[Senate Report 118-1]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


118th Congress}                                           { Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session  }                                           { 117-1

======================================================================
                     ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON

                         HOMELAND SECURITY AND

                          GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS


                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 of the

                 COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND 
                         GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                                AND ITS

                             SUBCOMMITTEES

                                FOR THE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS


[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


                 March 1, 2023.--Ordered to be printed
                 
                              __________
                                
                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
39-010                    WASHINGTON : 2023                    
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     
                
        COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

                   GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           RAND PAUL, Kentucky
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire         RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  MITT ROMNEY, Utah
ALEX PADILLA, California             RICK SCOTT, Florida
JON OSSOFF, Georgia                  JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
RICHARD BLUMENTAL, Connecticut       ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas

                   David M. Weinberg, Staff Director
           William E. Henderson III, Minority Staff Director
                     Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk
                               
                               ------                                

  COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DURING THE 
                             117TH CONGRESS

                   GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           ROB PORTMAN, Ohio
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire         RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              RAND PAUL, Kentucky
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
ALEX PADILLA, California             MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JON OSSOFF, Georgia                  RICK SCOTT, Florida
                                     JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri

                              ------                                

                  SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE 117TH CONGRESS
                PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS

                       JON OSSOFF, Georgia, Chair
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire         RAND PAUL, Kentucky
ALEX PADILLA, California             JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
                                     RICK SCOTT, Florida
                              ------                                

                EMERGING THREATS AND SPENDING OVERSIGHT

                  MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire, Chair
KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              RAND PAUL, Kentucky
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JON OSSOFF, Georgia                  RICK SCOTT, Florida
                                     JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri
              GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND BORDER MANAGEMENT

                     KRYSTEN SINEMA, Arizona, Chair
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
ALEX PADILLA, California             RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
JON OSSOFF, Georgia                  MITT ROMNEY, Utah
                                     JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri


                                CONTENTS

                                 ------                                
                                                                   Page
  I. Highlights of Activities.........................................1

        A. Postal Service........................................     3
        B. Cybersecurity.........................................     4
        C. Terrorism.............................................     8
        D. Bolstering the Nation's Response to Disasters and 
        Emergencies..............................................    11
        E. Improving Government Efficiency and Use of Taxpayer 
        Dollars..................................................    13
        F. Increasing Government Accountability and Transparency.    15
        G. Addressing the PFAS Contamination Crisis..............    16
        H. Ensuring a Fair and Accurate Census...................    17
        I. Modernizing Federal and Presidential Records 
        Management...............................................    18
        J. Securing the Nation's Border..........................    19
        K. Fighting Human Trafficking............................    20
        L. Ensuring Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence.......    21
        M. D.C. Statehood........................................    21

 II. Committee Jurisdiction..........................................22
III. Bills and Resolutions Referred and Considered...................25
 IV. Hearings........................................................25
  V. Reports, Prints, and GAO Reports................................43
 VI. Official Communications.........................................57
VII. Legislative Actions.............................................58
        Measures Enacted Into Law................................    58
        Postal Naming Bills......................................    67
VIII.Activities of the Subcommittees.................................72


             Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI)

  I. Historical Background...........................................72

        A. Subcommittee Jurisdiction.............................    72

        B. Subcommittee Investigations...........................    74

 II. Subcommittee Hearings during the 117th Congress.................81

III. Legislation Activities during the 117th Congress................84

 IV. Reports, Prints, and Studies....................................85

  V. GAO Reports....................................................120

             Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight (ETSO)

  I. Authority......................................................123

 II. Activity.......................................................123

  A. Hearings.......................................................123

  B. Legislation....................................................128

  C. GAO Reports....................................................137

          Government Operations and Border Management (GOVOPS)

  I. Authority......................................................140

 II. Activity.......................................................140

  A. Hearings.......................................................140

III. Legislation....................................................143

 IV. GAO Reports....................................................144


                                              
118th Congress}                                           { Report
                                 SENATE
 1st Session  }                                           { 117-1

======================================================================
 
                ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND
                   SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
                       DURING THE 117TH CONGRESS

                                _______
                                

                  March 1, 2023--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. PETERS, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
                    Affairs, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

    This report reviews the legislative and oversight 
activities of the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs and its Subcommittees during the 117th 
Congress. These activities were conducted pursuant to the 
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended; by Rule 
XXV(k) of the Standing Rules of the Senate; and by additional 
authorizing resolutions of the Senate. See Section II, 
``Committee Jurisdiction,'' for details.
    Senator Gary C. Peters was Chairman of the Committee during 
the 117th Congress; Senator Rob Portman was the Ranking Member.
    Major activities of the Committee during the 117th Congress 
included oversight and legislation involving the U.S. Postal 
Service, cybersecurity, terrorism, government efficiency and 
the use of taxpayer dollars, federal disaster response, reforms 
to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), per- and 
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the Census, border security, 
artificial intelligence, and District of Columbia statehood. 
Discussion of these major activities appears in Section I 
below; additional information on these and other measures 
appears in Section VII, ``Legislative Actions.''
    Extensive information about the Committee's history, 
hearings, legislation, documents, Subcommittees, and other 
matters is available at the Web site, http://hsgac.senate.gov/.

                      I. HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES

    During the 117th Congress, Chairman Gary C. Peters and 
Ranking Member Rob Portman led the Committee to collaboratively 
address longstanding challenges to the nation's security, as 
well as strengthen government's effectiveness. Over the last 
two years, as the nation began to emerge from the challenges of 
the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across the country continued 
to face evolving threats to their safety and security, and 
continued to rely on the federal government to efficiently 
administer critical programs and services. During this time, 
the country also witnessed lethal domestic terrorist attacks, 
disruptive cyber-attacks, and increasingly severe natural 
disasters--all while continuing to grapple with the aftermath 
of a public health crisis that has taken the lives of more than 
one million Americans.
    Under Chairman Peters' leadership, the Committee authored 
and enacted historic bipartisan legislation to strengthen our 
national security and passed long overdue reforms to ensure 
that the federal government can effectively serve the American 
people for years to come.
    To ensure our nation is better prepared to address emerging 
homeland security threats, the Committee examined current and 
rapidly evolving potential threats, including bioterrorism, 
cyber-attacks, terrorism and natural disasters. The Committee 
led oversight efforts and enacted bipartisan laws to protect 
critical infrastructure from persistent and complex cyber-
attacks, harden our defenses against the rising threat of white 
supremacist and anti-government violence, and improve the 
federal response to disasters and emergencies, including public 
health emergencies.
    The Committee also led efforts to improve government 
accountability and ensure federal agencies are effectively 
serving the American people. Notably, Chairman Peters worked 
with Ranking Member Portman and other leaders in the House and 
the Senate to author and enact historic bipartisan legislation 
to ensure the long-term stability of the United States Postal 
Service. The Committee also prioritized strengthening 
protections for Inspectors General, increasing transparency in 
government, ensuring effective use of taxpayer dollars, and 
supporting the federal workforce in their mission to serve 
Americans across the country. These efforts included enacting 
new laws that reduce the government's energy costs and ensure 
that federal contractors are working in the best interest of 
the American people, and not outside interests.
    Finally, Chairman Peters utilized the Committee's role as 
the Senate's chief oversight body to issue four comprehensive 
investigative reports. This included the first bipartisan 
investigation into the security failures related to the January 
6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, an investigative report 
detailing failures by national security agencies and major 
social media companies to address the growing domestic 
terrorism threat, and an investigation that identified 
significant failures in the federal government's preparedness 
and initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    During the 117th Congress, the Committee held 64 hearings 
and roundtables to identify, discuss, and assess bipartisan 
solutions to address national security threats and improve 
government operations. The Committee also advanced 143 bills 
and 38 post office naming bills to the Senate floor. Chairman 
Peters authored and introduced 50 of those bills. In total, the 
Committee helped enact 79 pieces of standalone legislation into 
law, including 18 authored by Chairman Peters, and helped 
secure a number of critical provisions as a part of larger 
government funding bills and historic legislation, including 
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation 
Reduction Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act. The Committee 
also helped confirm 46 of President Biden's nominees to lead 
the federal government and implement the Administration's 
priorities. Under Chairman Peters' leadership, the Committee 
showed that by working on a bipartisan basis, we can come 
together to solve significant problems, protect our national 
security and ensure the federal government is operating 
efficiently and effectively.

                    A. SUPPORTING THE POSTAL SERVICE

    Millions of people across the country, including veterans, 
seniors, and small business owners, rely on the United States 
Postal Service. This essential and trusted public institution 
delivers critical supplies like medications and financial 
documents to every address across the nation. However, despite 
its importance, Congress had not passed significant reforms to 
the Postal Service in more than a decade--and burdensome 
financial requirements for the Postal Service threatened its 
long-term stability and ability to provide reliable service. 
During the 117th Congress, Chairman Peters and Ranking Member 
Portman led the Committee to pass historic reforms to support 
the Postal Service and confirmed effective leadership for this 
essential institution.
    As Ranking Member of the Committee during the 116th 
Congress, Senator Peters led oversight efforts of Postal 
Service operations to shed a light on how unfair policies 
forced this treasured institution to make changes that impacted 
delivery service and caused significant delivery delays for 
medication, financial documents, and other critical mail.\1\ As 
Chairman during the 117th Congress, Senator Peters worked 
together with Ranking Member Portman, Senator Tom Carper, and 
other Committee Members to build on these efforts and help the 
Postal Service overcome unnecessary financial burdens. On May 
19, 2022, Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Portman introduced 
the Postal Service Reform Act.\2\ For nearly a year, Chairman 
Peters worked hand-in-hand with Committee Members, Senate 
Leadership, and the leaders of the House Committee on Oversight 
and Reform to secure significant bipartisan support for the 
legislation. As a result, the House passed their companion 
bill\3\ with 342 votes on February 8, 2022, the Senate passed 
the bill with 79 votes on March 8, 2022, and President Biden 
signed the bill into law on April 6, 2022.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Minority Staff Report, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs, Failure to Deliver: Harm Caused by U.S. 
Postmaster General DeJoy's Changes to Postal Service Mail Delivery, 
(September 16, 2020).
    \2\S. 1720 (117th Cong.).
    \3\H.R. 3076 (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-108.
    \4\Public Law No: 117-108.
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    The law eliminates a requirement for the Postal Service to 
pre-fund every employee's retirement benefits and integrate 
postal worker retirees' health care with Medicare. Together, 
these two reforms will create more than $49 billion in savings 
for the Postal Service. The new law also ensures greater 
transparency from the Postal Service about their delivery 
performance and requires the institution to continue delivering 
six days a week. The new law is a notable example of how the 
Committee has worked together and set aside partisanship to 
enact meaningful reforms that will immensely benefit the 
American people for generations to come.
    In addition to passing these historic reforms, Chairman 
Peters and the Committee also worked to provide the Postal 
Service with leadership that will support its dedicated 
workforce, focus on reliable mail delivery, and maintain the 
Postal Service's public service mission to deliver to every 
community. This Congress, the Committee worked on a bipartisan 
basis to confirm President Biden's nominees, Derek Kan and 
Daniel Tangherlini, to serve on the Postal Service Board of 
Governors.\5\ During their confirmation process, both nominees 
demonstrated their commitment to the Postal Service's mission 
and were confirmed by the full Senate unanimously.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 
Hearing on the Nominations of Hon. Derek T. Kan and Hon. Daniel M. 
Tangherlini to be Governors, U.S. Postal Service, 117th Cong. (Mar. 31, 
2022) (S. Hrg. 117-554).
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    Finally, Chairman Peters led the Committee to press the 
Postal Service to acquire more electric vehicles that will help 
reduce the cost of operating their fleet in the long run. On 
February 26, 2022, Chairman Peters sent a letter to Postal 
Service leadership urging them to prioritize the acquisition of 
electric vehicles to ensure the fleet is modern, safe and 
sustainable for the Postal Service and for our environment.\6\ 
The Chairman also convened a Committee briefing in April with 
the Postal Service on efforts to modernize their aging delivery 
vehicle fleet--including by acquiring electric vehicles and 
prioritizing union-made vehicles.\7\ These efforts resulted in 
an announcement from the Postal Service saying that they intend 
to expand their electric vehicle purchase order by at least 
fifty percent. Furthermore, as a part of the Inflation 
Reduction Act, the Committee secured $3 billion for the Postal 
Service to purchase more electric vehicles. In December 2022, 
the Postal Service announced they would use this historic 
investment to invest in charging infrastructure and deploy over 
66,000 electric vehicles by 2028--making a majority of new 
vehicle purchases electric.\8\
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    \6\Letter from Gary Peters, Chairman, Senate Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs, to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy 
and USPS Board of Governors (February 26, 2022).
    \7\Committee Member Briefing on U.S. Postal Service (April 7, 
2022).
    \8\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Statement on Postal 
Service Announcement to Significantly Increase Electric Vehicle Fleet, 
(Dec. 20, 2022).
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                     B. STRENGTHENING CYBERSECURITY

    Cyber-attacks continue to affect the country's national and 
economic security. Attacks over the past two years have 
demonstrated how they can compromise sensitive information and 
severely disrupt daily life and Americans' livelihoods. 
According to the World Economic Forum, malware and ransomware 
attacks increased by 358 and 435 percent respectively in 2020, 
and ``are outpacing societies' ability to effectively prevent 
or respond to them''.\9\ In May 2021, criminal hackers breached 
the network of Colonial Pipeline, forcing the company to shut 
down over 5,500 miles of pipeline, leading to increased prices 
and gas shortages for communities across the East coast.\10\ In 
December 2020, cybersecurity firm FireEye became aware of a 
cyber-attack against SolarWinds that allowed foreign 
adversaries to access the networks of the Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense, and other 
federal agencies.\11\ In January 2021, a reported hack of the 
Microsoft Exchange email service allowed cybercriminals to 
access the servers of state and local governments, infectious 
disease researchers, and businesses such as law firms and 
defense contractors.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\World Economic Forum, The Global Risks Report 2022 17th Edition 
(N.D. 2022).
    \10\Veronica Stracqualursi, Geneva Sands and Arlette Saenz, 
Cyberattack Forces Major Us Fuel Pipeline To Shut Down, CNN (May 8, 
2021 6:12 PM), https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/08/politics/colonial-
pipeline-cybersecurity-attack/index.html
    \11\Sara Wilson, Solarwinds Recap: All Of The Federal Agencies 
Caught Up In The Orion Breach, FedScoop (December 22, 2020), https://
fedscoop.com/solarwinds-recap-federal-agencies-caught-orion-breach/
#::text=The%20SolarWinds%20hack%20has%20put,13
    \12\Clare Duffy, Here's What We Know So Far About The Massive 
Microsoft Exchange Hack, CNN (March 10, 2021 7:04 AM), https://
www.cnn.com/2021/03/10/tech/microsoft-exchange-hafnium-hack-explainer/
index.html; Brian Krebs, At Least 30,000 U.S. Organizations Newly 
Hacked Via Holes In Microsoft's Email Software, Krebs On Security 
(March 5, 2021), https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/03/at-least-30000-u-
s-organizations-newly-hacked-via-holes-in-microsofts-email-software/
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    During the 117th Congress, the Committee convened a number 
of hearings and briefings with senior federal officials and 
cybersecurity experts to help educate members about the scope 
and severity of this threat. The Committee examined the impacts 
of the SolarWinds attack and vulnerabilities in federal 
networks.\13\ The Committee also convened the first 
Congressional hearing with the Chief Executive Officer of 
Colonial Pipeline to examine the significant breach of their 
networks.\14\ The Committee learned from the Administration's 
most senior cybersecurity officials on how lawmakers can work 
to help protect federal and critical infrastructure 
systems.\15\ The Committee also examined the vulnerability 
found in open source code known as Log4j, and how experts 
across the public and private sectors were working to mitigate 
the effects of this massive cybersecurity risk.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \13\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Understanding and Responding to the SolarWinds Supply Chain 
Attack: The Federal Perspective, 117th Cong. (Mar. 18, 2021) (S. Hrg. 
117-478).
    \14\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Threats to Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Colonial 
Pipeline Cyber-Attack, 117th Cong. (June 8, 2021) (S. Hrg. 117-429).
    \15\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on National Cybersecurity Strategy: Protection of Federal and 
Critical Infrastructure Systems, 117th Cong. (Sept. 23, 2021).
    \16\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Responding to and Learning from the Log4Shell Vulnerability, 
117th Cong. (Feb. 8, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    To address these growing cybersecurity threats, Chairman 
Peters and Ranking Member Portman worked on a bipartisan basis 
to enact some of the most significant and historic reforms to 
our nation's cybersecurity policy. Chairman Peters and Ranking 
Member Portman wrote and enacted a provision into law that, for 
the first time, would require critical infrastructure owners 
and operators to report to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
Security Agency (CISA) if they experience a substantial cyber-
attack or if they make a ransomware payment.\17\ The law will 
help CISA provide critical infrastructure companies with the 
insight and resources needed to help respond to and recover 
from network breaches so they can continue providing essential 
services to the American people.\18\
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    \17\S. 2875, Cyber Incident Reporting Act of 2021; S. 3600, 
Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act of 2022. Provision enacted as 
part of H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (March 15, 
2022).
    \18\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters & 
Portman Landmark Provision Requiring Critical Infrastructure to Report 
Cyber-Attacks Signed into Law as Part of Funding Bill, (Mar. 15, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Chairman Peters also secured a provision in the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that created an 
authority for the DHS Secretary to declare a Significant 
Incident in the event of an ongoing or imminent cyber-attack 
that would impact national security, economic security, or 
government operations.\19\ This declaration empowers CISA to 
coordinate federal and non-federal response efforts, and gives 
the DHS Secretary access to a $100 million Cyber Response and 
Recovery Fund that would help support federal and non-federal 
entities impacted by the event.\20\ As a part of the 
infrastructure law, Chairman Peters also secured a provision 
that requires the Environmental Protection Agency and CISA to 
identify public water systems that, if degraded or rendered 
inoperable due to a cyber-attack, would lead to significant 
impacts on the health and safety of the public.\21\
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    \19\S. 1316, Cyber Response and Recovery Act of 2012. Provision 
enacted as part of H.R. 3684, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
(Nov. 15, 2021).
    \20\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Provisions to 
Strengthen Cybersecurity Signed Into Law as Part of Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Bill, (Nov. 15, 2021).
    \21\Ibid.
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    The Committee also worked to help state and local 
governments, who are frequent targets of ransomware, protect 
their networks. In 2020, cybercriminals targeted at least 2,350 
government entities with ransomware attacks, including nearly 
1,700 educational institutions and 560 healthcare 
facilities.\22\ These attacks can cost significant taxpayer 
dollars and compromise sensitive personal information such as 
Social Security numbers and credit card numbers. As a part of 
the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Chairman Peters, 
Ranking Member Portman, and Senator Maggie Hassan secured $1 
billion over four years to fund the new State and Local 
Cybersecurity Grant program, managed by CISA and the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to support efforts by 
state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments secure their 
networks, assess their cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and build 
up their cybersecurity workforce.\23\ The Committee approved 
the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act, which was 
enacted in 2022.\24\ The law, written by Chairman Peters and 
Ranking Member Portman, will promote stronger cybersecurity 
coordination between DHS and state and local governments.\25\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \22\Emisoft Malware Lab, The State of Ransomware in the US: Report 
and Statistics 2020, Emisoft (blog) (Jan. 18, 2021) (https://
blog.emsisoft.com/en/37314/the-state-of-ransomware-in-the-us-report-
and-statistics-2020/).
    \23\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Provisions to 
Strengthen Cybersecurity Signed Into Law as Part of Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Bill, (Nov. 15, 2021).
    \24\S. 2520, (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-150.
    \25\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Three Peters Bills to 
Strengthen State and Local Cybersecurity, Bolster Cyber Workforce, and 
Secure Federal Supply Chains Signed Into Law, (June 22, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    K-12 schools also face increased cyber-attacks that can 
disrupt classes and compromise the sensitive information of 
students, educators and school staff. To combat this 
significant threat, the Committee approved a bipartisan bill 
written by Chairman Peters and Senator Rick Scott that directed 
CISA to work with teachers, school administrators, other 
federal departments and private sector organizations to better 
understand cybersecurity risks specific to K-12 educational 
institutions, which was later enacted.\26\
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    \26\S. 1917 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-47; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rick Scott, and Representative Jim 
Langevin: Peters, Scott, and Langevin Bipartisan Bill to Help Protect 
K-12 School Systems from Cyber-Attacks Signed Into Law, (Oct. 8, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Committee also approved legislation authored by 
Chairman Peters, as well as Senators John Hoeven, Jacky Rosen, 
and Maggie Hassan, that created a civilian personnel rotation 
program for cybersecurity professionals at federal agencies, 
which was later enacted.\27\ The law will help the federal 
government attract and retain a highly skilled cybersecurity 
workforce that will enhance our nation's ability to fight back 
against cybersecurity threats from foreign adversaries and 
criminal hackers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \27\S. 1097 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-149; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters, John Hoeven, Jacky Rosen: Peters, Hoeven 
& Rosen Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Federal Cybersecurity 
Workforce Signed into Law, (June 22, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Federal agencies store sensitive information and manage 
supply chains that are critical to our national security. As 
demonstrated by the SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange attacks, 
federal networks are vulnerable to network breaches. The 
Committee approved a bill written by Chairman Peters and 
Senators Ron Johnson and Maggie Hassan, which was later 
enacted, that required the creation of a standardized training 
program to help federal employees responsible for purchasing 
services and equipment identify whether those products could 
compromise the federal government's information security and 
supply chains.\28\ The Committee also approved and the Senate 
unanimously passed legislation written by Chairman Peters and 
Ranking Member Portman to require civilian federal agencies to 
report to CISA if they experience a substantial cyber-
attack.\29\ The Committee also approved and the Senate 
unanimously passed bipartisan legislation authored by Chairman 
Peters and Ranking Member Portman to reauthorize the Federal 
Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) and ensure 
federal agencies can quickly and securely adopt cloud-based 
technologies that improve government operations and 
efficiency.\30\ This legislation was enacted as part of the 
James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2023.\31\
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    \28\S. 2201, Supply Chain Security Training Act of 2021, (117th 
Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-145. Press Release, Senator Gary 
Peters, Three Peters Bills to Strengthen State and Local Cybersecurity, 
Bolster Cyber Workforce, and Secure Federal Supply Chains Signed into 
Law, (June 22, 2022).
    \29\S. 2902, Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2021 
(117th Cong.). Passed the Senate as part of S. 3600, Strengthening 
American Cybersecurity Act of 2022 (117th Cong.).
    \30\S. 3099, Federal Secure Cloud Improvement and Jobs Act of 2021 
(117th Cong.). Passed the Senate as part of S.3600, Strengthening 
American Cybersecurity Act of 2022. Press Release, Senators Gary Peters 
and Rob Portman: Senate Passes Peters, Portman Landmark Legislative 
Package to Strengthen Public and Private Sector Cybersecurity (Mar. 2, 
2022).
    \31\H.R. 7776, (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-263.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition to passing legislation, the Committee led the 
confirmation of several of President Biden's nominees to lead 
federal cybersecurity efforts, including CISA Director Jen 
Easterly and the first National Cyber Director, Chris Inglis. 
Since being confirmed, these officials have worked hand in hand 
with Chairman Peters and the Committee to significantly 
strengthen our nation's cybersecurity defenses.

                  RANSOMWARE INVESTIGATION AND REPORT

    On May 24, 2022, Chairman Peters released a Majority staff 
report detailing the results of his investigation into the role 
cryptocurrencies play in emboldening and incentivizing 
cybercriminals to commit ransomware attacks. The report found 
that the federal government lacks sufficient data and 
information on ransomware attacks and their use of 
cryptocurrency. The report's findings highlighted the 
importance of quickly implementing Peters' landmark law to 
require critical infrastructure owners and operators to report 
to CISA within 24 hours if they make a ransomware payment and 
within 72 hours if they experience a substantial cybersecurity 
incident. Once fully implemented, the law will ensure the 
federal government is receiving much needed information on 
ransomware attacks that will help protect critical 
infrastructure and hold attackers accountable.\32\
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    \32\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee 
Majority Staff Report, Use of Cryptocurrency in Ransomware Attacks, 
Available Data, and National Security Concerns, (May 24, 2022).
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                         C. COMBATING TERRORISM

    More than two decades after the September 11, 2001 
terrorist attacks, the terrorism threat landscape for our 
nation has evolved. While foreign terrorism remains a 
persistent threat, national security experts have testified to 
the Committee that the greatest threat to American communities 
is domestic terrorism, specifically attacks fueled by white 
supremacist and anti-government ideologies.\33\ Over the past 
two years, the nation witnessed multiple horrific attacks 
rooted in these and related ideologies that have taken dozens 
of lives. On January 6, 2021, the world witnessed a violent and 
unprecedented insurrection at the U.S. Capitol--an attack on 
nation and our democratic process. Other attacks were racially 
and religiously targeted, including attacks on houses of 
worship and a deadly attack inspired by the racist and 
antisemitic ``Great Replacement Theory'' that targeted the 
Black community in Buffalo, New York. During the 117th 
Congress, the Committee focused on ensuring the federal 
government is better prepared to address the rapidly evolving 
threat posed by domestic terrorism and protect the American 
people from these attacks.
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    \33\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Threats to the Homeland: Evaluating the Landscape 20 Years 
After 9/11, 117th Cong. (Sept. 21, 2021). Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee, Hearing on Threats to the Homeland, 
117th Cong. (Nov. 17, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Committee convened numerous hearings and briefings with 
federal officials and independent experts that focused on the 
threat of domestic violent extremism, including white 
supremacist and anti-government violence. The Committee heard 
from experts representing faith-based, civil rights, and 
academic and policy research organizations on how attacks, that 
are motivated in part by hateful, racist ideologies, are 
causing communities across the country to live in fear.\34\ 
Following attacks like the one targeting the Black community in 
Buffalo, the Committee convened a hearing to hear from experts 
about the threat posed by white supremacist extremism and 
racist ideologies like the ``Great Replacement Theory.''\35\ 
During that hearing, Chairman Peters and the witnesses also 
discussed how highly influential individuals continue to use 
broadcast media platforms and social media to spread racist and 
extremist rhetoric.\36\ The Committee also examined terrorism 
threats to houses of worship and other public spaces.\37\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \34\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Examining the 
Threat of Racially, Ethnically, Religiously, and Politically Motivated 
Attacks Part 1, (Aug. 3, 2021) and Part 2, 117th Cong. (Aug. 5, 2021) 
(S. Hrg. 117-262).
    \35\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Domestic Extremism in America: Examining White Supremacist 
Violence in the Wake of Recent Attacks, 117th Cong. (Jun. 9, 2022).
    \36\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Convenes Hearing to 
Examine Domestic Terrorist Threat Posed by White Supremacist Violence, 
(June 9, 2022).
    \37\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Examining Threats Against Houses of Worship and Public 
Spaces, 117th Cong. (Mar. 16, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    A key focus of many of these hearings was how the federal 
government can more effectively align its counterterrorism 
resources to address the threat posed by domestic terrorism. 
This included convening a hearing examining the DHS Office of 
Intelligence and Analysis, and inadequate intelligence 
assessments the office produced, including the failure to 
predict and prevent the January 6th attack on the U.S. 
Capitol.\38\ The Committee also examined reports of 
politicization within the office that downplayed the growing 
threat posed by white supremacist and anti-government violence, 
as well as challenges transmitting intelligence information to 
state and local government and law enforcement partners.\39\ 
The Committee also convened several hearings to examine how 
national security agencies, including DHS and the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), prioritize their 
counterterrorism resources to address all terrorism 
threats.\40\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \38\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Examining the Role of the Department of Homeland Security's 
Office of Intelligence and Analysis, 117th Cong. (May 18, 2021) (S. 
Hrg. 117-480).
    \39\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Presses Experts on 
How to Improve DHS Intelligence and Better Protect Communities from 
Domestic Terrorism, (May 18, 2021).
    \40\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Resources and Authorities Needed to Protect and Secure the 
Homeland, 117th Cong. (May 4, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Following these hearings and the examination of the 
evolving domestic terrorism threat, the Committee approved 
legislation to reauthorize the DHS's Nonprofit Security Grant 
Program (NSGP).\41\ The program provides grants to help at-risk 
institutions and nonprofit groups plan for and safeguard their 
facilities against potential attacks. Grants can be used to 
harden facilities, promote emergency preparedness training, and 
strengthen security coordination between communities, emergency 
responders and state and local government agencies.\42\ 
Chairman Peters also fought for significant increases in 
funding for the NSGP. He secured $250 million for the program 
as a part of the funding legislation that was signed into law 
in March 15, 2022.\43\ As a part of the next funding bill that 
was signed into law on December 29, 2022, Chairman Peters 
secured $305 million for the program.\44\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \41\H.R. 6825, Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act of 
2022. Passed the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee 
on Aug. 3, 2022. Signed into law as part of H.R. 7776, (117th Cong.), 
Public Law No: 117-263.
    \42\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Announces More than 
$8 Million in Security Grants to Faith-Based and Nonprofit Institutions 
Across Michigan, (Aug. 22, 2022).
    \43\H.R. 2471 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-103.
    \44\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Following Peters' Calls, 
Annual Spending Bill Includes Robust Funding to Help Protect Houses of 
Worship From Threats, (Dec. 20, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition to securing these vital resources, the 
Committee also utilized its oversight authorities to ensure 
federal law enforcement and national security agencies are 
better prepared to address threats against houses of worship, 
as well as prevent attacks on public spaces that are often 
inspired by hate. In 2019, Chairman Peters and Senator Ron 
Johnson authored a law that required the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation (FBI) and DHS to track and publicly report 
incidents of domestic terrorism across the country.\45\ After 
enactment of this law, these agencies took steps to begin 
tracking and reporting this data, but have still failed to meet 
all of its requirements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \45\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Investigative Report 
Shows DHS and FBI Are Not Adequately Addressing Domestic Terrorism 
Threat, (Nov. 16, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the 117th Congress, Chairman Peters repeatedly pressed 
senior federal officials from the FBI and DHS to follow the 
law, track incidents of domestic terrorism, and accurately 
identify the ideologies that are inspiring these attacks.\46\ 
This will help the federal government more effectively track 
align counterterrorism resources to address the rising domestic 
terrorist threat.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \46\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Threats to the Homeland, 117th Cong. (Nov. 17, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

             INVESTIGATION INTO JANUARY 6TH CAPITOL ATTACK

    On January 6, 2021, domestic terrorists, intent on 
obstructing the Joint Session of Congress and certification of 
the 2020 Presidential Election results, broke into the U.S. 
Capitol building, vandalized and stole property, and ransacked 
offices. They attacked members of law enforcement and 
threatened the safety and lives of elected leaders. Tragically, 
seven individuals, including three law enforcement officers, 
ultimately lost their lives. The Committee, led by Chairman 
Peters and Ranking Member Portman, worked jointly with the 
Senate Rules Committee to produce the first bipartisan 
hearings, investigation and bipartisan report examining the 
security, planning, and response failures related to this 
violent and unprecedented attack. The Committees' investigation 
uncovered a number of failures leading up to and on January 6th 
that allowed for the Capitol to be breached. The Committee 
report also offered bipartisan recommendations that lawmakers, 
Capitol security officials and national security officials 
should take to ensure the Capitol is secure from ongoing 
threats, many of which have since been implemented.\47\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \47\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee & 
Senate Rules Committee Bipartisan Staff Report, Examining the U.S. 
Capitol Attack: A Review of the Security, Planning, and Response 
Failures on January 6, (June 8, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

  ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN AMPLIFICATION OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM THREATS

    Domestic terrorist attacks continue to be inspired by 
dangerous and hateful ideologies that proliferate on widely 
used social media platforms.\48\ In the 117th Congress, 
Chairman Peters examined the role social media platforms play 
in the amplification of extremist content and how the spread of 
this rhetoric online translates into real-world violence that 
presents a serious national security threat. On September 20, 
2021, Chairman Peters sent letters to the Chief Executive 
Officers of Facebook (now Meta), Twitter, and YouTube seeking 
information about the relationship between violent extremist 
content and the platforms' content prioritization algorithms 
and targeted advertising tools that generate the majority of 
the companies' revenue.\49\ On October 12, 2021, the Chairman 
issued a separate letter to TikTok seeking the same 
information, and sent additional requests to the FBI and DHS 
about their policies and guidelines for countering the threat 
of domestic extremism on social media, while protecting civil 
rights and liberties.\50\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \48\Naomi Nix and Cat Zakrzeski, As Young Gunmen Turn Toward New 
Social Networks, Old Safeguards Fail, Washington Post (May 26, 2022 
2:02 PM) https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/26/shooters-
social-media/.
    \49\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: As Part of Ongoing Domestic 
Terrorism and January 6 Investigations, Peters Presses Top Social Media 
Companies for Information on Efforts to Monitor and Remove Violent 
Extremist Content, (Sep. 20, 2021).
    \50\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: As Part of Ongoing Domestic 
Terrorism and January 6 Investigations, Peters Presses TikTok, DHS and 
FBI for Information on Efforts to Identify and Prevent Spread of 
Extremist Content Online, (Oct. 12, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Following these requests for information, the Committee 
convened two hearings to examine the spread of extremist 
ideologies on social media. On October 28, 2021, the Committee 
heard from independent experts on how tools that platforms 
utilize to generate revenue and keep users engaged often 
amplify extremist content, including dangerous and hateful 
ideologies.\51\ In another hearing entitled Social Media's 
Impact on Homeland Security, the Committee heard directly from 
current and former Meta (previously Facebook), Twitter, YouTube 
and TikTok executives responsible for designing and managing 
these platforms on how the platforms are built to prioritize 
increased user engagement and revenue over efforts to address 
safety and security. This was the first time that chief product 
officers from major social media companies testified before 
Congress.\52\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \51\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Social Media Platforms and the Amplification of Domestic 
Extremism & Other Harmful Content, 117th Cong. (Oct. 28, 2022).
    \52\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Social Media's Impact on Homeland Security, 117th Cong. 
(Sept. 14, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

             INVESTIGATION INTO RISE OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM

    At the end of the 117th Congress, Chairman Peters released 
a comprehensive investigative report that found DHS and the FBI 
have failed to effectively track and report data on the 
domestic terrorism threat despite being required to do so by a 
2019 law spearheaded by Chairman Peters. The investigation also 
found that while independent experts and national security 
officials call white supremacist and anti-government violence 
the most significant terrorist threat facing our nation today, 
this lack of data has limited Congress' ability to determine 
whether counterterrorism agencies are allocating resources to 
effectively address the growing threat posed by domestic 
terrorism. The investigation also found that social media 
companies' current business models are designed to prioritize 
engagement and profits and--as a result--platforms end up 
amplifying dangerous and radicalizing extremist content, 
including white supremacist and anti-government content.\53\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \53\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee 
Majority Staff Report, The Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism: A 
Review of the Federal Response to Domestic Terrorism and the Spread of 
Extremist Content on Social Media, (Nov. 16, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    D. BOLSTERING THE NATION'S RESPONSE TO DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES

    Severe storms, extreme flooding, rising water levels, 
wildfires and high winds--along with other severe weather 
driven by climate change--are contributing to destructive 
natural disasters. These events have put homes, small 
businesses, property, and communities at risk, and caused 
billions of dollars in damages. In 2022, there were 15 weather 
or climate-related disaster events with losses exceeding $1 
billion each.\54\ These disasters led to the death of 342 
Americans and caused untold economic devastation.\55\ During 
the 117th Congress, the Committee, which is charged with 
oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 
prioritized efforts to improve our nation's preparedness for 
and response to disasters and emergencies. The Committee also 
led the Senate to confirm the first woman--Deanne B. Criswell--
to serve as the Administrator of FEMA.\56\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \54\NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. 
Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2023). https://
www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, (accessed Jan. 5, 2023).
    \55\Ibid.
    \56\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Deanne B. Criswell to be Administrator, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 117th Cong. 
(March 25, 2021) (S. Hrg. 117-365); Rebecca Beitsch, Biden Taps 
Criswell as First Woman to Lead FEMA, The Hill (Jan. 15, 2021) https://
thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/534388-biden-taps-criswell-as-
first-woman-to-lead-fema/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Committee convened a number of hearings during the 
117th Congress to examine the nation's readiness for 
emergencies and disasters. On September 29, 2021, the Committee 
heard from expert witnesses about how lawmakers can work to 
improve preparedness for and response to increasingly severe 
natural disasters, and strengthen the resiliency of our 
nation's infrastructure to withstand their devastating 
effects.\57\ The Committee also heard directly from senior 
Administration officials--ncluding Administrator Criswell and 
Secretary Mayorkas--on how the federal government is working to 
ensure communities can stay safe and quickly recover when a 
disaster or emergency strikes.\58\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \57\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing On Addressing the Threat of Worsening Natural Disasters, 117th 
Cong. (Oct. 21, 2022) (S. Hrg. 117-512).
    \58\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Examining FEMA's Strategic Priorities and Disaster Preparedness, 117th 
Cong. (June 22, 2022); Senate Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs Committee, Threats to the Homeland, 117th Cong. (November 17, 
2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    A key takeaway from these hearings was that our nation's 
infrastructure must be able to withstand these increasingly 
common extreme weather events. As a part of the bipartisan 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Chairman Peters secured 
$500 million for a historic program he created through the 
Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act 
(STORM Act) to help states establish revolving loan funds for 
local governments to carry out mitigation projects that reduce 
natural disaster risk.\59\ This represented the first ever 
funding for the program and will help ensure local communities 
have access to federal resources to erect barriers and 
breakers, improve stormwater drainage and invest in other 
public works projects that will help mitigate the effects of 
shoreline erosion, flooding, and other natural disasters.\60\ 
On December 20, 2022, Chairman Peters joined FEMA Administrator 
Deanne Criswell to announce the Notice of Funding Opportunity 
for states and localities to being accessing these funds.\61\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \59\S. 3418, Safeguarding Tomorrow Through Ongoing Risk Mitigation 
Act (116th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 116-284.
    \60\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters' $500 Million 
Provision to Help Michigan Communities Address Shoreline Erosion and 
Flooding Signed into Law as Part of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, 
(Nov. 15, 2021); H.R. 3684, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
(117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-58.
    \61\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Joins Administrator 
Criswell at FEMA HQ to Announce New Funding Opportunity for His Storm 
Act Program, (December 20, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition, Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Portman 
worked together to author legislation that was signed into law 
to bolster our nation's response to disasters and emergencies. 
These included:

    The Civilian Reservist Emergency Workforce Act to protect 
on-call and intermittent FEMA Reservists from losing their 
full-time employment when they are called up to assist 
communities with disaster response;\62\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \62\S. 2293 (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-178; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters and Portman 
Bipartisan Legislation to Protect FEMA Reservists' Jobs During Disaster 
Response Signed into Law, (September 30, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Planning for Animal Wellness (PAW) Act to help protect 
pets and other animals during and in the aftermath of natural 
disasters and emergencies;\63\ and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \63\S. 4205 (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-212; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters and Portman 
Bipartisan Bill to Protect Pets and Other Animals During and After 
Disasters Signed into Law, (October 18, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act to make 
permanent the FEMA's National Risk Index and utilize its data 
to identify and designate community disaster resilience zones 
for areas that are the most at risk to natural hazards.\64\

    \64\S. 3875 (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-255; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters and Portman 
Bipartisan Legislation to Help At-Risk Communities Invest in Disaster 
Mitigation Projects Signed into Law, (December 21, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 INVESTIGATION INTO FEDERAL PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND INITIAL COVID-19 
                                RESPONSE

    At the onset of the 117th Congress, Chairman Peters 
launched an investigation into the federal government's initial 
response to COVID-19 from December 2019 through March 2020, as 
the virus quickly spread throughout the country. As a part of 
this investigation, the Committee convened a hearing with 
former officials and experts in public health and emergency 
management to examine the federal government's preparation for 
and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.\65\ The Committee also 
convened a hearing with supply chain, pharmaceutical, and 
medical experts to examine how the federal government failed to 
anticipate shortages of critical drugs and medical supplies, 
and take actions to acquire needed supplies at the onset of the 
COVID-19 pandemic.\66\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \65\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
COVID-19 Part 1: Hearing on Preparedness for COVID-19: The Initial 
Pandemic Response and Lessons Learned, 117th Cong. (April 14, 2021) (S. 
Hrg. 117-479).
    \66\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
COVID-19 Part II: Hearing on Evaluating the Medical Supply Chain and 
Pandemic Response Gaps 117th Cong. (May 19, 2021) (S. Hrg. 117-479).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Following these hearings, Chairman Peters released a 
Majority staff report on December 8, 2022, detailing the 
findings of his investigation.\67\ The report identified 
significant failures in the federal government's initial 
response to the pandemic in those early and critical, months 
and offered recommendations for Congress and the federal 
government to improve preparedness and response for future 
public health crises. As a part of the investigation, Committee 
staff interviewed dozens of current and former senior 
officials responsible for coordinating the nation's response to 

COVID-19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \67\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee 
Majority Staff Report, Historically Unprepared: Examination of the 
Federal Government's Pandemic Preparedness and Initial COVID-19 
Response, (December 8, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     E. IMPROVING GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY AND USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS

    During the 117th Congress, communities across the nation 
continued to rely on the federal government to administer 
programs that are critical to Americans' lives and livelihoods. 
Under Chairman Peters' leadership, the Committee conducted 
oversight and passed legislation to ensure the federal 
government is working effectively and efficiently for 
taxpayers. In particular, the Committee utilized its broad 
jurisdiction over federal agencies to improve the delivery of 
essential services, ensure proper use of taxpayer dollars, and 
provide the federal workforce with increased tools and 
resources so they can better serve the country.
    Chairman Peters convened several hearings to examine 
government operations and how lawmakers can work to improve 
them. The Committee convened a hearing with the Pandemic 
Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to assess the federal 
government's use of COVID-19 pandemic emergency relief 
spending.\68\ During the hearing, lawmakers heard from senior 
officials and federal Inspectors General on how federal 
agencies have worked to limit waste, fraud and abuse in federal 
pandemic spending and ensure that relief funds reach the 
Americans most in need. The Committee also convened a hearing 
with non-governmental experts on how the government can use 
customer experience strategies to help federal agencies deliver 
modern, effective digital services to citizens, reduce waste, 
and save taxpayer dollars.\69\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \68\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Pandemic Response and Accountability: Reducing Fraud and 
Expanding Access to COVID-19 Relief through Effective Oversight, 117th 
Cong., (Mar. 17, 2022).
    \69\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Putting People First: Building Trust in Government through 
Customer Experience, 117th Cong., (June 23, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition to holding hearings to examine these issues, 
the Committee also focused on legislative efforts to ensure 
that federal agencies have the resources needed to modernize 
information technology systems that help deliver essential 
services such as unemployment assistance and health care 
benefits to the American people. As a part of the American 
Rescue Plan Act, Chairman Peters and Senator Hassan secured an 
historic $1 billion investment for the Technology Modernization 
Fund (TMF), a program that provides funding to federal agencies 
so they can modernize their information technology systems.\70\ 
As of February 2023, the TMF funded 38 projects across 18 
federal agencies to secure federal networks, safeguard the 
sensitive personal information they store, and save taxpayer 
dollars by improving the effectiveness of government 
systems.\71\ The funding secured by Chairman Peters through the 
American Rescue Plan funded 27 of these projects.\72\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \70\H.R.1319, American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (117th Cong.) Became 
Public Law No: 117-2.
    \71\Technology Modernization Fund, The Technology Modernization 
Fund Overview Webpage, https://tmf.cio.gov/ (accessed Jan. 5, 2023); 
Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Maggie Hassan: Peters and 
Hassan Applaud Announcement of First Projects Funded by American Rescue 
Plan to Modernize Federal Information Systems, (Sept. 30, 2021).
    \72\Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Committee advanced other legislative efforts to improve 
government operations and save taxpayer dollars. The Bulb 
Replacement Improving Government with High-Efficiency 
Technology (BRIGHT) Act, authored by Chairman Peters and 
Senator Ron Johnson, was signed into law on October 17, 
2022.\73\ The law will help save taxpayer dollars by directing 
the General Services 
Administration (GSA) to install the most life-cycle cost 
effective and energy-efficient lighting in public 
buildings.\74\ The Committee also helped pass the Promoting 
Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal 
Procurement and Acquisitions Act (PRICE Act).\75\ The law, 
written by Chairman Peters and Senator Joni Ernst, expanded 
opportunities for small businesses to work with the federal 
government. It allows these companies to help the federal 
government better serve the American people by providing 
innovative solutions to challenges facing the country.\76\ A 
bill written by Chairman Peters and Senator Rick Scott to save 
taxpayer dollars by ensuring federal property and assets are 
disaster resilient was also signed into law.\77\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \73\S. 442 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-202.
    \74\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Ron Johnson: Peters and 
Johnson Legislation to Save Taxpayer Dollars by Ensuring Public 
Buildings Utilize Energy-Efficient Lighting Signed into Law, (October 
18, 2022).
    \75\S. 583 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-88.
    \76\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Joni Ernst: Peters and 
Ernst Bipartisan Bill to Expand Federal Contracting Opportunities for 
Small Businesses Signed into Law, (Feb. 23, 2022).
    \77\S. 3510, Disaster Resiliency Planning Act, (117th Cong.), 
Became Public Law No: 117-88; Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and 
Rick Scott: President Signs Peters and Scott Bipartisan Bill to Save 
Taxpayer Dollars by Ensuring Federal Property and Assets Are Disaster 
Resilient, (Dec. 5, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Finally, to help support the federal workforce, Chairman 
Peters and Committee Members led the confirmation of President 
Biden's nominee to lead the Office of Personnel Management 
(OPM), Kiran Ahuja.\78\ OPM is the federal government's chief 
human resources agency and personnel policy manager.\79\ Ahuja 
was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 21, 2021.\80\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \78\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Nominations of Kiran A. Ahuja to be Director, Office of 
Personnel Management, and Anton A. Hajjar, Amber F. McReynolds, and 
Ronald Stroman to be Governors, U.S. Postal Service, (Apr. 22, 2022) 
(S. Hrg. 117-408).
    \79\Office of Personnel Management About Page, Office of Personal 
Management (https://www.opm.gov/about-us/) (accessed Jan. 5, 2023).
    \80\Nomination of Kiran Arjandas Ahuja to be Director of the Office 
of Personnel Management (PN 220). Confirmed by the Senate on June 22, 
2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        F. INCREASING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY

