[House Report 117-699]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 515
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-699
_______________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITIES
of the
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
DECEMBER 31, 2022
Pursuant to House rule XI, I(d)(1))
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
December 31, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
50-194 WASHINGTON : 2023
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
House of Representatives,
Committee on Oversight and Reform,
Washington, DC, December 30, 2022.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Speaker: Under rule XI, clause 1(d)(1) of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, ``[n]ot later than
January 2, of each odd-numbered year, a committee shall submit
to the House a report on the activities of that committee.''
Pursuant to this rule, I respectfully submit the activities
report of the Committee on Oversight and Reform for the 117th
Congress. As required by the rule, a copy of this report ``has
been available to each member of the [C]ommittee for . . .
seven calendar days.''
Sincerely,
Carolyn B. Maloney,
Chairwoman.
C O N T E N T S
I. INTRODUCTION..................................................... 1
II. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS............................................... 5
A. Full Committee.................................... 5
B. Subcommittee on National Security................. 11
C. Subcommittee on Government Operations............. 13
D. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy...... 16
E. Subcommittee on Environment....................... 16
F. Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.. 17
G. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis..... 20
III. OVERSIGHT BRIEFINGS AND ROUNDTABLES............................. 23
A. Full Committee and Subcommittees.................. 23
B. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis..... 25
IV. LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS..................................... 26
A. Business Meetings (Legislation)................... 26
B. Legislation Enacted into Law...................... 29
C. Bills Passed by the House......................... 37
D. Legislation Considered by the Committee........... 41
E. Postal Naming Measures Enacted into Law........... 48
F. Postal Naming Measures Passed by the House........ 54
G. Postal Naming Measures Approved by the Committee.. 56
V. SUMMARY OF OVERSIGHT PLAN AND CORRESPONDING ACTIONS............. 56
A. Full Committee.................................... 58
i. Health Care..................................... 58
ii. Census......................................... 62
iii. Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and
Data Privacy................................... 64
iv. Environment.................................... 65
v. Homeland and National Security.................. 70
vi. Structural Racism and Racial Equity............ 71
vii. Gender Equity................................. 73
viii. Voting Rights................................ 76
ix. Immigration.................................... 78
x. Gun Violence.................................... 79
xi. Corporate Accountability....................... 80
xii. Executive Branch Ethics, Transparency,
Accountability, and Procurement................ 81
xiii. Presidential Conflicts of Interest and
Emoluments..................................... 84
B. Subcommittee on National Security................. 86
i. U.S. Counterterrorism Operations Against al
Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
(ISIS), and Affiliated Terrorist Organizations. 86
ii. Military Readiness............................. 86
iii. Cyber Threats to Critical Infrastructure...... 87
C. Subcommittee on Government Operations............. 87
i. Federal Information Technology and Cybersecurity
Policy......................................... 87
ii. Preventing a Patronage System in the Federal
Workforce...................................... 88
iii. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(WMATA)........................................ 89
iv. Support for the Federal Workforce.............. 89
v. Restoring the Independence of Inspectors General 91
vi. Improving the Performance of the Postal Service 92
vii. Improper Payments by the Federal Government... 94
viii. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Oversight..... 94
ix. Peaceful Transitions of Power.................. 94
x. Government Operations, Generally................ 95
D. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy...... 96
i. Youth E-Cigarette Epidemic and Flavored
Cigarettes..................................... 96
ii. Toxic Heavy Metals in Baby Foods............... 98
iii. Organ Procurement Industry Concerns........... 99
iv. Sale of Utility Customer Information to ICE for
Deportation Purposes........................... 99
v. Toxic Pet Collars............................... 100
vi. Online Content................................. 100
vii. Sex Trafficking Linked to Postsecondary
Education...................................... 101
viii. Spam Text Messages and Fraud................. 101
ix. Higher Education Transcripts................... 102
x. Tear Gas........................................ 102
xi. Chemicals in Food Packaging.................... 102
xii. Excess Corporate Price Hikes.................. 103
xiii. Heart Pump Devices........................... 103
xiv. Baby Formula.................................. 104
xv. Reproductive Health Data Privacy............... 104
xvi. Gas Stoves.................................... 105
xvii. Cryptocurrency Fraud and Scams............... 105
xviii. Inclined Infant Products.................... 105
E. Subcommittee on Environment....................... 106
i. Fossil Fuel Subsidies........................... 106
ii. Job Creation................................... 106
iii. Wildfires..................................... 106
iv. Regenerative Agriculture....................... 107
v. Leaded Aviation Fuel............................ 107
vi. Environmental Justice.......................... 108
F. Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.. 108
i. Spread of White Supremacy and Extremist
Ideologies..................................... 108
ii. Voting Rights.................................. 109
iii. First Amendment Rights and Civil/LGBTQ+ Rights 109
iv. Equal Protection and Property Rights........... 110
v. Due Process in the Immigration System........... 110
vi. Criminal Justice Reform Policies............... 110
G. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis..... 111
i. Role of Political Appointees in Public Health
Response....................................... 111
ii. Development and Distribution of Coronavirus
Vaccines....................................... 112
iii. Distribution of Critical Supplies............. 113
iv. Impact of Pandemic on Nursing Homes............ 114
v. Federal Lending Programs........................ 115
vi. Coronavirus Protections for Meatpacking Workers 117
vii. Farmers to Families Food Box Program.......... 117
viii. Protecting Homeowners and Renters During the
Pandemic....................................... 118
VI. SUMMARY OF ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES AND ACTIONS......... 119
A. Additional Oversight and Investigations of the
Full Committee and Standing Subcommittees........ 119
i. War in Ukraine.................................. 119
ii. Monkeypox...................................... 119
B. Additional Oversight Activities of the Select
Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis........... 120
i. Workforce Inequities............................ 120
C. Official Travel/Delegations....................... 121
D. State and District Level Reports.................. 121
VII. HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 2(n) OF HOUSE RULE 121
VIII.HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (p) OF HOUSE RULE 123
Calendar No. 515
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-699
======================================================================
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM
_______
December 31, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney, from the Committee on Oversight and Reform,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
I. INTRODUCTION
During the 117th Congress, the Committee on Oversight and
Reform and its five subcommittees held 90 hearings. The
Committee issued 444 state and district level staff reports for
Members of the House on the expected benefits of the Inflation
Reduction Act. In addition, 28 bills advanced by the Committee
were enacted into law. An additional 16 bills, not including
postal-naming measures, were passed by the House.
Under the leadership of Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, the
Committee conducted important investigations and delivered
meaningful results for the American people:
The Committee achieved extraordinary results
to provide economic relief to families, improve
benefits for working families, and protect Americans
from gun violence.
In February 2021, the Committee
passed a $350 billion aid package for states
and localities, which was included in the
American Rescue Plan--funds that were crucial
to our nation's economic recovery and
extraordinary job growth.
In July 2021, the Committee
passed legislation to provide comprehensive
paid family and medical leave for federal
employees, building on Congress's 2020 passage
of Chairwoman Maloney's landmark legislation
providing paid parental leave for federal
employees.
The Committee launched an
investigation into the sale and marketing of
assault-style weapons used in mass shootings
and released new information on the role of gun
manufacturers and gun dealers in the gun
violence crisis. On June 25, 2022, following
the Committee's historic hearing on the need to
address the gun violence, President Biden
signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
into law, including anti-trafficking provisions
long championed by Chairwoman Maloney.
In August 2022, President Biden
signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which
included key Committee priorities to support
electric vehicles, equitable climate action,
and strong federal oversight of the relevant
programs.
The Inflation Reduction Act
included reforms championed by Chairwoman
Maloney to reduce health care costs for
families across America by expanding access to
affordable health insurance and lowering drug
prices. In 2021, the Committee concluded its
three-year investigation exposing the practices
of pharmaceutical companies that suppress
competition and keep prices high, making
prescription drugs unaffordable for many
Americans. In April 2022, the Chairwoman
introduced a bicameral package of legislation
to address findings from the Committee's
investigation.
The Committee led the way on crucial
legislation to grant D.C. statehood, rescue the Postal
Service, protect the census, and improve the federal
government.
In April 2021, following a
committee hearing, the Committee and the House
passed H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission
Act, which would make D.C. the 51st state.
In April 2022, President Biden
signed Chairwoman Maloney's bipartisan Postal
Service Reform Act, which will place the Postal
Service on sustainable financial footing for
years to come.
In May 2022, the Committee and
the House passed the Targeting Resources to
Communities in Need Act to increase
transparency and direct increased federal
program investments to communities most in
need.
In June 2022, the Committee
passed the LBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act to ensure
that lawmakers and federal agencies have the
comprehensive data they need to better serve
LGBTQI+ people.
In July 2022, the House passed
the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense
Authorization Act, which included provisions
championed by the Committee to address the
veterans' records backlog and protect
Inspectors General.
In September 2022, the House
passed Chairwoman Maloney's Ensuring a Fair and
Accurate Census Act to protect the independence
of the Census Bureau and prevent partisan
manipulation of the census.
In September 2022, the House
passed Chairwoman Maloney's bipartisan
Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act to
protect federal employees from retaliation.
The Committee conducted investigations that
exposed corruption and conflicts of interest in the
Trump Administration--which shined a light on former
President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020
election--and performed critical oversight of the Biden
Administration.
The Committee investigated the
January 6th assault and attacks on the right to
vote, uncovering evidence that President Trump
pressured the Justice Department to make false
claims of election fraud. The Committee also
investigated efforts by the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General (IG)
to cover up the erasure of January 6
communications by the U.S. Secret Service.
The Committee investigated
rampant corruption in the Trump Administration.
In October 2021, the Committee released new
evidence that former President Trump hid
millions in personal debts and losses while
bidding on the Trump Hotel, creating serious
conflicts of interest.
In February 2022, the Committee
launched an investigation into former President
Trump's violations of the Presidential Records
Act (PRA) after he illegally removed sensitive
government documents from the White House and
transported them to his Mar-a-Lago club.
Following a joint Committee request, the
Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
announced a national security damage assessment
stemming from this conduct.
In June 2022, the Committee
launched an investigation into President
Trump's apparent failure to account for foreign
gifts while in office, in violation of federal
law.
In July 2022, the Committee won
a major court victory in its long-running
investigation into former President Trump's
conflicts of interest and self-dealing and
secured an agreement to obtain documents from
Mr. Trump's former accounting firm, Mazars. In
November 2022, the Committee released documents
showing that foreign governments spent hundreds
of thousands of dollars at Trump Hotel.
In October 2022, the Committee
released new evidence showing that the Trump
Organization overcharged the Secret Service to
stay at Trump-owned properties while protecting
the former President and his family members.
After facing years of
obstruction from the Trump Administration, the
Committee released new documents showing the
Trump Administration's politicization of the
2020 Census, leading the House to pass
Chairwoman Maloney's Ensuring a Fair and
Accurate Census Act.
The Committee conducted
essential oversight of federal agencies, from
the toxic culture at Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) to the unacceptable backlog of
records for veterans at the National Archives.
The Committee's joint
investigation of Emergent BioSolutions
contributed to the Biden Administration's
decision to drop a multimillion-dollar vaccine
contract after the company failed to perform.
The Committee achieved important victories
in protecting women's right to choose, seeking
accountability for the opioid crisis, and protecting
public health.
The Committee conducted
investigations into reproductive health care
access, held multiple hearings on the impact of
the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn
Roe v. Wade, and released an analysis detailing
efforts by Republicans at all levels of
government to ban abortion or impose
restrictions on access to reproductive health
care.
In December 2021, the Committee
won a major victory when the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) removed unnecessary
restrictions on medication abortion following
the Committee's requests.
The Committee released new
information on compliance with the Affordable
Care Act's (ACA) requirement to fully cover
birth control and launched a probe into
reproductive health data privacy.
The Committee demanded
accountability from corporate actors who are
responsible for the prevalence of opioid
addiction among Americans. Following the
Committee's investigation, a federal court
rejected an unfair bankruptcy settlement that
would have protected one of these actors--the
Sackler family--from liability.
The Committee released findings
from its investigation into McKinsey's
consulting work during the opioid epidemic,
revealing that McKinsey consultants worked on
FDA contracts while also working for opioid
manufacturers. The Committee then advanced
legislation to end these conflicts of interest.
The Committee pressed the
Administration to accelerate its response to
the rapidly increasing monkeypox virus
outbreak, resulting in the Biden Administration
declaring a public health emergency.
The Committee launched a joint
investigation with the Energy and Commerce
Committee into FDA's approval of the
Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm. Shortly after the
Committees launched their investigation, the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
IG announced a review of the approval process.
Biogen, the drug's manufacturer, subsequently
announced it would reduce the price of Aduhelm
by 50 percent.
The Committee conducted major investigations
and held historic hearings on consumer protection
issues and other topics directly affecting the American
people.
The Committee launched an
investigation into fossil fuel disinformation,
holding a historic hearing with industry chief
executive officers (CEOs) and releasing new
evidence that the fossil fuel industry is
misleading the public about its central role in
the climate crisis.
Following the Committee's
investigation into inclined sleep products that
led to the deaths of dozens of infants, the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
banned these dangerous products, and Congress
passed legislation to protect infants.
In May 2022, the Committee
launched an investigation into infant formula
manufacturers' role in the nationwide formula
shortage.
In August 2022, the Committee
released a report revealing how election lies
endanger election workers and American
democracy.
In October 2022, the Committee
launched a joint investigation into the
Jackson, Mississippi, water crisis.
The Committee shined a spotlight
on disparities faced by women and communities
of color, including through hearings on the
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the Black
maternal health crisis.
The Committee's five subcommittees conducted
crucial oversight of classroom censorship, toxic baby
food, tobacco regulation, attacks on the federal
workforce, veteran suicides, sexual abuse in JROTC
programs, and environmental justice, and other
important topics, contributing to the Committee's
overall success.
To carry out its duties as effectively as possible, at the
beginning of the 116th Congress, the Committee established the
following five standing subcommittees, which remained
throughout the 117th Congress: Subcommittee on National
Security; Subcommittee on Government Operations; Subcommittee
on Economic and Consumer Policy; Subcommittee on Environment;
and Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. On April
23, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the House
passed H. Res. 935, which established the Select Subcommittee
on the Coronavirus Crisis as an additional investigative
subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Reform. The
Select Subcommittee remained in place throughout the 117th
Congress.
This report describes the Committee's major oversight and
legislative accomplishments, provides a summary of Committee
and Subcommittee proceedings, and summarizes activities of the
Subcommittees during the 117th Congress.
II. OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
A. Full Committee
In the 117th Congress, the full Committee held 37 hearings
and received testimony from 193 witnesses. Those hearings
include:
Hearing on ``Accountability and Lessons Learned from the
Trump Administration's Child Separation Policy'' (February 4,
2021). Witness: The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector
General, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Hearing on ``Legislative Proposals to Put the Postal
Service on Sustainable Financial Footing'' (February 24, 2021).
Witnesses: The Honorable Ron Bloom, Chairman, U.S. Postal
Service Board of Governors; Mr. Louis DeJoy, Postmaster
General, U.S. Postal Service (USPS); Ms. Tammy Whitcomb,
Inspector General, USPS; Mr. Mark Dimondstein, President,
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO; Mr. Joel Quadracci,
Chairman, President, and CEO, Quad/Graphics; Mr. Kevin Kosar,
Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute.
Hearing ``Weathering the Storm: The Role of Private Tech in
the SolarWinds Breach and Ongoing Campaign'' (February 26,
2021). Witnesses: Mr. Sudhakar Ramakrishna, President and CEO,
SolarWinds Corporation; Mr. Kevin B. Thompson, Former CEO,
SolarWinds Corporation; Mr. Kevin Mandia, CEO, FireEye, Inc.;
Mr. Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft
Corporation.
Hearing on ``The 2021 GAO [U.S. Government Accountability
Office] High-Risk List: Blueprint for a Safer, Stronger, More
Effective America'' (March 2, 2021). Witness: The Honorable
Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, GAO.
The following GAO executives attended to support the
Comptroller General: Mr. J. Christopher Mihm, Managing
Director, Strategic Issues, GAO; Ms. Cathy Berrick, Managing
Directing, Defense Capabilities and Management, GAO; Ms. A.
Nikki Clowers, Managing Director, Health Care, GAO; Mr. Mark
Gaffigan, Managing Director, Natural Resources and Environment,
GAO; Mr. Dan Garcia-Diaz, Managing Director, Financial Markets
and Community Investment, GAO; Mr. Nick Marinos, Director,
Information Technology, and Cybersecurity, GAO; Mr. David
Trimble, Managing Director, Physical Infrastructure, GAO.
Hearing on ``H.R. 51: Making D.C. the 51st State'' (March
22, 2021). Witnesses: The Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor,
District of Columbia; The Honorable Phil Mendelson, Chairman,
Council of the District of Columbia; Mr. Fitzroy Lee, Interim
Chief Financial Officer, District of Columbia; Ms. Mainon A.
Schwartz, Legislative Attorney, Congressional Research Service;
Mr. Wade Henderson, Interim President and CEO, The Leadership
Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Mr. Harry Wingo, D.C.
Veteran; Mr. Zack Smith, Legal Fellow, Meese Center, Heritage
Foundation.
Hearing on ``Honoring `Equal Pay Day': Examining the Long-
Term Economic Impacts of Gender Inequality'' (March 24, 2021).
Witnesses: Ms. Megan Rapinoe, U.S. Women's National Soccer Team
World Cup Champion and Equal Pay Advocate; Ms. Ai-jen Poo,
Executive Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance; Khara
Jabola-Carolus, Executive Director, Hawaii State Commission on
the Status of Women; Ms. Patrice Onwuka, Director, Center for
Economic Opportunity, Independent Women's Forum; Dr. C. Nicole
Mason, President and CEO, Institute for Women's Policy
Research.
Hearing on ``Improving Government Accountability and
Transparency'' (May 3, 2021). Witnesses: Mr. James-Christian
Blockwood, Executive Vice President, Partnership for Public
Service; Ms. Elizabeth Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy,
Project on Government Oversight (POGO); Mr. Rudy Mehrbani,
Senior Advisor, Democracy Fund; Mr. Zack Smith, Legal Fellow,
Meese Center, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ``Birthing While Black: Examining America's
Black Maternal Health Crisis'' (May 6, 2021). Witnesses: The
Honorable Ayanna Pressley, Member of Congress, 7th District of
Massachusetts; The Honorable Cori Bush, Member of Congress, 1st
District of Missouri; The Honorable Lauren Underwood, Member of
Congress, 14th District of Illinois, Co-Chair, Black Maternal
Health Caucus; The Honorable Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Member of
Congress, 12th District of North Carolina, Co-Chair, Black
Maternal Health Caucus; Ms. Tatyana Ali, Actress and Advocate;
Mr. Charles Johnson, Husband of Kira Johnson and Founder of
4Kira4Moms; Ms. Veronica Gillispie, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., M.S.,
Medical Director, Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative;
Ms. Joia Adele Crear-Perry, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Founder and
President, National Birth Equity Collaborative; Ms. Jamila
Taylor, Ph.D., Director of Health Care Reform and Senior
Fellow, The Century Foundation; Ms. Tamika Auguste, M.D., Chair
of the Obstetrician and Gynecologist Clinical Practice Council,
MedStar Health.
Hearing on ``The Capitol Insurrection: Unexplained Delays
and Unanswered Questions'' (May 12, 2021). Witnesses: The
Honorable Christopher C. Miller, Former Acting Secretary,
Department of Defense (DOD); The Honorable Jeffrey A. Rosen,
Former Acting Attorney General, DOJ; Mr. Robert J. Contee III,
Chief, Metropolitan Police Department.
Hearing on ``Unsustainable Drug Prices (Part III):
Testimony from AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez'' (May 18, 2021).
Witnesses: Mr. Richard Gonzalez, Chairman of the Board and CEO,
AbbVie Inc.; Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, Associate Professor of
Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Mr. Tahir Amin, Co-Founder
and Co-Executive Director, Initiative for Medicines, Access,
and Knowledge; Mr. Craig Garthwaite, Herman Smith Research
Professor in Hospital and Health Services, Kellogg School of
Management at Northwestern University.
Hearing on ``Sleeping Danger: The Rock 'n Play and Failures
in Infant Product Safety'' (June 7, 2021). Witnesses: Mr. Ynon
Kreiz, CEO, Mattel Inc.; Mr. Chuck Scothon, Senior Vice
President and General Manager, Fisher-Price, Global Head of
Infant and Preschool, Mattel Inc.
Hearing on ``The SACKLER Act and Other Policies to Promote
Accountability for the Sackler Family's Role in the Opioid
Epidemic'' (June 8, 2021). Witnesses: Ms. Alexis Pleus, Founder
and Executive Director, Truth Pharm; The Honorable Maura
Healey, Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; The
Honorable Jim Carroll, Former Director, White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP); The Honorable Lawrence
Wasden, Attorney General, State of Idaho; Mr. Patrick Radden
Keefe, Author of Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the
Sackler Dynasty.
Hearing on ``The Capitol Insurrection: Unexplained Delays
and Unanswered Questions (Part II)'' (June 15, 2021).
Witnesses: The Honorable Christopher A. Wray, Director, Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Lieutenant General Walter E.
Piatt, Director of the Army Staff, U.S. Army; General Charles
A. Flynn, Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific.
Hearing on ``Leading by Example: The Need for Comprehensive
Paid Leave for the Federal Workforce and Beyond'' (June 24,
2021). Witnesses: Mr. Everett Kelley, National President,
American Federation of Government Employees; Ms. Vicki Shabo,
Senior Fellow, Paid Leave Policy and Strategy, Better Life Lab,
New America; Ms. Lelaine Bigelow, Interim Vice President for
Economic Justice and Congressional Relations, National
Partnership for Women & Families; Mr. Eric Sorkin, Co-Owner,
Runamok Maple; Ms. Hadley Heath Manning, Director of Policy,
Independent Women's Forum.
Hearing on ``Building Back with Justice: Environmental
Justice Is Central to the American Jobs Plan'' (July 21, 2021).
Witnesses: Mr. Richard Moore, Co-Coordinator, Los Jardines
Institute, National Co-Coordinator, Environmental Justice
Health Alliance, Co-Chair, White House Environmental Justice
Advisory Council; Ms. Nicole Lee Ndumele, Vice President,
Racial Equity and Justice, Center for American Progress; Mr.
Harold Mitchell, Founder and Executive Director, ReGenesis
Community Development Corporation, Member, White House
Environmental Justice Advisory Council; Ms. Raya Salter, Esq.,
Member, New York State Climate Action Council; Mr. Michael Leon
Guerrero, Executive Director, Labor Network for Sustainability;
Mr. Shay Hawkins, Chairman and CEO, Opportunity Funds
Association.
Hearing on ``A State of Crisis: Examining the Urgent Need
to Protect and Expand Abortion Rights and Access'' (September
30, 2021). Witnesses: The Honorable Cori Bush, Member of
Congress, First District of Missouri; The Honorable Barbara
Lee, Co-Chair, Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, Member of
Congress, 13th District of California; The Honorable Kat
Cammack, Member of Congress, Third District of Florida; The
Honorable Pramila Jayapal, Member of Congress, Seventh District
of Washington; The Honorable Judy Chu, Member of Congress, 27th
District of California; Ms. Gloria Steinem, Feminist and Social
Activist; Ms. Maleeha Aziz, Community Organizer, Texas Equal
Access Fund; Ms. Ghazaleh Moayedi, M.D., Texas-based
Obstetrician-Gynecologist (OB/GYN), Board Member, Physicians
for Reproductive Health; Ms. Ingrid Skop, M.D., Texas-based OB/
GYN; Ms. Melissa Murray, Professor of Law, New York University;
Ms. Loretta Ross, Co-Founder of the Reproductive Justice
Movement, Associate Professor of the Study of Women and Gender,
Smith College.
Hearing on ``Hurricane Ida and Beyond: Readiness, Recovery,
and Resilience'' (October 5, 2021). Witness: The Honorable
Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management
Agency.
Hearing on ``Assessing the Election `Audit' in Arizona and
Threats to American Democracy'' (October 7, 2021). Witnesses:
Mr. Jack Sellers, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Maricopa
County, Arizona; Mr. Bill Gates, Vice Chairman, Board of
Supervisors, Maricopa County, Arizona; Mr. David Becker,
Executive Director and Founder, Center for Election Innovation
and Research; Ms. Gowri Ramachandran, Senior Counsel, Brennan
Center for Justice; Mr. Ken Bennett, Senate Audit Liaison,
Former Secretary of State, Arizona.
Hearing on ``The Equal Rights Amendment: Achieving
Constitutional Equality for All'' (October 21, 2021).
Witnesses: The Honorable Jennifer McClellan, Virginia State
Senator; Ms. Bamby Salcedo, President, TransLatin@ Coalition,
Board Member, ERA Coalition; Ms. Victoria Nourse, Professor of
Law, Georgetown University Law Center; Ms. Carol Jenkins,
President, ERA Coalition; Ms. Alyssa Milano, Actor, ERA
Advocate; Ms. Eleanor Smeal, President, Feminist Majority; Ms.
Inez Feltscher Stepman, Senior Policy Analyst, Independent
Women's Forum.
Hearing on ``Fueling the Climate Crisis: Exposing Big Oil's
Disinformation Campaign to Prevent Climate Action'' (October
28, 2021). Witnesses: Mr. Darren Woods, CEO, ExxonMobil
Corporation; Mr. David Lawler, CEO, BP America Inc.; Mr.
Michael K. Wirth, CEO, Chevron Corporation; Ms. Gretchen
Watkins, President, Shell Oil Company; Mr. Mike Sommers,
President, American Petroleum Institute; Ms. Suzanne Clark,
President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Neal Crabtree,
Former Welding Foreman, Keystone XL Pipeline.
Hearing on ``Cracking Down on Ransomware: Strategies for
Disrupting Criminal Hackers and Building Resilience Against
Cyber Threats'' (November 16, 2021). Witnesses: The Honorable
Chris Inglis, National Cyber Director, Executive Office of the
President (EOP); Mr. Brandon Wales, Executive Director,
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); Mr.
Bryan Vorndran, Assistant Director, Cyber Division, FBI.
Hearing on ``Cybersecurity for the New Frontier: Reforming
the Federal Information Security Modernization Act'' (January
11, 2022). Witnesses: Mr. Grant Schneider, Senior Director of
Cybersecurity Services, Venable Federal Chief Information
Security Officer, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (2018-
2020), Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy, National
Security Council (2017-2020); Ms. Renee Wynn, CEO, RP Wynn
Consulting LLC, Chief Information Officer (CIO), National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (2015-2020); Mr. Gordon
Bitko, Senior Vice President of Policy, Public Sector,
Information Technology Industry Council, CIO, FBI (2016-2019);
Ms. Jennifer R. Franks, Director of Information Technology and
Cybersecurity, GAO; Mr. Ross Nodurft, Executive Director,
Alliance for Digital Innovation, Chief, OMB Cybersecurity Team
(2015-2018).
Hearing on ``Price Gouging in Military Contracts: New
Inspector General Report Exposes Excess Profit Obtained by
TransDigm Group'' (January 19, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Theresa S.
Hull, Deputy IG, DOD Office of Inspector General (DODIG); Mr.
Kevin Stein, CEO, TransDigm Group Inc.; Mr. Nicholas Howley,
Founder and Executive Chairman, TransDigm Group Inc.; Mr. John
Tenaglia, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Principal Director, Defense Pricing
and Contracting, DOD.
Hearing on ``Fueling the Climate Crisis: Examining Big
Oil's Climate Pledges'' (February 8, 2022). Witnesses: Dr.
Michael E. Mann, Professor of Atmospheric Science, Pennsylvania
State University; Mr. Mark van Baal, Founder, Follow This; Ms.
Tracey Lewis, Policy Counsel, Public Citizen; Ms. Katie Tubb,
Senior Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ``From Recession to Recovery: Examining the
Impact of the American Rescue Plan's State and Local Fiscal
Recovery Funds'' (March 1, 2022). Witnesses: The Honorable JB
Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois; The Honorable Fawn
Sharp, President, National Congress of American Indians; The
Honorable Victoria Woods, Mayor of the City of Tacoma, First
Vice President of the National League of Cities; The Honorable
Gary Moore, Judge-Executive, Boone County, Kentucky, Immediate
Past President, National Association of Counties; Dr. Michael
Leachman, Vice President for State Fiscal Policy, Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities; Mr. Marc Joffe, Senior Policy
Analyst, Reason Foundation.
Hearing on ``HBCUs at Risk: Examining Federal Support for
Historically Black Colleges and Universities'' (March 17,
2022). Witnesses: Ms. Kylie Burke, President, Student
Association, Howard University; Mr. Emmanuel Ukot, President,
Student Government Association, Xavier University of Louisiana;
Mr. Devan M. Vilfrard, Associate Chief Justice, Student Supreme
Court, Florida A&M University; Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs, Acting
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of
Education; Mr. Sean Haglund, Associate Director, Office for
Bombing Prevention, DHS; Mr. Ryan T. Young, Executive Assistant
Director, Intelligence Branch, FBI.
Hearing on ``Examining Pathways to Universal Health
Coverage'' (March 29, 2022). Witnesses: Christopher Willcox,
MSW, St. Louis, Missouri; Nicole Lyons, New York City, New
York; Chris Briggs, Woodburn, Virginia; Bishop Walter
Starghill, Jr., Inkster, Michigan; Leslie Templeton, Boston,
Massachusetts; Uche Blackstock, M.D., Emergency Physician,
Founder and CEO, Advancing Health Equity; Sara Collins, Ph.D.,
Vice President of Health Coverage and Access, The Commonwealth
Fund; Grace-Marie Turner, President, Galen Institute; Jeffrey
Sachs, Ph.D., Director, Columbia University Center for
Sustainable Development, President, United Nations Sustainable
Development Solutions Network; Jamila Michener, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, Cornell University Department of
Government, Co-Director, Cornell University Center for Health
Equity; Ady Barkan, J.D., Founder, Be a Hero.
Hearing on ``It's Electric: Developing the Postal Service
Fleet of the Future'' (April 5, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Tammy L.
Whitcomb, Inspector General, USPS; Ms. Victoria K. Stephen,
Executive Director, Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, USPS; Ms.
Jill M. Naamane, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure Team,
GAO; Mr. Joe Britton, Executive Director, Zero Emission
Transportation Association; Mr. Kenny Stein, Director, Policy,
Institute for Energy Research.
Hearing on ``McKinsey & Company's Conduct and Conflicts at
the Heart of the Opioid Epidemic'' (April 27, 2022). Witnesses:
Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company; The
Honorable Maura Healey, Attorney General, Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, in joint testimony with Ms. Gillian Feiner,
Senior Enforcement Counsel, Massachusetts Attorney General's
Office; Mr. Uttam Dhillon, Chair, Regulatory Defense,
Compliance & White Collar Practice Group, Michael Best &
Friedrich LLP; Professor Jessica Tillipman, Assistant Dean for
Government Procurement Law Studies, George Washington
University Law School.
Hearing on ``The Urgent Need to Address the Gun Violence
Epidemic'' (June 8, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Zeneta Everhart,
Mother of Zaire Goodman, Buffalo, New York; Mr. Roy Guerrero,
M.D., Pediatrician, Uvalde, Texas; Miah Cerrillo, Fourth Grade
Student at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas; Mr. Felix
Rubio and Ms. Kimberly Rubio, Parents of Lexi Rubio, Uvalde,
Texas; Ms. Lucretia Hughes, DC Project, Women for Gun Rights;
The Honorable Eric Adams, Mayor, New York, New York; Mr. Greg
Jackson, Jr., Executive Director, Community Justice Action
Fund; Ms. Becky Pringle, President, National Education
Association; Mr. Joseph Gramaglia, Police Commissioner,
Buffalo, New York; Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law
& Policy, Everytown for Gun Safety; Ms. Amy Swearer, Legal
Fellow, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ``Tackling Toxic Workplaces: Examining the NFL's
Handling of Workplace Misconduct at the Washington Commanders''
(June 22, 2022). Witnesses: Mr. Roger Goodell, Commissioner,
National Football League (NFL); Mr. Daniel Snyder (invited),
Co-Owner and Co-CEO, Washington Commanders.
Hearing on ``Examining the 2022 National Drug Control
Strategy and the Federal Response to the Overdose Crisis''
(June 27, 2022). Witness: Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director, ONDCP,
EOP.
Hearing on ``The Impact of the Supreme Court's Dobbs
Decision on Abortion Rights and Access Across the United
States'' (July 13, 2022). Witnesses: The Honorable Mallory
McMorrow, State Senator, Michigan State Senate; The Honorable
Renitta Shannon, State Representative, Georgia House of
Representatives; Ms. Michele Bratcher Goodwin, Chancellor's
Professor of Law, University of California, Irvine; Ms. Fatima
Goss Graves, President and CEO, National Women's Law Center;
Ms. Sarah Lopez, Abortion Storyteller, We Testify, Youth
Program Manager, Jane's Due Process; Ms. Erin Morrow Hawley,
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom.
Hearing on ``Examining the Practices and Profits of Gun
Manufacturers'' (July 27, 2022). Witnesses: Mr. Christopher
Killoy, President and CEO, Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.; Marty
Daniel, CEO, Daniel Defense, LLC; Mr. Ryan Busse, Senior
Advisor, Giffords Law Center; Ms. Kelly Sampson, Senior Counsel
and Director of Racial Justice, Brady: United Against Gun
Violence; Ms. Antonia Okafor, National Director of Women's
Outreach, Gun Owners of America.
Hearing on ``Fueling the Climate Crisis: Examining Big
Oil's Prices, Profits and Pledges'' (September 15, 2022).
Witnesses: Ms. Kara Boyd, Baskerville, Virginia; Mr. Thomas
Joseph, Hoopa Valley Tribe, California; Ms. Roishetta Ozane,
Sulphur, Louisiana; Ms. Mary Cromer, Whitesburg, Kentucky; Ms.
Jasmin Sanchez, Baruch Houses, New York; Ms. Isabella M. Weber,
Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics, University of
Massachusetts Amherst; Ms. Raya Salter, Esq., Founder and
Executive Director, Energy Justice Law and Policy Center,
Member, New York State Climate Action Council; Ms. J. Mijin
Cha, Ph.D., J.D., Associate Professor of Urban and
Environmental Policy, Occidental College, Fellow, Cornell
University Worker Institute; Mr. Michael Shellenberger, Founder
and President, Environmental Progress.
Hearing on ``Examining the Harm to Patients from Abortion
Restrictions and the Threat of a National Abortion Ban''
(September 29, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Jocelyn Frye, President,
National Partnership for Women & Families; Ms. Kelsey Leigh,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Mr. Bhavik Kumar, M.D., M.P.H,
Medical Director for Primary and Trans Care, Planned Parenthood
Gulf Coast; Ms. Nisha Verma, M.D., M.P.H, FACOG, Fellow,
Physicians for Reproductive Health; Ms. Monique Wubbenhorst,
M.D., M.P.H, FACOG, FAHA, Senior Research Associate, Notre
Dame.
Hearing on ``The Rise of Anti-LGBTQI+ Extremism and
Violence in the United States'' (December 14, 2022).Witnesses:
Mr. Michael Anderson, Survivor of Club Q Shooting; Mr. Matthew
Haynes, Founding Owner of Club Q; Mr. James Slaugh, Survivor of
Club Q Shooting; Ms. Kelley Robinson, President; Human Rights
Campaign; Ms. Olivia Hunt, Policy Director; National Center for
Transgender Equality; Ms. Ilan Meyer, Ph.D., Distinguished
Senior Scholar for Public Policy, The Williams Institute; Mr.
Charles Fain Lehman, Fellow, Manhattan Institute; Ms. Jessie
Pocock, CEO and Executive Director, Inside Out Youth Services;
Mr. Brandon Wolf, Survivor of Pulse Nightclub Shooting.
B. Subcommittee on National Security
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee on National
Security held 12 hearings and received testimony from 39
witnesses. Those hearings include:
Hearing on ``A Pathway for Peace in Afghanistan: Examining
the Findings and Recommendations of the Afghanistan Study
Group'' (February 19, 2021). Witnesses: The Honorable Kelly A.
Ayotte, Co-Chair, Afghanistan Study Group; General Joseph F.
Dunford Jr. (ret.), Co-Chair, Afghanistan Study Group; The
Honorable Nancy Lindborg, Co-Chair, Afghanistan Study Group.
Hearing on ``Final Recommendations of the National Security
Commission on Artificial Intelligence'' (March 12, 2021).
Witnesses: Dr. Eric Schmidt, Chairman, National Security
Commission on Artificial Intelligence; The Honorable Robert
Work, Vice Chairman, National Security Commission on Artificial
Intelligence; The Honorable Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner,
National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence; Mr.
Gilman Louie, Commissioner, National Security Commission on
Artificial Intelligence.
Hearing on ``The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction's 2021 High-Risk List'' (March 16, 2021).
Witness: The Honorable John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General
for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
Hearing on ``Examining Next Steps for U.S. Engagement in
Afghanistan'' (May 20, 2021). Witness: Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan
Reconciliation, Department of State.
Hearing on ``Defending the U.S. Electric Grid Against Cyber
Threats'' (July 27, 2021). Witnesses: Puesh M. Kumar, Acting
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Cybersecurity,
Energy Security, and Emergency Response, Department of Energy;
Mr. Eric Goldstein, Executive Assistant Director for
Cybersecurity, CISA, DHS; Mr. Joseph H. McClelland, Director,
Office of Energy Infrastructure Security, Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission.
Hearing on ``Invisible Wounds: Preventing Suicide in Our
Nation's Military and Veteran Communities'' (November 17,
2021). Witnesses: Ms. Alyssa M. Hundrup, Director, Health Care,
GAO); Brigadier General (ret.) Jack Hammond, Executive
Director, Home Base Program; Dr. Carla Stumpf-Patton, Senior
Director, Postvention Programs, Tragedy Assistance Program for
Survivors; Staff Sergeant (ret.) Johnny Jones, Board of
Directors, Boot Campaign.
Hearing on ``Examining the Worldwide Threat of al Qaeda,
ISIS, and Other Foreign Terrorist Organizations'' (December 7,
2021). Witnesses: Ms. Milancy D. Harris, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense, Special Operations and Combating
Terrorism, DOD; Mr. Christopher A. Landberg, Acting Principal
Deputy Coordinator, Bureau of Counterterrorism, Department of
State.
Hearing on ``Defending U.S. Allies and Interests Against
Russian Aggression in Eastern Europe'' (February 16, 2022).
Witnesses: Lieutenant General (ret.) Ben Hodges, Pershing Chair
in Strategic Studies, Center for European Policy Analysis;
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Ph.D., Director, Transatlantic Security
Program, Center for a New American Security; The Honorable
Michael McFaul, Director, Freeman Spogli Institute for
International Studies, Stanford University; The Honorable
Richard Grenell, Former Acting DNI.
Hearing on ``The U.S. and International Humanitarian
Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine'' (June 10, 2022).
Witnesses: Mr. Jose Andres, Founder and Chief Feeding Officer,
World Central Kitchen; Mr. Christopher Stokes, Emergency
Coordinator for Ukraine Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors
Without Borders; Ms. Amanda Catanzano, Acting Vice President,
Global Policy and Advocacy, International Rescue Committee; Mr.
Pete Walsh, Country Director for Ukraine, Save the Children;
Mr. Edward Graham, Vice President of Operations, Samaritan's
Purse.
Hearing on ``Protecting Military Servicemembers and
Veterans from Financial Scams and Fraud'' (July 13, 2022).
Witnesses: Malini Mithal, Associate Director, Division of
Financial Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal
Trade Commission; Jim Rice, Assistant Director, Office of
Servicemember Affairs, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau;
Brendan Carr, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission;
Troy Broussard, Senior Advisor, Veterans and Military Families
Initiative, AARP; Robert Burda, Interim CEO and Chief Strategy
Officer, Cybercrime Support Network.
