities.
Ensure coordination among House Officers and other
Legislative Branch entities on administrative and technology
matters, including reviewing and improving existing IT security
policies.
Oversee compliance with the House Employees
Position Classification Act (2 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 291 et seq.).
Review relevant rules, regulations, and statutes
and, in consultation with the House Officers, revise where
necessary.
Work with House Officers to create more cost
effective and efficient operations within the House, including,
but not limited to, elimination of any duplicative programs or
activities.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
Provide policy direction for the Chief
Administrative Officer (CAO). Continue the review of functions
and administrative operations assigned to the CAO.
Review ongoing process and technology upgrades to
the House financial management system, ensuring appropriate
internal controls are in place.
Oversee the CAO's role in assuring accessibility
to the House wing of the Capitol, the House Office Buildings,
and other House facilities consistent with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA).
Oversee the House Child Care Center, including
response to the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce the
waitlist and expand admissions.
Oversee the House Recording Studio, with a focus
on the execution of remote proceedings.
Oversee the use of electronic consent forms for
casework.
Review of the House's new equipment program.
Oversee efforts to improve customer service and
communications across all CAO functions and business units.
Oversee development and implementation of
strategies to increase House staff retention.
Oversee House restaurant operations.
Oversee the Office of Employee Assistance and
House Wellness Center, including efforts to increase capacity
and address the trauma among Members and staff associated with
the January 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol.
Oversee operations and management of the office
supply store and gift shop.
Oversee the CAO's customer advocate program.
Oversee the Student Loan Repayment program and
recent reforms thereto.
Oversee House Creative Services.
Review alternatives to the current mail delivery
process to strengthen the services and tools available to
Members and staff.
Review and provide direction on the CAO's actions
in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Review and help to facilitate efforts to diversify
the CAO workforce.
Review existing asset management processes.
Review House furniture policy, inventory, and
selection.
Review House procurement policies and monitor the
effectiveness of the CAO's procurement and contract management
functions.
Review issues related to district office leases.
Review new technology initiatives to better serve
Members, committees, and the public.
Review procedures for processing contracts with
the House that exceed the threshold of $350,000.
Review proposals and oversee corresponding efforts
to convert certain services provided by contractors to in-house
services.
Review semi-annual financial and operational
status reports; oversee implementation of changes in operations
to improve services and increase efficiencies.
Review staff benefits offered by the House and
proposals to modify benefits.
Review the officially sanctioned ``Congressional
App Challenge.''
Review the Wounded Warrior Program and develop
recommendations, in consultation with veteran's organizations,
about improvements to the program.
Review the SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher
Horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program and
develop recommendations, in consultation with veteran's
organizations, about improvements to the program.
Review training offerings available to Members and
staff through the Congressional Staff Academy, identifying
additional programming opportunities.
Review and oversee information technology services
provided, maintained or hosted by House Information Resources:
Review of the January 6, 2021, domestic terrorist
attack at the Capitol, including cybersecurity
implications and response.
Oversee failsafe procedures to guarantee continuity
of operations.
Oversee House cybersecurity practices, including
network security and threat prevention.
Review of the House Disaster Recovery Program.
Review of House IT configuration and redundancy
posture.
Oversee web services activities, including new
Member website development.
Oversee pilot and rollout of Quill letter signing
platform.
Oversee development of improvements to CMS
experience for Member offices.
Oversee the Technology Partner Program, including
the marketing thereof.
Oversee efforts to continue movement toward cloud
computing.
Clerk of the House
Review functions and administrative operations
assigned to the Clerk.
Oversee official reporter participation in field
hearings.
Coordinate on matters under the jurisdiction of
the House Fine Arts Board and the Capitol Preservation Board.
Oversee efforts to implement digital signatures in
the House.
Oversee legislative process adjustments
necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited proxy
voting and the electronic hopper.
Oversee participation in the Bulk Data Task Force.
Oversee preparation of congressionally authorized
publications.
Oversee the House document repository.
Oversee the lobbying disclosure process, including
ways to make data more easily accessible for the general
public.
Review and approve contracts and requests for
proposals by the Clerk that exceed the $350,000 spending
threshold.
Review of semi-annual financial and operational
status reports; recommend changes in operations to improve
services and increase efficiencies.
Review other issues related to the COVID-19
pandemic, including staff vaccination.
Review standards for the electronic exchange of
legislative information among the chambers of Congress and
Legislative Branch agencies.
Review the application programming interface
incorporated in the Clerk's website.
Review the Clerk's current IT configuration and
redundancy posture.
Review the printing needs of the Clerk to evaluate
the potential for eliminating duplication.
House Inspector General
Review of functions and administrative operations
assigned to the Inspector General.
Direct Inspector General to conduct management
advisories to improve implementation and operation of key House
functions.
Ensure that audit prioritization is based upon the
assessment of risk to the operations of the House.
Monitor progress of House audits.
Review and approve proposed audit plan and audit
reports, including the annual financial statements audit.
Review comprehensive financial and operational
audits of the House, investigate any irregularities uncovered,
and monitor necessary improvements.
House Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Oversee and support efforts to direct and guide
House employing offices to recruit, hire, train, develop,
advance, promote, and retain a diverse workforce.
Oversee and ensure compliance with the diversity
survey requirement set forth in House Rule II, clause
(9)(b)(2).
Oversee and ensure compliance with the diversity
report requirement set forth in House Rule II, clause
(9)(b)(3).
House Office of Whistleblower Ombuds
Oversee efforts to promulgate best practices for
whistleblower intake for offices of the House set forth in
House Rule II, clause 10(b)(1).
Oversee the provision of whistleblower intake
trainings for offices of the House set forth in House Rule II,
clause 10(b)(2).
House Sergeant at Arms (HSAA)
Review and oversee security operations in the
House, including the House Chamber, the galleries, the Capitol,
House Office Buildings, Capitol Grounds, and district offices.