    Every American deserves a federal government that is more 
transparent and accountable. During the 117th Congress, 
Chairman Peters led efforts to ensure the federal government 
works in the best interests of the American people. The 
Committee worked closely with government watchdogs, including 
Inspectors General and the GAO, to discuss potential solutions 
and identify needed reforms that would help achieve this goal. 
The Committee also helped confirm eight nominees to serve as 
Inspectors General across the federal government.
    Inspectors General are essential to Congress' efforts to 
hold the federal government accountable and uncover fraud, 
waste, and abuse. On October 21, 2021, the Committee held a 
hearing with federal Inspectors General to examine efforts to 
protect the independence and integrity of Inspectors General as 
they work to help Congress prevent waste, fraud, and abuse, and 
ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently.\81\ 
Following the hearing, the Committee passed legislation by 
Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Portman that would expand 
protections for Inspectors General.\82\ These long overdue 
reforms to ensure Inspectors General are able to work 
independently and without political interference later passed 
the Senate and were signed into law as a part of the James M. 
Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2023.\83\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \81\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Safeguarding Inspector General Independence and Integrity, 
117th Cong. (Oct. 21, 2022).
    \82\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman, Bipartisan 
Legislation Led by Peters & Portman to Strengthen Inspector General 
Protections Advances in Senate, (November 3, 2021).
    \83\H.R. 7776, (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-263; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters & Portman 
Provision to Strengthen Inspector General Protections Passes Senate as 
Part of National Defense Bill (December 16, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    During the 117th Congress, Chairman Peters also focused on 
ensuring that federal contractors are working in the best 
interest of Americans. The federal government often contracts 
with private companies to support important government 
functions--such as the delivery of services and the approval of 
prescription drugs. However, many contractors also conduct 
business with the private sector or other outside entities, and 
this can raise questions about the reliability of 
consultations, advice or projects under federal contracts.\84\ 
To ensure federal contractors are working in the best interests 
of American taxpayers, Chairman Peters, as well as Senators 
Chuck Grassley, Maggie Hassan, and Joni Ernst, authored the 
bipartisan Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in 
Federal Acquisition Act. The legislation, which was signed into 
law, requires federal contractors to disclose other business 
relationships with entities that could conflict with the work 
that an agency has hired them to do.\85\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \84\Michael Forsythe and Walt Bogdanich, McKinsey Settles for 
Nearly $600 Million Over Role in Opioid Crisis, New York Times (Last 
Updated Nov. 5, 2021) https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/business/
mckinsey-opioids-settlement.html.
    \85\S. 3905 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-324; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters, Chuck Grassley, Maggie Hassan, and Joni 
Ernst: Peters, Grassley, Hassan & Ernst Bipartisan Legislation to 
Prevent Conflicts of Interest in Federal Contracting Signed into Law 
(Dec. 27, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

              G. ADDRESSING THE PFAS CONTAMINATION CRISIS

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of 
man-made chemicals that are widely used in industry and 
consumer products and have caused harmful contamination and 
exposure to communities across the nation.\86\ These chemicals 
are environmentally persistent, bioaccumulative, remain in 
human bodies for a long time and have been found in our air, 
water, food, and soil.\87\ Scientific research shows that 
exposure to these harmful pollutants can lead to serious 
adverse health effects, including cancer, low infant birth 
weight, damage to the immune system, liver disease, thyroid 
disease, and reproductive and developmental issues.\88\ PFAS 
contamination is a quickly-escalating health crisis, and under 
the leadership of Chairman Peters, the Committee held hearings, 
conducted oversight of federal agencies, and passed bipartisan 
legislation to address this issue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \86\White House Fact Sheet, Biden-Harris Administration Combatting 
PFAS Pollution to Safeguard Clean Drinking Water for All Americans 
(June 15, 2022) https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-
releases/2021/10/18/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-launches-
plan-to-combat-pfas-pollution/.
    \87\Ibid.
    \88\U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFOA, PFOS and Other 
PFAS. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-
and-environmental-risks-pfas (accessed Jan 6, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    During the 117th Congress, Chairman Peters utilized the 
committee's oversight authorities to assess the federal 
government's approach to cleaning up PFAS. In particular, the 
Chairman led efforts to ensure federal agencies are working to 
prevent exposure to PFAS contamination for firefighters, 
servicemembers, and communities with close proximity to 
military bases and other Department of Defense (DOD) sites. 
PFAS are a common ingredient in firefighting foams and personal 
protective equipment and the DOD frequently uses these foams to 
fight fires at military sites.
    On December 9, 2021, Chairman Peters convened a Committee 
hearing with federal officials after the DOD Office of 
Inspector General (OIG) found that the Department failed to 
control PFAS contamination at military sites across the nation. 
The DOD OIG report showed that DOD had information that PFAS 
chemicals in their firefighting foams presented health and 
environmental concerns, but DOD did not take proper action to 
warn servicemembers, first responders, their families, and 
adjacent communities for five years.\89\ On July 28, 2022, 
Chairman Peters convened a field hearing in East Lansing, 
Michigan, where federal officials from DOD, Department of 
Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection 
Agency testified about how federal agencies are working to 
address PFAS contamination across Michigan, including at 
military sites. Witnesses representing state and local 
perspectives from Michigan, also testified on a second panel 
about the devastating impacts of PFAS exposure, and how the 
federal government can better coordinate with state and local 
governments to tackle the crisis.\90\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \89\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing On Examining Federal Efforts To Address PFAS Contaminations 
117th Cong. (December 9, 2021) (S. Hrg. 117-515); Press Release, 
Senator Gary Peters: Peters Convenes Hearing Examining Department of 
Defense Failures to Protect Servicemembers, Military Families, and 
Michigan Communities from PFAS Exposure, (Dec. 9, 2021).
    \90\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Field Hearing on Improving Interagency and Intergovernmental 
Coordination on PFAS for Michigan Communities, 117th Cong. (August 1, 
2022); Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Convenes Field 
Hearing in East Lansing to Examine Efforts to Clean Up PFAS 
Contamination in Michigan, (Aug. 1, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition to oversight efforts and hearings, the 
Committee also advanced bipartisan legislation to address the 
PFAS contamination crisis. This includes a bipartisan bill 
authored by Chairman Peters, as well as Senators Dan Sullivan, 
Maggie Hassan and Thom Tillis to protect the health and safety 
of firefighters and emergency responders from PFAS 
exposure.\91\ The law directs federal agencies to develop best 
practices, training, and educational programs to reduce, limit 
and prevent exposure to PFAS for firefighters and first 
responders in the line of duty.\92\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \91\S. 231, Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances Act 
(117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-248.
    \92\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters, Dan Sullivan, Maggie 
Hassan, and Thom Tillis: Peters, Sullivan, Hassan & Tillis Bipartisan 
Bill to Protect Firefighters From Hazardous PFAS Chemicals Signed Into 
Law, (Dec. 20, 2022).
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                 H. ENSURING A FAIR AND ACCURATE CENSUS

    Every ten years, the United States census helps determine 
everything from Congressional representation to how billions of 
dollars in federal resources are disbursed. It affects 
everything from school funding and classroom sizes, to money 
for road construction, to where businesses decide to 
locate.\93\ Inaccuracies in the census can have lasting impacts 
on whether communities' have access to and benefit from vital 
federal funding that supports critical health care programs, 
infrastructure projects, schools and more in communities across 
the country. The Committee is responsible for conducting 
oversight of the U.S. Census Bureau.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \93\U.S. Census Bureau, Our Censuses. https://www.census.gov/
programs-surveys/censuses.html (accessed February 10, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the 116th Congress, as Ranking Member, Chairman Peters 
worked to ensure an accurate, on-time and cost-effective count 
of the American people during the 2020 Census.\94\ The Chairman 
built on these efforts during the 117th Congress to conduct 
oversight of the 2020 census and ensure that the Bureau has 
increased resources to ensure future censuses are fair and 
accurate. This included leading the Senate to confirm Robert E. 
Santos as the director of the U.S. Census Bureau.\95\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \94\Press Release: Senator Gary Peters: Peters Presses Census 
Bureau on Prioritizing Hard-To-Count Communities, (February 5, 2020)
    \95\Hansi Lo Wang, The Senate Has Confirmed the 1st Latino to Lead 
the U.S. Census, Robert Santos, National Public Radio, (November 4, 
2021) https://www.npr.org/2021/11/04/1014670567/first-latino-census-
director-robert-santos-person-of-color
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As a part of his oversight efforts, Chairman Peters held 
hearings to examine the Census Bureau's operations. On March 
23, 2021, the Committee heard from senior federal officials 
about how the Bureau was working to ensure an accurate 2020 
Census and how to improve operations at the Census Bureau.\96\ 
On July 25, 2022, Chairman Peters convened a field hearing in 
Detroit, Michigan to discuss the impact of the 2020 Census on 
local communities. The witnesses from this hearing also 
discussed how undercounts in the 2020 Census could have 
devastating consequences for communities like Detroit, 
including reduced federal resources for programs that support 
education, health care and infrastructure.\97\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \96\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on the 2020 Census and Current Activities of the U.S. Census 
Bureau 117th Cong. (March 23, 2021) (S. Hrg. 117-515).
    \97\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Field Hearing on Reviewing the 2020 Census: Local Perspectives in 
Michigan 117th Cong. (July 25, 2022); Press Release, Senator Gary 
Peters: Peters Convenes Field Hearing in Downtown Detroit to Examine 
Impacts of 2020 Census on Michigan (July 25, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    One takeaway from these hearings was that the Census Bureau 
requires increased resources to ensure they can effectively 
carry out their mission. As a part of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act of 2023, Chairman Peters secured $1.4 
billion for the U.S. Census Bureau to help them prepare for the 
2030 Census.\98\
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    \98\H.R. 2617 (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-328.
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       I. MODERNIZING FEDERAL AND PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS MANAGEMENT

    The federal government produces and receives an enormous 
volume of documentation and records. These records are 
essential to keeping an accurate account of what activities the 
government engages in, and accurate federal records are also 
critical to helping Congress hold the executive branch 
accountable, ensure the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, 
and make sure the federal government is working effectively for 
the American people. The National Records and Archives 
Administration (NARA) is the independent agency tasked with 
adequately maintaining and preserving presidential and federal 
records and assuring public access to these documents.\99\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \99\The National Archives and Records Administration, About the 
National Archives of the United States, https://www.archives.gov/
publications/general-info-leaflets/1-about-archives.html (accessed Jan. 
5, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The process for appropriately maintaining and preserving 
federal records has not been recently updated. In the 117th 
Congress, the Committee convened a hearing to examine reforms 
to improve how presidential and federal agency records are 
maintained and preserved.\100\ The Committee heard from legal 
and records management experts about how shortcomings by 
administrations of both parties to correctly handle important 
documents have resulted in a lack of transparency for the 
American people and impeded Congress' ability to conduct 
effective oversight. The Committee also heard how NARA's lack 
of resources and outdated records management systems have 
prevented veterans and other Americans from accessing 
documentation needed to get critical benefits.\101\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \100\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Correcting the Public Record: Reforming Federal and 
Presidential Records Management, 117th Cong. (July 25, 2022).
    \101\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Convenes Hearing to 
Examine Efforts to Modernize Federal Procurement Process and Encourage 
Innovation in How Government Purchases Goods and Services, (May 12, 
2022).
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                    J. SECURING THE NATION'S BORDERS

    The Federal Government must have the tools and resources 
necessary to secure our nation's borders. These efforts are 
critical to our national and economic security, and border 
states like Michigan rely on safe and efficient travel and 
trade across points of entry to maintain their status as hubs 
of international commerce. In addition, strong border security 
measures help combat transnational drug trafficking 
organizations and reduce the supply of illicit substances, such 
as fentanyl, in the United States. Several agencies within DHS, 
including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are charged with 
protecting our borders from the illegal movement of weapons, 
drugs, contraband, and people, while promoting lawful entry and 
exit.\102\ During the 117th Congress, the Committee conducted 
oversight of the nation's border security, and assessed whether 
DHS has the resources needed to secure the nation's borders, 
facilitate lawful trade and travel, and ensure the efficient 
processing of asylum seekers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \102\Department of Homeland Security, Border Security Webpage, 
https://www.dhs.gov/topics/border-security (accessed Jan. 26, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Committee convened several hearings to press both 
senior administration officials and outside experts on how the 
federal government is working to secure our borders and examine 
what resources DHS needs to carry out this critical mission. On 
May 13, 2021, the Committee heard from DHS Secretary Mayorkas 
on how the Administration was working to reunite families that 
were separated at the Southern Border.\103\ On May 5, 2022, the 
Committee heard from senior administration officials about 
their short-term plans for addressing migration at the Southern 
Border. At this hearing, lawmakers also examined how Congress 
and the Administration can work together to ensure our borders 
are secure for years to come.\104\ In addition to these 
hearings, Committee members were able to discuss border 
security issues at several other full Committee hearings.\105\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \103\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on DHS Actions to Address Unaccompanied Minors at the Southern 
Border, 117th Cong. (May 13, 2021) (S. Hrg. 117-426).
    \104\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Securing and Ensuring Order on the Southwest Border, 117th 
Cong. (May 5, 2022).
    \105\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Threats to the Homeland, 117th Cong. (Nov. 17, 2022); Senate 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Hearing on 
Resources and Authorities Needed to Protect and Secure the Homeland, 
117th Cong. (May 4, 2022); Senate Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs Committee, Hearing on Threats to the Homeland: Evaluating the 
Landscape 20 Years After 9/11, 117th Cong. (Sept. 21, 2021); Senate 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Hearing on 
Resources and Authorities Needed to Protect and Secure the Homeland, 
117th Cong. (Sept. 21, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    During these hearings, the Committee learned that DHS 
required increased resources and funding to promote safe and 
efficient travel and trade at ports of entry, Chairman Peters 
worked to secure $3.8 billion as a part of the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act to help CBP upgrade border facilities 
to more efficiently and securely process travelers and trade at 
land border crossings.\106\ Chairman Peters worked with 
Senators Tom Carper, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, and Kyrsten 
Sinema, to push for funding for non-intrusive inspection 
systems, which have helped CBP detect illegal drugs like 
fentanyl before they reach American communities.\107\ As a 
result, funding legislation that was signed into law on March 
15, 2022 included $87 million so CBP can purchase more of these 
scanning technologies.\108\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \106\H.R. 3684 (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-58; Press 
Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters Helps Senate Pass Historic 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Invest in Michigan Roads, Bridges & 
High-Speed Internet (Aug. 10, 2021).
    \107\Press Release, Senator Gary Peters: Peters & Colleagues Call 
for Robust Funding to Support DHS Border Security and Drug Detection, 
(February 25, 2022).
    \108\H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (117th 
Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-103.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Along with securing funding, the Committee also advanced 
bipartisan bills to help strengthen security and increase 
resources for CBP at our nation's ports of entry. For example, 
the Committee advanced a bipartisan bill written by Chairman 
Peters and Senator John Cornyn to improve screening of vehicles 
and cargo entering the United States by increasing the use of 
non-intrusive inspection systems.\109\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \109\S. 4572, Non-Intrusive Inspection Expansion Act, (117th 
Cong.); Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and John Cornyn: Peters and 
Cornyn Bipartisan Bill to Improve Screening of Vehicles and Cargo at 
Ports of Entry Advances in Senate, (August 3, 2022).
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                     K. FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

    Millions of men, women, and children are trafficked 
worldwide, including thousands in the United States. According 
to DHS, traffickers might use violence, manipulation, false 
promises of jobs that pay well, or romantic relationships to 
lure victims into trafficking situations.\110\ Based on calls 
to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, the Polaris Project 
found that in 2020 there were at least 16,658 human trafficking 
victims and survivors in the United States.\111\ However, the 
actual number of these crimes is likely much larger because 
these crimes often go unreported. Eradicating these heinous 
crimes will require stronger anti-trafficking policies and 
ensuring that law enforcement professionals and the public are 
able to recognize indicators of human trafficking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \110\Department of Homeland Security, DHS Center for Countering 
Human Trafficking, https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-center-countering-human-
trafficking (accessed Jan. 26, 2023).
    \111\Polaris Project, Analysis of 2020 National Human Trafficking 
Hotline Data, https://polarisproject.org/2020-us-national-human-
trafficking-hotline-statistics (accessed Jan. 26, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    During the 117th Congress, Chairman Peters and Ranking 
Member Portman authored and helped enact bipartisan legislation 
to ensure DHS has the tools and resources needed to combat 
human traffickers, support victims, and stop these horrific 
crimes. Legislation authored by Chairman Peters and Ranking 
Member Portman called the Countering Human Trafficking Act of 
2021, was signed into law on December 28, 2022.\112\ The law 
makes permanent and strengthens DHS' Center for Countering 
Human Trafficking (CCHT) by allowing the CCHT to build out a 
robust permanent staff of Special Agents and criminal analysts, 
as well as to modernize their systems and operations to support 
worldwide investigations on trafficking and forced labor in 
supply chains.\113\ Another bill authored by Chairman Peters 
and Ranking Member Portman to increase coordination between DHS 
components and the Blue Campaign, a national public awareness 
effort designed to educate law enforcement and the public to 
recognize human trafficking, was signed into law as a part of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2022.\114\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \112\S. 2991 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-322.
    \113\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters 
and Portman Bipartisan Bill to Fight Human Trafficking Signed into Law, 
(Dec. 28, 2022).
    \114\S. 1605 (117th Cong.), Became Public Law No: 117-81; Press 
Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters and Portman 
Bipartisan Provision to Combat Human Trafficking Signed into Law as 
Part of National Defense Bill, (Dec. 28, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

           L. ENSURING ETHICAL USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to yield 
significant benefits for society, including helping farmers 
grow food more efficiently, predicting storm paths with 
increased accuracy, and developing algorithms that can identify 
diseases in patients.\115\ However, while there are clear 
benefits to using AI, experts remain concerned that if used 
improperly, this technology could harm American citizens and 
compromise national security. Organizations, including the 
National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence 
(NSCAI), have raised the need to train the federal workforce on 
AI, especially those who procure and manage these 
technologies.\116\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \115\The White House, Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, https://
www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/ai-bill-of-rights/ (accessed Jan. 26, 2023).
    \116\National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, Final 
Report, (March 2021) https://www.nscai.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/
Full-Report-Digital-1.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In May 2022, the Committee convened a closed door 
roundtable with AI experts to provide members with the 
opportunity to examine these technologies, see how they 
function, and discuss the importance of ensuring AI is used 
ethically.\117\ The Committee also passed legislation that 
would address the concerns expressed by organizations like the 
NSCAI. Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Portman authored the 
Artificial Intelligence Training for the Acquisition Workforce 
Act.\118\ The bill, which was signed into law, creates a 
training program to help federal employees responsible for 
purchasing and managing AI technologies better understand the 
capabilities and risks they pose to the American people.\119\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \117\Files on record with the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee.
    \118\S. 2551, (117th Cong.). Became Public Law No: 117-207.
    \119\Press Release, Senators Gary Peters and Rob Portman: Peters 
and Portman Bill to Help Improve Federal Workforce's Understanding of 
Artificial Intelligence Signed into Law, (Oct. 18, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           M. D.C. STATEHOOD

    Every American deserves equal representation in Congress. 
Unfortunately, more than 700,000 residents of Washington, 
D.C.--who pay taxes, serve in the military and work for the 
American people--do not have an equal say in the laws and 
decisions that govern them.
    On June 22, 2021, the Committee held the second Senate 
hearing in history on D.C. Statehood. The hearing examined the 
Washington, D.C. Admission Act which was introduced by Senator 
Tom Carper. During the hearing, the Committee heard from the 
Mayor of Washington, D.C. as well as from policy, legal, and 
civil rights experts on how making D.C. a state would give 
residents full representation in Congress and give residents 
and local elected officials full authority over local affairs, 
including crucial safety and security matters.\120\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \120\Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 
Hearing on Examining DC Statehood, 117th Cong. (June 22, 2021) (S. Hrg. 
117-481).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       II. COMMITTEE JURISDICTION

    The jurisdiction of the Committee (which was renamed the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs when 
the 109th Congress convened) derives from the Rules of the 
Senate and Senate Resolutions:

                                RULE XXV

                            * * * * * * * *

    (k)(1) Committee on Governmental Affairs, to which 
committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, 
petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the 
following subjects:

     1. Archives of the United States.
     2. Budget and accounting measures, other than 
appropriations, except as provided in the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974.
     3. Census and collection of statistics, including economic 
and social statistics.
     4. Congressional organization, except for any part of the 
matter that amends the rules or orders of the Senate.
     5. Federal Civil Service.
     6. Government information.
     7. Intergovernmental relations.
     8. Municipal affairs of the District of Columbia, except 
appropriations therefor.
     9. Organization and management of United States nuclear 
export policy.
    10. Organization and reorganization of the executive branch 
of the Government.
    11. Postal Service.
    12. Status of officers and employees of the United States, 
including their classification, compensation, and benefits.
    (2) Such committee shall have the duty of----
    (A) receiving and examining reports of the Comptroller 
General of the United States and of submitting such 
recommendations to the Senate as it deems necessary or 
desirable in connection with the subject matter of such 
reports;
    (B) studying the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of 
all agencies and departments of the Government;
    (C) evaluating the effects of laws enacted to reorganize 
the legislative and executive branches of the Government; and
    (D) studying the intergovernmental relationships between 
the United States and the States and municipalities, and 
between the United States and international organizations of 
which the United States is a member.

                  SENATE RESOLUTION 70, 117TH CONGRESS

        COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS.

    Sec. 12. (a) * * *

                            * * * * * * * *

    (e) INVESTIGATIONS----
    (1) IN GENERAL--The committee, or any duly authorized 
subcommittee of the committee, is authorized to study or 
investigate----
    (A) the efficiency and economy of operations of all 
branches of the Government including the possible existence of 
fraud, misfeasance, malfeasance, collusion, mismanagement, 
incompetence, corruption, or unethical practices, waste, 
extravagance, conflicts of interest, and the improper 
expenditure of Government funds in transactions, contracts, 
and, activities of the Government or of Government officials 
and employees and any and all such improper practices between 
Government personnel and corporations, individuals, companies, 
or persons affiliated therewith, doing business with the 
Government, and the compliance or noncompliance of such 
corporations, companies, or individuals or other entities with 
the rules, regulations, and laws governing the various 
governmental agencies and the Government's relationships with 
the public;
    (B) the extent to which criminal or other improper 
practices or activities are, or have been, engaged in the field 
of labor-management relations or in groups or organizations of 
employees or employers, to the detriment of interests of the 
public, employers, or employees, and to determine whether any 
changes are required in the laws of the United States in order 
to protect such interests against the occurrence of such 
practices or activities;
    (C) organized criminal activity which may operate in or 
otherwise utilize the facilities of interstate or international 
commerce in furtherance of any transactions and the manner and 
extent to which, and the identity of the persons, firms, or 
corporations, or other entities by whom such utilization is 
being made, and further, to study and investigate the manner in 
which and the extent to which persons engaged in organized 
criminal activity have infiltrated lawful business enterprise, 
and to study the adequacy of Federal laws to prevent the 
operations of organized crime in interstate or international 
commerce; and to determine whether any changes are required in 
the laws of the United States in order to protect the public 
against such practices or activities;
    (D) all other aspects of crime and lawlessness within the 
United States which have an impact upon or affect the national 
health, welfare, and safety; including but not limited to 
investment fraud schemes, commodity and security fraud, 
computer fraud, and the use of offshore banking and corporate 
facilities to carry out criminal objectives;
    (E) the efficiency and economy of operations of all 
branches and functions of the government with particular 
reference to----
    (i) the effectiveness of present national security methods, 
staffing, and processes as tested against the requirements 
imposed by the rapidly mounting complexity of national security 
problems;
    (ii) the capacity of present national security staffing, 
methods, and processes to make full use of the Nation's 
resources of knowledge and talents;
    (iii) the adequacy of present intergovernmental relations 
between the United States and international organizations 
principally concerned with national security of which the 
United States is a member; and
    (iv) legislative and other proposals to improve these 
methods, processes, and relationships;
    (F) the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all 
agencies and departments of the government involved in the 
control and management of energy shortages including, but not 
limited to, their performance with respect to----
    (i) the collection and dissemination of accurate statistics 
on fuel demand and supply;
    (ii) the implementation of effective energy conservation 
measures;
    (iii) the pricing of energy in all forms;
    (iv) coordination of energy programs with State and local 
government;
    (v) control of exports of scarce fuels;
    (vi) the management of tax, import, pricing, and other 
policies affecting energy supplies;
    (vii) maintenance of the independent sector of the 
petroleum industry as a strong competitive force;
    (viii) the allocation of fuels in short supply by public 
and private entities;
    (ix) the management of energy supplies owned or controlled 
by the Government;
    (x) relations with other oil producing and consuming 
countries;
    (xi) the monitoring of compliance by governments, 
corporations, or individuals with the laws and regulations 
governing the allocation, conservation, or pricing of energy 
supplies; and
    (xii) research into the discovery and development of 
alternative energy supplies; and
    (G) the efficiency and economy of all branches and 
functions of government with particular references to the 
operations and management of Federal regulatory policies and 
programs.
    (2) EXTENT OF INQUIRIES.--In carrying out the duties 
provided in paragraph (1), the inquiries of this committee or 
any subcommittee of the committee shall not be construed to be 
limited to the records, functions, and operations of any 
particular branch of the Government and may extend to the 
records and activities of any persons, corporation, or other 
entity.
    (3) SPECIAL COMMITTEE AUTHORITY.--For the purposes of this 
subsection, the committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee 
of the committee, or its chairman, or any other member of the 
committee or subcommittee designated by the chairman is 
authorized, in its, his or her, or their discretion----
    (A) to require by subpoena or otherwise the attendance of 
witnesses and production of correspondence, books, papers, and 
documents;
    (B) to hold hearings;
    (C) to sit and act at any time or place during the 
sessions, recess, and adjournment periods of the Senate;
    (D) to administer oaths; and
    (E) to take testimony, either orally or by sworn Statement, 
or, in the case of staff members of the Committee and the 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, by deposition in 
accordance with the Committee Rules of Procedure.
    (4) AUTHORITY OF OTHER COMMITTEES.--Nothing contained in 
this subsection shall affect or impair the exercise of any 
other standing committee of the Senate of any power, or the 
discharge by such committee of any duty, conferred or imposed 
upon it by the Standing Rules of the Senate or by the 
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.
    (5) SUBPOENA AUTHORITY.--All subpoenas and related legal 
processes of the committee and its subcommittee authorized 
under S. Res. 70, agreed to February 27, 2019 (116th Congress) 
are authorized to continue.

           III. BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS REFERRED AND CONSIDERED

    During the 117th Congress, 424 Senate bills and 120 House 
bills were referred to the Committee for consideration. In 
addition, 11 Senate Resolutions and 1 Senate Concurrent 
Resolutions were referred to the Committee.
    The Committee reported 183 bills; and additional 24 
measures were discharged.
    Of the legislation received by the Committee, 81 measures 
became public laws, including 50 postal naming bills.