Hearing on ``Putin's Proxies: Examining Russia's Use of
Private Military Companies'' (September 21, 2022). Witnesses:
Kimberly Marten, Ph.D., Professor, Political Science
Department, Barnard College, Columbia University; Catrina
Doxsee, Associate Director, Transnational Threats Project,
Center for Strategic and International Studies; Joseph Siegle,
Ph.D., Director of Research, Africa Center for Strategic
Studies, National Defense University.
Hearing on ``JROTC: Protecting Cadets from Sexual Abuse and
Instructor Misconduct'' (November 16, 2022). Witnesses: Mr.
Thomas Constable, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs; Ms. Yvette K. Bourcicot, Acting
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve
Affairs, Department of the Army; The Honorable Alex Wagner,
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve
Affairs, Department of the Air Force; Mr. Robert D. Hogue,
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve
Affairs, Department of the Navy.
C. Subcommittee on Government Operations
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee on Government
Operations held 19 hearings and received testimony from 74
witnesses. Those hearings include:
Hearing on ``Revitalizing the Federal Workforce'' (February
23, 2021). Witnesses: Ms. Janice R. Lachance, Executive Vice
President, Strategic Leadership and Global Outreach, American
Geophysical Union; Mr. Everett B. Kelley, National President,
American Federation of Government Employees; Ms. Anne Joseph
O'Connell, Ph.D., Adelbert H. Sweet Professor of Law, Stanford
University; Mr. James Sherk, Former Specialist Assistant to the
President for Domestic Policy, White House Domestic Policy
Council.
Hearing on ``Agency Compliance with the Federal Information
Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA)'' (April 16, 2021).
Witnesses: Mr. Gundeep Ahluwalia, CIO, Department of Labor; Mr.
Jay Mahanand, CIO, U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID); Mr. Kevin Walsh, Director of Information Technology
and Cybersecurity Issues, GAO.
Hearing on ``Restoring Independence: Rebuilding the Federal
Offices of Inspectors General'' (April 20, 2021). Witnesses:
Ms. Allison C. Lerner, Inspector General, National Science
Foundation Office of Inspector General (OIG), Chair, Council of
the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE); Ms.
Kathy A. Buller, Inspector General, Peace Corps OIG,
Legislative Committee Chair, CIGIE Legislation Committee; Mr.
Clark K. Ervin, Former Inspector General, DHS OIG and
Department of State OIG; Ms. Liz Hempowicz, Director of Public
Policy, POGO; Ms. Mia M. Forgy, Deputy Inspector General, U.S.
Election Assistance Commission OIG.
Hearing on ``Catalyst for Change: State and Local IT After
the Pandemic'' (June 30, 2021). Witnesses: Mr. Doug Robinson,
Executive Director, National Association of State Chief
Information Officers; Ms. Amanda Renteria, CEO, Code for
America; Ms. Teri M. Takai, Vice President, Center for Digital
Government; Mr. Alan R. Shark, Ph.D., Executive Director,
Public Technology Institute (a Division of CompTIA).
Hearing on ``FITARA 12.0'' (July 28, 2021). Witnesses: Ms.
Clare Martorana, Federal CIO, OMB; Mr. Keith A. Bluestein, CIO,
Small Business Administration; Mr. Sean Brune, CIO, Social
Security Administration; Ms. Carol C. Harris, Director,
Information Technology and Cybersecurity, GAO.
Hearing on ``Waiting on the Mail: Postal Service Standard
Drops in Chicago and the Surrounding Area'' (October 15, 2021).
Witnesses: Ms. Melinda Perez, Deputy Assistant Inspector
General for Audit, USPS OIG; Mr. Eddie C. Morgan, Jr., Acting
Chicago Postmaster, USPS; Mr. Mack I. Julion, President,
National Association of Letter Carriers.
Hearing on ``The Future of Federal Work'' (December 1,
2021). Witnesses: Ms. Mika J. Cross, Federal Workplace Expert;
Mr. Kenneth J. Thomas, National President, National Active and
Retired Federal Employees Association; Ms. Michelle Amante,
Vice President, Federal Workforce Programs, Partnership for
Public Service; Ms. Meredith M. Lozar, Executive Director,
Programs and Events, Hiring Our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of
Commerce Foundation; Mr. Andrew G. Biggs, Ph.D., Senior Fellow,
American Enterprise Institute.
Hearing on ``FITARA 13.0'' (January 20, 2022). Witnesses:
Ms. Ann Dunkin, CIO, Department of Energy; Mr. Guy Cavallo,
CIO, Office of Personnel Management (OPM); Ms. Carol C. Harris,
Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, GAO; Mr.
David Powner, Executive Director, Center for Data-Driven
Policy, MITRE, Former Director, Information Technology and
Cybersecurity, GAO; Ms. Suzette Kent, CEO, Kent Advisory
Services, Former Federal CIO; Mr. Richard Spires, Principal,
Richard A. Spires Consulting.
Hearing on ``Revitalizing WMATA [Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority]: Getting to a Culture of Excellence''
(February 9, 2022). Witnesses: Mr. Paul C. Smedberg, Board
Chair, Board of Directors, WMATA; Mr. Paul J. Wiedefeld,
General Manager, WMATA; Mr. David Ditch, Policy Analyst, Grover
M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget, The Heritage
Foundation; Mr. Geoffrey Cherrington, Inspector General, WMATA;
Mr. David L. Mayer, Ph.D., CEO, Washington Metrorail Safety
Commission.
Hearing on ``Waiting on the Mail: Postal Service Standard
Drops in Baltimore and the Surrounding Area'' (February 14,
2022). Witnesses: Mr. Eric Gilbert, Acting Executive
Postmaster, Baltimore, USPS; Ms. Melinda Perez, Deputy
Assistant Inspector General for Audit, USPS OIG; Ms. Rictarsha
Westmoreland, Mail Processing Clerk and Shop Steward, USPS; Mr.
Chuck Metzger, Controller, ReBUILD Metro.
Hearing on ``Follow the Money: Tackling Improper Payments''
(March 31, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Linda Miller, Principal,
Advisory Services, Grant Thornton, LLP, Former Deputy Executive
Director, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Former
Assistant Director, GAO; Mr. Scott Jensen, CEO and Vice
President of External Affairs, Research Improving People's
Lives, Former Director, Rhode Island Department of Labor &
Training; Mr. Adrian Haro, CEO, The Workers Lab; Ms. Rachel
Greszler, Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; Ms. Parker
Gilkesson, Senior Policy Analyst, Income and Work Supports, The
Center for Law and Social Policy.
Hearing on ``IRS: Is It Ready?'' (April 22, 2022).
Witnesses: Mr. Charles P. Rettig, Commissioner, Internal
Revenue Service; Ms. Erin M. Collins, National Taxpayer
Advocate, Taxpayer Advocate Service.
Hearing on ``Technology Modernization Fund: Rewriting Our
IT Legacy'' (May 25, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Raylene Yung,
Technology Modernization Fund Executive Director, General
Services Administration (GSA); Mr. Gary Washington, CIO,
Department of Agriculture; Mr. David Hinchman, Acting Director,
Information Technology and Cybersecurity, GAO.
Hearing on ``The Future of Federal Work II'' (July 21,
2022). Witnesses: Ms. Kiran A. Ahuja, Director, OPM; Mr. Jason
S. Miller, Deputy Director for Management, OMB.
Hearing on ``FITARA 14.0'' (July 28, 2022). Witnesses: Mr.
Vaughn Noga, CIO, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Mr.
John Sherman, CIO, DOD; Mr. David A. Shive, CIO, GSA; Ms. Carol
C. Harris, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity,
GAO.
Hearing on ``Delivering for Pennsylvania: Examining Postal
Service Delivery and Operations from the Cradle of Liberty''
(September 7, 2022). Witnesses: Mr. Ivan Butts, President,
National Association of Postal Supervisors; Mr. Gary
Vaccarella, DE PA2 District Manager, USPS; Ms. Melinda Perez,
Assistant Inspector General for Audit, USPS OIG; Mr. Frank
Albergo, National President, Postal Police Officers
Association.
Hearing on ``Project Federal Information Technology: Make
IT Work'' (September 16, 2022). Witness: Ms. Clare Martorana,
Federal CIO, OMB.
Hearing on ``The Holiday Rush: Is the Postal Service
Ready?'' (November 16, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Tammy W. Hull,
Inspector General, USPS OIG; Mr. Gregory T. White, Executive
Managers of Strategic Initiatives, USPS; Mr. Edmund M. Carley,
National President, United Postmasters and Managers of America;
Paul V. Hogrogian, National President, National Postal Mail
Handlers Union; Mr. Michael Plunkett, President and CEO,
Association for Postal Commerce.
Hearing on ``FITARA 15.0'' (December 15, 2022). Witnesses:
Mr. Chris DeRusha, Federal CIO, OMB; Mr. Jason Gray, CIO,
USAID; Ms. Carol C. Harris, Director, Information Technology
and Cybersecurity, GAO; Ms. Jennifer Franks, Director,
Information Technology and Cybersecurity, GAO.
D. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee on Economic and
Consumer Policy held 4 hearings and received testimony from 20
witnesses. Those hearings include:
Hearing on ``The Urgent Need to Reform the Organ
Transplantation System to Secure More Organs for Waiting,
Ailing, and Dying Patients'' (May 4, 2021). Witnesses: Tonya
Ingram, Patient Waiting for a Transplant; Dr. Dara Kass, Living
Donor and Mother of Transplant Recipient; Ms. LaQuayia
Goldring, Patient Waiting for a Transplant; Mr. Steve Miller,
CEO, Association for Organ Procurement Organizations; Mr. Joe
Ferreira, President, Association for Organ Procurement
Organizations; Mr. Matt Wadsworth, President and CEO, Life
Connection of Ohio; Dr. Seth Karp, Director, Vanderbilt
Transplant Center; Ms. Donna Cryer, President and CEO, Global
Liver Institute.
Hearing on ``An Epidemic Continues: Youth Vaping in
America'' (June 23, 2021). Witnesses: The Honorable Richard J.
Durbin, United States Senator; Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting
Commissioner, FDA.
Hearing on ``Seresto Flea and Tick Collars: Examining Why a
Product Linked to More than 2,500 Pet Deaths Remains on the
Market'' (June 15, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Faye Hemsley, Pet
Owner Affected by Seresto Collar; Mr. Omarion Hemsley, Pet
Owner Affected by Seresto Collar; Mr. Thomas Maiorino, Pet
Owner Affected by Seresto Collar; Mr. Jeffrey Simmons,
President and CEO, Elanco Animal Health Incorporated; Mr.
Nathan Donley, Ph.D., Environmental Health Science Director,
Center for Biological Diversity; Ms. Karen McCormack, Former
Scientist, Policy Analyst, and Communications Officer (ret.),
Office of Pesticide Programs, EPA; Ms. Carrie Sheffield, Senior
Policy Analyst, Independent Women's Voice.
Hearing on ``Power and Profiteering: How Certain Industries
Hike Prices, Fleeced Consumers, and Drove Inflation''
(September 22, 2022). Witnesses: Mr. Robert B. Reich, Carmel P.
Friesen Professor of Public Policy, The Goldman School of
Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley; Ms. Rakeen
Mabud, Ph.D., Chief Economist and Managing Director of Policy
and Research, Groundwork Collaborative; Mr. Mike Konczal,
Director, Macroeconomic Analysis, Roosevelt Institute; Mr.
Tyler Goodspeed, Kleinheinz Fellow, Hoover Institution.
E. Subcommittee on Environment
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee on Environment held
6 hearings and received testimony from 35 witnesses. Those
hearings include:
Hearing on ``The Role of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in
Preventing Action on the Climate Crisis'' (April 22, 2021).
Witnesses: Ms. Greta Thunberg, Founder, Fridays For Future; Ms.
Tara Houska, Founder, Giniw Collective; Mr. Joseph Aldy,
Professor, Harvard University; Mr. Peter Erickson, Climate,
Policy Program Director, Stockholm Environmental Institute; Ms.
Jill Antares Hunkler, Seventh Generation Ohio Valley Resident;
Mr. Frank J. Macchiarola, Senior Vice President of Policy,
Economics and Regulatory Affairs, American Petroleum Institute.
Hearing on ``Jumpstarting Main Street: Bringing Jobs &
Wealth Back to Forgotten America'' (June 16, 2021). Witnesses:
Mr. Rick Bloomingdale, President, Pennsylvania AFL CIO; Ms.
Catherine Coleman Flowers, Founder, Center for Rural Enterprise
and Environmental Justice; Dr. Darrick Hamilton, Henry Cohen
Professor of Economics and Urban Policy, The New School; Mr.
Brandon Dennison, Founder and CEO, Coalfield Development; Ms.
Michelle Martinez, Acting Executive Director, Michigan
Environment Justice Coalition; Mr. Shay Hawkins, President,
Opportunity Funds Association.
Hearing on ``Fighting Fire with Fire: Evaluating the Role
of Forest Management in Reducing Catastrophic Wildfires''
(March 15, 2022). Witnesses: Mr. Randy Moore, Chief, Forest
Service, USDA; Ms. Ali Meders-Knight, Master Traditional
Ecological Knowledge Practitioner, Mechoopda Indian Tribe of
Chico Rancheria; Mr. Dominick A. DellaSala, Ph.D., Chief
Scientist, Wild Heritage, Project of Earth Island Institute;
Mr. Michael Gollner, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mechanical
Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Deb Faculty
Fellow, Berkeley Fire Research Lab; Ms. Carole King, Celebrated
Singer-songwriter and Land Conservation Advocate; Mr. James
Hubbard, Former USDA Undersecretary, Natural Resources and
Environment.
Hearing on ``Regenerative Agriculture: How Farmers and
Ranchers Are Essential to Solving Climate Change and Increasing
Food Production'' (July 19, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Bonnie
Haugen, Owner, Springside Farm; Ms. Kara Boyd, President,
Association of American Indian Farmers; Mr. Doug Doughty,
Missouri Grain Farmer and Cattle Producer; Ms. Rachel
Schattman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sustainable
Agriculture, University of Maine; Mr. Brian Lacefield,
Director, Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy.
Hearing on ``Toxic Air: How Leaded Aviation Fuel Is
Poisoning America's Children'' (July 28, 2022). Witnesses: Ms.
Marciela Lechuga, Resident, Reid-Hillview Airport Buffer Zone;
Ms. Cindy Chavez, Supervisor, County of Santa Clara
(California); Mr. Bruce Lanphear, Professor, Health Sciences,
Mr. Simon Fraser University; Mr. George Braly, CEO, General
Aviation Modifications, Inc.; Mr. Chris D'Acosta, CEO, Swift
Fuels.
Hearing on ``Effective Environmental Enforcement: Tools and
Strategies to Protect Vulnerable Communities'' (August 25,
2022). Witnesses: Mr. Robert Shobe, Resident of Detroit,
Stellantis Pollution Impact Zone; Ms. Pamela McGhee, Resident
of Detroit, U.S. Ecology Impact Zone; Ms. Daeya Redding,
Resident of Detroit, U.S. Ecology Impact Zone; Mr. Nicholas
Leonard, Executive Director, Great Lakes Environmental Law
Center; Ms. Jamesa Johnson-Greer, Executive Director, Michigan
Environmental Justice Coalition; Ms. Eden Bloom, Public
Education and Media Manager, Detroit People's Platform; Mr.
Stuart Batterman, Ph.D., Professor, Environmental Health
Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health.
F. Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and
Civil Liberties held 12 hearings and received testimony from 66
witnesses. Those hearings include:
Hearing on ``Pipelines Over People (Part II): Midship
Pipeline's Disregard for Landowners in Its Pathway'' (May 5,
2021). Witnesses: Mr. Christopher A. Smith, Senior Vice
President, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Cheniere
Energy, Parent Company of Midship Pipeline Co.; Mr. Rob
Squires, Landowner Advocate, Squires Consulting, LLC; Mr. Terry
Luber, Landowner; Mr. Samuel B. Gedge, Attorney, Institute for
Justice.
Hearing on ``Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part V):
Examining the Rise of Militia Extremism'' (May 26, 2021).
Witnesses: The Honorable Gurbir Grewal, New Jersey Attorney
General; Ms. Mary McCord, Legal Director, Institute for
Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown University;
Mr. Peter Simi, Associate Professor of Sociology, Chapman
University; Mr. Michael Gonzalez, Senior Fellow, Heritage
Foundation.
Hearing on ``Democracy in Danger: The Assault on Voting
Rights in Texas'' (July 29, 2021). Witnesses: The Honorable
Senfronia Thompson, Texas State Representative, Member, Select
Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies; The Honorable
Nicole Collier, Texas State Representative, Chair, Texas
Legislative Black Caucus; The Honorable Diego Bernal, Texas
State Representative, Member, Mexican American Legislative
Conference; Ms. Nina Perales, Vice President of Litigation,
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund; The
Honorable Tracy Clardy, Texas State Representative.
Hearing on ``Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part VI):
Examining the Biden Administration's Counterterrorism
Strategy'' (September 29, 2021). Witnesses: Mr. John D. Cohen,
Coordinator for Counterterrorism, DHS; Mr. Brad Wiegmann,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division,
DOJ; Timothy R. Langan, Assistant Director, Counterterrorism
Division, FBI.
Hearing on ``Forfeiting our Rights: The Urgent Need for
Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform'' (December 8, 2021). Witnesses:
Ms. Aamra Ahmad, Senior Policy Counsel, American Civil
Liberties Union; Mr. Daniel Alban, Senior Attorney and Co-
Director, National Initiative to End Forfeiture Abuse Institute
for Justice; Professor Louis F. Rulli, Practice Professor of
Law, Director of Civil Practice Clinic & Legislative Clinic,
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Ms. Malinda
Harris, Victim of Civil Asset Forfeiture.
Hearing on ``The Neglected Epidemic of Missing BIPOC Women
and Girls'' (March 3, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Natalie Wilson, Co-
Founder, Black and Missing Foundation; Ms. Angel Charley,
Executive Director, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native
Women; Mr. John E. Bischoff III, Vice President, Missing
Children Division, National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children; Ms. Pamela Foster, Mother of Missing Child; Mr. Shawn
Wilkinson, Father of Missing Child; Ms. Patrice Onwuka,
Director, Center for Economic Opportunity, Independent Women's
Forum.
Hearing on ``Free Speech Under Attack: Book Bans and
Academic Censorship'' (April 7, 2022). Witnesses: Ms. Shreya
Mehta, High School Student, Richland, Washington; Ms. Olivia
Pituch, High School Student, York County, Pennsylvania; Ms.
Christina Ellis, High School Student, York County,
Pennsylvania; Ms. Samantha Hull, Librarian, Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania; Ms. Mindy Freeman, Parent, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania; Dr. Jonathan W. Pidluzny, Vice President of
Academic Affairs, American Council of Trustees and Alumni; Ms.
Jessica Berg, Teacher, Loudon County, Virginia; Ms. Ruby
Bridges, Civil Rights Activist, Author.
Hearing on ``Free Speech Under Attack (Part II): Curriculum
Sabotage and Classroom Censorship'' (May 19, 2022). Witnesses:
Ms. Elle Caldon, Student, Dallas County, Texas; Ms. Claire
Mengel, Student, Hamilton County, Ohio; Ms. Krisha Ramani,
Student, Oakland County, Michigan; Mr. Willie Carver, Teacher,
Montgomery County High School, Kentucky; Ms. Jennifer Cousins,
Parent, Orlando, Florida; Ms. Suzanne Nossel, CEO, PEN America;
Prof. Timothy Snyder, Richard C. Levin Professor of History,
Yale University; Dr. James Whitfield, Former Principal,
Colleyville Heritage High School; Ms. Virginia Gentles,
Director, Education Freedom Center.
Hearing on ``Free Speech Under Attack (Part III): The Legal
Assault on Environmental Activists and the First Amendment''
(September 14, 2022). Witnesses: Prof. Anita Ramasastry, Henry
M. Jackson Professor of Law, University of Washington School of
Law; Elly Page, Senior Legal Advisor, International Center for
Not-for-Profit Law; Deepa Padmanabha, Deputy General Counsel,
Greenpeace USA; Anne White Hat, Sicangu Lakota, L'eau Est La
Vie Camp; Daren Bakst, Senior Research Fellow, Environmental
Policy and Regulation, The Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ``Protecting the People's Voice: The Need for a
Voting Rights Amendment'' (September 30, 2022). Witnesses:
Prof. Kate Shaw, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the
Flosheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy, Cardozo Law;
Prof. Alexander Keyssar, Matthew W. Sterling Jr. Professor of
History and Social Policy, Harvard Kennedy School; Ms. Leigh M.
Chapman, Acting Secretary of State, State of Pennsylvania; Mr.
Tom A. Saenz, President and General Counsel, Mexican American
Legal Defense Fund; Dr. Rick Hasen, Professor of Law and
Director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project, UCLA Law.
Hearing on ``Developments in State Cannabis Laws and
Bipartisan Cannabis Reforms at the Federal Level'' (November
12, 2022). Witnesses: Hon. Randall Woodfin, Mayor, City of
Birmingham, Alabama; Mr. Paul Armentano, Deputy Director,
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws; Mr.
Andrew Freedman, Executive Director, Coalition for Cannabis
Policy, Education, and Regulation; Mr. Eric Goepel, Founder and
CEO, Veterans Cannabis Coalition; Ms. Keeda Haynes, Senior
Legal Advisor, Free Hearts; Ms. Amber Littlejohn, Senior Policy
Advisor, Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce; Ms. Jillian
Snider, Policy Director of Criminal Justice and Civil
Liberties, R Street Institute.
Hearing on ``Confronting White Supremacy (Part VII): The
Evolution of Anti-Democratic Extremist Groups and the Ongoing
Threat to Democracy'' (December 13, 2022). Witnesses: Ms.
Alejandra Caraballo, Clinical Instructor, Cyberlaw Clinic,
Harvard Law School; Ms. Mary McCord, Executive Director of
Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection,
Georgetown Law; Mr. Oren Segal, Vice President, Center on
Extremism, Anti-Defamation League; Ms. Amanda Tyler, Executive
Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty; Mr.
Eric Ward, Executive Vice President, Race Forward and Senior
Advisor, Western States Center; Ms. Asra Nomani, Senior Fellow
in the Practice of Journalism, Independent Women's Network.
G. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
In the 117th Congress, the Select Subcommittee on the
Coronavirus Crisis held 23 hearings, receiving testimony from
95 witnesses. Those hearings include:
Hearing on ``From Rescue to Recovery: Building a Thriving
and Inclusive Post-Pandemic Economy'' (March 17, 2021).
Witnesses: Joseph E. Stiglitz, University Professor, Columbia
University, Nobel Laureate in Economics; William E. Spriggs,
Chief Economist, AFL CIO, Professor, Department of Economics,
Howard University; Larry Kudlow, Former National Economic
Council Director (2018 2021).
Hearing on ``Rooting Out Fraud in Small Business Relief
Programs'' (March 25, 2021). Witnesses: The Honorable Michael
E. Horowitz, Chair, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee,
Inspector General, DOJ; William B. Shear, Ph.D., Director,
Financial Markets and Community Investment, Government
Accountability Office (GAO); The Honorable Hannibal ``Mike''
Ware, Inspector General, Small Business Administration.
Hearing on ``Reaching the Light at the End of the Tunnel: A
Science-Driven Approach to Swiftly and Safely Ending the
Pandemic'' (April 15, 2021). Witnesses: Rochelle P. Walensky,
M.D., M.P.H, Director, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health; David Kessler, M.D., Chief Science
Officer, COVID Response, HHS.
Hearing on ``Examining Emergent BioSolutions'' Failure to
Protect Public Health and Public Funds'' (May 19, 2021).
Witnesses: Robert G. Kramer, President and CEO, Emergent
BioSolutions, Inc.; Fuad El-Hibri, Executive Chairman of the
Board of Directors, Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.
Hearing on ``Lessons Learned: The Federal Reserve's
Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic'' (June 22, 2021).
Witness: The Honorable Jerome H. Powell, Chair, Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Hearing on ``Building Trust and Battling Barriers: The
Urgent Need to Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy'' (July 1, 2021).
Witnesses: Georges Benjamin, M.D., Executive Director, American
Public Health Association; Joshua Garza, Coronavirus Survivor;
Katy Milkman, Ph.D., Professor of Operations, Information, and
Decisions at the Wharton School, Professor, Division of Health
Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of
Pennsylvania; Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H., Former Surgeon
General of the United States (2017 2021); Sophia Bush, Actress,
Activist, Entrepreneur.
Hearing on ``Oversight of Pandemic Evictions: Assessing
Abuses by Corporate Landlords and Federal Efforts to Keep
Americans in Their Homes'' (July 27, 2021). Witnesses: Jim
Baker, Executive Director, Private Equity Stakeholder Project;
Katrina Chism, Affected Renter, Georgia; Diane Yentel,
President & CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC);
Rene Solis, Chief Program Officer, BakerRipley, Houston, TX;
Joel Griffith, Research Fellow, the Heritage Foundation.
Hearing on ``Recognizing and Building on the Success of
Pandemic Relief Programs'' (September 22, 2021). Witnesses:
Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Professor of Human Development and
Social Policy Director, Institute for Policy Research
Northwestern University; Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President
Children's Defense Fund; H. Luke Shaefer, Professor of Social
Justice and Social Policy, Associate Dean for Research and
Policy Engagement, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy,
University of Michigan; Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Co-Executive
Director, Georgetown Center on Poverty & Inequality Georgetown,
University Law Center; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President, American
Action Forum.
Hearing on ``Upgrading Public Health Infrastructure: The
Need to Protect, Rebuild, and Strengthen State and Local Public
Health Departments'' (September 29, 2021). Witnesses: Dr.
Jennifer Bacani McKenney, Health Officer, Wilson County Health
Department (Kansas); Dr. Beth Resnick, Assistant Dean for
Practice and Training, Senior Scientist, Bloomberg School of
Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Mysheika Roberts,
Health Commissioner, Columbus Public Health (Ohio); Dr. Joseph
Kanter, State Health Officer and Medical Director, Louisiana
Department of Health.
Hearing on ``How the Meatpacking Industry Failed the
Workers Who Feed America'' (October 27, 2021). Witnesses:
Debbie Berkowitz, Practitioner Fellow, Kalmanovitz Initiative
for Labor and the Working Poor, Georgetown University; Magaly
Licolli, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Venceremos; Martin
Rosas President, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 2;
Rose Godinez, Interim Legal Director, American Civil Liberties
Union of Nebraska.
Hearing on ``Building Vaccine Confidence: Our Shot at
Curbing the Pandemic in Chicago and Beyond'' (November 10,
2021). Witnesses: Lori Lightfoot, Mayor, City of Chicago; Ngozi
Ezike, M.D., Director, Illinois Department of Public Health;
Helen D. Gayle, M.D., President and CEO, The Chicago Community
Trust; Omar Khan, M.D., Co-Chair, Muslim Community Center's
Health & Awareness Committee; Martha Martinez, Manager,
Pandemic Health Navigator Program (Gail Borden Public Library
District); Don Abram, Program Manager, Interfaith Youth Core;
Ben O'Donnell, Coronavirus Survivor.
Hearing on ``Combating Coronavirus Cons and the
Monetization of Misinformation'' (November 17, 2021).
Witnesses: Dr. Jeffrey Aeschlimann, Associate Professor,
Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, School of
Medicine, University of Connecticut (UConn); Dr. Kolina Koltai,
Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for an Informed Public, University
of Washington Information School; Dr. Jay Kennedy, Assistant
Professor, School of Criminal Justice, Assistant Director of
Research, Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product
Protection, Michigan State University; Ms. Maria Teresa Kumar,
President and CEO, Voto Latino.
Hearing on ``A Global Crisis Needs a Global Solution: The
Urgent Need to Accelerate Vaccinations Around the World''
(December 14, 2021). Witnesses: Dr. Ali Khan, Dean, College of
Public Health, Professor, Department of Epidemiology,
University of Nebraska Medical Center; Dr. Krishna Udayakumar,
Associate Director for Innovation, Duke Global Health
Institute, Associate Professor of Global Health and Medicine,
Duke University School of Medicine, Director, Duke Global
Health Innovation Center; Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, Ph.D.,
Professor of Economics, University of Maryland; Ms. Kathryn
Russ, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Economic, University of
California, Davis; Mr. Martin Makary, M.D., M.P.H., Professor
of Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Hearing on ``A View from the States, Territories, and
District: Governors Respond to the Omicron Variant'' (January
20, 2022). Witnesses: Governor Jay Inslee, State of Washington;
Governor Jared Polis, State of Colorado; Governor Pedro
Pierluisi, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Mayor Muriel Bowser,
District of Columbia; Governor Pete Ricketts, State of
Nebraska.
Hearing on ``COVID Child Care Challenges: Supporting
Families and Caregivers'' (March 2, 2022). Witnesses: Lea J.E.
Austin, Ed.D., Executive Director, Center for the Study of
Child Care Employment, University of California; Gina Forbes,
Early Childhood Educator and Parent, Brunswick, Maine; Lynette
M. Fraga, Ph.D., CEO, Child Care Aware of America; Betsey
Stevenson, Ph.D., Professor of Public Policy, Professor
Economics, University of Michigan; Carries Luka, President,
Independent Women's Forum.
Hearing on ``Moving Beyond the Coronavirus Crisis: The
Biden Administration's Progress in Combating the Pandemic and
Plan for the NextPhase'' (March 30, 2022). Witnesses: The
Honorable Rochelle Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention; The Honorable Dawn
O'Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response,
HHS; Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.P.H., United States
Surgeon General, HHS.
Hearing on ``Ensuring Scientific Integrity at Our Nation's
Public Health Agencies'' (April 29, 2022). Witnesses: The
Honorable Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United
States, GAO; Candice Wright, M.P.P., Director, Science,
Technology Assessment, and Analytics, GAO; Sonja Rasmussen,
M.D., M.S., Former Editor-in-Chief, Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report (2015-2018), Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; Anita Desikan, M.S., M.P.H., Senior Analyst, Center
for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists.
Hearing on ``Underpaid, Overworked, and Underappreciated:
How the Pandemic Economy Disproportionately Harmed Low-Wage
Women Workers'' (May 17, 2022). Witnesses: Dr. C. Nicole Mason,
President and CEO, Institute for Women's Policy Research; Vicki
Shabo, Senior Fellow, Paid Leave Policy and Strategy, Better
Life Lab, New America; Cynthia (``Cyndi'') Murray, Fitting
Department Associate, Walmart; Dr. Yana van der Meulen Rodgers,
Professor, Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Faculty
Director, Center for Women and Work, Rutgers University; Mary
Katherine Ham, CNN Commentator and Author.
Hearing on ``Examining Federal Efforts to Prevent, Detect,
and Prosecute Pandemic Relief Fraud to Safeguard Funds for All
Eligible Americans'' (June 14, 2022). Witnesses: Kevin
Chambers, Director for COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement, DOJ; Michael
Horowitz, Chair, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee;
Hannibal ``Mike'' Ware, Inspector General, Small Business
Administration; Roy D. Dotson, Jr., Acting Special Agent in
Charge, National Pandemic Fraud Recovery Coordinator, United
States Secret Service.
``A Hearing with Trump White House Coronavirus Response
Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx'' (June 23, 2022). Witness:
Deborah L. Birx, M.D., Former White House Coronavirus Response
Coordinator (March 2020 to January 2021).
Hearing on ``Understanding and Addressing Long COVID and
Its Consequences'' (July 19, 2022). Witnesses: Monica Verduzco-
Gutierrez, M.D., Professor and Distinguished Chair, Department
of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio; Katie Bach, Former Managing Director,
Good Jobs Institute; Hannah Davis, Co-founder, Patient-Led
Research Collaborative; Cynthia Adinig, Long COVID Patient and
Advocate.
Hearing on ``Examining Long-Term Care in America: The
Impact of the Coronavirus in Nursing Homes'' (September 21,
2022). Witnesses: Dr. Alice Bonner, RN, Senior Advisor for
Aging, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Chair, Moving
Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition; Dr. David C. Grabowski,
Professor of Health Care Policy, Department of Health Care
Policy, Harvard Medical School; Adelina V. Ramos, Certified
Nursing Assistant, Greenville, Rhode Island; Dr. Jasmine
Travers, MHS, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing, New York
University Rory Meyers College of Nursing; Daniel Arbeeny, Son
of Nursing Home Resident.
Hearing on ``Preparing for and Preventing the Next Public
Health Emergency: Lessons Learned from the Coronavirus Crisis''
(December 14, 2022). Witnesses: Dr. Rick Bright, Former
Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development
Authority and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
Response; Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, Assistant Professor of
Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of
Public Health, and Former Researcher, Vaccine Research Center,
National Institutes of Health; Ms. Rebecca Dixon, National
Employment Law Project, Executive Director; Dr. Ngozi Ezike;
President and CEO, Sinai Chicago, and Former Director, Illinois
Department of Public Health; Admiral Brett P. Giroir, M.D.,
Former Assistant Secretary for Health at HHS.
III. OVERSIGHT BRIEFINGS AND ROUNDTABLES
A. Full Committee and Subcommittees
In the 117th Congress, the Committee on Oversight and
Reform, including its five subcommittees, held 13 briefings and
roundtables with 61 participants. The briefings and roundtables
include:
On May 26, 2021, the Subcommittee on Government Operations
held a Roundtable on ``Security Clearance Backlog: Building
Back Better.'' Briefers: Mr. Brian Mazanec, GAO; Mr. William
Lietzau, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
(DCSA); Ms. Christy Wilder, DCSA; Ms. Marianna Martineau, DCSA;
Ms. Heather Green, DCSA; Ms. Stephanie Kostro, Professional
Services Council; Ms. Mary Rose McCaffrey, Northrop Grumman;
Ms. Jennie Brackens, Science Applications International
Corporation; Ms. Heather Sims, General Dynamics; Mr. Greg
Torres, Booz Allen Hamilton; Mr. Brian Dunbar, CACI
International Inc.; Mr. Joseph Kraus, ManTech; Ms. Donna
Rhoads, Leidos; Mr. Kumar Gnanamurthy, iWorks; Keith Sheppard,
NT Concepts; Mr. Robert Elich, JANUS Research Group.
On June 4, 2021, the full Committee held a Roundtable on
``Examining the Long-Term Impacts of the Gender Wage Gap on
Moms.'' Briefers: Ms. Jessica Ramos, New York State Senator,
District 13; Ms. Julie Chi-hye Suk, Professor of Sociology,
Political Science, and Liberal Studies, The Graduate Center of
the City University of New York (CUNY), Senior Research
Scholar, Yale Law School; Ms. DeNora Getachew, CEO,
DoSomething.org, Founding Member, Higher Heights for America;
Ms. Seher Khawaja, Senior Attorney, Economic Empowerment, Legal
Momentum, and The Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund.
On June 30, 2021, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and
Civil Liberties held a Roundtable on ``Researching while
Chinese American: Ethnic Profiling, Chinese American
``Scientists and a New American Brain Drain.'' Briefers: Ms.
Sherry Chen, Hydrologist, National Weather Service; The
Honorable Steven Chu, Former Secretary of Energy, Department of
Energy; Dr. Randy Katz, Vice Chancellor for Research at the
University of California, Berkeley; Dr. Xiaoxing Xi, Laura H.
Carnell Professor of Physics, Temple University.
On August 26, 2021, the full Committee held a Roundtable on
``Tackling Peak Pollution: Achieving Environmental Justice for
Frontline Communities.'' Participants: Ms. Annel Hernandez,
Associate Director, NYC Environmental Justice Alliance; Mr.
Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright, Director of Environmental
Justice, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest; Mr. Calvin
Thompson, Director of Special Initiatives, BlocPower; Ms. Elena
Krieger, Ph.D., Director of Research, Physicians, Scientists,
and Engineers for Healthy Energy; Ms. Ilona Duverge, Co-Founder
and NYC Director, Movement School.
On August 31, 2021, the full Committee held a Briefing with
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John
F. Sopko. Briefer: John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction.
On September 22, 2021, the full Committee held a Classified
Briefing on ``Recent Developments and the Way Forward in
Afghanistan.''
On October 6, 2021, the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and
Civil Liberties held a Briefing on ``Discriminatory and
Wasteful Enforcement Activities by Border Patrol Agents.''
Briefers: Kristy Montes, Director, Office of Privacy and
Diversity, CBP; Katherine Culliton-Gonzalez, Officer for Civil
Rights and Civil Liberties, DHS; Tony L. Barker, Deputy Chief
of Law Enforcement Operations, United States Border Patrol;
Robert B. Simon, Chief Patrol Agent, Detroit Sector, United
States Border Patrol.
On February 3, 2022, the full Committee held a Roundtable
on ``Examining the Washington Football Team's Toxic Workplace
Culture.'' Participants: Emily Applegate, Former Marketing
Coordinator, Premium Client Services Coordinator, Ticket Sales
Representative, Washington Football Team (WFT); Melanie Coburn,
Former Director of Marketing, Marketing Coordinator,
Cheerleader, WFT; Rachel Engleson, Former Director of Marketing
and Client Relations, Director of Client Services, Manager of
Premium Client Services, Customer Service Representative,
Intern, WFT; Ana Nunez, Former Coordinator of Business
Development & Client Service, Account Executive, WFT; Brad
Baker, Former Video Production Manager, Producer, WFT; Tiffani
Johnston, Senior Manager, Premium Club, WFT.
On March 8, 2022, the full Committee held a Briefing on
``The Conflict in Ukraine and Implications for U.S. and
International Security.'' Briefers: The Honorable John F.
Tefft, Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia,
Senior Fellow, Rand Corporation; The Honorable Michael McFaul,
Ph.D., Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Director, Freeman
Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford
University; The Honorable Ivo H. Daalder, Former U.S.
Ambassador to NATO, President, Chicago Council on Global
Affairs; Dr. Ulana Suprun, M.D., Former Acting Minister of
Health, Government of Ukraine.
On March 11, 2022, the full Committee held a Field Briefing
with Stakeholders on ``Focusing on Frontlines: Community
Engagement Is Key to Advancing Environmental Justice.''
Panelists: Basil Seggos, Commissioner, New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation, Co-Chair, New York
State Climate Action Council; Doreen Harris, President and CEO,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Co-
Chair, New York State Climate Action Council; Elizabeth
Yeampierre, Executive Director, UPROSE, Member, New York State
Climate Justice Working Group, Co-Chair, Climate Justice
Alliance; Eddie Bautista, Executive Director, New York City
Environmental Justice Alliance, Member, New York State Climate
Justice Working Group; Sonal Jessel, Director of Policy, WE ACT
for Environmental Justice, Member, New York State Climate
Justice Working Group; Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright, Director
of Environmental Justice New York Lawyers for the Public
Interest, Member, New York Renews Steering Committee.
On March 18, 2022, the Subcommittee on National Security
held a Classified Briefing on ``The Department of Defense's
2021 Global Posture Review.''
On May 13, 2022, the Subcommittee on National Security held
a Classified Briefing on ``Examining the National Security and
Public Safety Risks from the Malicious or Negligent Use of
Unmanned Aerial Systems.''
On May 18, 2022, the full Committee held a Classified
Briefing on ``U.S. and Allied Response to Russia's Invasion of
Ukraine.''
On August 11, 2022, the full Committee held a Roundtable on
``On the Frontlines: Responding to the Threat of Election
Misinformation.'' Participants: Mr. Jim Condos, Secretary of
State, State of Vermont; Ms. Tina Barton, Senior Election
Expert, The Elections Group, Former Senior Program Advisor,
Election Assistance Commission, Former City Clerk of Rochester
Hills, Michigan; Ms. Lisa Marra, Director of Elections, Cochise
County, Arizona, President, Election Officials of Arizona; Ms.
Nora Benavidez, Senior Counsel and Director of Digital Justice
and Civil Rights, Free Press.
On December 9, 2022, the full Committee held a briefing on
``The Financial Condition of the United States Postal
Service.'' Briefers: Joseph Corbett, Chief Financial Officer
and Executive Vice President, USPS.
B. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
Member Briefing on ``Ensuring Equity in Coronavirus
Vaccinations'' (February 19, 2021). Briefers: Dr. Helene D.
Gayle, President and CEO, The Chicago Community Trust; Ms.
