[House Report 117-529]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress    }                                     {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                     {      117-529

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

 
   RESOLUTION OF INQUIRY REQUESTING THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTING THE 
   SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO TRANSMIT, RESPECTIVELY, 
     CERTAIN DOCUMENTS TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RELATING TO 
                               IVERMECTIN

                                _______
                                

 September 29, 2022.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Pallone, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the 
                               following

                             ADVERSE REPORT

                      [To accompany H. Res. 1355]

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred 
the resolution (H. Res. 1355) of inquiry requesting the 
President and directing the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to transmit, respectively, certain documents to the 
House of Representatives relating to ivermectin, having 
considered the same, report unfavorably thereon without 
amendment and recommend that the resolution not be agreed to.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                     Page
  I. Purpose and Summary..............................................  1
 II. Background and Need for the Legislation..........................  2
III. Committee Hearings...............................................  3
 IV. Committee Consideration..........................................  3
  V. Committee Votes..................................................  3
 VI. Oversight Findings...............................................  5
VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures  5
VIII.Federal Mandates Statement.......................................  5

 IX. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............  5
  X. Duplication of Federal Programs..................................  5
 XI. Committee Cost Estimate..........................................  5
XII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits......  5
XIII.Advisory Committee Statement.....................................  5 
XIV. Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................  6
 XV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................  6
XVI. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............  6

                         I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

    H. Res. 1355 requests from the President and directs the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transmit copies 
of any document, record, memorandum, correspondence, or other 
recorded communication that refers or relates to ivermectin, a 
drug approved in humans to treat conditions caused by parasitic 
worms and treat other parasites and approved for use in animals 
to prevent heartworm and treat other parasites.

                II. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Agencies within HHS, including the Food and Drug 
Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 
as well as numerous medical societies have strongly reminded 
the public and health professionals that ivermectin, an anti-
parasitic drug, is not approved or recommended for use in 
preventing or treating the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-
19) in humans or animals.1234 Nevertheless, some 
media personalities, along with some medical providers, have 
recommended that viewers and patients take ivermectin for 
treatment and prevention of COVID-19.\5\ Some have also 
recommended ivermectin while simultaneously promoting false 
theories about the safety and efficacy of approved and 
authorized COVID-19 vaccines, or have also recommended taking 
higher doses of ivermectin typically intended for large 
animals.67
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    \1\Food and Drug Administration, Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin 
to Treat or Prevent COVID-19 (www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/
why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19) (accessed 
Sept. 22, 2022).
    \2\Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ivermectin Products 
are Not Approved by FDA to Prevent or Treat COVID-19 
(emergency.cdc.gov/newsletters/coca/020122.htm) (accessed Sept. 22, 
2022).
    \3\National Institutes of Health, COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines, 
Ivermectin (www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/therapies/antiviral-
therapy/ivermectin/) (accessed Sept. 22, 2022).
    \4\American Medical Association, AMA, APhA, ASHP statement on 
ending use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19, (Sept. 1, 202) (www.ama-
assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-apha-ashp-statement-ending-
use-ivermectin-treat-covid-19) (press release).
    \5\How those ivermectin conspiracy theories convinced people to buy 
horse dewormer, Washington Post (Aug. 24, 2022) 
(www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/24/how-rights-ivermectin-
conspiracy-theories-led-people-buying-horse-dewormer/).
    \6\Id.
    \7\See note 1.
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    Federal health agencies have noted that ivermectin is 
neither safe nor effective in treating COVID-19. While some 
preliminary studies showed potential benefit to taking 
ivermectin, NIH has explained that these studies have 
incomplete information and serious methodological limitations, 
such as small sample sizes and outcome measures that were 
unclear.\8\ Where large, reputable studies have been conducted 
on ivermectin, researchers have found that the drug is not 
effective against COVID-19.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\See note 3.
    \9\Id.
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    FDA has also advised that taking ivermectin in large doses 
recommended for animals is dangerous, and has resulted in 
serious harm during the pandemic, including 
hospitalization.\10\ Ivermectin overdose can cause severe 
gastrointestinal symptoms, low blood pressure, seizures, coma, 
and even death.\11\ FDA has advised that animal ivermectin 
products are very different from those approved for humans, and 
medication approved and intended for use on animals should not 
be administered to oneself or someone else.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\See note 1.
    \11\Id.
    \12\Id.
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    The Department of Health and Human Services have been 
transparent about the evidence showing that taking ivermectin 
to treat or prevent COVID-19 is not safe or effective and has 
provided evidence and studies to back up its claim, freely and 
openly to the public. H. Res. 1355 is not a legitimate use of a 
resolution of inquiry. For these reasons, the Committee ordered 
H. Res. 1355 reported to the House adversely.

                        III. COMMITTEE HEARINGS

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce has not held hearings 
on the legislation.

                      IV. COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    H. Res. 1355 was introduced on July 26, 2022, by 
Representative Gosar (R-AZ) and was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce. Subsequently, on September 16, 2022, 
the resolution was referred to the Subcommittee on Health. The 
resolution was discharged from the Subcommittee on Health on 
September 21, 2022.
    On September 21, 2022, the Committee met in open markup 
session and ordered H. Res. 1355, without amendment, adversely 
reported to the House by a recorded vote of 32 yeas and 21 
nays.

                           V. COMMITTEE VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list each record vote 
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. The 
Committee advises that there was one record vote taken on H. 
Res. 1355, including a motion by Mr. Pallone ordering H. Res. 
1271 adversely reported to the House, without amendment. The 
motion on unfavorably reporting the resolution was approved by 
a record vote of 32 yeas to 21 nays. The following are the 
record votes taken during Committee consideration, including 
the names of those members voting for and against:

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                         VI. OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1) 
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
oversight findings and recommendations of the Committee are 
reflected in the descriptive portion of the report.

 VII. NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    Pursuant to 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the 
estimate of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax 
expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate 
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974.
    The Committee has requested but not received from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to 
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.

                    VIII. FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

       IX. STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general 
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to request 
the President and directing the Secretary of HHS to transmit, 
respectively, certain documents to the House of Representatives 
relating to ivermectin.

                   X. DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of H. 
Res. 1263 is known to be duplicative of another Federal 
program, including any program that was included in a report to 
Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the 
most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

                      XI. COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee 
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

    XII. EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS

    Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the 
Committee finds that H. Res. 1355 contains no earmarks, limited 
tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits.

                   XIII. ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act was created by this 
legislation.

                XIV. APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

           XV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

    H. Res. 1355 requests from the President and directs the 
Secretary of HHS to transmit copies of any document, record, 
memorandum, correspondence, or other recorded communication 
that refers or relates to ivermectin, a drug approved in humans 
to treat conditions caused by parasitic worms and treat other 
parasites and approved for use in animals to prevent heartworm 
and treat other parasites.

       XVI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    There are no changes to existing law made by the bill H. 
Res. 1355.

                                  [all]