                              IV. HEARINGS

    During the 117th Congress, the Committee held 62 hearings 
on legislation, oversight issues, and nominations. Hearing 
titles and dates follow. The Committee also held 23 scheduled 
business meetings.
    Lists of hearings with copies of statements by Members an 
witnesses, with archives going back to 1997, are online at the 
Committee's Website, https://hsgac.senate.gov/.
Nomination of the Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas to be Secretary, U.S. 
        Department of Homeland Security. January 19, 2021. (S. Hearing 
        117-380)
    This one panel hearing considered the nomination of 
Alejandro N. Mayorkas to be Secretary, U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security.
Nomination of Neera Tanden to be Director, Office of Management and 
        Budget. February 9, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-381)
    This one panel hearing considered the nomination of Neera 
Tanden to be Director, Office of Management and Budget.
Examining the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. February 23, 2021
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the events of 
January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol. Witnesses addressed 
questions about their respective agency's typical preparations 
and protocols for high-level events at the U.S. Capitol, 
coordination with other law enforcement and federal agencies, 
intelligence collection and dissemination prior to and on 
January 6, and actions taken as the attack unfolded.
    Witnesses: Robert J. Contee III, Acting Chief of Police, 
Metropolitan Police Department, Washington D.C.; Steven A. 
Sund, Former Chief of Police, U.S. Capitol Police; Michael C. 
Stenger, Former Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, U.S. Senate; 
Paul D. Irving, Former Sergeant at Arms, U.S. House of 
Representatives, Captain Carneysha Mendoza, Field Commander, 
United States Capitol Police Special Operations Division.
GAO's 2021 High Risk List: Addressing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. March 2, 
        2021. (S. Hearing 117-424)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Government 
Accountability Office's 2021 update of the High Risk List. As 
of March 2021 there were 36 high risk areas, and the witnesses' 
testimony focused primarily on those areas that required 
significant congressional attention, particularly those that 
fell within the legislative jurisdiction of this committee.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Eugene L. Dodaro, Comptroller 
General of the United States, U.S. Government Accountability 
Office
Examining the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol, Part II. March 3, 
        2021
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the events of 
January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol. The witnesses addressed 
questions about their agencies typical preparations and 
protocols for a high-level event at the U.S. Capitol; 
coordination with other law enforcement and federal agencies; 
intelligence collected and disseminated prior to and on January 
6; and actions taken as the attack unfolded.
    Witnesses: Melissa Smislova, Acting Senior Official 
Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary, Office of 
Intelligence and Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security; Jill Sanborn, Assistant Director, Counterterrorism 
Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of 
Justice; Robert G. Salesses, Senior Official Performing the 
Duties of the Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense and 
Global Security, U.S. Department of Defense; Major General 
William J. Walker, USA, Commanding General, District of 
Columbia National Guard
Nominations of Shalanda D. Young to be Deputy Director, Office of 
        Management and Budget, and Jason S. Miller to be Deputy 
        Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget. March 
        4, 2021 (S. Hearing 117-382)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Shalanda D. 
Young to be Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget, 
and Jason S. Miller to be Deputy Director for Management, 
Office of Management and Budget
Understanding and Responding to the SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack: The 
        Federal Perspective. March 18, 2021 (S. Hearing 117-478)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine how the 
SolarWinds supply chain compromise occurred, to assess the 
Federal response, and to identify recommendations to mitigate 
future sophisticated cyber-attacks against the federal 
government and private sector. The witnesses addressed the 
current threat facing federal and non-federal entities from the 
compromise, including any resource, information, policy, or 
authority constraints facing the federal government's ability 
to address this incident. Witnesses also discussed the roles 
and responsibilities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
Office of Management and Budget, and the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency, relative to the other members 
of the Unified Coordination Group established under PPD-41 and 
associated coordination efforts with federal agencies impacted 
by the attack. Finally, witnesses provided recommendations on 
how federal agencies and private sector companies can better 
equip themselves to identify, respond, and recover from 
sophisticated cybersecurity attacks.
    Witnesses: Christopher DeRusha, Federal Chief Information 
Security Officer, Office of Management and Budget; Brandon 
Wales, Acting Director, Cybersecurity and Information Security 
Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Tonya Ugoretz, 
Acting Assistant Director, Cyber Division, Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice.
The 2020 Census and Current Activities of the U.S. Census Bureau. March 
        23, 2021 (S. Hearing 117-425)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the 2020 
Decennial Census and ongoing the current activities of the U.S. 
Census Bureau. In 2021, the Bureau was working to complete the 
census, which faced unprecedented challenges in 2020, including 
the Coronavirus pandemic and political interference in census 
operations. The data processing phase of the census was 
ongoing, as the Bureau announced it would deliver apportionment 
data by April 30, 2021 and redistricting data by September 30, 
2021. The Committee had not held a hearing on the 2020 Census 
since July 16, 2019.
    Witnesses: Ron S. Jarmin, Ph.D., Acting Director, United 
States Census Bureau; J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director, 
Strategic Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Nick 
Marinos, Director, Information Technology & Cybersecurity, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office.
Nomination of Deanne B. Criswell to be Administrator, Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. March 
        25, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-365)
    This hearing considered the nomination of Deanne B. 
Criswell to be Administrator, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Preparedness for COVID-19: The Initial Pandemic Response and Lessons 
        Learned. April 14, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-479)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the United 
States' preparedness prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to assess 
the initial Federal response to the pandemic, and to identify 
recommendations to improve Federal preparedness and emergency 
response efforts for potential future pandemics and public 
health threats. The witnesses reviewed the state of 
preparedness at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, public 
health and emergency management plans and structures, and 
whether resources were effectively utilized. Witnesses also 
examined the initial Federal response and relevant issues 
including interagency coordination, supply chain challenges, 
and engagement with the public, state and local partners, and 
the private sector. Finally, witnesses provided recommendations 
for how the Federal government can better prepare and respond 
to the COVID-19 pandemic and future crises.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Nicole Lurie, M.D., Former 
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (2009-2017) 
at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Julie L. 
Gerberding, M.D., Former Director (2002-2009) of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention at the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services; The Honorable Joseph Nimmich, Former 
Deputy Administrator (2014-2017) of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 
Elizabeth A. Zimmerman, Former Associate Administrator (2014-
2017) Office of Response and Recovery of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Nominations of Kiran A. Ahuja to be Director, Office of Personnel 
        Management, and Anton A. Hajjar, Amber F. McReynolds, and 
        Ronald Stroman to be Governors, United States Postal Service. 
        April 22, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-408)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Kiran A. Ahuja 
to be Director, Office of Personnel Management, and Anton A. 
Hajjar, Amber F. McReynolds, and Ronald Stroman to be 
Governors, U.S. Postal Service.
Prevention, Response, and Recovery: Improving Federal Cybersecurity 
        Post-SolarWinds. May 11, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-478)
    The purpose of this hearing is to examine how various 
federal agencies responded to recent cybersecurity incidents, 
including SolarWinds, and to identify recommendations to 
mitigate future sophisticated cyber-attacks against the federal 
government and private sector. The witnesses discussed how 
their agencies and its components were affected by and 
responded to recent cyber-attacks, including how agencies 
addressed their Emergency Directives for SolarWinds, why a 
major incident declaration was or was not made, and how various 
agencies and its components performed incident response 
activities.
    Witnesses: Brandon Wales, Acting Director, Cybersecurity 
and Information Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security; Ryan A. Higgins, Chief Information Security Officer, 
U.S. Department of Commerce; Janet Vogel, Chief Information 
Security Officer, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
DHS Actions to Address Unaccompanied Minors at the Southern Border. May 
        13, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-426)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS) actions to address the increase of 
unaccompanied minors at the southern border. The witness 
discussed DHS's coordination to transfer unaccompanied minors 
to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 
accordance with law. The witness also provided resource needs, 
including budgetary requirements for the Department, and 
Customs and Border Protection for their response and 
appropriate care to unaccompanied minors.
    Witness: The Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Examining the Role of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of 
        Intelligence and Analysis. May 18, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-480)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Department 
of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis 
(I&A). The witnesses discusses historical challenges facing DHS 
I&A, and what the appropriate role, authority, and mission of 
I&A should be in the future.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Francis X. Taylor, Former Under 
Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis (2014-2017), U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security; Patricia Cogswell, Former 
Deputy Administrator (2018-2020), Transportation Security 
Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mike 
Sena, President, National Fusion Center Association; Faiza 
Patel, Director, Liberty & National Security Program, Brennan 
Center for Justice, New York University School of Law.
COVID-19 Part II: Evaluating the Medical Supply Chain and Pandemic 
        Response Gaps. May 19, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-479)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the state of the 
U.S. medical supply chain prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 
federal government's actions to address and mitigate 
anticipated medical supply shortages during the initial 
response to the pandemic, and to identify reforms necessary to 
strengthen the resilience of the medical supply chain for 
future public health emergencies. The witnesses addressed the 
state of U.S. medical supply chain readiness at the start of 
the COVID-19 pandemic, including the longstanding reliance on 
foreign sources for critical drugs and medical supplies. The 
witnesses also discussed the use of federal authorities and 
resources to mitigate supply shortages and suggested necessary 
reforms to strengthen domestic manufacturing and U.S. medical 
supply chain vulnerabilities.
    Witnesses: Shereef Elnahal, M.D., President and Chief 
Executive Officer, University Hospital, Newark, New Jersey; 
Robert Handfield, Ph.D., Professor, Poole College of 
Management, North Carolina State University; Stephen 
Schondelmeyer, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Professor, College of Pharmacy, 
Co-Principal Investigator, Resilient Drug Supply Project, 
University of Minnesota; Kimberly Glas, President and Chief 
Executive Officer, National Council of Textile Organizations.
Nominations of John K. Tien to be Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of 
        Homeland Security; Robert P. Silvers to be Under Secretary for 
        Strategy, Policy, and Plans, U.S. Department of Homeland 
        Security; and Jonathan E. Meyer to be General Counsel, U.S. 
        Department of Homeland Security. May 27, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-
        409).
    This hearing considered the nominations of John K. Tien to 
be Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 
Robert P. Silvers to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, 
and Plans, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Jonathan 
E. Meyer to be General Counsel, U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security.
Threats to Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Colonial Pipeline 
        Cyber Attack. June 8, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-429)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine cybersecurity 
incidents against critical infrastructure entities, 
specifically focusing on the attack against Colonial Pipeline. 
The witness discussed how the company responded to the 
ransomware attack they suffered and their interaction with the 
Federal government and private sector cybersecurity companies. 
The witness also explained general cybersecurity and incident 
response processes, actions taken by Colonial Pipeline to 
remediate other existing vulnerabilities, and recommendations 
for the Committee to improve the cybersecurity of critical 
infrastructure.
    Witness: Joseph A. Blount, Jr., President and Chief 
Executive Officer, Colonial Pipeline.
Nominations of Robin Carnahan to be Administrator, General Services 
        Administration; Jen Easterly to be Director, Cybersecurity and 
        Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland 
        Security; and Chris Inglis to be National Cyber Director, 
        Executive Office of the President. June 10, 2021. (S. Hearing 
        117-410).
    This hearing considered the nominations of Robin Carnahan 
to be Administrator, General Services Administration; Jen 
Easterly to be Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and 
Chris Inglis to be National Cyber Director, Executive Office of 
the President.
Examining D.C. Statehood. June 22, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-481)
    The purpose of the hearing was to discuss the merits of S. 
51, the Washington D.C. Admission Act, and the issue of D.C. 
statehood. The witnesses discussed Constitutional, economic, 
and legislative aspects of D.C. statehood.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Muriel E. Bowser, Mayor, District 
of Columbia; The Honorable Marc H. Morial, President and Chief 
Executive Officer, National Urban League; Richard Primus, 
D.Phil., Theodore J. Antoine Collegiate Professor of Law, 
University of Michigan Law School, Roger Pilon, Ph.D., Vice 
President for Legal Affairs, The Cato Institute; Derek T. 
Muller, Professor of Law, University of Iowa College of Law.
Nominations of Robert L. Santos to be Director, U.S. Census Bureau, 
        U.S. Department of Commerce, and Ed Gonzalez to be Assistant 
        Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. 
        Department of Homeland Security. July 15, 2021. 
        (S. Hearing 117-411)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Robert L. Santos 
to be Director, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, and Ed Gonzalez to be Assistant Secretary for 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security.
Resources and Authorities Needed to Protect and Secure the Homeland. 
        July 27, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-302)
    The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the Department 
of Homeland Security's budget request and legislative 
priorities for Fiscal Year 2022. The witness addressed the need 
for additional resources and authorities to protect and secure 
the homeland, and how the Department's budget request met the 
current and future homeland security needs of the nation.
    Witness: The Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Examining the Threat of 
        Racially, Ethically, Religiously, and Politically Motivated 
        Attacks Part I. August 3, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-262)
    The purpose of these hearings, the first in a series of 
committee hearings on domestic terrorism, was to examine how 
domestic terrorists and violent extremists target racial, 
ethnic, and religious communities in the United States. The 
witness provided expert testimony from the scholarly community 
and as representatives of communities impacted by the domestic 
terrorism and violent extremism threat.
    Witnesses: Wade Henderson, Interim President and Chief 
Executive Officer, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human 
Rights; Eric Fingerhut, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
The Jewish Federations of North America; John Yang, President 
and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice; Paul 
Goldenberg, Senior Fellow, Rutgers University and Chairman and 
President, Cardinal Point Strategies; Seth G. Jones, Ph.D., 
Senior Vice President, Harold Brown Chair, and Director, 
International Security Program, Center for Strategic and 
International Studies.
Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Examining the Threat of 
        Racially, Ethically, Religiously, and Politically Motivated 
        Attacks Part II. August 5, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-262)
    The purpose of these hearings, the first in a series of 
committee hearings on domestic terrorism, was to examine how 
domestic terrorists and violent extremists target racial, 
ethnic, and religious communities in the United States. The 
witness provided expert testimony from the scholarly community 
and as representatives of communities impacted by the domestic 
terrorism and violent extremism threat.
    Witnesses: Elizabeth Neumann, Former Assistant Secretary 
(2018-2020), Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention at the U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security; Maya Berry, Executive 
Director, Arab American Institute; Jonathan Greenblatt, Chief 
Executive Office and National Director, Anti-Defamation League; 
Brian Levin, Director, Center for the Study of Hate & 
Extremism, California State University, San Bernardino.
Nominations of Tovah R. Calderon to be an Associate Judge, District of 
        Columbia Court of Appeals, and Kenia Seoane Lopez, Rupa R. 
        Puttagunta, and Sean C. Staples to be Associate Judges, 
        Superior Court of the District of Columbia. September 14, 2021. 
        (S. Hearing 117-263)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Tovah R. 
Calderon to be an Associate Judge, District of Columbia Court 
of Appeals, and Kenia Seoane Lopez, Rupa R. Puttagunta, and 
Sean C. Staples to be Associate Judges, Superior Court of the 
District of Columbia.
Threats to the Homeland: Evaluating the Landscape 20 Years After 9/11. 
        September 21, 2021.
    The purpose of this hearing was to update the public 
understanding of prevailing threats to the security of the 
United States of America. The witnesses highlighted the most 
pressing domestic and foreign threats faced by the United 
States, as determined by their respective agencies. The 
witnesses also discussed efforts their agencies took to counter 
these threats.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable Christopher 
A. Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. 
Department of Justice; The Honorable Christine Abizaid, 
Director, National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence.
Nominations of Cathy A. Harris to be a Member and Chair, and Tristan L. 
        Leavitt and Raymond A. Limon to be Members, Merit Systems 
        Protection Board. September 22, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-265)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Cathy A. Harris 
to be a Member and Chair, and Tristan L. Leavitt and Raymond A. 
Limon to be Members, Merit Systems Protection Board.
National Cybersecurity Strategy: Protection of Federal and Critical 
        Infrastructure Systems. September 23, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-
        266).
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the government's 
strategy, and specific efforts, in addressing cyber-attacks 
against federal and critical infrastructure systems. The 
witnesses discussed their organization's efforts to protect 
federal systems and critical infrastructure from ransomware and 
other cyber threats, including the implementation of the 
President's Executive Order on Improving the Nation's 
Cybersecurity. The witnesses also proposed requirements for 
private sector entities to report significant cyber incidents 
to the government, and on Federal Information Security 
Modernization Act reform.
Addressing the Threat of Worsening Natural Disasters. September 29, 
        2021. (S. Hearing 117-512)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the state of 
national preparedness and discuss possible recommendations to 
improve the country's readiness to face natural disasters. The 
witnesses discussed state and local perspective on 
preparedness, and how to improve the disaster response 
partnership between the states and federal government.
    Witnesses: Sima Merick, President, National Emergency 
Managers Association and Executive Director, Ohio Emergency 
Management Agency; Jerry Hancock, Executive Director, Michigan 
Stormwater Floodplain Association and Stormwater and Floodplain 
Programs Coordinator, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Jennifer Pipa, Vice 
President of Disaster Programs, American Red Cross, John S. 
Butler, Second Vice President, International Association of 
Fire Chiefs and Fire Chief, Fairfax County, Virginia.
Nominations of the Honorable Ernest W. DuBester and the Honorable Susan 
        T. Grundmann to be Members, Federal Labor Relations Authority, 
        and Kurt T. Rumsfeld to be General Counsel, Federal Labor 
        Relations Authority. October 20, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-412)
    This hearing considered the nominations of the Honorable 
Ernest W. DuBester and the Honorable Susan T. Grundmann to be 
Members, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Kurt T. 
Rumsfeld to be General Counsel, Federal Labor Relations 
Authority.
Safeguarding Inspector General Independence and Integrity. October 21, 
        2021. (S. Hearing 117-513)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the challenges 
that inspectors general face in conducting impartial, 
independent oversight and to gather recommendations on 
necessary reforms. This hearing also examined legislative 
proposals to safeguard inspector general independence, protect 
the investigative authorities of inspectors general, and 
strengthen congressional oversight of inspectors general and 
their offices.
    Witnesses: Allison C. Lerner, Chair, Council of the 
Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency; Kevin H. 
Winters, Chair, Integrity Committee, Council of the Inspectors 
General on Integrity and Efficiency; The Honorable Michael E. 
Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice.
Social Media Platforms and the Amplification of Domestic Extremism & 
        Other Harmful Content. October 28, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-514)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the extent to 
which social media companies-through algorithms, advertisement-
targeting, and other operations and practices such as 
subscription models-contribute to the amplification of 
extremist and harmful content, as well as enable the 
exploitation of online platforms by bad actors. The witnesses 
explained the impact of social media companies' business models 
on the proliferation of domestic terrorism, disinformation, 
illicit activities, and other threats to homeland security.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Karen Kornbluh, Director, Digital 
Innovation and Democracy Initiative and Senior Fellow, The 
German Marshall Fund of the United States; David Sifry, Vice 
President Center for Technology and Society, Anti-Defamation 
League; Cathy O'Neil, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, O'Neil 
Risk Consulting & Algorithmic Auditing; Nathaniel Persily, 
Ph.D., Co-Director, Stanford Cyber Policy Center and James B. 
McClathy Professor of Law, Stanford Law School; Mary Anne 
Franks, D.Phil., Professor of Law and Michael R. Klein 
Distinguished Scholar Chair, University of Miami.
Nominations of Erik A. Hooks to be Deputy Administrator, Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland 
        Security; the Honorable Michael Kubayanda to be Commissioner, 
        Postal Regulatory Commission; Laurel A. Blatchford to be 
        Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of 
        Management and Budget; and Ebony M. Scott and Donald W. Tunnage 
        to be Associate Judges, Superior Court of the District of 
        Columbia. November 18, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-413)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Erik A. Hooks to 
be Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the Honorable Michael 
Kubayanda to be a Commissioner, Postal Regulatory Commission; 
Laurel A. Blatchford to be Controller, Office of Federal 
Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget; and 
Ebony M. Scott and Donald W. Tunnage to be Associate Judges, 
Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Roundtable FedRAMP Reform: Recommendations to Reduce Burden, Enhance 
        Security, and Address Inefficiencies in the Government Cloud 
        Authorization Process. November 30, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-581)
Nominations of Loren L. AliKhan and John P. Howard III to be Associate 
        Judges, District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and Adrienne 
        Jennings Noti to be an Associate Judge, Superior Court of the 
        District of Columbia. December 2, 2021. (S. Hearing 117-414)
    This hearing considered the Nominations of Loren L. AliKhan 
and John P. Howard III to be Associate Judges, District of 
Columbia Court of Appeals, and Adrienne Jennings Noti to be an 
Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Examining Federal Efforts to Address PFAS Contamination. December 9, 
        2021. (S. Hearing 117-515)
    The purpose of this two-panel hearing was to examine how to 
improve federal efforts to address contamination from 
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). The 
panels consisted of federal government witnesses from the 
Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency 
and state-level government leaders and advocates. The first 
panel discussed the impact PFAS contamination and exposure can 
have on service members and communities across the country. 
Federal witnesses also explained how an evidence-based, 
enterprise-wide, scientific and epidemiological approach can 
prevent any applicable future harm. The second panel provided 
further details how the federal government can learn from their 
on-the-ground experience and implement effective state-level 
policy interventions.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Sean O'Donnell, Inspector General, 
Environmental Protection Agency and Acting Inspector General, 
U.S. Department of Defense; Michael J. Roark, Deputy Inspector 
General for Evaluations, U.S. Department of Defense; Richard G. 
Kidd, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment and Energy 
Resilience, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Sustainment, 
U.S. Department of Defense; Laura Macaluso, Acting Deputy 
Assistant Secretary for Force Safety and Occupational Health, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Readiness, U.S. 
Department of Defense, Anthony M. Spaniola, Co-Chair, Great 
Lakes PFAS Action Network; Andrea Amico, Co-Founder, Testing 
for Peace; Mark Johnson, Deputy Director for Business and 
Regulatory Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, State of 
Ohio.
Nominations of Margaret A. Burnham, Gabrielle M. Dudley, Henry 
        Klibanoff, and Brenda E. Stevenson to be Members, Civil Rights 
        Cold Case Records Review Board. January 13, 2022. (S. Hearing 
        117-552)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Margaret A. 
Burnham, Gabrielle M. Dudley, Henry Klibanoff, and Brenda E. 
Stevenson to be Members, Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review 
Board.
Nominations of the Honorable Shalanda D. Young to be Director, Office 
        of Management and Budget, and the Honorable Nani A. Coloretti 
        to be Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget. 
        February 1, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-516)
    This hearing considered the Nominations of the Honorable 
Shalanda D. Young to be Director, Office of Management and 
Budget, and the Honorable Nani A. Coloretti to be Deputy 
Director, Office of Management and Budget.
Nominations of William J. Valdez to be Under Secretary for Management, 
        U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Dimitri Kusnezov to be 
        Under Secretary for Science & Technology, U.S. Department of 
        Homeland Security; and the Honorable Kenneth L. Wainstein to be 
        Under Secretary for Intelligence & Analysis, U.S. Department of 
        Homeland Security. February 3, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-517)
    This hearing considered the Nominations of William J. 
Valdez to be Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security; Dimitri Kusnezov to be Under Secretary for 
Science & Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and 
the Honorable Kenneth L. Wainstein to be Under Secretary for 
Intelligence & Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Responding to and Learning from the Log4Shell Vulnerability. February 
        8, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-519).
    The purpose of this hearing was to hear private sector and 
subject matter experts' perspectives on the discovery, 
response, and remediation of the Log4Shell vulnerability. 
Witnesses discussed their opinions on the private sector and 
government's response to the discovery of Log4Shell, including 
any lessons learned. The witnesses also discussed the benefits 
and security challenges resulting from the ubiquity of open-
source code in modern software, and actions the federal 
government and Congress can take to improve software security.
    Witnesses: David Nalley, President, Apache Software 
Foundation; Brad Arkin, Senior Vice President and Chief 
Security and Trust Officer, Cisco Systems, Incorporated; Jen 
Miller-Osborn, Deputy Director of Threat Intelligence, Unit 42, 
Palo Alto Networks; Trey Herr, Ph.D., Director, Cyber 
Statecraft Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and 
Security, The Atlantic Council.
Addressing the Gaps in America's Biosecurity Preparedness. February 17, 
        2022. (S. Hearing 117-520).
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the state of the 
country's biosecurity posture and the nation's level of 
preparedness to respond to biological threats. The witnesses 
discussed the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) current 
operating organization for biosecurity, DHS's biosurveillance 
capabilities, as well as the fragmented structure of 
biosecurity efforts across the federal government. The 
witnesses also provided additional actions both Congress and 
the executive branch can take to increase the country's 
biosecurity.
    Witnesses: Christopher P. Currie, Director, Homeland 
Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office; 
Asha M. George, DrPH, Executive Director, Bipartisan Commission 
on Biodefense; Gerald W. Parker, JR., DVM, Ph.D., Associate 
Dean for Global One Health College of Veterinary Medicine & 
Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.
Examining the Senate Confirmation Process and Federal Vacancies. March 
        3, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-521)
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine delays in the 
nominations process for appointees requiring Senate 
confirmation and vacancies within the executive branch. The 
witnesses discussed delays within the background investigation 
and paperwork process, the Senate's process for considering 
nominees, and ideas for reform.
    Witnesses: Anne Joseph O'Connell, Adelbert H. Sweet 
Professor of Law, Stanford Law School; Kristine Simmons, Vice 
President of Government Affairs, Partnership for Public 
Service; Adam White, Co-Executive Director, C. Boyden Gray 
Center for the Study of the Administrative State George Mason 
University and Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute.
Nominations of Krista Boyd to be Inspector General, Office of Personnel 
        Management, and the Honorable Dana K. Bilyeu, Leona M. Bridges, 
        Michael F. Gerber, Stacie Olivares, and Javier E. Saade to be 
        Members, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. March 10, 
        2022. (S. Hearing 117-553).
    This hearing considered the nominations of Krista Boyd to 
be Inspector General, Office of Personnel Management, and the 
Honorable Dana K. Bilyeu, Leona M. Bridges, Michael F. Gerber, 
Stacie Olivares, and Javier E. Saade to be Members, Federal 
Retirement Thrift Investment Board.
Correcting the Public Record: Reforming Federal and Presidential 
        Records Management. March 15, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-562).
    The purpose of this hearing was to assess federal records 
management practices and policies, and ensure the National 
Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is equipped to 
handle the rapid proliferation of electronic records. 
Additionally, this hearing also examined gaps in existing 
records laws, and discussed what Congress can do to ensure that 
presidential and federal records are adequately maintained and 
preserved.
    Witnesses: Jason R. Baron, Professor of the Practice, 
College of Information Studies, University of Maryland; Anne 
Weismann, Outside Counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and 
Ethics in Washington and the Project on Government Oversight; 
Jonathan Turley, J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of 
Public Interest Law, The George Washington University Law 
School.
Violent Extremism and Terrorism: Examining the Threat to House of 
        Worship and Public Space. March 16, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-563).
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the threat of 
violent extremism and terrorism against houses of worship and 
other public spaces. The witnesses discussed the threat 
landscape and what their agencies and departments were doing to 
counter these threats.
    Witnesses: Ryan T. Young, Executive Assistant Director, 
Intelligence Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. 
Department of Justice; Stephanie Dobitsch, Deputy Under 
Secretary for Intelligence Enterprise Operations, Office of 
Intelligence and Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security; Christopher Logan, Deputy Assistant Administrator, 
Grant Programs Directorate, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Marcus Coleman, 
Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Pandemic Response and Accountability: Reducing Fraud and Expanding 
        Access to COVID-19 Relief through Effective Oversight. March 
        17, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-564).
    The purpose of this hearing was to assess the efforts, 
concerns, and findings of federal oversight entities involved 
in overseeing the COVID-19 pandemic response, such as the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Pandemic Response 
Accountability Committee (PRAC), the Government Accountability 
Office (GAO), and the Inspector General of the Department of 
Labor. The witnesses reviewed the execution of federal 
pandemic-related programs, challenges in the distribution of 
pandemic spending, and potential reforms to improve relief 
efforts during future national emergencies.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Jason S. Miller, Deputy Director 
for Management, Office of Management and Budget; The Honorable 
Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; The Honorable Michael E. 
Horowitz, Chair, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee and 
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice; The Honorable 
Larry D. Turner, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor.
Nominations of The Honorable Derek T. Kan and The Honorable Daniel M. 
        Tangherlini to be Governors, U.S. Postal Service. March 31, 
        2022. (S. Hearing 117-554)
    This hearing considered the nominations of The Honorable 
Derek T. Kan and The Honorable Daniel M. Tangherlini to be 
Governors, U.S. Postal Service.
Resources and Authorities Needed to Protect and Secure the Homeland. 
        May 4, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-572).
    The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the Department 
of Homeland Security's budget request and legislative 
priorities for Fiscal Year 2023. The witness addressed the need 
for additional resources and authorities to protect and secure 
the homeland, and how the Department's budget request met the 
homeland security needs of the nation.
    Witness: The Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Securing and Ensuring Order on the Southwest Border. May 5, 2022. (S. 
        Hearing 117-573).
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the federal 
government's efforts to secure the southwest border and prepare 
to manage migration changes that may follow the termination of 
the Title 42 public health order. The witnesses discussed 
preparations to safely and efficiently manage potential mass 
migration events and the resources needed for these efforts.
    Witnesses: The Honorable January Contreras, Assistant 
Secretary, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. 
Department of Health & Human Services; Maryann E. Tierney, 
Senior Coordinating Official, Southwest Border Coordination 
Center, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Benjamine 
``Carry'' Huffman, Acting Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 
Blas Nunez-Neto, Acting Assistant Secretary for Border and 
Immigration Policy, Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security; Emily Mendrala, Deputy 
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. 
Department of State.
Pathways to Procurement Innovation. May 12, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-574).
    The purpose of this hearing was to discuss opportunities 
for improving federal procurement, particularly to ensure 
timely acquisition of goods and services and to provide greater 
access to innovative businesses. The witnesses discussed 
federal procurement issues including agencies' increasing 
requirements for secure and modern technology, shortages of 
trained and experienced federal acquisition management 
professionals, the increasing uses of the federal procurement 
system to pursue socioeconomic goals, and barriers to entry for 
new companies. The witnesses shared their perspectives on 
procurement innovation and recommendations for meeting these 
challenges.
    Witnesses: Soraya Correa, President & Chief Executive 
Officer, Soraya Correa & Associates, LLC; Grant M. Schneider, 
Senior Director of Cybersecurity Services, Venable LLP; 
Elizabeth Sullivan, President, Madison Services Group, Inc.
Rising Threats: Ransomware Attacks and Ransom Payments Enabled by 
        Cryptocurrency. June 7, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-575).
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the rise in 
ransomware attacks, the role of cryptocurrency in enabling 
ransom payments, and the need to quickly and efficiently 
implement Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Portman's 
legislation, the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical 
Infrastructure Act. The hearing also examined key findings and 
recommendations identified in Chairman Peters' Majority staff 
report, titled ``Use of Cryptocurrency in Ransomware Attacks, 
Available Data, and National Security Concerns.'' The hearing 
also built on the Committee's ongoing oversight of 
cybersecurity including Ranking Member Portman's report on the 
REvil ransomware gang and hearings on Log4Shell, Protection of 
Federal and Critical Infrastructure Systems, Colonial Pipeline, 
and SolarWinds.
    Witnesses: Megan Stifel, Chief Strategy Officer, Institute 
for Security and Technology; Bill Siegel, Chief Executive 
Officer, Coveware; Jacqueline Burns Koven, Head of Cyber Threat 
Intelligence, Chainalysis.
Domestic Extremism in America: Examining White Supremacist Violence in 
        the Wake of Recent Attacks. June 9, 2022 (S. Hearing 117-576).
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the threat of 
white supremacy, violent extremism, and terrorism, including 
ideological motivations of violence, such as Great Replacement 
Theory. The witnesses provided information about the 
transnational elements of white supremacist violence, evaluated 
the extent to which social media has been used to amplify 
violent extremism and terrorism, and discussed governmental and 
non-governmental tools available to address these threats.
    Elizabeth Yates, Ph.D., Senior Researcher on Antisemitism, 
Human Rights First; Eric K. Ward, Executive Director, Western 
States Center; Michael German, Fellow, Brennan Center for 
Justice, New York University School of Law; The Honorable 
Nathan A. Sales, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council 
and Former Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for 
Counterterrorism (2017-2021) U.S. Department of State.
Examining FEMA's Strategic Priorities and Disaster Preparedness. June 
        22, 2022 (S. Hearing 117-577).
    The purpose of this hearing was to discuss strategic 
priorities for FEMA and to conduct Committee oversight on 
FEMA's readiness to respond to current and future disasters. 
The witness explained FEMA's work to simplify federal disaster 
assistance, mitigate future disasters, improve equity, and 
implement FEMA's 2022-2026 strategic plan.
    Witness: The Honorable Deanne B. Criswell, Administrator, 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security.
Putting People First: Building Trust in Government through Customer 
        Experience. June 23, 2022
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine customer 
experience (CX) strategies in the federal government and 
understand how more effective CX leadership and program 
implementation can deliver more effective services to all 
Americans. The Committee and witnesses examined the 
Administration's efforts to enhance CX, highlighted agency 
obstacles and opportunities in implementing Executive Order 
14058, and discussed options for Congress to shape federal CX 
efforts.
    Witnesses: Martha Dorris, Founder and Chief Executive 
Officer, Dorris Consulting International; William Eggers, 
Executive Director, Center for Government Insights, Deloitte, 
LLP; Mathew Lira, Partner, Hangar Capital.
Nominations of Errol R. Arthur, Kendra D. Briggs, and Carl Ezekiel Ross 
        to be Associate Judges, Superior Court of the District of 
        Columbia. July 12, 2022. (S Hearing 117-557)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Errol R. Arthur, 
Kendra D. Briggs, and Carl Ezekiel Ross to be Associate Judges, 
Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Protecting the Homeland from Unmanned Aircraft Systems. July 14, 2022.
    The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the authorities 
provided to the Department of Homeland Security and Department 
of Justice to counter unmanned aircraft systems, in conjunction 
with the Federal Aviation Administration. The witnesses 
discussed the evolving threat posed by unmanned aircraft 
systems, the utilization of office's authorities used to combat 
this threat, and the Administration's proposals to potentially 
expand these authorities. The witnesses also addressed how the 
Department of Homeland Security coordinated with the Department 
of Justice and the Federal Aviation Administration as they 
exercised their current authorities to counter unmanned 
aircraft systems.
    Witnesses: Samantha Vinograd, Acting Assistant Secretary 
for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention and Law Enforcement 
Policy, Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, U.S. Department 
of Homeland Security; Brad Wiegmann, Deputy Assistant Attorney 
General, National Security Division, U.S. Department of 
Justice; Tonya D. Coultas, Deputy Associate Administrator for 
Security and Hazardous Materials Safety, Federal Aviation 
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
Addressing Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Threats to 
        the Homeland. July 19, 2022.
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the country's 
preparedness to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, 
nuclear (CBRN), and health security threats. The witnesses 
discussed the threat landscape for weapons of mass destruction 
(WMD) and health threats to the homeland. The witnesses also 
provided additional actions both Congress and the executive 
branch could take to improve the country's preparedness for WMD 
and health threats, including pending legislation to 
reauthorize authorities.
    Witnesses: Gary Rasicot, Acting Assistant Secretary, 
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, U.S. Department 
of Homeland Security; Pritesh Gandhi, M.D., MPH, Chief Medical 
Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Tina Won 
Sherman, Ph.D., Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office.
Nomination of the Honorable David P. Pekoske to be Administrator, 
        Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of 
        Homeland Security. July 21, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-558)
    This hearing considered the nomination of the Honorable 
David P. Pekoske to be Administrator, Transportation Security 
Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Reviewing the 2022 Census: Local Perspectives in Michigan. July 25, 
        2022.
    The purpose of this hearing was to examine the 2020 
Decennial Census and its operations and impacts in local 
communities, with a focus on communities in the state of 
Michigan as a case study. The witnesses discussed their 
community's experiences with the 2020 Census, including aspects 
such as successes and challenges during enumeration, public 
engagement and communications, analysis of the census results, 
post-census options available to localities, and lessons for 
the 2030 Census.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Michael E. Duggan, Mayor, City of 
Detroit; Jeffrey Morenoff, Ph.D., Professor of Public Policy 
and Sociology, University of Michigan; N. Charles Anderson, 
President & Chief Executive Officer, Urban League of Detroit & 
Southeastern Michigan; Jane C. Garcia, Vice Chair, Latin 
Americans for Social and Economic Development (LA SED); Maha 
Freij, President & Chief Executive Officer, Arab Community 
Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS); Kelley J. 
Kuhn, President & Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Nonprofit 
Association.
Improving Interagency and Intergovernmental Coordination on PFAS for 
        Michigan Communities. August 1, 2022.
    The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the need for a 
more coordinated federal response to per- and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances (PFAS) contamination and explore interagency and 
intergovernmental policy solutions that would holistically 
address PFAS research, risk, and remediation. This hearing 
featured both a federal as well as a state, local, and tribal 
panel. The hearing also provided a platform to exchange ideas 
regarding how federal policy could best be integrated with 
efforts on the ground to protect communities from PFAS 
contamination.
    Witnesses: Patrick Breysse, Ph.D., Director, National 
Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Bruno Pigott, 
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency; Richard Kidd, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Environment and Energy Resilience, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Sustainment); U.S. Department 
of Defense, Nancy Balkus, P.E., Deputy Assistant Secretary of 
the Air Force (Environment, Safety, and Infrastructure), 
Department of the Air Force; John Gillespie, Senior Subject 
Matter Expert, Environmental Restoration, Air Force Civil 
Engineer Center; Abigail Hendershott, Executive Director, 
Michigan PFAS Action Response Team; Breanna Knudsen, Tribal 
Environmental Response Program Specialist, Planning Department, 
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan; Cheryl Murphy, 
Ph.D., Director, Center for PFAS Research, Michigan State 
University, LT. Col Craig Minor, USAF (RET.), Former Resident, 
Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Cathy Wusterbarth, Founder, Need Our 
Water and Oscoda Citizens for Clean Water and Community Leader, 
Great Lakes PFAS Action Network.
Social Media's Impact on Homeland Security. September 14, 2022.
    The purpose of this two-panel hearing was to examine the 
extent social media platforms' business models and product 
development-through algorithms, targeted advertising, 
subscription models, and other operations and practices-
contribute to the amplification of content that threatens 
homeland security. The witnesses discussed their experience 
with these issues, including their knowledge of how social 
media platforms develop and use features and products including 
algorithms and targeted advertising; how they balance business 
incentives and user safety; and efforts they have taken to 
ensure their algorithms and advertisements do not amplify 
harmful content.
    Witnesses: Alex Roetter, Former Senior Vice President for 
Engineering (2014-2016), Twitter; Brian Boland, Former Vice 
President (2018-2020) Partnerships Product Marketing, Partner 
Engineering, Marketing, Strategic Operations & Analytics, 
Facebook; Geoffrey Cain, Senior Fellow for Critical Emerging 
Technologies, Lincoln Network; Chris Cox, Chief Product 
Officer, Meta; Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer, Youtube; 
Vanessa Pappas, Chief Operating Officer, TikTok; Jay Sullivan, 
General Manager of Bluebird, Twitter.
Nominations of Colleen J. Shogan to be Archivist of the United States, 
        National Archives and Records Administration; Vijay Shanker to 
        be an Associate Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals; 
        and Laura E. Crane, Leslie A. Meek, and Veronica M. Sanchez to 
        be Associate Judges, Superior Court of the District of 
        Columbia. September 21, 2022. (S. Hearing 117-556)
    This hearing considered the nominations of Colleen J. 
Shogan, Ph.D., to be Archivist of the United States National 
Archives and Records Administration; Vijay Shanker, to be an 
Associate Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals; Laura 
E. Crane, to be an Associate Judge, Superior Court of the 
District of Columbia; Leslie A. Meek, to be an Associate Judge, 
Superior Court of the District of Columbia; Veronica M. 
Sanchez, to be an Associate Judge, Superior Court of the 
District of Columbia.
Nominations of Robert H. Shriver III to be Deputy Director, Office of 
        Personnel Management; and Richard L. Revesz to be 
        Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
        Office of Management and Budget. September 29, 2022. (S. 
        Hearing 117-580).
    This hearing considered the nominations of Robert H. 
Shriver III to be Deputy Director, Office of Personnel 
Management; and Richard L. Revesz to be Administrator, Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget.
Threats to the Homeland. November 17, 2022.
    The purpose of this hearing was to update the public 
understanding of prevailing threats to the security of the 
United States of America. The witnesses highlighted the most 
pressing domestic and foreign threats faced by the United 
States, as determined by their respective agencies. The 
witnesses also discussed efforts their agencies took to counter 
these threats.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security; The Honorable Christopher 
A. Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. 
Department of Justice; The Honorable Christine Abizaid, 
Director, National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the 
Director of National Intelligence.

                  V. REPORTS, PRINTS, AND GAO REPORTS

    During the 117th Congress, the Committee prepared and 
issued 144 reports and 2 Committee Prints on the following 
topics. Reports issues by the Subcommittees, are listed in 
their respective sections of this document.

                           COMMITTEE REPORTS

    Activities of the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs and its Subcommittees for the One Hundred 
Sixteenth Congress. S. Rept. 117-1.
    To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to develop guidance for firefighters and 
other emergency responses personnel on best practices to 
protect them from exposure to PFAS and to limit and prevent the 
release of PFAS into the environment, and for other purposes. 
S. Rept. 117-21, re. S. 231.
    To require the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget to submit to Congress an annual report on projects that 
are over budget and behind schedule, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-22, re. S. 636.
    To amend the Federal Funding Accountability and 
Transparency Act of 2006, to require the budget justifications 
and appropriation requests of agencies be made publicly 
available. S. Rept 117-23, re. S. 272.
    To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to work 
with cybersecurity consortia for training, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-24, re. S. 658.
    To require each agency, in providing notice of a rule 
making, to include a link to a 100-word plain language summary 
of the proposed rule. S. Rept. 117-25, re. S. 522.
    To promote innovative acquisition techniques and 
procurement strategies, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
26, re. S. 583.
    To amend Title 5, United States Code, to provide for the 
halt in pension payments for members of Congress sentenced for 
certain offenses, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-27, re. 
S. 693.
    To prohibit contracting with persons that have business 
operations with the Maduro regime, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-28, re. S. 688.
    To establish the federal clearinghouse on school safety 
best practices, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-29, re. S. 
111.
    To require the collection of voluntary feedback on services 
provided by agencies, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-30, 
re. S. 671.
    To provide for joint reports by relevant federal agencies 
to congress regarding incidents of terrorism, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-31, re. S. 517.
    To establish a K-12 education cybersecurity initiative, and 
for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-32, re. S. 1917.
    To require the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget to establish or otherwise provide an artificial 
intelligence training program for the acquisition workforce, 
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-40, re. S. 2551.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for 
engagement with state, local, tribal, and territorial 
governments, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-42, re. S. 
2520.
    To manage supply chain risk through counterintelligence 
training, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-43, re. S. 2201.
    To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act to provide certain employment rights 
to reservists of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 
for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-44, re. S. 2293.
    To establish a federal rotational cyber workforce program 
for the federal cyber workforce. S. Rept. 117-47, re. S. 1097.
    To enhance cybersecurity education. S. Rept. 117-59, re. S. 
2305.
    To establish a Department of Human Security Center for 
Countering Human Trafficking, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 
117-73, re. S. 2991.
    To amend Title 40, United States Code, to require the 
Administrator of General Services to procure the most life-
cycle cost effective and energy efficient lighting produces and 
to issue guidance on the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy 
of those products, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-80, re. 
S. 442.
    To establish the federal clearinghouse on safety and 
security best practices for faith-based organizations and 
houses of worship, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-81, re. 
S. 2123.
    To establish the artificial intelligence hygiene working 
group, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-82, re. S. 3035.
    To require the Comptroller General of the United States to 
review certain legislation in order to identify potential risks 
of duplication of and overlap with existing federal programs, 
offices, and initiatives. S. Rept. 117-94, re. S. 664.
    To require a guidance clarity statement on certain agency 
guidance, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-95, re. S. 533.
    To amend Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, to 
require federal agencies to submit to the Comptroller General 
of the United States a report on rules that are revoked, 
suspended, replace, amended, or otherwise made ineffective. S. 
Rept. 117-96, re. S. 629.
    To establish a civilian cyber security reserve as a pilot 
project to address the cyber security needs of the United 
States with respect to national security, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-97, re. S. 1324.
    To direct the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget to standardize the use of core-base statistical area 
designations across federal programs, to allow between 120 and 
180 days for public comment on any proposed change to such 
designations, and to report on the scientific basis and 
estimated impact to federal programs for any proposed change to 
such designations, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-98, re. 
S. 1941.
    To require a pilot program on the participation of non-
asset based third-party logistics providers in the customs-
trade partnership against terrorism. S. Rept. 117-99, re. S. 
2322.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that 
the needs of children are considered in homeland security 
planning, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-100, re. H.R. 
4426.
    To amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to 
require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency to waive certain debts owed to the United States related 
to covered assistance provided to an individual or household, 
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-101, re. H.R. 539.
    To require the Director of the Government Publishing Office 
to establish and maintain an online portal accessible to the 
public that allows the public to obtain electronic copies of 
all congressionally mandated reports in one place, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-106, re. S. 2838.
    To amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act 
of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-107, re. S. 3499.
    To provide redress to the employees of Air America. S. 
Rept. 117-113, re. S. 407.
    To establish the National Deepfake and Digital Provenance 
Task Force, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-114, re. S. 
2559.
    To amend Title 44, United States Code, to establish the 
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program within the 
General Services Administration, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-115, re. S. 3099.
    To provide for the implementation of certain trafficking in 
contracting provisions, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
116, re. S. 3470.
    To require the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget to issue guidance with respect to natural disaster 
resilience, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-117, re. S. 
3510.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an 
acquisition professional career program, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-118, re. H.R. 367.
    To waive certain pay limitations for Department of 
Agriculture and Department of the Interior employees engaged in 
emergency wildland fire suppression activities, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-119, re. S. 138.
    To establish a daily public reporting requirement for 
covered contract awards of the Department of Homeland Security, 
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-120, re. H.R. 4363.
    To prevent catastrophic wildland fires by establishing a 
commission to study and recommend wildland fire prevention, 
mitigation, suppression, management, and rehabilitation 
policies for the federal government, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-121, re. S. 2150.
    To require a report on federal support to the cybersecurity 
of commercial satellite systems, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-122, re. S. 3511.
    To amend Title 5, United States Code, to increase death 
gratuities and funeral allowances for federal employees, and 
for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-123, re. S. 3487.
    To establish an advisory group to encourage and foster 
collaborative efforts among individuals and entities engaged in 
disaster recovery relating to debris removal, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-128, re. S. 3512.
    To authorize preparedness programs to support communities 
containing technological hazards and emerging threats. S. Rept. 
117-129, re. S. 4166.
    To authorize the Director of the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency to establish an apprenticeship 
program and to establish a pilot program on cybersecurity 
training for veterans and members of the armed forces 
transitioning to civilian life, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-131, re. S. 2274.
    To establish an Office of Civil Rights, Equity, and 
Community Inclusion at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-133, re. S. 3502.
    To amend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act 
of 2018 to extend the termination date of the Civil Rights Cold 
Case Records Review Board. S. Rept. 117-134, re. S. 3655.
    To develop a comprehensive, strategic plan for federal 
electric vehicle fleet battery management, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-139, re. S. 4057.
    To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to establish a working group relating to best 
practices and federal guidance for animals in emergencies and 
disasters, for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-140, re. S. 4205.
    To require the President to develop and maintain products 
that show the risk of natural hazards across the United States, 
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-141, re. S. 3875.
    To allow members of Congress to opt out of the Federal 
Employees Retirement System, and allow members who opt out of 
the Federal Employees Retirement System to continue to 
participate in the Thrift Savings Plan. S. Rept. 117-143, re. 
S. 471.
    To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act to improve the provision of certain 
disaster assistance, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-144, 
re. S. 3092.
    To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act to increase the threshold for 
eligibility for assistance under Sections 403, 406, 407, and 
502 of such act, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-145, re. 
H.R. 5641.
    To amend Chapter 81 of Title 5, United States Code, to 
create a presumption that a disability or death of a federal 
employee in fire protection activities caused by any of certain 
diseases is the result of the performance of such employees 
duty, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-146, re. S. 1116.
    To authorize the Administrator of General Services to 
establish an enhanced use lease pilot program, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-147, re. S. 2793.
    To provide an increased allocation of funding under certain 
programs for assistance in areas of persistent poverty, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-148, re. S. 3552.
    To extend other transaction authority for the Department of 
Homeland Security. S. Rept. 117-149, re. S. 4553.
    To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to clarify a 
provision relating to certain contents of registrations under 
the act. S. Rept. 117-150, re. S. 4254.
    To improve plain writing and public experience, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-159, re. S. 4577.
    To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide 
professional counseling services to victims of emergencies 
declared under such act, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
162, re. S. 3677.
    To streamline the sharing of information among federal 
disaster assistance agencies, to expedite the delivery of life-
saving assistance to disaster survivors, to speed the recovery 
of communities from disasters, to protect the security and 
privacy of information provided by disaster survivors, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-163, re. S. 4599.
    To amend Section 1115 of Title 31, United States Code, to 
amend the description of how performance goals are achieved, 
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-164, re. H.R. 2617.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance 
funding and administration of the Nonprofit Security Grant 
Program of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-165, re. H.R. 6825.
    To permit disabled law enforcement officers, Customs and 
Border Protection officers, firefighters, air traffic 
controllers, nuclear materials couriers, members of the Capitol 
police, members of the Supreme Court police, employees of the 
Central Intelligence Agency performing intelligence activities 
abroad or having specialized security requirements, and 
diplomatic security special agents of the Department of State 
to receive retirement benefits in the same manner as if they 
had not been disabled. S. Rept. 117-173, re. H.R. 521.
    To correct the inequitable denial of enhanced retirement 
and annuity benefits of certain U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection officers. S. Rept. 117-175, re. s. 3868.
    To require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection to establish procedures for conducting maintenance 
projects at ports of entry at which the Office of Field 
Operations conducts certain enforcement and facilitation 
activities. S. Rept. 117-176, re. S. 3903.
    To enhance the cybersecurity of the healthcare and public 
health sector. S. Rept. 117-177, re. S. 3904.
    To amend Title 5, United States Code, to authorize the 
appointment of spouses of members of the Armed Forces who are 
on active duty, disabled, or deceased to positions in which the 
spouses will work remotely. S. Rept. 117-178, re. S. 4337.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 regarding the 
procurement of certain items related to national security 
interests for Department of Homeland Security frontline 
operational components, and for other purpose. S. Rept. 117-
192, re. S. 1009.
    To require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection to regularly review and update policies and manuals 
related to inspections at ports of entry. S. Rept. 117-193, re. 
S. 4460.
    To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary 
damage assessments and make necessary improvements to processes 
in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-194, re. H.R. 3709.
    To require the United States Fire Administration to conduct 
on-site investigations of major fires, and for other purposes. 
S. Rept. 117-195, re. H.R. 7077.
    To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to 
submit a report to Congress on case management personnel 
turnover of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-199, re. H.R. 5343.
    To facilitate the reskilling of federal employees, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-204, re. S. 1330.
    To modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard 
mitigation assistance programs and for other purposes. S. Rept. 
117-205, re. S. 1877.
    To implement merit-based reforms to the civil service 
hiring system that replace degree-based hiring with skills and 
competency-based hiring. S. Rept. 117-206, re. S. 3423.
    To improve performance and accountability in the federal 
government, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-207, re. S. 
4167.
    To establish the Department of Homeland Security Trade and 
Economic Security Council and the position of Assistant 
Secretary for Trade and Economic Security within the Department 
of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-208, 
re. S. 4243.
    To advance government innovation through leading-edge 
procurement capability, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
209, re. S. 4623.
    To amend the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon 
National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2015 to 
modify requirements relating to data centers of certain federal 
agencies, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-210, re. S. 
4629.
    To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require 
certain disclosures by registrants regarding exemptions under 
the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended. S. 
Rept. 117-212, re. S. 4893.
    To require the Comptroller General of the United States to 
provide certain information with respect to unimplemented 
priority recommendations as part of the Comptroller General's 
annual reporting to Congress, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 
117-213, re. S. 4128.
    To amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 
1974 to authorize appropriations for the United States Fire 
Administration and firefighter assistance grant programs. S. 
Rept. 117-214, re. S. 4882.
    To support remediation of illicit cross-border tunnels, and 
for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-215, re. H.R. 4209.
    To amend Title 31, United States Code, to require the chief 
operating officer of each agency to compile a list of 
unnecessary programs, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-216, 
S. 2135.
    To require the Director of the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency to establish cybersecurity 
guidance for small organizations, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-217, re. S. 2483.
    To require the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management to establish and maintain a public directory of the 
individuals occupying government policy and supporting 
positions, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-218, re. S. 
3650.
    To require the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to 
develop government-wide procurement policy and guidance to 
mitigate organizational conflict of interests relating to 
national security and foreign policy, and for other purposes. 
S. Rept. 117-219, re. S. 4516.
    To require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to expand the 
use of non-intrusive inspection systems at land ports of entry. 
S. Rept. 117-220, re. S. 4572.
    To restrict the flow of illicit drugs into the United 
States, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-221, re. S. 4645.
    To reauthorize and amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
to create stronger accountability mechanisms for joint task 
forces. S. Rept. 117-222, re. S. 4656.
    To improve the visibility, accountability, and oversight of 
agency software asset management practices, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-223, re. S. 4908.
    To require the Administrator of General Services to 
transfer certain surplus computers and technology equipment to 
nonprofit computer refurbishers for repair, distribution, and 
return, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-224, re. H.R. 
3544.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a 
mentor-protege program, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
225, re. H.R. 408.
    To amend the Inspector General Act of 1978, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-226, re. H.R. 2662.
    To strengthen Buy American requirements, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-227, re. S. 732.
    To require the establishment of cybersecurity information 
sharing agreements between the Department of Homeland Security 
and Congress, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-228, re. S. 
4000.
    To authorize the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement to pay stipends to members of transnational 
criminal investigative units who have been properly vetted. S. 
Rept. 117-229, re. S. 4326.
    To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a 
plan to make federal assistance available to certain urban 
areas that previously received urban area security initiative 
funding to preserve homeland security capabilities, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-230, re. H.R. 5615.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make 
technical corrections to the requirement that the Secretary of 
Homeland Security submit quadrennial homeland security reviews, 
and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-231, re. H.R. 370.
    To authorize the reclassification of the tactical 
enforcement officers (commonly known as the ``shadow wolves'') 
in the Homeland Security Investigations Tactical Patrol Unit 
operating on the lands of the Tohono O'Odham Nation as special 
agents. S. Rept. 117-235, re. S. 2541.
    To improve services for trafficking victims by establishing 
in Homeland Security Investigations, the investigators maintain 
purposeful awareness to combat trafficking trauma program and 
the victim assistance program. S. Rept. 117-236, re. S. 4611.
    To require the federal government to produce a national 
climate adaptation and resilience strategy, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-237, re. S. 3531.
    To establish a government-wide approach to improving 
digital identity, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-238, re. 
S. 4528.
    To address the preference for United States industry with 
respect to patent rights in inventions made with Department of 
Homeland Security research assistance, and for other purposes. 
S. Rept. 117-239, re. S. 4902.
    To require the purchase of domestically made flags of the 
United States of America for use by the federal government. S. 
Rept. 117-240, re. S. 4399.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for 
the responsibility of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
Security Agency to maintain capabilities to identify threats to 
industrial control systems, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 
117-247, re. S. 2439.
    To make technical corrections to Title XXII of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-248, 
re. S. 2540.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the 
Cyber Incident Review Office in the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency of the Department of Homeland 
Security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-249, re. S. 
2875.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance the 
Blue Campaign of the Department of Homeland Security, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-250, re. S. 2989.
    To encourage the migration of federal government 
information technology systems to quantum-resistant 
cryptography, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-251, re. S. 
4592.
    To provide for the perpetuation, administration, and 
funding of federal executive boards, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-252, re. S. 4894.
    To require a review of Department of Homeland Security 
Trusted Traveler Programs, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 
117-253, re. H.R. 473.
    To establish an Interagency Committee on Global 
Catastrophic Risk, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-254, S. 
4488.
    To require the United States Postal Service to continue 
selling the multinational species conservation funds semi-
postal stamp until all remaining stamps are sold, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-255, re. S. 521.
    To prohibit certain individuals from downloading or using 
Tiktok on any device issued by the United States or a 
government corporation. S. Rept. 117-256, re. S. 1143.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the 
Secretary of Homeland Security to make a declaration of a 
significant incident, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-257, 
re. S. 1316.
    To amend Section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to incentivize states, 
Indian tribes, and territories to close disaster recovery 
projects by authorizing the use of excess funds for management 
costs for other disaster recovery projects. S. Rept. 117-258, 
re. S. 4654.
    To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act, review a final rule of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 
117-259, re. H.R. 7211.
    To amend Title 5, United States Code, to provide for a full 
annuity supplement for certain air traffic controllers. S. 
Rept. 117-260, re. S. 419.
    To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish 
a national risk management cycle, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-261, re. S. 1350.
    To require the reduction of the reliance and expenditures 
of the federal government on legacy information technology 
systems, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-262, re. S. 3897.
    To modify the Fire Management Assistance Cost Share, and 
for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-263, re. S. 4328.
    To amend Title 31, United States Code, to require agencies 
to include a list of outdated or duplicative reporting 
requirements in annual budget justifications, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-264, re. S. 4477.
    To require the Archivist of the United States to submit to 
Congress a comprehensive plan for reducing the backlog of 
requests for records from the National Personnel Records 
Center, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-265, re. S. 4816.
    To prohibit federal procurement from companies operating in 
the Russian Federation, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
266, re. S. 4930.
    To ban the federal procurement of certain drones and other 
unmanned aircraft systems and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
267, re. S. 73.
    To ensure that certain federal infrastructure programs 
require the use of materials produced in the United States, and 
for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-268, re. S. 1303.
    To provide for domestic sourcing of personal protective 
equipment, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-269, re. S. 
1306.
    To promote United States values and fulfill agency missions 
through the use of innovative applied artificial intelligence 
technologies, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-270, re. S. 
1353.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the 
National Cyber Resilience Assistance Fund, to improve the 
ability of the federal government to assist in enhancing 
critical infrastructure cyber resilience to improve security in 
the national cyber ecosystem, to address systemically important 
critical infrastructure, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
271, re. S. 2491.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require 
research and development to identify and evaluate the extent to 
which critical domain risks within the United States supply 
chain pose a substantial threat to Homeland Security, and for 
other purposes. S. Rept. 117-272, re. S. 2525.
    To amend Title 5, United States Code, to improve the 
effectiveness of major rules in accomplishing their regulatory 
objectives by promoting their regulatory objectives by 
promoting retrospective review, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-273, re. S. 2801.
    To modernize federal information security management, and 
for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-274, re. S. 2902.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in 
the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency the 
National Cyber Exercise Program, and for other purposes. S. 
Rept. 117-275, re. S. 2993.
    To establish a Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction 
Office and an Office of Health Security in the Department of 
Homeland Security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-276, 
re. S. 4465.
    To enhance the authority granted to the Department of 
Homeland Security and Department of Justice with respect to 
unmanned aircraft systems and unmanned aircraft, and for other 
purposes. S. Rept. 117-277, re. S. 4687.
    To establish the duties of the Director of the 
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency regarding open 
source software security, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-
278, re. S. 4913.
    To require an interagency strategy for creating a unified 
posture on counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) 
capabilities and protections at international borders of the 
United States. S. Rept. 117-279, re. S. 4919.
    To authorize the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 
Agency of the Department of Homeland Security to hold an annual 
cybersecurity competition relating to offensive and defensive 
cybersecurity disciplines, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 
117-280, re. H.R. 6824.
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the 
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to establish 
an industrial control systems cybersecurity training 
initiative, and for other purposes. S. Rept. 117-281, re. H.R. 
7777.
    To strengthen the security and integrity of the United 
States scientific and research enterprise. S. Rept. 117-282, 
re. S. 1351.

                            COMMITTEE PRINTS

    The Committee issued the following Committee Prints during 
the 117th Congress:
    Rules of Procedure. Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs. (Printed. 44 pp. S. Prt. 117-7). Rules of 
Procedure. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Printed. 23 pp. S. 
Prt. 117-8).