Abigail Echo-Hawk, Director, Urban Indian Health Institute,
Chief Research Officer, Seattle Indian Health Board; Mr.
Frankie Miranda, President and CEO, Hispanic Federation; Ms.
Lathran Woodard, CEO, South Carolina Primary Health Care
Association.
Member Briefing on the spread of the Delta variant in the
United States (July 29, 2021). Briefers: Dr. Rochelle Walensky,
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC); Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Member Briefing on the current vaccine landscape in the
United States (September 15, 2021). Briefers: Dr. Peter Marks,
Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,
FDA.
Member Briefing on the Federal government's response to the
omicron variant (January 10, 2021). Briefers: Dr. Rochelle
Walensky, Director, Centers for Disease Control; Dr. David
Kessler, Chief Science Officer for the Coronavirus Response;
Ms. Dawn O'Connell, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and
Response.
Member Roundtable on ``Moving Beyond the Coronavirus
Crisis: Perspectives from Public Health Experts'' (March 14,
2022). Participants: Dr. Jewel Mullen, Associate Dean for
Health Equity & Associate Professor, Dell Medical School,
University of Texas at Austin; Dr. Carlos del Rio, Executive
Associate Dean, Emory School of Medicine & Grady Health System;
Dr. Robert Wachter, Chair, University of California San
Francisco Department of Medicine; Dr. Leana Wen, Research
Professor of Health Policy and Management, George Washington
University.
Member Briefing on the status of Omicron boosters and the
Biden Administration's preparation for a fall booster campaign
(August 9, 2022). Briefers: Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA, and Dr.
Jason Roos, Chief Operating Officer, Coordination Operations
and Response Element, HHS.
IV. LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A. Business Meetings (Legislation)
Organizational meeting to appoint the Chairs and Ranking
Members of the five subcommittees and adopt the Committee Rules
(February 1, 2021).
Business meeting to consider Committee Print Providing for
reconciliation pursuant to S. Con. Res. 5, the Concurrent
Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2021, which was
ordered favorably reported; bills to designate USPS facilities
were approved by the Committee and ordered favorably reported
to the House by Unanimous Consent (February 12, 2021).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 51, Washington, D.C.
Admission Act, which was ordered favorably reported; bills to
designate USPS facilities were approved by the Committee and
ordered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent
(April 14, 2021).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 3076, The Postal Service
Reform Act; H.R. 3077, The Postal Service Improvement Act; H.R.
1930, The Federal Advisory Committee Transparency Act; H.R.
2485, The Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act; H.R.
2681, The Integrity Committee Transparency Act; and H.R. 978,
The Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act (May 13, 2021), which
were ordered favorably reported.
Business meeting to consider H.R. 2662, The IG Independence
and Empowerment Act; H.R. 302, The Preventing a Patronage
System Act; H.R. 2617, The Performance Enhancement Reform Act;
H.R. 3327, No Congressionally Obligated Recurring Revenue Used
as Pensions To Incarcerated Officials Now Act; H.R. 1297, The
Air America Act; and H.R. 3367, The Gold Star Children Act,
which were ordered favorably reported; bills to designate USPS
facilities were approved by the Committee and ordered favorably
reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (May 25, 2021).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 2988, The Whistleblower
Protection Improvement Act; H.R. 2043, The Periodically Listing
Updates to Management Act; H.R. 3787, The District of Columbia
Local Juror Nondiscrimination Act; H.R. 1204, The District of
Columbia Chief Financial Officer Salary Home Rule Act; H.R.
1224, The Merit System Protection Board Empowerment Act; and
H.R. 3599, The Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act,
which were ordered favorably reported; bills to designate USPS
facilities were approved by the Committee and ordered favorably
reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (June 29, 2021).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 4125, Keep the Watchdogs
Running Act; H.R. 1508, Guidance Clarity Act; H.R. 4465,
Federally Funded Research and Technology Development Protection
Act; H.R. 564, Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees
Act; H.R. 2994 Accountability For Acting Officials Act; H.R.
4448, Administrative Law Judge Competitive Service Restoration
Act; H.R. 3533, To Establish Occupational Series for Federal
Positions in Software Development, Software Engineering, Data
Science, and Data Management, and for Other Purposes; H.R.
4393, To Require the Directors of the Courts Services and
Offender Supervision Agency of the District of Columbia and the
District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency to Reside in the
District of Columbia; H.R. 4469, The AI in Counterterrorism
Oversight Enhancement Act; and H.R. 4470, The Made in America
Pandemic Preparedness Act, which were ordered favorably
reported; bills to designate USPS facilities were approved by
the Committee and ordered favorably reported to the House by
Unanimous Consent (July 20, 2021).
Business meeting to consider S. Con. Res. 14, the
Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which
was ordered favorably reported (September 2, 2021).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 4688, The Federal Agency
Customer Experience Act; H.R. 5792, The State and Local Digital
Services Act; H.R. 4778, The District of Columbia Courts
Vacancy Reduction Act; H.R. 6066, The Strengthening The Office
of Personnel Management Act; and H.R. 5477, The Federal Agency
Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness Act,
which were ordered favorably reported; bills to designate USPS
facilities were approved by the Committee and ordered favorably
reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (December 2, 2021).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 6361, District of
Columbia National Guard Commanding Residency Act; H.R. 6497,
Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2022; H.R.
6419, Fair Chance Improvement Act; H.R. 5962, Supply Chain
Security Training Act; and H.R. 6560, The GAO Audit Mandates
Revision Act, which were ordered favorably reported; bills to
designate USPS facilities were approved by the Committee and
ordered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent
(February 2, 2022).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 7185, The Federal
Contracting for Peace and Security Act; H.R. 6531, The
Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act of 2022; H.R.
1756, The Measuring Real Income Growth Act; H.R. 7376, The
Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act; H.R.
6967, The Chance to Compete Act; H.R. 3544, The Computers for
Veterans and Students Act; H.R. 7337, The Access for Veterans
to Record Act, which were ordered favorably reported; bills to
designate USPS facilities were approved by the Committee and
ordered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent
(April 6, 2022).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 7683, The Artificial
Intelligence Training for the Acquisition Act; H.R. 7331, The
Improving Government for America's Taxpayers Act; H.R. 7535,
The Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act; H.R. 521,
The First Responder Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial
Retirement Earned Act; H.R. 7674, The Ensuring Oversight Access
at the Postal Service Act; H.R. 6104, The Building the Next
Generation of Employees Act; H.R. 7686, The District of
Columbia Code Returning Citizens Coordination Act; and H.R.
7682, The Ensuring an Accurate Postal Fleet Electrification
Act, which were ordered favorably reported; bills to designate
USPS facilities were approved by the Committee and ordered
favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (May 11,
2022).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 4176, the LGBTQ+ Data
Inclusion Act; H.R. 7951, The Telework Metrics and Cost Savings
Act; H.R. 7941, To Amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act
to Permit the Chairman of the Council of the District of
Columbia to Transmit Acts of the District of Columbia to
Congress in Electronic Form; and H.R. 5815, the Honest Census
Communication Act, which were ordered favorably reported; bills
to designate USPS facilities were approved by the Committee and
ordered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent
(June 14, 2022).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 4258, The Improving
Digital Identity Act; H.R. 8322, The Strengthening Tools to
Obstruct and Prevent Fraud Act 2022; H.R. 7602, The Preventing
Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition
Act; H.R. 8325, The Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest
in Federal Acquisition Act; H.R. 6548, The Justice in Power
Plant Permitting Act; and H.R. 8326, The Ensuring a Fair and
Accurate Census Act, which were ordered favorably reported;
bills to designate United States Postal Service facilities were
approved by the Committee and ordered favorably reported to the
House by Unanimous Consent (July 14, 2022).
Business meeting to consider S. 1941, the Metropolitan
Areas Protection and Standardization (MAPS) Act; S. 3510,
Disaster Resiliency Planning Act; H.R. 8466, the Chai
Suthammonont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act of 2022; H.R. 8665,
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Modernization Act; H. Res 1243, Of inquiry requesting the
President transmit certain documents in his possession to the
House of Representatives relating to the Biden family's
international business schemes and related information; and
H.R. 8861, the District of Columbia Home Rule Expansion Act,
which were ordered favorably reported; bills to designate USPS
facilities were approved by the Committee and ordered favorably
reported to the House by Unanimous Consent (September 20,
2022).
Business meeting to consider H.R. 1283, The Contract Act of
2021, and H.R. 1307, The Vote by Mail Tracking Act, which were
ordered favorably reported; H. Res. 1412, Of inquiry directing
the Secretary of the Treasury to transmit certain documents to
the House of Representatives relating to the projected
inflationary impact of the implementation of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act, the Build Back Better Act, and the
Infrastructure and Jobs Act in conjunction with the Build Back
Better Act was reported unfavorably to the House; bills to
designate USPS facilities were approved by the Committee and
ordered favorably reported to the House by Unanimous Consent
(November 17, 2022).
Business meeting to consider H. Res. 1479, Of inquiry
requesting the President transmit certain documents in his
possession to the House of Representatives relating to the
surveillance or monitoring of pro-gun, pro-life, or
conservative groups under the Internet Covert Operations
Program operated by the United States Postal Inspection
Service, which was reported unfavorably to the House (December
6, 2022).
B. Legislation Enacted Into Law
H.R. 22, the Congressional Budget Justification
Transparency Act. Introduced on January 4, 2021, by Rep. Mike
Quigley. This legislation requires federal agencies to make
budget justification materials available to the public on a
website. The bill also requires the OMB to make certain details
regarding the materials available to the public, including a
list of the agencies that submit budget justification materials
to Congress, the dates that the materials are submitted to
Congress and posted online, and links to the materials.
History: Introduced on January 4, 2021; House passed January 5, 2021;
Senate companion (S. 272) passed June 28, 2021; House passed S.
272 August 23, 2021; President signed into law on September 24,
2021 (PL 117-40)
H.R. 26, Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement
Act. Introduced on January 4, 2021, by Rep. James Comer. This
legislation prohibits the use of reverse auctions, which allow
the seller to bid down the price of a project, in awarding
federal contracts for complex, specialized, or substantial
design and construction services. The bill also requires the
Federal Acquisition and Regulatory Council to define ``complex,
specialized, or substantial design and construction services.''
GSA must also report to specified congressional committees on
the bill's effectiveness.
History: Introduced on January 4, 2021; House passed January 5, 2021;
Senate passed July 13, 2021; President signed into law on July
26, 2021 (PL 117-28)
H.R. 521, First Responder Fair RETIRE Act. Introduced on
January 28, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. The legislation
preserves the retirement benefits of law enforcement officers
who became disabled in the line of duty and are reassigned to a
different position in the civil service that is not covered
under the same retirement program.
History: Introduced January 28, 2021; Committee passed May 11, 2022;
House passed July 12, 2022; Senate passed November 17, 2022;
President signed into law on December 9, 2022 (PL 117-225).
H.R. 1283, the Continuity for Operators with Necessary
Training Required for ATC Contract Towers (CONTRACT) Act of
2021. Introduced on February 24, 2021, by Rep. Julia Brownley.
The legislation amends title 5 to allow retired federal air
traffic controllers who choose to work at contract towers
through the Federal Contract Tower Program to continue
collecting their full federal retirement annuity.
History: Introduced February 24, 2021; Senate Companion (S. 419)
introduced February 24, 2021; Senate Committee passed November
3, 2021, Committee passed November 17, 2022; President signed
into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023
on December 29, 2022
H.R. 1319, American Rescue Plan Act, Title IX, Subtitle M:
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. This
legislation provided $362 billion in emergency funding for
state, local, territorial, and tribal governments. Of this
total, states and the District of Columbia received $195.3
billion, tribal governments received $20 billion, and U.S.
territories received $4.5 billion. Cities, counties, and other
smaller local government units received $130.2 billion. Of this
total, cities received $45.57 billion, counties received $65.1
billion, and other smaller local government units received
$19.53 billion. The funds enable these governments to support
the COVID-19 public health response and support economic
recovery, including assistance to households, small businesses,
and nonprofits; aid to impacted industries; premium pay to
eligible workers; and funding of water, sewer, and broadband
infrastructure projects.
History: Committee Print providing for reconciliation pursuant to S.
Con. Res. 5 passed Committee on February 12, 2021; H.R. 1319
introduced February 24, 2021; House passed February 27, 2021;
Senate passed with an amendment March 6, 2021; House agreed to
the Senate amendment March 10, 2021; President signed into law
on March 11, 2021 (PL 117-2)
H.R. 2043, Periodically Listing Updates to Management Act.
Introduced on March 18, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
This legislation requires OPM to develop and maintain a
publicly accessible website with data on senior leaders in
government that meets modern data standards. It also implements
recommendations made by GAO and the Administrative Conference
of the United States.
History: Introduced on March 18, 2021; Committee passed June 29, 2021;
Senate companion (S. 3650) introduced February 15, 2022; Senate
Committee passed March 30, 2022; President signed a modified
version into law on December 23, 2022, as part of H.R. 7776,
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (PL
117-263)
H.R. 2485, Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act.
Introduced on April 13, 2021, by Rep. Mike Quigley. This
legislation requires the Government Publishing Office (GPO) to
establish and maintain a publicly available online portal
containing copies of all congressionally mandated reports.
Federal agencies are required to submit a congressionally
mandated report and specified information about the report to
the GPO between 30 and 45 days after submission of the report
to either chamber or to any congressional committee or
subcommittee. OMB must issue guidance to federal agencies on
these requirements.
History: Introduced on April 13, 2021; House Committee passed May 13,
2021; House passed July 26, 2021; Senate companion (S. 2838)
introduced September 23, 2021; Senate Committee passed November
3, 2021; President signed a modified version into law on
December 23, 2022, as part of H.R. 7776, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (PL117-263)
H.R. 2617, Performance Enhancement Reform Act. Introduced
on April 16, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This legislation
revises how agencies must report their performance goals.
Specifically, agencies are required to include the following
details when they describe how they will achieve their
performance goals: (1) the human capital, training, data and
evidence, information technology, and skill sets required to
meet such goals; and (2) the technology modernization
investments, system upgrades, staff technology skills and
expertise, stakeholder input and feedback, and other resources
and strategies required to meet such goals. The bill requires
an agency's chief performance improvement office to provide the
description (previously, the description was provided by an
agency's chief human capital office).
History: Introduced April 16, 2021; House Committee passed May 25,
2021; House passed September 28, 2021; Senate Committee passed
November 3, 2021; Senate passed with an amendment on November
15, 2022; President signed a modified version into law on
December 23, 2022, as part of H.R. 7776, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (PL 117-263)
H.R. 2662, IG Independence and Empowerment Act. Introduced
on April 19, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This
legislation includes provisions that: allow an Inspector
General (IG) to be removed only for cause, require Congress to
be notified before an IG is placed on non-duty status, require
that an acting IG be an existing IG for another agency or
serving as senior staff in an OIG, and increase accountability
and transparency for the CIGIE Integrity Committee. The bill
also: grants IGs the authority to subpoena witnesses who are
not currently government employees for testimony; provides the
DOJ IG, along with the DOJ Office of Professional
Responsibility, the authority to investigate wrongdoing by DOJ
attorneys; expands whistleblower trainings to OIG employees;
requires notification to Congress and CIGIE of an IG's ongoing
investigations when an IG is placed on non-duty status;
provides a single appropriation for CIGIE; and requires IGs to
notify Congress if agencies deny access to requested
information.
History: Introduced on April 19, 2021; House passed June 29, 2021;
Senate Committee passed November 3, 2021; President signed a
modified version into law on December 23, 2022, as part of H.R.
7776, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2023 (PL 117-263)
H.R. 2681, Integrity Committee Transparency Act. Introduced
on April 20, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This legislation
addresses issues regarding inspectors general (IGs) and the
CIGIE Integrity Committee (the committee). The committee is
charged with investigating allegations of wrongdoing against
office of IG officials. The committee is now required to notify
Congress when an allegation of wrongdoing made by a Member of
Congress is closed without referral for investigation. The bill
requires CIGIE to report semiannually to Congress and the
President on the activities of the committee. The bill also
requires the appointment of a former IG to the committee.
History: Introduced April 20, 2021; Committee passed May 13, 2021;
House passed June 29, 2021; Senate Committee passed November 3,
2021; President signed a modified version into law on December
23, 2022, as part of H.R. 7776, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (PL 117-263)
H.R. 3076, Postal Service Reform Act. Introduced on May 11,
2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. The legislation
provides financial relief to the Postal Service by eliminating
the requirement that it prefund health benefits for all current
employees and retirees and by creating a ``Postal Service
only'' health benefits program. The Act also allows the Postal
Service to engage in non-postal services to increase revenue,
requires additional transparency about delivery standards, and
merges the Inspectors General of the Postal Service and the
Postal Regulatory Commission.
History: Introduced on May 11, 2021; Committee passed May 13, 2021;
House passed February 8, 2022; Senate passed March 8, 2022;
President signed into law on April 6, 2022 (PL117-108)
H.R. 3533, to establish occupational series for Federal
positions in software development, software engineering, data
science, and data management, and for other purposes.
Introduced on May 25, 2021, by Rep. Jay Obernolte. This
legislation requires OPM to establish or update existing
occupational series for positions in the federal government in
the fields of software development, software engineering, data
science, and data management.
History: Introduced May 25, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021; House
passed September 30, 2021; President signed into law on
December 27, 2021, as part of S. 1605, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (PL 117-81)
H.R. 3544, Computers for Veterans and Students (COVS) Act.
Introduced on May 25, 2021, by Rep. Abigail Spanberger. This
legislation requires GSA to transfer surplus computers and
related technology to nonprofit refurbishers for eventual
distribution to schools, veterans, and seniors, and to state
and local agencies for donation to nonprofit and public
entities.
History: Introduced on May 25, 2021; House Committee passed April 6,
2022; House passed July 12, 2022; Senate Committee passed
September 28, 2022; President signed into law as part of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 on December 29, 2022
H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act, Title VIII. The
legislation contains provisions in the Committee's jurisdiction
that provided $3 billion in funding to USPS for the purchase of
zero-emission vehicles and the necessary charging
infrastructure. The law provides $15 million to the Inspector
General of the Postal Service. It also provides $25 million to
GAO to evaluate whether the economic, social, and environmental
impacts of the funds provided in the Act are equitable and $20
million to OMB to implement the Act and track labor, equity,
and environmental standards and performance.
History: Committee Print to implement the instructions pursuant to S.
Con. Res. 14 passed Committee September 2, 2021; introduced
September 27, 2021; House passed November 14, 2021; Senate
passed with an amendment August 7, 2022; House agreed to the
Senate amendment August 12, 2022; President signed into law on
August 16, 2022 (PL 117-169)
H.R. 7331, Improving Government for America's Taxpayers
Act. Introduced on March 31, 2022, by Rep. Derek Kilmer. This
legislation requires GAO to consolidate recommendations to
Congress in one report. This report must include the estimated
costs of executing unimplemented priority recommendations
directed at agencies and anticipated cost-savings and identify
any additional congressional oversight actions that could help
agencies implement open priority recommendations.
History: Introduced March 31, 2022; Committee passed May 11, 2022;
House passed July 12, 2022; President signed a modified version
into law on December 23, 2022, as part of H.R. 7776, the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (PL
117-263)
H.R. 7337, Access for Veterans to Records Act. Introduced
on March 31, 2022, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This
legislation helps eliminate the backlog of veteran records
requests at the National Personnel Records Center, an office
within NARA. The legislation requires NARA to submit a plan for
eliminating the backlog within 60 days and authorizes $60
million for NARA to digitize records and establish effective
records retrieval infrastructure.
History: Introduced on March 31, 2022; Committee passed April 6, 2022;
House passed as part of H.R. 7900, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, on July 14, 2022;
Senate companion (S. 4866) introduced September 12, 2022;
Senate Committee passed September 28, 2022; President signed a
modified version into law on December 23, 2022, as part of H.R.
7776, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2023 (PL 117-263)
H.R. 7535, Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness
Act. Introduced on April 18, 2022, by Rep. Ro Khanna. This
legislation requires OMB to begin to prioritize the migration
to post-quantum cryptography of agency information technology
(IT) systems. Post-quantum cryptography is a method of ensuring
that government computers and IT remain secure against more
sophisticated hacking methods that use ``post-quantum''
computers. OMB is required to conduct an assessment and
designate and prioritize IT systems for migration using a risk-
based approach. OMB must also submit an annual report to
Congress on progress toward transitioning federal agencies to
post-quantum cryptography standards.
History: Introduced on April 18, 2022; Committee passed May 11, 2022;
House passed July 12, 2022; Senate Companion (S. 4592)
introduced July 21, 2022; Senate Committee passed August 3,
2022; Senate passed with an amendment December 8, 2022; House
passed amended version December 12, 2022; President signed into
law on December 21, 2022 (PL 117-260)
H.R. 8956, the FedRAMP Authorization Act. Introduced on
September 22, 2022, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This
legislation provides statutory authority for FedRAMP within
GSA. GSA is required to establish a government-wide program
that provides a standardized approach to security assessment
and authorization for cloud computing products and services.
Agencies are required to ensure that their cloud computing
services meet GSA requirements. The bill establishes a FedRAMP
Board to conduct security assessments of cloud computing
services and issue provisional authorizations to operate to
cloud service providers that meet FedRAMP security guidelines.
The bill also establishes a Federal Secure Cloud Advisory
Committee.
History: Introduced September 22, 2022; House passed September 29,
2022; President signed into law on December 23, 2022, as part
of H.R. 7776, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2023 (PL 117-263).
S. 1097, Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act.
House companion (H.R. 3599) introduced on May 28, 2021, by Rep.
Ro Khanna. The legislation establishes a personnel rotation
program for cybersecurity professionals at federal agencies.
OPM is required to issue an operational plan providing
policies, processes, and procedures for the program, and GAO
must report on agency and employee participation in the
program.
History: S. 1097 introduced April 13, 2021; S. 1097 passed Senate
Committee May 12, 2021; House companion (H.R. 3599) introduced
May 28, 2021; House passed H.R. 3599 September 29, 2021; Senate
passed S. 1097 December 14, 2021; House passed S. 1097 May 10,
2022; President signed into law on June 21, 2022 (PL 117-149).
S. 1143, No TikTok on Government Devices Act. Introduced on
April 15, 2021, by Senator Josh Hawley. This bill requires the
social media video application TikTok to be removed from the
information technology of federal agencies. Specifically, the
bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to develop
standards for executive agencies that require TikTok and any
successor application from the developer to be removed from
agency information technology (e.g., devices). Such standards
must include exceptions for law enforcement activities,
national security interests, and security researchers.
History: Introduced April 15, 2021; Senate Committee passed May 12,
2021; Senate passed December 14, 2021; President signed into
law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 on
December 29, 2022.
S. 1941, Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization
(MAPS) Act. Introduced on May 21, 2021, by Senator Gary Peters.
This legislation directs OMB to provide information about
changes to the standards for designating a core-based
statistical area (CBSA). The standards are used to delineate
metropolitan and micropolitan areas for statistical purposes.
Any change to the standards of CBSA delineations (1) shall not
apply automatically for any nonstatistical use by any domestic
assistance program, and (2) shall apply for such uses only if a
relevant agency determines that the change supports the
purposes of the program and is in the public interest and the
change is adopted through rulemaking procedures.
History: Introduced May 21, 2021; Senate Committee passed November 3,
2021; Senate passed May 26, 2022; House passed November 14,
2022; President signed into law on December 5, 2022 (PL 117-
219).
S. 2201, Supply Chain Security Training Act. House
companion (H.R. 5962) introduced on November 12, 2021, by Rep.
Joe Neguse. The legislation requires the Federal Acquisition
Institute to develop a training program for officials with
supply chain risk management responsibilities at federal
agencies. OMB must promulgate guidance to federal agencies that
requires executive agency adoption and use of the program. OMB
must make the guidance available to federal agencies of the
legislative and judicial branches.
History: S. 2201 introduced June 23, 2021; Senate Committee passed July
14, 2021; House companion introduced on November 12, 2021;
Senate passed January 11, 2022; House Committee passed February
2, 2022; House passed May 10, 2022; President signed into law
on June 16, 2022 (PL 117-145).
S. 2551, AI Training Act. House companion (H.R. 7683)
introduced by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney on May 6, 2022.
This legislation requires OMB to establish or otherwise provide
an artificial intelligence (AI) training program for the
acquisition workforce of executive agencies, with exceptions.
OMB must update the program at least every two years and ensure
there is a way to understand and measure the participation of
the workforce and to receive and consider feedback from program
participants.
History: S. 2551 introduced July 29, 2021; Senate Committee passed
August 4, 2021; Senate passed Senate December 18, 2021; H.R.
7683 introduced on May 6, 2022; House Committee passed May 11,
2022; House passed September 29, 2021; President signed into
law on October 17, 2022.
S. 3470, the End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts
Act. Introduced on January 11, 2022, by Senator James Lankford.
The legislation requires, upon receipt of an office of
inspector general report substantiating an allegation that the
recipient of a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement (or
any subgrantee, subcontractor, or agent of the recipient) is
engaged in human trafficking, that the agency refer the matter
to the agency suspension and debarment office. OMB must report
to Congress on implementation of provisions to end human
trafficking in government contracting.
History: Introduced January 11, 2022; Senate Committee passed February
2, 2022; Senate passed July 14, 2022; House passed September
29, 2022; President signed into law on October 17, 2022 (PL
117-21).
S. 3510, Disaster Resiliency Planning Act. House companion
(H.R. 7863) introduced on May 24, 2022, by Rep. Troy Carter.
This legislation requires OMB to establish guidance that
requires federal agencies to incorporate natural disaster
resilience into real property asset management and investment
decisions.
History: Introduced January 13, 2022; Senate Committee passed February
2, 2022; Senate passed June 22, 2022; House passed November 14,
2022; President signed into law on December 5, 2022 (PL 117-
221).
S. 3655, Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support.
House companion (H.R. 6818) introduced on February 2, 2022, by
Rep. Bobby Rush. This legislation extends the Civil Rights Cold
Case Records Review Board until 2026 (or 2027 if the board opts
for an additional one-year extension). The board reviews the
decisions of federal agencies to postpone the disclosure of
civil rights cold case records (i.e., unsolved civil rights
cases from 1940-1979).
History: Introduced by Senator Jon Ossoff on February 16, 2022; Senate
Committee passed March 30, 2022; Senate passed September 29,
2022; House passed November 14, 2022; President signed into law
on December 5, 2022 (PL 117-222).
S. 3905, Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in
Federal Acquisition Act. House companion (H.R. 7602) introduced
on April 27, 2022, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This
legislation updates and strengthens the rules governing the
organizational conflicts of interest (OCIs) of government
contractors. It also requires regulatory updates to the
definitions, rules, and contract clauses governing OCIs that
apply to the procurements of almost all executive agencies
through the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
History: S. 3905 introduced March 23, 2022; House companion (H.R. 7602)
introduced April 27, 2022; House Committee passed H.R. 7602
July 20, 2022; Senate Committee passed S. 3905 August 1, 2022;
Senate passed S. 3905 August 1, 2022; House passed S. 3905
December 14, 2022; President signed into law on December 27,
2022 (PL 117-324).
S. 4057, Strategic EV Management Act. House companion (H.R.
8969) introduced on September 22, 2022, by Chairwoman Carolyn
B. Maloney. This legislation requires GSA to coordinate with
the heads of federal agencies to develop a comprehensive,
strategic plan for federal electric vehicle fleet battery
management and to report to and brief Congress regarding the
plan and its implementation across agencies.
History: S. 4057 introduced April 7, 2022; Senate Committee passed May
25, 2022; Senate passed September 14, 2022; House companion
(H.R. 8969) introduced September 22, 2022; President signed
into law on December 23, 2022, as part of H.R. 7776, the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (PL
117-263).
C. Bills Passed by the House
H.R. 21, FedRAMP Authorization Act. Introduced on January
4, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This legislation would
provide statutory authority for the Federal Risk and
Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) within GSA. GSA
would be required to establish a government-wide program that
provides the authoritative standardized approach to security
assessment and authorization for cloud computing products and
services used by agencies to process unclassified information.
Agencies would be required to ensure that their cloud computing
services meet GSA requirements. The bill would also establish
the Joint Authorization Board to conduct security assessments
of cloud computing services and issue provisional
authorizations to operate to cloud service providers that meet
FedRAMP security guidelines. The GSA would be required to (1)
publish a report that includes an assessment of the cost
incurred by agencies and cloud service providers related to the
issuance of FedRAMP authorizations and provisional
authorizations, (2) determine the requirements for
certification of independent assessment organizations, and (3)
establish the Federal Secure Cloud Advisory Committee.
History: Introduced on January 4, 2021; House passed January 5, 2021
H.R. 23, Inspector General Protection Act. Introduced on
January 4, 2021, by Rep. Ted Lieu. The legislation would
require the President to notify Congress each time the
President places an inspector general on nonduty status. If the
President fails to make a formal nomination for a vacant
inspector general position within 210 days after the vacancy
occurs, the President would be required to communicate to
Congress within 30 days after the end of such period (1) the
reasons why the President has not yet made a formal nomination,
and (2) a target date for making a formal nomination.
History: Introduced January 4, 2021; House passed January 5, 2021
H.R. 27, Settlement Agreement Information Database Act.
Introduced on January 4, 2021, by Rep. Gary Palmer. This
legislation would require executive agencies to submit
information regarding settlement agreements to a public
database. Specifically, an agency would be required to submit
information regarding any settlement agreement (including a
consent decree) entered into by the agency related to an
alleged violation of federal law. If an agency determines that
information regarding an agreement must remain confidential to
protect the public interest, the agency would be required to
publish an explanation of why the information is confidential.
History: Introduced January 4, 2021; House passed January 5, 2021
H.R. 51, Washington, D.C. Admission Act. Introduced on
January 4, 2021, by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. This
legislation would provide for admission into the Union of the
state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, which is composed
of most of the territory of the District of Columbia. Congress
would retain plenary authority over a small area around the
White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The
state would be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with
the other states.
History: Introduced January 4, 2021; Committee passed April 14, 2021;
House passed April 22, 2021
H.R. 302, Preventing a Patronage System Act (PPSA).
Introduced on January 13, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. The
legislation would limit federal employee reclassifications to
the five excepted service schedules in use prior to Fiscal Year
2021.
History: Introduced January 13, 2021; Committee passed May 25, 2021;
House passed September 15, 2022
H.R. 1508, Guidance Clarity Act of 2021. Introduced on
March 2, 2021, by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer. This legislation
would require federal agencies to state on the first page of
guidance documents that such guidance (1) does not have the
force and effect of law, and (2) is intended only to provide
clarity to the public about existing legal requirements or
agency policies. OMB would be required to issue guidance to
implement this requirement.
History: Introduced March 2, 2021; Senate companion (S. 533) introduced
March 2, 2021; Senate Committee passed July 14, 2021; House
Committee passed July 20, 2021; Senate passed September 14,
2021; House passed October 20, 2021
H.R. 2988, Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act.
Introduced on May 4, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
This legislation would expand whistleblower protections and
clarify that no federal official may interfere with a federal
employee's ability to share information with Congress. The bill
would also limit disclosure of a whistleblower's identity,
prohibit retaliatory investigations, and provide access to jury
trials for whistleblowers.
History: Introduced on May 4, 2021; Committee passed June 29, 2021;
House passed September 15, 2022
H.R. 4176, LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act. Introduced on June
25, 2021, by Rep. Raul Grijalva. This legislation would require
federal agencies that collect demographic data through a survey
for statistical purposes to review existing data sets to
determine which data sets do not include information about
sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex
characteristics. Such agencies would be required to assess
needed changes in survey methods related to asking questions on
such matters. Agencies that publish reports relying on survey
demographic data would be required to include information on
sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex
characteristics. Agencies could waive this publication
requirement on a case-by-case basis if the confidentiality of
the information could not be maintained or if adding such
information to the survey would impair the agency's ability to
preserve the utility, accuracy, or objectivity of the survey
while also generating relevant evidence about the LGBTQI+
community.
History: Introduced June 25, 2021; Committee passed June 14, 2022;
House passed June 23, 2022
H.R. 5314, Protecting Our Democracy Act. Introduced on
September 9, 2021, by Rep. Adam Schiff, Chairwoman Carolyn B.
Maloney, and others. This legislation would address issues
involving (1) abuses of presidential power; (2) checks and
balances, accountability, and transparency; and (3) election
integrity and security.
History: Introduced on September 9, 2021; House passed on December 9,
2021
H.R. 6419, Fair Chance Improvement Act. Introduced on
January 18, 2022, by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This
legislation would make a technical change to the Fair Chance
Act (Pub. L. No. 116-92). The Fair Chance Act prohibits, with
certain exceptions, federal agencies and federal contractors
from asking job candidates about criminal history before making
a conditional offer to them. The Fair Chance Improvement Act
would transfer authority to enforce this prohibition for
federal contractors from GSA and DOD to the Department of
Labor.
History: Introduced on January 18, 2022; Committee passed February 2,
2022; House passed as part of H.R. 7900, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 on July 14, 2022
H.R. 6531, Targeting Resources to Communities in Need Act.
Introduced on February 1, 2022, by Rep. James E. Clyburn. This
legislation would address funding for areas of persistent
poverty. The bill would require the Bureau of the Census to
publish a list of all areas of persistent poverty and annually
update the list and require OMB to (1) implement guidance to
increase the share of federal investments targeted to areas of
persistent poverty and (2) report annually to Congress. The
bill would also require GAO to report on the measures
implemented by OMB under this bill, including by assessing
whether those measures have increased federal investments in
the affected areas.
History: Introduced February 1, 2022; Committee passed April 6, 2022;
House passed May 18, 2022
H.R. 6967, the Chance to Compete Act. Introduced on March
8, 2022, by Rep. Jody Hice. This legislation would modernize
the evaluations that federal agencies use to assess job
candidates. The bill would require that agency subject matter
experts design assessments that test knowledge specific to the
position for which the agency is hiring. The legislation would
require OPM to (1) create an online tool to help agencies share
and modify these assessments and (2) submit annual reports on
the use of the assessments.
History: Introduced March 8, 2022; Committee passed April 6, 2022;
House passed September 29, 2022
H.R. 8326, Ensuring a Fair and Accurate Census Act.
Introduced on July 11, 2022, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
This legislation would vest consequential decision-making
authority concerning decennial censuses solely with the
Director of the Census Bureau. The bill would require the
appointment of a Deputy Director of the Bureau with career
experience and technical expertise, limit the number of
political appointees at the Census Bureau, and provide
transparency into the budgetary and operational planning of the
Census Bureau by requiring five-year estimated budget needs
with every budget request submitted to the President. The
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) would be required to submit
the budget of the Census Bureau to the appropriate
congressional committees when it is transmitted to the
President. The Secretary would be required to certify that any
new questions on decennial censuses have been researched,
studied, and tested according to established statistical
policies and procedures, and GAO would be required to report to
Congress on compliance with such procedures. Finally, H.R. 8326
would codify the Census Bureau's advisory committees--including
those on statistical and scientific standards.
History: Introduced July 11, 2022; Committee passed July 20, 2022;
House passed September 15, 2022
H.R. 8466, Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces
Act. Introduced on July 21, 2022, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly.
This legislation would require each agency to establish a plan
containing procedures and policies to protect the safety of
federal employees, contractors, and subcontractors present at
any covered worksite during a nationwide public health
emergency declared for an infectious disease, and to ensure
continuity of operations. Specifically, each plan would detail
public health protocols the agency will follow during such a
declaration, including testing, identification and notification
of individuals who may have been exposed; cleaning; occupancy
limits; use of personal protective equipment (PPE); and
protections for employees whose work requires them to travel
off-site. The legislation would also require each agency to
publish its plan on its website and communicate its plan to
employees, contractors, and subcontractors. The OMB would also
be required to provide public links to each agency's plan on a
single web page. The OIG for each agency would be required to
report to Congress on plan implementation, and GAO would issue
a report on the lessons learned during the coronavirus pandemic
on improving health and safety at federal agencies during
nationwide public health emergencies.
History: Introduced July 21, 2022; Committee passed September 20, 2022;
House passed September 29, 2022
H.R. 8665, National Archives and Records Administration
Modernization Act. Introduced on August 5, 2022, by Rep. Ro
Khanna. This legislation would amend the U.S. Code to remove
pronouns in references to the Archivist of the United States
and others.
History: Introduced on August 5, 2022; Committee passed September 20,
2022; House passed December 14, 2022
D. Legislation Considered by the Committee
H.R. 564, Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees
Act. Introduced on January 28, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B.
Maloney. This legislation would provide federal employees up to
12 weeks of paid leave during a 12-month period if the employee
is dealing with a serious health condition; caring for a
spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition; or
for reasons associated with a military deployment of a spouse,
child, or parent.
History: Introduced January 28, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021
H.R. 978, Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act of 2021.
Introduced on February 11, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly.
This legislation would require each agency to prepare and
communicate a COVID-19 safety plan for workers returning to
regular worksites.
History: Introduced February 11, 2021; Committee passed May 13, 2021.
H.R. 1204, District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer
Salary Home Rule Act. Introduced on February 22, 2021, by
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. This legislation would
revise the pay of the CFO of D.C. to establish it at the
greater of either the current rate or a rate to be established
in law by D.C.
History: Introduced February 22, 2021; Committee passed June 29, 2021;
on a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, failed by
the yeas and nays (\2/3\ required)
H.R. 1224, Merit Systems Protection Board Empowerment Act
of 2021. Introduced on February 23, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E.
Connolly. This legislation would reauthorize the Merit Systems
Protection Board (MSPB) through 2026 and allow MSPB to conduct
employee surveys to help ensure that agencies are following
merit system principles for the competitive service and
identify where improvements may be necessary. The bill would
also enable MSPB to collect information on applicants for
federal employment, when not prohibited by existing law, and
require that MSPB members, administrative judges, and other
applicable employees complete whistleblower training.
History: Introduced on February 23, 2021; Committee passed June 29,
2021
H.R. 1297, Air America Act of 2021. Introduced on February
4, 2021, by Rep. Glenn Grothman. This legislation would grant
federal-employee status to Air America, Inc. employees who flew
missions as part of Central Intelligence Agency operations in
military conflicts between 1950 and 1976 and make them or their
heirs eligible for federal retirement benefits.
History: Introduced February 4, 2021; Committee passed May 25, 2021
H.R. 1307, Vote by Mail Tracking Act. Introduced on
December 24, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This bill
would help the Postal Service more efficiently and effectively
manage mail-in ballots in federal elections by requiring all
mail-in ballots to include a Postal Service trackable barcode
and other stylistic requirements to make ballots easier to sort
and track.
History: Introduced December 24, 2021; Committee passed November 17,
2022
H.R. 1756, Measuring Real Income Growth Act. Introduced on
March 10, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This
legislation would require the Bureau of Economic Analysis of
the Department of Commerce (Commerce) to include in each of its
gross domestic product analyses a recent estimate of the total
amount added to the U.S. economy during the period covered by
the recent estimate. The estimate would also disaggregate this
amount by each of the 10 deciles of income and the highest 1%
of income.
History: Introduced March 10, 2021; Committee passed April 6, 2022
H.R. 1930, Federal Advisory Committee Transparency Act.
Introduced on May 13, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
This legislation would require agencies to inform advisory
committee members of any applicable ethics requirements, ensure
the disclosure of detailed minutes from advisory committee
meetings, and clarify that the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
as amended, applies to subcommittees and to committees set up
by a contractor.
History: Introduced on May 13, 2021; Committee passed May 13, 2021
H.R. 2994, Accountability for Acting Officials Act.
Introduced on May 4, 2021, by Rep. Katie Porter. This
legislation would strengthen requirements for the ``first
assistant'' in an office or agency serving as an acting
official, limit acting agency heads to serving a maximum of 120
days from the date of the vacancy, require acting officials to
testify before Congress at least once every 60 days, and close
other loopholes that allow the president to appoint acting
officials without experience in the agencies they lead.