                              GAO REPORTS

    Also during the 117th Congress, the Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) issued 92 reports at the request of 
the Committee. GAO reports requested by the Subcommittees 
appear in their respective sections. Reports are listed here by 
title, GAO number, and release date.
    Rural Hospital Closures: Affected Residents Had Reduced 
Access to Health Care Services. GAO-21-93. December 22, 2020.
    U.S. Department of Energy Contracting: Improvements Needed 
to Ensure the U.S. Department of Energy Assesses Its Full Range 
of Contracting Fraud Risks. GAO-21-44. January 13, 2021.
    Chemical Security: Overlapping Programs Could Better 
Collaborate to Share Information and Identify Potential 
Security Gaps. GAO-21-12. January 21, 2021.
    Southwest Border: Department of Homeland Security and 
Department of Justice Have Implemented Expedited Credible Fear 
Screening Pilot Programs, but Should Ensure Timely Data Entry. 
GAO-21-144. January 25, 2021.
    Man-Made Chemicals and Potential Health Risks: The U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency Has Completed Some Regulatory-
Related Actions for PFAS. GAO-21-37. January 27, 2021.
    Countering Violent Extremism: The U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security Needs to Improve Grants Management and Data 
Collection. GAO-21-216. February 1, 2021.
    United States Assistance to Mexico: The U.S. Department of 
State and U.S. Agency for International Development Should 
Strengthen Risk Management for Programs under the Merida 
Initiative. GAO-21-335. March 1, 2021.
    High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address 
Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas. GAO-21-384T. March 2, 
2021.
    Electricity Grid: Opportunities Exist For the U.S. 
Department of Energy to Better Support Utilities in Improving 
Resilience to Hurricanes. GAO-21-274. March 5, 2021.
    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: Actions 
Needed To Ensure Organizational Changes Result In More 
Effective Cybersecurity for Our Nation. GAO-21-236. March 10, 
2021.
    Decennial Census: U.S. Census Bureau Should Assess 
Significant Data Collection Challenges As It Undertakes 
Planning For 2030. GAO-21-365. March 22, 2021.
    2020 Census: U.S. Census Bureau Needs To Ensure 
Transparency Over Data Quality, Finalize Plans For Data 
Protection, And Examine Lessons Learned. GAO-21-462T. March 23, 
2021.
    COVID-19: The Department of Health and Human Services 
Should Clarify Agency Roles For Emergency Return of U.S. 
Citizens During a Pandemic. GAO-21-334. April 19, 2021.
    Medicaid: Information on the Use of Electronic Asset 
Verification to Determine Eligibility for Selected 
Beneficiaries. GAO-21-473R. April 23, 2021.
    National Health Service Corps: Program Directs Funding to 
Areas with Greatest Provider Shortages. GAO-21-323. April 30, 
2021
    Disaster Recovery: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development Should Take Additional Action to Assess Community 
Development Block Grant Fraud Risks. GAO-21-177. May 5, 2021.
    Foreign Assistance: State Department Should Better Assess 
Results of Efforts to Improve Financial and Some Program Data. 
GAO-21-373. May 10, 2021.
    Oral Presentation On the Department of Homeland Security's 
Countering Weapons Of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office. May 18, 
2021.
    Puerto Rico Recovery: The Federal Emergency Management 
Agency Made Progress in Approving Projects, but Should Identify 
and Assess Risks to the Recovery. GAO-21-264. May 19, 2021.
    La Recuperacion De Puerto Rico: FEMA Progreso En La 
Aprobacion De Proyectos, Pero Deberia Identificar Y Evaluar Los 
Riesgos Para La Recuperacion. GAO-21-442. May 19, 2021.
    Biodefense: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
Exploring New Methods to Replace Biowatch and Could Benefit 
from Additional Guidance. GAO-21-292. May 20, 2021.
    Physician Workforce: Caps on Medicare-Funded Graduate 
Medical Education at Teaching Hospitals. GAO-21-391. May 21, 
2021.
    Oil and Gas: The Department of the Interior Should 
Strengthen Management of Key Data Systems Used to Oversee 
Development on Federal Lands. GAO-21-209. May 27, 2021.
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector 
General: Actions Needed to Address Long-Standing Management 
Weaknesses. GAO-21-316. June 3, 2021.
    Homeland Security: U.S. Department of Homeland Security 
Needs to Fully Implement Key Practices in Acquiring Biometric 
Identity Management System. GAO-21-386. June 8, 2021.
    Health Care Funding: Planned Parenthood Federation of 
America Affiliates' Expenditures of Federal Funds, 2016 Through 
2018. GAO-21-608R. June 22, 2021.
    Domestic Medical Supply Manufacturing. July 19, 2021.
    Countering Violent Extremism: The U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security Can Further Enhance Its Strategic Planning 
and Data Governance Efforts. GAO-21-507. July 20, 2021.
    Federal Contracting: Senior Leaders Should Use Leading 
Companies' Key Practices to Improve Performance. GAO-21-491. 
July 27, 2021.
    Paycheck Protection Program: Small Business Administration 
Added Program Safeguards, but Additional Actions are Needed. 
GAO-21-577. July 29, 2021.
    Capitol Attack: Special Event Designations Could Have Been 
Requested for January 6, 2021, but not All U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security Guidance is Clear. GAO-21-105255. August 9, 
2021.
    Capital Fund Proposal: Upfront Funding Could Benefit Some 
Projects, But Other Potential Effects Not Clearly Identified. 
GAO-21-215. September 10, 2021.
    Federal Real Property Asset Management: Additional 
Direction in Government-Wide Guidance Could Enhance Natural 
Disaster Resilience. GAO-21-596. September 14, 2021.
    Federal Rulemaking: Selected Agencies Should Fully Describe 
Available Public Comment Data and Their Limitations. GAO-21-
103181. September 21, 2021.
    Paycheck Protection Program: Program Changes Increased 
Lending to the Smallest Businesses and in Underserved 
Locations. GAO-21-601. September 21, 2021
    Information Technology Modernization: U.S. Department of 
Agriculture Needs to Improve Oversight of Farm Production and 
Conservation Program Mission Area. GAO-21-512. September 23, 
2021.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Education Should Take 
Additional Steps to Help Protect K-12 Schools From Cyber 
Threats. GAO-22-105024. October 13, 2021.
    Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Credit Markets Served by 
the Program have Stabilized, but Vulnerabilities Remain. GAO-
22-104640. October 19, 2021.
    COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations on the Ongoing Recovery of 
the Aviation Industry. GAO-22-104429. October 21, 2021.
    COVID-19: Federal Agencies' Initial Reentry and Workplace 
Safety Planning. GAO-22-104295. October 25, 2021.
    Federal Hiring: The Office of Personnel Management Should 
Collect and Share COVID-19 Lessons Learned to Inform Hiring 
During Future Emergencies. GAO-22-104297. October 25, 2021.
    COVID-19: Lessons Learned from the U.S. Department of the 
Interior and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's 
Administration of CARES Act Funds Could Improve Federal 
Emergency Relief to Tribes. GAO-22-104349. October 29, 2021.
    COVID-19: The U.S. Department of Stare Carried Out Historic 
Repatriation Effort but Should Strengthen its Preparedness for 
Future Crises. GAO-22-104354. November 2, 2021.
    KC-46 Tanker: Air Force Needs to Mature Critical 
Technologies in New Aerial Refueling System Design. GAO-22-
104530. January 27, 2022.
    COVID-19: Federal Telework Increased during the Pandemic, 
but More Reliable Data are Needed to Support Oversight. GAO-22-
104282. February 8, 2022.
    Banking Services: Regulators Have Taken Actions to Increase 
Access, but Measurement of Actions' Effectiveness Could be 
Improved. GAO-22-104468. February 14, 2022.
    2020 Census Data Protection and Privacy Review. February 
15, 2022.
    Capitol Attack: Federal Agencies' Use of Open Source Data 
and Related Threat Products Prior to January 6, 2021. GAO-22-
105256SU. February 16, 2022.
    Biodefense: Opportunities to Address National Strategy and 
Programmatic Challenges. GAO-22-105733. February 17, 2022.
    Capitol Attack: The Capitol Police Need Clearer Emergency 
Procedures and a Comprehensive Security Risk Assessment 
Process. GAO-22-105001. February 17, 2022.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency Should Improve Priority Setting, 
Stakeholder Involvement, and Threat Information Sharing. GAO-
22-104279. March 1, 2022.
    Capitol Attack: Additional Actions Needed to Better Prepare 
Capitol Police Officers for Violent Demonstrations. GAO-22-
104829. March 7, 2022.
    Indian Health Service: Information on Third-Party 
Collections and Processes to Procure Supplies and Services. 
GAO-22-104742. March 10, 2022.
    2020 Census: U.S. Census Bureau Released Apportionment and 
Redistricting Data, but Needs to Finalize Plans for Future Data 
Products. GAO-22-105324. March 14, 2022.
    COVID-19: The Department of Stare Should Strengthen 
Policies to Better Maintain Overseas Operations in Future 
Crises. GAO-22-104519. March 16, 2022.
    Emergency Relief Funds: Significant Improvements are Needed 
to Ensure Transparency and Accountability for COVID-19 And 
Beyond. GAO-22-105715. March 17, 2022.
    Indian Health Service: Relief Funding and Agency Response 
to COVID-19 Pandemic. GAO-22-104360. March 31, 2022.
    Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: The U.S. Department 
of Homeland Security Could Improve its Acquisition of Key 
Technology and Coordination with Partners. GAO-22-104498. April 
19, 2022.
    Native American Veterans: Improvements to U.S. Department 
of Veterans Affairs Management Could Help Increase Mortgage 
Loan Program Participation. GAO-22-104627. April 19, 2022.
    Scientific Integrity: U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services Agencies Need to Develop Procedures and Train Staff on 
Reporting and Addressing Political Interference. GAO-22-104613. 
April 20, 2022.
    State Department: Additional Actions Needed to Address it 
Workforce Challenges. GAO-22-104233SU. April 26, 2022.
    Capitol Attack: Federal Agencies' Use of Open Source Data 
and Related Threat Products Prior to January 6, 2021. GAO-22-
105963. May 2, 2022.
    Department of Defense Animal Use: Objectives and 
Performance Measures Needed to Monitor Use of Alternatives for 
Trauma Training. GAO-22-103992. May 3, 2022.
    Artificial Intelligence: Key Practices to Help Federal Use 
of Artificial Intelligence. May 11, 2022.
    COVID-19: U.S. Food and Drug Administration Took Steps to 
Help Make Test Available; Policy for Future Public Health 
Emergencies Needed. GAO-22-104266. May 12, 2022.
    Border Patrol: Actions Needed to Improve Checkpoint 
Oversight and Data. GAO-22-104568. June 6, 2022.
    Maritime Cargo Security: U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
Should Provide Additional Guidance for Certain Non-
Containerized Cargo Inspections. GAO-22-104210. June 22, 2022.
    COVID-19: Agencies Increased Use of Some Regulatory 
Flexibilities and are Taking Steps to Assess Them. GAO-22-
105047. June 23, 2022.
    Federal Personal Property: Better Internal Guidance and 
More Action from the General Services Administration are Needed 
to Help Agencies Maximize Use of Excess. GAO-22-104626. June 
28, 2022.
    State Department: Additional Actions Needed To Address It 
Workforce Challenges. GAO-22-105932. July 12, 2022.
    Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: The U.S. Department 
of Homeland Security Office Has Opportunities to Improve 
Partner Services and Employee Morale. GAO-22-106133. July 19, 
2022.
    Persistent Chemicals: Technologies for PFAS Assessment, 
Detection, and Treatment. GAO-22-105088. July 28, 2022.
    Spectrum Management: Improved Planning and Interagency 
Collaboration Could Strengthen Spectrum Reallocation Efforts. 
GAO-22-106170. August 2, 2022.
    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Management: 
Action Needed to Ensure Success of New Oversight Framework. 
GAO-22-105195. August 11, 2022.
    Federal Real Property: General Services Administration 
Could Further Support Agencies' Post Pandemic Planning For 
Office Space Use. GAO-22-105105. September 7, 2022.
    Privacy: Dedicated Leadership Can Improve Programs and 
Address Challenges. GAO-22-105065. September 22, 2022.
    Medicare Telehealth: Actions Needed to Strengthen Oversight 
and Help Provided Educate Patients on Privacy and Security 
Risks. GAO-22-104454. September 26, 2022.
    Southwest Border: Challenges and Efforts Implementing New 
Processes for Noncitizen Families. GAO-22-105456. September 28, 
2022.
    Persistent Chemicals: The U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency Should Use New Data to Analyze the Demographics of 
Communities with PFAS in Their Drinking Water. GAO-22-105135. 
September 30, 2022.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Additional Federal 
Coordination is Needed to Enhance K-12 Cybersecurity. GAO-23-
105480. October 20, 2022.
    Federal Vehicles: Agency Fleets Have Potential to 
Transition to Electric Vehicles. GAO-23-105635. October 20, 
2022.
    Federal Real Property: Agencies Attribute Substantial 
Increases in Reported Deferred Maintenance to Multiple Factors. 
GAO-23-106124. October 28, 2022.
    Renewable Fuel Standard: Actions Needed to Improve 
Decision-Making in the Small Refinery Exemption Program. GAO-
23-105801. November 3, 2022.
    Aviation Security: The U.S. Transportation Security 
Administration Should Assess Potential For Discrimination And 
Better Inform Passengers Of The Complaint Process. GAO-23-
105201. November 7, 2022.
    Wildland Fire: Barriers to Recruitment and Retention of 
Federal Wildland Firefighters. GAO-23-105517. November 17, 
2022.
    Internal Revenue Service: Information about Funding, 
Financial Reporting Controls, and The Government Accountability 
Office Recommendations. GAO-23-106351. November 28, 2022.
    CARES Act: Structural Characteristics That Can Help 
Insulate U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agencies 
against Potential Political Interference. GAO-23-105415. 
December 15, 2022.
    COVID-19 Funds: Lessons Learned Could Improve Future 
Distribution of Federal Emergency Relief to Tribal Recipients. 
GAO-23-105473. December 15, 2022.
    Oral Presentation on U.S. Park Police Staffing. December 
16, 2022.
    Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Risks Remain Low in 
Related Credit Markets, and Main Street Loans Have Generally 
Performed Well. GAO-23-105629. December 19, 2022.
    Information Management: Agencies Need To Streamline 
Electronic Services. GAO-23-105562. December 20, 2022.
    Unemployment Insurance: Data Indicate Substantial Levels of 
Fraud during The Pandemic; Department of Labor Should Implement 
An Antifraud Strategy. GAO-23-105523. December 22, 2022.

                      VI. OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS

    During the 117th Congress, 741 official communications were 
referred to the Committee. Of these, 722 were Executive 
Communications, and 19 were Petitions or Memorials. Of the 
official communications, 340 dealt with the District of 
Columbia.

                        VII. LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

    During the 117th Congress, the Committee reported 
significant legislation that was approved by Congress and 
signed by the President.
    The following are brief legislative histories of measures 
to the Committee and, in some cases, drafted by the Committee, 
which (1) became public law or (2) were favorable reported from 
the Committee and passed by the Senate, but did not become law. 
In addition to the measures listed below, the Committee 
received during the 117th Congress numerous legislative 
proposals that were not considered or reported, or that were 
reported but not passed by the Senate. Additional information 
on these measures appears in the Committee's Legislative 
Calendar for the 117th Congress.

                      A. MEASURES ENACTED INTO LAW

    The following measures considered by the Committee were 
enacted into Public Law. The descriptions following the signing 
date of each measure note selected provisions of the text, and 
are not intended to serve as section-by-section summaries.
    H.R. 26.--Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement 
Act of 2021. (Public Law 117-28). July 26, 2021.
    This bill prohibits the federal government from using 
reverse auctions for complex, specialized, or substantial 
design and construction services. Reverse auctions allow the 
sellers to bid down the price of a project and typically result 
in the contractor with the lowest bid winning the contract. The 
Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FARC) must define 
complex, specialized, or substantial design and construction 
services. The General Services Administration (GSA) shall 
report to specified congressional committees on this bill's 
effectiveness.
    H.R. 521.--First Responder Fair (RETIRE) Act. (Public Law 
117-225). December 09, 2022.
    This bill allows disabled federal first responders (e.g., 
law enforcement officers, customs and border protection 
officers, and firefighters) to continue receiving federal 
retirement benefits in the same manner as though they had not 
been disabled. Under current law, federal first responders are 
subject to a mandatory retirement age of 57. To facilitate this 
earlier retirement, federal first responders are required to 
pay a greater percentage of their salary towards retirement. 
Additionally, their annuity amount is calculated at a higher 
rate than other federal employees. This bill allows a federal 
first responder to remain in the accelerated retirement system 
if they are placed in another civil service position outside of 
that system after returning to work from a work-related injury 
or illness. Further, if such an employee is separated from 
service before they are entitled to receive an annuity, they 
may receive a refund of their accelerated contributions.
    S. 231.--Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances 
(PFAS) Act. (Public Law 117-248). December 20, 2022.
    This act requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
to develop guidance for firefighters and other emergency 
response personnel on training, education programs, and best 
practices to protect them from exposure to perfluoroalkyl and 
polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFASs, from 
firefighting foam and to prevent the release of PFASs into the 
environment. These substances are man-made and may have adverse 
human health effects. A variety of products contain the 
compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof 
clothing.This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security 
to develop and conduct an exercise related to the detection and 
prevention of terrorist and foreign fighter travel. The bill 
requires the national exercise program (a program to test and 
evaluate the national preparedness goal, National Incident 
Management System, National Response Plan, and other related 
plans and strategies) to include emerging threats.
    S. 272.--Congressional Budget Justification Transparency 
Act of 2021. (Public Law 117-40). September 24, 2021.
    This bill requires federal agencies to make budget 
justification materials available to the public on a website. 
The bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget 
(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.
    S. 442.--Bulb Replacement Improving Government with High-
efficiency Technology (BRIGHT) Act. (Public Law 117-202). 
October 17, 2022.
    This act expands requirements relating to the procurement 
and use of energy-efficient lighting in federal buildings. 
Under current law, public buildings that are constructed or 
managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) must be 
equipped with energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures. Under 
the act, buildings must be equipped with the most life-cycle 
cost effective and energy-efficient lighting systems available, 
including with respect to sensors, fixture distribution, and 
other elements. The act also specifically establishes 
requirements relating to the procurement of such lighting 
systems and modifies other requirements accordingly. The act 
also requires the GSA to provide information to federal, state, 
local, and tribal entities about procuring and using such 
lighting systems in furtherance of governmental efficiency.
    S. 583.--Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost 
Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions (PRICE) 
Act of 2021. (Public Law 117-88). February 22, 2022.
    This bill directs the Management Directorate of the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publish an annual 
report on a DHS website on projects that have used innovative 
procurement techniques within DHS to accomplish specified 
goals. Such goals are improving or encouraging better 
competition, reducing time to award, achieving cost savings, 
achieving better mission outcomes, or meeting the goals for 
contracts and awarded to small business concerns. The 
Management Directorate shall (1) develop and disseminate 
guidance and offer training for specified personnel concerning 
when and how to use such techniques, and (2) share best 
practices across DHS and make available to other federal 
agencies information to improve procurement methods and 
training. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) shall 
convene a Chief Acquisition Officers Council (CAOC) to examine 
best practices for acquisition innovation in contracting in the 
federal government.
    S. 658.--National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act 
of 2021. (Public Law 117-122). May 12, 2022.
    This bill allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
to work with one or more consortia composed of nonprofit 
entities to develop, update, and deliver cybersecurity training 
in support of homeland security.
    H.R. 1917.--Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act. 
(Public Law 117-332). January 05, 2023.
    This bill makes an entity seeking assistance under a hazard 
mitigation assistance program eligible to receive such 
assistance for certain projects already in progress. 
Specifically, this bill covers a project that is an acquisition 
and demolition project for which an entity began 
implementation, including planning or construction, before or 
after requesting assistance for the project under a hazard 
mitigation assistance program, and qualifies for a categorical 
exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must have 
determined that the project qualifies for a categorical 
exclusion, is compliant with applicable floodplain management 
and protection of wetland regulations and criteria, and does 
not require consultation under any other environmental or 
historic preservation law or regulation or involve any 
extraordinary circumstances. FEMA must report to Congress, 
within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter for three 
years, on use of the authority under this bill. Such authority 
terminates three years after enactment.
    S. 1097.--Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 
2021. (Public Law 117-149). June 21, 2022.
    This bill establishes a rotational cyber workforce program 
under which certain federal employees may be detailed among 
rotational cyber workforce positions at other agencies. This 
bill authorizes an agency to determine whether a workforce 
position involving information technology, cybersecurity, or 
other cyber-related functions in that agency is eligible for 
the program. Additionally, the bill requires the Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM) to issue a Federal Rotational Cyber 
Workforce Program operation plan providing policies, processes, 
and procedures for detailing employees among rotational cyber 
workforce positions at agencies. The Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) must assess the operation and effectiveness of the 
rotational cyber workforce program by addressing the extent to 
which agencies have participated in the program and the 
experiences of employees serving in the program.
    H.R. 2617.--Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. (Public 
Law 117-328). December 29, 2022.
    This bill provides appropriations to federal agencies for 
the remainder of FY2023, provides supplemental appropriations 
for disaster relief and to support Ukraine, extends several 
expiring authorities, and modifies or establishes various 
programs that address a wide range of policy areas. The bill 
includes the 12 regular appropriations bills that fund federal 
agencies for FY2023. These bills include the Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2023; the Commerce, Justice, Science, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023; the Department of 
Defense Appropriations Act, 2023; the Energy and Water 
Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023; the 
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 
2023; the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 
2023; the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023; the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act, 2023; the Legislative Branch Appropriations 
Act, 2023; the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023; the Department of 
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations 
Act, 2023; and the Transportation, Housing and Urban 
Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023.
    S. 1828.--Helping American Victims Afflicted by 
Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) of 2021. (Public Law 117-46). 
October 08, 2021.
    This bill specifically authorizes the Central Intelligence 
Agency (CIA), the Department of State, and other agencies to 
provide payments to agency personnel who incur brain injuries 
from hostilities while on assignment. Specifically, the bill 
allows agency personnel and their families to receive payments 
for brain injuries that are incurred (1) during a period of 
assignment to a foreign or domestic duty station; (2) in 
connection with war, insurgency, hostile acts, terrorist 
activity, or other agency-designated incidents; and (3) not as 
the result of willful misconduct. The bill's authority applies 
to injuries incurred before, on, or after the date of the 
bill's enactment. Agencies must submit classified reports on 
the bill's implementation, including the number of payments 
made and the amount of each payment. Since 2016, some 
intelligence, diplomatic, and other governmental personnel have 
reported experiencing unusual cognitive and neurological 
impairments while on assignment (particularly abroad), the 
source of which is currently under investigation. Symptoms were 
first reported by personnel stationed in Cuba and have since 
been collectively referred to as Havana Syndrome.
    S. 1917.--K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2021. (Public Law 117-
47). October 08, 2021.
    This bill requires the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
Security Agency (CISA) to study the cybersecurity risks facing 
elementary and secondary schools and develop recommendations 
that include cybersecurity guidelines designed to assist 
schools in facing those risks. The use of such recommendations 
shall be voluntary. The study must evaluate the challenges that 
schools face in securing (1) information systems owned, leased, 
or relied upon by those schools; and (2) sensitive student and 
employee records. Further, the bill requires CISA to (1) 
develop an online training toolkit designed for school 
officials; and (2) make available on the Department of Homeland 
Security website the study's findings, the cybersecurity 
guidelines, and the toolkit.
    S. 1941.--Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization 
Act (MAPS) of 2021. (Public Law 117-219). December 05, 2022.
    This act limits the automatic application of, and directs 
the Office of Management and Budget (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. Specifically, 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. The OMB must ensure that any change to 
the standards of CBSA delineations are accompanied by a public 
report that explains the scientific basis, criteria, and 
methodology for such change and the opinions of experts in 
statistics and demographics who were consulted regarding the 
change; are not influenced by any nonstatistical 
considerations; and are not applied automatically for any 
nonstatistical use by any domestic assistance program. 
Additionally, the OMB must collect information on the uses of 
CBSA delineations by domestic assistance programs for purposes 
including prime recipient and subrecipient eligibility for, and 
distribution of, any federal service, benefit, or funding. The 
Government Accountability Office (GAO) must submit a report 
assessing the information collected by the OMB pursuant to this 
act.
    S. 2201.--Supply Chain Security Training Act of 2021. 
(Public Law 117-145). June 16, 2022.
    This bill requires the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) 
to develop a training program for officials with supply chain 
risk management responsibilities at federal agencies (defined 
to include the legislative and judicial branches, as well as 
the executive branch, of the federal government). The program 
shall be designed to prepare such personnel to perform supply 
chain risk management activities and identify and mitigate 
supply chain security risks that arise throughout the 
acquisition life cycle, including for the acquisition of 
information and communications technology. The Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) shall (1) promulgate guidance to 
federal agencies requiring executive agency adoption and use of 
the program, and (2) make the guidance available to federal 
agencies of the legislative and judicial branches.
    S. 2293.--Civilian Reservist Emergency Workforce Act (CREW) 
of 2021. (Public Law 117-178). September 29, 2022.
    This bill makes employment protections under the Uniformed 
Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) 
applicable to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
reservists who deploy to major disaster and emergency sites. It 
allows such reservists to claim such rights under USERRA even 
if they do not provide notice of their absence from work due to 
deployment.
    H.R. 4426.--Homeland Security for Children Act. (Public Law 
117-130). June 6, 2022.
    This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS) to ensure that the needs of children are considered in 
homeland security planning. Specifically, each DHS office and 
component must take into account the needs of children, 
including children within underserved communities, in mission 
planning and execution. DHS must require each office and 
component to seek advice and feedback from organizations 
representing the needs of children. The bill directs the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify and 
integrate the needs of children into activities to prepare for, 
protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against 
the risk of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other 
disasters, including by appointing a technical expert to 
coordinate such integration.
    S. 2520.--State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 
2021. (Public Law 117-150). June 21, 2021.
    This bill provides for collaboration between the Department 
of Homeland Security (DHS) and state, local, tribal, and 
territorial governments, as well as corporations, associations, 
and the general public, regarding cybersecurity. The bill 
expands DHS responsibilities through grants and cooperative 
agreements, including provision of assistance and education 
related to cyber threat indicators, proactive and defensive 
measures and cybersecurity technologies, cybersecurity risks 
and vulnerabilities, incident response and management, 
analysis, and warnings. The bill requires the National 
Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, upon 
request, to coordinate with entities such as the Multi-State 
Information Sharing and Analysis Center to engage in specified 
activities, including to (1) conduct exercises with state, 
local, tribal, or territorial government entities; (2) provide 
operational and technical cybersecurity training to such 
entities; and (3) promote cybersecurity education and 
awareness.
    S. 2551.--Artificial Intelligence Training for the 
Acquisition Workforce (AI Training) Act. (Public Law 117-207). 
October 17, 2022.
    This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) to establish or otherwise provide an artificial 
intelligence (AI) training program for the acquisition 
workforce of executive agencies (e.g., those responsible for 
program management or logistics), with exceptions. The purpose 
of the program is to ensure that the workforce has knowledge of 
the capabilities and risks associated with AI. The OMB must (1) 
update the program at least every two years, and (2) ensure 
there is a way to understand and measure the participation of 
the workforce and to receive and consider feedback from program 
participants.
    S. 2991.--Countering Human Trafficking Act of 2021. (Public 
Law 117-322). December 27, 2022.
    This act provides statutory authority for the Center for 
Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) within the Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS). The CCHT coordinates DHS efforts to 
combat human trafficking and the importation of goods produced 
with forced labor. The act requires the CCHT to develop a 
strategy to improve the systems and processes used throughout 
DHS to combat human trafficking and the importation of goods 
produced with forced labor. The act transfers the functions and 
resources of the Blue Campaign (i.e., the national public 
awareness effort to combat human trafficking) to the CCHT. DHS 
may also transfer to the CCHT any other component, directorate, 
or office of the department related to combating human 
trafficking.
    H.R. 5641.--Small Project Efficient and Effective Disaster 
Recovery Act. (Public Law 117-189). October 10, 2022.
    This act increases to $1 million the threshold for 
eligibility for assistance for what qualifies as a small 
project under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act, thereby allowing more recovery 
projects to proceed under simplified procedures. The threshold 
must be reviewed every three years. The Inspector General (IG) 
of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must conduct an 
audit, and report to Congress, on whether there has been waste 
and abuse as a result of the change in the threshold.
    S. 3059.--Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act. (Public 
Law 117-125). May 13, 2022.
    This bill requires federal judicial officers, bankruptcy 
judges, and magistrate judges to file periodic transaction 
reports disclosing certain securities transactions. The bill 
also requires online publication of judicial financial 
disclosure reports. Specifically, the bill requires federal 
judicial officers, bankruptcy judges, and magistrate judges to 
file reports within 45 days after a purchase, sale, or exchange 
that exceeds $1,000 in stocks, bonds, commodities futures, and 
other forms of securities. Additionally, the bill directs the 
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish a 
searchable internet database of judicial financial disclosure 
reports. The office must, within 90 days of the date by which a 
report must be filed, make the report available on the database 
in a searchable, sortable, and downloadable format. The bill 
does not require the immediate and unconditional availability 
of reports filed by a judicial officer or employee if the 
Judicial Conference finds that revealing personal and sensitive 
formation could endanger that individual or a family member of 
that individual.
    S. 3092.--FEMA Improvement, Reform, and Efficiency (FIRE) 
Act of 2022. (Public Law 117-251). December 20, 2022.
    This bill addresses the federal government's approach to 
wildfires. Specifically, the bill requires the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to report to Congress 
regarding the use of relocation assistance under the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for 
wildfire risk. FEMA, in coordination with the National Weather 
Service, must study, develop recommendations for, and initiate 
a process for the use of forecasts and data, including 
information that supports Red Flag Warnings and similar weather 
alert and notification methods, to establish plans and actions 
that can be implemented prior to a wildfire event that can 
limit the impact, duration, or severity of the fire; and 
mechanisms to increase interagency collaboration to expedite 
the delivery of disaster assistance. The Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) must report to Congress regarding 
wildfires, including the effectiveness of FEMA programs. Each 
state, local agency, or private mental health organization 
providing professional crisis counseling assistance must ensure 
that those providing case management services to victims of a 
major disaster have training to address impacts in communities 
and to individuals with socioeconomically disadvantaged 
backgrounds. FEMA must conduct a study and develop a plan to 
address providing housing assistance to survivors of major 
disasters or emergencies when presented with challenges such as 
the presence of multiple families within a single household. 
The bill allows Indian tribal governments to apply for grants 
for equipping, upgrading, and constructing state and local 
emergency operations centers.
    S. 3470.--End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts Act 
of 2022. (Public Law 117-211). October 17, 2022.
    This bill requires the implementation of certain 
contracting provisions related to human trafficking. 
Specifically, the bill 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) 
engaged in human trafficking, that the agency refer the matter 
to the agency suspension and debarment office (current law 
requires that the agency consider remedial actions that include 
such referral). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must 
report to Congress on implementation of provisions to end human 
trafficking in government contracting.
    S. 3499.--A bill to amend the Post-Katrina Emergency 
Management Reform Act of 2006. (Public Law 117-253). December 
20, 2022.
    This act repeals a provision of the Post-Katrina Emergency 
Management Reform Act of 2006 that requires the Department of 
Homeland Security to promulgate regulations to minimize the 
excessive use by contractors of subcontractors or tiers of 
subcontractors to perform the principal work of any contract 
for facilitating response to or recovery from a natural or man-
made disaster.
    S. 3510.--Disaster Resiliency Planning Act. (Public Law 
117-221). December 05, 2022.
    This act requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
to establish guidance that requires federal agencies to 
incorporate natural disaster resilience into real property 
asset management and investment decisions. Specifically, the 
guidance must direct each agency to incorporate assessments of 
natural disaster risk information conducted by the agency, such 
as vulnerability and other risk assessments, into real property 
asset management and investment decisions.
    S. 3655.--Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act 
of 2022. (Public Law 117-222). December 05, 2022.
    This act 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).
    H.R. 7077.--Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act. 
(Public Law 117-246). December 20, 2022.
    This act authorizes the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to 
conduct on-site fire safety investigations of major fires and 
other fires under other specified circumstances. In the case of 
a major fire, the USFA may send incident investigators (e.g., 
safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and 
standards experts, researchers, and fire training specialists) 
to the site. Any such investigation shall (1) be conducted in 
coordination and cooperation with appropriate federal, state, 
local, tribal, and territorial authorities; and (2) examine the 
previously determined cause and origin of the fire and assess 
broader systematic matters. Upon concluding any such 
investigation, the USFA must issue a public report to federal, 
state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities on the 
findings of such investigation or collaborate with another 
investigating federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial 
agency on that agency's report. The act makes an exception 
where issuing a report would have a negative impact on a 
potential or ongoing criminal investigation. Additionally, the 
USFA may send fire investigators to conduct fire safety 
investigations at the site of any fire with unusual or 
remarkable context that results in losses less severe than 
those occurring as a result of a major fire, in coordination 
and cooperation with the appropriate federal, state, local, 
tribal, and territorial authorities.
    S. 3875.--Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022. 
(Public Law 117-255). December 20, 2022.
    This act requires the President to continue to maintain a 
natural hazard assessment program that develops and maintains 
publicly available products to show the risk of natural hazards 
across the United States. Such products shall show the risk of 
natural hazards and include ratings and data for loss exposure, 
social vulnerability, community resilience, and any other 
element determined by the President. The President shall (1) 
review the underlying methodology of any product that is a 
natural hazard risk assessment and receive public input on the 
methodology and data used for the product, and (2) consider 
including additional data in any product that is a natural 
disaster hazard risk assessment. Additionally, the President 
must conduct such reviews to evaluate and update the 
assessments at least every five years. Using the reviewed 
assessments, the President must periodically identify and 
designate community disaster resilience zones (CDRZs), which 
shall be (1) the 50 census tracts assigned the highest 
individual hazard risk ratings; and (2) in each state, not less 
than 1% of census tracts that are assigned a high individual 
risk rating, taking into consideration specified geographic 
balance. The President may provide financial, technical, or 
other assistance to an eligible entity (a state, Indian tribal 
government, or local government) that plans to perform a 
resilience or mitigation project within, or that primarily 
benefits, a CDRZ.
    S. 3905.--Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest 
in Federal Acquisition Act. (Public Law 117-324). December 27, 
2022.
    This act addresses conflicts of interest in federal 
acquisitions. Specifically, the act directs the Federal 
Acquisition Regulatory Council to revise the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide and update definitions 
related to specific types of organizational conflicts of 
interest; definitions, guidance, and illustrative examples 
related to relationships of contractors with public, private, 
domestic, and foreign entities that may cause contract support 
to be subject to potential organizational conflicts; and 
illustrative examples of situations related to the potential 
organizational conflicts identified. Further, the council must 
revise the FAR to provide executive agencies with solicitation 
provisions and contract clauses to avoid or mitigate 
organizational conflicts, for agency use as needed, that 
require contractors to disclose information relevant to 
potential organizational conflicts and limit future contracting 
with respect to potential conflicts with the work to be 
performed under awarded contracts; allow agencies to tailor 
such solicitation provisions and contract clauses as necessary 
to address risks associated with conflicts of interest and 
other considerations that may be unique to the agency; require 
agencies to establish or update agency conflict of interest 
procedures to implement the revisions to the FAR made under 
this act and periodically assess and update such procedures as 
needed to address agency-specific conflict issues; and update 
FAR procedures to permit contracting officers to take into 
consideration professional standards and procedures to prevent 
organizational conflicts of interest to which an offeror or 
contractor is subject.
    H.R. 7535.--Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness 
Act. (Public Law 117-260). December 21, 2022.
    This act addresses the migration of executive agencies' 
information technology systems to post-quantum cryptography. 
Post-quantum cryptography is encryption strong enough to resist 
attacks from quantum computers developed in the future. The act 
does not apply to national security systems. The Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) shall issue guidance on the 
migration of information technology to post-quantum 
cryptography. Each executive agency must maintain an inventory 
of all information technology in use by the executive agency 
that is vulnerable to decryption by quantum computers. After 
the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) has 
issued post-quantum cryptography standards, the OMB shall issue 
guidance requiring each executive agency to develop a plan to 
migrate information technology of the agency to post-quantum 
cryptography. OMB shall submit to Congress a report on a 
strategy to address the risk posed by the vulnerabilities of 
information technology of executive agencies to weakened 
encryption due to the potential and possible capability of a 
quantum computer to breach such encryption; the funding needed 
by executive agencies to secure such information technology 
from the risk posed by an adversary of the United States using 
a quantum computer to breach the encryption; and a description 
of federal civilian executive branch coordination efforts led 
by NIST, including timelines, to develop standards for post-
quantum cryptography.
    S. 4205.--Planning for Animal Wellness (PAW) Act. (Public 
Law 117-212). October 17, 2022.
    This act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
(FEMA) to establish a working group relating to best practices 
and federal guidance for animals in emergencies and disasters. 
Specifically, the working group shall (1) encourage and foster 
collaborative efforts among individuals and entities working to 
address the needs of household pets, service and assistance 
animals, and captive animals in emergency and disaster 
preparedness, response, and recovery; and (2) review best 
practices and federal guidance on sheltering and evacuation 
planning relating to the needs of such pets and animals.

                         B. POSTAL NAMING BILLS

    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''. (Public Law 117-193). October 11, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-194). October 11, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-265). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-33). August 06, 2021.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-230). December 19, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-34). August 06, 2021.
    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''. (Public Law 117-231). December 19, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-155). June 14, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-156). June 14, 2022.
    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''. (Public 
Law 117-35). August 06, 2021.
    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''. (Public Law 117-93). March 11, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-268). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-152). June 23, 
2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-143). June 16, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-157). June 24, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-87). February 22, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-91). March 10, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-195). October 11, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-153). June 23, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 
117-269). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-270). 
December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-232). December 19, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-92). March 10, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-
94). March 11, 2022.
    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 Post Office''. (Public 
Law 117-196). October 11, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-197). October 11, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 
117-141). June 15, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-147). June 16, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-142). June 15, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-
274). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public 
Law 117-276). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-277). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public 
Law 117-184) October 04, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-280). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-281). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-198). October 11, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-283). December 27, 2022.
    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''. 
(Public Law 117-290). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-294). December 27, 2022.
    H.R. 6386--To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 450 West Schaumburg, Illinois, as the 
``Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial Post Office 
Building''. (Public Law 117-295). December 27, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-243). December 19, 2022.
    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''. (Public Law 117-299). December 27, 2022.
    S. 3825--To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 3903 Melear Drive in Arlington, 
Texas, as the ``Ron Wright Post Office Building''. (Public Law 
117-239). December 20, 2022.
    S. 3826--To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 1304 4th Avenue in Canyon, Texas, as 
the ``Gary James Fletcher Post Office Building''. (Public Law 
117-217). December 02, 2022.
    S. 3884--To designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 404 U.S. Highway 41 in Baraga, 
Michigan, as the ``Cora Reynolds Anderson Post Office''. 
(Public Law 117-218). December 02, 2022.
    H.R. 7518--A bill 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''. (Public 
Law 117-305). December 27, 2022.
    H.R. 8025--A bill 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''. (Public Law 117-309). December 27, 2022.
    S. 4411--A bill 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''. (Public Law 117-352). January 05, 2023.
    H.R. 8203--A bill 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''. (Public Law 117-311). December 27, 
2022.
    H.R. 9308--A bill 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''. 
(Public Law 117-314). December 27, 2022.
                 VIII. ACTIVITIES OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES


                PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS


                          Chairman: Jon Ossoff


                  Ranking Minority Member: Ron Johnson

    The following is the Activities Report of the Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations for the 117th Congress.

                        I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND


                      A. Subcommittee Jurisdiction

    The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was originally 
authorized by Senate Resolution 189 on January 28, 1948. At its 
creation in 1948, the Subcommittee was part of the Committee on 
Expenditures in the Executive Departments. The Subcommittee's 
records and broad investigative jurisdiction over government 
operations and national security issues, however, actually 
antedate its creation, since it was given custody of the 
jurisdiction of the former Special Committee to Investigate the 
National Defense Program (the so-called ``War Investigating 
Committee'' or ``Truman Committee''), chaired by Senator Harry 
S. Truman during the Second World War and charged with exposing 
waste, fraud, and abuse in the war effort and war profiteering. 
Today, the Subcommittee is part of the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs.\1\
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    \1\In 1952, the parent committee's name was changed to the 
Committee on Government Operations. It was changed again in early 1977, 
to the Committee on Governmental Affairs, and again in 2005, to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, its present 
title.
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    The Subcommittee has had twelve chairmen: Senators Homer 
Ferguson of Michigan (1948); Clyde R. Hoey of North Carolina 
(1949-1952); Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin (1953-1954); John 
L. McClellan of Arkansas (1955-1972); Henry M. Jackson of 
Washington (1973-1978); Sam Nunn of Georgia (1979-1980 and 
1987-1994); William V. Roth of Delaware (1981-1986 and 1995-
1996); Susan M. Collins of Maine (1997-2001); Norman B. Coleman 
of Minnesota (2003-2007); Carl M. Levin of Michigan (2001-2002 
and 2007-2014); Robert J. Portman of Ohio (2015-2021); and Jon 
Ossoff of Georgia (2021-2023).
    Until 1957, the Subcommittee's jurisdiction focused 
principally on waste, inefficiency, impropriety, and illegality 
in government operations. Its jurisdiction then expanded over 
time, today encompassing investigations within the broad ambit 
of its parent committee's responsibility for matters relating 
to the efficiency and economy of operations of all branches of 
the government, including matters related to: (a) waste, fraud, 
abuse, malfeasance, and unethical practices in government 
contracting and operations; (b) organized criminal activities 
affecting interstate or international commerce; (c) criminal 
activity affecting the national health, welfare, or safety, 
including investment fraud, commodity and securities fraud, 
computer fraud, and offshore abuses; (d) criminality or 
improper practices in labor-management relations; (e) the 
effectiveness of present national security methods, staffing 
and procedures, and U.S. relationships with international 
organizations concerned with national security; (f) energy 
shortages, energy pricing, management of government-owned or 
controlled energy supplies, and relationships with oil 
producing and consuming countries; and (g) the operations and 
management of Federal regulatory policies and programs. While 
retaining the status of a subcommittee of a standing committee, 
the Subcommittee has long exercised its authority on an 
independent basis, selecting its own staff, issuing its own 
subpoenas, and determining its own investigatory agenda.
    The Subcommittee acquired its sweeping jurisdiction in 
several successive stages. In 1957--based on information 
developed by the Subcommittee--the Senate passed a Resolution 
establishing a Select Committee on Improper Activities in the 
Labor or Management Field. Chaired by Senator McClellan, who 
also chaired the Subcommittee at that time, the Select 
Committee was composed of eight Senators--four of whom were 
drawn from the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and 
four from the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. The Select 
Committee operated for three years, sharing office space, 
personnel, and other facilities with the Permanent 
Subcommittee. Upon its expiration in early 1960, the Select 
Committee's jurisdiction and files were transferred to the 
Permanent Subcommittee, greatly enlarging the latter body's 
investigative authority in the labor-management area.
    The Subcommittee's jurisdiction expanded further during the 
1960s and 1970s. In 1961, for example, it received authority to 
make inquiries into matters pertaining to organized crime and, 
in 1963, held the famous Valachi hearings examining the inner 
workings of the Italian Mafia. In 1967, following a summer of 
riots and other civil disturbances, the Senate approved a 
Resolution directing the Subcommittee to investigate the causes 
of this disorder and to recommend corrective action. In January 
1973, the Subcommittee acquired its national security mandate 
when it merged with the National Security Subcommittee. With 
this merger, the Subcommittee's jurisdiction was broadened to 
include inquiries concerning the adequacy of national security 
staffing and procedures, relations with international 
organizations, technology transfer issues, and related matters. 
In 1974, in reaction to the gasoline shortages precipitated by 
the Arab-Israeli war of October 1973, the Subcommittee acquired 
jurisdiction to investigate the control and management of 
energy resources and supplies as well as energy pricing issues.
    In 1997, the full Committee on Governmental Affairs was 
charged by the Senate to conduct a special examination into 
illegal or improper activities in connection with Federal 
election campaigns during the 1996 election cycle. The 
Permanent Subcommittee provided substantial resources and 
assistance to this investigation, contributing to a greater 
public understanding of what happened, to subsequent criminal 
and civil legal actions taken against wrongdoers, and to 
enactment of campaign finance reforms in 2001.
    In 1998, the Subcommittee marked the fiftieth anniversary 
of the Truman Committee's conversion into a permanent 
subcommittee of the U.S. Senate.\2\ Since then, the 
Subcommittee has developed particular expertise in complex 
financial matters, examining the collapse of Enron Corporation 
in 2001, the key causes of the 2008 financial crisis, 
structured finance abuses, financial fraud, unfair credit 
practices, money laundering, commodity speculation, and a wide 
range of offshore and tax haven abuses. It has also focused on 
issues involving health care fraud, foreign corruption, and 
waste, fraud, and abuse in government programs. In the half-
century of its existence, the Subcommittee's many successful 
investigations have made clear to the Senate the importance of 
retaining a standing investigatory body devoted to keeping 
government not only efficient and effective, but also honest 
and accountable.
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    \2\This anniversary also marked the first date upon which internal 
Subcommittee records generally began to become available to the public. 
Unlike most standing committees of the Senate whose previously 
unpublished records open after a period of twenty years has elapsed, 
the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, as an investigatory body, 
may close its records for fifty years to protect personal privacy and 
the integrity of the investigatory process. With this 50th anniversary, 
the Subcommittee's earliest records, housed in the Center for 
Legislative Archives at the National Archives and Records 
Administration, began to open seriatim. The records of the predecessor 
committee--the Truman Committee--were opened by Senator Nunn in 1980.
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                     B. Subcommittee Investigations

    Armed with its broad jurisdictional mandate, the 
Subcommittee has conducted investigations into a wide variety 
of topics of public concern, ranging from financial misconduct, 
to commodities speculation, predatory lending, and tax evasion. 
Over the years, the Subcommittee has also conducted 
investigations into criminal wrongdoing, including money 
laundering, the narcotics trade, child pornography, labor 
racketeering, human trafficking, the opioid crisis, and 
organized crime activities. In addition, the Subcommittee has 
investigated a wide range of allegations of waste, fraud, and 
abuse in government programs and consumer protection issues, 
addressing problems ranging from unfair credit card practices 
to health care fraud. In the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee 
held five hearings and issued four reports on a wide range of 
issues. Under Chairman Ossoff, the Subcommittee focused on 
conditions in privatized military housing, abuse and 
mistreatment of women in detention, and poor conditions in 
federal prisons.

(1) Historical Highlights

    The Subcommittee's investigatory record as a permanent 
Senate body began under the chairmanship of Republican Senator 
Homer Ferguson and his Chief Counsel (and future Attorney 
General and Secretary of State) William P. Rogers, as the 
Subcommittee inherited the Truman Committee's role in 
investigating fraud and waste in U.S. Government operations. 
This investigative work became particularly colorful under the 
chairmanship of Senator Clyde Hoey, a North Carolina Democrat 
who took the chair from Senator Ferguson after the 1948 
elections. Under Senator Hoey's leadership, the Subcommittee 
won national attention for its investigation of the so-called 
``five percenters,'' notorious Washington lobbyists who charged 
their clients five percent of the profits from any federal 
contracts they obtained on the client's behalf. Given the 
Subcommittee's jurisdictional inheritance from the Truman 
Committee, it is perhaps ironic that the ``five percenters'' 
investigation raised allegations of bribery and influence-
peddling that reached right into the White House and implicated 
members of President Truman's staff. In any event, the 
fledgling Subcommittee was off to a rapid start.
    What began as colorful soon became contentious. When 
Republicans returned to the majority in the Senate in 1953, 
Wisconsin's junior senator, Joseph R. McCarthy, became the 
Subcommittee's chairman. Two years earlier, as Ranking Minority 
Member, Senator McCarthy had arranged for another Republican 
senator, Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, to be removed from the 
Subcommittee. Senator Smith's offense, in Senator McCarthy's 
eyes, was her issuance of a ``Declaration of Conscience'' 
repudiating those who made unfounded charges and used character 
assassination against their political opponents. Although 
Senator Smith had carefully declined to name any specific 
offender, her remarks were universally recognized as criticism 
of Senator McCarthy's accusations that Communists had 
infiltrated the State Department and other government agencies. 
Senator McCarthy retaliated by engineering Senator Smith's 
removal, replacing her with the newly-elected senator from 
California, Richard Nixon.
    Upon becoming Subcommittee Chairman, Senator McCarthy 
staged a series of highly publicized anti-Communist 
investigations, culminating in an inquiry into Communism within 
the U.S. Army, which became known as the Army-McCarthy 
hearings. During the latter portion of those hearings, in which 
the parent Committee examined the Wisconsin Senator's attacks 
on the Army, Senator McCarthy recused himself, leaving South 
Dakota Senator Karl Mundt to serve as Acting Chairman of the 
Subcommittee. Gavel-to-gavel television coverage of the 
hearings helped turn the tide against Senator McCarthy by 
raising public concern about his treatment of witnesses and 
cavalier use of evidence. In December 1954, the Senate censured 
Senator McCarthy for unbecoming conduct. In the following year, 
the Subcommittee adopted new rules of procedure that better 
protected the rights of witnesses. The Subcommittee also 
strengthened the rules ensuring the right of both parties on 
the Subcommittee to appoint staff, initiate and approve 
investigations, and review all information in the 
Subcommittee's possession.
    In 1955, Senator John McClellan of Arkansas began eighteen 
years of service as Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations. Senator McClellan appointed a young Robert F. 
Kennedy as the Subcommittee's Chief Counsel. That same year, 
members of the Subcommittee were joined by members of the 
Senate Labor and Public Welfare Committee on a special 
committee to investigate labor racketeering. Chaired by Senator 
McClellan and staffed by Robert Kennedy and other Subcommittee 
staff members, this special committee directed much of its 
attention to criminal influence over the Teamsters Union, most 
famously calling Teamster leaders Dave Beck and Jimmy Hoffa to 
testify. The televised hearings of the special committee also 
introduced Senators Barry Goldwater and John F. Kennedy to the 
nation, as well as led to passage of the Landrum-Griffin Labor 
Act.
    After the special committee completed its work, the 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations continued to 
investigate organized crime. In 1962, the Subcommittee held 
hearings during which Joseph Valachi outlined the activities of 
La Cosa Nostra, or the Mafia. Former Subcommittee staffer 
Robert Kennedy--who had by then become Attorney General in his 
brother's administration--used this information to prosecute 
prominent mob leaders and their accomplices. The Subcommittee's 
investigations also led to passage of major legislation against 
organized crime, most notably the Racketeer Influenced and 
Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provisions of the Crime Control 
Act of 1970. Under Chairman McClellan, the Subcommittee also 
investigated fraud in the purchase of military uniforms, 
corruption in the Department of Agriculture's grain storage 
program, securities fraud, and civil disorders and acts of 
terrorism. In addition, from 1962 to 1970, the Subcommittee 
conducted an extensive probe of political interference in the 
awarding of government contracts for the Pentagon's ill-fated 
TFX (``tactical fighter, experimental'') aircraft. In 1968, the 
Subcommittee also examined charges of corruption in U.S. 
servicemen's clubs in Vietnam and elsewhere around the world.
    In 1973, Senator Henry ``Scoop'' Jackson, a Democrat from 
Washington, replaced Senator McClellan as the Subcommittee's 
chairman. During his tenure, recalled Chief Clerk Ruth Young 
Watt--who served in this position from the Subcommittee's 
founding until her retirement in 1979--Ranking Minority Member 
Charles Percy, an Illinois Republican, became more active on 
the Subcommittee than Chairman Jackson, who was often 
distracted by his Chairmanship of the Interior Committee and 
his active role on the Armed Services Committee.\3\ Senator 
Percy also worked closely with Georgia Democrat Sam Nunn, a 
Subcommittee member who subsequently succeeded Senator Jackson 
as Subcommittee Chairman in 1979. As Chairman, Senator Nunn 
continued the Subcommittee's investigations into the role of 
organized crime in labor-management relations and also 
investigated pension fraud.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\It had not been uncommon in the Subcommittee's history for the 
Chairman and Ranking Minority Member to work together closely despite 
partisan differences, but Senator Percy was unusually active while in 
the minority--a role that included his chairing an investigation of the 
hearing aid industry.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Regular reversals of political fortunes in the Senate 
during the 1980s and 1990s saw Senator Nunn trade the 
chairmanship three times with Delaware Republican William Roth. 
Senator Nunn served from 1979 to 1980 and again from 1987 to 
1995, while Senator Roth served from 1981 to 1986, and again 
from 1995 to 1996. These fifteen years saw a strengthening of 
the Subcommittee's bipartisan tradition in which investigations 
were initiated by either the majority or minority and fully 
supported by the entire Subcommittee. For his part, Senator 
Roth led a wide range of investigations into commodity 
investment fraud, offshore banking schemes, money laundering, 
and child pornography. Senator Nunn led inquiries into federal 
drug policy, the global spread of chemical and biological 
weapons, abuses in federal student aid programs, computer 
security, airline safety, and health care fraud. Senator Nunn 
also appointed the Subcommittee's first female counsel, Eleanor 
Hill, who served as Chief Counsel to the Minority from 1982 to 
1986 and then as Chief Counsel from 1987 to 1995.
    Strong bipartisan traditions continued in the 105th 
Congress when, in January 1997, Republican Senator Susan 
Collins of Maine became the first woman to chair the Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations. Senator John Glenn of Ohio 
became the Ranking Minority Member, while also serving as 
Ranking Minority Member of the full Committee. Two years later, 
in the 106th Congress, after Senator Glenn's retirement, 
Michigan Democrat Carl Levin succeeded him as the 
Subcommittee's Ranking Minority Member. During Senator 
Collins's chairmanship, the Subcommittee conducted 
investigations into issues affecting Americans in their day-to-
day lives, including mortgage fraud, deceptive mailings and 
sweepstakes promotions, phony credentials obtained through the 
Internet, day trading of securities, and securities fraud on 
the Internet. Senator Levin initiated an investigation into 
money laundering. At his request, in 1999, the Subcommittee 
held hearings on money laundering issues affecting private 
banking services provided to wealthy individuals, and, in 2001, 
on how major U.S. banks providing correspondent accounts to 
offshore banks were being used to advance money laundering and 
other criminal schemes.
    During the 107th Congress, both Senator Collins and Senator 
Levin chaired the Subcommittee. Senator Collins served as 
Chairman until June 2001, when the Senate majority changed 
hands; at that point, Senator Levin assumed the chairmanship 
and Senator Collins, in turn, became the Ranking Minority 
Member. In her first six months chairing the Subcommittee at 
the start of the 107th Congress, Senator Collins held hearings 
examining issues related to cross-border fraud, the improper 
operation of tissue banks, and federal programs designed to 
fight diabetes. When Senator Levin assumed the chairmanship, as 
his first major effort, the Subcommittee initiated an 18-month 
bipartisan investigation into the Enron Corporation, which had 
collapsed into bankruptcy. As part of that investigation, the 
Subcommittee reviewed over two million pages of documents, 
conducted more than one hundred interviews, held four hearings, 
and issued three bipartisan reports focusing on the role played 
by Enron's Board of Directors, Enron's use of tax shelters and 
structured financial instruments, and how major U.S. financial 
institutions contributed to Enron's accounting deceptions, 
corporate abuses, and ultimate collapse. The Subcommittee's 
investigative work contributed to passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley 
Act, which enacted accounting and corporate reforms in July 
2002. In addition, Senator Levin continued the money laundering 
investigation initiated while he was the Ranking Minority 
Member, and the Subcommittee's work contributed to enactment of 
major reforms strengthening U.S. anti-money laundering laws in 
the 2001 USA PATRIOT Act (Patriot Act). Also during the 107th 
Congress, the Subcommittee opened new investigations into 
offshore tax abuses, border security, and abusive practices 
related to the pricing of gasoline and other fuels.
    In January 2003, at the start of the 108th Congress, after 
the Senate majority party again changed hands, Senator Collins 
was elevated to Chairman of the full Committee on Governmental 
Affairs, and Republican Senator Norman Coleman of Minnesota 
became Chairman of the Subcommittee. Over the next two years, 
Senator Coleman held hearings on topics of national and global 
concern including illegal file sharing on peer-to-peer 
networks, abusive practices in the credit counseling industry, 
the dangers of purchasing pharmaceuticals over the Internet, 
SARS preparedness, border security, and how the former Iraqi 
President Saddam Hussein had abused the United Nations Oil-for-
Food Program. At the request of Senator Levin, then Ranking 
Minority Member, the Subcommittee examined how some U.S. 
accounting firms, banks, investment firms, and tax lawyers were 
designing, promoting, and implementing abusive tax shelters 
across the country. Also at Senator Levin's request, the 
Subcommittee investigated how some U.S. financial institutions 
were failing to comply with anti-money laundering controls 
mandated by the Patriot Act, using as a case history Riggs Bank 
accounts involving Augusto Pinochet, the former President of 
Chile, and Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich country in Africa.
    During the 109th Congress, Senator Coleman held additional 
hearings on abuses associated with the United Nation's Oil-for-
Food Program and initiated a series of hearings on federal 
contractors who were paid with taxpayer dollars but failed to 
meet their own tax obligations, resulting in billions of 
dollars in unpaid taxes. He also held hearings on border 
security issues, securing the global supply chain, federal 
travel abuses, abusive tax refund loans, and unfair energy 
pricing. At Senator Levin's request, the Subcommittee held 
hearings on offshore tax abuses responsible for $100 billion in 
unpaid taxes each year, and on U.S. vulnerabilities caused by 
states forming two million companies each year with hidden 
owners.
    During the 110th Congress, in January 2007, after the 
Senate majority shifted, Senator Levin once again became 
Subcommittee Chairman, while Senator Coleman became the Ranking 
Minority Member. Senator Levin chaired the Subcommittee for the 
next seven years. He focused the Subcommittee on investigations 
into complex financial and tax matters, including unfair credit 
card practices, executive stock option abuses, excessive 
speculation in the natural gas and crude oil markets, and 
offshore tax abuses involving tax haven banks and non-U.S. 
persons dodging payment of U.S. taxes on U.S. stock dividends. 
The Subcommittee's work contributed to enactment of two 
landmark bills, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility 
and Disclosure Act (Credit CARD Act), which reformed credit 
card practices, and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act 
(FATCA), which tackled the problem of hidden offshore bank 
accounts used by U.S. persons to dodge U.S. taxes. At the 
request of Senator Coleman, the Subcommittee also conducted 
bipartisan investigations into Medicare and Medicaid health 
care providers who cheat on their taxes, fraudulent Medicare 
claims involving deceased doctors or inappropriate diagnosis 
codes, U.S. dirty bomb vulnerabilities, federal payroll tax 
abuses, abusive practices involving transit benefits, and 
problems involving the United Nations Development Program.
    During the 111th Congress, Senator Levin continued as 
Subcommittee Chairman, while Senator Tom Coburn joined the 
Subcommittee as its Ranking Minority Member. Under their 
leadership, the Subcommittee dedicated much of its resources to 
a bipartisan investigation into key causes of the 2008 
financial crisis, looking in particular at the role of high-
risk home loans, regulatory failures, inflated credit ratings, 
and high-risk, conflicts-ridden financial products designed and 
sold by investment banks. The Subcommittee held four hearings 
and released thousands of documents. The Subcommittee's work 
contributed to passage of another landmark financial reform 
bill, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection 
Act of 2010. In addition, the Subcommittee held hearings on 
excessive speculation in the wheat market, tax haven banks that 
helped U.S. clients evade U.S. taxes, how to keep foreign 
corruption out of the United States, and Social Security 
disability fraud.
    During the 112th Congress, Senator Levin and Senator Coburn 
continued in their respective roles as Chairman and Ranking 
Minority Member of the Subcommittee. In a series of bipartisan 
investigations, the Subcommittee examined how a global banking 
giant, HSBC, exposed the U.S. financial system to an array of 
money laundering, drug trafficking, and terrorist financing 
risks due to poor anti-money laundering controls; how two U.S. 
multinational corporations, Microsoft and Hewlett Packard 
engaged in offshore tax abuses; and how excessive commodity 
speculation by mutual funds and others were taking place 
without Dodd-Frank safeguards such as position limits being put 
into effect. At the request of Senator Coburn, the Subcommittee 
also conducted bipartisan investigations into problems with 
Social Security disability determinations that, due to poor 
procedures, perfunctory hearings, and poor quality decisions, 
resulted in over one in five disability cases containing errors 
or inadequate justifications; how Department of Homeland 
Security state and local intelligence fusion centers failed to 
yield significant, useful information to support federal 
counterterrorism efforts; and how certain federal contractors 
that received taxpayer dollars through stimulus funding failed 
to pay their federal taxes.
    During the 113th Congress, Senator Levin continued as 
Chairman, while Senator John McCain joined the Subcommittee as 
its Ranking Minority Member. They continued to strengthen the 
Subcommittee's strong bipartisan traditions, conducting all 
investigations in a bipartisan manner. During the 113th 
Congress, the Subcommittee held eight hearings and released ten 
reports on a variety of investigations. The investigations 
examined high risk credit derivatives trades at JPMorgan; 
hidden offshore accounts opened for U.S. clients by Credit 
Suisse in Switzerland; corporate tax avoidance in case studies 
involving Apple, Caterpillar, and a structured financial 
product known as basket options; online advertising abuses; 
conflicts of interest affecting the stock market and high speed 
trading; IRS processing of 501(c)(4) applications; defense 
acquisition reforms; and bank involvement with physical 
commodities. At the end of the 113th Congress, Senator Levin 
retired from the Senate.
    During the 114th Congress, Senator Rob Portman became 
Subcommittee Chairman with Senator Claire McCaskill serving as 
Ranking Minority Member. Under the Chairman and Ranking 
Member's leadership, the Subcommittee held six hearings and 
issued eight reports addressing a range of public policy 
concerns. Investigations examined the impact of the U.S. 
corporate tax code on cross-border mergers acquisitions; online 
sex trafficking; the federal government's efforts to protect 
unaccompanied migrant children from human trafficking; consumer 
protection in the cable and satellite television industry; 
terrorist networks' use of the Internet and social media to 
radicalize and recruit; the U.S. State Department's oversight 
of a grantee involved in political activities in Israel; and 
efforts by Medicare and private health insurance systems to 
combat the opioid epidemic. The Subcommittee also initiated the 
first successful civil contempt proceedings to enforce a Senate 
subpoena in twenty years. The Subcommittee's long-term 
investigation of online sex trafficking culminated in a final 
report and hearing on January 10, 2017, at the start of the 
115th Congress.

(2) More Recent Investigations

    During the 115th Congress, Senator Portman continued as 
Chairman while Senator Tom Carper became the Subcommittee's 
Ranking Minority Member. Under the Chairman and Ranking 
Member's leadership, the Subcommittee held six hearings and 
issued six reports. The Subcommittee examined the opioid 
crisis, including the price increase of an opioid overdose 
reversal drug and the cost to federal healthcare programs and 
Chinese online drug sellers shipping illicit opioids to the 
United States through international mail; the federal 
government's efforts to protect unaccompanied alien children; 
federal agency compliance with the Digital Accountability and 
Transparency Act; federal infrastructure permitting; and 
Backpage.com's knowing facilitation of online sex trafficking.
    During the 116th Congress, Senator Portman again served as 
Subcommittee Chairman while Senator Carper continued his tenure 
as Ranking Minority Member. The Subcommittee held seven 
hearings and issued nine reports covering a wide range of 
issues. The Subcommittee examined China's impact on the U.S. 
education system, private sector data breaches, Federal 
Infrastructure Permitting and FAST-41, federal cybersecurity, 
the cost of government shutdowns, E-Rulemaking comment systems, 
China's talent recruitment plans and the impact on the U.S. 
research enterprise, Chinese government-owned carriers and 
threats to U.S. networks, the art industry and U.S. policies 
that undermine sanctions, HHS shelter grants for UACs, and 
oversight and implementation of the STOP Act.
    Faced with the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 
pandemic, the Subcommittee conducted a virtual roundtable in 
April 2020 to examine continuity of Senate operations and 
remote voting in times of crisis. This fully remote roundtable 
was the first entirely virtual proceeding held in either 
chamber of Congress. The processes and standards developed by 
Subcommittee staff in conjunction with larger Senate community 
standardized the practices for virtual and hybrid hearings 
across the Senate for the remainder of the pandemic.

          II. SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS DURING THE 117TH CONGRESS

    During the 117th Congress, Senator Jon Ossoff served as 
Subcommittee Chairman with Senator Ron Johnson serving as 
Ranking Minority Member.

Mistreatment of Military Families in Privatized Housing. April 26, 
        2022. S. Hrg. 117-561.

    The Subcommittee uncovered ongoing mistreatment of service 
members and their families and mismanagement by one of the 
largest private military housing companies--Balfour Beatty 
Communities, LLC (``Balfour'')--that put the health and safety 
of military families at risk. Balfour operates more than 43,000 
on-base homes at 55 separate Army, Navy, and Air Force bases in 
26 states serving approximately 150,000 residents. PSI's eight 
month-long bipartisan inquiry found numerous instances between 
November 2019 and February 2022 where Balfour's executives and 
managers failed to properly respond to both repairs and 
environmental hazards such as mold in homes on two military 
bases--the Fort Gordon Army Base in Georgia, where Balfour 
operates approximately 1,000 homes, and Sheppard Air Force Base 
in Texas, where Balfour operates an estimated 700 homes. The 
PSI review was a case study of these bases, particularly Ft. 
Gordon. Balfour's failures in these instances exposed military 
service members and their families living on these bases to 
hazards that jeopardized their health and safety.
    The hearing featured two panels of witnesses. The first 
panel included Captain Samuel Choe, USA, Former Resident in 
Balfour Beatty Housing, Fort Gordon Army Base; Technical 
Sergeant Jack Fe Torres, USAF, Current Resident in Balfour 
Beatty Housing, Sheppard Air Force Base; Rachel Christian, 
Founder and Chief Legislative Officer, Armed Forces Housing 
Advocates; and Jana Wanner, Military Spouse. The second panel 
featured Richard C. Taylor, President, Facility Operations, 
Renovation and Construction, Balfour Beatty Communities; and 
Paula Cook, Vice President, Military Community Management, 
Balfour Beatty Communities.

Corruption, Abuse, and Misconduct at U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta. July 
        26, 2022.

    The Subcommittee's second hearing concluded a ten-month 
investigation into abuse, corruption, and misconduct at U.S. 
Penitentiary Atlanta (``USPA''), a federal prison in Georgia. 
The investigation revealed long-term failures of federal prison 
administration that likely contributed to loss of life; 
jeopardized the health and safety of inmates and staff; and 
undermined public safety and civil rights in Georgia and the 
Southeast Region of the United States. Further, it found that 
gross misconduct persisted at this prison for at least nine 
years, and that much of the information was known to BOP and 
accessible to BOP leadership during that period.
    Correctional Services staff at USPA engaged in misconduct 
with impunity and, according to BOP's own internal 
investigations, lacked regard for human life. Vast quantities 
of contraband, including weapons and narcotics, flowed through 
the prison, enabled by staff corruption. Conditions for inmates 
and pre-trial detainees have been abusive and inhumane, 
violated both the Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel 
and unusual punishment and the Sixth Amendment right to 
counsel.
    Interviews and records revealed a facility where inmates, 
including presumptively innocent pre-trial detainees, were 
denied proper nutrition, access to clean drinking water, and 
hygiene products; lacked access to medical care; endured months 
of lockdowns with limited or no access to the outdoors or basic 
services; and had rats and roaches in their food and cells.
    The hearing featured two panels of witnesses. The first 
panel included Erika Ramirez, Ph.D., Former Chief Psychologist, 
U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta; Terri Whitehead, Former Jail 
Administrator, U.S. Penitentiary Atlanta; and Rebecca Shepard, 
Staff Attorney, Federal Defender Program, Inc. The second panel 
featured Michael Carvajal, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Uncounted Deaths in America's Prisons and Jails: How the Department of 
        Justice Failed to Implement the Death in Custody Reporting Act. 
        September 20, 2022.

    The Subcommittee's third hearing was held in conjunction 
with the release of its report titled Unaccounted Deaths in 
America's Prisons and Jails: How the Department of Failed to 
Implement the Death in Custody Reporting Act. The hearing 
examined the Subcommittee's findings that the Department of 
Justice (DOJ) was failing to effectively implement the Death in 
Custody Reporting Act of 2013 (``DCRA 2013''). DCRA 2013, which 
reauthorized a law first passed in 2000, requires states that 
accept certain federal funding to report to DOJ about who is 
dying in prisons and jails. DOJ's failed implementation of DCRA 
2013 undermined the effective, comprehensive, and accurate 
collection of custodial death data. This failure in turn 
undermined transparency and Congressional oversight of deaths 
in custody.
    The hearing featured two panels of witnesses. The first 
panel included Vanessa Fano, Sister of Jonathon Fano, Witness' 
Brother Died in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison in 
Louisiana; Belinda L. Maley, Mother of Matthew Loflin, Witness' 
Son Died in the Chatham County Detention Center in Georgia; and 
Andrea Armstrong, Professor of Law, Loyola University New 
Orleans College of Law. The second panel featured Maureen A. 
Henneberg, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Operations and 
Management, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of 
Justice; and Gretta L. Goodwin, Ph.D., Director of Homeland 
Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Medical Mistreatment of Women in ICE Detention. November 15, 2022.

    The Subcommittee's fourth hearing was released in 
conjunction with its report titled Medical Mistreatment of 
Women in ICE Detention. The hearing examined the Subcommittee's 
investigation of alleged mistreatment of Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement (``ICE'') detainees housed in the Irwin 
County Detention Center (``ICDC'') in Ocilla, Georgia. The 
Subcommittee's investigation identified serious issues relating 
to medical treatment of women held in ICDC:

      Female detainees appeared to have been subjected 
to excessive, invasive, and often unnecessary gynecological 
procedures.
      There appeared to have been repeated failures to 
secure informed consent for offsite medical procedures 
performed on ICDC detainees.
      Medical care provided to detainees at ICDC was 
known by DHS to be deficient, but neither ICE nor LaSalle took 
effective corrective action.
      ICE did not conduct thorough oversight of off-
site medical providers and procedures.

    The hearing featured two panels of witnesses. The first 
panel included Karina Cisneros Preciado, Former Detainee at 
Irwin County Detention Center; Peter H. Cherouny, MD, Professor 
Emeritus of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Services, 
University of Vermont College of Medicine; and Margaret G. 
Mueller, MD, Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 
Northwestern Medicine. The second panel featured Stewart D. 
Smith, DHSc, Assistant Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement Health Service Corps, U.S. Department of Homeland 
Security; Pamela Hearn, MD, Medical Director, LaSalle 
Corrections; and the Honorable Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., 
Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office 
of Inspector General.

Sexual Abuse of Female Inmates in Federal Prisons. December 13, 2022.

    The Subcommittee's final hearing was held in conjunction 
with the release of a report titled Sexual Abuse of Female 
Inmates in Federal Prisons. The hearing examined the 
Subcommittee's findings that:

      BOP employees sexually abused female prisoners in 
at least two-thirds (19 of 29 facilities) of federal prisons 
that have held women over the past decade.
      BOP has failed to successfully implement the 
Prison Rape Elimination Act. It failed to prevent, detect, and 
stop recurring sexual abuse in at least four federal prisons, 
including abuse by senior prison officials. At FCI Dublin, for 
example, the former Warden and Chaplain both sexually abused 
female prisoners.
      BOP management failures enabled continued sexual 
abuse of female prisoners by BOP's own employees.
      BOP Office of Internal Affairs' investigative 
practices are seriously flawed. There is currently a backlog of 
8,000 internal affairs cases, including at least hundreds of 
sexual abuse cases.

    The hearing featured two panels of witnesses. The first 
panel included Carolyn Richardson, Formerly Incarcerated in the 
Federal Bureau of Prisons; Briane Moore, Formerly Incarcerated 
in the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Linda De La Rosa, Formerly 
Incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons; and Brenda V. 
Smith, Professor of Law, American University Washington College 
of Law. The second panel included the Honorable Michael E. 
Horowitz, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice; and 
Colette S. Peters, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons.

         III. LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES DURING THE 117TH CONGRESS

    The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations does not have 
legislative authority, but because its investigations play an 
important role in bringing issues to the attention of Congress 
and the public, the Subcommittee's work contributes to the 
development of legislative initiatives. The Subcommittee's 
activity during the 117th Congress was no exception, with 
Subcommittee hearings and Members playing prominent roles in 
several legislative initiatives.

1. Prison Camera Reform Act (P.L. 117-321)

    The Subcommittee's multiple investigations into crime and 
corruption in federal prisons underscored the role that broken 
or outdated security camera systems play in enabling misconduct 
and abuse. Senators Ossoff, Grassley, and Durbin introduced the 
bipartisan Prison Camera Reform Act of 2021, requiring the BOP 
to upgrade its security camera systems to ensure that all 
facilities have the coverage necessary to protect the safety 
and wellbeing of incarcerated people and staff.
    The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee and passed 
the Senate by unanimous consent on October 20, 2021. A 
companion bill passed the House on December 14, 2022, and the 
bill was signed into law on December 27, 2022.

2. Federal Prison Oversight Act (S. 4988)

    The Subcommittee's ten-month investigation into corruption, 
abuse, and misconduct at USP Atlanta and the BOP, Senators 
Ossoff, Durbin, and Braun introduced major bipartisan 
legislation to overhaul federal prison oversight on September 
28, 2022. That investigation uncovered a lack of oversight of 
the federal prison system that led to long-term failures that 
likely contributed to loss of life; jeopardized the health and 
safety of incarcerated people and staff; and undermined public 
safety and civil rights. Specifically, the bill:

      Requires the DOJ's Inspector General (DOJ IG) to 
conduct comprehensive, risk-based inspections of the BOP's 122 
correctional facilities, provide recommendations to fix 
problems, and assign each facility a risk score, with higher-
risk facilities required to be inspected more often.
      Requires the DOJ IG to report its findings and 
recommendations to Congress and the public, and BOP must 
respond to all inspection reports within 60 days with a 
corrective action plan.
      Establishes an independent DOJ Ombudsman to 
investigate the health, safety, welfare, and rights of 
incarcerated people and staff. The Ombudsman would create a 
secure hotline and online form for family members, friends, and 
representatives of incarcerated people to submit complaints and 
inquiries.

    The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee. A 
bipartisan House companion bill was also introduced September 
28, 2022.

                    IV. REPORTS, PRINTS, AND STUDIES

    In connection with its investigations, the Subcommittee 
often issues lengthy and detailed reports. During the 117th 
Congress, the Subcommittee released four such reports, listed 
below.

1. Mistreatment of Military Families in Privatized Housing, April 26, 
        2022 (Report Prepared by the Majority and Minority Staff of the 
        Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and released in 
        conjunction with the Subcommittee's hearing on April 26, 2022.)

    During service to the nation, America's military service 
members and their families may live in on-base housing across 
the country. Nearly all of the family housing on military 
installations are operated by private companies, and service 
members pay rent to these companies with taxpayer dollars. The 
U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 
(``Subcommittee'' or ``PSI'') has uncovered ongoing 
mistreatment of these service members and their families and 
mismanagement by one of the largest private military housing 
companies--Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC (``Balfour'')--that 
has put the health and safety of military families at risk.
    Balfour operates more than 43,000 on-base homes at 55 
separate Army, Navy, and Air Force bases in 26 states serving 
approximately 150,000 residents.\1\ PSI's eight month-long 
inquiry found numerous instances between November 2019 and 
February 2022 where Balfour's executives and managers failed to 
properly respond to both repairs and environmental hazards such 
as mold in homes on two military bases--the Fort Gordon Army 
Base in Georgia (``Ft. Gordon''), where Balfour operates 
approximately 1,000 homes, and Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas 
(``Sheppard AFB''), where Balfour operates an estimated 700 
homes. The PSI review was a case study of these bases, 
particularly Ft. Gordon. Balfour's failures in these instances 
exposed military service members and their families living on 
these bases to hazards that jeopardized their health and 
safety.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\See Balfour Beatty Communities, Find Your Home-Military, https:/
/www.balfourbeattycommunities.com/find-your-home/military (last visited 
Apr. 11, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    PSI's inquiry found numerous examples since late 2019 of 
poor conditions in Balfour's military housing and disregard of 
safety concerns and environmental hazards that put military 
families at risk, including:

      Failures to properly remediate mold growth in 
military housing subjected medically vulnerable spouses and 
children of U.S. service members at Ft. Gordon to mold exposure 
deemed by their physicians to pose significant health risks.
      One child of a service member living in Balfour 
housing at Ft. Gordon suffered from severe atopic dermatitis 
that her physician believed was likely caused by untreated mold 
growth in the service member's home. Other families, including 
one with a child with a pre-existing medical condition, 
expressed frustration at Balfour's lackluster response to 
concerns about their children's mold exposure. The spouse of a 
service member at the Sheppard AFB also had asthma which she 
believed was exacerbated due to mold exposure in their home and 
their children suffered from respiratory issues they believed 
were also due to these exposures.
      Military families were moved into homes at Ft. 
Gordon with broken floor tiles held together by packing tape, 
clogged HVAC vents, carpets filled with pet hair, rusting 
pipes, and broken appliances--including a furnace leaking gas.
      Military families at Ft. Gordon lived in Balfour 
housing where significant water leaks went unrepaired for 
months causing, in several cases, collapsed and punctured 
ceilings, warped walls, doorframes, and flooring, and damage to 
service members' belongings and appliances.
      According to a Balfour employee, Balfour's 
facility manager at Ft. Gordon stated that health concerns 
about asbestos are ``overblown or overstated'' and suggested 
that the employee should just ``glue down'' broken floor tiles 
that may contain asbestos without testing them for asbestos or 
attempting to remediate the issue.

    These poor conditions persisted well after Richard Taylor, 
one of Balfour's two co-presidents, publicly pledged in 
testimony before Congress on December 5, 2019, to improve 
Balfour's ability to monitor repairs and responses to 
conditions such as mold, to prioritize the health and safety of 
residents, and to prepare homes for move-ins.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\See House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Readiness, 
Written Testimony of Richard C. Taylor at 3-6, Hearing on Privatized 
Housing: Are Conditions Improving for Our Military Families, 116th 
Congress (Dec. 5, 2019) (``2019 Taylor HSAC Testimony''). According to 
Balfour's leadership directory, Mr. Taylor's military housing 
responsibilities include ``preventative maintenance, optimal utilities 
management, quality assurance, and above all, Zero Harm, the Balfour 
Beatty safety pledge.'' See ``Our Leadership,'' Balfour Beatty 
Communities, https://www.balfourbeattycommunities.com/get-to-know-us/
leadership (last visited Apr. 10, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Mr. Taylor's pledge came in response to Balfour learning 
that its military housing operations were the subject of a 
Department of Justice (``DOJ'') fraud investigation initiated 
earlier that year.\3\ In December 2021, Balfour pled guilty to 
committing major fraud against the United States from 2013 to 
2019. Balfour's fraudulent activities included Balfour 
employees manipulating and falsifying its military housing work 
order data to obtain performance incentive fees from taxpayer 
funds that it had not earned.\4\ Balfour was ordered to pay 
$65.4 million in fines and restitution and was placed under an 
independent compliance monitor for three years.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\See 2019 Taylor HSAC Testimony at 2.
    \4\See U.S. Department of Justice: Justice Department Announces 
Global Resolution of Criminal and Civil Investigations with Privatized 
Military Housing Contractor for Defrauding U.S. Military (Dec. 22, 
2021) (``DOJ Balfour Guilty Plea Press Release''). See: https://
www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-global-resolution-
criminal-and-civil-investigations-privatized. According to DOJ's press 
release, Balfour was eligible for performance incentives for managing 
and maintaining military housing if it ``satisfied performance 
objectives related to, among other things, maintenance of the 
housing[.]'' When ``Balfour employees altered or manipulated [work 
order] data,'' this ``falsely inflated'' Balfour's performance metrics 
and, ultimately, ``fraudulently induce[d] the [military] service 
branches to pay performance incentive fees which [Balfour] had not 
earned.'' See id.
    \5\Id. DOJ also specifically noted that Balfour's compliance 
program and internal controls were not yet fully implemented or tested 
to ensure prevention and detection of similar conduct in the future, 
and Balfour agreed to be subject to independent compliance monitoring 
for at least three years as part of its guilty plea. See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In announcing the guilty plea, Deputy Attorney General Lisa 
O. Monaco said, ``Instead of promptly repairing housing for 
U.S. service members as required, [Balfour] lied about the 
repairs to pocket millions of dollars in performance bonuses. 
This pervasive fraud was a consequence of [Balfour's] broken 
corporate culture, which valued profit over the welfare of 
service members.''\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\See DOJ Balfour Guilty Plea Press Release.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Despite Balfour's awareness of the DOJ investigation, PSI 
uncovered multiple instances after 2019--even after Balfour's 
guilty plea in December 2021--where Balfour employees recorded 
inaccurate and incomplete housing work order data for repair 
requests in its internal work order tracking system--named 
Yardi--which could lead to Balfour receiving improper 
performance fees from taxpayers' funds.\7\ For example:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\The Subcommittee was not able to determine the extent to which 
Balfour received improper payments due to the inaccurate work order 
data discussed in this report.

      Contrary to company policy, Balfour employees 
repeatedly failed to record military families' complaints about 
mold in their home in Balfour's Yardi internal data management 
software, and also inaccurately entered the complaints about 
mold on multiple occasions referring to them instead as issues 
involving ``interior repairs,'' ``painting,'' ``carpentry,'' or 
``plumbing'' issues;
      According to a former Balfour employee, two 
successive Balfour facility managers at Ft. Gordon routinely 
directed maintenance staff to advise military families to 
contact them directly, instead of submitting repair requests 
online.\8\ However, the families' verbal repair requests often 
would not be logged into Balfour's internal work order tracking 
system. Further, when a service member followed up on his 
repeated verbal requests for mold remediation in his home, 
Balfour staff cited the lack of such a record in Yardi to 
allege that the service member had not been complaining about 
mold in his home, which the service member adamantly denies;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\From 2019 to present, Balfour has had three facility managers at 
Ft. Gordon--1) the manager who was in charge of the Ft. Gordon facility 
department from 2019 until early October 2020 (``Former Balfour 
Facility Manager''); 2) Tom Rodriguez, who took over in October 2020 
and remained in charge until November 2021, and 3) the current facility 
manager. The two successive managers referenced above are the Former 
Balfour Facility Manager and Mr. Rodriguez.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Another former Balfour supervisor informed the 
Subcommittee that due to pressure from the Balfour facility 
manager, Balfour's maintenance staff at Ft. Gordon prematurely 
closed out mold work orders after only making superficial 
repairs and without trying to fix the root cause of the mold 
growth; and
      A senior Balfour executive acknowledged to the 
Subcommittee that she was made aware of concerns of inaccurate 
and incomplete work order data at Ft. Gordon after 2019, but 
failed to ensure that Balfour took any action to investigate or 
correct these problems, thus highlighting structural oversight 
deficiencies that remain at Balfour.

    The types of improper behavior uncovered by PSI at Balfour 
after 2019 bear striking similarities to the types of conduct 
which Balfour admitted to in its December 2021 guilty plea for 
actions it took between 2013 and 2019.

The Subcommittee's Inquiry

    In August 2021, the Subcommittee initiated its inquiry into 
Balfour's military housing operations after Chairman Ossoff 
received multiple housing complaints from residents when he 
visited Ft. Gordon the previous month. Examining homes at Ft. 
Gordon, the Subcommittee sought to determine whether Balfour 
has fulfilled the public pledge that its co-president, Richard 
Taylor, made in December 2019 to improve how the company 
responds to mold and other significant environmental issues, 
how it addresses residents' health and safety concerns and 
basic repairs, and how it prepares homes prior to move-in.
    Given Balfour's December 2021 guilty plea for fraud 
connected to its compliance and internal controls practices, 
and that Balfour is eligible to collect incentive payments from 
taxpayer dollars for completing timely repairs, the 
Subcommittee further sought to assess whether Balfour has 
improved its compliance controls and internal procedures. The 
Subcommittee also sought to determine whether Balfour's work 
order data is now more accurate and complete than it had been 
between 2013 and 2019, the time period DOJ examined in its 
fraud investigation of Balfour.
    The Subcommittee received and reviewed more than 11,000 
pages of records from Balfour. These records included Balfour's 
written policies and procedures, work order data and records, 
e-mails and internal memos concerning the presence of mold and 
asbestos and other potentially unsafe conditions in the homes 
that Balfour manages for the U.S. military. The Subcommittee 
also received internal complaints, reports, and analyses 
regarding the poor conditions of some of these homes.


    In addition, the Subcommittee received and reviewed 
documents provided by military families and former Balfour 
employees. These records included those families' 
correspondence with Balfour, the maintenance requests the 
families filed, and medical records of their consultation with 
physicians concerning the potential effect of environmental 
hazards, such as mold, on the health and safety of family 
members.
    Beyond reviewing records, the Subcommittee interviewed more 
than one dozen military family members and former Balfour 
employees. The Subcommittee secured testimony from eleven 
executives, managers, and employees from Balfour--ranging from 
maintenance supervisors to Balfour's co-president. Finally, the 
Subcommittee received briefings from the U.S. Department of 
Defense (``DoD''), the U.S. Army, the Government Accountability 
Office, and advocacy groups for military families.

The Subcommittee's Key Findings

    Balfour's staff at Ft. Gordon frequently ignored or delayed 
responding to urgent requests from military families to address 
conditions such as mold and roof leaks that threatened the 
families' health and safety. A former Balfour employee at Ft. 
Gordon (``Former Balfour Ft. Gordon Employee #1'') described to 
the Subcommittee how military families often contacted him 
multiple times each week because other Balfour employees were 
not responding properly to those families' repair requests, 
including requests involving potentially serious health 
issues.\9\ The Subcommittee's inquiry found numerous 
corroborating examples:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\See Former Balfour Ft. Gordon Employee #1, Balfour Beatty 
Communities, Interview with PSI.

      From October 2020 until July 2021, Balfour failed 
to address water leaks and mold growth in the home of a 
military family at Ft. Gordon. According to a Balfour internal 
memo--the unrepaired water leak resulted in a ``[h]ole in the 
ceiling of the master bedroom'' and left the bathroom wall 
``wet and squishy.''\10\ The mold in the home exposed the 
military spouse in this family--who has a serious immune 
disorder--to risks of ``significant health consequences,'' 
according to her doctor.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\See Balfour Document Production to PSI with production number 
BBCPSI-011021 (hereafter, references to documents produced by Balfour 
to PSI will be identified by their production numbers, i.e., BBCPSI-
xxxxxx).
    \11\See BBCPSI-007427.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
      In 2020, Balfour's failure to respond to mold in 
the Ft. Gordon home of an U.S. Army officer likely caused that 
officer's 8-year daughter to suffer from severe atopic 
dermatitis, a serious skin condition, according to the girl's 
physician.
      Balfour's months-long failure in the summer of 
2020 to repair a roof leak in another military family's home at 
Ft. Gordon led to mold growth that required the military spouse 
to seek treatment from an infectious disease specialist for her 
respiratory symptoms.
      For six weeks in 2020, Balfour's facility manager 
at Ft. Gordon did not return ``multiple'' calls from a military 
family even after their hallway ceiling caved in due to a roof 
leak that had gone unrepaired for months.
      As recently as February 2022, Balfour failed to 
promptly repair a water leak, which a military family reported 
in October 2021, or to remediate mold that had formed as a 
result of the leak until a hole appeared in the military 
family's bathroom ceiling months after the leak first 
began.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \12\As noted above, this PSI inquiry primarily focused on Ft. 
Gordon and Sheppard AFB as a case study of Balfour's operational, 
management, and work order data recording practices. This report 
details the specific experiences of nine military families due to 
Balfour's failures to make timely and thorough repairs to their homes 
on these two bases, to repair and clean homes prior to move-ins and to 
fully and properly address environmental hazards in these homes. These 
nine military families represent a small percentage of residents served 
by Balfour at Ft. Gordon and Sheppard AFB. However, the Subcommittee's 
interviews of former Balfour employees, information provided to PSI by 
military housing advocates, and Balfour's own records together show 
that many other families--particularly at Ft. Gordon--experienced 
similar housing issues due to failures on Balfour's part. As noted 
above, a former Balfour employee described receiving multiple calls 
each week from frustrated Ft. Gordon military families. Further, a 
tracking chart that Balfour produced to PSI with summaries of Ft. 
Gordon residents' written comments contain dozens of complaints after 
2019 from military service members and veterans--who are not from the 
nine families detailed in this report--concerning Balfour's delays and 
failures to address conditions like water leaks and mold hazards in 
these homes. See generally BBCPSI-011019. Lastly, just since May 2021, 
the advocacy group Armed Forces Housing Advocates (AFHA) has helped 350 
families deal with problems due to Balfour's housing operations at 
military bases in seven states across the United States: California 
(119), Colorado (6), Texas (30), Florida (23), Georgia (124), South 
Carolina (1), and Oklahoma (47).

    Balfour repeatedly failed to clean or to make basic repairs 
to homes at Ft. Gordon prior to move-ins. Balfour failed to 
clean or remove carpets, including when it was requested to 
accommodate concerns about exacerbation of asthma and severe 
allergies, for three of the eight Ft. Gordon military families 
whose experiences are detailed in this report. Information 
provided to PSI by former Balfour employees and military 
families, as well as Balfour's records, further show that 
Balfour's failure to clean or make basic repairs prior to move-
ins at Ft. Gordon was widespread. For example, a former Balfour 
employee told the Subcommittee that he received multiple 
complaints in a typical week from new residents about 
conditions such as mold, clogged HVAC vents, rusting pipes, 
broken appliances, and leaks that had not been repaired or 
addressed while the homes were vacant.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \13\See Former Balfour Ft. Gordon Employee 1 PSI Interview.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee uncovered numerous examples of 
inaccuracies and omissions in Yardi, Balfour's internal work 
order data tracking system after 2019, when the company 
initially vowed to correct these problems. In December 2021, 
Balfour pled guilty for having knowingly obtained incentive 
fees from 2013 to 2019 based on inaccurate and incomplete work 
order data. Balfour misrepresented that ``maintenance issues 
raised by residents were being addressed in a timely manner,'' 
according to the criminal charges filed against Balfour.\14\ 
The Subcommittee found that inaccurate and incomplete work 
order data has persisted at Ft. Gordon since 2019.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \14\U.S. v. Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC, 1:21-cr-742-EGS 
(D.D.C.), Information T 9, Dkt. 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Specifically, the Subcommittee found numerous instances 
where Balfour's internal records show that military families at 
Ft. Gordon and Sheppard AFB reported mold in their homes, yet 
Balfour's internal work order database did not reflect those 
repair requests nor did it cite ``mold'' as the issue reported. 
Instead, they described these requests as being related to 
``internal repairs,'' ``carpentry'' and ``painting,'' for 
instance. Further, former Balfour employees described to the 
Subcommittee the practices in 2020 and 2021 by two successive 
facility managers at Ft. Gordon--that included telling staff to 
encourage military families to verbally request repairs and 
then frequently not entering those verbal requests into 
Balfour's internal tracking system--that likely undermined the 
data integrity of this system.\15\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \15\See Former Balfour Ft. Gordon Employee #1 PSI Interview.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    A senior Balfour executive acknowledged to the Subcommittee 
that she was made aware of concerns of inaccurate and 
incomplete work order data at Ft. Gordon after 2019, but failed 
to ensure that Balfour took any action to investigate or 
correct these concerns, highlighting ongoing internal oversight 
weaknesses at Balfour. Paula Cook, a Balfour vice president 
with ``executive leadership responsibility for the Army 
military housing portfolio,''\16\ admitted in an interview with 
the Subcommittee that she knew that the Balfour facility 
manager who was in charge at Ft. Gordon from 2019 to early 
October 2020 (``Former Balfour Ft. Gordon Facility Manager''), 
was not implementing repairs that he promised to make for 
residents.\17\ Ms. Cook did not directly supervise this 
employee. However, as a senior Balfour executive she failed to 
ensure that Balfour took steps to investigate or correct these 
issues at Ft. Gordon.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \16\See ``Our Leadership,'' Balfour Beatty Communities, https://
www.balfourbeattycommunities.com/get-to-know-us/leadership (last 
visited Apr. 10, 2022). In 2019, Balfour restructured its military 
housing business and ``split the roles of Community Management, which 
is responsible for customer service and support and community leasing 
activities, and Facilities Management, which is responsible for 
maintenance.'' See Taylor 2019 HSAC Testimony at 3. Since 2019, Ms. 
Cook has been one of three Community Management vice presidents and is 
responsible for the 17 Army bases where Balfour operates housing. The 
other two Community Management vice presidents oversee Balfour's 
housing operations on U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force bases, respectively.
    \17\Paula Cook, Balfour Beatty Communities, Interview with PSI.
    \18\See id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Further, in February 2021, an Army officer at Ft. Gordon 
presented Ms. Cook with allegations of missing mold work orders 
for his home in 2020.\19\ A day earlier, Ms. Cook had received 
an email in which Tom Rodriguez, Former Balfour Ft. Gordon 
Facility Manager's successor at Ft. Gordon, wrote that when he 
``arrived on site [on] October 5, 2020[,] words could not 
describe the total Chaos that was the Facilities 
Department.''\20\ Yet, Ms. Cook told the Subcommittee that she 
``did not ask anyone anything'' in order to investigate the 
Army officer's allegations of missing work orders in 2020 
despite being aware of concerns raised by Balfour's own staff 
about the chaotic state of the facility department at Ft. 
Gordon at that time.\21\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \19\See BBCPSI-000994.
    \20\See BBCPSI-008394.
    \21\Paula Cook PSI Interview. Ms. Cook was not directly responsible 
for Balfour's work order data and records, but, as she acknowledged in 
her interview, she had access to these data and records and she often 
was informed of concerns that military families expressed about delayed 
or inadequate repairs. Similarly, while Ms. Cook did not directly 
supervise Facilities Management staff like Tom Rodriguez or Former 
Balfour Facility Manager, she had direct access to senior Facility 
Management executives like Richard Taylor. See id.; see also, e.g., 
BBCPSI-009598. Ultimately, regardless of whom she supervised directly, 
Ms. Cook is a senior Balfour executive. As a result, once she was made 
aware of critical data integrity issues regarding problems with 
Balfour's work order data she had a responsibility to follow up and to 
ensure that these issues were addressed by the appropriate Balfour 
staff.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee identified significant gaps that remain in 
Balfour's compliance procedures. Balfour admitted that its 
``inadequate controls [from 2013 to 2019] contributed to the 
misconduct'' relevant to its December 2021 guilty plea.\22\ 
However, the Subcommittee found that as of late 2021, 
significant gaps in compliance procedures continued to exist at 
Balfour. For example, Balfour's compliance staff were kept in 
the dark for months about two internal complaints submitted by 
departing facility employees at Ft. Gordon--including one that 
specifically stated that the way Tom Rodriguez, Balfour's 
facility manager at Ft. Gordon from October 2020 to November 
2021 ``handles asbestos needs to be investigated.''\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \22\U.S. v. Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC, 1:21-cr-742-EGS 
(D.D.C.), Statement of Facts at A-10, Dkt. 5-1 (``U.S. v. Balfour 
Statement of Facts'').
    \23\See Richard Taylor, Balfour Beatty Communities, Interview with 
PSI; see also BBCPSI-008033
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee uncovered numerous specific instances 
where Balfour's housing practices since 2019 put military 
families' health and safety at risk. The Subcommittee further 
found that Balfour's practices since 2019 at the bases it 
examined mirror Balfour's practices between 2013 and 2019 that 
led to its December 2021 guilty plea for fraud. The chart below 
provides a comparison between Balfour's conduct from 2013 to 
2019 and the actions the Subcommittee discovered that Balfour 
was engaged in after 2019:



2. Uncounted Deaths in America's Prisons and Jails: How the Department 
        of Justice Failed to Implement the Death in Custody Reporting 
        Act, September 20, 2022. (Report Prepared by the Majority and 
        Minority Staff of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 
        and released in conjunction with the Subcommittee's hearing on 
        September 20, 2022.)
    Approximately 1.5 million people are incarcerated in state 
and local correctional facilities throughout the United 
States.\24\ Thousands die every year.\25\ The Death in Custody 
Reporting Act of 2013 (``DCRA 2013'' or ``the 
reauthorization'')--reauthorizing a law that first passed in 
2000--requires states that accept certain federal funding to 
report to the Department of Justice (``DOJ'' or ``the 
Department'') about who is dying in prisons and jails.\26\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \24\Government Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional 
Action Needed to Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 1 
(GAO-22-106033) (Sept. 20, 2022).
    \25\ In FY 2019, for example, a total of 3,853 individuals died in 
state prisons or private prison facilities under a state contract and a 
total of 1,200 individuals died in local jails. See Department of 
Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 
Mortality in State and Federal Prisons 2001-2019-Statistical Tables 
(Dec. 2021) (bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/msfp0119st.pdf); Department of 
Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 
Mortality in Local Jails 2000-2019-Statistical Tables (Dec. 2021) 
(bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/mlj0019st.pdf).
    \26\Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-242; 
Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106-297. DCRA 2013, 
which became law in 2014, requires federal agencies to report deaths in 
custody to DOJ. Id. This report and investigation focuses on the 
portion of DCRA 2013 that concerns deaths in state or local custody, 
and does not consider the portion of the law that concerns deaths in 
federal custody.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Over the course of a ten-month bipartisan investigation 
into DOJ's implementation of the law, the Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (``PSI'' or ``the 
Subcommittee'') found that DOJ is failing to effectively 
implement DCRA 2013. DOJ's failed implementation of DCRA 2013 
undermined the effective, comprehensive, and accurate 
collection of custodial death data.
    This failure in turn undermined transparency and 
Congressional oversight of deaths in custody. The Subcommittee 
has found that DOJ will be at least eight years past-due in 
providing Congress with the DCRA 2013-required 2016 report on 
how custodial deaths can be reduced. The Subcommittee also 
highlights the following key facts: in Fiscal Year (``FY'') 
2021 alone, DOJ failed to identify at least 990 prison and 
arrest related deaths; and 70 percent of the data DOJ collected 
was incomplete.\27\ DOJ failed to implement effective data 
collection methodology, despite internal warnings from the DOJ 
Office of the Inspector General (``OIG'') and the Bureau of 
Justice Statistics (BJS).\28\ DOJ's failures were preventable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \27\Government Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional 
Action Needed to Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 1 
(GAO-22-106033) (Sept. 20, 2022).
    \28\Dr. E. Ann Carson, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Report 
Comparing Bureau of Justice Statistics and Bureau of Justice Assistance 
Mortality Death Collections, to fulfill Terms of Clearance for OMB 
Control Number 1121-0249 (May 11, 2021) (omb.report/icr/202105-1121-
001/doc/111526800); Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector 
General, Review of the Department of Justice's Implementation of the 
Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013 (Dec. 2018) (oig.justice.gov/
reports/2018/e1901.pdf).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The co-sponsors of DCRA, which passed the United States 
Senate by unanimous consent and the United States House of 
Representatives by wide bipartisan margins in both 2000 and 
again in 2013, described why collecting death data was 
critical: it would bring a ``new level of accountability to our 
Nation's correctional institutions''; ``provide openness in 
government''; ``bolster public confidence and trust in our 
judicial system''; and ``bring additional transparency.''\29\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \29\Statement of Representative Asa Hutchinson, Congressional 
Record, H6737 (July 24, 2000); Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy, 
Congressional Record, S6341 (Dec. 4, 2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DOJ itself described the law in similar terms. According to 
DOJ:

     The requirements set forth in DCRA provide an opportunity 
to improve understanding of why deaths occur in custody and 
develop solutions to prevent avoidable deaths. Knowledge of the 
circumstances leading to death and the number of fatalities is 
crucial to developing policies and program changes that could 
reduce the number of deaths in custody.\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \30\Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Death in 
Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) Data Collection (bja.ojp.gov/program/dcra/
overview).