History: Introduced on May 4, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021;
House passed as part of H.R. 5314, Protecting Our Democracy
Act, on December 9, 2021
H.R. 3077, Postal Service Improvement Act. Introduced on
May 11, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This
legislation would require mail-in ballots for federal elections
to meet certain design and tracking requirements, would provide
parental leave to Postal Service employees, would expand access
to the Merit Systems Protection Board, would allow Postal
Service supervisors and managers to negotiate pay and benefits,
would set service standards for First-Class Mail to be those in
place on January 1, 2021, and would require the Postmaster
General to disclose financial information prior to taking
office, among other things.
History: Introduced May 11, 2021; Committee passed May 13, 2021
H.R. 3327, No Corruption Obligated Recurring Revenue Used
as Pensions to Incarcerated Officials Now (No CORRUPTION) Act.
Introduced on May 19, 2021, by Rep. Ralph Norman. This
legislation would prohibit former Members of Congress who have
been convicted of a crime from receiving pension payments
during the period between conviction and sentencing.
History: Introduced May 19, 2021; Committee passed May 25, 2021
H.R. 3367, Gold Star Children Act. Introduced on May 20,
2021, by Rep. Van Taylor. This legislation would extend
veterans' preference in federal hiring to the children of
certain veterans who died during a war or campaign or who are
totally disabled as a result of their service.
History: Introduced May 20, 2021; Committee passed May 25, 2021
H.R. 3787, District of Columbia Local Juror Non-
Discrimination Act. Introduced on June 8, 2021, by
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. This legislation would
prohibit the exclusion of individuals from service on D.C.
juries on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
History: Introduced June 8, 2021; Committee passed June 21, 2021
H.R. 4125, Keep the Watchdogs Running Act. Introduced on
June 24, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This legislation
would authorize a federal OIG to continue performing its duties
during a lapse in appropriations (i.e., a government shutdown).
During a lapse in appropriations, the OIG would be permitted to
(1) obligate funds at the rate of operations and under the
terms and conditions provided in the most recently enacted
appropriations act, and (2)perform its duties with respect to
any program that continues during the lapse in appropriations.
History: Introduced June 24, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021.
H.R. 4258, Improving Digital Identity Act. Introduced on
June 30, 2021, by Rep. Bill Foster. This legislation would
create the Improving Digital Identity Task Force to establish a
government-wide effort to develop secure methods for
governmental agencies to validate identity attributes to
protect the privacy and security of individuals and support
reliable, interoperable digital identity verification in the
public and private sectors. The bill would require DHS to award
grants to states to upgrade systems that provide drivers'
licenses or other types of identity credentials to support the
development of highly secure, interoperable state systems that
enable digital identity verification.
History: Introduced June 30, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2022;
Senate companion (S.4528) introduced June 13, 2022; Senate
Committee passed September 28, 2022
H.R. 4393, To require the Director of the Court Services
and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia
and the Director of the District of Columbia Pretrial Services
Agency to reside in the District of Columbia. Introduced on
July 9, 2021, by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. This
legislation would require the Director of the Court Services
and Offender Supervision Agency for D.C. and the Director of
the Pretrial Services Agency for D.C. to reside in D.C.
History: Introduced July 9, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021.
H.R. 4448, Administrative Law Judges Competitive Services
Restoration Act. Introduced on July 16, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E.
Connolly. This legislation would make administrative law judge
(ALJ) positions part of the competitive service and otherwise
modify the process for the appointment of ALJs, including by
establishing certain minimum qualifications and conditions of
employment.
History: Introduced July 16, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021
H.R. 4465, Federally Funded Research and Technology
Development Protection Act. Introduced on July 16, 2021, by
Rep. Stephen Lynch. This legislation would address issues of
transparency and accountability in federal grant-making to
safeguard federally funded research and technology development.
OMB would be required to mandate that any agency that makes a
federal grant must maintain compliance operations to guard
against malign foreign talent recruitment programs. OMB would
also be required to prescribe standardized disclosure and
accountability measures to support such operations.
History: Introduced July 16, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021
H.R. 4469, AI in Counterterrorism Oversight Enhancement
Act. Introduced on July 16, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B.
Maloney. This legislation would expand the responsibilities of
the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to include
oversight of the use of AI in counterterrorism and addresses
related issues.
History: Introduced July 16, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021;
House passed as part of H.R. 7900, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, on July 14, 2022
H.R. 4470, Made in America Pandemic Preparedness Act.
Introduced on July 16, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
This legislation would establish a pandemic preparation tax
credit and require HHS to maintain a specified amount of PPE in
the Strategic National Stockpile. The bill would require that
the PPE in the stockpile be produced domestically, with some
exceptions. OMB would be required to work with HHS to report on
the inventory in the Strategic National Stockpile and in
stockpiles of other federal agencies, and the quantities of PPE
that would be required for an array of possible emergencies,
including a pandemic or other public health emergency that
could last at least a year.
History: Introduced on July 16, 2021; Committee passed July 20, 2021
H.R. 4688, Federal Agency Customer Experience (FACE) Act.
Introduced on July 26, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This
legislation would require certain agencies to collect voluntary
customer experience feedback on their services and
transactions. Each agency would publish the feedback on its
website, report the feedback to OMB, and report on the
solicitation of the feedback. GAO would publish a report
assessing the data collected and reported by the agencies.
History: Senate companion (S. 671) introduced on March 10, 2021; Senate
Committee passed March 17, 2021; H.R. 4688 introduced on July
26, 2021; House Committee passed December 2, 2021; Senate
passed June 22, 2022
H.R. 4778, District of Columbia Courts Vacancy Reduction
Act. Introduced on July 28, 2021, by Congresswoman Eleanor
Holmes Norton. This legislation would allow D.C. judicial
nominees to be appointed after a 30-day congressional review
period without the advice and consent of the Senate, unless a
joint resolution of disapproval is enacted into law during that
period.
History: Introduced on July 28, 2021; Committee passed December 2, 2021
H.R. 5477, Federal Agency Climate PREP Act. Introduced on
October 5, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This
legislation would require each agency to submit to OMB an
agency climate action plan within one year of enactment; would
establish an interagency council called the Council on Federal
Agency Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness;
and would codify the Office of Domestic Climate Policy within
the EOP.
History: Introduced October 5, 2021; Committee passed December 2, 2021
H.R. 5792, State and Local Digital Service Act. Introduced
on November 1, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This
legislation would direct GSA to establish a Digital Service
Agreement Program, under which GSA would award grants to, or
enter into cooperative agreements or memoranda of understanding
with, eligible applicants for the purpose of planning,
establishing, or supporting a digital service team or
supporting digital services collaboration to improve the
delivery of government assistance through digital services.
History: Introduced November 1, 2021; Committee passed December 2, 2021
H.R. 5815, Honest Census Communications Act. Introduced on
November 2, 2021, by Rep. Anna Eshoo. The bill would prohibit
communicating census-related information, or producing census-
related information for communication, knowing the information
to be materially false and with the intent to impede or prevent
another person from participating in any census.
History: November 2, 2021; Committee passed June 15, 2021
H.R. 6066, Strengthening the Office of Personnel Management
Act. Introduced on November 23, 2021, by Rep. Gerald E.
Connolly. This legislation would provide statutory authority
for the mission of OPM, establish the Chief Management Officer
and the OPM Advisory Committee on Human Capital Management, and
specify additional requirements for the appointment of the OPM
Director and the removal of the OPM Director or Deputy
Director.
History: Introduced November 23, 2021; Committee passed December 2,
2021
H.R. 6104, Building the Next Generation of Federal
Employees Act. Introduced on December 1, 2021, by Rep. Gerald
E. Connolly. This legislation would establish a Federal
Internship and Fellowship Center within OPM that would manage a
publicly accessible website with information about executive
branch internship opportunities and provide support for federal
agency managers to improve intern and fellow recruitment,
engagement, and hiring.
History: Introduced December 1, 2021; Committee passed May 11, 2022
H.R. 6361, District of Columbia National Guard Commanding
General Residency Act. Introduced on January 6, 2022, by
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. This legislation would
require the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard to
reside in D.C.
History: Introduced on January 6, 2022; Committee passed February 2,
2022
H.R. 6497, Federal Information Security Modernization Act.
Introduced on January 25, 2022, by Chairwoman Carolyn B.
Maloney. This legislation would address federal information
security management, notification and remediation of
cybersecurity incidents, and the roles of OMB and CISA.
Agencies would be required to evaluate whether additional
cybersecurity procedures are appropriate at least once every
three years. Each agency would provide information relating to
every major cybersecurity incident to CISA, OMB, the Office of
the National Cyber Director, the agency's OIG, GAO, and
Congress.
History: Introduced on January 25, 2021; Committee passed February 2,
2022
H.R. 6548, Justice in Power Plant Permitting Act.
Introduced on February 1, 2022, by Chairwoman Carolyn B.
Maloney. This legislation would prevent the permitting of
fossil fuel-fired power plants and other sources of air
pollution when the cumulative effects of that pollution would
cause harm to the health and well-being of local communities.
History: Introduced February 1, 2022; Committee passed July 20, 2022
H.R. 7185, Federal Contracting for Peace and Security Act.
Introduced on March 21, 2022, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
This legislation would require executive agencies to terminate
their contracts with companies conducting business operations
in Russia. The requirement would end when Russia takes steps to
restore the safety, sovereignty, and condition of Ukraine. The
bill would not apply to the procurement of products or services
for the benefit of Ukraine or for humanitarian purposes to meet
basic human needs, and in other limited circumstances.
History: Introduced on March 21, 2022; Committee passed April 6, 2022;
House passed as part of H.R. 7900, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, on July 14, 2022
H.R. 7376, Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of
Duty. Introduced on April 4, 2022, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly.
This legislation would set a required standard death gratuity
payment at $100,000 plus $8,800 for funeral expenses, with
adjustments for inflation, for civil service employees who are
killed in the line of duty or die as a result of an injury
sustained at work.
History: Introduced April 4, 2022; Committee passed April 6, 2022
H.R. 7674, Ensuring Oversight Access at the Postal Service
Act. Introduced on May 6, 2022, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly.
This legislation would ensure that Members of Congress have
access to Postal Service facilities to perform congressional
oversight, including on or around the date of an election for
federal office.
History: Introduced on May 6, 2022; Committee passed May 11, 2022
H.R. 7682, Ensuring an Accurate Postal Fleet
Electrification Act. Introduced on May 6, 2022, by Chairwoman
Carolyn B. Maloney. This legislation would require the Postal
Service to conduct a new environmental impact statement with
respect to the procurement of its next generation delivery
vehicle.
History: Introduced on May 6, 2022; Committee passed May 11, 2022
H.R. 7686, District of Columbia Code Returning Citizens
Coordination Act. Introduced on May 6, 2022, by Congresswoman
Eleanor Holmes Norton. This legislation would require the
Bureau of Prisons to provide information every 90 days to the
Mayor of D.C. on every D.C. resident sentenced under the D.C.
Code housed at a Bureau of Prisons facility. Upon request of
the Mayor, BOP would be required to provide the Mayor the same
information BOP provides to the Court Services and Offender
Supervision Agency for D.C. on such individuals.
History: Introduced on May 6, 2022; Committee passed May 11, 2022
H.R. 7941, District of Columbia Electronic Transmittal of
Legislation Act. Introduced on June 3, 2022, by Congresswoman
Eleanor Holmes Norton. This legislation would allow D.C. to
transmit legislation to Congress for the review period to
Congress electronically.
History: Introduced on June 3, 2022; Committee passed June 15, 2022
H.R. 7951, Telework Metrics and Cost Savings Act.
Introduced on June 7, 2022, by Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This
legislation would update current telework law for the federal
workforce to improve work-life flexibility for employees and
create reporting requirements that measure the cost savings to
the federal government associated with telework.
History: Introduced on June 7, 2022; Committee passed June 15, 2022
H.R. 8322, STOP Fraud Act. Introduced on July 11, 2021, by
Rep. Gerald E. Connolly. This legislation would address issues
of fraud and improper payments, including by establishing the
Federal Real Antifraud Unified Directorate within OMB. The bill
would require agencies to designate any program exceeding
certain payments thresholds as a program susceptible to
significant improper payments and to implement proactive
analytics for a high-risk area of each designated program. OMB
would be required to designate any program with outlays in the
prior fiscal year of $50 billion or more as a high-priority
program. An agency administering a high-priority program would
be required to develop a plan to implement anti-fraud controls
that would include digital identity-proofing solutions, threat
intelligence, and proactive analytics. The bill would require
that such plans take into consideration the administrative
burden of implementing such anti-fraud controls.
History: Introduced July 11, 2022; Committee passed July 20, 2022
H.R. 8325, Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest in
Federal Acquisition Act. Introduced on July 11, 2022, by
Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. This legislation would expand
the current rules governing personal conflicts of interest
(PCIs), which are conflicts that are unique to the individual
employees of a covered government contractor. Specifically, the
bill would extend coverage to employees of contractors that
support the regulatory, policymaking, and adjudicative
functions of an executive agency, as well as other key
functions with increased risks of conflicts. It would also
prohibit contractors from advising an executive agency on
sensitive matters while concurrently working with entities
regulated by the agency, require these contractors to disclose
their recent work for clients regulated by the agency, and set
civil penalties for certain violations of these rules.
History: Introduced on July 11, 2022; Committee passed July 20, 2022
H.R. 8861, District of Columbia Home Rule Expansion Act.
Introduced on September 15, 2022, by Congresswoman Eleanor
Holmes Norton. This legislation would eliminate the
congressional review period for D.C. legislation and give D.C.
the sole power to prosecute and grant clemency for all crimes
under D.C. law.
History: Introduced on September 15, 2022; Committee passed September
20, 2022
E. Postal Naming Measures Enacted Into Law
H.R. 91, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 810 South Pendleton Street in Easley,
South Carolina, as the ``Private First Class Barrett Lyle
Austin Post Office Building.'' Introduced on January 4, 2021,
by Rep. Jeff Duncan.
H.R. 92, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 110 Johnson Street in Pickens, South
Carolina, as the ``Specialist Four Charles Johnson Post
Office.'' Introduced on January 4, 2021, by Rep. Jeff Duncan.
H.R. 203, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 4020 Broadway Street in Houston,
Texas, as the ``Benny C. Martinez Post Office Building.''
Introduced on January 5, 2021, by Rep Sylvia Garcia.
H.R. 208, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 500 West Main Street, Suite 102, in
Tupelo, Mississippi, as the ``Colonel Carlyle Smitty Harris
Post Office.'' Introduced on January 5, 2021, by Rep. Trent
Kelly.
H.R. 264, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1101 Charlotte Street in Georgetown,
South Carolina, as the ``Joseph Hayne Rainey Memorial Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on January 11, 2021, by Rep. Tom
Rice.
H.R. 735, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 502 East Cotati Avenue in Cotati,
California, as the ``Arturo L. Ibleto Post Office Building.''
Introduced on February 2, 2021, by Rep. Mike Thompson.
H.R. 767, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 40 Fulton Street in Middletown, New
York, as the ``Benjamin A. Gilman Post Office Building.''
Introduced on February 3, 2021, by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.
H.R. 772, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 229 Minnetonka Avenue South in
Wayzata, Minnesota, as the ``Jim Ramstad Post Office.''
Introduced on February 3, 2021, by Rep. Dean Phillips.
H.R. 960, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 3493 Burnet Avenue in Cincinnati,
Ohio, as the ``John H. Leahr and Herbert M. Heilbrun Post
Office.'' Introduced on February 8, 2021, by Rep. Brad
Wenstrup.
H.R. 1095, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 101 South Willowbrook Avenue in
Compton, California, as the ``PFC James Anderson, Jr., Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on February 18, 2021, by Rep.
Nanette Barragan.
H.R. 1170, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1 League in Irvine, California, as
the ``Tuskegee Airman Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Friend
Memorial Post Office Building.'' Introduced on February 18,
2021, by Rep. Katie Porter.
H.R. 1298, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1233 North Cedar Street in Owasso,
Oklahoma, as the ``Technical Sergeant Marshal Roberts Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on February 24, 2021, by Rep.
Kevin Hern.
H.R. 1444, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 132 North Loudoun Street, Suite 1, in
Winchester, Virginia, as the ``Patsy Cline Post Office.''
Introduced on February 26, 2021, by Rep. Jennifer Wexton.
H.R. 2044, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 17 East Main Street in Herington,
Kansas, as the ``Captain Emil J. Kapaun Post Office Building.''
Introduced on March 18, 2021, by Rep. Tracey Mann.
H.R. 2142, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located 170 Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo, New
York, as the ``Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building.''
Introduced on March 23, 2021, by Rep. Brian Higgins.
H.R. 2324, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2800 South Adams Street in
Tallahassee, Florida, as the ``D. Edwina Stephens Post
Office.'' Introduced on April 1, 2021, by Rep. Al Lawson, Jr.
H.R. 2472, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 82422 Cadiz Jewett Road in Cadiz,
Ohio, as the ``John Armor Bingham Post Office.'' Introduced on
April 13, 2021, by Rep. Bill Johnson.
H.R. 2473, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 275 Penn Avenue in Salem, Ohio, as
the ``Howard Arthur Tibbs Post Office.'' Introduced on April
13, 2021, by Rep. Bill Johnson.
H.R. 3210, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1905 15th Street in Boulder,
Colorado, as the ``Officer Eric H. Talley Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on May 13, 2021, by Rep. Joe Neguse.
H.R. 3419, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 66 Meserole Avenue in Brooklyn, New
York, as the ``Joseph R. Lentol Post Office.'' Introduced on
May 20, 2021, by Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney.
H.R. 3508, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 39 West Main Street in Honeoye Falls,
New York, as the ``CW4 Christian J. Koch Memorial Post
Office.'' Introduced on May 25, 2021, by Rep. Chris Jacobs.
H.R. 3539, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 223 West Chalan Santo Papa in
Hagatna, Guam, as the ``Atanasio Taitano Perez Post Office.''
Introduced by on May 25, 2021, Rep. Michael San Nicholas.
H.R. 3579, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 200 East Main Street in Maroa,
Illinois, as the ``Jeremy L. Ridlen Post Office.'' Introduced
on May 28, 2021, by Rep. Rodney Davis.
H.R. 3613, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 202 Trumbull Street in Saint Clair,
Michigan, as the ``Corporal Jeffrey Robert Standfest Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on May 28, 2021, by Rep. Lisa
McClain.
H.R. 4168, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 6223 Maple Street, in Omaha,
Nebraska, as the ``Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson
French Post Office.'' Introduced on June 25, 2021, by Rep. Don
Bacon.
H.R. 4622, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 226 North Main Street in Roseville,
Ohio, as the ``Ronald E. Rosser Post Office.'' Introduced on
July 22, 2021, by Rep. Troy Balderson.
H.R. 4899, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 10 Broadway Street West, in Akeley,
Minnesota, as the ``Neal Kenneth Todd Post Office.'' Introduced
on July 30, 2021, by Rep. Pete Stauber.
H.R. 5271, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2245 Rosa L Parks Boulevard in
Nashville, Tennessee, as the ``Thelma Harper Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on September 17, 2021, by Rep. Jim
Cooper.
H.R. 5349, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1550 State Road S 38 211 in
Orangeburg, South Carolina, as the ``J.I. Washington Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on September 23, 2021, by Rep.
James Clyburn.
H.R. 5577, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta,
Georgia, as the ``John R. Lewis Post Office Building.''
Introduced on October 12, 2021, by Rep. Nikema Williams.
H.R. 5659, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1961 North C Street in Oxnard,
California, as the ``John R. Hatcher III Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on October 21, 2021, by Rep. Julia
Brownley.
H.R. 5650, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 16605 East Avenue of the Fountains in
Fountain Hills, Arizona, as the ``Dr. C.T. Wright Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on October 20, 2021, by Rep. David
Schweikert.
H.R. 5794, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 850 Walnut Street in McKeesport,
Pennsylvania, as the ``First Sergeant Leonard A. Funk, Jr. Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on November 1, 2021, by Rep.
Michael Doyle.
H.R. 5809, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1801 Town and Country Drive in Norco,
California, as the ``Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui Memorial Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on November 2, 2021, by Rep. Ken
Calvert.
H.R. 5865, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 4110 Bluebonnet Drive in Stafford,
Texas, as the ``Leonard Scarcella Post Office Building.''
Introduced on November 4, 2021, by Rep. Al Green.
H.R. 5900, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2016 East 1st Street in Los Angeles,
California, as the ``Marine Corps Reserve PVT Jacob Cruz Post
Office.'' Introduced on November 5, 2021, by Rep. Jimmy Gomez.
H.R. 5952, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 123 East Main Street, in Vergas,
Minnesota, as the ``Jon Glade Post Office.'' Introduced on
November 12, 2021, by Rep. Michelle Fischbach.
H.R. 5976, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 101 West Walnut Street in Watseka,
Illinois, as the ``Sgt. Jeremy C. Sherman Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on November 15, 2021, by Rep. Adam
Kinzinger.
H.R. 6039, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 501 Charles Street in Beaufort, South
Carolina, as the ``Harriet Tubman Post Office Building.''
Introduced on November 18, 2021, by Rep. Nancy Mace.
H.R. 6040, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 11 Robert Smalls Parkway Suite C, in
Beaufort, South Carolina, as the ``Robert Smalls Post Office.''
Introduced on November 18, 2021, by Rep. Nancy Mace.
H.R. 6041, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 10 Bow Circle in Hilton Head Island,
South Carolina, as the ``Charles E. Fraser Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on November 18, 2021, by Rep. Nancy
Mace.
H.R. 6042, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 213 William Hilton Parkway in Hilton
Head Island, South Carolina, as the ``Caesar H. Wright Jr. Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on November 18, 2021, by Rep.
Nancy Mace.
H.R. 6080, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 5420 Kavanaugh Boulevard in Little
Rock, Arkansas, as the ``Ronald A. Robinson Post Office.''
Introduced on November 26, 2021, by Rep. French Hill.
H.R. 6175, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 135 West Wisconsin Street in Russell,
Kansas, as the ``Robert J. Dole Memorial Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on December 8, 2021, by Rep. Tracey
Mann.
H.R. 6218, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 317 Blattner Drive in Avon,
Minnesota, as the ``W.O.C. Kort Miller Plantenberg Post
Office.'' Introduced on December 9, 2021, by Rep. Tom Emmer.
H.R. 6220, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 100 3rd Avenue Northwest in Perham,
Minnesota, as the ``Charles P. Nord Post Office.'' Introduced
on December 9, 2021, by Rep. Michelle Fischbach.
H.R. 6221, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 155 Main Avenue West in Winsted,
Minnesota, as the ``James A. Rogers Jr. Post Office.''
Introduced on December 9, 2021, by Rep. Michelle Fischbach.
H.R. 6267, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 15 Chestnut Street in Suffern, New
York, as the ``Sergeant Gerald T. `Jerry' Donnellan Post
Office.'' Introduced on December 14, 2021, by Rep. Mondaire
Jones.
H.R. 6386, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 450 West Schaumburg Road in
Schaumburg, Illinois, as the ``Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan
Memorial Post Office Building.'' Introduced on January 12,
2022, by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
H.R. 6404, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 114 North Magnolia Street in Elmwood,
Illinois, as the ``Corporal Benjamin Desilets Post Office.''
Introduced on January 13, 2022, by Rep. Darin LaHood.
H.R. 6630, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1400 N Kraemer Blvd. in Placentia,
California, as the ``PFC Jang Ho Kim Post Office Building.''
Introduced on February 7, 2022, by Rep. Young Kim.
H.R. 6631, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 4770 Eureka Ave in Yorba Linda,
California, as the ``Cottle Centanni Post Office Building.''
Introduced on February 7, 2022, by Rep. Young Kim. Note: This
bill failed the unanimous consent request.
H.R. 6917, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 301 East Congress Parkway in Crystal
Lake, Illinois, as the ``Ryan J. Cummings Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on March 3, 2022, by Rep. Sean Casten.
H.R. 7082, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2200 North George Mason Drive in
Arlington, Virginia, as the ``Jesus Antonio Collazos Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on March 15, 2022, by Rep. Donald
Beyer, Jr.
H.R. 7417, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 120 East Oak Avenue in Seminole,
Oklahoma, as the ``Sergeant Bret D. Isenhower Memorial Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on April 6, 2022, by Rep.
Stephanie Bice.
H.R. 7514, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 345 South Main Street in Butler,
Pennsylvania, as the ``Andrew Gomer Williams Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on April 14, 2022, by Rep. Mike Kelly.
H.R. 7518, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 23200 John R Road in Hazel Park,
Michigan, as the ``Roy E. Dickens Post Office.'' Introduced on
April 14, 2022, by Rep. Andy Levin.
H.R. 7519, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2050 South Boulevard in Bloomfield
Township, Michigan, as the ``Dr. Ezra S. Parke Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on April 14, 2022, by Rep. Andy Levin.
H.R. 6725, To change the address of the Marilyn Monroe Post
Office. Introduced on February 15, 2022, by Rep. Tony Cardenas.
H.R. 7638, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 6000 South Florida Avenue in
Lakeland, Florida, as the ``U.S. Marine Corporal Ronald R.
Payne Jr. Post Office.'' Introduced on April 29, 2022, by Rep.
Scott Franklin.
H.R. 7832, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 396 South California Avenue in West
Covina, California, as the ``Esteban E. Torres Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on May 19, 2022, by Rep. Grace
Napolitano.
H.R. 7873, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 400 Southern Avenue Southeast in
Washington, District of Columbia, as the ``District of Columbia
Servicemembers and Veterans Post Office.'' Introduced on May
24, 2022, by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.
H.R. 7899, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 75 Commerce Drive in Grayslake,
Illinois, as the ``Army Specialist Joseph `Joey' W. Dimock II
Post Office Building.'' Introduced on May 27, 2022, by Rep.
Bradley Schneider.
H.R. 7988, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 79125 Corporate Centre Drive in La
Quinta, California, as the ``Corporal Hunter Lopez Memorial
Post Office Building.'' Introduced on June 8, 2022, by Rep.
Raul Ruiz.
H.R. 8025, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 100 South 1st Street in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, as the ``Martin Olav Sabo Post Office.'' Introduced
on June 13, 2022, by Rep. Ilhan Omar.
H.R. 8026, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 825 West 65th Street in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, as the ``Charles W. Lindberg Post Office.''
Introduced on June 13, 2022, by Rep. Ilhan Omar.
H.R. 8203, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 651 Business Interstate Highway 35
North Suite 420 in New Braunfels, Texas, as the ``Bob Krueger
Post Office.'' Introduced on June 23, 2022, by Rep. Lloyd
Doggett.
H.R. 8217, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 430 South Knowles Avenue in New
Richmond, Wisconsin, as the ``Captain Robert C. Harmon and
Private John R. Peirson Post Office Building.'' Introduced on
June 23, 2022, by Rep. Thomas Tiffany.
H.R. 8218, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 619 Hewett Street in Neillsville,
Wisconsin, as the ``Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. Post
Office.'' Introduced on June 23, 2022, by Rep. Thomas Tiffany.
H.R. 8226, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 236 Concord Exchange North in South
Saint Paul, Minnesota, as the ``Officer Leo Pavlak Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on June 24, 2022, by Rep. Angie Craig.
H.R. 8370, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 415 High Street in Freeport,
Pennsylvania, as the ``Corporal Joseph Rodney Chapman Post
Office.'' Introduced on July 13, 2022, by Rep. Glenn Thompson.
H.R. 8622, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 123 South 3rd Street in King City,
California, as the ``Chief Rudy Banuelos Post Office.''
Introduced on July 29, 2022, by Rep. Jimmy Panetta.
H.R. 8944, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1 East Main Street in Mount Joy,
Pennsylvania, as the ``Harold Billow Post Office Building.''
Introduced on September 21, 2022, by Rep. Lloyd Smucker.
H.R. 8959, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at N4805 State Highway 32 in Krakow,
Wisconsin, as the ``Romuald `Bud' Brzezinski Post Office.''
Introduced on September 22, 2022, by Rep. Mike Gallagher.
H.R. 9074, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 333 North Sunrise Way in Palm
Springs, California, as the ``Chairman Richard Milanovich Post
Office.'' Introduced on September 29, 2022, by Rep. Raul Ruiz.
H.R. 9308, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 6401 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego,
California, as the ``Susan A. Davis Post Office.'' Introduced
on November 16, 2022, by Rep. Sara Jacobs.
H.R. 9335, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 410 Franklin Street in Appleton,
Wisconsin, as the ``Mitchell F. Lundgaard Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on November 17, 2022, by Rep. Mike
Gallagher.
S. 566, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 42 Main Street in Slatersville, Rhode
Island, as the ``Specialist Matthew R. Turcotte Post Office.''
Introduced on March 3, 2021, by Senator Jack Reed.
S. 4411, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 5302 Galveston Road in Houston,
Texas, as the ``Vanessa Guillen Post Office Building.''
Introduced on June 15, 2022, by Senator Ted Cruz.
S. 4668, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 400 North Main Street in Belen, New
Mexico, as the ``U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez Post Office.''
Introduced on July 28, 2022, by Senator Martin Heinrich.
F. Postal Naming Measures Passed by the House
H.R. 91, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 810 South Pendleton Street in Easley,
South Carolina, as the ``Private First Class Barrett Lyle
Austin Post Office Building.'' Introduced on January 4, 2021,
by Rep. Jeff Duncan.
H.R. 92, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 110 Johnson Street in Pickens, South
Carolina, as the ``Specialist Four Charles Johnson Post
Office.'' Introduced on January 4, 2021, by Rep. Jeff Duncan.
H.R. 207, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 215 1st Avenue in Amory, Mississippi,
as the ``Command Sergeant Major Lawrence E. Rabbit Kennedy Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on January 5, 2021, by Rep. Trent
Kelly.
H.R. 209, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 305 Highway 15 North in Pontotoc,
Mississippi, as the ``Lance Corporal Marc Lucas Tucker Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on January 5, 2021, by Rep. Trent
Kelly.
H.R. 224, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 5302 Galveston Road in Houston,
Texas, as the ``Vanessa Guillten Post Office Building.''
Introduced on January 6, 2021, by Rep. Sylvia Garcia.
H.R. 228, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 2141 Ferry Street in Anderson,
California, as the ``Norma Comnick Post Office Building.''
Introduced on January 6, 2021, by Rep. Doug LaMalfa.
H.R. 700, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 303 East Mississippi Avenue in
Elwood, Illinois, as the ``Lawrence M. `Larry' Walsh Sr. Post
Office.'' Introduced on February 2, 2021, by Rep. Bill Foster.
H.R. 813, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1050 Sunset Road Southwest in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the ``Jose Hernandez Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on February 4, 2021, by Rep. Debra
Haaland.
H.R. 2142, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 170 Manhattan Avenue in Buffalo, New
York, as the ``Indiana Hunt-Martin Post Office Building.''
Introduced on March 23, 2021, by Rep. Brian Higgins.
H.R. 3175, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 135 Main Street in Biloxi,
Mississippi, as the ``Robert S. McKeithen Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on May 13, 2021, by Rep. Steven Palazzo.
H.R. 3508, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 39 West Main Street, in Honeoye
Falls, New York, as the ``CW4 Christian J. Koch Memorial Post
Office.'' Introduced on May 25, 2021, by Rep. Chris Jacobs.
H.R. 5577, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta,
Georgia, as the ``John R. Lewis Post Office Building.''
Introduced on October 12, 2021, by Rep. Nikema Williams.
H.R. 5949, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 615 North Bush Street, in Santa Ana,
California, as the ``Judge James Perez Post Office.''
Introduced on November 12, 2021, by Rep. Luis Correa.
H.R. 6614, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 4744 Grand River Avenue in Detroit,
Michigan, as the ``Rosa Louise McCauley Parks Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on February 4, 2022, by Rep. Rashida
Tlaib.
G. Postal Naming Measures Approved by the Committee
H.R. 2842, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 120 4th Street in Petaluma,
California, as the ``Lynn C. Woolsey Post Office Building.''
Introduced on April 26, 2021, by Rep. Jared Huffman.
H.R. 5951, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 202 2nd Avenue in Oklee, Minnesota,
as the ``Coya Knutson Post Office.'' Introduced on November 12,
2021, by Rep. Michelle Fischbach.
H.R. 6661, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 1663 East Date Place in San
Bernardino, California, as the ``Dr. Margaret B. Hill Post
Office Building.'' Introduced on February 9, 2022, by Rep. Pete
Aguilar. Note: This bill failed the unanimous consent request.
H.R. 7371, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 55 Broadway in Greenlawn, New York,
as the ``Samuel Ballton Post Office.'' Introduced on April 1,
2022, by Rep. Thomas Suozzi.
H.R. 8248, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 609 Portsmouth Avenue in Greenland,
New Hampshire, as the ``Chief Michael Maloney Post Office
Building.'' Introduced on June 28, 2022, by Rep. Chris Pappas.
H.R. 8630, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 400 North Main Street in Belen, New
Mexico, as the ``U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez Post Office.''
Introduced on July 29, 2022, by Rep. Melanie Stansbury. Note:
This bill failed the unanimous consent request.
H.R. 9251, To designate the facility of the United States
Postal Service located at 6444 San Fernando Road in Glendale,
California, as the ``Paul Ignatius Post Office.'' Introduced on
October 28, 2022, by Rep. Adam Schiff.
V. Summary of Oversight Plan and Corresponding Actions
Pursuant to rule X, Clause 2(d), of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the Committee adopted an oversight plan at
the beginning of the 117th Congress. The plan consisted of
topics designated for investigation, evaluation, and review by
Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, in consultation with Ranking
Member James R. Comer, other Committee Members, and other
Committees.
The plan highlighted intended subjects of oversight,
including:
Health care, including (1) aggressive drug
pricing practices in the U.S., tactics to limit
competition, and actions the federal government can
take to lower drug prices; (2) barriers to access to
comprehensive reproductive health care in the U.S.,
including (a) restrictions that prevent historically
underserved communities from accessing abortion care
and (b) barriers to birth control; and (3) the origins
of the opioid crisis and the need for robust, sustained
federal funding to expand access to treatment and
support services for those with opioid and other
substance use disorders;
The U.S. Census, including the Trump
Administration's efforts to add a citizenship question
to the Census and the undercounting of marginalized
communities and communities of color in the 2020
Decennial Census;
Information technology, cybersecurity, and
data privacy, including the Federal Information
Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), the increasing
number of cyberattacks affecting federal agencies and
the private sector, and the collection of sensitive
personal digital data by private companies;
Environmental issues, including government
and private sector policies and actions related to the
environment, natural resources, climate change, and
public health, and the ways in which current policies
and actions affect marginalized communities;
Homeland and national security, including
the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol,
procedures for granting security clearances and
safeguarding classified information, and management at
the Transportation Security Administration (TSA);
Structural racism and racial equity,
including systemic discrimination in health care
settings, health inequities, and other barriers that
prevent Black people, Indigenous people, and people of
color from accessing high-quality, nondiscriminatory
medical care in the U.S.;
Gender equity, including structural barriers
to gender equity, as well as the need for reforms to
promote equity domestically and abroad for people of
all sexual orientations, of all gender identities, and
with variations in sex characteristics--particularly
with a focus on the experiences of those who have
historically faced intersecting forms of
discrimination;
Voting Rights, including the development and
impact of laws and policies that have hindered eligible
individuals from registering to vote and casting their
ballots, other efforts to restrict the right to vote,
and the Voting Rights Act and other laws aimed at
preventing barriers to those seeking to exercise their
right to vote;
Immigration, including the persisting
results of the Trump Administration's immigration
policies, and oversight of DHS, DOJ, HHS, and other
agencies tasked with developing and implementing
federal immigration policies;
Gun violence, including the public health
impacts of the gun violence epidemic in the United
States and the effectiveness of firearms oversight and
tracking by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives;
Corporate accountability, including the role
of the private sector in facilitating societal ills;
Executive branch ethics, transparency,
accountability, and procurement, including oversight of
compliance with ethics laws such as the Hatch Act,
compliance with the Federal Records Act and PRA,
implementation of open government laws, and responses
to allegations of whistleblower retaliation; oversight
of government procurement; and oversight of the broader
``good government'' community, including GAO and agency
Inspectors General; and
Presidential conflicts of interest and
emoluments, including former President Trump's business
interests, financial disclosures, and failure to divest
himself of his myriad businesses while in office;
whether current ethics laws and regulations are
sufficient to ensure accountability; GSA's management
of the lease for the Old Post Office Building; and the
Trump Administration's abrupt decision in June 2017 to
abandon a long-planned move of the FBI's headquarters.
The Committee's oversight of these and many other issues in
the 117th Congress resulted in substantial cost savings for
American taxpayers and improvement in the effectiveness and
efficiency of our government. The following highlights the
major oversight accomplishments of the Committee in the 117th
Congress.
A. Full Committee
I. HEALTH CARE
Drug Pricing. In January 2019, the Committee launched an
investigation into the pharmaceutical industry's pricing and
other business practices. The purpose of the investigation was
to determine why drug companies are increasing prices so
dramatically, how drug companies are using the proceeds, and
what steps can be taken to reduce prescription drug prices.
Continuing this investigation into the 117th Congress, the
Committee issued four reports, including a 269-page final
report on December 10, 2021. This report marked the culmination
of a nearly three-year investigation that included the review
of nearly 1.5 million pages of internal company materials, five
hearings, and eight interim staff reports.
This investigative work also informed Chairwoman Maloney's
subsequent introduction, during the 117th Congress, of several
pieces of legislation, including the Discounted Drugs for
Clinical Trials Act (H.R. 7472), the Generic Substitution Non-
Interference Act (H.R. 7473), and the Pharmaceutical Research
and Transparency Act (H.R. 7474). All three pieces of
legislation address conduct uncovered over the course of the
drug-pricing investigation.
The Chairwoman also joined a group of bipartisan senators
and representatives in 2021 to introduce a legislative package
aimed at lowering prescription drug prices by addressing
anticompetitive practices used by large pharmaceutical
companies. The bills include the Preserve Access to Affordable
Generics and Biosimilars Act (H.R. 2891), the Affordable
Prescriptions for Patients Through Promoting Competition Act
(H.R. 2873), and the Stop Stalling Access to Affordable
Medications Act (H.R. 2883).
On May 18, 2021, the Committee held a hearing to examine
the pricing and business practices of Abb Vie, which sells the
anti-inflammatory drug Humira--the highest grossing drug in the
U.S. and in the world--and the cancer drug Imbruvica. The
hearing included the CEO of Abb Vie as well as experts on the
anticompetitive practices employed by large drug companies. The
same day as the hearing, the Committee released a staff report
and new documents showing how Abb Vie repeatedly raised the
price of these drugs and used a series of anticompetitive
tactics to maintain monopoly pricing. The Committee also sent a
letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking for a
formal inquiry into Abb Vie's anticompetitive conduct.
On July 8, 2021, the Committee released a staff report
analyzing financial data from 14 of the largest drug companies
in the world. The report showed that, from 2016 to 2020, the
companies spent $56 billion more on stock buybacks and
dividends than on research and development. The report
illustrated the need for structural reform to empower Medicare
to negotiate directly with drug companies to lower prices, and
showed that, even if the pharmaceutical industry collected less
revenue due to drug pricing reforms, drug companies could
maintain or even increase their research and development
expenditures if they reduced spending on buybacks and
dividends.
On September 23, 2021, the Committee released a staff
report with new information about the billions of dollars
taxpayers lost because of the prohibition against Medicare
negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower
drug prices on behalf of Medicare Part D beneficiaries. The
report provided new evidence about the extent to which drug
companies target the U.S. market for price increases, while
maintaining or lowering prices in the rest of the world.
The investigation's final report, released on December 10,
2021, presented the findings from the Committee's sweeping
investigation into pricing and other business practices in the
pharmaceutical industry and the need for effective reforms to
make prescription drugs more affordable, such as empowering
Medicare to negotiate for lower prices, restraining price
increases, and capping out-of-pocket costs.
Abortion Rights and Access. Over the course of the 117th
Congress, the Committee held three hearings addressing
restrictions on reproductive rights and access to abortion
care. In addition to these hearings, the Committee issued
letters, a memorandum, and a report in furtherance of its work
to protect reproductive rights and access to care.
On September 30, 2021, the Committee held a hearing to
examine the impacts of bans like Texas' S.B. 8, which banned
abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and authorized private
citizens to bring civil action against anyone who performed an
abortion or who assisted a pregnant person in obtaining an
abortion in the state of Texas. This hearing featured the
historic testimony of sitting Members of Congress, who shared
their abortion stories to highlight the need to protect and
expand abortion rights and access.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's June 24, 2022, opinion
in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturning Roe
v. Wade, the Committee convened a hearing on July 13, 2022, to
examine the landscape of abortion bans and the impact of Dobbs
on people in states hostile to abortion.
On September 29, 2022, the Committee held another hearing
on the impact of Dobbs, focusing on how existing abortion bans
affect patients in impacted states and the threat of a national
abortion ban under a potential Republican-led Congress. In
conjunction with this hearing, the Committee issued a
memorandum analyzing bills Republican legislators have passed
or introduced to restrict abortion access at both the state and
federal level.
Access to Medication Abortion. During the 117th Congress,
the Committee specifically focused on promoting access to
medication abortion. On February 9, 2021, the Committee wrote
to FDA asking the agency to lift the medically unnecessary in-
person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, the first of
two drugs used to complete a medication abortion.
On August 19, 2021, the Chairwoman joined other
representatives to introduce a resolution supporting equitable,
science-based access to mifepristone (H. Res. 589). The
resolution urged FDA to follow its own data on the safety of
mifepristone and lift unnecessary restrictions to accessing the
drug.
On December 16, 2021, FDA announced its decision to
eliminate the medically unnecessary in-person dispensing
requirement for mifepristone.
On March 16, 2022, the Committee wrote to the Secretary of
HHS to commend the agency for creating the Reproductive Health
Care Access Task Force and to urge HHS to take immediate action
to protect and expand access to medication abortion care.
Access to Birth Control. On October 7, 2021, Chairwoman
Maloney joined other Committee leaders in urging HHS, the
Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to
ensure that health insurance companies' coverage of the full
range of contraceptives approved by FDA was in accordance with
ACA requirements.
On November 17, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney led more than 100
Democrats in reintroducing the Access to Birth Control Act
(H.R. 6005), which would guarantee patients' timely access to
birth control at the pharmacy--including by addressing
pharmacies' refusals of contraception that prevent patients
from obtaining their preferred form of birth control
medication.
On May 26, 2022, the Committee wrote to the four largest
pharmacy benefit managers and five largest health insurers
requesting information regarding zero cost-sharing coverage of
contraceptives and related services for individuals enrolled in
private health plans, as required by the ACA.
On October 25, 2022, the Committee issued a report
analyzing these entities' compliance with the ACA's ``no cost-
sharing'' provisions by identifying the products most often
excluded from formularies or requiring cost-sharing, detailing
deficiencies in the companies' contraceptive exceptions
processes, examining the impact on certain patient populations,
and providing recommendations for further guidance from the
Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury.
Opioids. On March 4, 2021, the Committee sent letters to
four companies seeking information about their plans to use the
CARES Act to receive tax deductions for costs related to opioid
litigation.
On March 11, 2021, the Committee released a second set of
documents obtained in the investigation into Purdue Pharma L.P.
and the members of the Sackler family regarding their role in
fueling the opioid crisis. The Committee released a first set
of documents in this investigation in October of 2020.
On March 19, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney and senior Committee
Member Rep. Mark DeSaulnier introduced the Stop Shielding
Assets from Corporate Known Liability by Eliminating Non-Debtor
Releases (SACKLER) Act (H.R. 2096) to prevent bad actors from
using related wrongdoers' bankruptcy proceedings to avoid
liability. The bill would promote accountability for bad actors
by prohibiting bankruptcy courts from releasing a non-debtor
(i.e., an entity that has not filed for bankruptcy) from claims
brought by a state, municipality, Tribe, or the U.S.
government.
On April 20, 2021, the Committee released documents from
the Sackler family investigation that showed that members of
the family, who have owned a controlling share of Purdue Pharma
since 1952, are collectively worth a total of $11 billion.
On June 8, 2021, the Committee held a second hearing on the
Sackler family's role in the opioid crisis. The hearing
examined how the family members enriched themselves at the
expense of American communities and evaluated the need for
reforms like the SACKLER Act. A bipartisan group of state
attorneys general testified in support of the SACKLER Act. This
hearing followed a hearing held during the 116th Congress (on
December 17, 2020), during which members of the Sackler family
testified before the Committee.
On June 30, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Mark
DeSaulnier sent a letter to DOJ urging the agency to oppose the
proposed bankruptcy reorganization plan of Purdue Pharma. This
plan would allow the company to evade liability that resulted
from opioid-related lawsuits.
On July 28, 2021, the Chairwoman joined three Democratic
senators to introduce the Nondebtor Release Prohibition Act of
2021 (H.R. 4777), which expanded on the SACKLER Act to
virtually eliminate non-debtor releases and further prevent
individuals who have not filed for bankruptcy from evading
accountability through bankruptcy proceedings.
On August 6, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Mark
DeSaulnier joined Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Richard
Blumenthal in urging DOJ to appeal Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy
on the grounds that it would deny victims and state attorneys
general the opportunity to litigate their cases against the
Sacklers.
On September 16, 2021, following the Committee's letters,
the U.S. Trustee, a component of DOJ responsible for overseeing
the administration of bankruptcy cases, announced that it was
appealing the confirmation of Purdue's bankruptcy plan.
On December 16, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney led more than 100
Democrats in reintroducing her Comprehensive Addiction
Resources Emergency Act (H.R. 6311), which would provide state
and local governments with $125 billion in federal funding over
ten years, including nearly $1 billion per year directly to
tribal governments and organizations.
On April 12, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Senator Tammy
Baldwin led more than two dozen bicameral, bipartisan
colleagues in sending letters to seven manufacturers of the
overdose reversal drug naloxone. The letters called on the
manufacturers to apply for over-the-counter status for their
naloxone products to help increase access and save lives.
On June 27, 2022, the Committee held a hearing to examine
the federal government's response to the overdose and addiction
crisis, including the Biden-Harris Administration's 2022
National Drug Control Strategy. The Committee heard testimony
from Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the ONDCP, regarding the 2022
National Drug Control Strategy. The Strategy proposes a whole-
of-government approach to reducing the supply and availability
of dangerous substances and ensuring that addiction is treated
as a disease.
Pharmaceutical Industry and Drug Safety. On July 12, 2021,
the Chairwoman joined Chairman Pallone of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce in sending a letter to the CEO of Biogen--
maker of the Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm--requesting documents and
communications concerning the drug's approval process, pricing,
and other related business strategies. The letter followed
FDA's controversial approval of Aduhelm in June 2021 via the
agency's accelerated approval mechanism. On September 2, 2021,
Chairwoman Maloney and Chairman Pallone sent a letter to FDA
requesting information regarding the agency's review process
and accelerated approval of Aduhelm.
On December 29, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Chairman
Pallone issued a joint final report titled ``The High Price of
Aduhelm's Approval: An Investigation into FDA's Atypical Review
Process and Biogen's Aggressive Launch Plans.'' The report
presented the findings of the Committees' 18-month
investigation into the regulatory review and approval, pricing,
and marketing of Aduhelm. The investigation found that FDA's
review and approval of Aduhelm consisted of atypical procedures
and deviated from the agency's own guidance. The investigation
also found that Biogen had aggressive launch plans for
Aduhelm--including in its label and pricing--despite concerns
about efficacy, safety, and affordability. The Committees'
report made several recommendations to FDA intended to help
restore the American people's trust in the agency's processes
and assurances of drug safety and efficacy. The report also
recommended actions that Biogen and other drug sponsors take in
the future to fulfill their responsibility to the patients and
families who rely on their treatments.
II. CENSUS
Citizenship Question. In the 117th Congress, the Committee
continued the work began in the 116th Congress on oversight of
the decennial census. Over the course of this investigation,
the Committee faced unprecedented obstruction from the Trump
Administration, including Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and
Attorney General Bill Barr, both of whom were held in contempt
of Congress after they refused to produce documents responsive
to the Committee's subpoenas.
After more than two years of litigation and the arrival of
a new administration, in January 2022, the Committee entered
into an agreement with Commerce and DOJ to obtain previously
withheld key documents. The new documents--over which President
Trump had previously asserted executive privilege--contain
internal communications and analyses by Trump Administration
officials regarding the legality and constitutionality of a
question Administration officials sought to have included on
the 2020 Census asking whether respondents were U.S. citizens.
On July 20, 2022, the Committee released a report and new
documents obtained from Commerce and DOJ. These documents
include multiple drafts of an August 2017 memorandum about the
citizenship question prepared by a senior political appointee
and lawyer at Commerce, James Uthmeier, as well as
communications among senior political appointees, which were
all previously withheld by the Trump Administration based on
various claims of privilege.
In response to investigative findings stemming from the new
documents, on July 11, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney introduced H.R.
8326, the Ensuring a Fair and Accurate Census Act, designed to
enhance the independence of the Census Bureau and protect it
from future partisan manipulation. H.R. 8326 would codify
existing advisory committees aimed at engaging hard-to-count
communities, provide increased transparency into the projected
resource needs of the Census Bureau, and ensure that any new
questions added to the decennial census are vigorously
researched and tested according to establish protocol.
H.R. 8326 was marked up and reported favorably out of the
Oversight Committee on July 20, 2022. It passed the House 220-
208 on September 15, 2022.
Undercounting of Marginalized Communities. In the 117th
Congress, the Committee launched inquiries into the
undercounting of marginalized communities and communities of
color in the 2020 Census.
On January 13, 2022, following reports that the residential
units in the city of Detroit, Michigan, may have been
undercounted by as much as 8.1%, Chairwoman Maloney, Rep. Jamie
Raskin, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties, along with Committee Members Rep. Rashida Tlaib and
Rep. Brenda Lawrence, sent a letter to Census Bureau Director
Robert Santos requesting information on whether the agency was
looking into reported 2020 Census undercounting in Detroit and
other hard-to-count communities.
The Members requested that the Census Bureau provide a
staff briefing by January 27, 2022, on the process and timeline
the agency is using to analyze potential undercounts in the
2020 Census; the Bureau's analysis of the potential undercount
in Detroit and any steps being taken to address it; and any
steps communities can take to challenge and amend their
population counts when an undercount has occurred.
Bureau staff later provided a briefing to committee staff
on the processes and programs that allow local jurisdictions to
apply for, and receive adjustments to, their population numbers
via challenge.
Additional Committee Actions on Census. On November 2,
2021, Chairwoman Maloney, Rep. Anna Eshoo, and Senator Brian
Schatz introduced a bicameral bill to ban all forms of
disinformation about the census. The Honest Census
Communications Act (H.R. 5815) would outlaw communicating false
information about the census using written, digital, or
telephonic communications intended to dissuade others from
participating in the census. H.R. 5815 was marked up and passed
favorably out of Committee on June 15, 2022.
On June 14, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Committee Member
Rep. Rashida Tlaib led Oversight Committee Members in a letter
to Shalanda Young, Director of OMB, and Robert Santos, Director
of the U.S. Census Bureau, urging them to update the standards
for federal data collection on race and ethnicity to include a
Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) response category. The
letter urged the Census Bureau to add MENA as a response to the
race and ethnicity question on the decennial census, and urged
OMB to increase the funding for federal programs targeted to
the needs of the MENA community so it is comparable to the
funding other minority communities receive. The following day,
the White House released a statement detailing its plans to
review and update the federal data standards to include a MENA
category.
On June 14, 2022, the Committee also marked up and reported
favorably H.R. 4176, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act. H.R. 4176
would expand federal data collection efforts pertaining to
LGBTQI+ people so that policy solutions could be better
tailored to the specific challenges LGBTQI+ people face. H.R.
4176 passed the House 220-201 on June 23, 2022.
III. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY, AND DATA PRIVACY
Cybersecurity. The Committee continued to conduct robust
oversight of federal agency resilience to cyberattacks and
examine specific cybersecurity incidents affecting the public
and private sectors. In February 2021, the Committee held a
joint hearing with the Committee on Homeland Security to
examine cyberattacks, including the supply chain attack
targeting SolarWinds' Orion software. The hearing examined the
role of the private sector in preventing, investigating, and
remediating these attacks, as well as the need for Congress and
the Executive Branch to implement a strategy to strengthen
cybersecurity across federal government networks and improve
information-sharing with the private sector.
In June 2021, the Committee launched an investigation into
ransomware attacks and multi-million dollar payments to
cybercriminals by U.S. companies and sent letters to private
companies including Colonial Pipeline, CNA Financial
Corporation, and JBS Foods requesting documents related to the
companies' decisions to pay ransom to cybercrime groups. The
Committee also requested answers from the FBI regarding its
delay in aiding businesses impacted by the Kaseya ransomware
attack while it secretly worked behind the scenes to disrupt
the criminals responsible for the ransomware attack.
In November 2021, the Committee held a hearing to address
the complex threat that ransomware poses by urging a whole-of-
government effort to disrupt criminal ransomware networks and
help organizations better prepare and respond to attacks. At
the hearing, the Committee heard testimony from Chris Inglis,
National Cyber Director; Brandon Wales, Executive Director for
CISA; and Bryan Vorndran, Assistant Director for FBI's Cyber
Division. The Committee underscored the need to implement a
``whole-of-government'' ransomware strategy to better share
information between private and public entities. Ahead of the
hearing, the Committee also released a staff memo showing
preliminary findings of the Committee's investigation into the
ransomware attacks on CNA Financial, Colonial Pipeline, and JBS
Foods. The memo examined how these ransomware attacks unfolded
and how legislation and policies may be developed to counter
the threat of ransomware.
In January 2022, the Committee held a hearing to examine
strategies to strengthen FISMA, which establishes the roles and
responsibilities of federal agencies related to the security of
federal information systems and data and requires compliance
with cybersecurity standards. FISMA has not been updated since
2014, and following the hearing, Chairwoman Maloney introduced
H.R. 6497, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act
of 2022, which was informed by the Committee's work on
cybersecurity.
Privacy. The Committee built on its data privacy work from
the previous Congress and launched an investigation into the
Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) use of facial recognition
technology to verify identity for accessing crucial government
services. The Committee requested documents and information
from the IRS regarding its contract with ID.me, a private
contractor that provides identity verification using biometric
information. After the Committee received documents and
information from the IRS, it sent a joint letter with the
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis to ID.me,
requesting documents and information related to the company's
contracts with federal, state, and local governments for use of
its facial recognition technology.
The Committee also investigated the collection and sale of
personal reproductive health data following the U.S. Supreme
Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In July 2022, the
Committee launched an investigation into five data broker
companies and five personal health application companies
requesting documents and information.
IV. ENVIRONMENT
Fossil Fuel Industry Disinformation. On July 26, 2021, the
Committee launched an investigation into the fossil fuel
industry's decades-long disinformation campaign regarding
climate change and solutions. The fossil fuel industry has had
scientific evidence about the dangers of climate change for
years but has sought to block reforms by claiming that the
science about climate change was unsettled. More recently, some
companies have taken public stances in support of action on
global warming, even as they oppose meaningful solutions and
continue to invest in fossil fuel extraction.
On May 7, 2021, then-senior lobbyist for ExxonMobil Keith
McCoy was recorded discussing efforts by ExxonMobil and the
fossil fuel industry to spread climate disinformation to block
action needed to address climate change.
On July 26, 2021, the Committee requested Mr. McCoy's
appearance at a transcribed interview. On August 6, 2021, the
Committee wrote to Mr. McCoy's then-employer, ExxonMobil,
seeking documents and communications to and from Mr. McCoy
regarding climate change and related matters.
On August 30, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney, Rep. Khanna,
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, and Rep. Omar led
over 50 Democrats in a letter to House Democratic leadership
calling to end the $21 billion in tax giveaways to fossil fuel
companies, which profit by selling oil and gas while heating
the planet and polluting communities.
On September 16, 2021, the Committee launched a broader
investigation with letters to ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP America,
Shell Oil Company, the American Petroleum Institute, and the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce. These letters sought documents
related to the entities' roles in contributing to climate
change, their marketing and lobbying efforts on climate change,
and the funding of third parties to spread climate
disinformation. The letters also requested testimony from the
top executives at these six entities.
On October 28, 2021, the Committee, along with the
Subcommittee on Environment, held a hearing titled ``Fueling
the Climate Crisis: Exposing Big Oil's Disinformation
Campaign.'' At this hearing, executives from the six entities
to which the Committee wrote in September testified. In
response to questioning from Chairwoman Maloney, witnesses
admitted that climate change is real, burning fossil fuels is a
primary contributor to climate change, and climate change is an
existential threat to the planet.
On the same day, the Committee released a supplemental
memorandum detailing the Committee's analysis of fossil fuel
companies' lobbying efforts related to the Paris Agreement (a
binding international treaty to hold the rise in average global
temperature to well below 2 +C, primarily by cutting greenhouse
gas emissions) and other climate policies. The memo showed that
these efforts were not consistent with the companies' public
rhetoric and support for the Paris Agreement.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Chairwoman Maloney
announced her intent to issue subpoenas to the entities
represented at the hearing. On November 2, 2021, the Committee
issued subpoenas to these six entities.
On February 8, 2022, the Committee, along with the
Subcommittee on Environment, held a hearing titled ``Fueling
the Climate Crisis: Examining Big Oil's Climate Pledges.''
Witnesses included a climate scientist, a climate policy expert
serving the public interest, and the founder of a group of
shareholder activists engaging with the fossil fuel companies
in which they own shares. Witnesses emphasized that the fossil
fuel industry's climate pledges are part of a ``greenwashing''
campaign, in which companies claim to support the Paris
Agreement's goals but invest more in advertising touting this
support than in clean energy solutions.
On April 4, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Khanna,
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, sent a letter to
the CEOs of Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and BP America. The letter
called on the CEOs to redirect their windfall profits--earned
due to higher gas prices following Russia's attack on Ukraine--
away from enriching investors with dividends and stock buybacks
and towards lowering the price of gasoline and making real
investments in clean energy.
On September 14, 2022, the Committee released a
supplemental memorandum showing that fossil fuel companies
knowingly mislead the public about the industry's commitment to
reduce emissions. The memo found that the fossil fuel companies
under investigation try to create the impression that they are
taking ambitious steps to reduce emissions without actually
doing so. Instead, these companies claim the mantle of climate
leadership to reduce social and political consequences as they
continue to profit from being the primary cause of catastrophic
warming.
On September 15, 2022, the Committee, along with the
Subcommittee on Environment, held a hearing titled ``Fueling
the Climate Crisis: Examining Big Oil's Prices, Profits, and
Pledges.'' Earlier in the year, the Committee invited board
members from Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and BP America to testify
about the companies' climate pledges. They failed to appear.
The Committee once again invited the board members, but they
declined to appear on the date requested. The Committee
received testimony from two panels of witnesses. The first
panel consisted of witnesses who survived climate events. They
testified about how heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and other
extreme weather made worse by climate change constitute an
ongoing crisis across the United States. The second panel
consisted of public policy, environmental law, and labor
experts. They discussed how fossil fuel companies have doubled
down on the oil and gas driving climate change to make record
profits while fleecing working families and endangering
employees.
On December 9, 2022, the Committee, along with the
Subcommittee on Environment, released a report with documents
detailing more evidence of the industry's misdeeds. The report
detailed Big Oil's more modern greenwashing campaign and
evidence that tended to show a failure to reduce emissions
consistent with the Paris Climate Agreement. The report
explained how the Committee, along with the Subcommittee on
Environment, uncovered documents that suggest (a) a culture of
obscuring long-term goals for investments in fossil fuels and
(b) failure to meaningfully reduce emissions.
Environmental Justice and Community Investment. In the
117th Congress, the Committee worked on environmental justice
issues and emphasized the importance of directing environmental
investments to communities most impacted by climate change,
pollution, and the economic impact of a transition away from
fossil fuels.
On July 21, 2021, the Committee held a hearing titled
``Building Back with Justice: Environmental Justice Is Central
to the American Jobs Plan,'' in which witnesses from the White
House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and the New York
Climate Action Council testified alongside labor and racial
equity experts. At the hearing, Chairwoman Maloney pledged her
support for ``no harms'' in the Justice40 Initiative
(Justice40)--a Biden Administration initiative to direct 40% of
federal climate and infrastructure investments to overburdened
and underserved communities--so that investments that increased
pollution or other negative environmental consequences could
not be considered Justice40 programs. She also announced that
the Committee would investigate peaker power plants that are
polluting the communities that she and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez
represent.
On July 21, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Bush sent a
letter to GAO requesting an evaluation of the Army Corps of
Engineers' Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program.
Underfunding of the program has left discarded toxic hazards
that threaten communities across the country, including in
Coldwater Creek and schools in Rep. Bush's Missouri District.
GAO accepted the request and began its engagement the following
summer.
On August 26, 2021, the Committee held a field roundtable
at the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Astoria, Queens, titled
``Tackling Peak Pollution: Achieving Environmental Justice for
Frontline Communities.'' At the roundtable and press conference
that day, Chairwoman Maloney unveiled Committee environmental
justice proposals to curb deadly pollution and direct federal
resources to frontline communities, including setting a 100%
renewable energy target for the federal government, supporting
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal for Public Housing to
ensure public housing residents have a voice in addressing the
environmental justices they face, and supporting Natural
Resources Committee Chairman Grijalva's Environmental Justice
for All Act (H.R. 2021) so that cumulative effects of multiple
pollution sources are addressed.
On August 26, 2021, immediately following the roundtable on
peaker plant pollution, Chairwoman Maloney testified in Astoria
at a New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
public meeting to oppose a permit for a new peaker plant. On
October 27, 2021, DEC denied the permit, citing concerns about
the total impact of many peaker plants in communities in the
Bronx known as ``Asthma Alley'' for having worse air pollution
and higher rates of asthma than the national average and other
parts of New York City. DEC also cited the state's statutory
obligation to invest in clean energy that does not pollute the
community.
On September 2, 2021, the Committee held a markup on The
Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) and voted to include
Chairwoman Maloney's environmental justice priorities in the
legislation. These priorities include funding to implement
President Biden's Justice40 Initiative.
On December 2, 2021, the Committee passed the Federal
Agency Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness
Act (H.R. 5477) to bolster the federal commitment to address
climate change in every aspect of government operations,
including by establishing an interagency council advised by
environmental justice experts to identify how the federal
government deploys resources to both prepare for and mitigate
climate change in frontline communities.
In a December 15, 2021, letter to GAO, the Committee called
for robust oversight of Justice40, including assessing whether
Justice40 delivers the promised 40 percent of benefits of
federal investments to disadvantaged communities. GAO accepted
the request for periodic public reports and regular briefings
with findings and recommendations. Staff briefings began March
2022.
In a December 21, 2021, letter to GAO, Reps. Clarke and
Ocasio-Cortez joined Chairwoman Maloney to request that GAO
examine the impact of peaker power plant pollution on frontline
communities and equitable rapid replacement strategies. The
letter highlighted that New York City has 89 peaker plants,
including 28 in the vicinity of the Chairwoman's District, 49
in Rep. Clarke's home borough of Brooklyn, and 16 in Rep.
Ocasio-Cortez's district. GAO accepted the request. Its
engagement began in Summer 2022.
On February 1, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney introduced the
Justice in Power Plant Permitting Act (H.R. 6548), which would
(a) combat air pollution from power plants as well as boilers
and generators by denying permits if the combined impact of all
pollution in the area, including the newly proposed plant,
would harm the community, (b) establish a $10 billion Just
Energy Transition Fund, and (c) ensure the federal government
is a partner in reducing climate emissions and air pollution by
transitioning to 100% air pollution-free renewable energy by
2030.
On March 11, 2022, the Committee and the Committee on
Natural Resources jointly held a series of environmental
justice field events in New York City to create momentum for
cumulative impacts legislation meant to deny permits based on
the combined effect of all pollution in the area, and to draw
attention to pollution from 89 peaker power plants in New York
City, with a focus on those at and near the Ravenswood
Generating Station. Programming included:
A Justice40 Briefing at the Jacob A. Riis
Neighborhood Settlement in Queensbridge Houses with
environmental justice leaders and New York officials
implementing the state's place-based environmental
justice investment program, which inspired President
Biden's Justice40 Initiative, at which Chairwoman
Maloney called for the federal government to adopt New
York's place-based investment model so benefits
calculated under Justice40 would be tied to verifiable
direct investments in environmental justice
communities;
A ``toxic tour'' of the Ravenswood
Generating Station--the largest fossil fuel plant in
the state, which is located next to Queensbridge
Houses, the largest public housing development in the
country--to urge the plant to convert to clean power
while protecting all jobs;
A community tour of Sunset Park, Brooklyn,
led by the environmental justice group UPROSE, to learn
about the neighborhood's success organizing around
community-driven plans such as the largest
cooperatively owned solar facility in the city and a
wind energy manufacturing and transport hub in Sunset
Park's deep-water harbor; and
A press conference at Queensbridge Houses
building the case for Congress and the state to advance
cumulative impacts policies and strong Justice40
implementation.
By April 27, 2022, both houses of the New York State
Legislature passed S8830, an environmental justice bill
addressing the cumulative impacts of pollution that the
Environmental Justice for All Act and Justice in Power Plant
Permitting Act would address federally.
On July 12, 2022, Ravenswood Generating Station, after a
year of Committee engagement, released a plan to become
completely renewable. The plan calls for conversion to air
pollution-free renewable energy, in line with Chairwoman
Maloney's Justice in Power Plant Permitting Act. The plan also
confirms that the remaining peaker plants will stop operating
in 2023.
On July 20, 2022, the Justice in Power Plant Permitting Act
was successfully reported out of the Committee. The Act
included both environmental justice provisions, as well as
high-road labor standards for federal energy use such as
prevailing wages and project labor agreements.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376)
became law and funded Committee environmental justice
priorities. The Act authorized $50 million for OMB and GAO to
track the labor, equity, and environmental standards in the law
and oversee the equitable distribution of the economic, social,
and environmental impacts of the funds it authorizes.
On September 6, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney, Rep. Khanna
(Chair of the Subcommittee on Environment), Senator Markey, and
Reps. Bush and Tlaib led 60 colleagues in a letter to the White
House calling on the Administration to strengthen Justice40
commitments. The letter urged the Administration to establish a
Climate Justice and Equity Office in OMB to centralize its
responsibilities to oversee a whole-of-government approach to
Justice40, to consider the 40 percent goal a floor and not a
ceiling of direct investments, and to ensure programs ``do no
harm'' by increasing either pollution or greenhouse gas
emissions.
On October 17, 2022, the Committee, jointly with the
Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Mississippi
Governor Tate Reeves, launching a formal investigation into the
distribution of federal funds for water system repairs in
Jackson, Mississippi, given the backdrop of historic
disinvestment in majority Black cities. On October 20, 2022,
EPA announced it would investigate alleged discrimination by
the Mississippi Department of Health and the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality in violation of Title VI of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
V. HOMELAND AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Department of Homeland Security Inspector General. The
Committee investigated allegations of misconduct by the DHS
Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. In May 2022, the Committee
sent a joint letter with the Committee on Homeland Security
requesting documents and information relating to reported
efforts by the Inspector General's office to delay or conceal
findings of domestic abuse and sexual harassment by DHS
employees.
In July 2022, the Committee sent a joint letter with the
Committee on Homeland Security to the Inspector General urging
him to step away from the investigation into erased text
messages related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S.
Capitol, and allow another Inspector General to take over after
he failed to provide timely notification to Congress of the
destruction of these communications. In August 2022, the
Committees wrote to Inspector General Cuffari again, revealing
new evidence that his office had abandoned efforts to collect
these text messages for months, and had known about the problem
far earlier than previously reported. The Committees followed
up with an additional August 2022 letter demanding that the
Inspector General's office comply with the requests for
documents and transcribed interviews in the Committees'
investigation into potential mismanagement and misconduct in
the DHS OIG. Inspector General Cuffari has refused to comply
with the Committees' requests.
January 6. During the first session of the 117th Congress,
the Committee investigated the deadly January 6, 2021, attack
on the U.S. Capitol. These efforts included:
On January 7, 2021, the Committee led
several other Committees in sending a letter to the FBI
requesting an immediate briefing on efforts to
investigate the January 6 attack and hold perpetrators
accountable.
On January 14, the Commitee sent letters to
27 companies, including hotel, bus, and car rental
companies, requesting assistance in preventing
potential violence associated with Inauguration Day on
January 20, 2021.
On January 16, the Committee sent a letter
to the Major Cities Chiefs Association raising concerns
about participation by off-duty law enforcement
officers in the Capitol assault and requesting
information on steps to ensure chiefs of police address
threats within their ranks.
On January 16, the Committee joined several
other committees in requesting documents and briefings
from the FBI, DHS, NCTC, and ODNI related to threat
information and intelligence leading up to the January
6 attack.
On February 3, the Committee requested a
bipartisan briefing from the Secret Service on how it
is managing its protective security mission to defend
the White House Complex, as well as the President, Vice
President, former Presidents, former Vice Presidents,
and their respective families.
On March 25, 2021, the Committee led several
House Committees in sending joint requests to 16
different departments and agencies across the Executive
Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the District of
Columbia.
The Committee held two hearings to investigate the January
6 attack. In May 2021, the Committee held a hearing with former
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and former
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, which focused on the
Trump Administration's preparations in advance of January 6 and
response to the attacks. In June 2021, the Committee heard
testimony from FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, U.S. Army
Pacific Commanding General Charles A. Flynn, and U.S. Army
Director of Army Staff Walter E. Piatt to address unanswered
questions about the January 6 insurrection, including the Trump
Administration's failure to anticipate, prepare for, and
respond adequately to the attack.
In July 2021, the Committee released key evidence of former
President Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election,
including handwritten notes taken by then-Acting Deputy
Attorney General Richard P. Donoghue of a December 27, 2020,
phone call with former President Trump showing attempts by
former President Trump to pressure the two most senior
officials at DOJ to overturn the certified results of the 2020
election.
VI. STRUCTURAL RACISM AND RACIAL EQUITY
Health Equity. The Committee continued to focus on
identifying and investigating systemic racial inequities in the
nation's healthcare system.
On May 6, 2021, the Committee held a hearing titled
``Birthing While Black: Examining America's Black Maternal
Health Crisis,'' where the Committee examined the historical
and ongoing racism plaguing the birthing experience of Black
people. The hearing examined the root cause of the nation's
Black maternal mortality crisis and evaluated the need for
comprehensive reforms and investments at the federal level to
ensure the health and prosperity of Black mothers and Black
families across the United States.
The same day, the Committee and leaders of the Black
Maternal Health Caucus requested three new studies on the state
of this health crisis from GAO. Specifically, the Committee
asked GAO for the following three reports: (1) an examination
of how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated America's Black
maternal health crisis, and how federal and state efforts to
support the country's recovery from the pandemic are impacting
maternal health outcomes; (2) an analysis of the state of our
country's perinatal workforce--including barriers to accessing
care by midwives and the full spectrum of maternity care
professionals; and (3) an evaluation of how America's Black
maternal health crisis disproportionately harms people who are
incarcerated. On October 19, 2022, the Committee and Black
Maternal Health Caucus leaders released the first of these
reports, which showed that COVID-19 contributed to one-quarter
of maternal deaths during 2020 and 2021.
On March 29, 2022, the Committee held a hearing to examine
pathways to universal health care coverage, which explored the
positive impacts of expanding access to healthcare on
historically marginalized populations.
Executive Order 13985. During the 117th Congress, the
Committee oversaw the implementation of Executive Order 13985
(E.O. 13985), ``Advancing Racial Equity and Support for
Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.'' E.O.
13985 directed OMB and the White House Domestic Policy Council
to work with federal agencies to identify and remove barriers
to equal opportunity and programmatic benefits for people of
color and other historically marginalized and underserved
groups.
The Executive Order directed OMB to work with agencies to
identify the best methods for measuring barriers to equity and
identify best practices for use of those methods across the
federal government; to assist agencies with selecting high-
priority, high-impact agency programs and policies to undergo
racial equity assessments; and to identify opportunities to
promote equity in the President's budget and study strategies
for allocating resources to increase investment in underserved
communities.
On October 15, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney, along with Rep.
Pressley, sent a letter to Acting Director of OMB Shalanda
Young and Ambassador Susan Rice, Assistant to the President for
Domestic Policy, commending the Administration for the
implementation of the Executive Order and emphasizing the need
for robust data, assessment tools, and stakeholder engagement
to ensure the success of the endeavor.
Agency Action Plans, as outlined in E.O. 13985, were due in
January of 2022. In April of 2022, the Committee released a
statement with Rep. Pressley applauding a White House convening
with all federal agencies to present historic Equity Action
Plans.
On December 16, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Pressley
introduced two bills to ensure that the federal government
continues to pursue the goals of E.O. 13985. The Federal
Government Equity Improvement Act (H.R. 9609) would, among
other things, establish (1) a long-term Equitable Data Working
Group within the Chief Data Officer Council and (2) an Equity
Subcommittee within the Performance Improvement Officer
Council. This Working Group and Subcommittee would ensure
agencies confer with each other to develop and implement best
practices surrounding (1) the equitable collection and use of
data and (2) equitable provision of federal services,
respectively. The Equity in Agency Planning Act (H.R. 9610)
would require, among other things, that at least 20% of
agencies' performance goals relate to improving the equitable
provision of services to underserved individuals and
communities.
Deteriorating Conditions on Rikers Island. In September
2021, the Committee, along with the Committee on Civil Rights
and Civil Liberties and Committee Member Rep. Ocasio-Cortez,
launched an investigation into deteriorating conditions at
Rikers Island. On September 27, 2021, the Committee wrote to
then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and then-New York
Department of Corrections Commissioner Vincent Schiraldi,
requesting a briefing on the dangerous conditions facing staff
and incarcerated individuals at the Rikers Island Correctional
Facility.
On October 4, 2021, the Committee attended a briefing
conducted by then-Commissioner Schiraldi. The Commissioner
reported on the history of Rikers and how the conditions at
Rikers continued to worsen during the pandemic. The briefing
laid out the issues of overcrowding, the court delays during
the pandemic, and the plan to increase staffing.
On November 22, 2021, the Committee, in conjunction with
the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Rep.
Ocasio-Cortez, wrote to the five New York City District
Attorneys, requesting briefings on prosecutors' use of
excessive bail in New York and their plans to reduce the jail
population and improve the inhuman conditions at Rikers.
On April 8, 2022, the Committee, in conjunction with the
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Rep.
Ocasio-Cortez, wrote to the newly elected New York City Mayor,
Eric Adams, requesting an update on the plans to improve the
conditions on Rikers Island. The Committee focused on the
efforts to increase access to mental health treatment and
consider alternatives to incarceration.
On June 27, 2022, the Committee, in conjunction with the
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Rep.
Ocasio-Cortez, wrote to a newly established Rikers Island
Interagency Task Force, requesting a briefing on how the task
force is ensuring detained individuals receive the mental and
physical health services they need. The task force was created
in response to the deteriorating conditions at Rikers, and the
Committee is interested in an update on how the task force
plans to tackle these issues.
On October 21, 2022, the Committee, in conjunction with the
Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Rep.
Ocasio-Cortez, organized a bipartisan briefing with the Rikers
Island Interagency Task Force. During this briefing, the
Committee received information about the agencies within the
task force, the various efforts they are undertaking to improve
the deteriorating conditions at Rikers Island, and the action
plan to remedy these issues.
VII. GENDER EQUITY
LGBTQI+ Equity. On April 1, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney joined
other representatives in reintroducing a resolution that urges
nondiscriminatory and equitable blood and blood product
donation policies in the United States.
On January 13, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney wrote to Acting
Commissioner Janet Woodcock to urge FDA to reassess its blood
donation policy, which has the discriminatory effect of
preventing gay and bisexual men from safely donating blood.
On December 14, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney held a hearing
examining the rise of anti-LGBTQI+ extremism and violence in
the United States. The hearing featured testimony from
survivors of the Colorado Springs Club Q and Orlando Pulse
nightclub mass shootings.
Pay Equity. On January 28, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney and
other democratic leaders introduced the Comprehensive Paid
Leave for Federal Employees Act (H.R. 564). The bill would
grant all federal employees 12 weeks of unpaid leave relating
to personal illness, illness of a family member, or military
deployment. Federal workers currently receive 12 weeks of
unpaid leave over 12 months. Giving all workers paid leave
would help ensure that caretaking responsibilities do not
hinder career responsibilities for anyone.
On June 24, 2021, the Committee held a hearing on the
potential impact of the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal
Employees Act. The hearing examined how the proposal would
strengthen the federal workforce and create a national standard
for paid leave. On July 20, 2021, the Committee reported the
bill favorably.
On March 24, 2021, in honor of Equal Pay Day, the Committee
held a hearing to examine the economic harm cause by gender and
racial inequalities in pay.
On June 4, 2021, the Chairwoman hosted a roundtable in
recognition of Moms' Equal Pay Day. The roundtable addressed
the negative impact of the gender pay gap on women's economic
security, especially for women of color. It also explored ways
that Congress can work with the Biden administration to create
a family-friendly economy.
On July 21, 2021, Chairs Carolyn B. Maloney and Rosa
DeLauro, along with Rep. Doris Matsui, introduced a resolution
urging the U.S. women's national soccer team to pay its players
the same amount as their male counterparts (H. Res. 546).
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). On October 21, 2021, the
Committee held a hearing to mark the 50th anniversary of
Congress passing the ERA. The hearing examined the final steps
needed to certify and publish the ERA as the 28th Amendment to
the Constitution. Although the amendment had recently met the
constitutional requirements for ratification and certification,
a Trump Administration legal opinion advised the Archivist of
the United States not to certify the ERA.
On March 8, 2022, the Chairwoman wrote to both Senate
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell to urge the Senate to affirm the ERA as the 28th
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and schedule a vote on the
Senate floor for S.J. Res. 1, which would eliminate the time
limit for ratifying the ERA that is in the Amendment's
preamble.
On March 22, 2022, the Chairwoman wrote to Archivist of the
United States David Ferriero to share new legal analyses from
leading constitutional experts Laurence Tribe and former
Senator Russ Feingold, and to urge immediate certification and
publication of the ERA as the 28th Amendment. Both analyses
found that the ERA is currently a valid part of the United
States Constitution, and the Archivist was within his authority
to immediately certify and publish the ERA as the 28th
Amendment to the Constitution.
Menstrual Equity. On August 8, 2022, the Chairwoman wrote
to Comptroller General Dodaro and GAO to request a review of
menstrual products' accessibility and availability in the
United States. This review would inform future legislative
efforts to advance health and economic equity for people with
menstrual cycles in the United States.
Gender Equity in Student Athletics. On July 7, 2021,
following viral tweets showing the disparity between the
facilities provided to the men's and women's teams
participating in their respective March Madness tournaments,
the Chairwoman joined other representatives in sending a letter
to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
requesting information about the organization's disparate
treatment of athletes participating in men's and women's
sporting events.
In August 2021, after an internal report from the NCAA
revealed glaring gender inequities, the Committee requested a
briefing from the organization and information about prior
gender equity assessments. Members also asked for documents
relating to budgets and operations, media contracts, and
promotional efforts for that year's tournaments. The Committee
urged the NCAA to take action to address the disparities
identified in the report.
On March 14, 2022, the Chairwoman joined other
representatives in writing to NCAA President Mark Emmert
regarding the NCAA's inadequate progress in addressing
historically disparate treatment of men and women student
athletes. The letter detailed the NCAA's failure to take
meaningful steps to correct deficiencies identified by the
Committee and an outside review. In conjunction with this
letter, the Committee released internal NCAA documents
illustrating NCAA's response to the gender inequities that came
to light during the 2021 tournament.