    DCRA 2013 requires ``at a minimum'' that states report to 
DOJ the following information about custodial deaths: the name, 
gender, race, ethnicity, and age of the deceased; the date, 
time, and location of death; the law enforcement agency that 
was holding the decedent; and a brief description of the 
circumstances surrounding the death.\31\ DCRA 2013 also 
requires DOJ to report to Congress on how that information can 
be used to prevent avoidable deaths.\32\ This report was due on 
December 18, 2016, two years after DCRA 2013 became law.\33\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \31\Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-242.
    \32\Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-242.
    \33\Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-242.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DOJ's efforts to implement DCRA 2013 were a continuation of 
its efforts to implement the original version of the law, the 
Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 (``DCRA 2000'')\34\. In 
response to DCRA 2000, DOJ tasked its criminal justice 
statistics agency, BJS, with creating a national survey of 
deaths in federal, state, and local custody.\35\ From 2000 
through 2019, BJS collected, studied, and made public 
information about deaths in custody, information that went far 
beyond the statutory requirements.\36\ During this period, BJS 
claims to have collected data from an average of 98 percent of 
all local jails and 100 percent of all state prisons.\37\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \34\Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106-297. 
DCRA 2000 required DOJ to collect almost all of the same information as 
required under DCRA 2013. Specifically, the law required that the 
information collected ``at a minimum'' includes: (1) the name, gender, 
race, ethnicity, and age of the deceased; (2) the date, time, and 
location of death; and (3) a brief description of the circumstances 
surrounding the death. Id. Unlike DCRA 2013, DCRA 2000 did not require 
the collection of ``the law enforcement agency that detained, arrested, 
or was in the process of arresting the deceased.''
    \35\Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of 
Justice Statistics, Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI) 
(Formerly Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP) (bjs.ojp.gov/data-
collection/mortality-correctional-institutions-mci-formerly-deaths-
custody-reporting-program).
    \36\Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of 
Justice Statistics, Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI) 
(Formerly Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP) (bjs.ojp.gov/data-
collection/mortality-correctional-institutions-mci-formerly-deaths-
custody-reporting-program).
    \37\Dr. E. Ann Carson, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Report 
Comparing Bureau of Justice Statistics and Bureau of Justice Assistance 
Mortality Death Collections, to fulfill Terms of Clearance for OMB 
Control Number 1121-0249, at 3 (May 11, 2021) (omb.report/icr/202105-
1121-001/doc/111526800).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In a change from DCRA 2000, DCRA 2013 authorizes the 
Attorney General to withhold up to 10 percent of Edward Byrne 
Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (``JAG'') funding from states 
that accepted those funds but did not report custodial death 
data to DOJ.\38\ In 2016, two years after DCRA 2013 became law, 
DOJ decided that BJS could no longer implement DCRA 2013.\39\ 
DOJ explained its rationale in a December 2016 report to 
Congress.\40\ According to DOJ, because BJS was a statistical 
agency, it was precluded from administering a data collection 
program with ``compliance and penalty determinations,'' such as 
the penalty included in DCRA 2013.\41\ DOJ informed Congress 
that it would be reassigning the state death data collection 
from BJS to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (``BJA''), a 
grant-making agency within DOJ's Office of Justice Programs 
(``OJP'').\42\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \38\Department of Justice, Report of the Attorney General to 
Congress Pursuant to the Death in Custody Reporting Act, at 5 (Dec. 16, 
2016) (www.justice.gov/archives/page/file/918846/download).
    \39\See Department of Justice, Report of the Attorney General to 
Congress Pursuant to the Death in Custody Reporting Act (Dec. 16, 2016) 
(www.justice.gov/archives/page/file/918846/download).
    \40\Department of Justice, Report of the Attorney General to 
Congress Pursuant to the Death in Custody Reporting Act (Dec. 16, 2016) 
(www.justice.gov/archives/page/file/918846/download).
    \41\Department of Justice, Report of the Attorney General to 
Congress Pursuant to the Death in Custody Reporting Act, at 8 n.17 
(Dec. 16, 2016) (www.justice.gov/archives/page/file/918846/download); 
Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022).
    \42\Department of Justice, Report of the Attorney General to 
Congress Pursuant to the Death in Custody Reporting Act, at 8 n.17 
(Dec. 16, 2016) (www.justice.gov/archives/page/file/918846/download). 
Federal data collection remained with BJS however, because there was no 
penalty associated with federal data collection. See Death in Custody 
Reporting Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-242.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    However, BJS had already been collecting, studying, and 
reporting on state and local death data for sixteen years.\43\ 
BJS continued to collect state and local custodial death data 
until BJA finally began its collection in FY 2020.\44\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \43\Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022); Department 
of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 
Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI) (Formerly Deaths in 
Custody Reporting Program (DCRP) (bjs.ojp.gov/data-collection/
mortality-correctional-institutions-mci-formerly-deaths-custody-
reporting-program).
    \44\Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of 
Justice Statistics, Mortality in Correctional Institutions (MCI) 
(Formerly Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP) (bjs.ojp.gov/data-
collection/mortality-correctional-institutions-mci-formerly-deaths-
custody-reporting-program).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Since the transfer of data collection responsibility to 
BJA, DOJ has not publicly reported on any data that BJA has 
collected.\45\ Additionally, DOJ is not expected to complete 
the statutorily required report to Congress before September 
2024, at least eight years past due.\46\ DOJ also has no plans 
to make public any further state and local death 
information.\47\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \45\See Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with 
Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022). DOJ 
is not required to make public DCRA data under the statute. Death in 
Custody Reporting Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-242.
    \46\Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022); Government 
Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional Action Needed to 
Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 7 (GAO-22-106033) 
(Sept. 20, 2022).
    \47\Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In December 2021, PSI began a ten-month bipartisan 
investigation into DOJ's efforts to implement DCRA 2013, and, 
specifically, BJA's efforts to collect and report on state and 
local custodial deaths.\48\ During the course of this 
investigation, PSI interviewed a DOJ official who spoke on 
behalf of the agency, family members of ten people who died in 
state or local custody across the country, and two criminal 
justice experts to assess how DCRA data can be used to bring 
transparency to custodial deaths.\49\ On March 23, 2022, PSI 
requested that the Government Accountability Office (``GAO'') 
analyze data that BJA had collected for FY 2021 pursuant to 
DCRA 2013.\50\ Based on a review of public and non-public 
information, including GAO's analysis, the Subcommittee found 
that DOJ has failed to implement DCRA 2013.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \48\The Subcommittee did not evaluate DOJ's efforts to comply with 
the section of DCRA 2013 concerning federal agencies' reporting of 
deaths in custody, which is administered by BJS and appears to be 
proceeding pursuant to the requirements of the law.
    \49\Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022); University 
of California Los Angeles School of Law Carceral Mortality Project, 
Briefing with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Aug. 3, 
2022); Shanelle Jenkins, Interview with Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (May 31, 2022); Sandy Ray, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (May 25, 2022); Dawn Reid, 
Interview with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (May 9, 
2022); Melania Brown, Interview with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations (May 9, 2022); Glenda Hester, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (May 6, 2022); Belinda Maley, 
Interview with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (May 4, 
2022); Sherilyn Sabo, Interview with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations (Apr. 22, 2022); Vanessa Fano, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Apr. 20, 2022); Linda Franks, 
Interview with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Apr. 
14, 2022); Jennifer Bradley, Interview with Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Apr. 19, 2022); Professor Andrea 
Armstrong, Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, Briefing with 
Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Apr. 19, 2022).
    \50\Letter from Chair Jon Ossoff, Senate Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations, to Government Accountability Office (Mar. 23, 2022); 
U.S. Government Accountability Office, About Page (www.gao.gov/about) 
(accessed Sept. 19, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee notes that DOJ failed to provide full and 
complete information to the Subcommittee.\51\ DOJ's resistance 
to bipartisan Congressional oversight impeded Congress' ability 
to understand whether DCRA 2013 had been properly implemented, 
delaying potential reforms that could restore the integrity of 
this critical program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \51\Letter from Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to 
Department of Justice (Dec. 3, 2021); Letter from Department of Justice 
to Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Feb. 11, 2022); 
Letter from Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to 
Department of Justice (Apr. 27, 2022). DOJ provided only a single 
interview to the Subcommittee and provide only aggregate death data 
from six states over two-years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Subcommittee's Key Findings
    1. Nearly One Thousand Missing Deaths. As part of its 
review for PSI, GAO identified at least 990 deaths that were 
potentially reportable to BJA in FY 2021, but that BJA had not 
counted.\52\ Of the 990 uncounted deaths, 341 were prison 
deaths disclosed on states' public websites and 649 were 
arrest-related deaths disclosed in a reliable, public 
database.\53\ GAO determined that BJA's collection was missing 
information that is already in the public domain.\54\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \52\Government Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional 
Action Needed to Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 10 
n.33 (GAO-22-106033) (Sept. 20, 2022).
    \53\Government Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional 
Action Needed to Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 10 
n.33 (GAO-22-106033) (Sept. 20, 2022).
    \54\Government Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional 
Action Needed to Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 10 
(GAO-22-106033) (Sept. 20, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    2. Incomplete Data. GAO found that for FY 2021, the vast 
majority of death in custody information that BJA collected 
from the states was incomplete.\55\ Specifically, 70 percent of 
records on deaths in custody were missing at least one DCRA 
2013-required data field; approximately 40 percent of the 
records did not include a description of the circumstances 
surrounding the death; and 32 percent of the records were 
missing more than one DCRA 2013-required data field.\56\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \55\Government Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional 
Action Needed to Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 9 
(GAO-22-106033) (Sept. 20, 2022).
    \56\Government Accountability Office, Deaths in Custody: Additional 
Action Needed to Help Ensure Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized, at 9 
(GAO-22-106033) (Sept. 20, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    3. Failure to Report. DCRA 2013 required DOJ to report to 
Congress by December 18, 2016 on how the data it collected can 
be used ``to reduce the number of such deaths'' and to 
``examine the relationship, if any, between the number of such 
deaths and the actions of management of such jails, prisons, 
and other specified facilities relating to such deaths.''\57\ 
DOJ does not expect to complete these reporting requirements 
before September 2024--eight years late.\58\ DOJ has not yet 
evaluated whether the data that it had collected in FY 2020 or 
FY 2021 is of sufficient quality to be used in the DCRA 2013-
required analysis and report to Congress.\59\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \57\Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-242.
    \58\Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022).
    \59\Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    4. Failed Transition. DOJ failed to properly manage the 
transition of DCRA 2013 data collection from BJS to BJA. BJA's 
failure to properly collect and report on custodial death data 
stands in marked contrast to BJS's successful efforts to do 
these same things for 20 years. To the extent that DOJ sought 
to assign DCRA 2013 responsibilities to BJA, it should have 
done more to equip it with the resources and strategies it 
already knew to be successful so that DOJ could meet its 
statutory obligations.\60\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \60\Dr. Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022). The 
Subcommittee further notes that DOJ's rationale for reassigning the 
state death data collection from BJS--a statistical agency that had 
successfully collected and published DCRA data for 20 years--to BJA--a 
grant-making agency with no track record of collecting or reporting on 
similar data--was that the DCRA 2013 JAG penalty precluded BJS's 
administration of the program. Department of Justice, Report of the 
Attorney General to Congress Pursuant to the Death in Custody Reporting 
Act (Dec. 16, 2016) (www.justice.gov/archives/page/file/918846/
download). Yet, DOJ's decision came two years after BJS had already 
been collecting state death data pursuant to DCRA 2013, and DOJ 
permitted BJS to continue its collection for another three years. Dr. 
Phelan Wyrick, Department of Justice, Interview with Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 12, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DOJ's failure to implement DCRA has deprived Congress and 
the American public of information about who is dying in 
custody and why. This information is critical to improve 
transparency in prisons and jails, identifying trends in 
custodial deaths that may warrant corrective action--such as 
failure to provide adequate medical care, mental health 
services, or safeguard prisoners from violence--and identifying 
specific facilities with outlying death rates. DOJ's failure to 
implement this law and to continue to voluntarily publish this 
information is a missed opportunity to prevent avoidable 
deaths.



3. Medical Mistreatment of Women in ICE Detention, November 15, 2022 
        (Report Prepared by the Majority and Minority Staff of the 
        Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and released in 
        conjunction with the Subcommittee's hearing on November 15, 
        2022.)
    In May 2021, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 
(``Subcommittee'' or ``PSI'') initiated a bipartisan 
investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement (``ICE'') detainees housed in the Irwin 
County Detention Center (``ICDC'') in Ocilla, Georgia. Over the 
course of its 18-month-long investigation, the Subcommittee 
examined multiple allegations of medical abuse against 
detainees at ICDC, a private detention center owned and 
operated by LaSalle Southeast, LLC (``LaSalle'' or ``LaSalle 
Corrections''). The allegations stemmed from a September 2020 
whistleblower complaint (``September 2020 complaint'') filed by 
immigration advocacy groups and attorneys alleging that an off-
site obstetrician and gynecologist (``OB-GYN''), Dr. Mahendra 
Amin, performed ``high rates'' of unauthorized hysterectomies 
on ICDC detainees.\61\ The groups also alleged that ICDC had 
poor medical conditions and lax COVID-19 mitigation 
procedures.\62\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \61\Complaint by Project South, Georgia Detention Watch, Georgia 
Latino Alliance for Human Rights & South Georgia Immigrant Support 
Network to Joseph V. Cuffari, Cameron Quinn, Thomas P. Giles, & David 
Paulk, Re: Lack of Medical Care, Unsafe Work Practices, and Absence of 
Adequate Protection Against COVID-19 for Detained Immigrants and 
Employees Alike at the ICDC County Detention Center (Sept. 14, 2020) 
(projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OIG-ICDC-Complaint-1.pdf) 
[hereinafter Project South Complaint].
    \62\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee's investigation identified serious issues 
relating to ICDC and specifically connected to Dr. Amin's care:

     LFemale detainees appear to have been subjected to 
excessive, invasive, and often unnecessary gynecological 
procedures.
     LThere appears to have been repeated failures to 
secure informed consent for off-site medical procedures 
performed on ICDC detainees.
     LMedical care provided to detainees at ICDC was 
known by DHS to be deficient, but neither ICE nor LaSalle took 
effective corrective action.
     LICE did not conduct thorough oversight of off-
site medical providers and procedures.

    The Subcommittee did not substantiate the allegations of 
mass hysterectomies on ICDC detainees. Records indicate that 
Dr. Amin performed two hysterectomies on ICDC detainees between 
2017 and 2019. Both procedures were deemed medically necessary 
by ICE.
    Dr. Amin stopped treating ICE detainees after the September 
2020 complaint became public. In December 2020, former ICDC 
detainees filed a class action lawsuit (``December 2020 
lawsuit'') against ICDC, ICE, Dr. Amin, Irwin County Hospital 
(``ICH''), and other federal and nonfederal parties alleging 
that the detainees had undergone nonconsensual and unnecessary 
gynecological procedures.\63\ In addition, the lawsuit alleged 
a broader pattern of medical abuse and mistreatment of 
detainees at ICDC. The plaintiffs demanded $5 million in money 
damages and other relief. The litigation is ongoing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \63\Consolidated Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and 
Class Action Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief and for 
Damages (Dec. 21, 2020), Oldaker v. Giles, M.D. GA (No. 7:20-cv-00224-
WLS-MSH).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As of early 2022, Dr. Amin was under criminal investigation 
by multiple federal agencies.\64\ PSI staff attempted on 
multiple occasions to obtain voluntary testimony from Dr. Amin 
regarding his treatment of female ICE detainees at ICDC. Dr. 
Amin declined these requests. On February 7, 2022, the 
Subcommittee served Dr. Amin with a subpoena for deposition. 
Through his attorney, Dr. Amin submitted an affidavit stating 
that he declined to provide testimony pursuant to his Fifth 
Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. The 
Subcommittee accepted Dr. Amin's invocation of his rights and 
did not question him throughout the investigation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \64\Letter from Counsel for Dr. Amin to the Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Feb. 21, 2022). PSI is unaware of the 
current status of these investigations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In May 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (``DHS'') 
directed ICE to discontinue its contract with ICDC. As of 
September 3, 2021, all immigrant detainees were removed from 
the ICDC facility and moved to other detention facilities. 
Effective October 7, 2021, ICE terminated the contract with 
LaSalle regarding its management of ICDC.\65\ As of today, ICDC 
is still utilized to detain individuals under the custody of 
the U.S. Marshals Service. The federal government continues to 
contract with LaSalle to operate other detention facilities 
throughout the country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \65\U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector 
General, Medical Processes and Communication Protocols Need Improvement 
at Irwin County Detention Center (OIG-22-14) (Jan. 3, 2022) (https://
www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2022-01/OIG-22-14-
Jan22.pdf).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee investigated the veracity of the 
allegations surrounding medical treatment at ICDC and sought to 
determine whether these treatments occurred against a backdrop 
of general medical neglect or abuse at the facility. The 
Subcommittee also sought to determine whether gaps in ICE 
policies permitted an off-site provider of medical care to 
perform unnecessary, nonconsensual, or excessive procedures on 
ICE detainees.
1. Female Detainees Appear to Have Been Subjected to Excessive, 
        Invasive, and Often Unnecessary Gynecological Procedures
    According to expert medical analysis conducted for the 
Subcommittee, under Dr. Amin's care, female detainees appear to 
have undergone excessive, invasive, and often unnecessary 
gynecological procedures. Over the course of its review, the 
Subcommittee determined that Dr. Amin holds no board 
certifications, and in 2013 the Department of Justice (``DOJ'') 
and the State of Georgia sued Dr. Amin, claiming he had 
committed Medicaid fraud by ordering unnecessary and excessive 
medical procedures.\66\ That lawsuit was settled in 2015, when 
Dr. Amin and his codefendants paid a $520,000 settlement to the 
federal government while admitting no wrongdoing.\67\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \66\Complaint (July 8, 2013), United States v. Hospital Authority 
of Irwin County, M.D. Ga. (No. 7:13-cv-00097-HL).
    \67\The United States of America's Filing of Settlement Agreement 
(July 8, 2013), United States v. Hospital Authority of Irwin County, 
M.D. Ga. (No. 7:13-cv-00097-HL); U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. 
Attorney's Office Middle District of Georgia, Hospital Authority of 
Irwin County Resolves False Claims Act Investigation for $520,000 (Apr. 
29, 2015) (www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/hospital-authority-irwin-
county-resolves-false-claims-act-investigation-520000).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee's review of Dr. Amin's treatment practices 
of ICE detainees after the settlement, from 2017 to 2020, 
identified a similar pattern of potentially excessive medical 
procedures. Dr. Amin was a clear outlier in both the number and 
types of procedures he performed compared to other OB-GYNs that 
treated ICE detainees. ICDC housed roughly 4 percent of female 
ICE detainees nationwide from 2017 to 2020. Dr. Amin accounted 
for roughly 6.5 percent of total OB-GYN visits among all ICE 
detainees in the same time period. However, he performed nearly 
one-third of certain OB-GYN procedures on ICE detainees across 
the country between 2017 and 2020 and more than 90 percent of 
some key procedures.
    For example, from 2017 to 2020:\68\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \68\The Subcommittee recognizes that this data in and of itself 
does not indicate that the treatments were unnecessary. ICE does not 
track the demographic information of its female population, and the 
agency could not provide the Subcommittee with information regarding 
key variables of the female detainee population, including age and 
medical history.

     LDr. Amin performed 44 laparoscopies to excise 
lesions, or 94 percent of all such procedures conducted on all 
ICE detainees.\69\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \69\A laparoscopy may be used to obtain a small tissue sample for 
testing or even remove organs like the appendix or gallbladder, and it 
is generally performed under anesthesia. Johns Hopkins Medicine, 
Laparoscopy (www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-
therapies/laparoscopy) (accessed Nov. 13, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Amin administered 102 Depo-Provera 
injections, or 93 percent of all such injections provided by 
all OB-GYN specialists to ICE detainees.\70\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \70\Depo-Provera is an injection that contains the hormone 
progestin and is typically administered every three months to prevent 
pregnancy and manage issues related to the menstrual cycle. Mayo 
Clinic, Depo-Provera (contraceptive injection) (www.mayoclinic.org/
tests-procedures/depo-provera/about/pac-20392204) (accessed Nov. 13, 
2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Amin performed 163 limited pelvic exams, or 
92 percent of limited pelvic exams conducted on all ICE 
detainees.
     LDr. Amin performed 53 dilation and curettage 
(``D&C'') procedures, or 82 percent of all D&C procedures 
conducted by all OB-GYN specialists treating ICE detainees.\71\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \71\A D&C procedure removes tissue from inside the uterus. During 
this procedure, a provider will dilate the cervix and then use a 
surgical instrument called a curette (a sharp instrument or suction 
device) to remove uterine tissue. Mayo Clinic, Dilation and Curettage 
(D&C) (www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/dilation-and-curettage/
about/pac-20384910) (accessed Nov. 13, 2022).




    Following the September 2020 complaint, the ICE Health 
Services Corps (``IHSC'') stated it ``conducted a comparative 
analysis of medical referrals and claims completed after 
receiving allegations about Dr. Amin.''\74\ IHSC also stated 
that it ``conduct[ed] an analysis of referral and claims data 
at ICDC compared to other ICE detention facilities housing 
females and determined that the number of referrals and claims 
was not abnormal.''\75\ IHSC stated that it never identified 
any red flags regarding Dr. Amin's treatment of detainees 
before or after officials reviewed his procedures following the 
publication of the September 2020 complaint.\76\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \74\U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Q&A Paper: Responses 
to Allegations of Inappropriate Care Provided by Dr. Amin for the 
Female Population of the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) (June 23, 
2021) (response on file with the Subcommittee) [hereinafter June 23, 
2021 ICE Q&A Paper].
    \75\Id. Information ICE used in this analysis is discussed in more 
detail in Section IV
    \76\U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, 
Briefing with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 
29, 2021). ICE later stated to the Subcommittee that based on the 
comparative analysis, ICE noted a possible overutilization of the D&C 
and laparoscopic procedures, but that it would need an expert OB-GYN 
review of the medical records because its analysis was based solely on 
medical claims data. Email from U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement Staff to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations (Nov. 11, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    An IHSC Regional Clinical Director (``RCD'') approved each 
procedure before it was authorized. In interviews with the 
Subcommittee, IHSC officials explained that the disparity in 
the number of Dr. Amin's procedures compared to other doctors 
treating ICE detainees alone did not raise alarm either when 
the RCD approved the surgeries, or when IHSC retrospectively 
reviewed Dr. Amin's medical care. However, IHSC could not 
explain or provide context explaining why Dr. Amin was such an 
outlier compared to other doctors treating ICE detainees.
    To better understand the appropriateness of Dr. Amin's 
treatment and care of ICDC detainees, the Subcommittee engaged 
Dr. Peter Cherouny, an OB-GYN physician who previously 
conducted medical reviews for the Department of Health and 
Human Services (``HHS'') Office of Inspector General (``OIG'') 
in other contexts. To support this investigation, Dr. Cherouny 
conducted an independent review of more than 16,600 pages of 
medical records obtained by the Subcommittee, pertaining to 
approximately 94 ICDC women Dr. Amin treated.
    Dr. Cherouny identified significant issues with the care 
Dr. Amin provided to ICDC detainees and found Dr. Amin's use of 
certain surgical procedures to be ``too aggressive'' and 
inappropriate.\77\ Dr. Cherouny's key findings include:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \77\Dr. Peter Cherouny, Interview with Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Jan. 26, 2022); Memorandum from Dr. 
Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 
27, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny found that Dr. Amin performed 40 D&C 
procedures with a laparoscopy on ICDC detainees. He found that 
Dr. Amin's use of these procedures were ``too aggressive'' and 
that the ``vast majority [of cases where Dr. Amin performed a 
D&C] appear to be manageable with imaging and appropriate 
hormonal therapy.''\78\

    \78\Memorandum from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny concluded that Dr. Amin's practices 
were ``woefully behind the times'' and his treatment of ICDC 
detainees ``is not meeting current standards of care.''\79\ He 
added, ``[d]ue to a lack of knowledge or capability, Dr. Amin 
persistently uses inpatient, surgical options as diagnostic 
tools for benign clinical conditions.''\80\ Such conditions are 
``more appropriately managed with imaging studies and 
outpatient clinical tools.''\81\ Dr. Cherouny told the 
Subcommittee that Dr. Amin ``appears unaware of these current 
options or does not have them available in his office or 
hospital.''\82\ In one interview with the Subcommittee, Dr. 
Cherouny summarized Dr. Amin's care as ``pretty good medicine 
for the 1980s, but we're not there anymore.''\83\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \79\Id.
    \80\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
    \81\Id.
    \82\Id.
    \83\Dr. Peter Cherouny, Interview with Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 8, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny found that ``Dr. Amin seemed to use 
a boiler plate approach to care. He uses a D&C and laparoscopy 
for primary diagnostic reasons and seems to `pile on' the 
pathologic diagnoses postoperatively.''\84\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \84\Memorandum from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny flagged that because Dr. Amin is not 
board certified, Dr. Amin ``likely does no or limited 
continuing education to stay current'' on up-to-date medical 
practices in these areas. He explained further that there 
appeared to be board certified OB-GYN providers in the area of 
ICDC and that he was ``concerned'' with how and why Dr. Amin 
was selected to treat this population.\85\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \85\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny found that Dr. Amin performed 36 
transvaginal ultrasounds on patients in the records he 
reviewed. Those records indicate Dr. Amin generally had 
``[p]oor performance and documentation of transvaginal 
ultrasound evaluation.''\86\ Dr. Cherouny commented further 
that Dr. Amin is ``clearly not skilled in ultrasound of the 
female pelvis'' and that he ``appears to frequently confuse 
normal findings for pathology and uses these as indications for 
surgery.''\87\ Dr. Cherouny explained to the Subcommittee that 
these practices did not appear to comply with the American 
Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine Guidelines.\88\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \86\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
    \87\Memorandum from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
    \88\The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine is a 
multidisciplinary medical association of more than 10,000 physicians, 
sonographers, scientists, students, and other healthcare providers. See 
American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, Training Guidelines 
(https://www.aium.org/resources/ptGuidelines.aspx) (accessed Nov. 13, 
2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny explained that Dr. Amin ``does not 
appear to follow the current recommendations regarding Pap 
smear management through colposcopy and further 
treatment.''\89\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \89\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny also found that Dr. Amin did not 
give ``adequate time to affect a clinical response'' in most of 
the 40 cases he examined where Depo-Provera injections were 
administered for abnormal uterine bleeding.\90\ He explained 
that the ``adequate time'' for a response to this medication 
was six months and that was not given to these patients.\91\ 
Dr. Cherouny noted that Dr. Amin generally used 2-6 weeks of 
clinical response time before declaring that the Depo-Provera 
medication failed and proceeded to surgery.\92\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \90\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Feb. 1, 2022).
    \91\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
    \92\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny explained that 40 patient records--
of the 94 examined--indicated the patients had benign ovarian 
cysts removed by Dr. Amin, despite the fact that benign ovarian 
cysts ``generally resolve without surgical intervention.''\93\ 
He noted that in the records he reviewed, Dr. Amin 
``persistently finds and removes functional ovarian cysts'' and 
that the ``vast majority'' of the cysts ``did not require 
removal.''\94\ He also noted that there are risks with this 
surgery like any other, including infection and bleeding, and 
other issues that ``can result in pain and infertility, among 
other risks.''\95\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \93\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Feb. 1, 2022).
    \94\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022); Memorandum from Dr. Peter Cherouny 
to Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
    \95\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations (Feb. 1, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny explained that seven patients 
underwent a Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure 
(``LEEP''),\96\ used to identify abnormalities on Pap 
smears,\97\ and he found that the records he reviewed suggest 
Dr. Amin has ``limited knowledge and/or skill in Pap smear 
management.''\98\ He noted that the ``point of the [LEEP] 
procedure is to get tissue for diagnostic purposes and in each 
case [Dr. Amin] failed this outcome.''\99\ Dr. Cherouny 
attributed these failures to Dr. Amin's ``technique'' in 
performing the procedure.\100\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \96\A LEEP is a procedure in which a provider uses a heated, 
electric wire to remove cell s and tissues in the cervix and vagina. 
John Hopkins Medicine, Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) 
(www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/loop-
electrosurgical-excision-procedure-leep) (accessed Nov. 13, 2022).
    \97\A Pap smear or Pap test is a procedure used to test for 
cervical cancer in women. A Pap test requires a provider to insert an 
instrument called a speculum into the vagina to take a tissue sample 
from the cervix using a soft brush and scraping device known as a 
spatula. Mayo Clinic, Pap Smear (www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/
pap-smear/about/pac-20394841) (accessed Nov. 13, 2022).
    \98\Memorandum from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
    \99\Id.
    \100\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny also found that ``Dr. Amin 
frequently prescribes multiple treatments for a vaginal 
discharge complaint without an appropriate clinical 
evaluation.''\101\ The failure to conduct appropriate clinical 
evaluation in these circumstances ``results in patients 
receiving multiple treatments for the same complaints without 
improvement.''\102\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \101\Letter from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
    \102\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LDr. Cherouny stated that ``[i]t appears there 
was, likely, no oversight of the care provided to these 
patients. The repetitive nature of some of the issues, like 
inadequate cervical tissue after a LEEP procedure, would seem 
to prompt a review in many hospitals.''\103\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \103\Memorandum from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).

    Additionally, the Subcommittee interviewed three 
physicians--Dr. Ted Anderson, Dr. Margaret Mueller, and Dr. 
Sarah Collins.\104\ These physicians were part of a medical 
team asked by attorneys and advocacy groups later involved with 
the December 2020 lawsuit to review the medical charts for 19 
ICDC detainees Dr. Amin treated.\105\ The plaintiffs in the 
December 2020 lawsuit filed the summary findings of the medical 
review team and declarations from these doctors summarizing the 
chart reviews of select individual plaintiffs in support of the 
litigation.\106\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \104\Dr. Anderson is the Vice Chair for Clinical Operations and 
Director of the Division of Gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical 
Center. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Ted L. Anderson, MD, PhD 
(https://www.vumc.org/obgyn/person/ted-l-anderson-md-phd) (accessed 
Nov. 13, 2022). Dr. Collins is an Assistant Professor at the 
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. Northwestern 
Medicine, Sarah A. Collins, MD (https://www.nm.org/doctors/1942401948/
sarah-a-collins-md) (accessed Nov. 13, 2022). Dr. Mueller is also an 
Assistant Professor at the Northwestern University, Feinberg School of 
Medicine. Northwestern Medicine, Margaret G. Mueller, MD (https://
www.nm.org/doctors/1346570405/margaret-g-mueller-md) (accessed Nov. 
13,2022).
    \105\The review team consisted of nine board-certified OB-GYN 
physicians and two nursing experts. The team examined 3,200 pages of 
medical records for 19 women who alleged medical maltreatment while 
detained at ICDC. The records for these 19 detainees were included in 
the files of the 94 detainees that Dr. Cherouny reviewed. Executive 
Summary of Findings by the Independent Medical Review Team Regarding 
Medical Abuse Allegations at the Irwin County Detention Center (Oct. 
21, 2020) (on file with the Subcommittee).
    \106\Docket, Oldaker v. Giles, M.D. GA (No. 7:20-cv-00224-WLS-MSH).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    These experts concluded that Dr. Amin subjected women to 
aggressive and unethical gynecological care.\107\ They found 
that Dr. Amin quickly scheduled surgeries when non-surgical 
options were available, misinterpreted test results, performed 
unnecessary injections and treatments, and proceeded without 
informed consent.\108\ Dr. Collins later reviewed a new set of 
over 500 pages of medical records associated with 36 ICDC 
detainees in coordination with attorneys involved in the 
lawsuit by former detainees.\109\ Dr. Collins stated that in 
many cases, Dr. Amin appeared to have proceeded with 
unnecessary or excessive treatment regardless of patient 
conditions.\110\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \107\Executive Summary of Findings by the Independent Medical 
Review Team Regarding Medical Abuse Allegationsat the Irwin County 
Detention Center (Oct. 21, 2020) (on file with the Subcommittee).
    \108\Id. Informed consent requires that patients are well informed 
of the planned benefits, potential risks, and possible alternative 
options of medical treatments, procedures or surgeries that a 
healthcare provider intends to perform. Importantly, it also requires 
that the patient clearly understands the benefits and potential risks 
of the proposed treatment option and is afforded ample opportunity to 
ask questions and obtain medically sound responses. Based on witness 
testimony to the Subcommittee and a review of medical records by a 
number of physicians, it appears that informed consent was not provided 
to multiple ICDC detainees treated off-site by OB-GYN specialist Dr. 
Amin. Dr. Amin did not voluntarily sit for an interview with the 
Subcommittee. However, in civil litigation against Dr. Amin he has 
claimed he always obtains informed consent from his patients.
    \109\Email from Counsel for the National Immigration Project of the 
National Lawyers Guild to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations (Oct. 22, 2021).
    \110\Dr. Sarah Collins, Interview with Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 19, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subcommittee staff interviewed six former ICDC detainee 
patients treated by Dr. Amin--Karina Cisneros Preciado, Jaromy 
Floriano Navarro, Wendy Dowe, Maribel Castaneda-Reyes, Jane Doe 
#1, and Jane Doe #2--who described negative experiences with 
Dr. Amin.\111\ All of these women, except Jane Doe #2, are 
plaintiffs in the December 2020 lawsuit. These women described 
feeling confused, afraid, and violated after their treatment by 
Dr. Amin. Several reported that they still live with physical 
pain and uncertainty regarding the effect of his treatments on 
their fertility. These women also described instances in which 
Dr. Amin was rough and insensitive while performing procedures, 
continued despite their complaints regarding pain, and failed 
to disclose the potential side effects of certain procedures or 
even answer questions regarding his diagnosis or treatment 
plan. Several women stated that they did not provide their 
consent to the examinations or procedures Dr. Amin performed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \111\All of these women entered ICDC detention following arrests by 
local law enforcement in the interior of the United States. These 
women's records were included in the documents reviewed by the medical 
experts engaged by the Subcommittee. Two former ICDC detainees the 
Subcommittee interviewed asked to remain anonymous.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. There Appears to Have Been Repeated Failures to Secure Informed 
        Consent for Off-Site Medical Procedures Performed on ICDC 
        Detainees
    Obtaining informed consent from any patient is a sacrosanct 
responsibility of practicing physicians. This is particularly 
true when treating a vulnerable population in a confined 
institution. The American Medical Association's Code of Medical 
Ethics describes the importance of informed consent:

     To enable patients to participate meaningfully in 
decisions about health care, physicians have a responsibility 
to provide information and help patients understand their 
medical condition and options for treatment. [ ...] Informed 
consent to medical treatment is fundamental in both ethics and 
law. It helps patients make well-considered decisions about 
their care and treatment.\112\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \112\American Medical Association, Code of Medical Ethics: Consent, 
Communication & Decision Making, (https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-
care/ethics/code-medical-ethics-consent-communication-decision-making) 
(accessed Nov. 13, 2022).