National Football League (NFL). On October 21, 2021, the
Committee sent a letter to the NFL, launching an investigation
into allegations of a decades-long toxic workplace culture at
the Washington Commanders as well as the NFL's handling of an
internal investigation into the matter. The purpose of the
investigation was to understand how the NFL, with one of the
most prominent platforms in America, handles allegations of
widespread abuse in the workplace to help inform legislative
efforts to address toxic work environments and workplace
investigation processes; strengthen protections for women in
the workplace; and address the use of nondisclosure agreements
to prevent the disclosure of unlawful employment practices,
including sexual harassment.
During the investigation, the Committee requested documents
and information from the NFL and conducted five depositions and
two transcribed interviews with former Commanders employees.
The Committee also held a roundtable on February 3, 2022, and a
hearing on June 22, 2022. At the February 3, 2022, roundtable,
the Committee heard from six former Commanders employees
regarding the workplace misconduct they experienced while
employed by the Commanders, and efforts by Dan Snyder, the
owner of the franchise, to intimidate or silence them after
they spoke out against him. At the June 22, 2022, hearing, the
Committee heard from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding
the League's handling of its investigation into the Commanders
as well as the use of nondisclosure agreements and other
tactics in the League to conceal workplace misconduct.
On April 12, 2022, the Committee sent a referral letter to
the Federal Trade Commission detailing credible allegations of
Mr. Snyder's financial malfeasance. On June 22, 2022, the
Committee released a supplemental memorandum detailing efforts
by Mr. Snyder to target former employees and journalists who
spoke out against him during the NFL's internal investigation,
conduct his own ``shadow investigation'' into his accusers, and
present his findings to the NFL to deflect blame. On December
8, 2022, the Committee issued a staff report summarizing the
findings of its year-long investigation. The Committee's report
revealed decades-long misconduct by the owner of the Commanders
and the extent to which the NFL mishandled its internal
investigation into the team by entering into a secret common
interest agreement with the Commanders and failing to make
public the findings of the internal investigation.
On June 17, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney introduced H.R. 8146,
the Accountability for Workplace Misconduct Act, to prevent
employers' abuse of non-disclosure agreements that prevent
workers from speaking out about workplace misconduct. She also
introduced H.R. 8145, the Professional Images Protection Act,
to stop employers from taking, using, and disseminating images
of employees without their consent.
VIII. VOTING RIGHTS
Cyber Ninjas. On July 14, 2021, the Committee, in
collaboration with the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties, launched an investigation of the partisan and sham
post-election ``audit'' of the 2020 election results in
Maricopa County, Arizona. The Arizona State Senate launched the
``audit'' in April 2021 despite a clear, bipartisan consensus
among county officials and outside experts that the election
results were valid, that no significant fraud occurred, and
that the additional audit served no legitimate purpose. The
Arizona State Senate hired a group of unaccredited private
companies, led by Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based cybersecurity
company that is not accredited by the U.S. Election Assistance
Commission to test voting systems, to perform an additional
audit.
On July 14, 2021, the Committee and the Subcommittee on
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties sent a letter to Cyber Ninjas
CEO Doug Logan, detailing questions and concerns about Cyber
Ninjas' role in the highly unusual audit. The letter requested
nine categories of documents related to Cyber Ninjas' audit
procedures, funding sources, communications regarding the audit
with outside parties that may have exerted improper influence
on the company, and related issues.
On October 8, 2021, the Committee held a hearing titled
``Assessing the Election `Audit' in Arizona and Threats to
American Democracy.'' The hearing examined how, despite failing
to find any fraud, Cyber Ninjas' audit has already inflicted
grave damage to our democracy. Two elected Republican officials
from Maricopa County, Arizona, along with election law experts,
spoke about the dangers of this partisan audit and how it has
threatened the integrity of Arizona's elections, inspired
similar hyper-partisan audits in other states, and been used to
justify dangerous state election subversion laws.
Echomail. In March 2022, the Committee, in collaboration
with the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties,
launched an investigation of a partisan post-election ``audit''
of the 2020 election results in Otero County, New Mexico. The
``audit'' was inspired by unproven conspiracy theories about
fraud during the 2020 election. On March 16, 2022, the
Committee wrote to the CEO of Echomail, a company leading the
audit effort, and sought documents and information relating to
EchoMail's involvement in an ``audit'' and door-to-door voter
canvass of the 2020 federal election in Otero County, New
Mexico, including EchoMail's connection to the conspiracist
group New Mexico Audit Force (NMAF) that conducted the canvass.
On the same day, the Committee also sent a letter to
Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke of the Civil
Rights Division at DOJ calling on DOJ to review potential
ongoing civil rights violations arising from the canvass,
including the risk of intimidation of minority voters, and to
take any necessary steps to prevent further violations of
federal law.
On March 30, 2022, the Committee released new documents
obtained by the Committee that contradicted Echomail's claims
that it was not conducting any canvass or audit in Otero
County.
On May 5, 2022, Echomail cancelled its audit contract with
Otero County. However, inspired by the same conspiracy theories
that drove the ``audit,'' the Otero County Commission refused
to certify the results of their June 2022 primary election.
Only after the State Supreme Court ordered them to do so did
the Commission certify the election results.
Election Administration and Misinformation. On April 21,
2022, the Committee, in collaboration with the House
Administration Committee, sent letters to state organizations
of election officials in Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Texas--
states where election misinformation appeared to be having a
significant impact--requesting information about the effects of
misinformation and disinformation on their ability to
administer elections. The Committees also sought information on
how federal agencies could best assist local election officials
in combatting lies about election processes and results. The
investigation uncovered that coordinated campaigns of election
disinformation are disrupting the crucial work of local
election officials, subjecting these Americans to violent
threats, and overwhelming the limited resources available to
provide accurate information to voters and protect the
integrity of our democratic system.
On August 11, 2022, the Committee released a report
detailing the findings from the election officials' responses
and the earlier investigations into fraudulent audits. The
report detailed threats faced by local election officials and
indicated that strong federal leadership is needed to support
the state and local officials responsible for running our
elections, including the creation of a federal whole-of-
government plan to support state and local officials as they
counter election rumors and lies.
On the same day, the Committee held a virtual roundtable
with state officials and election experts to examine the
effects of the unprecedented increase in election lies
following the 2020 presidential election. The bipartisan panel
discussed how lies about the 2020 election promoted by former
President Donald Trump and his supporters have undermined
public confidence in our elections and driven an unprecedented
wave of threats against election officials.
On October 26, 2022, the Committee held a staff briefing
titled ``Voting Rights and Ongoing Threats to Election
Integrity.'' The briefing featured a panel of election experts
including Amber McReynolds, a member of the United States
Postal Service Board of Governors and Chair of its Election
Mail Committee; Natalie Adona, Assistant Clerk-Recorder for
Nevada County, CA; and Matt Crane, Executive Director of the
Colorado County Clerks Association. Staff engaged the panelists
in a discussion about insider threats to elections offices,
harassment and intimidation of election officials, and the
various security measures applicable to both in-person and
mail-in voting. Chairwoman Maloney also attended.
IX. IMMIGRATION
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In July 2019, the
Committee began investigating racist, sexist, and xenophobic
comments relating to immigrants and Members of Congress made by
employees of CBP in secret Facebook groups. Despite
unprecedented obstruction and stonewalling by CBP, the
Committee has received final disposition documents in 110
cases. In November 2020, the Committee issued a subpoena to CBP
for complete and unredacted copies of all documents related to
these internal investigations. In October 2022, the Committee
released a report showing that most CBP agents who committed
misconduct by posting offensive comments on a secret Facebook
page had their discipline significantly reduced and continue to
work with migrants. The report also made recommendations to
improve CBP's policies, training, and disciplinary process to
address these issues.
Critical Incident Teams. In January 2022, the Committee,
along with the Committee on Homeland Security, launched an
investigation into potential misconduct carried out by
specialized teams within CBP. On January 24, 2022, the
Committees wrote to CBP, seeking documents and information
related to Critical Incident Teams--specialized units within
CBP tasked with investigating and collecting evidence of
allegations of excessive and deadly use of force by Border
Patrol agents.
On the same day, the Committee, along with four other House
and Senate committees, wrote to GAO, requesting it conduct a
review of CBP's use of Critical Incident Teams along the
southwest border.
On May 6, 2022, DHS announced that it was disbanding the
Critical Incident Teams. Following the announcement, the
Oversight and Homeland Security Committees wrote to DHS and
requested a briefing on the plan and process for disbanding
these teams.
On September 28, 2022, CBP briefed staff of the two
Committees on the Department's progress in disbanding the
Critical Incident Teams and moving the function into DHS's
Office of Professional Responsibility.
Irwin County Detention Center. The Committee continued the
work began in the 116th Congress regarding allegations of
medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, and abuse at the Irwin
County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia. On September 21,
2020, the Committee, along with the Committee on Homeland
Security and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties, sent joint requests for records to ICE and LaSalle
Corrections--the private contractor that ran the detention
center--to assess the allegations. After LaSalle refused to
produce these documents voluntarily, the Committee on Homeland
Security issued a subpoena to compel production. LaSalle
eventually produced records to the Committees. In May 2021,
ICDC was shut down by DHS.
On December 6, 2021, the Committees wrote to DHS regarding
health and safety standards at DHS detention facilities and
requested a briefing on any internal review or referrals DHS
had made related to Dr. Mahendra Amin, who allegedly provided
unwanted medical treatment to female detainees at ICDC. The
Committees also asked to be briefed on the steps DHS was taking
to ensure that migrants receive appropriate medical care while
in DHS custody.
On December 3, 2021, the Committee also wrote to the
Georgia Composite Medical Board regarding the allegations
against Dr. Amin, referring the matter for investigation.
X. GUN VIOLENCE
Gun Trafficking and Crime Gun Tracing. In the 116th
Congress, the Committee launched an investigation into Federal
Firearm Licensees (FFLS)--also known as gun dealers--that sell
guns used in crimes. In the 117th Congress, the Committee
continued working to identify the most problematic FFLs in each
state and dealers who sold the most guns later used in crimes.
On April 28, 2022, the Committee released preliminary
findings from its investigation, showing that a small number of
gun dealers--particularly those in states with lax gun laws--
have sold thousands of guns used in violent crimes. The
Committee's findings, and the limitations of the data that the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has thus far released,
highlight the urgent need for more comprehensive and
transparent data on gun sales.
Gun Violence and Gun Safety Reform. In the 117th Congress,
the Committee has examined the root cause and devastating harm
of the gun violence epidemic and the need to pass commonsense,
popular gun safety legislation to curb gun violence.
On May 27, 2022, in the wake of devastating mass shootings
in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, both carried out with
AR-15-style rifles, the Committee sent letters to five leading
manufacturers of AR-15-style rifles for information related to
the manufacture, marketing, and sales of their weapons, to
understand how these guns are fueling the gun violence
epidemic, and to inform gun safety legislation to protect
Americans.
On June 8, 2022, the Committee held a hearing titled ``The
Urgent Need to Address the Gun Violence Epidemic'' with
survivors and impacted family members from the mass shootings
in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, as well as law
enforcement officials and gun violence experts. The hearing
examined the gun violence epidemic in the United States and
explored commonsense reforms to prevent further loss of life
from firearms.
On July 27, 2022, the Committee held a hearing titled
``Examining the Practices and Profits of Gun Manufacturers''
with chief executives of prominent firearms manufacturers
Daniel Defense and Sturm, Ruger, as well as gun safety experts
and advocates. The hearing examined the responsibility that the
firearm industry bears in the gun violence epidemic in the
United States and the steps Congress can take to hold
manufacturers accountable. The CEO of Smith & Wesson was also
invited to attend the hearing but declined to appear despite a
Smith & Wesson assault weapon being used in the Highland Park,
Illinois, shooting only weeks earlier.
On the same day, the Committee issued a supplemental
memorandum on the Committee's investigation into gun industry
practices and profits. The memorandum demonstrated that, based
on information obtained by the Committee, the five leading gun
companies investigated by the Committee collected more than $1
billion over the last decade from the sale of military-style
assault weapons to civilians, especially as gun violence and
mass shootings surged across the United States. The Committee
also found that the companies use disturbing sales tactics--
including marketing deadly weapons as a way for young men to
prove their masculinity and selling guns to mass shooters on
credit--while failing to take basic steps to monitor or
mitigate the violence their products unleash.
On August 2, 2022, the Committee issued a subpoena to Smith
& Wesson, demanding documents related to the company's
manufacture and sale of AR-15-style assault weapons, including
the company's internal communications around recent mass
shootings. The subpoena followed the Smith & Wesson CEO's
refusal to testify at the Committee's July 27, 2022, hearing
and the company's failure to voluntarily produce key
information about the company's sale of weapons of war.
On August 19, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney, informed by the
Committee's investigation, introduced legislation that seeks to
hold the firearm industry accountable for its dangerous
business practices and role in fueling America's gun violence
epidemic.
H.R. 8740, the Firearm Industry Crime and Trafficking
Accountability Act, would require firearm manufacturers to
create a monitoring system to track crimes committed with guns
they have sold. The bill would also mandate that those
manufacturers cease distributing weapons to a retailer when the
manufacturer has reason to believe that the guns sold by that
retailer are being trafficked or used for criminal purposes.
H.R. 8741, the Firearm Industry Fairness Act, would impose
a 20% tax on the total revenue of gun manufacturers who choose
to produce assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Funds
from this tax would be used to fund programs designed to
prevent gun violence and support victims of gun violence.
Health Care Costs of Gun Violence. On July 14, 2021, the
Chairwoman, Rep. Robin Kelly, and Rep. Cori Bush released a GAO
report that showed gun violence costs the U.S. health care
system more than $1 billion a year.
XI. CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY
McKinsey Conflicts of Interest. On November 5, 2021, the
Committee launched an investigation into McKinsey's business
practices and conflicts of interest. The Committee's
investigation found significant, decade-long conflicts of
interest stemming from McKinsey's simultaneous work for opioid
manufacturers and the federal government.
Documents obtained by the Committee showed that Purdue
Pharma explicitly tasked McKinsey with providing advice on how
to influence the regulatory decisions of FDA, another McKinsey
client. At least 22 McKinsey consultants, including senior
partners, worked for both FDA and opioid manufacturers on
related topics, including at the same time.
The Committee's investigation also uncovered significant
evidence that McKinsey sought to use its government connections
to solicit private sector business. In other cases, McKinsey
consultants sought to influence government officials, including
Trump Administration HHS Secretary Alex Azar, to advance the
interests of its undisclosed private sector opioid clients.
Despite these conflicts of interest, McKinsey failed to
disclose its opioid manufacturer clients and the work it
performed for them to FDA in apparent violation of federal law.
On April 13, 2022, the Committee released a 53-page staff
report detailing the extent of McKinsey's conflicts of
interests. Two weeks later, on April 27, 2022, the Committee
held a hearing with McKinsey Global Managing Partner Bob
Sternfels, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey,
Professor Jessica Tillipman of the George Washington University
Law School, and Uttam Dhillon of Michael Best & Friedrich,
examining both these conflicts and McKinsey's unethical
business practices on behalf of opioid manufacturers.
Since then, Chairwoman Maloney has sponsored two bills,
H.R. 7602 and H.R. 8325, to prevent conflicts of interest in
federal contracts and ensure government contractors serve the
American taxpayers, and not their own financial interests.
Inclined Baby Sleepers. In the 117th Congress, the
Committee continued the investigation it began in 2019 on
inclined sleepers linked to dozens of infant deaths and
injuries. In August 2019, the full Committee and the
Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy requested
documents from three companies responsible for recalled
inclined sleepers.
On June 7, 2021, the Committee held a hearing titled
``Sleeping Danger: The Rock 'n Play and Failures in Infant
Product Safety.'' The hearing included testimony from the CEO
of Mattel and the General Manager of Fisher Price, a subsidiary
of Mattel. The hearing examined dozens of infant deaths
associated with the Rock 'n Play Sleeper sold by Fisher-Price
and flaws in the U.S. consumer product safety system.
On the same day, the Committee released a report titled
``Infant Deaths in Inclined Sleepers: Fisher-Price's Rock 'n
Play Reveals Dangerous Flaws in U.S. Product Safety.'' The
report highlighted the Committee's investigation and the lack
of federal oversight that resulted in dozens of infant deaths
in inclined sleepers.
On May 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Safe
Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 (SSBA) (H.R. 3182), requiring that
``inclined sleepers for infants, regardless of the date of
manufacture, shall be considered a banned hazardous product''
under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
On September 1, 2022, the Committee, in collaboration with
the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, wrote to the
Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The
Committee requested information about CPSC's plans to protect
babies from all harmful inclined products.
XII. EXECUTIVE BRANCH ETHICS, TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND
PROCUREMENT
Hatch Act. In September 2020, the Committee called for the
Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate potential
violations of the Hatch Act by the Trump Administration during
the Republican National Convention. In response to the
Committee's request, OSC released findings that at least 13
senior Trump Administration officials broke the law and engaged
in a pattern of violating the Hatch Act, which is intended to
protect the government from political interference.
Federal Records and Transparency. The Committee
investigated a substantial backlog of veterans' records
requests at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), which
is part of NARA. The backlog at NPRC increased due to the
coronavirus pandemic and a reduced onsite workforce. Veterans
request their records to access crucial services, including
healthcare and housing. The Committee worked in conjunction
with NARA to reduce this backlog, including by introducing the
Access for Veterans to Records Act.
In May 2021, the Committee and the House Committee on
Veterans' Affairs sent a joint letter to DOD asking DOD to
prioritize NARA's request for assistance in organizing and
digitizing files at the NPRC. In June 2021, the Committee held
a bipartisan briefing on the backlog of veterans' records
requests and possible legislative solutions to address
challenges faced by NPRC. In July 2021, the Committee wrote to
NARA urging it to apply for funding through the TMF to help
clear the backlog of veterans' records requests by improving
its information technology systems. In May 2022, NARA was
awarded $9.1 million in TMF funding.
In July 2022, the Committee requested documents and
information from three veterans' records retrieval companies to
investigate whether these companies were misusing NPRC
emergency procedures to expedite requests while charging
veterans to obtain government records they are entitled to
receive at no cost. This was part of the Committee's long-
standing advocacy on behalf of veterans suffering from the NPRC
records request backlog.
Presidential Records and Transparency. The Committee
investigated the PRA violations committed by former President
Trump and White House officials. These violations included the
destruction of presidential records, removal of records from
the White House after the Trump Administration ended, and the
use of personal electronic devices and accounts to create
presidential records that were not preserved. The Committee
sent two letters to NARA in February 2022 requesting
information about the contents of boxes that NARA retrieved
from former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and inquiring
about former President Trump's compliance with the PRA.
In August 2022, the Committee requested a damage assessment
from the DNI after the FBI recovered classified information
from the former President's Mar-a-Lago estate. The Committee
also wrote to the Acting Archivist in September 2022 urging
NARA to assess missing presidential records and to seek
certification from former President Trump that he had
surrendered all presidential or classified records. NARA
confirmed in its response to the Committee that some
Presidential records still remain unaccounted for.
On November 7, 2022, the Committee introduced H.R. 9278,
the Presidential Records Certification Act of 2022, which would
require the President, Vice President, and covered White House
employees to individually certify compliance with the PRA
annually and upon leaving office.
On December 13, 2022, the Committee sent another letter to
the Acting Archivist urging NARA to conduct a review to
determine if former President Trump had retained any additional
presidential records at his storage facility in Florida or his
other properties.
Foreign Gifts. After the State Department revealed in April
2022 that it could not fully account for the foreign gifts
Trump Administration officials received during the final year
of the Trump Administration, the Committee opened an
investigation into former President Trump's failure to account
for gifts from foreign government officials while in office, as
required by the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act. The
Committee received thousands of pages of records from NARA and
GSA on gifts received by former President Trump and the First
Family.
Presidential Libraries. The Committee evaluated a proposal
by NARA to privatize portions of the George W. Bush
Presidential Library by reverting ownership and control of the
Bush Presidential Museum and education spaces from NARA to the
Bush Foundation. The Committee met with the historical
community and facilitated multiple meetings between Committee
staff, the Bush Foundation, and NARA to discuss the NARA
proposal and how the library would remain historically
objective if parts of it were controlled by the Bush
Foundation. The Bush Foundation and NARA developed a revised
proposal that committed to (1) including NARA and historians in
decisions about changes to the permanent exhibit gallery and
(2) incorporating signage in the museum that indicates which
spaces are overseen by NARA versus the Bush Foundation.
Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Committee, along with
the Committee on Veterans Affairs, investigated whether three
Mar-a-Lago members and associates of former President Trump who
reportedly advised the President on veterans' issues--Isaac
Perlmutter, Dr. Bruce Moskowitz, and Marc Sherman--constituted
an advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The Committee reviewed thousands of documents from these three
individuals and found that the ``Mar-a-Lago Trio'' violated the
Federal Advisory Committee Act and attempted to exert improper
influence over government employees and policies involving the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sole-Source Contractor's Profiteering. In December 2021, in
response to a report by DODIG, the Committee launched a new
phase of an investigation into whether TransDigm Group
Incorporated (TransDigm) and its subsidiaries abused their
position as a sole-source manufacturer of spare parts to charge
DOD exorbitant prices for essential components of military
aircraft. The investigation built off the Committee's previous
investigation into TransDigm's business practices in the 116th
Congress.
On January 19, 2022, the Committee held a hearing with
witnesses including Kevin Stein, TransDigm's CEO; Nicholas
Howley, TransDigm's founder and Chairman of the Board; John
Tenaglia, the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Principal Director, Defense Pricing
and Contracting; and Theresa S. Hull, Deputy Inspector General
of DODIG. On April 14, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney wrote a letter
with Senator Charles E. Grassley to TransDigm renewing the
Committee's call for the company to return excess profits to
the government and requesting additional documentation related
to TransDigm's government contracts.
The Committee also held a series of meetings with DOD to
better understand its acquisition and pricing practices for
sole-source contracts like TransDigm's. On June 21, 2022,
Chairwoman Maloney introduced the Fair Pricing with Cost
Transparency Act (H.R. 8161) to address flaws in DOD's pricing
of sole-source contracts uncovered in the investigation.
XIII. PRESIDENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND EMOLUMENTS
Mazars Subpoena. At the beginning of the 116th Congress,
the Oversight Committee launched several investigations of
former President Trump's unprecedented conflicts of interest,
inadequate financial disclosures, and violations of the
Emoluments Clause to determine the adequacy of existing laws
and perform related agency oversight. Documents produced to the
Committee raised questions about former President Trump's
representations on his financial statements and other forms,
including some prepared by his accounting firm Mazars USA LLP.
The Committee sought key financial documents from Mazars,
ultimately subpoenaing the firm. Former President Trump and his
businesses filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Mazars from
complying with the Committee's subpoena. On July 9, 2020, the
U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Trump v. Mazars USA,
LLP. The Court's opinion reaffirmed the principle that no one--
not even the President--is above the law and announced a new
standard for evaluating congressional subpoenas for the
President's personal information. The Supreme Court remanded
the case to the lower courts to apply the new standard.
On August 11, 2021, a district court ruling confirmed that
the Oversight Committee had ``facially valid legislative
purposes'' in seeking documents in this investigation and
upheld in part the Committee's subpoena for financial
information from President Trump and his businesses.
On July 8, 2022, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
ruled that the Committee is authorized to obtain certain
financial records and communications from former President
Trump and his business entities covered by the Committee's
subpoena. The Court held that former ``President Trump's
financial information would advance the Committee's
consideration of ethics reform legislation across all three of
its investigative tracks,'' including presidential ethics and
conflicts of interest, presidential financial disclosures, and
presidential adherence to Constitutional safeguards against
foreign interference and undue influence.
On September 1, 2022, the Committee reached an agreement to
settle the litigation. Under the agreement reached by the
Committee, former President Trump has agreed not to further
appeal the D.C. Circuit's ruling, and Mazars USA has agreed to
comply with the court's order and produce responsive documents
to the Committee as expeditiously as possible.
On November 14, 2022, the Committee released new documents
obtained from Mazars that revealed foreign governments--
including the governments of Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the
United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Turkey, and the People's
Republic of China--spent more money than previously known at
the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., and did so at sensitive
times for those countries' relations with the United States.
The Committee requested presidential records from NARA to
determine whether former President Trump distorted U.S. foreign
policy to serve his own financial interests at the expense of
the American people and in violation of his oath of office.
Old Post Office Building Lease and Trump Hotel. For the
past six years, the Committee has been investigating conflicts
of interest related to GSA's management of the hotel's lease.
Under the Trump Administration, GSA failed to substantially
comply with the Committee's requests. On July 9, 2021, GSA
finally produced requested documents.
On October 8, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Connolly,
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, sent a
letter to GSA detailing new concerns about former President
Trump's lease for the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., after
documents released by the Committee showed that he failed to
disclose at least $70 million in net losses, concealed debts
when bidding on the Old Post Office Building lease, and
received over $3.7 million in revenue from foreign governments.
On February 17, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Connolly,
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, sent a
letter to GSA urging the agency to consider terminating the Old
Post Office Building lease held by President Trump and the
Trump Organization after Mazars USA LLP--the longtime auditor
for the Trump Hotel--announced that it severed ties with the
Trump Organization and admitted that ten years' worth of
financial statements prepared for former President Trump were
unreliable. These revelations further corroborated the
Committee's finding that the financial information former
President Trump provided to GSA to secure the Old Post Office
Building lease appeared incomplete and misleading and contained
possible material misrepresentations.
On May 6, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. Connolly,
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, sent a
letter to CGI Merchant Group requesting information related to
the planned sale of the Trump Hotel. Although the Trump
Organization reported losing tens of millions of dollars since
the hotel opened in 2016, the sale price represented a
significant premium over market rates, according to some
experts, and reportedly stood as the most expensive hotel
transaction ever in Washington, D.C., on a per-room basis. The
Committee has not yet obtained the identities of all investors
funding this acquisition. The deal reportedly yielded the Trump
Organization a profit of $100 million, of which approximately
three quarters would flow to the former President.
Other Conflicts. The Committee also investigated Secret
Service spending at Trump-owned properties during former
President Trump's presidency. Despite repeated claims that the
former President would use his businesses to save the federal
government money, including representations from Eric Trump
that government employees traveling with former President Trump
``stay at our properties for free,'' documents obtained by the
Committee show that the Secret Service was charged rates in
excess of the government rate at least 40 times from January
20, 2017, to September 15, 2021. Records obtained by the
Committee show more than $1.4 million in Secret Service
spending at Trump-owned properties in the United States, but
this data does not appear to be complete.
On October 17, 2022, the Committee sent a letter to the
Secret Service requesting a full accounting of the Secret
Service's expenditures at Trump Organization properties.
The Committee also launched a bicameral investigation with
the Senate Committee on Finance into whether senior Trump
Administration officials traded on their government positions
for financial benefits from Middle Eastern governments. On
October 27, 2022, the Committee requested documents from the
Department of the Treasury concerning former Secretary Steven
T. Mnuchin's investment fund, Liberty, and whether post-
government investments from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth
funds influenced his actions while in office. On December 6,
2022, the Committee sent letters to the Departments of State
and Defense concerning Jared Kushner's conflicts of interest
relating to the 2017 Qatar blockade through his family's real
estate interests. The letters released new documents relating
to the Kushner family's business interests and requested
documents concerning Mr. Kushner's potential improper influence
on foreign policy.
B. Subcommittee on National Security
I. U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATIONS AGAINST AL QAEDA, THE ISLAMIC STATE
OF IRAQ AND SYRIA (ISIS), AND AFFILIATED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS
At the beginning of the 117th Congress and the start of
President Biden's term, the Biden Administration inherited an
agreement that the prior Administration had reached with the
Taliban, which established a May 1, 2021, deadline for the
withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. On
February 19, 2021, the National Security Subcommittee held a
hearing with the Afghanistan Study Group to examine their
findings and recommendations. On March 16, 2021, the
Subcommittee held a hearing with Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko, who testified
about his 2021 ``High-Risk List.''
On May 20, 2021, after President Biden announced that the
U.S. would withdraw from Afghanistan by September 2021, the
Subcommittee held a hearing with Special Representative for
Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad to examine the
implications of the withdrawal on U.S. national security and
future engagement in Afghanistan.
Following the withdrawal, on August 31, 2021, the Committee
on Oversight and Reform held a remote briefing with SIGAR
Sopko, and on September 22, 2021, the Committee received a
classified briefing from the Departments of State, DOD, and
Homeland Security, as well as the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence.
On December 7, 2021, the Subcommittee on National Security
held a hearing with representatives from DOD and the Department
of State to examine the worldwide threat posed by al Qaeda,
ISIS, and other foreign terrorist organizations. The hearing
was followed by a classified briefing from representatives of
the Department of State, DOD, and the National Counterterrorism
Center.
II. MILITARY READINESS
The Subcommittee on National Security continued its
oversight work in the 117th Congress to help ensure the health,
safety, and well-being of U.S. servicemembers, veterans, and
their families. On November 17, 2021, the Subcommittee held a
hearing to examine how DOD, the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), and community organizations are working to strengthen
mental health and curb the alarming rate of suicides among our
nation's military servicemembers and veterans. On July 13,
2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing to examine why fraudsters
and scammers disproportionately target servicemembers and
veterans compared to their civilian counterparts, and whether
additional actions are needed to protect the military community
from exploitation.
III. CYBER THREATS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
On July 27, 2021, the Subcommittee on National Security
held a hearing to examine U.S. government efforts to secure the
nation's electrical grid from cyber attacks, as well as whether
additional regulations and public-private partnerships are
needed to address vulnerabilities in U.S. electrical systems.
C. Subcommittee on Government Operations
I. FEDERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CYBERSECURITY POLICY
Federal Information Technology (IT) Acquisition Reform Act.
The Subcommittee held five hearings on FITARA on April 16,
2021; July 28, 2021; January 20, 2022; July 28, 2022; and
December 15, 2022. These hearings examined the implementation
of FITARA through the FITARA Scorecard, which the Subcommittee
uses to grade agencies based on their performance on FITARA-
related activities. The Scorecard is a tool for Congress, CIOs,
agency heads, and outside stakeholders to understand how
federal agencies perform in various IT-related categories and
for Congress to hold agencies accountable. FITARA oversight has
saved taxpayers $30 billion over roughly seven years.
The Subcommittee's FITARA hearings during the 117th
Congress focused on: (1) how federal agencies have developed
and improved their information technology security and
management since FITARA's December 2014 enactment; (2)
implementation of new metrics to ensure the Scorecard evolves
with technology changes and agency improvements; and (3)
consideration of additional new metrics for the Scorecard.
Technology Modernization Fund. In 2017, Congress enacted
the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act, authorizing
the TMF. The MGT Act tasked the TMF with using data-driven
methods to provide agencies with funding to upgrade inefficient
``legacy information technology systems.'' The goal is to
provide agencies with funding that can be spent over multiple
years to incentivize investments in more modern, nimble IT
systems, therefore enabling quicker, more secure, and more
efficient service delivery to the American public. These
investments, if properly planned for and scoped, can help
agencies better execute their missions and serve stakeholders.
Since its inception, Congress has provided the TMF a total
of $1.175 billion, including an unprecedented $1 billion
Chairman Connolly helped secure in the American Rescue Plan.
On May 25, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled
``Technology Modernization Fund: Rewriting Our IT Legacy.''
This hearing highlighted the TMF's success in providing the
funding agencies need to replace outdated and unsupported IT
systems. It also explored how the Subcommittee can continue to
support the effective implementation of the TMF and the most
effective use of the $1 billion investment.
Additional IT Work. On June 30, 2021, the Subcommittee held
a hearing titled ``Catalyst for Change: State and Local IT
After the Pandemic,'' which focused on how the pandemic exposed
gaps in state and local government IT functionality. This
hearing addressed topics including (1) difficulty accessing
unemployment insurance and other benefits and (2) ransomware
attacks on state and local governments. The hearing also
focused on potential bipartisan solutions to state and local IT
concerns.
On September 16, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing
titled ``Project Federal Information Technology: Make IT
Work.'' At this hearing, Federal CIO Clare Martorana offered
her vision on (1) scaling IT modernization across the federal
enterprise and (2) how the Administration will work with
Congress to adopt new cybersecurity oversight metrics that
further ensure agencies will employ best cyber practices.
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program
(FedRAMP). Chairman Connolly introduced the FedRAMP
Authorization Act (H.R. 21) on January 4, 2021, and the House
passed this legislation the next day. FedRAMP provides a
standardized approach for security assessments of cloud
technology and aims to accelerate the adoption of modern and
secure cloud solutions across the federal government.
The House included FedRAMP in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023. On
September 29, 2022, the House again passed an updated version
of FedRAMP on a suspension vote. This version of the bill
included consensus language negotiated with the Administration
and the Senate. An identical version of this language passed
the Senate as part of S. 3600, the Strengthening American
Cybersecurity Act of 2022. The Subcommittee's September 16,
2022, hearing, ``Project Federal Information Technology: Make
IT Work,'' also highlighted these FedRAMP successes.
Congress enacted FedRAMP as part of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.
II. PREVENTING A PATRONAGE SYSTEM IN THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
On October 21, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order
13957, which attempted to classify a large number of federal
civil servants as ``Schedule F'' employees, effectively
removing their civil service protections and allowing a
President to unilaterally remove individuals from federal
service if they proved disloyal.
Although one of President Biden's first actions as
President was to repeal Trump's ``Schedule F'' executive order,
any future President could attempt to grant themselves the
authority envisioned in Executive Order 13957.
For this reason, on January 13, 2022, Chairman Connolly
introduced the Preventing a Patronage System Act (H.R. 302).
The bill would require Congress to approve the creation of any
new excepted service position. Specifically, it would (1)
prevent any position in the competitive service from being
reclassified to an excepted service schedule, (2) limit federal
employee reclassifications to the five excepted service
schedules in use prior to fiscal year 2021, and (3) block any
reclassifications of federal employees to ``Schedule F.''
H.R. 302 was included as Section XXIII of the Protecting
Our Democracy Act (H.R. 5314) and was adopted as an amendment
to the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2023 (H.R. 7900). The House passed H.R. 302 on
September 15, 2022, and the bill was referred to the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in the Senate on
September 19, 2022. The provision was also included in the
House-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2023.
III. WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY (WMATA)
On February 9, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing on its
continued oversight of WMATA. This hearing shed light on
serious funding, operational, and safety concerns plaguing
WMATA. These concerns included inaccurate track inspection
reports, the failure to document or investigate more than 3,000
criminal complaints from riders, and a defect found on 60
percent of the system's railcar fleet that was allowed to
languish for four years. To counter these challenges, Chairman
Connolly sponsored the Metro Accountability and Investment Act
(H.R. 694), which reauthorized $150 million in annual dedicated
federal capital funding for Metro through 2030 in exchange for
improvements to the WMATA OIG. Congress included Chairman
Connolly's provision in the bipartisan Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).
At the February 9, 2022, hearing, the Subcommittee heard
testimony from the CEO of WMATA, the CEO of the Washington
Metrorail Safety Commission, the Chair of WMATA's Board of
Directors, and the WMATA IG. The hearing highlighted the need
to continue trends of improvement and take additional steps to
increase ridership and improve safety.
The Chairman's efforts led to the inclusion of dedicated
funding for WMATA in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act, providing $150 million annually to WMATA--with funding
specifically dedicated to the Inspector General for improved
oversight of the public transit entity's operations and
performance.
IV. SUPPORT FOR THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
In addition to its work to preserve merit system principles
across federal government, the Subcommittee led efforts to
explore and define the ideal characteristics of post-pandemic
federal service. The Subcommittee held three hearings, a
virtual roundtable, and a briefing exploring federal service
during and after the pandemic. Chairman Connolly also led
efforts to ensure federal pay rates kept pace with rising
inflation and comparable private sector jobs with his FAIR Act
(H.R. 392 for 2021; H.R. 6398 for 2022). In 2021, for example,
the Chairman championed efforts for a 2.7% pay increase. For
2022, Chairman Connolly successfully fought for the largest pay
increase for federal employees in at least 20 years: at least
4.6% on average for federal employees.
On February 23, 2021, the Subcommittee held a hearing
titled ``Revitalizing the Federal Workforce,'' which examined
the damage done to the federal workforce after four years of
the Trump Administration's efforts to (1) replace career
professionals with partisan operators, (2) attack collective
bargaining rights, and (3) degrade the independence of the
competitive civil service. The hearing highlighted the success
of telework in ensuring the federal government performed its
mission throughout the pandemic and thanked federal employees
who could not telework and risked their well-being each day
serving the nation.
On May 26, 2021, the Subcommittee held a virtual roundtable
for industry partners to discuss the current state of the
security clearance process for government employees and
contractors. Participants discussed (1) the successes that DSCA
has had in improving its background check process over the last
two years, (2) the upcoming transition to Workforce 2.0, and
(3) the remaining difficulties in getting workers and
contractors through the security clearance process, and how
those delays affect their business.
On October 4, 2021, Chairman Connolly hosted a briefing
with OPM Director Kiran A. Ahuja at George Mason University to
discuss on how the federal government can attract the next
generation of public servants.
The Subcommittee also led two hearings on the ``Future of
Federal Work.'' The first, on December 1, 2021, examined the
federal government's recruitment and hiring policies and
explored strategies to help build the next generation of public
servants. With just 7% of the federal civilian employees under
the page of 30 and potentially one-third of employees eligible
to retire in the next several years, the federal workforce is
facing a ``Retirement Tsunami.''
To avoid this fate, Chairman Connolly introduced the
NextGenFeds Act (H.R. 6014), which would leverage federal
internships to build a robust cadre of early-career talent that
reflects this nation. On May 11, 2022, the Committee on
Oversight and Reform favorably reported the bill.
On July 21, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled
``The Future of Federal Work II.'' This hearing followed more
than two years of strain on the federal workforce prompted by
the pandemic. The hearing explored what the government did
right and what could be improved to ensure that the well-being
and resilience of our workforce are at the forefront of all
future policies.
At the hearing, Chairman Connolly announced his
introduction of the Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal
Workplaces Act of 2022 (H.R. 8466). The bill would require
agencies to plan for future public health emergencies and
ensures employees are made aware of their responsibilities and
rights should a future health emergency occur. The bill passed
the House on September 29, 2022.
First Responder Fair RETIRE Act. Chairman Connolly's First
Responder Fair RETIRE Act, signed into law on December 9, 2022,
addresses harsh inequities that prevented federal law
enforcement from securing retirement benefits they earned.
Federal firefighters and law enforcement officers put their
lives on the line for their fellow Americans every day. Given
the hazardous nature of federal first responders' jobs,
Congress created an accelerated retirement system for these
positions and established a mandatory retirement age of 57.
Referred to as ``6c'' for the section of the law in which this
retirement system was established, federal first responders are
entitled to an annuity after serving for 20 years and reaching
age 50. They pay a greater percentage of their salary into
their retirement system, and their annuity amount is calculated
at a higher rate than other federal employees who make their
payments over the course of 30 years.
Unfortunately, not all federal first responders are able to
complete their 20 years of service. In cases where federal
first responders become injured and are no longer able to
complete the essential functions of their jobs, they may be
placed in a civil service position that is not eligible for 6c
benefits. When this happens, the federal first responder is
transferred to the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS)
and loses the eligibility to retire after 20 years of service.
Additionally, the employee is not reimbursed for the higher
contributions he or she made while under the 6c retirement
system. The years of service are credited as if the federal
first responder had been in the normal 30-year system and the
federal government keeps the overpayments.
The First Responder Fair RETIRE Act allows federal first
responders to stay in the 6c retirement system if they are
placed in a position outside of that system after returning to
work from a duty-related injury. The bill also allows these
employees to receive a refund of their accelerated
contributions should they be separated from service before they
are entitled to an annuity.
Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act. On
April 4, 2022, Chairman Connolly introduced the Honoring Civil
Servants Killed in the Line of Duty Act (H.R. 7376), an amended
version of a Senate companion bill. This legislation would set
a required standard death gratuity payment at $100,000 plus
$8,800 for funeral expenses, with adjustments for inflation,
for civil service employees who are killed in the line of duty
or die because of an injury sustained at work.