    Furthermore, the Code of Medical Ethics advises: ``Document 
the informed consent conversation and the patient's (or 
surrogate's) decision in the medical record in some manner. 
When the patient/surrogate has provided specific written 
consent, the consent form should be included in the 
record.''\113\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \113\American Medical Association, Informed Consent: Code of 
Medical Ethics Opinion 2.1.1 (https://www.amaassn.org/delivering-care/
ethics/informed-consent) (accessed Nov. 13, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards 
(``PBNDS'') define informed consent as: ``An agreement by a 
patient to a treatment, examination, or procedure after the 
patient receives the material facts about the nature, 
consequences, and risks of the proposed treatment, examination 
or procedure; the alternatives to it; and the prognosis if the 
proposed action is not undertaken.''\114\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \114\U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, Performance-BasedNational Detention Standards 
2011, at 469-470 (Revised December 2016) (https://www.ice.gov/doclib/
detentionstandards/2011/pbnds2011r2016.pdf).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee found that ICE does not monitor informed 
consent procedures for off-site medical providers and does not 
have a responsibility to do so.\115\ IHSC officials stated to 
the Subcommittee that it is the sole professional obligation of 
the off-site provider to obtain informed consent from patients. 
Furthermore, there is no requirement in ICE's process for the 
approval or review of off-site medical procedures that an ICE 
official verifies that a consent form from a visit with an off-
site provider is included in a detainee's medical file. The 
Subcommittee also found that LaSalle, the ICDC contractor, did 
not have any contractual obligation with ICE to oversee the 
off-site care of detainees housed at its facility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \115\U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, 
Briefing with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 
29, 2021). According to ICE, the agency does not have a responsibility 
to monitor informed consent because providers are professionally and 
legally obligated to ensure informed consent. Email from U.S. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Staff to the Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Nov. 11, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    According to medical experts who reviewed the records of 
Dr. Amin's ICDC patients, there was a lack of informed consent 
in many instances. For example, based on the records Dr. 
Cherouny reviewed, he stated that Dr. Amin did not provide 
sufficient information regarding surgical procedures with 
detainee patients.\116\ The medical records reviewed do not 
consistently document thorough patient-doctor discussions and 
do not establish that patients were fully informed of all of 
their treatment options, including the benefits and risks of 
surgical procedures and other treatments, or whether they were 
clearly given a choice to opt out of any treatment at all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \116\Memorandum from Dr. Peter Cherouny to Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 27, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Former ICDC detainees interviewed by Subcommittee staff 
stated that Dr. Amin did not explain or answer questions 
regarding examinations, medication administration, or surgical 
procedures he performed on them. For example, one former 
detainee treated by Dr. Amin, Ms. Castaneda-Reyes, stated that 
she was told she was having surgery to remove an ovarian cyst 
and that when she arrived for the surgery, an electronic tablet 
and a stylus were simply handed to her to sign with no 
explanation from the nurses, the anesthesiologist, or Dr. Amin 
about the surgery or its risks, and they did not ask if she had 
any questions.\117\ This would appear to violate best practices 
of the doctor-patient informed consent process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \117\Maribel Castaneda-Reyes, Interview with Senate Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations (Oct. 5, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Subcommittee received incomplete records from ICH, the 
hospital where Dr. Amin performed the procedures on ICDC 
detainees, and no records from Dr. Amin. Thus, the Subcommittee 
could not verify whether any consent forms for the anonymized 
patients the medical experts reviewed may have existed in files 
separately maintained by Dr. Amin or ICH. The records from ICH 
included signed consent forms from some anonymized ICDC 
patients. In some cases, the records indicate that a nurse 
discussed the surgical process with Dr. Amin's patients. 
However, these files do not indicate that Dr. Amin himself 
engaged in a thorough discussion with all of his patients 
regarding the informed consent process as would be expected 
medical practice for a physician. Furthermore, the records 
provided to the Subcommittee do not establish that the 
detainees Dr. Amin treated were fully informed of all of their 
treatment options.
3. Medical Care Provided to Detainees at ICDC Was Known by DHS to Be 
        Deficient, but neither ICE nor LaSalle Took Effective 
        Corrective Action
    Following its review of records and interviews with former 
detainees, former employees, and DHS auditors, the Subcommittee 
found that ICDC detainees made frequent complaints about the 
quality and timeliness of medical care they received at the 
facility.\118\ Former ICDC nurses described deficiencies and 
delays in the treatment of detainees. Moreover, DHS offices 
responsible for oversight of detention facilities identified 
numerous, repeated, and serious deficiencies with the ICDC 
medical unit as far back as 2012, but ICDC and ICE failed to 
take effective corrective action to address these issues.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \118\The Subcommittee did not seek to verify every complaint heard 
from witnesses or every allegation reviewed in written grievances. 
However, the Subcommittee reviewed an estimated 760 grievances and 
nearly 650 of them were related to medical care. In addition, the 
complaints by detainees mirrored observations that former ICDC 
nursesrelayed to Subcommittee staff in interviews and that have 
previously been documented by DHS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ICDC medical staff dealt with a large number of medical 
complaints from detainees on a regular basis. These complaints 
ranged from cosmetic issues like dandruff and dry skin to more 
serious medical and mental health conditions.\119\ When 
detainees were not satisfied with the services they received 
from the medical unit, they submitted grievances to be 
addressed by ICDC leadership. The Subcommittee reviewed more 
than 760 grievances filed by ICDC ICE detainees between 2018 
and 2020. Of those grievances reviewed, the Subcommittee 
identified 659 medical grievances that contained allegations of 
delayed or deficient medical care. For example, one detainee 
stated that the facility failed to provide their diabetes 
medicine and as a result they started experiencing blurry 
vision due to elevated sugar levels.\120\ In other instances, 
an individual with chronic seizures and those with other 
chronic ailments, such as asthma, high blood pressure, and 
anemia, stated they were forced to wait days and weeks for the 
ICDC medical staff to address their critical prescription 
needs. Records reviewed by the Subcommittee showed that medical 
unit staff generally responded to these grievances within 24 to 
48 hours.\121\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \119\See, e.g., LaSalle--167885-88, LaSalle--216450, LaSalle--
216456 (sick calls for dandruff); LaSalle--232939-40, LaSalle--232942 
(sick calls for dry skin and dry scalp); LaSalle--177638-41 (mental 
health sick call for depression); LaSalle--281516-19 (sick call for 
pain related to a hernia).
    \120\Records indicate that ICDC staff responded three days later 
stating that staff would contact the detainee's previous detention 
center again to request records and obtain medication names and 
dosages. LaSalle--002652.
    \121\Records indicate that ICDC medical staff generally responded 
to these grievances within one to two days after the grievance was 
filed. LaSalle--000187; LaSalle--002668; LaSalle--002598; LaSalle--
002600.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    One detainee interviewed by Subcommittee staff said he 
submitted multiple requests related to a toothache but never 
received a response.\122\ He claimed his pain eventually 
stopped because the tooth fell out.\123\ Another detainee, who 
fell and broke her foot while at ICDC, told Subcommittee staff 
she was not taken to see anyone to treat the injury for a full 
month.\124\ Former detainees also described making multiple 
requests for access to their own medical laboratory or imaging 
results that went unaddressed.\125\ The Subcommittee was not 
able to review the medical records for these detainees and 
could not verify their claims. Some detainees alleged that 
their medical complaints were either not addressed or they 
received delayed care.\126\ The Subcommittee did not obtain 
records to corroborate the allegations made by these detainees. 
However, medical records reviewed by the Subcommittee showed 
that the ICDC medical unit frequently responded to medical 
requests within a few days and provided lab or imaging results 
when requested.\127\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \122\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Staff Visit to 
Irwin County Detention Center (Aug. 17, 2021) (memorandum on file with 
the Subcommittee).
    \123\Id.
    \124\A.K., Interview with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations (June 23, 2021).
    \125\Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Staff Visit to 
Irwin County Detention Center (Aug. 17, 2021) (memorandum on file with 
the Subcommittee).
    \126\Id.
    \127\For example, one detainee filed a sick call request on 
September 9, 2020 requesting test results and complaining of skin 
irritation and pain in her ovaries (LaSalle--177857-61). She was seen 
for all three requests at the medical unit on September 10, 2020 where 
she also requested her medical records at the same visit (LaSalle--
177863-65). The detainee received her medical records on September 21, 
2020 (LaSalle--177869). The detainee requested all of her ICDC medical 
records on December 7, 2020 (LaSalle--178320). She signed an 
acknowledgment that shereceived her ICDC medical records on December 
10, 2020 (LaSalle--178329).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Interviews with former ICDC staff provided additional 
insight on the issues with the ICDC medical unit. A former 
nurse described the facility's medical unit as ``filthy.''\128\ 
Another former nurse described ICDC as ``the least clean place 
of any place I have worked in.''\129\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \128\LPN #1, formerly of Irwin County Detention Center, Interview 
with Senate Permanent Subcommittee onInvestigations (June 30, 2021).
    \129\LPN #2, formerly of Irwin County Detention Center, Interview 
with Senate Permanent Subcommittee onInvestigations (July 12, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As far back as 2012, internal DHS audit and oversight 
entities identified deficiencies with the ICDC medical 
unit.\130\ For example, the DHS Office for Civil Rights and 
Civil Liberties (``CRCL'') cited issues at ICDC with record 
maintenance and medication distribution, including an incident 
involving a cancer patient who was never allegedly provided 
medication.\131\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \130\U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights 
and Civil Liberties, Redacted Irwin Rec & Close Memorandum from FY13 
Expert Report Memorandum (Nov. 5, 2012) (notes from document review on 
file with the Subcommittee).
    \131\U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights 
and Civil Liberties, Redacted Irwin Rec & Close Memorandum Expert 
Report Memorandum (Nov. 4, 2016) (notes from document review on file 
with the Subcommittee).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition, a 2017 ICE Office of Detention Oversight 
(``ODO'') review of ICDC found that ICDC staff inconsistently 
reviewed detainees' medical intake forms and often left 
sections of those forms blank.\132\ The review also found a 
lack of documentation showing that medical staff had completed 
required staff training.\133\ Finally, ODO found syringes and 
needles in examination rooms that were ``neither secured nor 
inventoried.''\134\ Overall, the inspection examined 15 ICE 
detention standards and found 26 deficiencies in 10 standards, 
which included nine ``medical care'' deficiencies, a number of 
which were repeat deficiencies.\135\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \132\U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility, Inspections 
and Detention Oversight Division, Compliance Inspection for the Irwin 
County Detention Center Ocilla, Georgia (Mar. 2017) (https://
www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/odo-complianceinspections/
2017IrwinCountyGA.pdf).
    \133\Id.
    \134\Id.
    \135\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In March 2020, five months prior to the public allegations 
against ICDC surfaced, another ODO inspection found that 
medical files at ICDC were stored improperly, on the floor and 
across desks, and examination tables in facility medical units 
were ``torn beyond repair, making cleaning and decontamination 
impossible.''\136\ The ODO review found that ICDC was only in 
compliance with five of 18 ICE detention standards they 
examined overall and documented 36 deficiencies, including 
three regarding ``medical care.''\137\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \136\U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility, Inspections 
and Detention Oversight Division, Compliance Inspection for the Irwin 
County Detention Center Ocilla, Georgia (Mar. 2020)(https://
www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/odo-complianceinspections/irwinCoDetCntr--
OcillaGA--Mar3-5--2020.pdf).
    \137\Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. ICE Did Not Conduct Thorough Oversight of Off-Site Medical Providers 
        and Procedures
    Past DHS reviews have documented consistent, ongoing, and 
unresolved deficiencies in ICE's medical record keeping 
procedures, prescription medication distribution practices, and 
overall quality of medical care at various ICE detention 
facilities, including ICDC. In addition, through multiple 
interviews with senior IHSC officials and a review of ICE 
documents, the Subcommittee identified key gaps in ICE 
oversight of physicians providing medical care to ICE detainees 
at facilities outside of its detention centers.
    Highlights of the Subcommittee's investigation on ICE 
oversight of off-site medical providers include:

     LICE was not aware of, and did not review key 
information regarding Dr. Amin's professional history prior to 
the agency's agreement to allow Dr. Amin to treat ICDC 
detainees in 2014. ICE authorized Dr. Amin to treat ICE 
detainees based solely on the fact that he had an active 
medical license, admitting privileges at ICH, and was not 
otherwise prohibited from treating ICE detainees.
     LICE did not have access to the National 
Practitioner Data Bank (``NPDB'')--a confidential federal 
clearinghouse of healthcare provider information--and was 
unable to conduct a search for Dr. Amin in the database before 
he began treating ICDC detainees. Had ICE been able to conduct 
this search, it would have found multiple past medical 
malpractice claims against Dr. Amin, and the fact that a major 
U.S. insurance company dropped him as a covered physician in 
2005 due to ``excessive malpractice cases'' and an ``extensive 
malpractice history.''\138\ ICE was not aware of the medical 
malpractice suits filed against Dr. Amin until after the 
September 2020 public allegations against him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \138\Staff conducted an in camera review at the U.S. Department of 
Health and Human Services of National Practitioner Data Bank 
information on Dr. Amin. (Dec. 9, 2021) (Notes on file with the 
Subcommittee).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LICE was unaware that DOJ and the State of Georgia 
had filed a 2013 lawsuit against Dr. Amin and other physicians 
at ICH until after the September 2020 allegations. The lawsuit 
included five counts, including allegations that Dr. Amin and 
his codefendants had engaged in Medicaid fraud, violated the 
Federal Anti-Kickback Statute and Georgia Medicaid policies, 
and maintained ``standing orders'' to conduct unnecessary 
gynecological procedures.
     LDr. Amin began treating ICDC detainee patients in 
2014, the year after DOJ filed its lawsuit against him. In 
2015, Dr. Amin, other physicians, and the hospital entered into 
a settlement agreement with DOJ and the State of Georgia and 
agreed to pay $520,000 to resolve the allegations regarding 
Medicaid fraud.
     LICE did not have a process to automatically flag 
the disproportionately high number of medical procedures Dr. 
Amin or any given doctor performs compared to his or her peers. 
While ICE informed the Subcommittee that the disparity in the 
number of Dr. Amin's procedures alone would not be 
disqualifying, additional scrutiny of Dr. Amin's practices may 
have prevented unnecessary procedures from occurring.\139\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \139\U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, 
Briefing with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 
29, 2021). ICE later stated to the Subcommittee that based on the 
comparative analysis, ICE noted a possible overutilization of the D&C 
and laparoscopic procedures, but that it would need an expert OB-GYN 
review of the medical records because its analysis was based solely on 
medical claims data. Email from U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement Staff to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on 
Investigations (Nov. 11, 2022).

    Since the initial September 2020 public allegations against 
Dr. Amin and ICE, IHSC has initiated limited vetting procedures 
of off-site medical providers. IHSC officials also noted, 
however, that even these new procedures likely would not have 
disqualified Dr. Amin from treating ICE detainees. An IHSC 
official told Subcommittee staff that the agency would not have 
deemed the information on Dr. Amin in the NPDB as disqualifying 
based on the fact that he maintains a current, active medical 
license with the state of Georgia, and the state had never 
restricted his license or otherwise intervened at any point in 
his medical service. As a result, the IHSC official said IHSC 
``would not have had any issues'' with allowing Dr. Amin to 
treat ICE patients.\140\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \140\U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, 
Briefing with Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Sept. 
29, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Following the public allegations against Dr. Amin in 
September 2020, ICE conducted a limited review of medical 
records, claims, and referrals for his patients. ICE did not, 
however, obtain complete files from ICDC or ICH and ultimately 
suspended its investigation pending completion of a DHS OIG 
investigation into the allegations of inappropriate off-site 
gynecological care at ICDC.\141\ In multiple conversations with 
Subcommittee staff, IHSC officials were only able to speculate 
about the reasons why Dr. Amin performed so many more 
procedures than other physicians providing OB-GYN care to ICE 
detainees. Dr. Amin stopped treating ICE detainees in September 
2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \141\The DHS OIG started its review in October 2020. However, this 
review did not evaluate off-site medical care of ICDC detainees. This 
review ``sought to determine whether ICDC provided detainees adequate 
[on-site] medical care and adhered to COVID-19 protections. This 
inspection did not review the gynecological procedure approval process 
for detainees at ICDC, which has been referred to our Office of 
Investigations.'' The review of gynecological treatment is currently 
underway. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector 
General, Medical Processes and Communication Protocols Need Improvement 
at Irwin County Detention Center (OIG-22-14) (Jan. 3, 2022) (https://
www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2022-01/OIG-22-14-
Jan22.pdf).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Subcommittee's Investigation
    During the Subcommittee's 18-month long investigation, the 
Subcommittee interviewed more than 70 witnesses and reviewed 
more than 541,000 pages of records, including records from DHS, 
ICE, ICDC, LaSalle, and ICH.
    The Subcommittee evaluated litigation materials, reports, 
declarations, expert medical assessments, and documents 
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs Financial 
Services Center (``VAFSC''), and conducted an in camera review 
of documents from HHS and the Departments of Treasury.
    The Subcommittee secured briefings from attorneys, 
advocates, physicians, and other entities including: the U.S. 
Marshals Service, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
(``CMS''), HHS OIG, DHS OIG, the Nakamoto Group, and the 
Georgia Composite Medical Board.
    Additionally, the Subcommittee interviewed nearly 50 former 
ICDC detainees, 40 of which were interviewed during the 
Subcommittee's August 2021 staff visit to ICDC. Subcommittee 
staff also interviewed seven former ICDC employees, four 
current ICDC or LaSalle employees, two ICH executives, three 
ICH nurses, six current ICE officials, and one former ICE 
official.
The Subcommittee's Findings of Fact and Recommendations
    Findings of Fact:

     L(1) Female detainees at ICDC appear to have been 
subjected to excessive, invasive, and often unnecessary 
gynecological procedures.
     L(2) The Subcommittee did not substantiate the allegation 
that ICDC detainees underwent ``high rates'' of unauthorized 
hysterectomies. Dr. Amin performed two hysterectomies on ICDC 
detainees between 2017 and 2019. According to ICE, patient 
records indicated that both procedures were medically 
necessary.
     L(3) Between 2017 and 2020 Dr. Amin performed a 
significantly higher volume of invasive procedures on ICE 
detainees compared to other OB-GYN physicians serving ICE 
detainees. Dr. Amin ranked first among all physicians treating 
ICE detainees across the country during this period in terms of 
the number of D&C procedures, laparoscopies to excise lesions, 
and limited pelvic exams he performed, as well as the number of 
Depo-Provera injections he administered. In fact, of the 401 
combined total number of these procedures performed on all ICE 
detainees by OB-GYN specialists across the nation, Dr. Amin 
performed 362 of these procedures--or 90 percent of them. In 
ten categories of OB-GYN procedures the Subcommittee reviewed, 
Dr. Amin was among the top five providers for eight of the ten 
procedures. For the specific OB-GYN procedures the Subcommittee 
examined, Dr. Amin performed nearly one-third of the total 
procedures performed on ICE detainees at all ICE detention 
facilities between 2017 and 2020. This was despite the fact 
that ICDC housed about 4 percent of the female detainee 
population.
     L(4) For the specific OB-GYN procedures the Subcommittee 
examined, Dr. Amin received around half of all payments from 
ICE for these procedures. From 2017 to 2020, physicians 
performed 1,201 of these ten types of OB-GYN procedures on ICE 
detainees, costing ICE over $120,400. Dr. Amin performed 392 of 
the 1,201 procedures and received approximately $60,000 for 
these procedures.
     L(5) Dr. Amin had a history of medical malpractice suits 
filed against him. Due to this history, a major U.S. insurance 
company dropped its contract with him nearly one decade before 
ICE began using his services at ICDC.
     L(6) ICE was not aware of publicly available information 
regarding medical malpractice suits and a DOJ and State of 
Georgia Medicaid fraud complaint against Dr. Amin before he 
began treating ICE detainees.
     L(7) Prior to October 2019, ICE did not employ a thorough 
vetting process for physicians treating detainees at facilities 
outside detention centers. ICE has since established a process 
to review board certifications, records of adverse actions, and 
a list of individuals and entities excluded from federal 
healthcare programs, but ICE never completed this process for 
Dr. Amin.
     L(8) ICE officials stated that its new vetting procedures 
would not necessarily have disqualified Dr. Amin from treating 
detainees. Due to the fact that the state of Georgia had never 
restricted Dr. Amin's license or otherwise intervened at any 
point in his medical service, and the information in the NPDB 
were unsubstantiated allegations that had been settled, ICE 
would not necessarily have disqualified Dr. Amin from treating 
ICE detainees.
     L(9) ICE lacked a medical utilization review process to 
identify potential trends in off-site medical treatment. Until 
recently, ICE did not maintain a system to detect trends in 
medical procedures by off-site physicians that might indicate 
medical waste, fraud, or abuse. ICE states it intends to change 
its procedures to standardize the medical request approval 
process and has begun to employ a web-based application for 
medical utilization review and management, beginning with a 
retrospective review of ICE medical claims.
     L(10) ICE performed an investigation of medical treatments 
provided to ICDC detainees following the public allegations 
against Dr. Amin, but did not obtain complete medical records 
for ICDC detainees. During its investigation, ICE did not 
obtain complete medical records for ICDC detainees and 
ultimately did not conduct a more thorough review due to the 
pending DHS OIG investigation involving off-site gynecological 
procedures.
     L(11) ICE personnel failed to conduct site visits at ICDC 
between January 2018 and October 2020. The Field Medical 
Coordinator assigned to ICDC did not visit ICDC between January 
2018 and October 2020--the period of greatest activity for Dr. 
Amin in terms of office visit claims and procedures.
     L(12) ICE is not required to monitor the use of language 
translation services by off-site medical providers or ensure 
these providers obtain informed consent for off-site medical 
procedures. Instead, ICE has relied on off-site providers to 
fulfill their professional obligations to ensure detainees 
understand and consent to the medical care they receive.
     L(13) ICE conducts limited oversight of hospitals 
providing off-site care to detainees. To date, ICE has also 
performed no reviews of hospitals treating detainees to review 
the appropriateness of the medical care they provide, although 
ICE told the Subcommittee that it intends to conduct these 
reviews in the future.
     L(14) ICE approved Dr. Amin's performance of OB-GYN 
procedures on a case-by-case basis and never identified any of 
Dr. Amin's treatments as potentially excessive or unnecessary.
     L(15) ICE's contract with LaSalle did not require the 
company or ICDC to conduct oversight of off-site medical care 
for detainees. ICDC and LaSalle played no role in vetting off-
site medical providers treating detainees, or ensuring that 
these providers obtained informed consent or used appropriate 
language translation services. No ICDC or LaSalle employee the 
Subcommittee interviewed recalled a review of treatment by Dr. 
Amin--prior to the public allegations in September 2020 or 
since--that found signs of waste, fraud, or abuse.
Recommendations:
     L(1) ICE should expedite efforts to improve the vetting of 
off-site medical providers for detainees and should consider 
expanding criteria for excluding providers. ICE officials noted 
to the Subcommittee that even new vetting procedures ICE 
instituted in 2019 might not have excluded Dr. Amin--despite 
his previous malpractice settlements, the fact that a major 
insurance company severed its contract with him based on his 
history of malpractice cases, and his False Claims Act 
settlement with DOJ in 2015.
     L(2) ICE should expedite efforts to identify trends in 
off-site medical procedures for detainees for potential waste, 
fraud, or abuse and should conduct regular audits of 
physicians, hospitals, or other facilities providing off-site 
care. To provide context for its review efforts, ICE should 
also expand the range of information it collects from detention 
centers to include historic demographic population information 
and descriptions of on-site medical capabilities.
     L(3) ICE should institute policies and procedures to 
ensure off-site providers obtain informed consent in connection 
with their treatment of detainees. ICE currently expects that 
off-site medical providers will honor their professional 
obligations to ensure detainees understand and consent to 
medical procedures, but ICE has taken no responsibility for 
them doing so.
     L(4) ICE should ensure it reviews all detainee complaints 
regarding medical treatment independently of site visits from 
Field Medical Coordinators. ICE officials should have the 
ability to receive and review all detainee medical complaints 
electronically and contemporaneously, regardless of whether 
staffing challenges prevent annual visits to detention 
facilities.
     L(5) Federal immigration policy should support and allow 
for the swifter adjudication of immigration cases without 
undermining the procedural due process rights of immigrants.
4. Sexual Abuse of Female Inmates in Federal Prisons, December 13, 2022 
        (Report Prepared by the Majority and Minority Staff of the 
        Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and released in 
        conjunction with the Subcommittee's hearing on December 13, 
        2022.)
    In April 2022, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 
(``PSI'' or ``the Subcommittee'') launched a bipartisan 
investigation into sexual abuse of female prisoners in custody 
of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (``BOP'').
    The Subcommittee reviewed non-public BOP and whistleblower 
documents, and it conducted more than two dozen interviews with 
senior BOP leaders, whistleblowers, and survivors of sexual 
abuse. The Subcommittee found:

     LBOP employees sexually abused female prisoners in 
at least two-thirds (19 of 29 facilities) of federal prisons 
that have held women over the past decade.\142\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \142\There are currently 27 female facilities where BOP holds 
women. Since 2012, there have been two BOP facilities that were used to 
hold women but no longer do: FCC Coleman and MCC New York. Thus, since 
2012, there were 29 BOP facilities in total that have held women. See 
Exhibit 1; Bureau of Prisons, Our Locations (https://www.bop.gov/
locations/list.jsp); Email from Congressional Research Service to PSI 
(Dec. 9, 2022) (on file with PSI) (confirming 29 total facilities 
between 2012 and 2022 held female prisoners). The Subcommittee reviewed 
public criminal convictions and data produced by BOP concerning 
substantiated sexual abuse cases of prisoners by BOP employees. See 
Exhibit 1; Staff-on-Inmate Cases by Facility (2012-2021), Production 
from DOJ to PSI (Nov. 4, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod4-0001-0049). The 
Subcommittee found sexual abuse of female prisoners by BOP employees in 
19 of 29 federal facilities that held women since 2012. Because BOP did 
not disclose the gender of the victim of abuse in the data that it 
produced to the Subcommittee, the Subcommittee did not include BOP OIA 
substantiated sexual abuse cases in the remaining 10 of 29 facilities 
holding both men and women where there was no public criminal 
conviction. For this reason, there were abuse cases in at least 19 of 
29 facilities, or, two-thirds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LBOP has failed to successfully implement the 
Prison Rape Elimination Act (``PREA''). It failed to prevent, 
detect, and stop recurring sexual abuse in at least four 
federal prisons, including abuse by senior prison officials. At 
FCI Dublin, for example, the former Warden and Chaplain both 
sexually abused female prisoners.
     LBOP management failures enabled continued sexual 
abuse of female prisoners by BOP's own employees.
     LBOP Office of Internal Affairs' (``BOP OIA'' or 
``OIA'') investigative practices are seriously flawed. There is 
currently a backlog of 8,000 internal affairs cases, including 
at least hundreds of sexual abuse cases.\143\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \143\Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, Report for Fiscal Year 2020 
(https://www.bop.gov/foia/docs/FY--2020--Annual--OIA--Report.pdf); Beth 
Reese, Chief of the Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, Interview with PSI 
(Oct. 28, 2022); Lawsuit settled in which 15 women alleged sexual abuse 
at Florida prison, Tampa Bay Times (May 5, 2022) (https://
www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2021/05/05/lawsuitsettled-in-which-15-
women-alleged-sexual-abuse-at-florida-prison/).

    In 2003, Congress passed PREA ``to eradicate prisoner rape 
in all types of correctional facilities in this country'' by 
requiring federal prisons to adopt certain policies and 
practices designed to mitigate the risk of sexual abuse, track 
allegations of sexual abuse, and protect potential 
victims.\144\ Yet according to the Subcommittee's review of 
court filings and non-public BOP data dating back to 2012, BOP 
employees have sexually abused women in their custody in at 
least 19 of 29--or two-thirds--of facilities where BOP 
incarcerates women.\145\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \144\Bureau of Justice Assistance, Prison Rape Elimination Act 
(PREA): Overview (https://bja.ojp.gov/program/prison-rape-elimination-
act-prea/overview).
    \145\See footnote 1. ``BOP employees'' in this report includes 
bargaining staff, mid-level managers, and supervisors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In at least four BOP facilities, multiple women endured 
ongoing sexual abuse for months or years.\146\ Beginning in 
June 2021, the Department of Justice (``DOJ'') indicted five 
BOP employees at California's Federal Correctional Institution 
(``FCI'') Dublin--including the Warden and the Chaplain--for 
repeated sexual abuse of at least eight female prisoners under 
their supervision.\147\ The horrific abuse at FCI Dublin was 
not unique among BOP's prisons. BOP failed to detect and 
prevent repeated sexual abuse in at least three other 
facilities before FCI Dublin.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \146\See, e.g., U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New 
York: Correctional Officer At Metropolitan Correctional Center 
Sentenced To 40 Months In Prison For Engaging In Abusive Sexual Contact 
With Inmates (Dec. 8, 2020) (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/
correctional-officer-metropolitan-correctional-centersentenced-40-
months-prison); Office of Public Affairs, Department of Justice: Jury 
Convicts Former Federal Prison Warden for Sexual Abuse of Three Female 
Inmates (Dec. 8, 2022) (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/jury-
convictsformer-federal-prison-warden-sexual-abuse-three-female-
inmates); U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York: Former 
Federal Bureau of Prisons Lieutenant Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison 
for Sexual Abuse and Violation of Civil Rights Convictions (July 31, 
2019) (https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/former-federal-
bureauprisons-lieutenant-sentenced-25-years-prison-sexual-abuse-and); 
Affidavit of Keith Vann, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 18, 2022) 
(PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0135-0144).
    \147\Lisa Fernandez, 5th officer at Dublin prison charged in 
widening sex abuse scandal, KTVU FOX 2 (Mar. 24, 2022) (https://
www.ktvu.com/news/5th-guard-at-dublin-prison-charged-in-widening-sex-
abuse-scandal). United States v. Highhouse, No. 22-cr-000016-HSG (N.D. 
Cal. 2022); United States. v. Klinger, No. 4:22-CR-00031-JSW (N.D. 
Cal., June 25, 2021); United States. v. Bellhouse, No. 4:21-MJ-71905-
MRGD (N.D. Cal., Nov. 30, 2021); United States. Chavez, No. 4:22-CR-
00104-JSW (N.D. Cal., Mar. 10, 2022); United States v. Garcia, No. 
4:21-CR-429 (N.D. Cal. 2022).

     LStarting in approximately 2012, at least two 
officers repeatedly sexually abused at least eight female 
prisoners at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (``MCC'') New 
York over the course of several years.\148\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \148\Benjamin Weiser, U.S. Pays $4.2 Million to Victims of Jail 
Guard's Long-Running Sex Abuse, New York Times (July 18, 2022) (https:/
/www.nytimes.com/2022/07/18/nyregion/mcc-officer-sex-abuse-victims-
payout.html);Herrera v. United States, 20-cv-10206 (PKC) (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 
27, 2022); U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York: Former 
Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to Seven Years for Sexually 
Abusing an Inmate (May 4, 2022) (https://oig.justice.gov/press/2016/
2016-05-04.pdf).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LStarting in approximately 2016, at least two male 
lieutenants and one officer sexually abused at least nine 
female prisoners at the Metropolitan Detention Center (``MDC'') 
Brooklyn in New York.\149\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \149\Joseph Goldstein, Brooklyn Prison Supervisors Charged With 
Sexually Assaulting Inmates, New York Times (May 25, 2017) https://
www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/nyregion/prison-supervisors-sex-abuse-
prevention-rapecharges.html); United States v. Eugenio Perez, 1:17-cr-
00280-KAM (E.D.N.Y. 2018); United States v. Martinez, 1:17-cr-00281-ERK 
(E.D.N.Y. 2019); United States v. Armando Moronta, 17-CR-281 (E.D.N.Y. 
2017).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LStarting in approximately 2012 through 2020, 
there were at least six male BOP employees who sexually abused 
at least ten female prisoners at the Federal Correctional 
Complex (``FCC'') Coleman in Florida.\150\ The Subcommittee 
obtained copies of non-public sworn, compelled statements from 
officers at FCC Coleman, wherein the officers admitted to 
sexual abuse of female detainees in graphic detail.\151\ DOJ's 
Office of the Inspector General (``OIG'') declined to 
investigate these FCC Coleman officers for sexual abuse and 
they were never prosecuted.\152\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \150\See Answer at T 26-29, Beaubrun v. United States, 5:19-CV-
0615-TJC (M.D. Fl. 2020) [hereinafter Beaubrun Answer].
    \151\2019 Affidavit of Christopher Palomares, Production from DOJ 
to PSI (Oct. 18, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0101-0111) [hereinafter 2019 
Palomares Aff.]; 2018 Affidavit of Christopher Palomares, Production 
from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 18, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0112-0123) 
[hereinafter 2018 Palomares Aff.]; Affidavit of Daniel Kuilan, 
Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 18, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0188-0196) 
[hereinafter Kuilan Aff.]; Affidavit of Keith Vann, Production from DOJ 
to PSI (Oct. 18, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0135-0144) [hereinafter Vann 
Aff.]; Affidavit of Tracy Laudenslager, Production from DOJ to PSI 
(Oct. 18, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0093-0100) [hereinafter Laudenslager 
Aff.]; Affidavit of Timothy Phillips, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 
18, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0124-0134) [hereinafter Phillips Aff.]; 
Affidavit of Scott Campbell Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 18, 2022) 
(PSI-BOPOIA-Prod2-0086-0092) [hereinafter Campbell Aff.].
    \152\OIG Briefing to PSI (Nov. 9, 2022); Beth Reese, Chief of the 
Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022).

    The Subcommittee found that the mechanisms that BOP employs 
to identify and prevent sexual abuse of female prisoners by BOP 
employees are ineffective. Audits intended to assess sexual 
abuse in prisons (known as ``PREA audits'') found that FCC 
Coleman and FCI Dublin were compliant with every PREA standard 
during the time when senior BOP officials admitted to the 
Subcommittee that there was a ``culture of abuse.''\153\ 
Further, BOP failed to systematically analyze PREA data, 
missing a key opportunity to identify problematic facilities or 
employees.\154\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \153\2017 FCI Dublin PREA Audit, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 
4, 2022); 2022 FCI Dublin PREA Audit, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 
4, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-0262-0381); 2018 FCC Coleman PREA Audit, 
Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 4, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-0635-0726); 
2021 FCC Coleman PREA Audit, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 4, 2022) 
(PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-0125-0261); Beth Reese, Chief of the Office of 
Internal Affairs, BOP, Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022); Alix 
McLearen, PhD, Acting Director of Reentry Services, BOP, Interview with 
PSI (Nov. 4, 2022).
    \154\Beth Reese, Chief of the Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, 
Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    BOP OIA, the component of BOP responsible for investigating 
staff misconduct, has failed to timely investigate and resolve 
allegations of employee misconduct concerning both sexual abuse 
of female prisoners and other matters. The Subcommittee's 
investigation uncovered that as of November 2022, BOP OIA had a 
backlog of approximately 8,000 cases.\155\ Some cases have been 
pending for more than five years.\156\ BOP OIA's failures 
impeded BOP's ability to hold wrongdoers accountable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \155\See Beth Reese, Chief of the Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, 
Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022).
    \156\Beth Reese, Chief of the Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, 
Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Subcommittee's Key Findings
    1. Over the past decade, female inmates in at least two-
thirds (19 of 29) of federal prisons that held women were 
sexually abused by male BOP employees, including senior prison 
officials. Multiple BOP employees sexually abused multiple 
female prisoners at MCC New York, MDC Brooklyn, FCC Coleman, 
and FCI Dublin.\157\ Between 2012 and 2020, BOP has opened 
5,415 internal affairs cases alleging sexual abuse of male or 
female prisoners by BOP employees.\158\ There were at least 134 
instances across 19 female facilities where BOP employees were 
either prosecuted for sexual abuse of female prisoners or where 
BOP OIA substantiated allegations that BOP employees sexually 
abused female prisoners.\159\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \157\See Exhibit 1.
    \158\Staff-on-Inmate Cases by Facility (2012-2021), Production from 
DOJ to PSI (Nov. 4, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIAProd4-0001-0049).
    \159\See footnote 1; Exhibit 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    2. BOP failed to detect, prevent, and respond to sexual 
abuse of female prisoners in its custody. BOP failed to 
systematically analyze PREA complaint data and relied on flawed 
PREA audits that missed sexual abuse of female prisoners by 
male BOP employees at FCC Coleman and FCI Dublin.\160\ At FCC 
Coleman, BOP transferred all female prisoners out of the prison 
two days before the auditor's on-site inspection at a time when 
multiple women were being abused.\161\ At FCI Dublin, the 
former PREA compliance officer, responsible for training 
supervisors on the PREA requirements and coordinating the PREA 
audit, was convicted of sexually abusing female prisoners on 
December 8, 2022.\162\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \160\See Beth Reese, Chief of the Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, 
Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022); Alix McLearen, PhD, Acting Director 
of Reentry Services, BOP, Interview with PSI (Nov. 4, 2022); Melissa 
Rios, Western Regional Director, BOP, Interview with PSI (Nov. 10, 
2022); Wiley Jenkins, Former Warden at FCI Dublin, BOP, Interview with 
PSI (Nov. 16, 2022); 2017 FCI Dublin PREA Audit, Production from DOJ to 
PSI (Oct. 4, 2022) (on file with PSI); 2022 FCI Dublin PREA Audit, 
Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 4, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-0262-0381); 
2018 FCC Coleman PREA Audit, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 4, 2022) 
(PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-0635-0726); 2021 FCC Coleman PREA Audit, Production 
from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 4, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-0125-0261).
    \161\See FCC Coleman PREA Audit, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 
4, 2022) (PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-0125-0261) at PSI-BOPOIA-Prod1-000136.
    \162\Office of Public Affairs, Department of Justice: Jury Convicts 
Former Federal Prison Warden for Sexual Abuse of Three Female Inmates 
(Dec. 8, 2022) (https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/jury-convicts-former-
federal-prisonwarden-sexual-abuse-three-female-inmates); 2017 FCI 
Dublin PREA Audit, Production from DOJ to PSI (Oct. 4, 2022) (on file 
with PSI).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    3. BOP failed to hold employees accountable for misconduct. 
BOP has a backlog of approximately 8,000 internal affairs cases 
alleging employee misconduct, some of which have been pending 
for more than five years.\163\ OIA's failure to clear pending 
cases impedes BOP's ability to hold employees accountable.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \163\See Beth Reese, Chief of the Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, 
Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    4. BOP failed to take agency-wide action to address sexual 
abuse of female inmates by male BOP employees. In interviews 
with the Subcommittee, BOP could not identify any agency-wide 
actions it had undertaken in response to sexual abuse of 
numerous female inmates by multiple BOP employees at MCC New 
York, MDC Brooklyn, and FCC Coleman. It was only after the 
abuse at FCI Dublin came to light that BOP began to institute 
agency-wide changes.\164\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \164\See Beth Reese, Chief of the Office of Internal Affairs, BOP, 
Interview with PSI (Oct. 28, 2022); Alix McLearen, PhD, Acting Director 
of Reentry Services, BOP, Interview with PSI (Nov. 4, 2022); Melissa 
Rios, Western Regional Director, BOP, Interview with PSI (Nov. 10, 
2022); Wiley Jenkins, Former Warden at FCI Dublin, BOP, Interview with 
PSI (Nov. 16, 2022).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                             V. GAO REPORTS

    During the 117th Congress, the Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) issued 29 reports at the request of the 
Subcommittee. Reports are listed here by title, GAO number, and 
release date.
    Chemical Security: Overlapping Programs Could Better 
Collaborate to Share Information and Identify Potential 
Security Gaps. GAO-21-12. January 21, 2021.
    Southwest Border: DHS and DOJ Have Implemented Expedited 
Credible Fear Screening Pilot Programs, But Should Ensure 
Timely Data Entry. GAO-21-144. January 25, 2021.
    Man-Made Chemicals and Potential Health Risks: EPA Has 
Completed Some Regulatory-Related Actions for PFAS. GAO-21-37. 
January 27, 2021.
    Bureau of Prisons: Opportunities Exist to Better Analyze 
Staffing Data and Improve Employee Wellness Programs. GAO-21-
123. February 24, 2021.
    U.S. Assistance to Mexico: State and USAID Should 
Strengthen Risk Management for Programs Under the Merida 
Initiative. GAO-21-335. March 1, 2021.
    Electricity Grid: Opportunities Exist for DOE to Better 
Support Utilities in Improving Resilience to Hurricanes. GAO-
21-274. March 5, 2021.
    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: Actions 
Needed to Ensure Organizational Changes Result in More 
Effective Cybersecurity for Our Nation. GAO-21-236. March 10, 
2021.
    Decennial Census: Bureau Should Assess Significant Data 
Collection Challenges as It Undertakes Planning for 2030. GAO-
21-365. March 22, 2021.
    Disaster Recovery: HUD Should Take Additional Action to 
Assess Community Development Block Grant Fraud Risks. GAO-21-
177. May 5, 2021.
    ORAL Presentation on DHS's Countering Weapons of Mass 
Destruction (CWMD) Office. May 18, 2021.
    Puerto Rico Recovery: FEMA Made Progress in Approving 
Projects, But Should Identify and Assess Risks to the Recovery. 
GAO-21-264. May 19, 2021.
    La Recuperacion De Puerto Rico: FEMA Progreso en la 
Aprobacion de Proyectos, Per Deberia Identificary Evaular Los 
Riesgos Para La Recuperacion. GAO-21-442. May 19, 2021.
    Biodefense: DHS Exploring New Methods to Replace Biowatch 
and Could Benefit from Additional Guidance. GAO-21-292. May 20, 
2021.
    DHS Office of Inspector General: Actions Needed to Address 
Long-Standing Management Weaknesses. GAO-21-316. June 3, 2021.
    Homeland Security: DHS Needs to Fully Implement Key 
Practices in Acquiring Biometric Identity Management System. 
GAO-21-386. June 8, 2021.
    Capital Fund Proposal: Upfront Funding Could Benefit Some 
Projects, But Other Potential Effects Not Clearly Identified. 
GAO-21-215. September 10, 2021.
    Federal Real Property Asset Management: Additional 
Direction in Government-Wide Guidance Could Enhance Natural 
Disaster Resilience. GAO-21-596. September 14, 2021.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: CISA Should Improve 
Priority Setting, Stakeholder Involvement, and Threat 
Information Sharing. GAO-22-104279. March 1, 2022.
    2020 Census: Bureau Released Apportionment and 
Redistricting Data, But Needs to Finalize Plans for Future Data 
Programs. GAO-22-105324. March 14, 2022.
    Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: DHS Could Improve 
Its Acquisition of Key Technology and Coordination with 
Partners. GAO-22-104498. April 19, 2022.
    IRS Free File Program: IRS Should Develop Additional 
Options for Taxpayers to File For Free. GAO-22-105236. April 
28, 2022.
    Management Report: IRS Should Test Videoconference Visits 
with Paid Preparers. GAO-22-105978. July 14, 2022.
    Persistent Chemicals: Technologies for PFAS Assessment, 
Detection, and Treatment. GAO-22-105088. July 28, 2022.
    Federal Real Property: GSA Could Further Support Agencies' 
Post Pandemic Planning for Office Space. GAO-22-105105. 
September 7, 2022.
    Deaths in Custody: Additional Action Needed to Help Ensure 
Data Collected by DOJ are Utilized. GAO-22-106033. September 
20, 2022.
    Privacy: Dedicated Leadership Can Improve Programs and 
Address Challenges. GAO-22-105065. September 22, 2022.
    Persistent Chemicals: EPA Should Use New Data to Analyze 
the Demographics of Communities with PFAS in Their Drinking 
Water. GAO-22-105135. September 30, 2022.
    Cybersecurity: Secret Service Has Made Progress Toward Zero 
Trust Architecture, But Work Remains. GAO-23-105466. November 
15, 2022.
    Paid Tax Return Preparers: IRS Efforts to Oversee 
Refundable Credits Help Protect Taxpayers but Additional 
Actions and Authority are Needed. GAO-23-105217. November 30, 
2022.
                  SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMERGING THREATS AND


                           SPENDING OVERSIGHT


                     Chairman: Maggie Hassan (D-NH)


                    Ranking Member: Rand Paul (R-KY)


                              I. AUTHORITY

    The Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight 
focuses on preventing waste, fraud, and abuse related to 
federal spending; identifying and examining emerging national 
and economic security threats; examining federal preparedness 
to respond and address emerging threats including terrorism, 
disruptive technologies, misinformation and disinformation, 
climate change, and chemical, biological, radiological, 
nuclear, and explosive attacks; improving coordination and 
addressing conflicts between federal departments and agencies, 
state, local, territorial, tribal governments, and private 
sector entities for emerging threat preparedness and 
prevention; conducting oversight of the protection of civil 
rights and civil liberties by the Department of Homeland 
Security; and modernizing federal information technology.

                              II. ACTIVITY

    During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee on Emerging 
Threats and Spending Oversight held eight hearings and 
introduced 22 pieces of legislation that were referred to the 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, 16 of 
which were reported out of committee; as well as others that 
pertain to the work of the committee.

                              A. Hearings


Preparing for Future Crises: Examining the National Response 
        Enterprise. March 24, 2021. S. Hrg. 117-39.

    This hybrid hearing held in person and via video conference 
examined the findings and recommendations of the Business 
Executives for National Security (BENS) Commission on the 
National Response Enterprise.
    BENS is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of 
senior executives who volunteer their time to address business-
related challenges faced by public and private organizations 
across the national security enterprise. BENS established the 
Commission on the National Response Enterprise (Commission) in 
July 2020, recruiting 33 Commissioners and 58 executives from 
across all levels of government, business, and civil society, 
to research and analyze the nation's capacity to respond to 
crises. The Commission organized its analysis into five working 
groups: Surge, Supplies, People, Infrastructure & Economy, and 
Roles. After months of work, the Commission arrived at 11 
recommendations to strengthen the nation's capacity to respond 
to future crises and threats categorized into three findings. 
These findings included facilitating communication and 
coordination, delivering supplies and volunteer resources, and 
leveraging technology. The Commission published its findings 
and recommendations in its report: Commission on the National 
Response Enterprise: A Call to Action. 
    Witnesses: General Joseph L. Votel, Ret., President and 
Chief Executive Officer, Business Executives for National 
Security.
    Accompanied by: The Honorable W. Craig Fugate, Former 
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. 
Department of Homeland Security; Kristi M. Rogers, Managing 
Partner, Principal to Principal LLC; Michael Capps, Ph.D., 
Chief Executive Officer, Diveplane Corporation.

Controlling Federal Legacy IT Costs and Crafting 21st Century IT 
        Management Solutions. April 27, 2021. S. Hrg. 117-38.

    This hearing provided an opportunity for members of the 
Subcommittee to examine costs associated with the federal 
government's reliance on legacy information technology (IT) 
systems. The hearing also explored barriers to IT 
modernization, including the one-year budgeting and 
appropriations cycle, limited authority of agency chief 
information officers, and adoption of IT modernization plans.
    The federal government has long had difficulties acquiring, 
developing, and managing IT investments. As a result, the 
government operates legacy IT systems that contribute to 
security risks, unmet mission needs, staffing issues, and 
increased costs. For oversight purposes, ``federal legacy IT'' 
describes the federal government's use of old technologies or 
custom systems that require additional maintenance or 
specialized knowledge to support agency missions, because the 
technology is no longer supported by industry vendors.
    The rising costs of maintaining legacy systems crowds out 
investments for newer systems that would better serve the 
American people. In fiscal year (FY) 2020, the federal 
government spent roughly $90 billion on IT, and is on track to 
spend at least that much in FY2021. Notably, $29 billion, or 
roughly one-third of total IT spending, was dedicated to 
maintaining legacy systems. Costs are linked to the need for 
increased maintenance, specialized staff, and addressing 
cybersecurity risks. However, they are also the result of not 
meeting mission needs, which leads to inefficient operations 
and wasteful spending. The cost of maintaining outdated systems 
further hinders efforts to modernize and develop new or 
replacement systems. If IT modernization is not a priority 
among agency leadership who put together the annual budget, 
then costs will continue to rise due to increased maintenance 
on legacy systems.
    Witnesses: Kevin Walsh, Director, Information Technology 
and Cybersecurity, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Casey 
Coleman, Senior Vice President for Digital Transformation at 
Salesforce, and Former Chief Information Officer of the General 
Services Administration; Renee Wynn, Chief Executive Officer, 
RP Wynn Consulting, and Former Chief Information Officer of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Max Everett, 
Chief Executive Officer, Adnovem Consulting Group, and Former 
Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Examining the Findings and Recommendations of GAO's 2021 Report on 
        Duplication, Overlap, Fragmentation and Opportunities to 
        Achieve Financial Benefits. May 12, 2021. S. Hrg. 117-36.

    As it has done in the past, the Subcommittee held this 
hearing for members to ask questions about the issues and 
recommendations raised in the Government Accountability 
Office's 2021 report titled, ``New Opportunities to Reduce 
Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Billions in 
Financial Benefits.'' In addition, this hearing provided an 
opportunity to conduct oversight of agency progress 
implementing recommendations made by GAO in the report.
    Since 2010, GAO has annually compiled a report that 
identifies areas of duplication, overlap, and fragmentation in 
federal operations, as well as identifies opportunities to 
achieve financial benefits through better management. 
Colloquially referred to as the ``Annual Duplication Report,'' 
GAO calculates that the federal government has realized roughly 
$429 billion in financial benefits between FY2010 and FY2020 as 
a result of the progress made by agencies and Congress to 
address actions identified in these reports.
    Chair Hassan and Ranking Member Paul have partnered since 
2019 to introduce legislation to address the recommendations 
for congressional action identified in the report. These annual 
pieces of legislation--Acting on the Annual Duplication Report 
Acts of 2019 and 2020--provide commonsense solutions to the 
issues raised by GAO and ensure that Congress is doing its part 
to mitigate waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller 
General, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
    Accompanied by: Jessica Lucas-Judy, Director, Strategic 
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Cathleen 
Berrick, Managing Director, Defense Capabilities and 
Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Vijay 
D'Souza, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, 
U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mark Gaffigan, Managing 
Director, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; and Michele Mackin, Managing Director, 
Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office.

Addressing Emerging Cybersecurity Threats to State and Local 
        Government. June 17, 2021. S. Hrg. 117-62.

    This hybrid hearing held in person and via video conference 
examined the planning, needs, and resource constraints of state 
and local entities to prepare for and respond to cyber threats, 
and how federal authorities can best support state, local, and 
tribal authorities, including non-monetary support or 
assistance. The hearing also examined the interactions between 
and among federal, state, and local entities with regard to 
cybersecurity planning and response, and how to position state 
and local entities to be able to meet their own cybersecurity 
needs in the future.
    Witnesses: Karen J. Huey, Assistant Director, Ohio 
Department of Public Safety; Hon. B. Glen Whitley, County 
Judge, Tarrant County, Texas; Hon. Stephen M. Schewel, Mayor, 
City of Durham, North Carolina; Russell E. Holden, 
Superintendent, Sunapee School District, New Hampshire; and 
Daniel Lips, Vice President for National Security and 
Government Oversight, Lincoln Network.

Existing Resources and Innovations Needed to Replace Legacy 
        IT and Save Taxpayer Dollars. September 28, 2021. S. Hrg. 117-
        167.

    This hearing provided an opportunity for members of the 
Subcommittee to examine how the federal government can leverage 
existing resources or policy innovations to replace costly 
legacy information technology (IT) systems that fail to provide 
21st century service to the American people. The hearing also 
explored existing administrative authorities and options for 
reducing the federal government's reliance on outdated and 
obsolete IT systems and discussing legislative solutions that 
can compel agency action where required, as a follow-up to the 
Subcommittee's April 27, 2021 hearing titled, ``Controlling 
Federal Legacy IT Costs and Crafting 21st Century IT Management 
Solutions.''
    The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), U.S. Digital 
Service (USDS), and General Services Administration (GSA) each 
contribute unique services and resources to the IT 
modernization landscape. Combined, these services, tools, and 
funding resources facilitate agency efforts to modernize their 
IT systems while adhering to standards set by policymakers. 
Moreover, these resources and services allow agencies to save 
taxpayer dollars, because they not only provide critical 
frameworks and foundations for agencies to build upon, but 
leverage the strategic buying power of the federal government.
    In addition, key takeaways from the Subcommittee hearing on 
April 27, 2021 are informing draft legislation to address the 
most pressing issues that continue to prevent agencies from 
moving away from outdated and obsolete technology, including no 
requirement to develop and maintain IT modernization plans and 
a lack of flexible spending authorities to fund major IT 
modernization projects over several years. This hearing allowed 
Subcommittee members to ask questions about potential 
provisions to mandate IT modernization planning and providing 
more flexible funding options through the Technology 
Modernization Fund or IT modernization working capital funds.
    Witnesses: Clare Martorana, Federal Chief Information 
Officer, Office of Management and Budget; Mina Hsiang, 
Administrator of the U.S. Digital Service, Office of Management 
and Budget; and V. Dave Zvenyach, Director of Technology 
Transformation Services, U.S. General Services Administration.