V. RESTORING THE INDEPENDENCE OF INSPECTORS GENERAL
During his time in office, former President Trump took
actions that threatened the independence of agency IGs. He
removed and replaced IGs who criticized his actions, policies,
or associates--at times seizing on legal loopholes to dismiss
them. He also nominated political loyalists and campaign donors
with no auditing or investigations experience to vacant IG
positions or assigned them to ``acting'' IG roles when they had
clear conflicting interests. He left some agencies without a
permanent IG for years.
Within the span of a few weeks during the spring and early
summer of former President Trump's final year in office, and as
a pandemic swept across the nation, he fired two permanent IGs
and replaced three acting IGs. Good government groups and
others claimed these firings were politically motivated.
In response to these issues, on April 20, 2021, the
Subcommittee held a hearing titled ``Restoring Independence:
Rebuilding the Federal Offices of Inspectors General.'' This
hearing explored how the Trump Administration damaged the
federal IG community, and how Congress could help restore and
rebuild it.
In addition, Chairman Connolly introduced three bills
related to federal IGs. On February 18, 2022, Chairman Connolly
introduced the Special Inspector General for Law Enforcement
Act (H.R. 6762). This bill would establish the Office of the
Special Inspector General for Law Enforcement to investigate
``racial profiling, officer misconduct, use of force, use of
deadly force, or pattern or practice of unconstitutional
misconduct involving Federal law enforcement.''
On April 20, 2021, Chairman Connolly introduced the
Integrity Committee Transparency Act (H.R. 2681). The bill
passed out of Committee as an amendment to the IG Independence
and Empowerment Act (H.R. 2662). This bill would (1) create
more stringent reporting requirements from the Integrity
Committee (IC) to Congress and Inspectors General (IGs); (2)
require the IC Chairperson to report immediately to an IG if
the IC becomes aware of any particularly serious or flagrant
problems, abuses, or deficiencies in the IG's office; and (3)
require the affected IG to transmit that report to Congress
within seven days. The bill would also expand the membership of
the IC to include a former IG. Congress enacted this bill into
law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2023.
On June 24, 2021, Chairman Connolly introduced the Keep the
Watchdogs Running Act (H.R. 4125). This bill would grant
authority to federal Offices of the Inspector General to
continue operating at the previously appropriated level during
lapses in appropriations--for instance, during government
shutdowns. On May 19, 2021, Chairman Connolly introduced the
Enhanced Whistleblower Engagement Act (H.R. 3338), which would
amend the IG Act of 1978 to require OIG employees to receive
whistleblower training and require the designated whistleblower
coordinator to facilitate communication on whistleblower issues
with the IG. The bill would also require CIGIE to identify best
practices to promote timely and appropriate handling of alleged
reprisals within an office of inspector general.
VI. IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE POSTAL SERVICE
Under the leadership of Postmaster General DeJoy, the
Postal Service made substantial operational changes to mail and
package delivery without consulting customers, disrupting
critical delivery services during a pandemic and a presidential
election with unprecedented mail-in ballots. Among the crowning
achievements in this space was Chairman Connolly's leadership
role in enactment of the Postal Service Reform Act.
During fiscal years 2020 and 2021, mail delivery services
across the United States plummeted. While on-time delivery
rates have improved nationwide, some of this improvement is the
result of new service standards that extend delivery targets,
making it easier for the Postal Service to meet the standards.
In addition, mail theft has emerged as a rampant problem in
the Philadelphia area and nationwide in recent years. The
Subcommittee is working with the Postal Service and GAO to
ensure the Postal Police Officer force is equipped and
authorized to fight postal crimes regardless of where they are
perpetrated.
The Subcommittee held three field hearings that focused on
postal issues in three geographic areas: (1) ``Waiting on the
Mail: Postal Service Standard Drops in Chicago and the
Surrounding Area,'' held on October 15, 2021; (2) ``Waiting on
the Mail: Postal Service Standard Drops in Baltimore and the
Surrounding Area,'' held on February 14, 2022; and (3)
``Delivering for Pennsylvania: Examining Postal Service
Delivery and Operations from the Cradle of Liberty,'' held on
September 7, 2022.
On November 16, 2022, the Subcommittee held a fourth Postal
Service hearing examining whether the Postal Service was
prepared for peak season, which runs from November through mid-
January of each year. During the past four years, on-time
delivery performance for both packages and mail dropped during
the first quarter of the fiscal year (October to December).
Increases in mail volume and inclement weather events caused
this drop in on-time delivery rates. In 2021, between
Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve (a portion of the first quarter
of fiscal year 2022), the Postal Service processed 13.2 billion
pieces of mail, packages, and cards. The Postal Service
processed 12.6% more mail during the first fiscal quarter of
2022 than in the fourth quarter of 2021. This increase in
volume places additional strain on the Postal Service's
workforce and logistics network.
On September 9, 2022, Chairman Connolly introduced the
Ensuring Accurate Postal Rates Act (H.R. 8781), which seeks to
have the Postal Regulatory Commission re-examine whether the
positive effects of the Postal Service Reform Act, coupled with
increased package sales during the pandemic, warrant removal of
current authorities allowing Postal Service leadership to raise
rates above the Consumer Price Index.
Chairman Connolly led efforts to electrify the Postal
Service's vehicle fleet. The Postal Service currently owns and
operates one of the world's largest civilian vehicle fleets,
composed of more than 228,000 vehicles. Over 140,000 of these
vehicles are decades old, average only ten miles per gallon,
and have reached the end of their 24-year operational lifespan.
Maintaining these aging vehicles comes at a high environmental
and financial cost--the Postal Service spends $2 billion and
over 30,000 hours per year on delivery vehicle maintenance, and
in Fiscal Year 2019, fuel costs alone for these vehicles
totaled $491 million. Many of these vehicles also pose risks to
the frontline workers who drive them. They lack airbags and
antilock brakes, and there have been numerous accounts of these
vehicles catching fire.
In May 2021, Chairman Connolly joined Chairwoman Maloney to
lead 53 members of Congress in writing to President Biden to
support his plan to acquire only ``clean and zero-emission
vehicles'' for the entire federal fleet, including the Postal
Service Fleet. In February 2022, Chairman Connolly and his
fellow leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment
Coalition (SEEC) sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis
DeJoy to oppose the Postal Service's procurement plan that
would have moved forward with the purchase of an almost-
exclusively gas-powered fleet. In March 2022, Chairman Connolly
introduced the Green Postal Service Fleet Act to prohibit the
Postal Service from carrying out any purchase of a new fleet of
delivery vehicles unless 75 percent of the new vehicles are
electric or otherwise emissions-free. Chairman Connolly
introduced the legislation after the Postal Service finalized a
contract with Oshkosh Defense for the purchase of a new, almost
entirely gas-powered fleet of delivery vehicles, despite
President Biden's clear and stated goal of electrifying the
federal fleet. In March 2022, Chairman Connolly also joined
Chairwoman Maloney and Reps. Lynch, Lawrence, and Huffman to
request that the Postal Service Office of Inspector General
investigate the Postal Service's compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act, particularly the filing of the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Next Generation
Delivery Vehicle (NGDV).
On December 20, 2022, the Postal Service announced it would
purchase 66,000 electric vehicles, ensuring that 75% of its
NGDV fleet will be electric vehicles. The Postal Service
investment--which matches the requirements of the Green Postal
Service Fleet Act--includes $3 billion in funding from the
Inflation Reduction Act, which Chairman Connolly helped secure.
VII. IMPROPER PAYMENTS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee conducted
oversight work to understand and reduce improper payments made
by the federal government. On March 31, 2022, the Subcommittee
held a hearing titled ``Follow the Money: Tackling Improper
Payments.'' This hearing examined the causes of improper
payments and explored solutions for reducing them. For fiscal
year 2021, 86 high-risk federal programs paid $281 billion
dollars, or 7.2% of their total outlays, in improper payments.
Chairman Connolly later introduced the STOP Fraud Act (H.R.
8322), which would require agencies to adopt and employ
analytics to combat fraud before it occurs. The Committee on
Oversight and Reform reported the bill favorably on July 20,
2022.
VIII. INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) OVERSIGHT
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee oversaw the
IRS's work to ensure that IRS could serve the American public
despite prior challenges. On April 21, 2022, the Subcommittee
held a hearing titled ``IRS: Is It Ready?'' This hearing
examined how the IRS could make it through the 2022 tax season
despite years of neglect from Congress and a massive backlog
from the previous season. Chairman Connolly recommended
supporting an $80 billion investment in the IRS and the
Streamlining IRS Operations Act (H.R. 7428), which he sponsored
with Rep. Katie Porter. Andrew Cohen, Congressional Affairs
Advisor at IRS, said that this hearing was essential in
securing $80 billion in funding for the IRS in the Inflation
Reduction Act.
In addition, shortly after the hearing, the IRS announced
plans to implement automated scanning technology to expedite
the manual processing of mailed-in tax forms. Chairman Connolly
repeatedly called for IRS to implement this scanning technology
throughout the hearing.
IX. PEACEFUL TRANSITIONS OF POWER
Until the transition of President Trump to President Biden,
the United States had experienced 36 peaceful transitions
following presidential elections. The peaceful transfer of
power is critical to the success of American democracy. To
promote that, Congress passed the Presidential Transition Act
of 1963 (PTA).
The PTA requires GSA to financially support transition
activities and provide office space and other core support
services to the president-elect and vice president-elect. For
purposes of the PTA, ``President-elect'' and ``Vice-President-
elect'' are defined as ``the apparent successful candidates for
the office of President and Vice-President, respectively, as
ascertained by the GSA Administrator following the general
elections.''
On November 9, 2020, President Trump instructed leaders of
federal agencies not to recognize Biden's victory and to block
cooperation with President-elect Biden's transition team.
At the direction of President Trump, GSA Administrator
Emily Murphy withheld for 20 days a decision to ``ascertain''
that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were ``the apparent successful
candidates.'' GSA's delay denied the Biden transition team
access to the PTA's funding and designated office space that
Congress intended. Murphy's delay also obstructed the
activities of transition, which include the vetting of
individuals for the new administration and the receipt of
briefings from the outgoing administration. These delays could
pose challenges and prompt unnecessary delays for the incoming
administration.
Chairman Connolly led multiple efforts that led
Administrator Murphy to ascertain that President Biden won the
election, including drafting multiple letters and holding a
hearing on the subject in the 116th Congress. In the 117th
Congress, Chairman Connolly led efforts to draft legislation
that would permit more than one slate of candidates for
president and vice president to have access to materials and
individuals that ensure an effective transition. Provisions
that support this change to the Administrator's ministerial
duties were in the omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year
2023.
X. GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, GENERALLY
In April 2021, Chairman Connolly introduced the Performance
Enhancement Reform Act (H.R. 2617) (PERA). Current law requires
federal agency Chief Human Capital Officers to develop a
performance plan each year that defines the agency's mission,
summarizes strategic goals and objectives, and identifies
strategies to achieve them. Agencies use the plan to align
resources and guide decision-making to accomplish priorities
and improve outcomes. These performance plans should support
planning across organizational operating units and describe how
agency components are working toward common results and serving
the public.
PERA was included in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2023 and would require agencies to integrate IT
modernization and evidence metrics more effectively into their
performance plans, leading to stronger outcomes for American
taxpayers. The amendment would also remedy a gap in expertise
by requiring agencies' Performance Improvement Officers to work
in consultation with the Chief Human Capital Officer, the CIO,
the Chief Data Officer, and the Chief Financial Officer to
prepare the annual performance plans. The amendment would also
require agency performance plans to include descriptions of
human capital, training, data and evidence, information
technology, and skill sets needed for the agency to meet the
agency's performance goals. Finally, the amendment would
require performance plans to include descriptions of technology
modernization investments, system upgrades, staff technology
skills and expertise, stakeholder input and feedback, and other
resources and strategies needed to meet the agency's
performance goals.
D. Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy
I. YOUTH E-CIGARETTE EPIDEMIC AND FLAVORED CIGARETTES
During the 116th Congress, the Subcommittee led
congressional oversight of the youth e-cigarette epidemic and
the role of JUUL, an e-cigarette manufacturer, in creating it.
By the end of the 116th Congress, the investigation--then
lasting 18 months--had drastically altered the e-cigarette
landscape and forced significant changes to the industry's
troubling practices. Oversight of the e-cigarette industry,
FDA's regulatory response, and related tobacco concerns
continued in the 117th Congress.
On February 17, 2021, the Subcommittee sent letters to 20
e-cigarette companies requesting documents and information
regarding sales of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS),
including e-cigarettes and e-liquids. Between January 15 and
February 12, 2021, all 20 companies had received warning
letters from FDA accusing the companies of manufacturing and
selling ENDS products without the required marketing order.
On March 3, 2021, the Subcommittee sent a letter to FDA to
alert the agency that Puff Bar--a leading e-cigarette company--
had resumed its sale of e-cigarettes, claiming to have
reformulated its products using synthetic nicotine instead of
tobacco to avoid FDA regulation.
On April 21, 2021, the Subcommittee sent a letter to FDA
calling for a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes to protect
public health and in light of racial equity concerns. On April
29, 2021, Chairman Krishnamoorthi issued a statement applauding
FDA's announcement that it would ban the sale of menthol-
flavored cigarettes.
On June 17, 2021, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled
``An Epidemic Continues: Youth Vaping in America,'' during
which Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock agreed that: (i)
flavored e-cigarettes are dangerous to the public health
because they attract kids, and that if any flavors are left on
the market, kids will flock to them; (ii) menthol makes e-
cigarettes more addictive; (iii) high-nicotine e-cigarettes are
dangerous because they lead to youth addiction; and (iv) JUUL
is responsible for the youth vaping epidemic.
On August 31, 2021, Chairman Krishnamoorthi issued a
statement applauding FDA's decision to ban the sale of certain
flavored e-cigarettes but called on FDA to include menthol
among the banned flavors.
On September 10, 2021, the Subcommittee sent FDA a letter
expressing deep concern about its failure to meet the September
9, 2021, deadline to rule on whether e-cigarette brands could
stay on the market. Following this failure, FDA agreed to a
weekly call with Subcommittee staff to explain the steps that
FDA is taking to regulate e-cigarettes. These weekly calls are
ongoing.
On October 12, 2021, Chairman Krishnamoorthi issued a
statement condemning FDA's decision to allow continued sales of
R.J. Reynolds' high-nicotine Vuse e-cigarettes.
On November 18, 2021, the Subcommittee sent letters to both
Next Generation Labs LLC and Puff Bar--two companies that
manufacture or sell synthetic nicotine products--requesting
information about the companies and their sale of the products,
which were unregulated by FDA. Next Generation Labs had claimed
to be ``the market leader'' in the production and sale of
synthetic nicotine, and Puff Bar, which claimed to have
reformulated its products with synthetic nicotine after it was
found to be in violation of law, had been called the favorite
e-cigarette brand among teens and children.
On December 6, 2021, the Subcommittee sent a letter to FDA
requesting information about the agency's progress in reviewing
the premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) from e-
cigarette manufacturers to determine whether the agency was
exercising its full authority to protect children from harmful
e-cigarette products after it missed the September 9, 2021,
court-ordered deadline to rule on all PMTA applications.
On June 23, 2022, Chairman Krishnamoorthi applauded FDA's
decision to deny JUUL's PMTAs. In announcing its decision, FDA
declared that JUUL's devices do not meet the agency's public
health standards and ``may have played a disproportionate role
in the rise of youth vaping.'' On July 7, 2022, FDA reversed
course, allowing JUUL to remain on the market pending its
review of ``additional information.''
On July 13, 2022, following a new federal law taking effect
in April 2022 clarifying FDA's authority to regulate synthetic
nicotine, FDA issued its first two warning letters to
manufacturers for unlawfully marketing non-tobacco nicotine e-
liquid products without the required authorization. FDA also
announced that it had issued 107 warning letters to retailers
for illegally selling non-tobacco nicotine products, including
certain e-cigarette or e-liquid products, to underage
purchasers.
On October 6, 2022, FDA and Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention released the results of the annual National Youth
Tobacco Survey, showing that nearly 2.5 million middle and high
school students report using e-cigarettes. FDA also announced
that it had issued a warning letter to EVO Brands LLC and PVG2,
LLC, doing business as Puff Bar, for receiving and delivering
e-cigarettes in the U.S. without a marketing authorization
order. The agency also announced that it had issued marketing
denial orders (MDO) for applications submitted by Magellan
Technology Inc. for its Hyde e-cigarettes. Following the
release of the new federal data and the updated enforcement
actions, Chairman Krishnamoorthi recognized the steps that FDA
had taken but called on FDA to act more quickly to protect
American youth from the harms of e-cigarettes.
On October 14, 2022, as a result of continued oversight
from the Subcommittee, FDA announced that it had completed the
initial review of 95% of the synthetic nicotine product
applications submitted on May 14, 2022, to determine whether
they meet the minimum requirements to be accepted for further
review. This review resulted in: (i) the issuance of 889,000
Refuse to Accept (RTA) decisions on applications that did not
meet the criteria for acceptance; and (ii) the acceptance of
1,600 applications, with the vast majority being for e-
cigarette or e-liquid products. On October 18, 2022, FDA
announced that DOJ, acting on its behalf, had filed complaints
for permanent injunctions in federal district courts against
six e-cigarette manufacturers--the first time FDA has initiated
injunction proceedings to enforce the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act's premarket review requirements for new tobacco
products.
On October 26, 2022, FDA announced that it had issued an
MDO for Logic e-cigarette products containing menthol
flavoring, following a full scientific review from FDA that
determined they did not meet requisite public health standards.
To date, the Subcommittee's work has already forced major
changes to troubling e-cigarette industry practices and
fundamentally altered the e-cigarette landscape for the better.
II. TOXIC HEAVY METALS IN BABY FOODS
On November 6, 2019, during the 116th Congress, the
Subcommittee launched an investigation into reports of high
levels of toxic heavy metals in baby foods. The Subcommittee
requested internal documents and test results from seven of the
largest manufacturers of baby food in the United States,
including makers of both organic and conventional products.
Four of the seven companies cooperated with the Subcommittee's
investigation, providing internal testing policies, test
results for ingredients and finished products, and
documentation about what the companies did with ingredients and
finished products that contained heavy metals in amounts that
exceeded their internal testing limits.
On February 4, 2021, at the start of the 117th Congress,
the Subcommittee released a staff report on the issue titled
``Baby Foods are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic,
Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury.'' The report found, among other
things, that (i) according to internal company documents and
test results obtained by the Subcommittee, commercial baby
foods are tainted with significant levels of toxic heavy
metals, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury; (ii)
internal company standards permit dangerously high levels of
toxic heavy metals, and documents revealed that the
manufacturers have often sold foods that exceeded those levels;
and (iii) the Trump Administration ignored a secret industry
presentation to federal regulators revealing increased risks of
toxic heavy metals in baby foods.
On March 5, 2021, FDA announced its intention to reduce
toxic heavy metals in baby food, specifically noting the
findings of the Subcommittee's staff report. On March 26, 2021,
Chairman Krishnamoorthi led the introduction in the House of
the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021 (H.R. 2229), bicameral
legislation that would dramatically reduce toxic heavy metals
in baby foods.
On April 8, 2021, in response to the introduction of the
legislation, FDA announced its ``Closer to Zero'' Campaign,
setting timelines for regulating toxic heavy metals in foods
consumed by babies and young children. The campaign includes
three phases:
Phase 1 (scheduled for April 2021 to April
2022): FDA provided draft action levels for lead in
juice. FDA is still seeking data and other information
from stakeholders before finalizing these action
levels.
Phase 2 (scheduled for April 2022 to April
2024): FDA is engaging with stakeholders to help
develop action levels for cadmium, mercury, and arsenic
while also finalizing action levels for lead.
Phase 3 (scheduled to begin in April 2024;
no definite end date): FDA will continue to work on
action levels for cadmium and mercury and plans to
finalize action levels for arsenic. During Phase 3, FDA
will also engage in monitoring that may include
enforcement and will reassess whether any action levels
should be adjusted downward.
On September 29, 2021, the Subcommittee released a second
staff report providing additional information about high levels
of toxic heavy metals in baby foods and the industry's failure
to end harmful practices that allow this contamination to
occur. On October 8, 2021, in response to this second staff
report, Walmart announced a voluntary recall of certain batches
of its baby foods.
In June 2022, Subcommittee Staff participated in a
teleconference with FDA concerning progress on their Closer to
Zero Campaign. Staff exchanges between the Subcommittee and FDA
remain ongoing, and the Subcommittee continues to press FDA to
increase its pacing for the Closer to Zero plan.
III. ORGAN PROCUREMENT INDUSTRY CONCERNS
On December 23, 2020, during the 116th Congress, the
Subcommittee launched an investigation into the organ donation
and transplant system in the United States following public
reports of mismanagement in the organ procurement system. On
May 4, 2021, the Subcommittee held a bipartisan hearing on
needed reforms in the organ transplant industry, finding that
many people die every year waiting for organs and that organ
procurement organizations (OPOs)--geographically organized
entities tasked with securing organs for transplant by
identifying eligible donors and recovering organs from deceased
donors across the United States that account for over 80% of
transplants--had been failing to do their jobs effectively.
Following the hearing in May, the Subcommittee expanded its
investigation, requesting specific organ procurement
performance data from the OPOs and asking organ donor networks
for information about their requests for Medicare
reimbursement.
To date, the investigation has revealed how OPOs are
failing to adequately provide their services, leaving hundreds
of thousands of Americans seeking organ transplants without
essential healthcare. Problems at both individual OPOs and the
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), which
manages the ecosystem in which OPOs operate, have contributed
to as many as 25,000 unnecessary deaths per year, significant
financial waste, and racial inequalities in health care.
Beginning in April 2021, new reporting and documents
obtained by the Subcommittee demonstrated heightened concern
about data collection and management issues affecting OPOs and
the organ-sharing ecosystem more generally. A Washington Post
article dated July 31, 2022, and a hearing of the Senate
Committee on Finance on August 3, 2022, raised additional
concerns about data collected and maintained by OPOs.
Accordingly, the Subcommittee sent a letter on November 11,
2022, to all OPOs subject to the investigation asking them to
confirm the accuracy and completeness of information the
organizations previously provided to the Subcommittee as part
of its investigation.
IV. SALE OF UTILITY CUSTOMER INFORMATION TO ICE FOR DEPORTATION
PURPOSES
On February 26, 2021, the Subcommittee sent letters to
Thomson Reuters and Equifax, Inc., requesting documents and
information concerning the companies' sale of utility
customers' data to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE). The companies' databases contained information for over
200 million utility customers. Under the Trump Administration,
ICE reportedly paid $20.6 million to access customer
information from these databases to surveil and target
undocumented immigrants.
V. TOXIC PET COLLARS
On March 17, 2021, the Subcommittee launched an
investigation into deaths and injuries to animals caused by the
Seresto flea and tick collar, a popular product among pet
owners. Earlier that month, a report from USA Today revealed
that, as of June 2020, there had been more than 75,000
incidents and approximately 1,700 pet deaths linked to the
collar, numbers that increased to more than 98,000 incidents
and 2,500 pet deaths during the investigation.
As part of its investigation, the Subcommittee obtained
internal documents from Bayer Animal Health, Elanco Animal
Health, and EPA. Based on those documents as well as additional
reporting from USA Today and internal EPA emails made public
via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the
Subcommittee concluded that EPA had known about the dangers
posed by the Seresto collar for years yet failed to take action
to protect pets and their owners.
On June 15, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the
subject and released a staff report setting out its findings,
including that (i) EPA rushed Seresto's approval through a
flawed scientific review process; (ii) EPA first discovered
serious issues with the collar's safety in 2015; (iii) Canadian
regulators refused to allow the collar to be sold due to safety
concerns; (iv) EPA allowed the collar to stay on the market
despite (a) the Canadian regulators' decision and (b)
frustrations among EPA personnel regarding the Seresto collar's
safety; and (v) incident figures may understate the harm caused
by the Seresto collar.
On July 18, 2022, the Subcommittee sent a follow-up letter
to the EPA and FDA summarizing the key takeaways from the
hearing and staff report and reiterating Chairman
Krishnamoorthi's call for EPA to take action. The letter
encouraged EPA to (i) commence Notice of Intent to Cancel
(NOIC) proceedings by providing the required notice to the
Secretary of Agriculture, which would allow EPA to remove
Seresto from the market; (ii) strengthen EPA's pre-registration
scientific review process; (iii) improve EPA's incident data
collection system; and (iv) work with FDA, which has extensive
expertise in post-market monitoring and adverse event
reporting, to implement the recommendations.
On November 21, 2022, Subcommittee staff participated in a
briefing with EPA officials, who provided an update on their
scientific review of the Seresto flea and tick collar.
VI. ONLINE CONTENT
Between April and November 2021, the Subcommittee launched
inquiries into harmful content available to youth on social
media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and
TikTok.
On April 6, 2021, the Subcommittee sent a letter to YouTube
seeking documents and information about its YouTube Kids
platform amid concerns about content quality, advertisement
practices, and the impact the platform has on children.
On September 20, 2021, following reported public concerns,
the Subcommittee sent a letter to Facebook requesting documents
and information on Facebook's role in facilitating human
trafficking content on its platforms and its failure to address
the effects of Instagram on the mental health and well-being of
teen girls. On September 27, 2021, just one week after the
letter, Facebook announced that it was stopping the development
of Instagram for Kids.
On November 10, 2021, the Subcommittee sent a letter to
TikTok requesting documents and information about dangerous
content made available to minors who use the platform,
including content meant for adults and COVID-19 misinformation,
and steps the platform had taken to adjust its algorithm or
remove harmful content.
VII. SEX TRAFFICKING LINKED TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
On July 6, 2021, the Subcommittee sent a letter to
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to bring the Department
of Education's attention to a new report indicating that
certain postsecondary vocational schools were potentially being
used as a cover for illegal practices, including sex
trafficking. While students at the massage therapy programs in
question did not receive federal student loans, the programs
did receive federal funding through other channels, including
the CARES Act. Chairman Krishnamoorthi requested the Department
of Education's policies and procedures for protecting against
sex trafficking in postsecondary education, and information on
federal funds that may have gone to schools of concern.
On May 27, 2022, the Subcommittee received a response
letter and document productions from the Department of
Education, which provided detailed descriptions of what the
Department had done, and was continuing to do, to address the
concerns raised in the Subcommittee's letter.
VIII. SPAM TEXT MESSAGES AND FRAUD
In August 2021, the Subcommittee sent a letter to Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chairwoman Jessica
Rosenworcel requesting a briefing on the Commission's ongoing
efforts to combat the rise in spam robotext messages, through
which scammers stole at least $86 million in 2020. Following
FCC's briefing to the Subcommittee in September 2021, at which
the Commission confirmed its intention to ``clamp down on
(robotexts),'' FCC announced plans to initiate a rulemaking to
require wireless providers to block illegal text messages.
In November 2021, the Subcommittee requested--and FCC
provided--further information regarding the Commission's
efforts to investigate and crack down on spam robotexts. In
September 2022, Chairman Krishnamoorthi applauded FCC's
unanimous decision to initiate the public comment process on a
proposed rule--the notice for which referenced information
provided by the Subcommittee--aimed at cracking down on
robotexts by forcing cellphone companies to block texts from
illegal or fraudulent phone numbers. Comments on the proposed
rule were due on or before November 10, 2022, and reply
comments were due on or before November 25, 2022.
IX. HIGHER EDUCATION TRANSCRIPTS
On October 5, 2021, the Subcommittee sent letters to seven
higher education authorities in five states requesting
documents and information concerning the practice of
withholding transcripts from students who have unpaid bills.
95% of respondents in a survey from the American Association of
Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers answered that
they withheld transcripts for ``one or more reasons,'' with 64%
of survey respondents saying that they withheld transcripts
even if students owed under $25. The Subcommittee was concerned
that, without their transcripts, students could not apply
course credits they had already earned to a degree at another
institution or use those documents to help them obtain a job.
The Subcommittee requested documents and information on all
transcripts withheld, and all policies and practices governing
transcript withholding, across the five states.
X. TEAR GAS
On June 10, 2021, Chairman Krishnamoorthi, along with Rep.
Jamie Raskin, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and
Civil Liberties, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez, sent letters to Safariland, Combined Systems, Inc., and
Pacem Defense LLC requesting documents and information
regarding the safety of tear gas products manufactured by these
companies. The Members also sent a letter to HHS Secretary
Xavier Becerra, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and EPA
Administrator Michael S. Regan seeking information on whether
there was any existing federal oversight of the use of tear gas
products on humans.
The Subcommittee received and reviewed documents and
information from the companies and information from the
agencies. The investigation culminated in an October 2021 staff
memorandum from the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer
Policy and Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties,
which revealed that the federal government does not regulate
the use of tear gas on humans and has never determined if such
use is safe. The memorandum also found that the health effects
of tear gas on humans have been woefully understudied.
XI. CHEMICALS IN FOOD PACKAGING
On January 10, 2022, the Subcommittee sent a letter to FDA
requesting information about its regulation of phthalates,
dangerous chemicals commonly found in food packaging and
processing materials. Phthalates can cause significant health
problems, including fertility and reproductive issues in adults
and behavioral and cognitive development issues in children.
While progress had been made in recent years, FDA still allowed
28 different phthalates to be used in food packaging and
processing materials.
The Subcommittee's letter requested that FDA provide
information about the steps it has taken to evaluate the
dangers posed by phthalates and its efforts to ban these
dangerous chemicals from use in food packaging and processing
materials. On February 2, 2022, the Subcommittee received and
reviewed information from FDA explaining its ongoing oversight
of phthalates.
Following the Subcommittee's letter, on May 19, 2022, FDA
issued a rule to amend its food additive regulations governing
phthalates. FDA specifically revoked authorizations for the
food contact use of 23 phthalates and two other substances.
Although FDA continued to allow nine phthalates to be used in
food contact applications, FDA also issued a request for
information about the current specific food contact uses. If,
in the future, a manufacturer wants to use any of the revoked
phthalates in food contact applications, the manufacturer is
expected to submit either a food additive petition or a food
contact substance notification to FDA given that such use had
been previously authorized under FDA's food additive
authorities.
The comment period that opened on May 19, 2022, was
initially closed on July 19, 2022, but subsequently reopened.
The new deadline for comments is December 27, 2022.
XII. EXCESS CORPORATE PRICE HIKES
Between January 25, 2022, and March 18, 2022, the
Subcommittee sent letters to companies in the ocean shipping
industry (jointly with the Select Subcommittee on the
Coronavirus Crisis), as well as the meat processing and rental
car industries, seeking information and documents explaining
their decisions to increase the prices of their products or
services beyond their costs and despite rising profits. The
Subcommittee also sought information and documents related to
any investigations surrounding such price increases. In the
ocean shipping industry, recipients were AP Moeller Maersk, CMA
CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd. In the meat processing industry,
recipients were Tyson Foods, JBS Foods, National Beef, and
Seaboard. In the rental car industry, recipients were Hertz
Global Holdings, Inc. and Avis Budget Group, Inc.
On September 22, 2022, to shine a light on record-high
corporate profits and profit margins, the Subcommittee held a
hearing to examine the role of excess corporate price hikes in
driving the inflation that U.S. consumers have been
experiencing since early 2021. On November 4, 2022, the
Subcommittee released a follow-up staff report, providing an
original analysis of financial data within certain industries,
summarizing existing analyses concerning the role of excess
price hikes on inflation, and discussing the key takeaways from
the hearing.
XIII. HEART PUMP DEVICES
On March 22, 2022, the Subcommittee sent a letter to FDA
requesting information about its regulation of the HeartWare
Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) System--a heart pump device
associated with over 20,000 patient injuries and 3,000 deaths
before it was recalled in June 2021. Even as the device
underwent 15 company-initiated recalls--more than any other
high-risk device in FDA's database--the agency failed to take
action to remove the device from the market or alert other
federal agencies of the problems FDA found with the device
during factory inspections. As a result, the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of Veterans
Affairs spent millions of dollars to implant heart patients
with a potentially dangerous device.
The Subcommittee's letter requested information about why
FDA did not take further action after issuing a warning letter
to the company and what steps it has taken to revise its
protocols to ensure that other federal agencies, patients, and
doctors are notified of FDA warning letters.
XIV. BABY FORMULA
On March 24, 2022, the Subcommittee launched an inquiry
into FDA's delayed response in addressing contaminated infant
formula that had been linked to five hospitalizations and two
deaths. According to reports, FDA was alerted in September 2021
that an infant's Cronobacter sakazakii infection had been
traced back to formula produced at an Abbott Nutrition Facility
in Sturgis, Michigan. Between September and December 2021, FDA
received two more reports of Cronobacter sakazakii infections,
as well as a complaint about a salmonella illness, linked to
the same facility. In September 2021, FDA inspected the
facility and noted unsanitary conditions, but it failed to
issue a public warning about the contaminated products until
February 17, 2022, when Abbott voluntarily recalled the
formula.
On May 13, 2022, after it had become clear that the Abbott
recall had directly contributed to an increasing shortage of
baby formula nationwide, Chairwoman Maloney and Chairman
Krishnamoorthi jointly sent letters to four baby formula
manufacturers--Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Nestle
USA, and Perrigo Company--requesting information on the steps
these companies are taking to address the shortage of infant
formula in the United States. Together, these four companies
control nearly 90% of the U.S. market for formula
manufacturing. The letter to Abbott Nutrition also asked for
documents related to sanitary conditions, quality control,
contamination, and the closure of Abbott's facility in Sturgis,
Michigan.
XV. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH DATA PRIVACY
On July 8, 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court's
decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Chairwoman Maloney and
Chairman Krishnamoorthi jointly launched an investigation into
reproductive health data privacy, sending letters to five data
broker companies and five personal health application (``app'')
companies requesting information and documents regarding the
collection and sale of personal reproductive health data. The
letters expressed concerns about the potential misuse of this
data to invade the privacy of individuals seeking reproductive
health care. Reproductive health applications, which are known
to share information with data brokers and other third parties,
have been plagued by data privacy concerns. A recent study
found that 87% of the 23 most popular women's health apps--
including reproductive health apps--shared user data with third
parties, yet just over 50% requested consent from their users.
Similarly, data brokers have been found to sell sensitive user
location data. Recent reporting indicates that data brokers
have sold mobile phone location data from individuals who have
visited health care clinics that provide abortions, leading to
concerns about the misuse of private data to target individuals
seeking this care.
XVI. GAS STOVES
On August 1, 2022, the Subcommittee sent a letter to CPSC
requesting documents and information about CPSC's failure to
establish safety standards or provide warnings to consumers on
the significant health risks posed by air pollutants emitted
from gas stoves despite having knowledge of potential risks as
early as 1986. According to industry reports and third-party
studies, despite having the authority either to issue mandatory
standards and require warning labels or to work with industry
to develop voluntary standards and labels that would address
indoor air pollution from gas stoves, CPSC has not yet done
either.
XVII. CRYPTOCURRENCY FRAUD AND SCAMS
On August 30, 2022, the Subcommittee sent letters to four
federal agencies--the U.S. Department of Treasury, Securities
and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission,
and Federal Trade Commission--and five digital asset
exchanges--Binance.US, Coinbase, FTX US, Kraken, and KuCoin--
requesting information about the steps they are taking to
combat cryptocurrency-related fraud and scams and additional
actions that are needed to protect Americans. More
specifically, the Subcommittee posed a series of questions and
document requests aimed at gathering information about what the
federal agencies and digital asset exchanges are doing to
protect consumers and inform legislative solutions to bring
stability to the digital asset industry.
On October 14, 2022, based on information obtained in the
investigation to date, the Subcommittee also sent a copy of the
letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On November
18, 2022, following the bankruptcy of FTX Trading Ltd. (FTX),
including its affiliated entity FTX US, the Subcommittee sent a
letter to the founder and former CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried,
and the current CEO of FTX, John J. Ray III, pressing for more
information on FTX's collapse and the full scope of harm
inflicted upon its investors, and reiterating its expectation
that FTX fully comply with the Subcommittee's August 30, 2022,
request for documents.
XVIII. INCLINED INFANT PRODUCTS
On September 2, 2022, Chairwoman Maloney and Chairman
Krishnamoorthi jointly sent a letter to CPSC requesting
information about how the Commission is working to protect
babies from harmful inclined products such as sleepers,
rockers, and other products with an incline of more than ten
degrees. The Committee first began investigating this issue in
2019, leading to a CPSC final rule banning infant inclined
sleeping products in June 2021. The September 2022 letter
followed a June 14, 2022, statement released by CPSC and Mattel
Inc. warning of 13 infant deaths associated with inclined
rockers and advising consumers against using the products for
sleep or leaving infants unsupervised or unrestrained in those
rockers. The letter also followed the May 16, 2022, signing of
the Safe Sleep for Babies Act as well as a CPSC rule
promulgated on June 23, 2022, making it unlawful to sell non-
compliant infant sleep products manufactured on or after that
date. The letter sought additional clarity as to whether CPSC's
anticipated rule would apply to all products that could pose
risks to infants during sleep and sought a statement on CPSC's
position on current law that requires CPSC to consult with
manufacturers before taking certain safety actions.
On October 13, 2022, CPSC responded to the Committee's
letter, providing certain requested information, deferring to
the ongoing rulemaking process in other cases, and stating
Chairman Hoehn-Saric's position that ``the overly restrictive
provisions of [existing law] should be repealed as they hinder
the Commission's ability to act quickly to keep American
consumers safe.''
E. Subcommittee On Environment
I. FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee investigated
the massive subsidies--approximately $15 billion per year--that
support the fossil fuel industry and prevent action from
Congress on climate change. According to the International
Monetary Fund, the U.S. government ranks second in the world in
its support of the oil and gas industry.
On Earth Day, April 22, 2021, the Subcommittee held a
hearing titled ``The Role of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in
Preventing Action on the Climate Crisis.'' Internationally
recognized activist Greta Thunberg joined other witnesses
virtually from Sweden to discuss the ways the international
community views the United States in light of its failures to
align with the Paris Climate Agreement. The hearing also
explored how the fossil fuel industry has used taxpayer-funded
subsidies to lobby for further preferential treatment from the
federal government.
II. JOB CREATION
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee investigated
how to address the climate crisis while making sure no one is
left behind. To achieve that goal, the federal government must
target investments towards areas of the country that have been
deindustrialized and historically disadvantaged.
On June 16, 2021, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled
``Jumpstarting Main Street: Bringing Jobs & Wealth Back to
Forgotten America'' to explore these issues. The Subcommittee
heard testimony from five witnesses to examine racial economic
inequality and how investments to stop the climate crisis can
address it.
III. WILDFIRES
In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee investigated forest
resilience in mitigating wildfires. Wildfires carry a
significant cost to human life, property, and wildlife across
the country.
On March 15, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled
``Fighting Fire with Fire: Evaluating the Role of Forest
Management in Reducing Catastrophic Wildfires.'' The
Subcommittee heard from Carole King, a celebrated singer-
songwriter and land conservation advocate, the head of the
United States Forest Service, and other witnesses regarding the
Forest Service's fuel management practices, including
prescribed burns, thinning, and commercial logging, and their
effectiveness at preventing wildfires. The hearing emphasized
the importance of community participation in forest management,
including by allowing Tribes--and, in particular, traditional
ecological knowledge-holders--to take the lead in maintaining
forest health. Witnesses also addressed the need to prioritize
investments in engineering solutions that protect homes and
buildings from wildfires over commercial logging practices that
exacerbate fires.
IV. REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee examined
regenerative agriculture, the role it can play in preventing
the worst of the climate crisis while protecting food supply,
and the urgent need to reform federal policies that unjustly
favor corporate agribusiness, often at the expense of family
farmers. Climate change fundamentally threatens the world's
food supply as extreme weather events, water scarcity, pests,
and warming make it harder to grow staple crops and renders
farmland unusable. Regenerative agricultural practices, such as
rotating crops, can help reduce and reverse the desertification
of farmland, increase nutrients in the soil, and enhance food
security.
On July 19, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled
``Regenerative Agriculture: How Farmers and Ranchers Are
Essential to Solving Climate Change and Increasing Food
Production.'' The Subcommittee heard from regenerative farmers
and soil health experts about the programs of USDA and the
unfair market power held by corporate agribusiness that limits
small- and medium-sized farmers' ability to adopt regenerative
agricultural practices. While a small number of companies
control most of the market for beef, pork, and grain, family
farmers earn just 16 cents of every dollar spent on food.
The federal government already supports regenerative
agriculture and conservation methods, but many of these
programs are oversubscribed and under-resourced. Some federal
policy, however, supports inherently unsustainable practices,
such as concentrated feeding operations (i.e., facilities where
animals live and eat in confined spaces), which produce large
amounts of waste that cause significant greenhouse gas
emissions and can runoff into water resources.
The Subcommittee revealed the need to amend federal
policies that unjustly protect corporate agribusiness, often at
the expense of family farmers, and fully fund farm conservation
programs.
V. LEADED AVIATION FUEL
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee examined the
health harms associated with leaded aviation fuel and its
impacts on American communities and the environment.
On July 28, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing titled
``Toxic Air: How Leaded Aviation Fuel Is Poisoning America's
Children.'' This hearing explored the urgent, yet little-known,
health crisis of airborne lead exposure from aviation fuel.
This problem impacts millions of people who live near general
aviation airports in the United States. Lead is highly toxic
and a probable carcinogen, causing health effects such as brain
damage, learning disabilities, reduced fertility, nerve damage,
and death. Despite the dangers associated with it, many
airplanes continue to utilize leaded fuel, putting the health
and safety of Americans--especially children--at risk.
In the United States, general aviation airports are often
located in low-income communities and communities of color,
causing those communities to suffer disproportionately from the
health impacts of leaded aviation fuel. Lead exposure from
aviation fuel is an ongoing environmental justice crisis.
Despite clear evidence of harm and the existence of
unleaded fuel alternatives, the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) and EPA had failed for many years to take meaningful
action to curb the use of leaded aviation fuel. Simultaneously,
the fossil fuel and aviation industries have lobbied to delay
efforts to phase out leaded fuel.
Shortly after the Subcommittee's hearing, EPA issued an
endangerment finding for the lead content in aviation fuel
(i.e., a finding that lead emissions may reasonably be
anticipated to endanger public health and welfare).
Additionally, FAA finally signed off on the commercial
production of an unleaded fuel alternative.
VI. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee examined the
gaps in current laws and regulations that leave frontline
communities vulnerable to pollution, and the policy changes
necessary to safeguard public health and the environment.
Countless Americans live in communities where current air and
water pollution permitting schemes fail to protect residents
from the cumulative health and environmental impacts of
concentrated industrial pollution. These sacrifice zones are
disproportionately found in low-income communities and
communities of color.
On August 25, 2022, Chairman Khanna and Vice Chair Rashida
Tlaib held a field hearing in Detroit, Michigan, which focused
on the reality of living in ``sacrifice zones''--areas where
Americans feel their lives are being sacrificed for the profits
of corporate polluters. Most of the witnesses described living
in the impact zone of either Stellantis, an automobile company,
or U.S. Ecology Detroit South, one location of a waste
treatment company.
To follow up from the hearing, on December 8, 2022, the
Subcommittee sent a letter to U.S. Ecology Detroit South and
Stellantis, requesting information regarding health concerns
stemming from toxic emissions at their facilities.
F. Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
I. SPREAD OF WHITE SUPREMACY AND EXTREMIST IDEOLOGIES
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee continued its
series of hearings on ``Confronting Violent White Supremacy,''
holding two hearings on the subject: ``Examining the Rise of
Militia Extremism'' (Part V) on May 26, 2021, and ``Examining
the Biden Administration's Counterterrorism Strategy'' (Part
VI) on September 29, 2022. On May 26, 2021, in conjunction with
the first of these two hearings, the Subcommittee sent a letter
to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting information
about how DHS evaluated the dangers associated with militia
violent extremists prior to the January 6, 2021. The
Subcommittee also sought information about how DHS combats
violent extremism that arises at the intersection of racially
motivated, anti-government, and militia violent extremists. DHS
responded on March 16, 2022, explaining that it would designate
such domestic violent extremism a ``National Priority Area''
and noting that the agency would allocate increased funding to
respond to related threats. The Subcommittee held a briefing
with DHS on September 28, 2022, addressing the reallocation of
Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program
funding to address domestic terrorism threats posed by white
supremacy.
On December 12, 2022, the Subcommittee held the final
hearing in this series, ``Confronting White Supremacy (Part
VII): The Evolution of Anti-Democratic Extremist Groups and the
Ongoing Threat to Democracy.''
In addition, on March 9, 2021, the Subcommittee sent a
letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray seeking a member-level
briefing from the FBI on efforts to address the infiltration of
federal, state, and local law enforcement by white supremacists
and other extremists. On September 28, 2022, the Subcommittee
received a briefing from DHS regarding the increased diversity
in FY 2022 grant awards under the Targeted Violence and
Terrorism Prevention program, including new funding streams to
Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
II. VOTING RIGHTS
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee worked closely
with the full Committee on its oversight related to voting
rights described above. In addition, the Subcommittee worked
with the full Committee on investigations into audits of the
2020 presidential election conducted in Arizona and Otero
County, New Mexico.
On Thursday, July 29, 2021, the Subcommittee held a hearing
on restrictive voting bills under consideration in Texas and
how they related to nationwide voter suppression efforts fueled
by baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. The Subcommittee
heard from Texas lawmakers who fled the state in protest of the
undemocratic nature of the proposed bills and the manner in
which they were proceeding through the state legislature. The
hearing focused on the need to pass comprehensive voting rights
reforms in H.R. 1, the For the People Act, and H.R. 4, the John
Lewis Voting Rights Act. On December 14, 2021, Chairman Jamie
Raskin introduced legislation, H.R. 6283, the Get Foreign Money
Out of U.S. Elections Act, limiting the manner in which
monetary donations can be made to campaigns.
III. FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND CIVIL/LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
In 2022, the Subcommittee held three hearings in a series,
``Free Speech Under Attack,'' addressing protected First
Amendment speech and activities. Two hearings, held on April 7
and May 19, 2022, focused on book bans, curriculum gag orders,
and attacks on the freedom of education and inquiry in schools
across the nation. The book bans and curriculum gag orders
predominantly focus on prohibiting topics related to race and
the LGBTQ+ community. The Subcommittee heard from students,
parents, teachers, administrators, and First Amendment experts
to identify the manner in which race and sex-based
discrimination is encroaching on public schools in the wake of
an anti-Critical Race Theory Movement. On September 22, 2022,
Chairman Raskin introduced legislation, H. Res. 1392,
``Recognizing `Banned Books Week' and the sweeping attacks on
books in the United States Today . . . .''
The third hearing in the ``Free Speech Under Attack''
series, on September 14, 2022, focused on issues relating to
the abuse of the legal system through the use of strategic
lawsuits against public participation (``SLAPP'' lawsuits) to
silence critics on powerful and moneyed interests, including
the fossil fuel industry. On September 15, 2022, Chairman
Raskin introduced legislation, H.R. 8864, the SLAPP Protection
Act of 2022.
On March 7, 2022, Chairman Raskin and Ranking Member Nancy
Mace sent a letter to GAO Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro
requesting that GAO conduct a comprehensive review of the FBI's
practice of surveilling Americans through activities it
classifies as ``assessments.'' The review will determine the
number of assessments opened against Americans in which racial,
religious, ethnic, or political affiliation, or First
Amendment-protected activity was the basis for opening the
assessment.
IV. EQUAL PROTECTION AND PROPERTY RIGHTS
On May 5, 2021, the Subcommittee held a hearing on property
damage committed by fossil fuel companies during pipeline
construction and their frequent failure to remediate such
damage before pipelines go into use. The hearing also examined
the inability of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) to enforce federal pipeline regulations and penalize
those that violate them.
On January 13, 2022, in conjunction with the full
Committee, Subcommittee Chairman Raskin sent a letter to FDA
Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock requesting a briefing from
FDA regarding the three-month blanket deferral preventing gay
and bisexual men from donating blood.
V. DUE PROCESS IN THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee continued
investigations into violations of due process of individuals
moving through the immigration system. On August 4, 2021, the
Subcommittee sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
requesting a briefing, information, and documents related to
CBP's potential misuse of its authority to take certain
enforcement actions within the ``100-mile border zone'' on the
northern border. The Subcommittee specifically requested
information and documents on possible misconduct in Michigan
related to enforcement activities against minority groups.
On September 22, 2021, in conjunction with the full
Committee, the Subcommittee also sent a letter to the Acting
Commissioner of CBP, Troy A. Miller, requesting information on
whether CBP agents were acting within agency policy in their
treatment of Haitian immigrants seeking asylum on the southern
border.
VI. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM POLICIES
Since September 27, 2021, the Subcommittee has been working
with the full Committee to examine the inhumane treatment of
detainees held in Rikers Island jail in New York City,
including the deaths of more than a dozen detainees in 2022.
The Subcommittee has participated in briefings provided by New
York City officials, including the Mayor's Office and the Board
of Corrections.
In coordination with the Subcommittee on Economic and
Consumer Policy, on October 14, 2021, the Subcommittee released
a staff report detailing the health risks to humans from tear
gas, and the lack of federal regulation surrounding the use of
tear gas on humans.
On December 8, 2021, the Subcommittee held a bipartisan
hearing addressing the abuse of the civil asset forfeiture
process by state law enforcement agencies that seize personal
and real property through federal partnerships, including from
individuals who have not been convicted of a crime. The
Subcommittee urged passage of H.R. 2857, the Fifth Amendment
Integrity Restoration Act, which was co-led by Chairman Raskin.
On February 2, 2022, Chairman Raskin, along with Rep. Jimmy
Gomez, sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, renewing a request
to DOJ that went unanswered under the prior Administration. The
Subcommittee again requested that the Department begin a civil
rights investigation into organized gangs operating within the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, to run in parallel
with the investigation being conducted by the state of
California.
The Subcommittee also held a hearing on March 3, 2022,
addressing the epidemic of missing and murdered Black and
Indigenous women and women of color (collectively, BIPOC
women). The Subcommittee examined methods by which federal and
state law enforcement can better coordinate to address the
disparity between treatment of missing and murdered BIPOC women
and girls and white women and girls.
The Subcommittee worked closely with the full Committee in
holding a hearing on March 19, 2022, with Administration
officials to examine the federal law enforcement response to
the wave of bomb threats made to Historically Black Colleges
and Universities. On September 28, 2022, the Subcommittee
received a briefing from DHS regarding the increased diversity
in FY 2022 grant awards under the Targeted Violence and
Terrorism Prevention program, including new funding streams to
Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
G. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
I. ROLE OF POLITICAL APPOINTEES IN PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
investigated the extent to which political appointees
undermined the federal coronavirus response for political
purposes during the first year of the pandemic. The Select
Subcommittee's investigation began during the 116th Congress
and was renewed and expanded upon during the 117th Congress. As
part of this expanded investigation, the Select Subcommittee
conducted transcribed interviews with 19 senior officials
involved in executing the pandemic response, reviewed more than
200,000 pages of emails and other documents, and obtained
relevant testimony at public hearings.
On June 21, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released the
first installment in a series of staff reports documenting its
findings from this investigation. This report chronicled the
Trump Administration's embrace of a strategy that called for
increasing the spread of coronavirus among the general public
before coronavirus vaccines were available. On June 22, 2022,
the Select Subcommittee held a hearing with former White House
Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, during which
she testified that the embrace of this strategy by the prior
White House undermined the federal coronavirus response.
On August 24, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released a
second report from its investigation, which revealed new
evidence of the Trump Administration's efforts to influence
FDA's scientific decision-making on the coronavirus, including
decisions regarding coronavirus treatments and vaccines. As
part of its report, the Select Subcommittee released an
interview transcript from former FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen
Hahn, who confirmed that he was subjected to pressure by White
House officials while leading FDA during the first year of the
pandemic, including pressure to reauthorize hydroxychloroquine
as a coronavirus treatment after FDA revoked its prior
authorization for the drug due to its inefficacy and potential
safety issues.
On October 17, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released a
third report from its investigation, detailing how the prior
Administration interfered with CDC's coronavirus response. The
report contains documentary evidence and statements from
multiple CDC officials showing that senior officials in the
Trump Administration blocked CDC from telling Americans the
truth about the pandemic, directed CDC to make changes to its
coronavirus guidance that did not advance public health
interests, used CDC's public health authorities for political
purposes, and suppressed accurate CDC reports to downplay the
seriousness of the pandemic.
II. DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF CORONAVIRUS VACCINES
Vaccine Development. On April 19, 2021, the Select
Subcommittee and the full Committee opened a joint
investigation into Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.'s (Emergent)
receipt of more than $600 million dollars in federal contracts
to manufacture coronavirus vaccines following reports of
contamination and problems with quality control. On May 19,
2021, the Committees released preliminary findings from their
investigation, detailing how Emergent failed to promptly and
fully remediate serious deficiencies in its performance on
taxpayer-funded contracts, resulting in the destruction of
millions of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca coronavirus
vaccines. That same day, the Select Subcommittee held a hearing
with Emergent's Chairman and CEO and Executive Chairman of the
Board of Directors.
The Committees expanded the investigation on June 22, 2021,
to fully understand the problems plaguing Emergent's
manufacturing facility and the impact they had on the
availability of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines.
During this investigation, Committee staff conducted bipartisan
briefings with and obtained documents from Emergent, Johnson &
Johnson, AstraZeneca, FDA, and HHS; conducted a staff site
visit to Emergent's facility in Baltimore, Maryland; and
conducted a transcribed interview with former HHS Assistant
Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dr. Robert Kadlec. On
November 1, 2021, HHS terminated its agreement with Emergent
because the company failed to follow federal manufacturing
standards, saving taxpayers more than $320 million.
On May 10, 2022, the Committees released a staff report
revealing that Emergent senior executives had promoted the
company's manufacturing capabilities despite being warned of
and privately acknowledging severe deficiencies within the
company's quality control systems. Documents obtained by the
Committees also revealed that Emergent employees attempted to
hide evidence of vaccine contamination from FDA inspectors, and
that inexperienced staff and high staff turnover contributed to
the extensive contamination at the facility. On August 11,
2022, the Committees released further evidence revealing that
over 525 million coronavirus vaccine doses were ultimately
wasted due to Emergent's failure to meet or maintain quality
standards, as required by its federal contracts. Emergent's
failures wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and
impacted our country's ability to meet the urgent, global need
for coronavirus vaccines.
Vaccine Distribution. The Select Subcommittee also
investigated One Medical's administration of coronavirus
vaccinations after public reporting indicated that the company
disregarded vaccination prioritization guidelines and diverted
vaccines away from vulnerable populations to benefit VIP
clients and friends and family members of One Medical's
executives. On December 21, 2021, the Select Subcommittee
released a staff memorandum demonstrating how many health care
providers took advantage of access to coronavirus vaccines to
benefit their own business and personal interests, did not
adequately monitor patients signing up for and receiving
vaccinations to ensure their eligibility under prioritization
guidelines, and failed to administer coronavirus vaccines
equitably during the early vaccine rollout. This conduct
undermined public health priorities and diverted scarce doses
away from vulnerable seniors, health care providers, and other
frontline workers who struggled to get vaccinated in the early
months of 2021.
The Select Subcommittee also investigated reports that
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis failed to pre-order coronavirus
vaccines for children under five, making it the only state to
do so. On June 29, 2022, the Select Subcommittee held a staff
briefing with Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo and
other representatives of the Florida Department of Health. The
Select Subcommittee released findings showing that Florida
intentionally failed to pre-order vaccines for young children
by the federal deadline and blocked pediatricians and other
health care providers from placing their own orders through the
state's vaccine ordering system.
III. DISTRIBUTION OF CRITICAL SUPPLIES
The Select Subcommittee investigated federal contracts
awarded to Federal Government Experts, LLC (FGE) after the
company failed to provide critical PPE to the Department of
Veterans Affairs and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
during the early months of the coronavirus crisis. This
investigation was renewed on March 18, 2021, after originally
being opened during the 116th Congress.
On June 17, 2021, the Select Subcommittee released a staff
memorandum detailing how FGE president and owner Robert Stewart
used a fraudulent scheme to secure $38.7 million in federal
contracts to purportedly supply the federal government with
millions of N95 masks at inflated prices, when, in actuality,
he had none and no realistic plan to obtain any. Evidence
obtained by the Select Subcommittee also revealed how federal
procurement officials failed to perform adequate due diligence
prior to awarding the contracts, despite clear red flags.
The Select Subcommittee's investigation illustrated how
skyrocketing demand for PPE, as well as the lack of a
coordinated national strategy to alleviate supply shortages,
forced federal agencies to enter risky contracts with unproven
suppliers and pay above-market prices to compete for limited,
critical supplies on the open market. These factors
substantially increased the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse of
taxpayer resources, and wasted valuable time federal officials
could have spent working with other suppliers in the crucial
early weeks of the pandemic.
IV. IMPACT OF PANDEMIC ON NURSING HOMES
The Select Subcommittee continued its investigation into
the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on nursing home
residents and staff. This investigation began in the 116th
Congress following reports of disproportionate coronavirus
infections and deaths at nursing homes. The Select
Subcommittee's original investigation requested documents and
information from five for-profit nursing home chains concerning
coronavirus infections and deaths, infection control and
prevention measures, staffing and pay data, and other relevant
issues. On July 22, 2022, the Select Subcommittee sent
additional document and information requests to the companies,
seeking updated information concerning coronavirus infections
and deaths, staffing and pay data, infection prevention and
control measures, and vaccination rates.
On September 20, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released
findings from its investigation illustrating the harsh
conditions at for-profit nursing homes during the early months
of the pandemic, and the complex corporate structures that may
allow for-profit nursing homes to evade oversight and
accountability. The Select Subcommittee also held a hearing on
September 20, 2022, examining the difficulties posed by the
coronavirus in nursing homes and underscoring the need for
reforms to protect nursing home resident and staff from future
pandemics.
On December 9, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released, as
part of its final report, additional findings from its
investigation into the impact of the coronavirus crisis on
nursing home residents and staff at five for-profit nursing
home chains. Data obtained by the Select Subcommittee revealed
that, as of June 2022, there had been a total of 81,775
coronavirus infections and 10,362 deaths among residents and
67,140 infections and 118 deaths among staff across these five
companies. The five companies investigated were the largest
for-profit nursing home chains in the U.S. at the onset of the
coronavirus pandemic. They had collectively operated over 850
skilled nursing facilities and were charged with caring for
80,000 residents around the country at the time the
investigation began in June 2020.
The Select Subcommittee also released findings on how
staffing practices, wages and benefits, and administration of
vaccinations and boosters impacted nursing home residents and
staff at the five investigated companies throughout the
pandemic. The Select Subcommittee's analysis of data from these
facilities found that the five companies have each had
significant staffing deficiencies throughout the course of the
pandemic, have often provided low wages and poor benefits to
their front-line workers, and continue to lag in coronavirus
booster vaccination rates, despite having initially robust
primary series vaccination rates.
V. FEDERAL LENDING PROGRAMS
The Select Subcommittee conducted a number of
investigations into federal lending programs designed to
respond to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus
pandemic.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. The Select
Subcommittee continued its investigation into the COVID-19 EIDL
program, which initially opened during the 116th Congress in
July 2020. The Select Subcommittee renewed its document
requests and sought further information from the three
contractors the Small Business Administration had engaged to
assist in implementing the EIDL program, which disbursed $378
billion in loans and grants for American businesses harmed by
the coronavirus crisis. On February 11, 2021, the Select
Subcommittee, in conjunction with the Committee on Small
Business under Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez, sent letters to SBA
contractors and subcontractors RER Solutions, Rocket Loans, and
Rapid Finance seeking documents and information about their
role in implementing EIDL program fraud controls and the cost
of the services they provided. On May 11, 2021, and July 14,
2021, the Select Subcommittee and the Committee on Small
Business sent letters to SBA requesting documents and
information concerning fraud controls and policies in the EIDL
program and the use of contractors to implement the program.
As a part of its investigation, the Select Subcommittee
received and reviewed 17,000 pages of documents responsive to
its requests. The Select Subcommittee also held two briefings
with SBA contractors RER and Rapid Finance, four briefings with
SBA, and a March 22, 2021, hearing that included testimony from
SBA Inspector General regarding fraud committed against the
EIDL program. On June 14, 2022, the Select Subcommittee
released a report detailing the Trump Administration's failure
to implement basic fraud controls to protect the EIDL program
and its decision to rely on a small contractor, RER, that
received a windfall $750 million contract while relying on a
subcontractor for nearly all the work required.
CARES Act National Security Loan Program. On June 3, 2021,
the Select Subcommittee initiated an investigation of the Trump
Administration's implementation of the CARES Act national
security loan program, in which 95% of funds disbursed went to
the trucking company Yellow Corporation (Yellow). The program
was authorized by the CARES Act and was intended to provide
``liquidity'' to companies that were ``critical to maintaining
national security'' related to ``losses incurred as a result of
the coronavirus'' crisis. Following reports that called into
question Yellow's eligibility for and use of the loan funds,
the Select Subcommittee requested documents and information
from Yellow, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), DOD,
and Crowley Logistics, a major DOD transportation contractor
that subcontracted shipments to Yellow. On October 5, 2021,
following the receipt of records indicating Trump White House
involvement, the Select Subcommittee requested presidential
records from the Trump Administration at NARA.
As a part of its investigation, the Select Subcommittee
received and reviewed approximately 12,000 pages of documents
responsive to its requests. The Select Subcommittee also
interviewed the Trump Administration Treasury official who led
negotiations with Yellow and a senior career DOD official
involved in evaluating whether Yellow was critical to national
security.
The Select Subcommittee released findings from its
investigation on April 27, 2022. The Select Subcommittee found
that Trump Administration political appointees, with the
apparent involvement of the Trump White House, certified that
Yellow was eligible for a national security loan despite the
assessment of career DOD officials that the company should not
be certified as eligible for a national security loan. The
Select Subcommittee further found that the Trump Administration
made the loans on terms that violated the CARES Act's interest
rate, risk, and use of funds requirements. The Select
Subcommittee referred potential misrepresentations made by
Yellow to the Department of Treasury's OIG, which referred the
matter to the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery
for further investigation.
Paycheck Protection Program. On May 27, 2021, the Select
Subcommittee launched an investigation into the role financial
technology companies (FinTechs) played in facilitating fraud
against the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This
investigation followed reports, independent analyses, and
prosecution records showing that FinTech lenders and companies
processed a disproportionately large share of the fraudulent
publicly funded loans made under PPP while receiving hundreds
of millions of dollars in fees. These reports also suggested
some FinTechs may have approved loan applications with little
to no scrutiny or due diligence.
The Select Subcommittee's investigation commenced with
letters requesting documents and information from FinTech
companies Kabbage, Inc. and BlueVine, as well as Cross River
and Celtic banks, which partnered with FinTechs in approving
hundreds of thousands of PPP loans totaling nearly $10 billion.
On November 22, 2021, the Select Subcommittee expanded its
investigation and requested additional information and
documents from the FinTechs Blue Acorn PPP, LLC and Womply,
Inc. As a part of this investigation, the Select Subcommittee
received and reviewed thousands of pages of documents and
conducted numerous briefings and meetings with FinTech and
lender representatives and Small Business Administration (SBA)
employees.
On December 1, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released a
staff report on the role of FinTechs in facilitating PPP loans.
The report identified significant vulnerabilities in the
government's reliance on unvetted, underregulated private-
sector companies to implement the program. The Select
Subcommittee's investigation found that FinTechs were given
extraordinary responsibility in administering the nation's
largest pandemic relief program, as certain SBA lenders heavily
delegated applicant screening to companies that claimed to
employ effective and innovative fraud control technology. The
investigation determined that the PPP lacked sufficient
incentives for FinTechs to implement strong fraud prevention
controls.
At least three of the four FinTechs investigated by the
Select Subcommittee appear to have ignored clear red flags and
failed to stop preventable fraud, leading to the needless loss
of taxpayer dollars. The investigation found that several
FinTechs, largely existing outside of the regulatory structure
governing traditional financial institutions and with little to
no oversight, took billions in fees from taxpayers while
becoming easy targets for those who sought to defraud the PPP.
These companies also appear to have abused their positions of
public trust to benefit themselves and their executives.
VI. CORONAVIRUS PROTECTIONS FOR MEATPACKING WORKERS
On February 1, 2021, the Select Subcommittee initiated an
investigation of the conditions faced by meatpacking workers
during the coronavirus crisis and the Trump Administration's
response to coronavirus infection risks in meatpacking
facilities. The investigation followed reports that meatpacking
workers were particularly vulnerable during the crisis as
meatpacking plants had dozens of significant coronavirus
outbreaks early in the pandemic. The Select Subcommittee
requested documents and information from the large meatpacking
firms JBS, Tyson Foods, and Smithfield Foods, as well as the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). On
September 15, 2021, the Select Subcommittee expanded its
investigation with letters to the large meatpacking companies
National Beef and Cargill.
As a part of its meatpacking investigation, the Select
Subcommittee received and reviewed more than 151,000 pages of
documents responsive to its requests. The Select Subcommittee
also held briefings with OSHA and the USDA and conducted more
than a dozen background calls with meatpacking workers, union
representatives, former OSHA and USDA officials, and state and
local health authorities.
On October 17, 2021, the Select Subcommittee released a
staff report showing the numbers of coronavirus infections and
deaths of meatpacking workers during the crisis were
significantly higher than previously reported. The Select
Subcommittee held a hearing that same day on the meatpacking
industry's failure to adequately protect workers during the
coronavirus crisis. On May 12, 2022, the Select Subcommittee
released a staff report detailing findings that the meatpacking
industry was aware of the undue coronavirus risks faced by its
workers and that the industry coordinated with Trump
Administration political appointees to keep workers on the job
without adequate coronavirus mitigation measures.
VII. FARMERS TO FAMILIES FOOD BOX PROGRAM
The Select Subcommittee continued its investigation into
the Farmers to Families Food Box program (Food Box), which
began during the 116th Congress. The Select Subcommittee
originally requested documents and information from USDA and
significant Food Box contractors on August 24, 2020, following
reports that USDA had awarded the contracts to implement the
program to inexperienced companies that had failed to perform
adequately. During its investigation, the Select Subcommittee
conducted an intensive review of three of the contractors that
received among the largest contract awards in the Food Box
program's first round, Yegg, Inc., Ben Holtz Consulting, and
CRE8AD8, to examine the design and implementation of the Food
Box program. The Select Subcommittee held briefings or
interviews with representatives of USDA, Yegg, and CRE8AD8;
surveyed representatives of 18 organizations that interacted
with the Food Box contractors; and received and reviewed
thousands of pages of documents.
On October 13, 2021, the Select Subcommittee released a
staff report detailing the findings of its investigation of the
Food Box program. The report found that, in 2020, the USDA
awarded contracts to carry out the Food Box program worth tens
of millions of dollars to unqualified companies that appeared
to lack the capacity to adequately distribute food. USDA also
failed to adequately monitor contract performance to detect
possible fraud. The report also found that USDA allowed the
unqualified contractors to profit excessively, and that Trump
Administration officials manipulated the program for political
advantage by requiring vendors to include a signed letter from
the President in distributed boxes and connecting it to the
Republican National Convention.
VIII. PROTECTING HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS DURING THE PANDEMIC
The Select Subcommittee conducted investigations and
hearings to ensure that federal efforts to keep people in their
homes during the crisis were successful and that pandemic
protections were not violated. On July 19, 2021, the Select
Subcommittee launched an investigation of four large, corporate
landlords that had reportedly filed to evict tenants at high
rates during the pandemic, despite CDC's eviction moratorium
and Congress's appropriation of tens of billions of dollars in
emergency rental assistance. The Select Subcommittee requested
information and documents from Pretium Partners, Invitation
Homes, the Siegel Group, and Ventron Management. On July 17,
2021, the Select Subcommittee held a hearing on the
effectiveness of federally funded rental assistance programs
and abuses by large landlords during the pandemic. On August
30, 2021, the Select Subcommittee sent letters to state
governments that had been slowest to distribute federal
emergency rental assistance, requesting information on their
plans for improvement and urging them to expedite the delivery
of aid.
During its investigation of corporate landlords' pandemic
eviction practices, the Select Subcommittee obtained and
reviewed more than 50,000 pages of responsive documents and
held four briefings or meetings with company employees.
On July 28, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released a staff
report detailing findings from the investigation. The Select
Subcommittee found that the four corporate landlords had filed
nearly three times as many evictions during the first three
months of the pandemic than was previously known. The
investigation further found that the companies had policies or
practices of filing to evict tenants with pending rental
assistance applications, and that two companies used very low
thresholds of rent owed before filing pandemic eviction
actions. The investigation also found that Invitation Homes
downplayed the impact of its eviction filings to its major
government-backed creditor, and that the Siegel Group used
harassment tactics and deception to try to force tenants from
their homes. The Select Subcommittee referred its findings for
further inquiry and potential enforcement action to appropriate
entities, including the Federal Trade Commission and the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
VI. SUMMARY OF ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES AND ACTIONS
In addition to topics and matters referenced in the
Committee's Oversight Plan, the Committee engaged in the
following oversight activities and actions during the 117th
Congress.
A. Additional Oversight and Investigations of the Full Committee and
Standing Subcommittees
I. WAR IN UKRAINE
In early 2022, Russian forces began to amass along
Ukraine's eastern border. On February 16, 2022, the
Subcommittee on National Security held a hearing to examine
Russia's destabilizing activity in Eastern Europe, including
its buildup of approximately 130,000 troops along Ukraine's
borders. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an invasion of
Ukraine.
On March 8, 2022, the Committee on Oversight and Reform
held a briefing with former U.S. and Ukrainian government
officials about Vladimir Putin's unprovoked and unjustified
invasion of Ukraine.
Later that month, the Subcommittee on National Security led
a bipartisan congressional delegation to Poland, Romania,
Moldova, and Austria to observe the humanitarian impacts of
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to demonstrate the United
States' unwavering support for the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) alliance and the people of Ukraine.
On May 18, 2022, the Committee on Oversight and Reform held
a classified briefing with representatives from DOD, the
Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International
Development to receive an update on the status of the war in
Ukraine and U.S. and allied efforts to support Ukraine's
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
On June 7, 2022, the Subcommittee on National Security held
a hearing to examine the humanitarian crisis resulting from
Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine and the efforts of
international aid organizations to deliver urgently needed
assistance to support civilians affected by the conflict.
On September 21, 2022, the Subcommittee on National
Security held a hearing to examine how Russia has used private
military companies to foment and exploit instability and
conflict in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as
how the United States and the international community can hold
these organizations accountable for the war crimes, atrocities,
and other illegal activities they have carried out on behalf of
the Kremlin.
II. MONKEYPOX
On July 20, 2022, in response to rising monkeypox case
counts, the Chairwoman wrote to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to
urge swift action to ensure that vaccines, testing, and
treatment were available to all people, including people with
monkeypox symptoms or suspected exposure.
On July 29, 2022, the Chairwoman wrote again to HHS
Secretary Becerra, urging him to declare a public health
emergency in response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak and
rising case counts across the country. On August 4, 2022, the
Biden Administration declared the monkeypox outbreak a public
health emergency.
On August 10, 2022, the Chairwoman wrote to HHS Secretary
Becerra to commend the Administration's declaration of a public
health emergency in response to the monkeypox outbreak and to
urge the Department to take all steps necessary to ensure that
patients and providers could easily access monkeypox
treatment--including any steps required to evaluate a potential
emergency use authorization for TPOXX to treat monkeypox.
B. Additional Oversight Activities of the Select Subcommittee on the
Coronavirus Crisis
I. WORKFORCE INEQUITIES
On December 13, 2021, the Select Subcommittee initiated an
investigation of the pandemic's impact on the U.S. workforce by
sending requests to 12 major companies that had reportedly laid
off at least 1,000 workers during the crisis: AT&T, Berkshire
Hathaway, Boeing, Chevron, Cisco, Citigroup, Comcast,
ExxonMobil, Oracle, Salesforce, Walmart, and the Walt Disney
Company. The Select Subcommittee's investigation followed
reports indicating that women and low-wage workers were
disproportionately impacted by the economic crisis that
followed the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The Select
Subcommittee collected data on seven key employment outcomes--
furloughs, layoffs, terminations/firings, voluntary departures,
hourly wage and salary reductions, hourly wage and salary
increases, and promotions. During its investigation, the Select
Subcommittee developed a unique and innovative methodology for
analyzing the significant quantity of data obtained from these
companies and used the data to reach its findings. The Select
Subcommittee also held briefings with the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor's Office of
Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
On October 25, 2022, the Select Subcommittee released a
report detailing its findings from the investigation. The
Select Subcommittee found a number of inequities across
numerous dimensions. Hourly employees were more likely to quit
or be fired and less likely to be promoted than salaried
workers, and these inequities were compounded by racial, ethnic
and gender inequities. Workers without access to paid sick
leave quit at much higher rates than workers with paid sick
leave, while workers that had access to and used family and
caregiving leave had better employment outcomes than workers
that did not. Older workers were laid off at higher rates than
younger workers. Further, the Select Subcommittee found that
most companies were not collecting comprehensive data on their
workers' benefits, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
C. Official Travel/Delegations
The Subcommittee on National Security led a congressional
delegation (CODEL) to Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Austria
from March 18 to March 24, 2022. The delegation travelled to
the region to observe the humanitarian impacts of Vladimir
Putin's invasion of Ukraine and to demonstrate the United
States' unwavering support for NATO alliance and the people of
Ukraine.
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis led a
bipartisan staff delegation on August 1, 2022, to the CDC in
Atlanta as part of its oversight of the CDC's response to the
coronavirus pandemic. Bipartisan staff toured the CDC campus,
including laboratory facilities, and met with CDC officials to
obtain information on CDC's coronavirus response practices,
data modernization initiative, and preparedness for public
health emergencies.
D. State and District Level Reports
In the 117th Congress, the Committee issued 444 state and
district level staff reports for Members of the House. These
reports covered the following:
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA):
Committee Staff issued two sets of
District-level reports to every member of the
Democratic caucus (two sets of 222 reports) on
the anticipated benefits of the IRA. The first
set of reports described how the legislation
would help make health insurance more
affordable for constituents, including by
reducing premiums. The second set of reports
described how the IRA would make prescription
drugs more affordable for constituents. Both
reports included multiple examples illustrating
savings for constituents.
Committee staff also issued a national
report on the IRA's anticipated benefits. This
report used the underlying data gathered for
the District-level reports, and included a
national-level summary of the IRA's benefits of
reducing both prescription drug costs and
health insurance premiums.
VII. HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 2(N) OF HOUSE RULE XI
Under House Rule XI clause 2(n):
(1) Each standing committee, or a subcommittee
thereof, shall hold at least one hearing during each
120-day period following the establishment of the
committee on the topic of waste, fraud, abuse, or
mismanagement in Government programs which that
committee may authorize.
(2) A hearing described in subparagraph (1) shall
include a focus on the most egregious instances of
waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement as documented by
any report the committee has received from a Federal
Office of the Inspector General or the Comptroller
General of the United States.
During the 117th Congress, the Committee held the following
hearings pursuant to this requirement (see Section II, above,
for witnesses):
Hearing on ``Legislative Proposals to Put the Postal
Service on Sustainable Financial Footing'' (February
24, 2021).
Hearing on ``The 2021 GAO High-Risk List: Blueprint
for a Safer, Stronger, More Effective America'' (March
2, 2021).
Hearing on ``The Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction's 2021 High-Risk List''
(March 16, 2021).
Hearing on ``Rooting Out Fraud in Small Business
Relief Programs'' (March 25, 2021).
Hearing on ``Restoring Independence: Rebuilding the
Federal Offices of Inspectors General'' (April 20,
2021).
Hearing on ``Examining Emergent BioSolutions''
Failure to Protect Public Health and Public Funds''
(May 19, 2021).
Hearing on ``Defending the U.S. Electric Grid Against
Cyber Threats'' (July 27, 2021).
Hearing on ``FITARA 12.0'' (July 28, 2021).
Full Committee Hearing on ``Hurricane Ida and Beyond:
Readiness, Recovery, and Resilience'' (October 5,
2021).
Hearing on ``Waiting on the Mail: Postal Service
Standard Drops in Chicago and the Surrounding Area''
(October 15, 2021).
Hearing on ``Cracking Down on Ransomware: Strategies
for Disrupting Criminal Hackers and Building Resilience
Against Cyber Threats'' (November 16, 2021).
Hearing on ``Cybersecurity for the New Frontier:
Reforming the Federal Information Security
Modernization Act'' (January 11, 2022).
Full Committee Hearing on ``Price Gouging in Military
Contracts: New Inspector General Report Exposes Excess
Profit Obtained by TransDigm Group'' (January 19,
2022).
Hearing on ``FITARA 13.0'' (January 20, 2022).
Hearing on ``Waiting on the Mail: Postal Service
Standard Drops in Baltimore and the Surrounding Area''
(February 14, 2022).
Hearing on ``From Recession to Recovery: Examining
the Impact of the American Rescue Plan's State and
Local Fiscal Recovery Funds'' (March 1, 2022).
Hearing on ``Follow the Money: Tackling Improper
Payments'' (March 31, 2022).
Hearing on ``It's Electric: Developing the Postal
Service Fleet of the Future'' (April 5, 2022).
Hearing on ``IRS: Is It Ready?'' (April 21, 2022).
Hearing on ``Ensuring Scientific Integrity at Our
Nation's Public Health Agencies'' (April 29, 2022).
Hearing on ``Technology Modernization Fund: Rewriting
Our IT Legacy'' (May 25, 2022).
Hearing on ``Restoring Independence: Rebuilding the
Federal Offices of Inspector General'' (April 20,
2022).
Hearing on ``Examining Federal Efforts to Prevent,
Detect, and Prosecute Pandemic Relief Fraud to
Safeguard Funds for All Eligible Americans'' (June 14,
2022).
Hearing on ``FITARA 14.0'' (July 28, 2022).
Hearing on ``Delivering for Pennsylvania: Examining
Postal Service Delivery and Operations from the Cradle
of Liberty'' (September 7, 2022).
Hearing on ``Project Federal Information Technology:
Make IT Work'' (September 16, 2022).
Hearing on ``The Holiday Rush: Is the Postal Service
Ready?'' (November 16, 2022).
Hearing on ``FITARA 15.0'' (December 15, 2022).
VIII. HEARINGS HELD PURSUANT TO PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (P) OF HOUSE RULE XI
Under House Rule XI clause 2(p):
Each standing committee, or a subcommittee thereof,
shall hold at least one hearing on issues raised by
reports issued by the Comptroller General of the United
States indicating that Federal programs or operations
that the committee may authorize are at high risk for
waste, fraud, and mismanagement, known as the ``high-
risk list'' or the ``high-risk series.''
During the 117th Congress, the Committee held the following
hearings pursuant to this requirement (see Section II, above,
for witnesses):
Hearing on ``Revitalizing the Federal Workforce''
(February 23, 2021).
Hearing on ``The Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction's 2021 High-Risk List''
(March 16, 2021).
Hearing on ``FITARA 12.0'' (July 28, 2021).
Hearing on ``The Future of Federal Work'' (December
1, 2021).
Hearing on ``FITARA 13.0'' (January 20, 2022).
Hearing on ``Follow the Money: Tackling Improper
Payments'' (March 31, 2022).
Hearing on ``Technology Modernization Fund: Rewriting
Our IT Legacy'' (May 25, 2022).
Hearing on ``The Future of Federal Work II'' (July
21, 2022).
Hearing on ``FITARA 14.0'' (July 28, 2022).
Hearing on ``Project Federal Information Technology:
Make IT Work'' (September 16, 2022).
Hearing on ``FITARA 15.0'' (December 15, 2022).
[all]