Addressing the Evolving Threat of Illegal Drug Trafficking to Our 
        Communities. March 14, 2022. S. Hrg. 117-258. Field Hearing in 
        Manchester, NH.

    This field hearing held in person in Manchester, New 
Hampshire examined the threats from the flow of narcotics into 
the United States and New Hampshire, efforts by DHS law 
enforcement agencies to investigate and stem this flow, and DHS 
coordination with other federal, state, and local law 
enforcement partners, particularly in New Hampshire. The 
hearing also examined the needs of federal, state, and local 
law enforcement and how Congress can support law enforcement's 
efforts to fight drug trafficking. Representatives Kuster and 
Pappas also participated in the hearing.
    Witnesses: Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, New 
England, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 
Michael P. Manning, Assistant Director Field Operations Border 
Security, Boston Field Office, Customs and Border Protection, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Jon DeLena, Deputy 
Special Agent in Charge, New England Field Division, Drug 
Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice; Ellen 
M. Arcieri, Commander, New Hampshire Attorney General's Drug 
Task Force, New Hampshire Department of Justice; and Joseph M. 
Ebert, Major, Investigative Services Bureau Commander, New 
Hampshire State Police.

Examining the Findings and Recommendations of GAO's 2022 Report on 
        Duplication, Overlap, Fragmentation and Opportunities to 
        Achieve Financial Benefits. June 14, 2022. S. Hrg. 117-371.

    As it has done in the past, the Subcommittee held this 
hearing for members to ask questions about the issues and 
recommendations raised in the Government Accountability 
Office's 2022 report titled, ``Additional Opportunities to 
Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve 
Billions of Dollars in Financial Benefits.''
    Since 2010, GAO has annually compiled a report that 
identifies areas of duplication, overlap, and fragmentation in 
federal operations, as well as identifies opportunities to 
achieve financial benefits through better management. 
Colloquially referred to as the ``Annual Duplication Report,'' 
GAO calculates that the federal government has realized roughly 
$531 billion in financial benefits between FY2010 and FY2021 as 
a result of the progress made by agencies and Congress to 
address actions identified in these reports.
    Chair Hassan and Ranking Member Paul have partnered since 
2019 to introduce legislation to address the recommendations 
for congressional action identified in the report. These annual 
pieces of legislation--Acting on the Annual Duplication Report 
Acts of 2019, 2020, and 2021--provide commonsense solutions to 
the issues raised by GAO and ensure that Congress is doing its 
part to mitigate waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. 
In part, this hearing was used to discuss recommendations made 
for congressional action.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Eugene L. Dodaro, Comptroller 
General, U.S. Government Accountability Office.
    Accompanied by: Allison Bawden, Director, Natural Resources 
and Environment, U.S. Government Accountability Office; 
Cathleen Berrick, Managing Director, Defense Capabilities and 
Management, U.S. Government Accountability Office; A. Nicole 
Clowers, Managing Director, Congressional Relations, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; Elizabeth Curda, Director, 
Education, Workforce, and Income Security, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Dan Garcia Diaz, Managing Director, 
Financial Markets and Community Investment, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Charles Michael Johnson Jr., Managing 
Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office; Jessica Lucas-Judy, Director, Strategic 
Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Marie Mak, 
Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; Nick Marinos, Managing 
Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, U.S. 
Government Accountability Office; and Candice Wright, Director, 
Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics, U.S. Government 
Accountability Office.

Revisiting Gain of Function Research: What the Pandemic Taught Us and 
        Where Do We Go From Here. August 3, 2022. S. Hrg. 117-555.

    On Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at 2:30 p.m., the Senate 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' 
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight 
convened a hearing titled Revisiting Gain of Function Research: 
What the Pandemic Taught Us and Where Do We Go From Here. Gain-
of-function research involves the study and experimental 
manipulation of genetics in a laboratory setting in order to 
enhance the severity and transmissibility of existing viruses 
that may affect humans, and domestic and international research 
organizations have received federal funding for this research. 
The COVID-19 pandemic revived debate about gain-of-function 
research, and at the August 3 hearing Senators heard from a 
panel of experts who discussed the potential dangers associated 
with gain-of-function research, the role of the federal 
government in supporting gain-of-function research, the 
adequacy of government efforts to oversee and safeguard gain-
of-function research, and whether gain-of-function research may 
have played a role in the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
    Witnesses: Richard H. Ebright, Ph.D., Laboratory Director, 
Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers University; Steven 
Quay, MD, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Attossa Therapeutics, 
Inc.; and Kevin M. Esvelt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Media 
Arts and Sciences, MIT Media Lab.

                             B. Legislation

    Since the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending 
Oversight hearings play an important role in bringing issues to 
the attention of Congress and the public, its work frequently 
contributes to the development of legislative initiatives. 
During the 117th Congress, Chair Hassan introduced the 
following legislative proposals:
    1. S. 70--National Guard Cybersecurity Support Act--Sen. 
Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to 
ensure that the National Guard can help state and local 
governments and businesses improve their cybersecurity. The 
bill makes clear that states are authorized to use the National 
Guard to provide cyber support services to certain critical 
infrastructure entities.
    The bill became law as part of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (P.L. 117-81).
    2. S. 217--Patient Matching Improvement Act of 2021--Sen. 
Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) 
to improve patient postal address matching across health 
information technology platforms, especially in the wake of the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Patient matching is a process that 
identifies and links a patient's data within and across health 
care organizations using their address. The bill would allow 
health care organizations to access the U.S. Postal Service's 
(USPS's) address-formatting tool--which is currently available 
to online retailers--to standardize patient addresses in their 
system. Research shows that using the USPS address formatting 
standards could result in tens of thousands of additional 
correct record linkages per day.
    Specifically, this bill would require the Office of the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to 
standardize the format of patient postal addresses by 
collaborating with USPS to make its address-formatting tool 
available to health care organizations. In particular, the bill 
focuses on making the tools available to COVID-19 testing 
laboratories to improve data collection related to the disease.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions Committee.
    3. S. 517--Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in 
Response to Terrorism Act of 2021--Sen. Hassan led this 
bipartisan bill with Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) to require certain 
executive branch agencies to provide a report to Congress 
within one year of completing an investigation of a terrorism 
incident.
    This bill passed the Senate Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs and passed the House of 
Representatives as H.R. 1540 led by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA-
31).
    4. S. 535--Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act--
Sen. Hassan was the lead co-sponsor on this bipartisan bill 
with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). This bill authorizes the 
establishment of a National Global War on Terrorism Memorial in 
an area on the National Mall.
    The bill became law as part of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (P.L. 117-81).
    5. S. 664--Duplication Scoring Act of 2021--Sen. Hassan co-
led Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) bill that requires the Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) to analyze legislation reported by 
a congressional committee and report on whether the legislation 
would create a risk of a new duplicative or overlapping 
program, office, or initiative in an area that GAO previously 
identified as an area of duplication, overlap, or 
fragmentation.
    The bill passed out of the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee, and Reps. Carolyn Bourdeaux 
(D-GA-7) and Michael Cloud (R-TX-27) introduced H.R. 4742 as 
the House companion.
    6. S. 671--Federal Agency Customer Experience Act of 2021--
Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. James Lankford 
(R-OK) to fast-track approval of federal agency customer 
service surveys that meet certain criteria. The legislation is 
intended to make it easier for agencies to solicit voluntary 
customer feedback on federal services and transactions. The 
data collected must be submitted to the Office of Management 
and Budget and published on the agency website. In addition, 
the bill calls for a Government Accountability Office report 
assessing the quality of the data received.
    The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent, and passed 
the House Oversight and Reform Committee as H.R. 4688, led by 
Reps. Gerry Connelly (D-VA-11) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1).
    7. S. 672--Coin Metal Modification Authorization and Cost 
Savings Act--Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. 
Joni Ernst (R-IA) to authorize the U.S. Mint to change the 
metal alloy content of circulating coins to save on production 
costs. For example, the Mint currently spends nearly twice as 
much as the penny is worth to produce it. Any alternative metal 
content must meet certain criteria, including:

      Reducing coin production costs incurred by 
taxpayers,
      Being seamless (coins must work interchangeably 
in most coin acceptors that use electromagnetic signature 
technology, and
      Have as minimal an adverse impact on the public 
and coin industry stakeholders.

    Before making any modifications the Mint must notify 
Congress and provide a justification for the changes.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs Committee, and introduced as H.R. 1789 by Reps. 
Mark Amodei (R-NV-7) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5).
    8. S. 1161--Quantum Network Infrastructure and Workforce 
Development Act of 2021--Sen. Hassan was the lead co-sponsor of 
this bipartisan legislation with Sen. John Thune (R-SD), which 
would focus federal research efforts and bolster interagency 
coordination on the advancement of quantum networking and 
communications technology. The legislation would also integrate 
the principles of quantum mechanics into K-12 and higher 
education curricula, and require a comprehensive approach for 
quantum infrastructure workforce developments be established.
    This bill became law as part of the Chips and Science Act 
(P.L. 117-167, section 10661).
    9. S. 1350--National Risk Management Act of 2021--Sen. 
Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) to 
help ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is 
identifying and addressing risks to critical infrastructure. 
This bill originated from a recommendation of the Cyberspace 
Solarium Commission to codify the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) National Risk 
Management Cycle.
    The bill passed the Senate Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs and passed the Senate as part of S. 
1260, the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021.
    10. S. 1437--Recognizing the Role of Direct Support 
Professionals Act--Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with 
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to direct the Office of Management 
and Budget to establish a separate category within the Standard 
Occupational Classification system for direct support 
professionals for data reporting purposes. Direct support 
professionals are those who provide services to promote 
independence in individuals experiencing a disability.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee, and introduced as H.R. 4779 by 
Reps. Kathleen Rice (D-NY-4) and John Katko (R-NY-24).
    11. S. 1794--IG Testimonial Subpoena Authority Act--Sen. 
Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) 
to authorize use of testimonial subpoenas for the inspector 
general community. While the inspector general community is 
authorized to subpoena documents in the course of an 
investigation, only a few inspectors general are able to 
subpoena in-person attendance and testimony of witnesses. This 
bill would make the subpoenas enforceable in U.S. district 
court and inspectors general would be required to notify the 
Justice Department seven days before issuing a subpoena. The 
bill would also require the Council of Inspectors General on 
Integrity and Efficiency to regulate the use of the authority 
to prevent conflicts of interest and abuse.
    The bill, as amended, passed out of the Senate Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as part of H.R. 
2662, Inspector General Independence and Empowerment Act.
    12. S. 1974--Strengthening America's Strategic National 
Stockpile Act of 2021--Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill 
with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) to improve management of the 
Strategic National Stockpile which is maintained by the federal 
government to ensure access to medical supplies during public 
health emergencies. This bill would improve maintenance of the 
stockpile to ensure stockpile items are in good working order 
and ready to use if and when a crisis hits; increase 
manufacturing of critical supplies in America to diversify 
sources of personal protective equipment and partner with 
industry to replenish existing stocks; provide more federal 
resources to states to expand or maintain their own strategic 
stockpiles; and bring transparency to stockpile allocations by 
requiring a report to Congress on all requests for stockpile 
supplies during the pandemic and the response to each request.
    This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions and passed the House of 
Representatives as H.R. 3635 led by Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-
8) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-8).
    13. S. 2123--Pray Safe Act--Sen. Hassan co-led Sen. Rob 
Portman's (R-OH) bill to direct the Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS) to establish a Federal Clearinghouse on Safety 
and Security Best Practices for Faith-Based Organizations and 
Houses of Worship.
    This bill passed the Senate.
    14. S. 2135--Identifying and Eliminating Wasteful Programs 
Act--Sen. Hassan led this bill with Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) to 
root out wasteful programs across the federal government by 
creating a process for agencies to report wasteful programs to 
the Office of Management and Budget and to Congress. The bill 
requires federal agencies to identify unnecessary, defunct, or 
duplicative program activities or program activities that could 
be more effectively administered by another agency or could 
operate more effectively if combined with another program. The 
list of these programs are posted on the federal program 
inventory and submitted to relevant congressional committees. 
Agencies may then work with Congress to develop legislation to 
eliminate or consolidate programs identified under the Act.
    The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent, and was 
introduced as H.R. 6789 by Reps. Tom Rice (R-SC-7) and Tom 
O'Halleran (D-AZ-1).
    15. S. 2274--Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Expansion 
Act--Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. John Cornyn 
(R-TX) to help strengthen cybersecurity in the federal 
government by expanding the cyber workforce. This bill would 
create a pilot apprenticeship program to provide cybersecurity 
training at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 
Agency (CISA) and a separate program to specifically train 
veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    This bill passed the Senate Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs and was referred to the House 
Committees on Homeland Security, Education and Labor, Veterans' 
Affairs, and Oversight and Reform as H.R. 5138 led by Reps. 
Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6) and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16).
    16. S. 2585--State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement 
Act--Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. John Cornyn 
(R-TX) to create a $1 billion federal grant program to improve 
the cybersecurity of state, local, tribal, and territorial 
entities. The grant program would be administered by the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with subject matter 
expertise from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 
Agency (CISA). A state applying for grant funding must develop 
a cybersecurity plan to receive an award, and 80 percent of 
awarded funds must be passed through to local governments. This 
bill has various reporting requirements.
    This bill became law as part of the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).
    17. S. 2727--Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2021--Sen. 
Hassan co-led Sen. James Lankford's (R-OK) bill, which provides 
continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if 
any of the appropriations bills for a fiscal year have not been 
enacted before the fiscal year begins and continuing 
appropriations are not in effect. The bill also limits official 
travel, congressional recesses or adjournments, and the 
consideration of legislation that is unrelated to 
appropriations after the beginning of a fiscal year if the 
appropriations process has not been completed.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee.
    18. S. 2733--U.S. Enrichment Corporation Fund Termination 
and Transfer Act--Sen. Hassan led this bill with Sen. Ernst (R-
IA) to return funds sitting in an inactive account to the 
Treasury. Specifically, this bill rescinds the authorization of 
the U.S. Enrichment Corporation Fund and move the funds still 
in its coffers to an alternative account. The U.S. Enrichment 
Corporation (USEC) was a government corporation established in 
1992 with the purpose of privatizing nuclear enrichment 
operations. When USEC became a private, non-government entity 
in 1998, it left behind a $1.5 billion balance in its operating 
fund and no longer had statutory authority to use the funds. 
The money has remained largely untouched in the account for 
over two decades.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee and hearings were held on the bill.
    19. S. 2782--Acting on the Annual Duplication Report Act of 
2021--For the third year in a row, Sen. Hassan partnered with 
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to introduce a bipartisan bill to respond 
to recommendations made in the Government Accountability 
Office's annual report on duplication, fragmentation, and 
overlap in federal operations. The 2021 bill built on previous 
efforts, and included:

      Military Housing Contractors (2021): Revises the 
calculation for privatized housing renovation projects to 
ensure that the payments align with national averages and are 
consistent with the housing allowance reduction calculation.
      Foreign Military Sales Account (2019): Asks DOD 
to report on options for expanding the use of administrative 
fees under the foreign military sales program.
      Cohort Default Rates (2019): Prohibits higher 
education institutions from placing students in forbearance as 
a means of reducing the cohort default rate for the purposes of 
their default management plans.
      Strategic Petroleum Reserve (2019): Asks the 
Department of Energy to review options for a long-range target 
for the optimal size and configuration of the Strategic 
Petroleum Reserve by examining several aspects of the Reserve 
and its infrastructure. In addition, the report must include 
any legislative changes needed to optimize the Reserve.
      Fee Adequacy and Oversight of Ginnie Mae (2020): 
(1) Requires HUD to evaluate the adequacy of Ginnie Mae's 
guaranty fee, its reliance on contractors, and its compensation 
structure; and (2) asks GAO to evaluate the merits of 
alternative governance structures to provide greater oversight.
      Coin Metal Modification (2019): Allows the Mint 
to modify the metal composition of coins. This is the same text 
as S. 672 and H.R. 1789, the Coin Metal Modification 
Authorization and Cost Savings Act of 2021.
      Scannable Code on Tax Returns (2019): Mandates 
that the IRS require that all tax returns that are prepared 
electronically, but printed and filed on paper, include a code 
that when scanned converts the information on the return to an 
electronic format to ensure compliance and avoid issuing 
invalid refunds due to inaccuracies or human error.
      Third-Party Tax Preparer Cybersecurity (2020): 
Requires Treasury to set standards, consistent with security 
standards proscribed by the National Institute for Standards 
and Technology to secure return information and third-party 
information technology systems. Further, the IRS Commissioner 
is required to develop an organizational plan to coordinate all 
aspects of and offices involved in IRS's efforts to protect 
taxpayer return information while in the hands of third 
parties.

    The bill was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee.
    20. S. 2905--University Cybersecurity Consortia Improvement 
Act of 2021--Sen. Hassan co-led this bill with Sen. Mike Rounds 
(R-SD), to improve requirements relating to establishment of a 
consortium of universities to advise the Secretary of Defense 
on cybersecurity matters.
    This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Armed 
Services.
    21. S. 3148--Inspector General Reporting Modernization Act 
of 2021--Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. Chuck 
Grassley (R-IA) to reform the semiannual reports to Congress 
that each inspector office publishes twice per year. 
Specifically, this bill streamlines the inspector general 
semiannual reports to Congress to reduce the time and financial 
resources it takes to produce the reports. In addition, these 
updates ensure that agency leadership responds to inspector 
general recommendations and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse of 
taxpayer dollars within their agency.
    The bill passed as part of the Inspector General 
Independence and Empowerment Act, which was included in the 
National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2023 (P.L. 117-
263 sec. 5373).
    22. S. 3150--A bill to require the United States Postal 
Service to designate a single, unique ZIP code for Swanzey, New 
Hampshire--Sen. Hassan co-led Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's (D-NH) bill 
that bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to designate a 
single, unique ZIP code applicable to the area encompassing 
only Swanzey, New Hampshire, to improve accurate mail and 
emergency service delivery to North Swanzey and Swanzey.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee.
    23. S. 3703--Presidential Allowance Modernization Act of 
2022--Sen. Hassan co-led Sen. Ernst's (R-IA) bill that replaces 
provisions governing the compensation provided to a former 
President. Each former President shall receive from the United 
States (1) an annuity of $200,000 per year for the remainder of 
his or her life, and (2) a monetary allowance of $200,000 per 
year. Such allowance shall be reduced by the amount the former 
President's earned income exceeds $400,000. These monetary 
amounts are subject to a cost-of-living increase. The bill 
increases and provides for cost-of-living adjustments to the 
monetary allowance for surviving spouses of former Presidents. 
Importantly, the bill does not apply to any former or current 
Presidents.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee.
    24. S. 3894--Advancing Cybersecurity Through Continuous 
Diagnostics and Mitigation Act--Sen. Hassan co-led this bill 
with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), which would authorize and expand 
the Department of Homeland Security's Continuous Diagnostics 
and Mitigation Program. Additionally, it would require the 
Department to develop a strategy and pilot program to promote 
use of the program in state, tribal, territorial, and local 
governments.
    This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs.
    25. S. 3897--Legacy IT Reduction Act of 2022--Sen. Hassan 
led this bipartisan bill with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), which 
directs agencies to identify and dispose of legacy IT to reduce 
costs, increase cybersecurity, and improve customer and user 
experience. Combined, meeting these goals will enable agencies 
to meet their missions more efficiently and in a more cost-
effective way. The main elements of the bill include:

      Requiring agencies to develop an inventory of 
legacy IT systems;
      Writing modernization plans to update or dispose 
of their legacy IT systems;
      Requiring the Office of Management and Budget to 
issue guidance to assist agencies with identifying legacy IT 
and modernizing it;
      Codifying the Computers for Learning Program, 
which allows agencies to transfer gently used computers and 
software to educators and schools;
      Requiring a GAO report to examine the 
implementation of this bill alongside existing IT modernization 
policies and programs to improve coordination and outcomes; and
      Protection of sensitive security systems from 
disclosures that could harm the government.

    The bill, as amended, passed the Senate Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs Committee.
    26. S. 4326--Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit 
Stipend Act--Sen. Hassan was the lead co-sponsor for this 
bipartisan bill with Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). This bill 
authorizes the existing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) 
program for foreign law enforcement partner units that are 
vetted, trained, and funded by HSI. These units work closely 
with HSI agents stationed in foreign countries to conduct joint 
investigations, operations, prosecutions. This bill would not 
only codify and authorize the existing program, it would 
specifically give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
(ICE, which includes HSI) the authority to provide a 
supplemental salary stipend (which may be in addition to 
compensation from their primary employer) to members of the 
unit. This authority will not only allow HSI to bring more law 
enforcement partners into the program, the authority to provide 
a supplemental stipend should also make foreign law enforcement 
officers less susceptible to bribes and corruption. The bill 
requires the continuous vetting of any personnel participating 
in the program, and requires a report by ICE on procedures used 
for vetting participants and whether any additional measures 
should be implemented to ensure units may not be corrupted.
    The bill became law as part of the National Defense 
Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2023 (P.L. 117-263).
    27. S. 4460--END FENTANYL Act--Sen. Hassan was the lead co-
sponsor for this bipartisan bill with Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), 
which requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection's 
Commissioner to review and update the Office of Field 
Operation's policies, as necessary and at least once every 3 
years in order to respond to illegal activity--such as the 
trafficking of drugs and humans--along the border. The bill 
also requires the CBP Commissioner to submit a report to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives that summarizes the policy and manual changes 
every 3 years. The legislation builds on a recommendation by 
the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), and codifies 
current guidelines.
    This bill, as amended, passed the Senate by unanimous 
consent.
    28. S. 4592--Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness 
Act--Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. Rob Portman 
(R-OH) to improve the federal government's preparedness for 
post-quantum cryptography. This bill would require the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) to prioritize the acquisition 
and migration of federal agencies' information technology to 
post-quantum cryptography. Additionally, it would instruct OMB 
to create guidance for federal agencies to assess critical 
systems one year after the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) issues planned post-quantum cryptography 
standards. Finally, it would direct OMB to send an annual 
report to Congress that includes a strategy on how to address 
post-quantum cryptography risks, the funding that might be 
necessary, and an analysis on whole-of-government coordination 
and migration to post-quantum cryptography standards and 
information technology.
    This bill passed the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee, and the House companion bill, 
led by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) and Nancy Mace (R-SC-1), 
became law (P.L. 117-260).
    29. S. 4654--Disaster Management Costs Modernization Act--
Sen. Hassan led this bipartisan bill with Sen. James Lankford 
(R-OK) to allow recipients of federal disaster recovery dollars 
to roll over funding dedicated to management costs from one 
disaster to the next disaster. The flexibility provided by this 
bill is intended to help state and local communities prepare 
for future disasters.
    This bill passed the Senate Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee.
    30. S. 4701--Small Business Cybersecurity Act--Sen. Hassan 
led this legislation to establish a federal program to provide 
direct grants to Small Business Development Centers in order to 
create or continue cybersecurity programs for small businesses. 
The funds can be used to help Small Business Development 
Centers provide cybersecurity training for small business 
employees and administer reviews of small business's 
cybersecurity.
    This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Small 
Business and Entrepreneurship.
    31. S. 4765--Acting on the Annual Duplication Report Act of 
2022--For the fourth year running, Sen. Hassan partnered with 
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to introduce a bipartisan bill to respond 
to recommendations made in the Government Accountability 
Office's annual report on duplication, fragmentation, and 
overlap in federal operations. The 2022 bill included:

      Chronic Health Conditions (2022): Directs the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to identify and direct 
one federal entity to lead the development and implementation 
of a federal strategy to coordinate these efforts, which could 
help identify gaps and evaluate effectiveness that could 
ultimately result in cost savings and better program delivery.
      Cost-Effective Alternatives to Radiation 
Technology (2022): Sets up a task force to develop a national 
strategy for reducing the use of high-risk radioactive 
materials through the use of safer alternatives. The strategy 
would provide a uniform, government-wide approach to using 
alternatives. Additionally, the bill allows the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission to amend its licensing regulations to 
take into account whether a licensee (i.e., a company seeking 
authorization to use radiation technology) has explored the use 
of alternative technologies.
      Disposal of Low-Level Nuclear Waste (2022): 
Provides statutory clarification needed to allow a pilot 
program move forward, which would allow the Hanover nuclear 
site to dispose of low-level nuclear waste using an 
alternative, but no less safe disposal method.

    The bill was referred to the Senate Environment and Public 
Works Committee.
    32. S. 5159--Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022--Sen. 
Hassan led this bipartisan legislation with Sen. James Risch 
(R-ID) to help prevent human trafficking by requiring the 
posting of the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the 
restrooms of all U.S. planes, buses, and trains, as well as 
airports, bus stations, and rail stations.
    This bipartisan bill was led in the House of 
Representatives by Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8) and Darrell 
Issa (R-CA-50), and became law.
    33. S. Res. 282--A resolution recognizing July 1, 2021, as 
the 100th anniversary of the Government Accountability Office 
and commending the service of the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress and the United States--Sen. Hassan led a 
broadly bipartisan resolution to commemorate the 100th 
anniversary of the Government Accountability Office.
    The resolution passed the Senate by unanimous consent.
    34. H.R. 3544--Computers for Veterans and Students Act, as 
Amended by Hassan Substitute Amendment and Hassan Amendment 2--
Sen. Hassan shepherded this bill introduced by Reps. Spanberger 
(D-VA-7) and Wittman (R-VA-1), which requires the General 
Services Administration (GSA) to transfer certain surplus 
computers and technology equipment to nonprofit computer 
refurbishers for repair and eventual distribution to (1) 
schools (including home schools), veterans, seniors, and other 
specified populations in need. The Hassan Amendments addressed 
security and cost concerns, as well as amended the title to 
better reflect the contents of the bill.
    The bill was signed into law as part of the omnibus 
appropriations package, FY2023 (P.L. 117-328, Div. Z).

                             C. GAO REPORTS

    During the 117th Congress, the Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) issued 22 reports at the request of the 
Subcommittee. Reports are listed here by title, GAO number, and 
release date.
    Defined Contribution Plans: Federal Guidance Could Help 
Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks in 401(k) and Other Retirement 
Plans. GAO-21-25. February 11, 2021.
    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: Actions 
Needed to Ensure Organizational Changes Result in More 
Effective Cybersecurity for Our Nation. GAO-21-236. March 10, 
2021.
    Information Technology: Agencies Need to Develop and 
Implement Modernization Plans for Critical Legacy Systems. GAO-
21-524T. April 27, 2021.
    Disaster Recovery: HUD Should Take Additional Action to 
Assess Community Development Block Grant Fraud Risks. GAO-21-
177. May 5, 2021.
    Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Opportunities to 
Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve 
Billions in Financial Benefits. GAO-21-544T. May 12, 2021.
    Puerto Rico Recovery: FEMA Made Progress in Approving 
Projects, But Should Identify and Assess Risks to the Recovery. 
GAO-21-264. May 19, 2021.
    La Recuperacion De Puerto Rico: FEMA Progreso en la 
Aprobacion de Proyectos, Per Deberia Identificary Evaular Los 
Riesgos Para La Recuperacion. GAO-21-442. May 19, 2021.
    Retirement Savings: Federal Workers' Portfolios Should Be 
Evaluated for Possible Financial Risks Related to Climate 
Change. GAO-21-327. May 25, 2021.
    U.S. Postal Service: Customer Complaints Process. GAO-21-
465. May 25, 2021.
    Bureau of Prisons: BOP Could Further Enhance Its COVID-19 
Response By Capturing and Incorporating Lessons Learned. 
GAO-21-502. July 29, 2021.
    COVID-19: Selected Agencies Overcame Technology Challenges 
to Support Telework But Need to Fully Assess Security Controls. 
GAO-21-583. September 30, 2021.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Education Should Take 
Additional Steps to Help Protect K-12 Schools From Cyber 
Threats. GAO-22-105024. October 13, 2021.
    DHS Privacy: Selected Component Agencies Generally Provided 
Oversight of Contractors, But Further Actions are Needed to 
Address. GAO-22-104144. December 16, 2021.
    KC-46 Tanker: Air Force Needs to Mature Critical 
Technologies in New Aerial Refueling System Design. GAO-22-
104530. January 27, 2022.
    Bureau of Prisons: Enhanced Data Capabilities, Analysis, 
Sharing, and Risk Assessments Needed for Disaster Preparedness. 
GAO-22-104289. February 2, 2022.
    COVID-19: Federal Telework Increased During the Pandemic, 
But More Reliable Data Are Needed to Support Oversight. 
GAO-22-104282. February 8, 2022.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: CISA Should Improve 
Priority Setting, Stakeholder Involvement, and Threat 
Information Sharing. GAO-22-104279. March 1, 2022.
    Government Efficiency and Effectiveness: Additional 
Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication 
and Achieve Billions of Dollars in Financial Benefits. GAO-22-
106064. June 14, 2022.
    Ransomware: Federal Agencies Provide Useful Assistance But 
Need to Improve Coordination. GAO-22-104767. September 14, 
2022.
    Cybersecurity Workforce: Actions Needed to Improve 
Cybercorps Scholarship for Service Program. GAO-22-105187. 
September 29, 2022.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Additional Federal 
Coordination is Needed to Enhance K-12 Cybersecurity. GAO-23-
105480. October 20, 2022.
    Online Exploitation of Children: Department of Justice 
Leadership and Updated National Strategy Needed to Address 
Challenges. GAO-23-105260. December 14, 2022.
                 SUBCOMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS


                         AND BORDER MANAGEMENT


                    CHAIRMAN: Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)


                 RANKING MEMBER: James Lankford (R-OK)


                              I. AUTHORITY

    The Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border 
Management is charged with assessing the management of 
operations of the nation's border; conducting oversight of 
management and efficiency of government agencies and 
operations; and reviewing federal rulemaking contracting and 
procurement policies among other responsibilities.

                              II. ACTIVITY

    During the 117th Congress, the Subcommittee on Government 
Operations and Border Management held 6 hearings.

                              A. Hearings


The Non-Governmental Organization Perspective on the Southwest Border. 
        April 28, 2021. (S. Hrg. 117-37)

    Since the beginning of 2021, an unprecedented surge of 
migrants has been arriving at our Soutwest Border. The 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported 351,803 
migrant encounters in just the first three months of 2021, 
compared to 107,732 during the same period in 2020. The surge 
has quickly overwhelmed DHS resources, creating challenges that 
have been exacerbated by DHS facilities operating at limited 
capacities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is critical that 
our nation take action to manage this surge so we can secure 
our border, protect our communities, and ensure migrants are 
treated fairly and humanely.
    During this surge and similar events in 2014 and 2019, non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) have played a critical role 
in managing these challenges. NGOs provide migrants with 
medical screening, transportation, food, and temporary shelter, 
among other services. This hearing will give Congress the 
opportunity to hear directly from NGOs about the lessons they 
have learned during this crisis, their policy suggestions on 
improving border management, and how best to ensure the 
collaboration and communication between DHS and NGOs that are 
need to secure the border and manage this crisis.
    Witnesses: Beth Strano, Asylum Seekers and Families 
Coordinator, International Rescue Committee; Ruben Garcia, 
Director, Annunciation House; and Joshua Jones, Senior Fellow, 
Border Security, Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Improving Security, Trade, and Travel at Land Ports of Entry at the 
        Southwest Border. June 16, 2021. (S. Hrg. 117-35)

    Our nation's land ports of entry (POEs) play a critical 
role in the security of the Southwest border. According to the 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, most of the key 
border security challenges at the U.S. Mexico border, such as 
smuggling and seizers of illegal drugs, happen at or near 
POEs.\1\ Even with such challenges, our POEs also must continue 
to facilitate robust economic activity in our border 
communities and throughout the United States by efficiently 
processing billions of dollars in annual cross-border trade, as 
well as significant pedestrian and vehicle traffic between the 
U.S. and Mexico every day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\CBP Enforcement Statistics Fiscal Year 2021, Https://
www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics, accessed May 3, 
2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This hearing investigated the technology and personnel 
investments required at POEs to improve security, while also 
enabling efficient processing of trade and travel flows through 
the border.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Kevin K. McAleenan, Former Acting 
Secretary (2019), at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; 
Anthony Reardon, National President, National Treasury 
Employees Union; Samuel Vale, President, Starr-Camargo Bridge 
Company (testifying on behalf of the Border Trade Alliance); 
Guillermo Valencia, President, Valencia International Inc. 
(testifying on behalf of the Greater Nogales and Santa Cruz 
County Port Authority).

Strategies for Improving Critical Energy Infrastructure. 
        October 27, 2021. (S. Hrg. 117-208)

    While investments have increased over the last decade, U.S. 
energy infrastructure still only received a C minus from the 
American Society of Civil Engineers, as part of their 2021 
Report Card for America's Infrastructure.\2\ Modernization of 
America's aging energy infrastructure and the diversification 
of our energy portfolio, including appropriate use of 
renewables, is needed in order to efficiently provide all 
Americans with reliable and resilient energy power in their 
communities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/energy/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Our hearing examined the impact of weather events and other 
challenges that impact price stability, highlight the need for 
generation diversification, and demonstrate the importance of 
resiliency of our energy infrastructure. The hearing also 
reviewed ongoing Federal efforts to make permitting for energy 
related projects more efficient, and how the Federal Permitting 
Improvement Steering Council will help the United States meet 
energy infrastructure needs, including providing Native 
American tribes sufficient opportunities and consultation 
related to energy projects.
    Witnesses: Alex Herrgott, President and Chief Executive 
Officer, The Permitting Institute; Bryce Yonker, Executive 
Director & Chief Executive Officer, Grid Forward; N. Levi 
Esquerra, Senior Vice President for Native American Advancement 
& Tribal Engagement, University of Arizona; Lanny Nickell, 
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Southwest 
Power Pool; Robert Bryce, Author, Journalist, and Public 
Speaker.

Federal Government Perspective: Improving Security, Trade, and Travel 
        Flows at the Southwest Border Ports of Entry. 
        November 17, 2021. (S. Hrg. 117-281).

    Our nation's land ports of entry (POEs) play a critical 
role in the security of the Southwest border. According to U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, most of the key 
border security challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border, such as 
smuggling and seizures of illegal drugs, happen at or near 
POEs.\3\ Additionally, these POEs must also facilitate robust 
economic activity in our border communities and throughout the 
United States every day by efficiently processing billions of 
dollars in annual cross-border trade and managing significant 
pedestrian and vehicle traffic between the United States and 
Mexico every day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\CBP Enforcement Statistics Fiscal Year 2021, https://
www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/cbp-enforcement-statistics, accessed May 3, 
2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Our hearing considered the infrastructure, technology and 
personnel investments required at POEs to improve security 
while also enabling efficient processing of trade and travel 
flows through the border. It also aimed to learn more about 
work being done to protect our nation at ports of entry through 
investigations of transnational crime and threats.
    Witnesses: Diane Sabatino, Deputy Executive Assistant 
Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection; Joe Jeronimo, Deputy Assistant Director, 
Transnational Organized Crime Division, Homeland Security 
Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; 
Stuart Burns, Assistant Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, 
Portfolio Management and Customer Engagement; General Services 
Administration.

Chief Human Capital Officers at 20: What is Needed to Empower CHCOs to 
        Ensure HR Practices Support Agencies' Mission Success. March 2, 
        2022. (S. Hrg. 117-252).

    The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has listed 
federal Human Capital on its high-risk list for more than 20 
years with little progress. Congress established the role of 
the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) in the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 in an effort to improve federal human resources, 
and the initial law itemized areas for which CHCOs would be 
accountable. This hearing examined if CHCOs have the necessary 
authorities to execute those mandates. This hearing also 
considered how to better empower agencies and CHCOs to 
accomplish their Human Capital functions while still upholding 
all Merit System Principles. Finally, this hearing addressed 
whether the CHCO Act needs to be modernized to ensure the 
agencies are able to accomplish their missions.
    Witnesses: The Honorable Michael Rigas, Former Acting 
Director (2020-2021), Office of Personnel Management; Ms. 
Angela Bailey, Former Chief Human Capital Officer (2016-2022), 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mr. Steve Lenkart, 
Executive Director, National Federation of Federal Employees; 
Ms. Terry Gerton, President & Chief Executive Officer, National 
Academy of Public Administration.

Dangerous Heat: The Effects of Hot Vehicles on USPS Operations in 
        Arizona. July 15, 2022.

    This field hearing examined the effects of hot vehicles on 
United States Postal Service operations, and employee health 
and retention. The witnesses discussed ways to address this 
issue productively for immediate relief and long-term 
improvement.
    Witnesses: John Morgan, District Manager, District of 
Arizona and New Mexico, United States Postal Service; Jeffrey 
Clark, President, Arizona State Association of Letter Carriers; 
James Salmon, Vice President, Branch 246, National Association 
of Postal Supervisors.

                            III. LEGISLATION

    Since the Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border 
Management hearings play an important role in bringing issues 
to the attention of Congress and the public, its work 
frequently contributes to the development of legislative 
initiatives. During the 117th Congress, Chair Sinema introduced 
the following legislative proposals in her capacity as a 
Senator:
    1. S. 1330--Facilitating Federal Employee Reskilling Act--
This bill establishes certain standards for federal reskilling 
programs. The bill defines federal reskilling program as a 
program established by an executive agency, or the Office of 
Personnel Management, to provide employees with technical 
skills or expertise that would qualify them to serve in 
different positions.
    The bill requires such programs to use merit-based 
principles with respect to employees' participation and 
placement. Participating employees must also be given the 
option to return to their original positions, particularly if 
they are unsuccessful in their new positions. Additionally, 
employees' new positions must be of at least the same class or 
grade as their original positions; new positions must also 
utilize employees' newly acquired skills or expertise.
    2. S. 2541--Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act--This bill 
authorizes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to 
reclassify officers assigned to the tactical patrol unit on 
Tohono O'odham Nation land, commonly known as Shadow Wolves, as 
ICE special agents upon completing certain required training. 
Officers assigned to a comparable unit, regardless of location, 
may also be reclassified as ICE special agents upon completing 
the training and receiving the approval and consent of the 
appropriate Indian tribe.
    The Department of Homeland Security and the Government 
Accountability Office shall separately study and report on the 
best processes for expanding the Shadow Wolves program.
    3. S. 2801--Setting Manageable Analysis Requirements in 
Text Act of 2022--This bill requires agencies, when publishing 
a proposed or final major rule, to include a framework for 
assessing whether the rule achieves its regulatory objective. 
An agency must assess a rule in the time frame included in the 
framework. The assessment must compare the rule's anticipated 
and actual benefits and costs.
    The bill defines a major rule as a rule likely to cause (1) 
an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; (2) a 
major increase in costs or prices; or (3) significant adverse 
effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, 
innovation, health, safety, the environment, or the ability of 
U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based 
enterprises.
    4. S. 3423--Chance to Compete Act of 2022-This bill 
implements merit-based reforms to the civil service hiring 
system that replace degree-based hiring with skills- and 
competency-based hiring.
    5. S. 3487--Honoring Civil Servants Killed in the Line of 
Duty Act--This bill increases benefits to survivors of federal 
employees who die in the line of duty.
    Specifically, the bill increases the death benefit for 
federal employees from $10,000 to $100,000 and increases the 
funeral benefit from $800 to $8,800. Both amounts must be 
adjusted annually for inflation.
    6. S. 4528--Improving Digital Identity Act of 2022--This 
bill establishes the Improving Digital Identity Task Force to 
establish a government-wide effort to develop secure methods 
for governmental agencies to protect the privacy and security 
of individuals and support reliable, interoperable digital 
identity verification in the public and private sectors.
    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall award 
grants to states, local, tribal, and territorial governments to 
upgrade systems that provide drivers' licenses or other types 
of identity credentials to support the development of highly 
secure, interoperable systems that enable digital identity 
verification.
    The Government Accountability Office shall submit to 
Congress a report on the estimated potential savings, due to 
the increased adoption and widespread use of digital 
identification, of (1) the federal government from averted 
benefit fraud, and (2) the U.S. economy and consumers from 
averted identity theft.
    7. S. 4963--Combating Cartels on Social Media Act of 
2022--This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
implement a strategy to combat the efforts of transnational 
criminal organizations to recruit individuals in the United 
States via social media platforms and other online services and 
assess their use of such platforms and services for illicit 
activities, and for other purposes.

                            IV. GAO REPORTS

    During the 117th Congress, the Government Accountability 
Office (GAO) issued 34 reports at the request of the 
Subcommittee. Reports are listed here by title, GAO number, and 
release date.
    Chemical Security: Overlapping Programs Could Better 
Collaborate to Share Information and Identify Potential 
Security Gaps. GAO-21-12. January 21, 2021.
    Southwest Border: Department of Homeland Security and 
Department of Justice Have Implemented Expedited Credible Fear 
Screening Pilot Programs, but Should Ensure Timely Data Entry. 
GAO-21-144. January 25, 2021.
    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: Actions 
Needed to Ensure Organizational Changes Result in More 
Effective Cybersecurity For Our Nation. GAO-21-236. March 10, 
2021.
    COVID-19: The Department of Health and Human Services 
Should Clarify Agency Roles For Emergency Return of U.S. 
Citizens During a Pandemic. GAO-21-334. April 19, 2021.
    Medicaid: Information on the Use of Electronic Asset 
Verification to Determine Eligibility for Selected 
Beneficiaries. GAO-21-473R. April 23, 2021.
    Puerto Rico Recovery: The Federal Emergency Management 
Agency Made Progress in Approving Projecs, but Should Identify 
and Assess Risks to the Recovery. GAO-21-264. May 19, 2021.
    Oil and Gas: The Department of the Interior Should 
Strengthen Management of Key Data Systems Used to Oversee 
Development on Federal Lands. GAO-21-209. May 27, 2021.
    Domestic Medical Supply Manufacturing. July 19, 2021.
    Paycheck Protection Program: Small Business Administration 
Added Program Safeguards, but Additional Actions are Needed. 
GAO-21-577. July 29, 2021.
    Capital Fund Proposal: Upfront Funding Could Benefit Some 
Projects, But Other Potential Effects Not Clearly Identified. 
GAO-21-215. September 10, 2021.
    Federal Rulemaking: Selected Agencies Should Fully Describe 
Available Public Comment Data and Their Limitations. GAO-21-
103181. September 21, 2021.
    Paycheck Protection Program: Program Changes Increased 
Lending to the Smallest Businesses and in Underserved 
Locations. GAO-21-601. September 21, 2021
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Education Should Take 
Additional Steps to Help Protect K-12 Schools From Cyber 
Threats. GAO-22-105024. October 13, 2021.
    Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Credit Markets Served by 
the Program have Stabilized, but Vulnerabilities Remain. 
GAO-22-104640. October 19, 2021.
    COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations on the Ongoing Recovery of 
the Aviation Industry. GAO-22-104429. October 21, 2021.
    COVID-19: Federal Agencies' Initial Reentry and Workplace 
Safety Planning. GAO-22-104295. October 25, 2021.
    Federal Hiring: The Office of Personnel Management Should 
Collect and Share COVID-19 Lessons Learned to Inform Hiring 
During Future Emergencies. GAO-22-104297. October 25, 2021.
    COVID-19: Lessons Learned from the U.S. Department of the 
Interior and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's 
Administration of CARES Act Funds Could Improve Federal 
Emergency Relief to Tribes. GAO-22-104349. October 29, 2021.
    COVID-19: The U.S. Department of Stare Carried Out Historic 
Repatriation Effort but Should Strengthen its Preparedness for 
Future Crises. GAO-22-104354. November 2, 2021.
    COVID-19: Federal Telework Increased During the Pandemic, 
but More Reliable Data are Needed to Support Oversight. GAO-22-
104282. February 8, 2022.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency Should Improve Priority Setting, 
Stakeholder Involvement, and Threat Information Sharing. 
GAO-22-104279. March 1, 2022.
    COVID-19: The Department of Stare Should Strengthen 
Policies to Better Maintain Overseas Operations in Future 
Crises. GAO-22-104519. March 16, 2022.
    Indian Health Service: Relief Funding and Agency Response 
to COVID-19 Pandemic. GAO-22-104360. March 31, 2022.
    COVID-19: U.S. Food and Drug Administration Took Steps to 
Help Make Test Available; Policy for Future Public Health 
Emergencies Needed. GAO-22-104266. May 12, 2022.
    COVID-19: Agencies Increased Use of Some Regulatory 
Flexibilities and are Taking Steps to Assess Them. 
GAO-22-105047. June 23, 2022.
    Federal Personal Property: Better Internal Guidance and 
More Action from the General Services Administration are Needed 
to Help Agencies Maximize Use of Excess. GAO-22-104626. 
June 28, 2022.
    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Management: 
Action Needed to Ensure Success of New Oversight Framework. 
GAO-2-105195. August 11, 2022.
    Medicare Telehealth: Actions Needed to Strengthen Oversight 
and Help Provided Educate Patients on Privacy and Security 
Risks. GAO-22-104454. September 26, 2022.
    Southwest Border: Challenges and Efforts Implementing New 
Processes for Noncitizen Families. GAO-22-105456. September 28, 
2022.
    Critical Infrastructure Protection: Additional Federal 
Coordination is Needed to Enhance K-12 Cybersecurity. GAO-23-
105480. October 20, 2022.
    Wildland Fire: Barriers to Recruitment and Retention of 
Federal Wildland Firefighters. GAO-23-105517. November 17, 
2022.
    COVID-19 Funds: Lessons Learned Could Improve Future 
Distribution of Federal Emergency Relief to Tribal Recipients. 
GAO-23-105473. December 15, 2022.
    Oral Presentation on U.S. Park Police Staffing. December 
16, 2022.
    Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Risks Remain Low in 
Related Credit Markets, and Main Street Loans Have Generally 
Performed Well. GAO-23-105629. December 19, 2022.

                          [all]